Online Books

Introduced to writing by Chris Baty's NaNoWriMo, I spent three years writing my Airman's Trilogy, all the while trying to determine how to market my work the conventional way. You know, find an agent willing to take you on and shop your stuff at publishing houses. Then along came POD and the tools provided by Amazon.

Amazon introduced CreateSpace, freeing the newbie author of the "conventional way". Sampson's book provides a shining path through the maze of Amazon and picks up after publishing with CreateSpace to educate the author about the selling tools provided Amazon. It's step by step approach is refreshing to the newbie writer of this review.

Fast & Furious Book Promotion

I just finished reading Brent Sampson's Sell Your Book on Amazon and recommend it to any author looking to use Amazon more effectively. The book will help you navigate the sometimes clunky nature of Amazon, show you tactics you may not find on your own and set up the proper mindset. The proper mindset is what I found most useful. I kept thinking of JFK's inaugural speech when he said, "Ask not what your country can do for you, but what you can do for your country." Amazon provides its tools and has set up its website to first and foremost sell more books. If an author understands and accepts this fact, then he or she will discover how to use Amazon to help promote their own books.

Here's an example: I'm taking Brent's advice and leaving a review for his book. On this review form, I can link to any Amazon product. Well, of course I'm linking to my book on book promotion. I'm helping Amazon but also helping myself. Now if I didn't have a book of my own, I might link to another author's book. This is the mindset we need to have to use Amazon to promote our books.

BUFFALOed I'm new to all this and Brent Sampson's book is the life saver that is going to keep me afloat in the Sea of Amazon.

I've been an Amazon customer since the very beginning. Did you know that in the first two years of operation they used to send us (their active book store customers) Christmas gifts--FREE. I still have my two thermal glasses with the literary sayings from famous authors such as: "My books are water, those of the great geniuses are wine--everybody drinks water," Mark Twain.

And everybody who is a POD author needs Sampson's book. I've had traditionally published books on Amazon that were published back in the 80s, Commuter Marriage: Living Together, Apart, but until reading "Sell Your Book," I had no idea about all the terrific opportunities Amazon offers. Now I'm going to start using them. Thanks, Brent.

I'm also going to tell all the members of Scottsdale Society of Women Writers about this book at our next meeting.

Having recently published my own book, I decided to read Sell Your Book On Amazon. It was my hope that it could simplify how to promote and market my book better. Brent Sampson has delivered! There are dozens of tips and helpful hints, including writing reviews for other books and incorporating your own title to maximize exposure. So far, I've felt good about the progress my book has been making since utilizing the many steps in "Sell Your Book". Jim Fargiano, author of The Spoken Words of Spirit: Lessons From The Other Side

This is a great book for authors seeking a step-by-step guide to setting up a book profile on Amazon.com. It walks you through the process in a very easy to understand style. Many chapters include snapshots of the Amazon screen that you can use as a guideline while setting up your profile. Recommened for those new to selling on Amazon.

This is an amazing source of information. If you are self-published author you absolutely MUST buy this book and read it. Then after you read it, keep it close at hand for ongoing reference.

I had never heard of Steve Weber before buying this book. To be honest, I was a bit put off by the cover art.

But the content is entirely above reproach. It's like having a mentor without the sucking up. It's like having a personal friend in the publishing industry alerting you to all those do's and don'ts that no one else would bother mentioning.

Because I honestly have margin notes and highlights and tabs on virtually every page in the book, it's almost impossible for me to choose the most important topics to share with you. But a few of the top tips include understanding the importance and power of Amazon's Top Reviewers, the key components of an "online press kit," how to create a "book trailer" for You Tube, blogging, podcasting, and so much more...

As I said: buy this book. It's just that good!

J.D. Mosley-Matchett, Ph.D.
Author of A month of Marketing Technology tips

This is the best guide on book promotion I've ever read--and I've read a lot of them! I can't wait to put Steve Weber's road map into play for my own book. If you're an author, don't delay. You need a copy of "Plug Your Book" by Steve Weber!

This book is definitely worth checking out, especially if you are an author and book sales are on your mind. The Net can no longer be ignored as an avenue (the MAIN avenue?) for promoting one's book. Learn all about it by starting here.

