Book Marketing is Dead: book promotion secrets you MUST know BEFORE you publish your book

by Derek Murphy

How to sell a ton of books (even if you're starting with no platform).

If you've found this book I'm assuming you have or will soon have a book
out on the market, and are exploring ways to turn it into a best-selling
powerhouse that will slaughter the competition and pay for your
retirement. The indie publishing world is thrilling because of the
possible returns, and I hope you and your book do well. You're probably
searching for things like "book marketing" and "book promotion" so you
can learn how to find readers and convince them to buy your book.

But almost everything you read will be wrong.

That's because marketing in general is dead. Advertising is dead. Selling and
convincing people to buy: also dead. The new law of book sales is this:
if you're talking about your book, promoting your book, sharing your
book... you're screwing it all up.

Don't make "Old School" marketing mistakes that will sabotage your efforts!
This book will help you to...
    Avoid the common mistakes that kill book sales     Set up an author platform quickly that will triple your results     Use Social Media (like an expert) without being annoying     Advertise for maximum impact (at the lowest cost)     Make powerful friends online who can move thousands of books ˃˃˃ Before you spend a lot of money on book marketing services or author publicity...
Make sure you've plugged all the holes in your sales funnel so you're not throwing money away.

˃˃˃ If you're looking for a "Bestseller Campaign" but don't have a big budget...
This book will show you plenty of ways to improve sales without spending a dime.

˃˃˃ There's even a free gift inside (worth $29)...
To encourage readers to share your best writing on Facebook and Twitter.

Genres: Writing, Nonfiction, Business, Reference, Productivity

104 pages, Kindle Edition

First published December 17, 2013

About the author

I wrote my MA thesis on Harry Potter and my PhD thesis on Paradise Lost. Now I write YA fantasy novels and design book covers. I blog about self-publishing, book design and book marketing, and was featured in CNN for renting castles.

www.urbanepics.com
www.theyashelf.com
www.creativindie.com
www.imlovingbooks.com

Reviews

[Iola · Rating 2 out of 5]

This book reminds me of the little girl with a little curl: when it was good, it was very very good, but when it was bad it was horrid.

I’ll start with the horrid. Murphy has been criticised for suggesting purchasing book reviews. My opinions on paid reviews are well-documented (well, the version of my opinion that’s fit for public viewing). I don’t have a problem with paid reviews—if you’ve got $425+ to blow on a Kirkus Indie review, great, but most indie authors would be better investing that money in quality editing, and an outstanding cover.

My problem is with reviews (paid or otherwise) that aren’t disclosed as required by FTC regulations (and reinforced in the Amazon Reviewing Guidelines, which specifically prohibit paid reviews). Amazon Customer Reviewers aren’t permitted to receive any compensation apart from a free copy of the book, and must disclose that a free book was received in exchange for a review.

What I do have an issue with is Murphy’s suggestion of organising a reviewing circle:

“Still stuck for reviews? Organize a local ‘self-published author’ club and command everyone to review each other’s books – it will benefit everyone in the group.”

I disagree, and so do a lot of my reader friends online. Readers aren’t stupid. If we see that the same group of authors all review each other’s books, we roll our eyes, mutter ‘fake reviews’, and pass on to a book with more genuine reviews. Those with a little more time on their hands report the reviews for abuse (enough reports and the review is deleted), or email Amazon directly to point out how the reviews are against Amazon’s rules. This often results in the offending review/s being deleted. In some cases, reviewers have lost their entire reviewing history, and their ongoing reviewing privileges.
Murphy’s next suggestion is:
“For my new book … I emailed my list an offer (free membership in …) in exchange for a review – I got 35 reviews posted in one week.”

That’s against Amazon’s Reviewing Guidelines, which specifically state that the only compensation a reviewer can receive is a free copy of the book (or product) being reviewed. Offering prizes (ranging from a refund to a Kindle Fire to a Caribbean cruise) is equally dodgy.

Sorry. This is meant to be a book review, not a rant. Suffice to say it’s best to ignore all the advice Murphy gives on reviews (although he is quite correct in saying you can post paid reviews on Amazon, in the ‘Editorial Reviews’ section of your book page. They just can’t go in Customer Reviews).

But don’t let that stop you reading this book, as the rest is good. Murphy talks about the importance of a quality product (and suggests getting professional feedback on that, not just feedback from proud relatives and your BFF). He emphasises the importance of building positive relationships, and points out that people who like you before they read your nook are more likely to give you favourable reviews.

