Marketing Books

This book has the goods and delivers. Great practical content that can be implemented today. This is a must read.

When we purchased this book, the rating was 5 star & we feel it exceeds this. As a start up we tried many books without comfort. This is not just a book to read, it is a workbook that really helps you analyze and then build your sales and marketing program. We have over a dozen innovative products, any one of which could stand alone as a major company. Profit RX helped us analyze each product, put them in the proper introduction order, and then create an effective sales & marketing program.

I have seen Haskell's ideas and program work. I am in a unique position in that my company sells this program to our dealers and I have seen our studios implement these ideas into a well thought-out sales and marketing plan. I have seen increased sales and better management as a result. I am a student of Dr. Revenue, having attended his clinics and listened to his tapes, so I was eager to read "Profit Rx" when it was published. I was amazed at what a quick and easy read it was. Intertwining his time-proven tactics with success stories helped to vary the books pace, showcase Haskell's extensive experience and prove how effective a sales and marketing plan can be. As a young businessman, I found "Profit Rx" to be an invaluable tool for my business/professional life. I also found the marketing roadmap Dr. Revenue gives to the reader has multiple uses. In my personal life, I use Dr. Revenue's plan in matters of money management. Having devised a calendar and budget, I am better able to react to unseen circumstances. This tested, proven approach is a must read for everyone interested in growing their business, from the sales and marketing manager, to the sales and marketing student.

>I read almost the whole book in one weekend! We have already started planning to do the workshop. I have read many marketing books in the past, including having written a video script for Jay Conrad Levinson, but none of them walk you through the process like Dr. Revenue does. It really is interactive and has taught me as much this weekend what I need to get done as any work I have done in the past 6 months.

The Wild West days of the dot-com craze are behind us, but e-business strategy remains a largely uncharted frontier. In fact, e-commerce seems more bewildering than ever, now that many of the strategic maxims that the Internet bubble was built on have been proved false. To help you get a handle on the revolutionary technology that has survived the collapse, Nirmal Pal and Judith M. Ray have collected articles by researchers and executives, including many from their home base, the e-Business Research Center at Pennsylvania State University. This anthology constitutes a solid and well-researched book, which has sufficient gravitas (and jargon) for an academic and enough practical information for an entrepreneur. The multiple authors sometimes overlap as they dissect various e-business approaches, but all offer worthwhile ideas. We [...] recommend this book to executives at any company, since Internet technology is now ubiquitous, and distinctions between old economy and New Economy are fast falling by the wayside.

This is a wonderful collection of leading edge research and practical advice from experts in the field of e-business, e-commerce, and e-"anything". The authors and editors have created a very timely set of e-business thinking, imperatives, and recommendations, as well as practical and real life examples to cement the concepts. I highly recommend this book!

This is an excellent book on diverse aspects of e-business. The book offers great insights from a collection of experts. There are important nuggets from various topics ranging from e-business metrics to personalization to collaborative commerce to regulatory issues. The book provides useful frameworks for analysing e-business issues. I personally liked the fact that this book is applicable to both old economy and new economy companies. Despite the challenge of synthesizing a wide array of topics, the authors have done a commendable job of integrating the chapters. I highly recommend this book for all managers.

The various authors examine "key themes" that intersect all manner of changes now occurring during what they characterize as an "information revolution": free agency, compressed supply chains, co-opetition, obliteration of boundaries, e-leadership, the elimination of hierarchies, emergence of electronic marketplaces ("bazaars"), club membership, and finally, "trust brokers" who serve as "an incentive and penalty mechanism to uphold the `digital order' in global, real-time electronic markets." The material is presented and then developed by within 14 chapters. In Chapter 1, for example, Ghadar and Leonard "deliberate on how the digital economy is forcing a fundamental and permanent shift in the way enterprise strategies are developed, and in the process raise significant new challenges for managers. In Chapter 7, Bhargava and Lee "provide valuable insights about emerging technologies and practices that will help organizations remain open and flexible in response to the changing technological environment so that past information technology investments remain useful and valuable in the future." And in the final chapter, Loomis and Gerhard "identify several strategic issues facing executives who must lead or interact within the e-government environment." All manner of forces are driving the expansion and consequent complexity of the "digital frontier" and at an ever-increasing velocity. Here in a single source are a range and diversity of perspectives on this process. The editors are to be commended on the selection and presentation of the 14 separate but inter-related essays. I also appreciate the "About the Contributors" section which identifies dozens of supplementary sources to consult for those to wish to explore specific issues in much greater depth. Those who share my regard for this book are urged to check out Profit from the Core, written by Chris Zook with James Allen, which suggests a number of growth strategies which are also worthy of careful consideration.