Plug Your Book was recommended to me at a writers' workshop. It is a step by step guide to marketing on line. This is useful information to me, even during the process of writing a book. I use each chapter like a cookbook, opening up a page, opening up a website, and exploring that website according to the principles Weber is explaining. I already knew how to purchase books on Amazon.com. But, through Weber's book, I have learned the process of peer review, how to participate in that process, and how to approach reviewers. All the chapters provide a foundation for me as I write a book. The chapter on author websites explains how an author website is not just an advertisement. There are specific recommendations for designing an author website, or design a website with a newsletter as preparation for publishing a book. I have given myself permission to take as many years as I need to publish my first book. Weber's book provides me, as well as other new authors, with multiple resources for the whole process of writing, publishing, and marketing our work.

I have read at least a dozen titles on book marketing and I believe this to be the most valuable book available for today's world of internet marketing. The great part about online marketing is that you can actually target specific markets and it's usually free.

This book will help you focus your online marketing strategies in several ways:
* Influencing and Understanding the Amazon sales Rank
* Setting up and Effective Website
* Creating an Online Press Kit
* How to Get More Amazon Reviews
* Effective Use of Blogs
* A Page for your Book on Sites like MySpace.com
* Leveraging Social Networking
* Leveraging Amazon.com

This is the only book I've read that doesn't just tell you what to do in terms of book marketing, but it tells you specifically how to do it. It's really the only resource you need for marketing your book.

Stacie Vander Pol, author of Top Self Publishing Firms

I found this book to be very helpful and informative. A must read for anyone thinkng of developing a Yahoo store.

Rob, do you have a fan club? 'Cuz I'm you number one fan. I've had a Yahoo store for 5 years and I never knew how much important information and SEO I was missing until I picked up this book. I read through the entire book first, now I am going through chapter by chapter making the recommended updates.

Rob really knows first hand about making Store improvements because he isn't a background programmer - he's a store owner that has tried everything he teaches. He's tested it, then reports on the proven methods. My book arrived June 1st and that is when I started making improvements - I can't wait see the results.

Rob, Thanks for sharing such valuable information!

this book is very useful to people who just get into the online business especially you have a YAHOO store , its worth every penny you paid !!!

I purchased this book thinking I could enhance my existing Yahoo store with the information. This book is only useful if you use Yahoo's Store Editor program and the author states this in his introduction. I use another program Yahoo Sitebuilder, so I turned around and ordered that book too. The title is very misleading....this is really only a book about using Store Editor to build your Yahoo store! If that is what you need the book seems pretty useful.

This book is well written but tells me nothing about how to use Store Editor. I've spent hours reading the book with Store Editor open in front of me and I still can't get it to work like he says it will.

Store Editor is the worse program I've ever tried to use. It's very cryptic and navigation is illogical. I can use Dreamweaver but not Store Editor.

GB

My only issue is that the book doesn't address how to use google analytics more. He gives a lot of suggestions, but there isn't enough guidance in actually how to use GA to pull the data he recommends.

This book is fantastic. Not only does it cover everything, but it does it in a simple way, an hour a day!

I reckon once you have finished this book you will be a head of the majority.

Must get for analytics.

This book is amazing. If you think you knew everything or are in an analysis slump, just flip through this book and you'll find something new to analyze.

I have used Web Side Story...moved to Omniture....also work with Google Analytics.....This book does a good job of getting away from the mountains of data, to provide a clear cut "THINK ABOUT WHAT THE ANALYTICS MEAN" on a business basis- definitely worth the time investment.

Technologies evolve, but the PROCESS by which we should collect and analyze online data in order to gain solid, actionable insights will remain constant for the foreseeable future.

I have been fortunate enough to work with some of the smartest online marketers in the business, and, to say the very least, most of these people -- especially those in the analytics community -- seem content to share their expertise in the most confusing and theoretical manner possible. But not Avinash Kaushik. And in "An Hour a Day," Avinash proves why he is the world's most trusted name in analytics: he brings us up to his level without unnecessary jargon, so we can actually understand how to do this stuff!

Without question, this book is required reading for ANY online marketer, business owner, or anyone currently outsourcing their web analytics. (Warning: You may become better at this than the people you're paying to do it for you!)

