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5 Minute Book Marketing for Authors - Updated 2019 Edition: Easy and effective ways to market your book every single day!
"I've been at this for 43 years now and your two little books are, quite seriously, the best and most 'user friendly' I've seen on the subject of book marketing in all that time."
Jim Cox, Midwest Book Review
Do you feel like you have no time to market your book?
What if I told you that you could market your book in only 5 minutes a day?
Spending just 5 minutes a day I can help you dramatically improve the quality of your exposure, the number of your target-market impressions, and your overall book sales.
This book will prove that 5 minutes is all you need.
You have my personal guarantee that my 5-minute book marketing method works.
This book is designed so you can make quantifiable upgrades – or add new ideas to your book marketing objectives -- in as little as 5 minutes a day, but it also delivers enough tips, recommendations and action items to go to that next level as well -- like prepping for your next release!
Here’s what you’ll learn:
• How to optimize Amazon to ensure you’re not losing potential buyers
• How to use Goodreads networking to your advantage
• How to plan out eBook Promotions that actually sell books
• How to simplify your social media approach so it’s less work with more return
• How to create a smarter book marketing plan
And so much more!
I can personally guarantee if you spend just 5 quality minutes per day marketing, you WILL sell more books!
Jim Cox, Midwest Book Review
Do you feel like you have no time to market your book?
What if I told you that you could market your book in only 5 minutes a day?
Spending just 5 minutes a day I can help you dramatically improve the quality of your exposure, the number of your target-market impressions, and your overall book sales.
This book will prove that 5 minutes is all you need.
You have my personal guarantee that my 5-minute book marketing method works.
This book is designed so you can make quantifiable upgrades – or add new ideas to your book marketing objectives -- in as little as 5 minutes a day, but it also delivers enough tips, recommendations and action items to go to that next level as well -- like prepping for your next release!
Here’s what you’ll learn:
• How to optimize Amazon to ensure you’re not losing potential buyers
• How to use Goodreads networking to your advantage
• How to plan out eBook Promotions that actually sell books
• How to simplify your social media approach so it’s less work with more return
• How to create a smarter book marketing plan
And so much more!
I can personally guarantee if you spend just 5 quality minutes per day marketing, you WILL sell more books!
150 pages, Kindle Edition
Published July 8, 2019
173 people are currently reading
303 people want to read
About the author
Penny C. Sansevieri
27 books281 followersI am the founder and CEO of Author Marketing Experts, Inc., a best-selling author and internationally recognized book marketing and media relations expert.
I am also an Adjunct Professor teaching Self-Publishing for NYU and was named one of the top influencers of 2019 by New York Metropolitan Magazine.
My company is one of the leaders in the publishing industry and has developed some of the most innovative Amazon Optimization programs as well as Social Media/Internet book marketing campaigns.
I am the author of 25 books, including How to Sell Your Books by the Truckload on Amazon, Revise and Re-Release Your Book, 5 Minute Book Marketing, and Red Hot Internet Publicity, which has been called the "leading guide to everything Internet."
AME has had dozens of books top bestseller lists, including those of the New York Times, USA Today, and Wall Street Journal.
Please find me on Facebook at:
https://www.facebook.com/pg/therealbo...
On Instagram at:
https://www.instagram.com/therealbookgal
And sign up for my free Monthly Book Marketing Planner:
https://www.amarketingexpert.com/mont...
I am also an Adjunct Professor teaching Self-Publishing for NYU and was named one of the top influencers of 2019 by New York Metropolitan Magazine.
My company is one of the leaders in the publishing industry and has developed some of the most innovative Amazon Optimization programs as well as Social Media/Internet book marketing campaigns.
I am the author of 25 books, including How to Sell Your Books by the Truckload on Amazon, Revise and Re-Release Your Book, 5 Minute Book Marketing, and Red Hot Internet Publicity, which has been called the "leading guide to everything Internet."
AME has had dozens of books top bestseller lists, including those of the New York Times, USA Today, and Wall Street Journal.
Please find me on Facebook at:
https://www.facebook.com/pg/therealbo...
On Instagram at:
https://www.instagram.com/therealbookgal
And sign up for my free Monthly Book Marketing Planner:
https://www.amarketingexpert.com/mont...
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 80 reviews
April 16, 2017
This is an excellent primer for writers just starting out with marketing and wanting a rounded plan of action for selling books.
June 25, 2017
While there are many marketing-for-authors books available and glutting the market, there are few that contain more than a writer’s favorite tips. Most of the books are short and quick reads. This is not the case with Penny Sansevieri’s “5-Minute Book Marketing for Authors.” This offering is book-length and is the best information I have found on this subject that is all in one place.
For those authors who are not savvy on every aspect of marketing (and aren’t you supposed to be concentrating on the next book while your current masterpiece sells itself?), this book offers everything you need. Not only does it conveniently list by chapter all the suggestions you could take to promote your book, Ms. Sansevieri tells you exactly what to do so that you can get started! In other words, she doesn’t just suggest you go to a certain webpage and follow the instructions, she goes through the instructions with you while at the same time advising you what she has found works best.
Let’s face it, the social media world can be a jungle, even for those who understand it. The author is our fearless guide, hacking away at all the useless vines and unnecessary to-do lists in order to expose the action steps that will accomplish what writers need: Exposing their books to new as well as existing fans, with the ability to make this happen without wasting time.
Why would anyone listen to this author? It’s been said that when you seek answers, go to the source. Ms. Sansevieri is a successful book marketer, and to have someone like that share her tips is invaluable. This book is a MUST HAVE for all writers seeking to have their book climb on top of the mountain of books published every year. Five stars.