Bob Litak has a very special way of touching one's heart. It must be his special knowledge and relationship with "Santa". This is a must read. Simple. Moving. It would make a fabulous Christmas gift!

This book will put you in the Christmas mood in July. It made me remember a more innocent time of life.

A wonderful and heartwarming story about a small town Santa and his charming Mrs. Claus. This book can put a smile on the grinch's face and a hum in the bahhumbug of Mr. Scrooge. A must read to "get you in the Christmas spirit".

The excitement of Christmas fills your heart as the author Bob Litak shares his heart- felt story with you. Most of us can relate to getting a job which was not one you asked for nor something you even wanted, but somehow turned out to be a blessing in disquise. Laughter and sadness tug at your heart strings as a friendship forms such a strong bond. Helps one to understand how much you can grow with in yourself. But most of all, it helps put the children back in our lives and makes us once again "Believe in Santa" If you enjoy reading a heart-felt story than I highly recomend this fantastic book.

Mal has done it again. This book takes you through every step to incorporate the power of direct mail into your fundraising plans. Whether you're a large established organization or just starting out there are important tips that can help you understand the direct mail business and implement them. It is written in an easy to read style and was quite enjoyable. The techniques will greatly impact our fundraising plan this year!

This book should be required reading for every non-profit organization using direct marketing. Whether you are using a direct marketing agency or doing it all in-house, this book explains not just "how" but "why" and is an invaluable reference that you will turn to again and again. Most of the questions your board has ever asked about direct marketing are answered here. Plus, the author uses real client examples with supporting spread sheets as illustrations. You can't help but be a better fundraiser after reading this book.

Mal has done it again. This book takes you through every step to incorporate the power of direct mail into your fundraising plans. Whether you're a large established organization or just starting out there are important tips that can help you understand the direct mail business and implement them. It is written in an easy to read style and was quite enjoyable. The techniques will greatly impact our fundraising plan this year!

Sometimes I wonder if Mal Warwick ever sleeps. He is the most productive author in the fundraising field and he turns out wonderful books - full of sage advice.

Readers will be happy to see that this completely revised edition of his classic has many examples and hundreds of ideas that will help raise more money. Moreover, it is extremely well-written, unlike many fundraising books!

If your nonprofit has a direct mail program - or you need to convince your executive director to use the mail - this book is valuable.

Revolution in the Mailbox goes on my staff list of "must-read" books - half of which Mal has written or edited. If I could give this book six stars I would.

This book is written for the software tester and/or test manager, but not just those professionals who test eBusiness Web sites. Rather, there is something in here for any software tester, or IT manager who has responsible for software quality.

In some ways this book is actually 4 books in one - the first part of the book focuses on using Risk to drive the test strategy for a product being evaluated, an approach that works as well for testing embedded software in aircraft engines, as for testing a Web site used for eCommerce. For example, in Chapter 3 Paul & Neil pose age-old software testing questions such as; "how good was your testing?" and "when can we stop testing". Later providing answers based on a systematic (& defensible) approach, as opposed to good old fashioned "gut feel".

Part II provides a high-level overview of some of the more common risks that a Web site might face, and then applies the risk based testing strategy discussed in part 1 to this particular problem domain. In effect, providing a high-level generic case study for risk based testing.

Part III is the largest section in the book, and is a series of 9 Chapters that go into the details of how to test Web sites. The last chapter in this section focusing on tools that can be used to automate many of these tests.