He makes the uncomfortable observation that most authors come across online as spammy self-promoters … as do most author networks and author marketing services. My contrary self would love to disagree, but my honest self can’t. Authors: spamming your friends is not what the experts meant when they said ‘make 80% of your posts about other people’.

I liked this book because the author has obviously done some research in the area, and quoted from other book marketing gurus. And I like his philosophy of being “relentlessly helpful” (a philosophy I try to follow myself since being introduced to the idea in Tim Grahl’s Your First 1000 Copies). If you ignore his advice on reviews, you’ll find Book Marketing is Dead is a worthwhile use of your money and time.

[Michelle Madow · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is a MUST READ for authors, no matter what stage they are in their career. I wish it had been around when I independently published my first series, and I'm so glad to have read it before launching my second indie series. I found myself stopping to take notes and apply the advice given many times while reading, and I know that what I've learned will be even more helpful in making sure my upcoming series will be as successful as possible. Derek is helpful, honest, and to the point - he's clearly an expert in his field and has so much knowledge to share about marketing. He doesn't sugar coat anything, and he knows that even though we're artists, we're also business owners, and that we need to be assertive to make our businesses as successful as possible. If you're an author, and you want to be successful, then go buy this book ... you won't regret it!

[Aurélien Thomas · Rating 3 out of 5]

I like the title because, provocative, it actually sums it all up perfectly: if you want to sell your book, then don't 'market' it. I love that! Marketing is bloody annoying indeed. Marketing is about being spammy, as irritating as bloody uncalled for adverts, and, above all, counterproductive. Please! By now we all know when sellers are after our money, so, as a writer, please, don't, just don't, use marketing techniques! If you want to sell your book, the last thing you should do is to constantly thrust it under people's noses and yap 'buy it, buy it, buy it'!

Put like this, of course, it might sounds like downright common sense. Well, you should see my feeds on the various social medias I am on! I network with writers, the great bulk of whom are just annoying car salesmen indeed (there: I said it). No one cares about your book. Don't market it. Instead, promote it.

Now, fair enough, but... I can feel you fidgeting: how the heck do you promote your work without marketing?! What's the difference!? Well, by connecting with people. Simple.

'connect with real people, build relationships and provide value.'

Simple? Yes it is! But to connect you need to first build a platform. And, oh boy! How tough, demanding, and bloody hard work that is! THIS part of the deal is not easy, but then again:

'authorship is a career, not a get rich quick scheme.'

Indeed. So, if you're not ready to pull in the hard work (e.g. building and maintaining a platform) and if you have no intent to take your own work seriously (e.g. be professional about covers, formatting, editing etc.) then your book won't sell. It's a demanding process, but there it is: in a day and age when any Tom, Dick or Harry can get a book out, if you want to be considered seriously (and so sell books!) you'll have to put in the effort... and put readers (not your book, not you) above all else. Connect! Engage! Build! Your book is just a tiny part of it all.

When it comes to advice, this book is far from perfect. Derek Murphy insists on not being cheap, yet, ironically, he refers a lot to fiverr.com -I personally wouldn't recommend fiverr.com at all. I also found him obvious and basic when it comes to Twitter and LinkedIn. As for Facebook, one of my favourite social medias platform (there: https://www.facebook.com/aurelienthom...) his experience doesn't match mine. He is also unclear about a few tips, and had in fact to clarify some points in later editions (e.g. he is NOT calling for paid reviews...). However...

However, I love the ethos preached in here; so I highly recommend it to anyone seriously ready to invest in their writing journey. This is not about marketing. This is about building relationships with your audience, and it all starts with being genuine. 'My book is out! Buy it here!!!' is not how to go about it. Here's a short but worthy read.

[Michele Bardsley · Rating 4 out of 5]

Great advice

I've read a lot of books, blogs, and articles about book marketing, so I wasn't sure what this could offer me. I'm glad I read it. There's really good information and solid advice about marketing and promotion.

[Μιχάλης · Rating 5 out of 5]

It is short and it is free, but concerning price and size, its value is immense.

The book never gets too deep into publishing, but for a rookie author (or an old-timer procrastinator like your's truly) it really shines, by giving you a set of guidelines to better promote your book.
It should be noted that there are some underhanded moves proposed that may not be as tolarated today as they were when the book was written.