Have a website you're not properly tracking? You're not alone! Less than a third of e-commerce and B2B sites have sufficient web analytics tracking -- let alone a process by which to glean insight from it -- and it's not the technology's fault. The problem is that most people don't understand the VALUE and NECESSITY of web analytics. They don't realize it's the difference between sink or swim. For most organizations, web analytics is an afterthought; something pawned off to those with technical knowledge when it should really be understood by those who need to use this data to make serious business decisions. Well, folks, those days are over. If all you know about your site is how many page views, uniques, or (*yikes*) "hits" it's getting, you're in much worse shape than you currently realize, simply because you have no idea how much money and attention you're missing out on if you have no clear goals in mind or a system by which to quantify it.

If you're not measuring it properly, how can you ever claim to have an online strategy that's working? How else will you know how successful your campaign is? How else will you know which elements to test and optimize?

Whether you're a beginner or you know just enough about web analytics to be dangerous, you should absolutely buy this book today. The book pays for itself a hundred fold in the very first hour of the very first day.

I did laugh and I did cry. No cliche.

A very personal book in which Frankel creates vivid images with clean, crisp phrases and sentences. There is not a word out of place. This story is well-told. It could not have been easy to write and share.
I will be passing this book around to friends.

An absolute delight.
If you're looking for a great book for you or a friend, this is it.
This book is so lovable I can't imagine anyone who wouldn't love it, quote it, and beg everyone they know to read it so they could compare notes.
"Hats and Eyeglasses" is my new FAVORITE phrase and favorite book to recommend.

I don't think I've loved a book character this much since I read "Eloise". If they made a movie of this book, Bette Midler would have to play Martha. This is a woman that anyone would fall in love with. She's open and smart and funny and warm and loving. And nutty. For a poker player (like me), reading it was wonderful (and even instructive!) and exactly described my own experience in loving the game. But it's really about Martha, and getting to know her is a fabulous treat.

Once you start, you will not put it down and then find yourself recommending to everyone you know!

I first met Martha Frankel in the summer of '66. She came along with a "cousin" who, eventually, I would marry. It was on Jones Beach (L.I.). Her cousin was beautiful, Martha was funny and brutally honest (still is) but sorely lacked beach etiquette. I forgave her.
When reading Hats & Eyeglasses I revisited a place that brought back fond memories.
Martha's family was my family...for a while. I know of what she writes. She remembers details and nuances with precision. She also retains that self deprecating humor (after having become quite accomplished in her life). Her gambling came naturally from her family, like another family might foster atheletes or scholars. It was not a problem until it became a problem.
I highly recommend this book be read by anyone wanting a look into a highly personal account, revealed to all...with clarity, perception and, most of all, brutally honest humor.

Grimes
West Palm Beach

Book is very basic to say the least, I was expecting a lot more! What can you expect for $14 though right?

This book it's fantastic, it talks about very simple things that a person can forget sometimes.

The Web Site that is included gives you a lot of new information about Adwords if you register in it, which is I think a very good thing.

Awsome book and easy to learn.

Congratulations!

If you are new to Adwords, like me, or are an existing user that needs to learn more - this is a MUST READ!!! The author takes the technical and puts it into layman terms. Although the author offers a little more reading flexibility, I advise the new user to walk through this book in a sequential fashion - obviously if you are an existing user then select the chapters that make sense and support your immediate needs - for all Adword users, make sure this becomes one of your top reference books. Yes, in addition to any material publised by Perry Marshall - his materials are also in my Adwords reference library as well, but you can never have enough reference material that is grounded on a stable platform, i.e. "Adwords for Dummies" by Dr. Jacobson!!!

Howie's book caught my eye one day while browsing. I wasn't even the guy who ran our Adwords account. I became that guy over night. If you just started an Adwords account, be grateful you aren't a few years in and 100K plus wasted on worthless clicks. Buy the book, digest the book, live the book, that's all i can say. I did, saved 10K in the first month, that's 10K we can use productively. The book is easy and fun to read with a step by step approach for correct Adwords use. Hope i've been clear, you're dumb if you have an Adwords account and don't read this book. Thanks Howie

I've recently begun an Adwords project and found that this was very helpful in getting me started. It also provides many ideas and resources for future improvements of my usage.

This is perhaps my favorite book of all from my childhood. Periodically I reread it as an adult and my appreciation grows every time. It is so unassuming, like the character of Martha, but the themes are big: the meaning of friendship, the art of finding beauty in life, the winding paths of growing up. The characters could step out of the page, the emotions are deep and true, and the end is so simple and quietly heartbreaking, but at the same time the kind of sorrow that is full of life and joy and passion. ZKS was truly inspired when she wrote this. In my opinion it is perfect.