The last part of this book; looks at some of the common challenges a testing team might face when trying to implement any new approach to software testing (i.e. many of these aspects being applicable to any testing environment, not just eCommence Web sites).For example; how to handle incident management, staff retention, and Beta testing.

In summary; this book has something for anyone involved in software testing (whether it is as a test executioner or in a test management capacity). Please do not let the title lead you into believing that this book is only appropriate for testing Web app's; there is plenty that is applicable for any software testing effort - especially the concepts of applying a risk based approach to determining what to test, and when to test it.

Note, additional details on this book can be found at [...]
Also, in the vain of "full disclosure", you should know that I've known Paul for many years, and consequently I cannot be considered a completely impartial reviewer.

This is a relevant text now. And even when e-business ceases to be a buzz word, this book will still have enough material, on the broader needs for risk-based testing in an organization, to remain relevant.

Each of the 20 chapters reads like an individual essay allowing you to dip in and out for reference purposes and, given that some of the sections have a lot of useful information buried in them, I suspect that you will want to do this.

The approach to risk based testing presented in chapters 2 and 4 is a useful one for helping the reader plan and approach test planning. From an identified risk, the tester builds a test objective. These are used as high-level test conditions which, hopefully, help determine if the risk has been mitigated or not. The later technique chapters provide examples of the risk->test objective translation and that is obviously a useful thinking technique.

Chapter 4 in particular 'Risk-Based Test Strategy' will be a popular reference source for many testing projects.

The web testing coverage is pragmatic, introduced in good order and provides a good overview of the technicalities of web testing. There is an interesting section in the Appendix which demonstrates how effective simple homegrown automation can be for web testing.

More important for this text though, than the drilling down to extreme testing of web technicalities, is the extended coverage of web testing over the life of the project and understanding how the traditional phases of the testing life cycle apply to e-business projects.

In summary then, a good book for management, and for testers that want to look beyond their collection of test scripts and concern themselves with the needs of the business.

Although the focus is on e_business testing this book has changed my views about the realities of risk-based testing for any environment. First, the authors give a dose of reality regarding the differences between 'best practices' provided in the testing body of knowledge that is growing into hundreds of books (less than two years ago there were only a few dozen books on software testing, so this is a positive trend for the profession as a whole). Second, the fallacies in conventional risk-based testing are exposed. Here the authors propose that testing be exclusively focused on product risk, instead of trying to encompass the wider scope that includes project and process risk. This, in my opinion, is sage advice and keeps testing focused on areas where it can contribute to a project's success.

Among the strong points of this book are it's clear writing, which is full of examples, and the logical sequence in which the material is presented. In addition, the clear definitions of general risk management and associated processes and procedures, and how it all ties together are among the most succinct I've read. However, the best aspect of this book is the way the chapters build upon each other, and the complete coverage of risk-based testing.

Specifics include a general chapters on risk-based e-business testing and types of web site failures that lay the foundation for the technical aspects of the book. These are followed by chapters that show how to develop an e-business test strategy, how to fit risk analysis to a test process, and a comprehensive treatment of test techniques and tools. The latter is especially valuable because it covers the full range of testing techniques that are tailored to e-business testing, which includes static, web page integration, functional, service and usability testing. This part of the book also includes security testing and large scale integration testing - both of which make this one of the most complete collections of test techniques for e-business as well as general testing.

The remainder of the book covers the context of e-business testing (including brief advice on how it fits within Extreme Programming and the Unified Process), E-business test organization, planning and specifications (a wealth of information for the test manager), and E-business test execution (which also addresses important topics such as incident management and testing in a live environment). The two appendices, Essential Web Technologies for Testers and Web Testing Using Home Brew Tools are also valuable.

I highly recommend this book to anyone who is involved in E-business testing, and also recommend that it be used in conjunction with Systematic Software Testing by Rick D. Craig by Stefan P. Jaskiel (ISBN 1580535089), which nicely augments this book.

