These are notes taken from an interview I did with a self publishing millionaire on some of the best places to advertise..
Imagine my delight…
The first time I advertised my book in a tabloid I sold 700 orders. I made enough money to put myself in business – thousands of dollars the very first time.
If you have fresh ideas or knowledge to share, you have a saleable product. Offered to the right market, you can launch your career as an author. There are plenty of advertising choices out there. Some are good, some not appropriate to your market. Your success depends on your ability to choose wisely.
How do you know which are best for you? Read on…
After my initial success, I was so impressed by my results I expanded my advertising into other media.
In a small way I went into…at that time it was called The National Tattler. It’s like the National Enquirer. The book didn’t do well there.
It was a different kind of an audience; a lot less sophisticated. Plus they were not the type to respond to the type of copy I was using. And so, for a few years I was pretty much stuck with The Spotlight.
I tried other papers. I tried daily newspaper and it fell flat. Did I lose money? I rarely lose money.
And you won’t either, once you understand the principles of direct marketing. You’re not going to lose unless you really do something stupid. If you try to get cute in the headline, you’re going to get killed.
Although some publications are more successful than others, I cover my costs in most of my tests. You really have to.
A couple of things that are important if I were to advise you about running a space ad and you’re selling information product would be in your packaging, your mailing.
I learned a lot in that process that would made my life easier when I handled the orders, the fulfillment, the shipping, and everything.
Now I do things a lot differently. Back then I did everything myself. It was very simple. It was a small booklet. You just go to an office supply store and buy envelopes and go to the post office and buy stamps.
At that time, we were using typewriters and adhesive labels. You just type the label up. You slap it on the envelope. Stick the book in the envelope.
It was a catalog envelope. It couldn’t be easier. I mailed it first class, with stamps.
It wasn’t until later that I started to get involved with more books that I had written and self published.
Eventually your fulfillment starts to get a little more sophisticated. You really don’t have to do it yourself. Hopefully you hire people to take care of that for you.
Your ideas, insights and teachings have value. If you’re quick-witted or entertaining, artistic or creative, you can package it into a book. By doing a little groundwork and direct marketing you can reach a wider audience and bring in scads of cash.