For those authors who are not savvy on every aspect of marketing (and aren’t you supposed to be concentrating on the next book while your current masterpiece sells itself?), this book offers everything you need. Not only does it conveniently list by chapter all the suggestions you could take to promote your book, Ms. Sansevieri tells you exactly what to do so that you can get started! In other words, she doesn’t just suggest you go to a certain webpage and follow the instructions, she goes through the instructions with you while at the same time advising you what she has found works best.
Let’s face it, the social media world can be a jungle, even for those who understand it. The author is our fearless guide, hacking away at all the useless vines and unnecessary to-do lists in order to expose the action steps that will accomplish what writers need: Exposing their books to new as well as existing fans, with the ability to make this happen without wasting time.
Why would anyone listen to this author? It’s been said that when you seek answers, go to the source. Ms. Sansevieri is a successful book marketer, and to have someone like that share her tips is invaluable. This book is a MUST HAVE for all writers seeking to have their book climb on top of the mountain of books published every year. Five stars.
August 30, 2017
This book contains good marketing tips and links for NEWBIE authors. To date, I have written/published 2 books, so I'm already familiar with many of the tips in this book. However, I did find at least a few helpful tips/links that I intend to use and so I'm glad I read it.
The only downsides I can think of are minor. I found one typo on page 76... I think ubersuggest dot com should actually be ubersuggest dot org). Also, I assumed this book was targeted at authors who already published/self-published, so I was surprised to find that chapter 4 included detailed instructions on how to self-publish a book on Amazon. That chapter was not really helpful for me. Otherwise, it's a good book overall.
The only downsides I can think of are minor. I found one typo on page 76... I think ubersuggest dot com should actually be ubersuggest dot org). Also, I assumed this book was targeted at authors who already published/self-published, so I was surprised to find that chapter 4 included detailed instructions on how to self-publish a book on Amazon. That chapter was not really helpful for me. Otherwise, it's a good book overall.
December 26, 2018
A smart self-help guide to marketing and the crazy world of publishing. Gives many effective tips, even though at times it leans heavily on the self-published side of things, giving traditional authors little room to use the information provided. Recommended for indie authors and writers with a book in the works.
April 6, 2019
Five minutes might not be enough to become an Amazon bestseller, but there are quite a few things you can do in that time to take you one step closer. Penny C. Sansevieri goes through almost major online outlet and goes through the basics of each one. Goodreads, Amazon, Google, Twitter and Pinterst are all here, as well as building your own website and newsletter. She also goes over ebook promotions and pricing. Most of the information is easy to take in, but some of it does feel heavy at times and is a tiny bit overwhelming in places. At the end of every chapter, there’s an exercise that should ideally take you five minutes to complete to help kickstart and reenforce the theme and that marketing doesn’t always have to be hours of complicated setup. None of the steps come off as unethical or icky either, which is a plus.
Some chapters (like goodreads giveaways) are outdated, and a couple of others I feel aren’t the best strategies. Valuable platforms like crowd funding, pateron and YouTube are entirely ignored, instagram being the biggest exclusion (it’s only mentioned once in the entire book, and instagram is huge with younger audiences). Overall, a good guidebook for newer indie authors.
Some chapters (like goodreads giveaways) are outdated, and a couple of others I feel aren’t the best strategies. Valuable platforms like crowd funding, pateron and YouTube are entirely ignored, instagram being the biggest exclusion (it’s only mentioned once in the entire book, and instagram is huge with younger audiences). Overall, a good guidebook for newer indie authors.
July 18, 2019
4.75 stars
I love reference books that are nicely organized and offer concrete steps to try, so this one is perfect for me. There are clear descriptions of different aspects of marketing and a great combination of pragmatic suggestions and references for tools and resources to consult. Naturally, the author is also promoting her own products, so many of the links direct one back to her site, but that way she is able to provide additional content while putting into practice some of her own marketing advice. There are also plenty of links to other sites that look like they will be very useful in helping one promote a book, whether fiction or non-fiction. My only wish is that they were all gathered in one section, as it is a little difficult to type out the longer links while on the Kindle, so I have to go back once I'm on the laptop.
Lack of time is a lament that most of us have, and there is so much information in this book that it definitely takes time to absorb it. Fortunately, tasks are separated into achievable elements and I will definitely be recommending it to my authors and anyone else who is faced with the daunting task of getting their book in front of interested readers.
A copy of this title was provided for review
I love reference books that are nicely organized and offer concrete steps to try, so this one is perfect for me. There are clear descriptions of different aspects of marketing and a great combination of pragmatic suggestions and references for tools and resources to consult. Naturally, the author is also promoting her own products, so many of the links direct one back to her site, but that way she is able to provide additional content while putting into practice some of her own marketing advice. There are also plenty of links to other sites that look like they will be very useful in helping one promote a book, whether fiction or non-fiction. My only wish is that they were all gathered in one section, as it is a little difficult to type out the longer links while on the Kindle, so I have to go back once I'm on the laptop.
Lack of time is a lament that most of us have, and there is so much information in this book that it definitely takes time to absorb it. Fortunately, tasks are separated into achievable elements and I will definitely be recommending it to my authors and anyone else who is faced with the daunting task of getting their book in front of interested readers.
A copy of this title was provided for review
May 17, 2017
This book was fantastic! Concise, clear, to the point and extremely helpful. Everything was described in such a way that it made perfect sense. I hate marketing from the standpoint that I don't ever want to be salesy. This does a great job of avoiding that. It simply outlines to you how to make your book, blog, website etc. appear more appealing to your audience. Highly recommend this book! I will probably be purchasing the paperback version so I can have it and mark it up!