It is a great stepping stone for budding self-publishers or authors in small publishers

[Diane Challenor · Rating 4 out of 5]

After reading a few pages, of Book Marketing is Dead: Book Promotion Secrets You MUST Know BEFORE You Publish Your Book, I felt confident it was going to be a good read and I wasn’t disappointed.

I’ve been following along with Derek Murphy’s blog from his website creativindie for a few months. It’s full of interesting insights about eBook publishing and cover design. His conversational writing style is clear and easily accessible, so when I realised he had published several books covering self-publishing topics, I loaded down four of them:

- Book Marketing is Dead: Book Promotion Secrets You MUST Know BEFORE You Publish Your Book

- 100 Common Publishing Questions Answered: Produce more, publish quickly, market your books, build your platform, and earn more today

- How to Write, Format, Publish and Promote your Book

- Book Cover Design Secrets You Can Use to Sell More Books

My interest in self-publishing is anchored in my love of “the craft of writing”, specifically a sub-set, the craft of publishing, the vehicle giving the author access to the reader. To explain a little more: I am not a writer of books, my interest is not in the “doing” of writing, it is about everything else. That is, I’m interested in the “how” of writing, the inspiration; the method; the structure; the genre; the editing; the book cover; and the title; along with the publishing and marketing vehicle. Hence my interest in this book.

For the novice, the advice is very good, there is enough detail to put in place good strategies. For me being a little more advanced, my knowledge was enhanced and reinforced and then there were “gems” that were the “cream on the cake”. The author stresses the need to begin with a good product, he then follows up with this:

“design” is a magic wand that super-charges your sales

So true, so true. The late Steve Jobs made good design the foundation of Apple’s success. And, I believe it’s the magic ingredient for many things, be they software or traditionally printed books, and so too for eBooks and their promotion.

I’m collaborating with an author who has written several books telling stories filled with interesting characters and happenings. All, as yet, unpublished. (I won’t mention his name nor his books yet because we’re developing his author platform.) Very soon, he’ll publish his debut novel. His website will go-live within the month. Currently, we’re focused on the front matter and back matter of the book, which in turn will become the “About the Author”, and “About the Book” web-pages on the website. I’m telling you this because, in Derek Murphy’s book, he says something that reinforces my decision to ask the author to completely re-write his front and back matter. What he says in relation to the book description is:

Make sure the Amazon page – sales page has a killer description that hooks attention and creates desire to read the book

And further on into the book, Mr Murphy talks about building an author platform:

[share a] powerful author story … summarise your life in the format of an emotional story that captivates the imagination

Powerful advice we’ve decided to follow.

The book is a quick read and eloquent at the same time. It certainly added to our knowledge of self-publishing.

I loved the final paragraph of the book. It made me smile.

This review was published by me, Diane Challenor, at my book blog, Artuccino

[Elizabeth Klein · Rating 5 out of 5]

Thank you Derek, for offering so much valuable information to the waiting masses. Great advice. Great book.

[em_wemily · Rating 3 out of 5]

2.5

The biggest takeaway from this book, and the message that inspired the title itself, is that you should not be peddling your book like a pushy car salesman. If you really needed to hear that, this book can help you. If that's an intuitive thing for you, this book may be disappointing.

While there was some useful information in here, other books have covered the topics in here better. (like the book I recently read: 'How to Market a Book' by Richard Fayet) Also, this is 100% a book for indie authors. If you don't intend to be an indie author, there is little utility in this.

Some things I really didn't like in here were the edits that sometimes contradicted the entire previous section. Why didn't Murphy just delete things he no longer agreed with?
I also caught a few typos.

This was broken up into 3 sections:
1. Product: Cover, sales description, and reviews are vital to selling. Check how well these are working by looking at your conversion.
2. Platform: Build credibility as an author. Make a website, get on social media, make friends without being a complete weirdo online. Make sure you know how to behave appropriately depending on the platform (ie. LinkedIn v. FB).
3. Promotion: Work with other authors if you have no platform. Don't pay a bunch of money if your product sucks. Don't bother with bookstores or award contests or international book fairs if you're an indie author.

I have no other strong thoughts or impressions of this book. It's just okay.

[Elise Edmonds · Rating 5 out of 5]

Very informative book about marketing in the age of social media. Well worth reading.

[Andrea D'Angelo · Rating 5 out of 5]

Thanks for the extremely useful big piece of advice!