The title of this book need not deter you. Yes, it is aimed at both Test Managers (the risk elements) and at web testers (the E-Business content). However, if, like me, you fall into neither category, it is still a very worthwhile addition to your reading list and workplace library.

The authors use very practical examples from real life testing to illustrate points. A continuous analogy of an individual E-Business being like a shop, with potential walk-in customers, works very well. Some rather startling facts emerge too; the average visit to the Systeme Evolutif web-site (of which Paul Gerrard is the web-master) is less than two minutes. I am sure that is true of a lot of sites, including those that are payment-now, real business sites.

Everyone in testing seems to promote 'risk'. Here is a strategy for answering the inevitable questions on ready-for-live issues based on whether risks have been addressed. "When enough tests have been prepared, executed and passed to convince the risk-owners that the risk has been addressed, enough testing has been done".

I have dabbled in web testing, both formally and informally (the latter probably every time I use the internet). The techniques for addressing real and perceived E-Business risks have a large carry over into other (i.e. non E-Business) test forms. The sections on performance, usability and Large Scale Integration rung some bells with me, and the use of tools is both encouraged, and discouraged. Strange as it may seem, the way of doing this did not seem to be contradictory. The sections on why the concept of E-Business is different only seeks to place MORE emphasis on why a coherent risk strategy is necessary. With web applications, not only is the time-to-market critical, but the price of failure can be so much more disastrous.

Use of American spelling and currency (everything is quoted in dollars) jars for the British reader, and look out for the words "we", "us", and "our". These are sometimes used a little ambiguously. (Ask who "us" refers to). However, expect to be challenged, and encouraged on to the land of better testing. There is a wealth of source material provided, especially on tools, and toll providers. There are lots of web-based references; additionally, a significant number of articles and books referenced are from 2001 or 2002.

The preface gives one of the reasons for the book being the ordering of the vast quantities of information that there is around. What was set out as an aim has been achieved, and both Paul and Neil have brought their experience, knowledge and communications skills to benefit us all. One of the dedications says: "To all those testers who do the best they can, but always think they should do more". I for one appreciate that the book was written for me. Thanks.

A non-typical historical romance novel. Telor the minstrel, Deri the dwarf and Carys the rope dancer are the main characters in this story, which I found interesting and very, very different from many other historical romance novels I've read. This is also the first book by Roberta Gellis I've read.
I enjoyed how these characters are not the typical heros one reads about in books like these. Carys and Telor are defined as not being classically beautiful, and they are of the lower class. But this does not make the story duller than a typical story of gorgeous nobles. It's quite the opposite. This book has action and suspense in it that, honestly, I found more interesting than the inevitable romance that ensues. The descriptions of the characters' performances are also really fun to read.
This book can be rather dark, which I appreciated, focusing more on the struggles and hardships, both emotional and physical, that characters in this time and of this class would endure.
Carys is a non-typical heroine. I liked the fact that she was not as "inexperienced" as most romantic heroines are in this genre. I liked her confidence and her ability to survive independently and defend herself.
Highly recommended. Definitely not a typical "glittering, begowned lady and her muscled, tanned knight" story, and all the better for it.

It has been a couple of years since I read this book. But I remember it well, that is how well it was written. Unlike most books, it wasn't written about the nobles, but the the poor souls who tried to make a living from that era. Roberta writes so well that you can imagine the story in your mind, rather than just words on paper. I recommend any all her books, as the same magic is in all of them

The main persons are for a change simple people like you and me. Time period: King Stephen, setting: England. The hero is a minstrel, the heroine the ropedancer of the title. A very important figure is the supporting 'hero', a dwarf. I had this book for ages and reread it at least once a year. After lending it to a friend, it is now making the rounds and I just hope I will get it back sometime. This is one book I really miss.

The time is the twelfth century in England. Carys is a rope dancer who had once been part of a successful troupe of traveling players. While they were welcomed because of the entertainment they provided, they are also outcasts because they do not have a master.

When the story opens the troupe has been disbanded. Carys' latest protecter has just been killed. Carys herself is threatened with rape and murder by the men at arms of the lord in whose hall she was dancing and she is forced to use all of her wits to escape.