July 15, 2017
I found this to be informative and easy to understand. There were some great tips on social media, networking as well as understanding amazon which many authors, writers and even reviewers would find useful.
The links in the kindle version did not work, but are easily cut & pasted into a browser. Again, some good tips and connections which will help with marketing and raising an individual's profile.
I will certainly be sharing this about as an accessible guide that was easy to navigate.
The links in the kindle version did not work, but are easily cut & pasted into a browser. Again, some good tips and connections which will help with marketing and raising an individual's profile.
I will certainly be sharing this about as an accessible guide that was easy to navigate.
February 13, 2020
Good ideas.
I enjoyed this book. It was easy to read and informative. A good book for the basics of marketing in a short amount of time.
I enjoyed this book. It was easy to read and informative. A good book for the basics of marketing in a short amount of time.
November 13, 2019
What this book is REALLY going to tell you is that there are no easy answers. With thousands of books being released every day, if you don’t want yours to disappear from view instantly, you’re going to have to actually market it. Even if you’re with a mainstream publisher, you as the author will still have to do something, from book signings to library talks. Self-publishers have to do everything, or risk sinking without trace. And being self-published myself, I can tell you, it can seem appallingly daunting. There are so many options, and it’s easy to let it overwhelm you or take over your life to the point where you have no time to actually write (been there, done that).
If you’re finding the whole thing overwhelming, this book will give you a lot of places to start which are quite small. From optimizing Amazon keywords to hitting up book bloggers, there are heaps of tasks which you can break down into small enough things to just spend 5 minutes a day on. Now, the author makes no promises that 5 minutes a day of book marketing is going to achieve your goal (whatever that might be).
I read a slightly older edition of this book in which Sansevieri does suggest some things which are no longer valid, or which have become prohibitively expensive, like Goodreads giveaways, but a lot of her suggestions are sensible and cost-free apart from your time. Methods to enhance your book description to appeal to readers’ interests, how to understand Amazon’s categories, themes and keywords and make them work for you, and how to get legitimate book reviews are all excellent topics which merit study from anyone considering self-publishing.
This is a useful reference for anyone who’s preparing to push the button to go live with their first work, or is in the early stages of having self-published and is wondering what to do next. I’m not sure it would be of any use to someone who’s been doing this a while; I didn’t find anything new or inspiring in it, at any rate, and as I mentioned, some things are now outdated. The information is very ‘top level’ and I’d suggest further reading on topics like newsletters, ads and social media for authors, but it’s a good place to start for the absolute beginner. Four stars.
If you’re finding the whole thing overwhelming, this book will give you a lot of places to start which are quite small. From optimizing Amazon keywords to hitting up book bloggers, there are heaps of tasks which you can break down into small enough things to just spend 5 minutes a day on. Now, the author makes no promises that 5 minutes a day of book marketing is going to achieve your goal (whatever that might be).
I read a slightly older edition of this book in which Sansevieri does suggest some things which are no longer valid, or which have become prohibitively expensive, like Goodreads giveaways, but a lot of her suggestions are sensible and cost-free apart from your time. Methods to enhance your book description to appeal to readers’ interests, how to understand Amazon’s categories, themes and keywords and make them work for you, and how to get legitimate book reviews are all excellent topics which merit study from anyone considering self-publishing.
This is a useful reference for anyone who’s preparing to push the button to go live with their first work, or is in the early stages of having self-published and is wondering what to do next. I’m not sure it would be of any use to someone who’s been doing this a while; I didn’t find anything new or inspiring in it, at any rate, and as I mentioned, some things are now outdated. The information is very ‘top level’ and I’d suggest further reading on topics like newsletters, ads and social media for authors, but it’s a good place to start for the absolute beginner. Four stars.
July 18, 2019
‘The mere act of publishing won’t bring droves of people beating a path to your door’
Penny C. Sansevieri’s credentials are impressive: she is the founder and CEO of Author Marketing Experts, Inc., an Adjunct Professor for NYU, the book marketing and media relations expert, and the author of nearly twenty books on every aspect of publishing and marketing books! And in this book she once again demonstrates why she is the ’go-to’ person on success in book publishing and marketing. She offers keen insights on unearthing options and opportunities, leaving the eager student to decide ‘How big do you want your business to be?’
Authors – nascent and practiced – here is the definitive tome on all aspects of writing, publishing, marketing, advertising, and reaping the benefits of art of writing successful books as a dream that becomes a reality.
Competition aside: Penny C. Sansevieri has the experience and the knowledge and the success of being a first rate writer. And she gets to the core of all aspects of her art/business to make it available to all wannabe authors.
Penny outlines her guidance in her guidance in her opening paragraph – ‘One of the things I hear most from authors is that they don’t have time to market their book. Guess what? With more than 4.500 books published every single day, unless you’re a big name you can’t afford to set it and forget it. It’s true that the success of a book doesn’t happen overnight; the biggest constant in the publishing industry is that consistent, regular exposure of your books is the best way to reach your book marketing goals. While you may not be able to devote hours upon hours, day in and day out, to marketing your books, how about five minutes? If you can commit to spending even as little as five minutes a day on book promotion, you’ll start to see the time investment pay off. This book is laid out so you can do things in five-minute increments, but you can also spend more time on them if you choose.’ Hence the title of this excellent marketing book – and with that introduction to Penny’s supportive manner of offering advice, this book is off and running.
From here she offers cogent information about using Goodreads (many facets here!), Amazon (even more ideas, especially on eBook matters), website creation, newsletters, social media (ins and outs of Google, Twitter, Instagram, Pinterest, blog posts and Facebook ads) – all explained in an accessible and very profitable fashion, each filled with so many secrets and tidbits of useful information that this book will become a priceless adjunct to your business and your dreams of success. Highly Recommended.