I read this book after the same author's one on covers. If there's someone who has helped me to clarify what is mandatory, what is important and what is not for an indie author, that's Derek Murphy. Straight to the point and pumping twice, thrice... in different ways and from different persoectives, just to squeeze your brain of all your doubts and focus your mind. For an ex-published author as I am, going indie is a jump into the void. Now the idea to jump is not so terrific anymore, it seems... possible to manage the experience from the start in the right way and leave the story do the rest. When my platform is ready in my humble opinion, I'll reach you out. Many thanks for your warm sharing. See you in some time in our exotic mansion!

[Una Tiers · Rating 3 out of 5]

Many ideas about book marketing were muddled by the author's arrogance and negative slant on almost every page.

[Mell Bright · Rating 5 out of 5]

Really good for amateur writers! I knew most of it because I learned it all alone from experience (and mistakes). But if you're new in the writing/marketing game, this book is great!

[Chris Norbury · Rating 4 out of 5]

A solid resource with useful information, although Murphy admits when he updated the book that some of his ideas may not be as effective as they had been when he first wrote the book. It's easy for authors to become obsessed with marketing to the exclusion of writing, so the key takeaway for me was that the best marketing comes AFTER an author has published multiple books (for novelists, that seems to be a series or at least several books in one genre).

Another takeaway is--whatever works for you, works for you. Authors should tailor their marketing to their audience, so try many promotion strategies and keep track of what generates sales.

Final advice is not to SCREAM at people to buy your book. Rather, build personal relationships as much as possible.

All good ideas, but reading about book marketing in the internet age always makes my head hurt. A necessary evil that is a giant pain in the butt.

[Rayner Ye · Rating 4 out of 5]

I've listened to kids of Derek Murphy's Podcasts and always taken him seriously. I'm just not sure, anymore, though. There are two sides of a coin.

[Michael Ronn · Rating 4 out of 5]

As other readers have said, this is a good book for newbie authors who are wondering where to start. As someone who's already published two books, and an avid reader who has read pretty much all the self-publishing books out there, there was nothing new in this book for me. But that's not really fair to the author, because he does do a good job of outlining all aspects of publishiing and promotion that are useful, especially if you've never read anything like this before. The book does include useful links and quotes, too. The author strikes me as well-qualified to write this type of book, and his advice (for the most part) is sound. As an editor, cover designer, and web designer, he knows his stuff.

I gave the book four stars (because it's good), but I have four honest comments about some things that bothered me.

First, is the title. It doesn't jive with the content. It says that book marketing is dead, but the author spends well over half the book telling you how to market books. I know that the title has to hook people, but this was a bit unsettling for me.

Second, which is the easiest to fix, would be to include a resource section at the end of the book with the useful links that are included in the book. I know there aren't that many, but this is becoming standard in the writing craft genre, and it wouldn't take too much effort to implement. It's nice to have, especially if you want a book like this to be perennial.

The third, which is also easily fixable, is to include a Table of Contents. I read the book on my iphone, and the Kindle version didn't have a TOC. I didn't test it on my Kindle Touch or my tablet, but the mobile version definitely didn't have one. Maybe this is something the author could look into for future editions.

The fourth and final is a quibble I have about paying for reviews. I reread this section twice to make sure I understood it. Basically, the author advises that paid reviews don't have to be a bad thing, as long as those reviews are honest, and that it's the author's responsibility to ensure this honesty. After all, it's tough to get reviews from strangers, and the author makes a good point in quantifying the demand that a book takes of someone's time. However, paying directly for reviews the way the author describes it is bad advice. I believe that self-published authors owe it to themselves and the industry to maintain the highest level of integrity and transparency. Offering someone an Ipad for a review jeopardizes that integrity, and it just gives indie-haters another reason to keep the pitchforks in hand. Furthermore, the downside to paying for reviews is that it damages your credibility--which would completely undermine the other methods that the author discusses in the book.

Otherwise, though, I did enjoy the book, and I do think that new authors would find a lot of value in what the author has to say. Don't let my quibbles stop you from picking this up if you are interested---it's absolutely worth reading if you're looking for a comprehensive book on marketing.

[Eric Engle · Rating 5 out of 5]

Derek Murphy has lots of ideas about book marketing and production most of which he gives away for free, one way or other, to drive his consulting business and fictional book sales. His books are all of excellent quality and I did learn things about producing and marketing my own books herein.
I recommend him! Read Derek Murphy!