Alone and destitute, she is found by two men traveling together-- Telor, a minstrel, and Deri, a dwarf. As a minstrel who entertains in lordly halls, Tedor, the son of a respectable burgher, is of higher social status than Carys or Deri although Deri was once a respectable settled man himself before misfortune reft him of wife and home. Tedor is on his way to visit his old teacher, the Welsh bard Eunion.

But events of this turbulent time have overtaken the manor where Eunion was living under the protection of an amiable lord, and Telor, Carys and Deri become involved in a lively adventure where their lives are at stake.

Gellis does her usual excellent job of drawing the reader into her medieval world. The afterword is definitely worth reading because she lays out there some of her philosophy about writing historical novels. This book is one of her best. The unusual characters and lively action mean that there is nothing in the least dull about this book.

Experienced Direct Marketer, Kern is exactly the model you want to shape yourself to if you are in sales and direct marketing. I spend 8 hours a day generating sales leads for other businesses so I know what I am talking about. He is dead on with his methods. I also thought the Internet section was perfect for anoyone that does not currently use the internet as a research tool.

Russell Kern's Sure-Fire Direct Response Marketing is an excellent resource for improving your methods of finding and developing prospects. His coverage of topics such as handling focus groups, creating effective campaigns, and bridging the gap between marketing and sales make this a valuable tool for improving business-to-business marketing. The Internet chapter explores how to use this medium to your best advantage. Whatever your level of expertise, you'll find this book useful.

Russell Kern has done a great job with SURE Fire Direct Response Marketing. The book is well-conceived and comprehensive. Although it is specifically about generating sales leads, anyone who reads this book will find their knowledge of marketing and sales greatly enhanced.

Mr. Kern has provided the marketing industry with a new and comprehensive methodology to direct marketing. This book covers the essential fundamendals of lead generation as well as advanced marketing stratgies which include eCultivation techniques. S.U.R.E-Fire direct marketing provides a step by step process to designing an effective campaign. Plus, the execution excellence chapters (9-11) are packed with techniques and checklists to help ensure marketing success. I strongly recommend this book to marketing professional and those who are responsible for generating sales leads for their company.

There are tons of great books on selling, many of these books claim there is only one way of selling and they usually tell you what to do but not always why. This book is totally different it's not about selling it's about leading, specifically sales people. In plain language the author points out the simple truth of how to lead sales growth and he even tells you why these techniques work.

I found the concepts and examples very compelling. I strongly recommend this book for experienced sales leaders who are determined to increase the performance of their teams.

I found the points in this book to be real world and practical for today's selling environment. Overall the subject matter is relevant and hits on the key points that any sales professional has encountered or will encounter in the selling process. I am going to have my sales managers and their sales teams read Sales Blazers and we will be talking about its key points in our next sales meeting.

I've been getting sick of the same old questioning techniques and selling processes repackaged. I've been waiting for something that is different. I loved the approach this book took of addressing the main challenge in selling or leading complex deals. I particularly liked the intro. because it seemed like I was reading about my company. Thanks!

this was truly an enjoyable book on sales techniques. i have been in sales all my life, and have read and listened to a lot of tapes on the subject, and have never heard some of these ideas put accross the way this writer has!! it was fun to read, inciteful, and thought provoking. this book was a different slant on sales, put into an easy to understand method. a born salesperson does this naturally, but this book can be a great inspiration to a novice, and a great boost for a savy salesman! thank you so much for writingthis book, winston, i really enjoyed it, and would love to read more!
cyndi boone