Penny C. Sansevieri’s credentials are impressive: she is the founder and CEO of Author Marketing Experts, Inc., an Adjunct Professor for NYU, the book marketing and media relations expert, and the author of nearly twenty books on every aspect of publishing and marketing books! And in this book she once again demonstrates why she is the ’go-to’ person on success in book publishing and marketing. She offers keen insights on unearthing options and opportunities, leaving the eager student to decide ‘How big do you want your business to be?’
Authors – nascent and practiced – here is the definitive tome on all aspects of writing, publishing, marketing, advertising, and reaping the benefits of art of writing successful books as a dream that becomes a reality.
Competition aside: Penny C. Sansevieri has the experience and the knowledge and the success of being a first rate writer. And she gets to the core of all aspects of her art/business to make it available to all wannabe authors.
Penny outlines her guidance in her guidance in her opening paragraph – ‘One of the things I hear most from authors is that they don’t have time to market their book. Guess what? With more than 4.500 books published every single day, unless you’re a big name you can’t afford to set it and forget it. It’s true that the success of a book doesn’t happen overnight; the biggest constant in the publishing industry is that consistent, regular exposure of your books is the best way to reach your book marketing goals. While you may not be able to devote hours upon hours, day in and day out, to marketing your books, how about five minutes? If you can commit to spending even as little as five minutes a day on book promotion, you’ll start to see the time investment pay off. This book is laid out so you can do things in five-minute increments, but you can also spend more time on them if you choose.’ Hence the title of this excellent marketing book – and with that introduction to Penny’s supportive manner of offering advice, this book is off and running.
From here she offers cogent information about using Goodreads (many facets here!), Amazon (even more ideas, especially on eBook matters), website creation, newsletters, social media (ins and outs of Google, Twitter, Instagram, Pinterest, blog posts and Facebook ads) – all explained in an accessible and very profitable fashion, each filled with so many secrets and tidbits of useful information that this book will become a priceless adjunct to your business and your dreams of success. Highly Recommended.
May 14, 2017
Use This Book to Consistently Tell Others About Your Book
Marketing a book is not a sprint but more of a marathon where slow and steady rules the day. Penny Sansevieri is a marketing expert who runs a book marketing company. 5-MINUTE BOOK MARKETING FOR AUTHORS is filled with practical, easy to apply information. Sansevieri gives the straight scoop in the opening page, “With more than 4500 books published every day, unless you’re a big name, you can’t afford to set it and forget it. It’s true that the success of a book doesn’t happen overnight; the biggest constant in the publishing industry is that consistent, regular exposure of your books is the best way to reach your book marketing goals.”
Each chapter of this book is designed to encourage authors to take action. As Sansevieri writes, “You only fail if you fail to try! So dig in with me, and learn some great marketing efforts that you can begin in around five minutes!” (Page 11). There is a wide range of action in this book from Goodreads to Amazon to ebook pricing to website to newsletters to social media (Facebook, twitter and Pinterest). Whether you are a brand new author or an experienced author, you can gain valuable insights from 5-MINUTE BOOK MARKETING FOR AUTHORS.
Author insights are embedded into each chapter. For example, the chapter on how to get the best Amazon reviews begins, “Reviews can really help to drive the sale of a book. In fact, several marketing survey companies have cited that 61% of online purchases were made after reading a review.” (Page 45)
Sansevieri is an author but also works with authors all the time. She designed this book with short chapters and each one concludes with a “5-Minute Marketing Action Item” For example, “Join a Giveaway Group (on Goodreads). Groups are quick and easy to join You can see what members are excited about and get them excited about your title. The more you engage with potential fans, especially in your genre, the better!” (page 21)
Why are a variety of actions and strategies included? Sansevieri explains, “It’s important for you to remember that there’s no one marketing strategy that will help attract and retain fans. Instead, marketing is a series of actions and consistent engagement over time that will help you to grow your following and keep them engaged.” (Page 88).
As a long-time member of the publishing community as an author and editor, I learned a great deal from reading 5-MINUTE BOOK MARKETING FOR AUTHORS. I highly recommend every author get this book then start applying it to their own book marketing.
Marketing a book is not a sprint but more of a marathon where slow and steady rules the day. Penny Sansevieri is a marketing expert who runs a book marketing company. 5-MINUTE BOOK MARKETING FOR AUTHORS is filled with practical, easy to apply information. Sansevieri gives the straight scoop in the opening page, “With more than 4500 books published every day, unless you’re a big name, you can’t afford to set it and forget it. It’s true that the success of a book doesn’t happen overnight; the biggest constant in the publishing industry is that consistent, regular exposure of your books is the best way to reach your book marketing goals.”
Each chapter of this book is designed to encourage authors to take action. As Sansevieri writes, “You only fail if you fail to try! So dig in with me, and learn some great marketing efforts that you can begin in around five minutes!” (Page 11). There is a wide range of action in this book from Goodreads to Amazon to ebook pricing to website to newsletters to social media (Facebook, twitter and Pinterest). Whether you are a brand new author or an experienced author, you can gain valuable insights from 5-MINUTE BOOK MARKETING FOR AUTHORS.