[Will Once · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book is an odd mixture of good advice, bad advice and dreadful formatting.

There's lots of good advice. Quite rightly, Derek Murphy talks about improving your book before trying to market it. Reading this book, there were times when I wanted to re-enact that scene from "When Harry met Sally" and create a little puddle on the floor. Yes! Yes! Yes!

Then there were some not so good bits which were tantamount to buying reviews. Stuff that you couldn't do these days without Amazon coming down on you very hard. Bad book. Very bad book.

But the thing which got on my nerves was the way that the book was formatted. It was quite possibly the messiest book I have read in a long time. Every other page was a mishmash of italics, bold and bold with italics. We had numbered lists within numbered lists. Quotes in different fonts. Whole paragraphs in brackets.

Reading it on the Kindle Ipad app was a headache because some of the chapters flipped into bold type, although that doesn't seem to be a problem on the PC Kindle app.

Now, you might say that the formatting doesn't matter; it's the content that counts. And that's true, up to a point. But this is a book aimed at writers. And to a writer these formatting issues burn the eyes. It's a bit like encountering the noobie on a forum who insists on WRITING EVERYTHING IN CAPITALS.

Can I recommend it? Well, yes. Mostly. On balance. I suppose. There's lots of good stuff in here. You simply have to bite your lip and ignore all the font changes, bolds, italics and other annoying tics. Oh, and the dodgy "buying reviews" tactics.

Apart from that it's good.

[T.B. Markinson · Rating 5 out of 5]

What impressed me the most about this book is that it doesn’t make promises, such as if you follow a certain formula you’ll get rich. Instead he offers advice and shows that building relationships using social media is key. Personally, I’m not a fan of authors who spam me about their books and keep shouting: read my book, read my book, read my book. This is not the best way to build a fan base. Instead, Mr. Murphy suggests that fostering relationships with people and developing your author platform are more efficient methods in the long run. He’s quite clear not to expect overnight success. It takes time and if you invest your time wisely, you have a better chance of succeeding.

[Nicole Huggins · Rating 5 out of 5]

Lots of Useful Content

I bought this book months ago, but I am finally getting the chance to review it. Short and sweet and to the point, this isn't just another marketing book. Trust me, it's not. This is the first marketing book I have read where it isn't talking about the same, washed up book marketing information. This book takes it beyond that. To the psychology of book marketing. It forces you to dig deep inside to determine what brand you want to build, the reasons for it, and how YOU can provide value while doing it.

[Chris Lee · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book is a good starting place for new authors. I appreciate the fact that the author didn't try to bs the reader. He stuck to what he knew and he stressed the importance of a good author bio, reviews and sales copy. This is of monumental importance. A good quick read and good resources and ideas.

[Roxanna López · Rating 2 out of 5]

Has some interesting ideas but it reads more like a collection of blog post than like a book.

[D.L. Pitchford · Rating 4 out of 5]

There is a lot of very helpful information for new authors--and it's info that's actually helpful, unlike most of the books that are designed for newbies. BUT this book is also incredibly out of date in regards to some vital information since it was published in 2013 and doesn't appear to have been updated. A lot of the information about social media is misleading.

There are also a couple recommendations that don't sit right with me:
1) It recommends paying for reviews, which goes against my principles even before Amazon started enforcing their TOS policy on no paid reviews. They can only be used as editorial reviews, not posted as a regular review.
2) It recommends using Fiverr and the like without also offering caution. Places like Fiverr and Upwork are potentially hazardous places, especially for newbies. They are a breeding ground for scam artists who rip off copyright and registered trademarks. Yes, there are plenty of reputable people working there, but new authors need to understand the potential dangers and research anyone they're considering working with.

Otherwise, this would be a five-star review.

[Melanie Neubert · Rating 1 out of 5]

Dieses Buch ist, neben den dauernden Wiederholungen, die der Autor bereits zu Beginn androht, für den (Klischee incoming) amerikanischen Markt geschrieben.
Oberster Leitsatz: Profitiere von anderen!

Er betont immer und immer und immer wieder, dass das Produkt gut sein muss. (Ach echt?) Cover, Buchsatz, Rechtschreibung. Das Cover dieses Buches ist gut. Der Rest ... schlecht und zum Teil fehlerhaft übersetzt. Der Buchsatz ist Mäßig.