An excelllent read, particularly from a salespersons' point of view. The caption "If You Only Knew" became somewhat more significant as I made my way through each chapter. As the book starts out in Chapter 1 Mr. Nash talks about a method that all salespeople use everyday, however most are not aware that this method originated in Ancient Greece, 2400 years ago. And, to elaborate further so many simple techiques are explained throughout the book, an example: "Framing, very effective, that can make or break a professional salesperson. Mr. Nash covers a wide scope of what the sales process is really all about. He uses real life experiences and takes the reader with him on a real journey of the ends and outs of professional selling. As a 20 year sales veteran, I was very intrigued by the vast amount of "Tricks of the Trade" and techniques Mr. Nash discribed so well. Chapter 5, shares with the reader, a critical step to turning a prospect into a customer. Chapter 6 tackles one of the most necessary steps in the sales process, for the new or seasoned salesperson. The book was written for those who want to become "best in class" salespeople. Another area so important, Mr. Nash talks about a personal experience handling a difficult customer, the outcome was amazing. This book is filled with famous quotes and cliches that you don't want to miss. In Chapter 9, Mr. Nash shares 3 factors that play a vital role in ones' success as a salesperson, he also shares his personal experience with keeping a positive attitude and balance in his own life. As I move to the conclusion of "A SALESMAN'S TRICKS OF THE TRADE" I laughed, I was uplifted, I was inspired and I learned a few Tricks of my own! I would encourage any salesperson new or seasoned to read Mr. Nash's book.
L. Haskins

Watch Video Here: http://www.amazon.com/review/R2AP0LBC71T9Q3 A Salesman's Tricks of the Trade

I highly recommend this book for any sales professional who is seeking practical advice for real-world techniques that will improve sales. Additionally, it is delivered in an entertaining, easy-to-read format with meaningful examples of how and why these techniques worked for him in the sales arena. A definite must-read!

This book contains marvelous explanations of some of the best sales techniques I have ever found in print. I highly recommend this book to any salesperson that is looking for some very practical ways to make more sales. The author gives interesting examples where he used these same techniques in his own sales career. I found this book to be both fascinating to read and very useful to my own sales career.

Robert Lewis

THE SECRETS OF SELF PUBLISHING: A Booklet to Guide You by Therone Shellman is concise information for those who are looking to publish their own book for the first time. Each chapter covers needed information such as the basics of forming your own company, writing your story and finding an editor, distribution, marketing and publicity. He not only tells the writer how to do it, he gives explicit information on the various companies who actually do the work. The companies are listed by name and their internet address is also provided. He gives the pros and cons of generally accepted truths regarding self publishing.

The book is short and to the point. It covers each area that will be important to the self publishing author. It is well-written and gives the pertinent information needed for success. I found the information helpful and any author interested in this subject will also. It is a must read for those just starting out.

Reviewed by Alice Holman
of The RAWSISTAZ(tm) Reviewers

(Official Apex Reviews Rating: 4.5 Stars)

It's the proudest moment of your life: after toiling for years and years, there you stand, your completed manuscript in your hand, the very essence of the Great American Novel. Your prose is enrapturing, your characters leap off the page, and your storyline will have readers turning page after page in breathless anticipation of what comes next...there's only one problem, though: how exactly will you go about getting the book into their hands?

Believe it or not, the vast majority of authors find themselves in just such a predicament: they're experts at creating the perfectly engrossing read, but, when it comes to transforming their writings into book format, they're complete novices. Thanks to the continued growth and development of the self-publishing movement, though, the days of clueless ambition on the part of aspiring authors can finally come to an end - but only if they know the right places to look in order to get the help they need.

Enter The Secrets Of Self Publishing: coming in at just over 30 pages, Therone Shellman's detailed guide provides a much-needed starting point for authors seeking to get their writings in print, as well as make them available for widespread consumption. Tackling such topics as networking, distribution, and the all-important task of Guerilla Marketing, Shellman's booklet offers an invaluable peek into the business side of the literary world that cannot be overlooked.

Understandably, Shellman emphasizes the importance of authors investing time & energy in marketing and promoting their works in order for them to reach a more widespread audience; however, he places just as much emphasis on the less sexy - yet undeniably essential - logistical aspect of publishing, including maintaining accurate records, detailed bookkeeping, and conducting thorough research prior to entering into professional relationships with various vendors (i.e. printers, distributors, book stores, etc.). By doing so, Shellman provides authors from all walks of life with a well-balanced, holistic view of the true workings of the publishing industry, granting them the advantage of avoiding the same "rookie mistakes" that countless authors before them have made over the years.