Author insights are embedded into each chapter. For example, the chapter on how to get the best Amazon reviews begins, “Reviews can really help to drive the sale of a book. In fact, several marketing survey companies have cited that 61% of online purchases were made after reading a review.” (Page 45)
Sansevieri is an author but also works with authors all the time. She designed this book with short chapters and each one concludes with a “5-Minute Marketing Action Item” For example, “Join a Giveaway Group (on Goodreads). Groups are quick and easy to join You can see what members are excited about and get them excited about your title. The more you engage with potential fans, especially in your genre, the better!” (page 21)
Why are a variety of actions and strategies included? Sansevieri explains, “It’s important for you to remember that there’s no one marketing strategy that will help attract and retain fans. Instead, marketing is a series of actions and consistent engagement over time that will help you to grow your following and keep them engaged.” (Page 88).
As a long-time member of the publishing community as an author and editor, I learned a great deal from reading 5-MINUTE BOOK MARKETING FOR AUTHORS. I highly recommend every author get this book then start applying it to their own book marketing.
March 10, 2017
Penny does it again!!!
If you are looking for fast and easy ways to market your book, look no further than these wonderful tips provided by Penny Sansevieri. Formatted in a convenient and easy to understand layout, you should have no problems in fulfilling many ideas for marketing your book. She even provides a "5 minute marketing action" blurb to emphasize her point at the end of each chapter.
One can see how easy it can be to take a few minutes each day to work on marketing and promoting themselves. She breaks down Goodreads and how to get started, and how to build your presence and promote like a rockstar! Giveaways and the dos and don't of them.
She talks about Amazon and Self Publishing--Kindle Direct Publishing (KDP). How to set up and optimize your Amazon Author Central Page. How to make the most of your book page. Ways to make your book descriptions scan friendly. She is a pro at explaining all of this and giving wonderful insight and step by step ideas. She makes understanding how Amazon works and keywords, themes, etc. so easy to understand. She gave tips on reviews and things that reviewers could and should do.
She explains Google Alerts, Social media and self promotion. She also goes over Facebook and how important this is. Did you know that the average person spends 50 minutes on Facebook a day? She breaks down the best ways to reach those people and build a fan base. She also goes over Twitter and Pinterest and the best ways to use those.
I personally loved the links provided throughout the book where we could watch videos about material that the author has written about in action! It proved to be so helpful in seeing it all even though it is already explained extremely well.
With showing ways to sell more books on Amazon, things about eBook pricing, free books, eBook promotions, and also making your Website, and the importance of Newsletters. You will feel so in touch with what needs to be done and just how to do it!
If you are an author floundering around with no direction and feeling a little lost, then please read this book. It will give you wonderful advice on how to market your book, and you will feel like you have an inside guide to it all. She gives several links and things that you can use to be of help. You will not be sorry.
I was given a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
If you are looking for fast and easy ways to market your book, look no further than these wonderful tips provided by Penny Sansevieri. Formatted in a convenient and easy to understand layout, you should have no problems in fulfilling many ideas for marketing your book. She even provides a "5 minute marketing action" blurb to emphasize her point at the end of each chapter.
One can see how easy it can be to take a few minutes each day to work on marketing and promoting themselves. She breaks down Goodreads and how to get started, and how to build your presence and promote like a rockstar! Giveaways and the dos and don't of them.
She talks about Amazon and Self Publishing--Kindle Direct Publishing (KDP). How to set up and optimize your Amazon Author Central Page. How to make the most of your book page. Ways to make your book descriptions scan friendly. She is a pro at explaining all of this and giving wonderful insight and step by step ideas. She makes understanding how Amazon works and keywords, themes, etc. so easy to understand. She gave tips on reviews and things that reviewers could and should do.
She explains Google Alerts, Social media and self promotion. She also goes over Facebook and how important this is. Did you know that the average person spends 50 minutes on Facebook a day? She breaks down the best ways to reach those people and build a fan base. She also goes over Twitter and Pinterest and the best ways to use those.
I personally loved the links provided throughout the book where we could watch videos about material that the author has written about in action! It proved to be so helpful in seeing it all even though it is already explained extremely well.
With showing ways to sell more books on Amazon, things about eBook pricing, free books, eBook promotions, and also making your Website, and the importance of Newsletters. You will feel so in touch with what needs to be done and just how to do it!
If you are an author floundering around with no direction and feeling a little lost, then please read this book. It will give you wonderful advice on how to market your book, and you will feel like you have an inside guide to it all. She gives several links and things that you can use to be of help. You will not be sorry.
I was given a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
March 24, 2017
I have read a few of Penny’s books in the past and I always find them enlightening and useful. Whether you’re an author, work in the industry or even a blogger, this book is a gem! Penny breaks down the ease of literally taking a few minutes to put yourself out there and be visible to potential readers.
I’ve toyed with the idea of finishing off various writing projects in the past but have always felt uneasy about how the heck to follow through with it and the scary unknown world of publishing. Penny explains it in a break down that is understandable and honestly a lot easier to accept. It makes it more of an appealing adventure rather than a scary and undaunting task!
As someone who stalks Goodreads regularly, I loved that she explains how to utilize it and to take advantage of the growth it can give you as an author. From a reader and blogger standpoint, it’s my go to place to find out about different series an author has, their past works, reading orders, etc. If an author has a good amount of information on their Goodreads profile it helps me to be engaged more. I want to take the time to look at their contact information, websites, ways to connect beyond a description of a book.
One of the other things that made me really happy to see is that when Penny explains things it’s not as if she’s talking down to you or giving you instructions and telling you to run with it. It’s more of a one on one basis. It reads more like she’s guiding you rather than throwing you into the shark tank. I have so much respect for her on this. She also takes into consideration that everyone learns differently. It’s nice to have illustrations/screenshots to coincide with the information she’s sharing as a way to help you reinforce what you’re reading. I love learning and for me there are times where I need to be able to read it, see it and then do it. It’s nice to have a “how to” guide that is done in this way.