Zum wesentlichen Inhalt, den der Autor offensichtlich selbst nutzt:
Kauf! Rezensionen! (Bezahlte Bewertung ist laut Autor mein Betrug. DOCH IST ES!)
Kaufe! „Fans“!
Besteche andere, um sie zum kaufen/lesen zu bringen. Z.B. mit der Möglichkeit ein iPad oder einen Wochenendausflug zu gewinnen.

Und Nerv die, die dir Reichweite/Vorteile bringen:
Frage 3x mindestens höflich nach, wenn du ungefragt ein Rezi Ex versendet hast.

Fazit des Buches: Manipuliere, wo du nur kannst.


Persönliches Fazit:
NEIN.
DANKE!

[Eric Beaty · Rating 3 out of 5]

Plenty of advice, but it still seems like an overwhelming amount of work as well as choices for marketing your book. Even though the title states otherwise, this is still a book about marketing, so I'm not exactly sure about the accuracy of the title.

Took a while for me to read because I lost interest several times. Nothing really stood out to me, but I suppose that's relative to everyone's situation since I've already read similar advice to Derek's from many other sources.

This book was free (Kindle edition), so I can't complain much; however, I've found other resources online that are much better organized, such as Nicholas Erik's, Nick Stephenson's, and Mark Dawson's websites. Worth checking out at the price of free, though.

[S. Spelbring · Rating 4 out of 5]

Let me start by saying if you're going read this ebook seriously, you're going to need to take notes. I took notes. I might need to reread this and take more notes later.

The author gives you a ton of useful information on many marketing strategies, from building trust with your followers, to building a platform, and then even deciding on a book to write and how to go about writing it.

The main idea though? Focus on the basics. Basics are key, and there are three: a good cover, a good website, and a few book reviews. That's it. It seems simple, but it's not. However, Derek Murphy breaks it all down for you with wonderful tips along the way.

If you've forgotten already: take notes while reading this.

[Jacqueline Pawl · Rating 5 out of 5]

One of the best books for indie authors

There is no better resource for indie and small-published authors than Derek Murphy and his slew of publishing books, sites, and Facebook groups. I started out a member of his Alliance of Young Adult Authors group on Facebook, but the knowledge shared there can sometimes be confusing because there are so many authors with so many opinions (the old adage of too many cooks). In this book, Murphy has masterfully outlined tips and tricks to help any author, no matter how inexperienced, take his or her book marketing to the next level.

I can already tell that the changes I have made since reading this book have made a change in my author brand, and I can't wait to read more by Derek Murphy!

[Sylvia · Rating 3 out of 5]

Like asking a 7 yr old how to make ice cream.

The author is cute, energetic, brimming with optimism, eager to share his wonderful world, and oblivious to the need for brevity, clarity, efficiency.

He speaks in his own language of buzzwords, names of technical tools, acronyms, websites referenced, without regard for the reader's understanding. He's not helping, he's bragging.

He browbeats the reader, repeating his basic tenets at least 5 times, without adding detail or clarity.

Try Joanna Penn, instead.

[James Fant · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great Title! Greater Content

This book tells authors what they need to get right FIRST before they start marketing. The title is great because it draws you in. "Wow! Is marketing really dead?" It reminds me of the scripture "Faith without works is dead..." Now, I am in no way, shape, form or fashion comparing this book to Bible. However, Marketing without doing those first things is essentially a waste of time. Essentially dead. What are those first few things? Read and see. And you too will say, "Great Title! Greater Content!!!"

[Licia Flynn · Rating 5 out of 5]

Excellent advice! I love Derek's authentic style & approach.

I never read fantasy, but I can't wait to read (in a few weeks) & review some of Derek's work b/c I try to read everything for the sake of knowing how & why people think a certain way.

Some of my favorite advice from Derek includes -- (1) Focus on the big picture (I'm not sure if he said this exactly; I'm paraphrasing), (2) Readers care more about a good story & less about literary prose, (3) Abandon perfectionism, but push yourself to be #1 (again, this was my rough interpretation).

[K.C. Dreisbach · Rating 3 out of 5]

I read this in a Kindle edition. Overall, I think the content was good and useful (about 4 stars for me), but unfortunately, the formatting of the ebook was just a little rough (3 stars). As such, I wish there was the ability to give half stars!

I've read multiple books by this author, and I think I would certainly recommend him because the content is useful and I enjoy his writing voice, but I've also noticed a pattern in the ebook versions were the formatting is poor. As long as you can push pass formatting issues, I would recommend the read.