Like Dan Poynter, John Kremer, and Tom & Marilyn Ross before him, in The Secrets Of Self Publishing Therone Shellman has effectively condensed a world's worth of knowledge into a handy, do-it-yourself guide readily available for the benefit of the literary multitudes, and any author serious about publishing and promoting his/her writings would be remiss not to take advantage of his considerable expertise. Highly recommended.

The Secret Of Self Publishing By Therone Shellman is the best book on Self-Publishing I've read so far. This short yet information packed guide gives you a clear understanding of what to do and what not to do based on experience, and we all know experience is the best teacher. The author not only gives you the run down from his perspective, he also provides you with many helpful on-line links and books for you to learn from and make your own discoveries. Selling books is a hustle, but The Secret Of Self Publishing teaches you how to convert that hustle into a legit business and create recognizable capital for yourself and or your organization. I recommend this book to authors and self publishers alike because of it's direct delivery and because it answered many of the questions other books didn't.

Reviewed by Cherri Millard
UrbanBookSource.com

Therone Shellman's The Secrets of Self Publishing is a text every aspiring self publisher must read; every writer should take heed to. The Secrets of Self Publishing is a testimony about how the wacky world of publishing operates. Mr. Shellman covers many topics that have stumped self-publishers as well as freshman authors. From distribution, marketing, and packaging to cover design, ISBN and barcodes among others Therone demystifies the murky how-tos of the publishing industry. Each topic is explained in depth, giving readers both a bird's eye view of what the concept is. For most ideas, such as guerilla marketing, Therone adds in an action plan of sorts to help guide authors and self-publishers through the process of execution. Such advice comes in handy for first time authors/self publishers who often get overwhelmed and discouraged when it comes to knowing where to spend their time and money. With that said this source is invaluable to a first time author and publisher.

The author even went as far as including a true or false questionnaire in the book, in order to test your knowledge on what you have just read along with many outside channels to sell books that reach beyond bookstores, libraries and vendors.

Aside from including a horde of information on the publishing industry, Therone expertly guides you through the steps necessary for forming your own business. The Secrets of Self Publishing offers a one-of-a-kind insider's look-- in a easy to read and understandable format--at what to expect and how to prepare yourself for a career in publishing.

Not only does he talk it, Mr. Shellman walks it. Most industry experts sit around talking about all they know but never make anything of it. But here you have one who poured his knowledge onto paper ultimately making a newcomers (and many seasoned industry insider's) experience in the publishing world less thorny and more productive. I tip my hat off to Therone Shellman.

What did you like best about this book?
Therone wrote the book in easily accessible language; everyone can read this book and learn from it. It not only tells you how to effectively get ahead in the publishing industry, but it shows you as well. Several addresses, phone numbers, websites and emails are at your disposal. He uses examples from his own experiences that failed him that you can use to your advantage, so now instead of asking every author you see for knowledge of the industry; you'll have it all within this book.

What did you dislike about this book?
I thought the book was very informing and was satisfied with the way it was organized and executed.

How can the author improve this book?
Perhaps distinguish whether the tactics are for the traditional way of publishing versus non traditional publishing as well as narrow down some tactics that work explicitly well for the urban/street circuit. Otherwise the book was good as is.

Author/publisher Therone Shellman delivers a guide that covers many aspects of self-publishing as well as practical advice. THE SECRETS OF SELF-PUBLISHING (A BOOKLET TO GUIDE YOU) in plain language describes the process from setting up a company to distribution to marketing and everything in between. I will say, however, that I thought it would be more detailed, that some real "secrets" would be revealed. All in all, THE SECRETS OF SELF-PUBLISHING is a valuable tool for new authors as it's relevant and readable.

Kudos to Therone. I'm glad to see an author willing to share their knowledge with other aspiring authors. So many today simply won't take the time or won't help others out of fear of them succeeding beyond them.


Reviewed by: Lela