Overall I think this is a great tool for anyone who’s into some type of marketing. You can easily adjust the tools to anything you do, especially when it comes to social media platforms. I enjoyed this book and the lessons Penny shared!
I’ve toyed with the idea of finishing off various writing projects in the past but have always felt uneasy about how the heck to follow through with it and the scary unknown world of publishing. Penny explains it in a break down that is understandable and honestly a lot easier to accept. It makes it more of an appealing adventure rather than a scary and undaunting task!
As someone who stalks Goodreads regularly, I loved that she explains how to utilize it and to take advantage of the growth it can give you as an author. From a reader and blogger standpoint, it’s my go to place to find out about different series an author has, their past works, reading orders, etc. If an author has a good amount of information on their Goodreads profile it helps me to be engaged more. I want to take the time to look at their contact information, websites, ways to connect beyond a description of a book.
One of the other things that made me really happy to see is that when Penny explains things it’s not as if she’s talking down to you or giving you instructions and telling you to run with it. It’s more of a one on one basis. It reads more like she’s guiding you rather than throwing you into the shark tank. I have so much respect for her on this. She also takes into consideration that everyone learns differently. It’s nice to have illustrations/screenshots to coincide with the information she’s sharing as a way to help you reinforce what you’re reading. I love learning and for me there are times where I need to be able to read it, see it and then do it. It’s nice to have a “how to” guide that is done in this way.
Overall I think this is a great tool for anyone who’s into some type of marketing. You can easily adjust the tools to anything you do, especially when it comes to social media platforms. I enjoyed this book and the lessons Penny shared!
July 8, 2019
I loved this book! I've read loads of marketing books and they overwhelm me. I've subscribed to Penny's Five Minute Marketing emails for a while so I was hopeful that this book wouldn't have that effect. Thankfully, it did not.
I'm a writer, not a marketer. I don't do PR either. Penny understands that that is who we are. She gives how-to's in manageable chunks so I can continue the work I actually like doing - writing. Further, she's not telling me to spend a ton of money or go way outside my comfort zone in my marketing efforts. She's using social media I know about and (mostly) use anyway. On the other hand, I was happy to see that I'm not starting from scratch. I'm already using the social media, newsletter, etc. But now I can optimize my efforts and spend less time.
Now that I've read the entire book I'm going to have to comb through it more slowly and start scheduling things on my calendar. It seems to me that will be my best use of it. Hopefully, this approach will keep me out of the weeds and have me marketing a little and writing a lot with more bang for my time on both.
This is the second book of Penny's I've read and both have been very helpful. I highly recommend 5-Minute Book Marketing.
I'm a writer, not a marketer. I don't do PR either. Penny understands that that is who we are. She gives how-to's in manageable chunks so I can continue the work I actually like doing - writing. Further, she's not telling me to spend a ton of money or go way outside my comfort zone in my marketing efforts. She's using social media I know about and (mostly) use anyway. On the other hand, I was happy to see that I'm not starting from scratch. I'm already using the social media, newsletter, etc. But now I can optimize my efforts and spend less time.
Now that I've read the entire book I'm going to have to comb through it more slowly and start scheduling things on my calendar. It seems to me that will be my best use of it. Hopefully, this approach will keep me out of the weeds and have me marketing a little and writing a lot with more bang for my time on both.
This is the second book of Penny's I've read and both have been very helpful. I highly recommend 5-Minute Book Marketing.
June 14, 2017
I think this book is a really good starter for those such as myself with no marketing background. It's a pretty simple read, and has loads of knowledge. It teaches you how to market on amazon, how best to use various social media platforms and even how to set up youe own promotions. The ideas in this book are applicable for most situations. The 5 minute marketing action synopsis cleverly summarizes each of the authors points for memorization. This involves a lot of action/strategy based steps. Sansevieri explains "It's important for you to remember there is no one marketing strategy that will help attract and retain fans. Instead marketing is a series of actions and consistent engagement over time that will help you grow your following and keep them engaged." I highly recommend this book to anyone who is interested in marketing or even for your first read for your first book review, and then apply it to your own book marketing
March 14, 2018
This is a must have book for any author struggling with time for marketing/promoting. Penny Sansevieri breaks the marking process into bite-sized pieces, making it easier to find just five minutes a day to really make a difference in your book's success. The chapters end with a 5-minute marketing action item, that further encourages an author to take the first step in letting the world know about their book. Not all of the actions are simple, but they are all manageable in the time allotted.
Penny shows you how step-by-step to improve your book sales, and with the success she has found in teaching authors how to improve their bottom line, authors should listen to her! This is definitely a book to keep and refer back to often.
Penny shows you how step-by-step to improve your book sales, and with the success she has found in teaching authors how to improve their bottom line, authors should listen to her! This is definitely a book to keep and refer back to often.
September 30, 2019
Like all of Penny Sansevieri’s books this one provides an up to date road map for authors who want to promote their books more effectively. The social media networks are constantly updating, changing procedures and offerings. It is a full time job to keep up with the trends and Penny does this for you. However, I take exception with her title. I find 5-minute marking misleading. Yes, after you have spent endless hours fleshing out profiles and submission forms as well as, reading all of the guidelines on sites like Amazon you could do one thing towards marketing your book in 5-minutes. However, in this the best of all possible publishing worlds this is a book you should have in your toolbox.
November 24, 2019
Two 'it was okay' stars based on the simple fact it doesn't do what it says on the tin- '5 Minute Book Marketing'. There's no such thing and I fell for it (shame on me) because I have written a book and now need to boost its sales in a crowded marketplace, so I bought the title looking for a magic solution. It isn't there. Lots of things you can start in five minutes, but nothing you can end. Generic social media tips are good, but I got tired of being referred to broken links or looking at step-by-step instructions that bore no resemblance to live website pages. Given the speed at which social media morphs, it was probably out-of-date before it got out of the publishers. Also a lot of visit-my-site prompts which made it feel like an elaborate sales ploy. I should have known better.
December 20, 2020
Penny Sansevieri, of Author Marketing Experts, Inc. has written a great guide for getting started marketing that amazing book you just published. She presents concise introduction to and explanation for why you want to have an account and market your books on Goodreads. “Make sure you’ve added yourself as an author and claim your books!” She covers how to use ebook pricing, getting reviews, your website, the power of your book description, ebook promotions, Kindle Unlimited and social media to position your book in front of potential readers. Plus she explains the importance of using all of these elements in your book marketing plan. I particularly appreciated her “10-point Website checkup.” This is the first book you should read as soon as you hit “publish” at KDP.
July 15, 2017
Great and useful tips
As a personal assistant to an author as well as a book promoter I found this book to be chock full of seriously helpful information that I really think will me be a better asset to my authors.
Being able to to really support my authors and promote them and their books is really important to me. I have learned how to provide better services to my authors, making sure they are getting the most out of my promoting services as well as affording me more time away from the computer to enjoy time with my family or just time to read the amazing stories I'm promoting.
As a personal assistant to an author as well as a book promoter I found this book to be chock full of seriously helpful information that I really think will me be a better asset to my authors.
Being able to to really support my authors and promote them and their books is really important to me. I have learned how to provide better services to my authors, making sure they are getting the most out of my promoting services as well as affording me more time away from the computer to enjoy time with my family or just time to read the amazing stories I'm promoting.
February 20, 2018
Ebooks telling authors how to market their books are a dime-a-dozen. This one, however, seems to be much better than most. You may already be familiar with some of the strategies included here, such as optimizing your Amazon author page, book categories, or requesting reviews from fans, but there's more information here. Best of all, they're all non-obnoxious ways to market without hounding people or engaging in borderline unethical methods. How well do they work? Well, I guess that remains to be seen, and some (such as GR giveaways) are already becoming out-of-date, but I think this is one of the better books I've seen so far in this field.
October 16, 2018
This is a great book. If you're an author that's struggling through the process of marketing, then you should read this book. The author covers each step of marketing from developing your platform to how to utilize Facebook, Twitter, and Pinterest. She goes into detail on how to best utilize the marketing resources that Amazon gives you at time of publishing, such as optimizing your Author Central page and researching and using keywords. The chapters are short but concise and full of valuable marketing strategies that even a non-techie person can easily do.
April 6, 2019
This useful book provides many marketing strategies, including the effective use of social media, the right way to seek reviews, and how to sell through Amazon. Some may find the title a tad misleading, however; while most of the ideas are easy to implement, I found that many took much longer than five minutes. (I accept this may be due to my ineptitude.)
The book is easy to understand, and I have already employed some of Sansevieri's techniques. There is a link to the author's blog page, which contains many helpful articles on marketing.
May 30, 2018
The positives: There are some useful links and tips if you are new to marketing books. Some are obvious, others a little more detailed. However, the title "5-minute Book Marketing for Authors" is a bit optimistic. Only a few of the things outlined in this book will take 5 minutes.
The negatives: Most of the advice is overly optimistic and/or common sense. Book not selling? Try lowering the price. Wow. I never thought of that. Need reviews? Get your friends to write some reviews and also teach them HOW to write reviews because your friends have so much extra time on their hands to not only read your book but also take a class on how to write effective reviews and then actually sit down and write them. Or, try signing up for Twitter and Facebook. And prest-o change-o your book will start selling in large volumes.
Then there are things that could fall under poor advice. The author says not to be afraid of gifting your books or sending amazon gift cards to people to buy and review your book. The first 3 people I tried this on took the gift card, spent it on something else and never wrote a review. There is no mention of caution in this book. There are so many scams out there targeting authors that should be mentioned or at least acknowledge that they're out there. The author often suggests paying someone to do things with no regard to the low-quality element out there. "Hire a professional to write your book description." Great idea, but good luck finding someone that knows what they are doing.
I think the problem with this book is the disconnect between the various levels of success authors have trying to market their books. If you have had a decent amount of success, the tips in this book might help you sell a little more. But if you've had little to no success, it's going to take more than 5 minute book marketing. If you're somewhere in between, you probably already know what's in this book but even the author admits that the nature of the industry changes quickly. So, maybe this book is already outdated.
Overall, not a waste of time but be prepared to skip over the obvious.
The negatives: Most of the advice is overly optimistic and/or common sense. Book not selling? Try lowering the price. Wow. I never thought of that. Need reviews? Get your friends to write some reviews and also teach them HOW to write reviews because your friends have so much extra time on their hands to not only read your book but also take a class on how to write effective reviews and then actually sit down and write them. Or, try signing up for Twitter and Facebook. And prest-o change-o your book will start selling in large volumes.
Then there are things that could fall under poor advice. The author says not to be afraid of gifting your books or sending amazon gift cards to people to buy and review your book. The first 3 people I tried this on took the gift card, spent it on something else and never wrote a review. There is no mention of caution in this book. There are so many scams out there targeting authors that should be mentioned or at least acknowledge that they're out there. The author often suggests paying someone to do things with no regard to the low-quality element out there. "Hire a professional to write your book description." Great idea, but good luck finding someone that knows what they are doing.
I think the problem with this book is the disconnect between the various levels of success authors have trying to market their books. If you have had a decent amount of success, the tips in this book might help you sell a little more. But if you've had little to no success, it's going to take more than 5 minute book marketing. If you're somewhere in between, you probably already know what's in this book but even the author admits that the nature of the industry changes quickly. So, maybe this book is already outdated.
Overall, not a waste of time but be prepared to skip over the obvious.
March 9, 2018
I won this book on Goodreads. I will give it an honest review.
Sansevieri has written a great "how-to" manual for writers. It is aimed at new writers but I think even more experienced writers would benefit from this book too. The title tells you the idea behind the book--that after some preliminary set-up work, marketing yourself and your books doesn't have to be too time-consuming. As Sansevieri says (I'm paraphrasing), we would all like to think that once we write our book and put it out there for purchase it will immediately be a best seller without any work on our part. That is unlikely to happen. Any help I can get in getting my books purchased is welcome.
"5 Minute Book Marketing for Authors...." is full of detailed information on where and how writers should promote themselves and their books. Some of the suggestions I had already thought of--Goodreads, Amazon, Facebook, a website. Not only are these marketing possibilities mentioned but there are detailed instructions on exactly how to set yourself up as an author and how to maximize your use of the sites. I really appreciate that since knowing where to go doesn't always mean I know what to do when I get there.
Besides the sites I mentioned above, Sansevieri gave lots of other ideas, some I would never have thought of, such as a newsletter, using Google Alerts, and using keywords and themes to increase traffic to your books.
This is only a small sample of all of the great ideas that Sansevieri discusses. I would highly recommend that budding authors and even experienced authors take a look at this book and use some of the ideas it contained as they try and build their fan base and get traffic routed to their books.
Sansevieri has written a great "how-to" manual for writers. It is aimed at new writers but I think even more experienced writers would benefit from this book too. The title tells you the idea behind the book--that after some preliminary set-up work, marketing yourself and your books doesn't have to be too time-consuming. As Sansevieri says (I'm paraphrasing), we would all like to think that once we write our book and put it out there for purchase it will immediately be a best seller without any work on our part. That is unlikely to happen. Any help I can get in getting my books purchased is welcome.
"5 Minute Book Marketing for Authors...." is full of detailed information on where and how writers should promote themselves and their books. Some of the suggestions I had already thought of--Goodreads, Amazon, Facebook, a website. Not only are these marketing possibilities mentioned but there are detailed instructions on exactly how to set yourself up as an author and how to maximize your use of the sites. I really appreciate that since knowing where to go doesn't always mean I know what to do when I get there.
Besides the sites I mentioned above, Sansevieri gave lots of other ideas, some I would never have thought of, such as a newsletter, using Google Alerts, and using keywords and themes to increase traffic to your books.
This is only a small sample of all of the great ideas that Sansevieri discusses. I would highly recommend that budding authors and even experienced authors take a look at this book and use some of the ideas it contained as they try and build their fan base and get traffic routed to their books.
October 4, 2017
Book lovers must read! Readers AND writers
This book was an incredible read! I have loved to read for as long as I can remember but really had no idea what authors have to do to get their books out there into readers hands and what kind of Competition they face daily. I truly think this book is an excellent read for writers particularly but also for readers. It helps open our eyes to the struggles writers go through and how a book becomes a work of passion because, in the end, they have no idea who will pick it up and actually read it. As a reader, it also taught me the importance of reviewing. Not just any review but an honest and thoughtful review is helpful in so many ways. So glad I picked this one up to read!
This book was an incredible read! I have loved to read for as long as I can remember but really had no idea what authors have to do to get their books out there into readers hands and what kind of Competition they face daily. I truly think this book is an excellent read for writers particularly but also for readers. It helps open our eyes to the struggles writers go through and how a book becomes a work of passion because, in the end, they have no idea who will pick it up and actually read it. As a reader, it also taught me the importance of reviewing. Not just any review but an honest and thoughtful review is helpful in so many ways. So glad I picked this one up to read!
January 28, 2018
Terrific Ways for Self Publishers
This is a short but thorough look at how one can market their own book. I was amused and yet delighted that the author started with a lazy man's way to promote a book that still gave actual exposure to the book. Then the author went on to an in-depth look at Goodreads. I have been a member of Goodreads since 2010 and love it. Then Amazon was looked at, before going on to look at independent e-sites and promoting through blogs, Pinterest, and Twitter. If you are interested in writing that book which has been wriggling around inside your head, this book might ease your doubts about how will I promote once finished.
This is a short but thorough look at how one can market their own book. I was amused and yet delighted that the author started with a lazy man's way to promote a book that still gave actual exposure to the book. Then the author went on to an in-depth look at Goodreads. I have been a member of Goodreads since 2010 and love it. Then Amazon was looked at, before going on to look at independent e-sites and promoting through blogs, Pinterest, and Twitter. If you are interested in writing that book which has been wriggling around inside your head, this book might ease your doubts about how will I promote once finished.
March 13, 2019
The 5 minutes in the title is nothing but a marketing ploy. It’s frequently suggested to “start” doing something so it will fit the 5-minute claim but few things in this book actually take 5 minutes. This book may be a bit helpful for beginners but is not in-depth enough and is too basic for more experienced writers. I think there are better and more helpful books you can read. Books like this will also quickly fall out of date as things are always changing with the indie market. It’s advised to do Goodreads giveaways but they were probably free when the book was written. That is no longer the case. I was really hoping to pick up some tips in this book but didn’t find much value.
June 1, 2017
Absolutely love this book! It has quick and easy ideas to use to market your writing and it also provides further detail if you want to put more effort into your marketing. You really can tailor all of the advice to suit your needs, the amount of time you have, and the genre of your work. I appreciate the straight-forward, succinct language and all of the inside information Penny provides. Highly recommend to all authors.
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