Those that are positive that this book is a fantasy and therefore will not be read by them really needs to think straight. No, this is not a fantasy, which did surprise me considering Ms. Snyder's passion for the weird. Instead, it is a book about those oh-so-classic themes of family, friendship, and growing up.

Snyder makes a wondrous world between two small-town friends who are as different as different can be. One becomes enchanted by the passion and creativity of the other, and this is a friendship that leads them through the changes of life.

It's touching and inspiring. A great girl book.

There are some typical "teen novel" elements but overall this is a great story of friendship. Shy, awkward, overweight and sensitive Martha Abbott is a misfit in her own shallow and constrained upper-middle-class family, who take her for granted. Martha befriends the vibrant, imaginative, and outgoing Ivy Carson, herself a misfit in her own poor, wrong-side-of-the-tracks, criminal fringe family. Their sometimes-misunderstood friendship nurtures and sustains them over the years, and their imaginary games help inspire their own inner talents. Even through separation and quarrels, their bond remains strong, and the reader can see how much each owes the other as they grow. A touching tribute to both the power and joys of friendship and the imagination. A blessing to see it's back in print.

This book gave me new ways of looking at the world, at myself and at my neighbors when I was 11 years old and read it for the first time. And the second. And the third... I don't think there are many American girls who could not identify both with Martha and with Ivy, in turns, as these tender characters vividly represent the dichotomy of female adolescence.

I have sought out, purchased and given away a number of copies of this book in recent years, and now that it is in print again I have just ordered two copies. One is for my friend's 14 year old daughter who lives overseas and has few options for books in English, and the other I will save for my granddaughter, who was just born. Her mother will re-read the book in the meantime (after I do) and we will both relive a wonderful experience which helped us cope with a most difficult time of life.

Recently, was at the book store helping my 10y son look for a book to read, I ran across a copy of "The Headless Cupid" I bought it and asked to order "The changeling" but they couldn't get it for me, So I turn to the internet (Got to love eBay) and found it. I read it as soon as I received it. I've ordered several more of Snyder's books as well. Maybe my kids will enjoy them as much as I have.

I was 12y. at the time I first read it. I wasn't a "reader" this was one of the first I had ever read that I didn't force myself to finish. I lost myself in the pages. I felt a huge connection to Ivy our life's were so similar, she had a better outlook on life one I longed to have. Since then I have read a fair amount of books but none ever touched me the same way.

Yes, it's true that Amazon itself does a good job of being user-friendly for sellers, but for new-to-the-business folks like me, this is a terrific guide. It's like hiring a personal trainer who's at your side when you want her. It's like exercise--yes, you can do it all by yourself, but it does help to have that one-on-one expertise.

Miller is organized, clear and concise and, she's got a cheeky sense of humor to relieve tension and remind you that, yes, you can do this and it's going to be fine and it's going to be fun! The format is actually easier to use than a paperback book because I can prop it open on the desk to refresh my memory as I work and for whatever step I'm at: creating an accurate listing, contacting customers, finding tools and services to take it to the next level, and so on. In addition, her insider tips from her years in the business are quite helpful and easy to follow.

This is a particularly helpful first guide and then you can graduate and move onto the more sophisticated and involved stuff. Great investment.

I love books and wanted to investigate selling them on Amazon, so I bought this book. It basically gave me everything I needed to know to get started, and the incentive to try. Although I am still very small, just selling a few books a week, I am in the process of building my inventory and have found that Ms. Miller is right - this is a do-able and profitable business and this book was absolutely invaluable in helping me to get started, and I am going to re-read it again as a continuing reference.

Concise and to-the-point. Easy read. Great real-life examples of seller success stories. Chock full of helpful tips and advice to increase your sales and maintain motivation. If you want to be successful selling books, then read this book first. In fact, read it a few times just to be sure the information hits home. You can easily read it in just over an hour or so. Five-star effort all the way! Thanks Christine!

No more spiral binding. Reading the book is, as others have mentioned, like getting advice from your best friend. Ms. Miller shows herself to be a conscientious and warm person throughout the book and in her email communications when the book is ordered. She aims to help the reader avoid the mistakes she made while establishing her online book selling business. The book is detailed and thorough, although I thought it to be a bit repetitive. There is a vast amount of information contained in the book, and the author is frank in discussing her limitations as a mentor in the world of book selling. Ms. Miller's honesty and generosity are refreshing. If you are considering starting an online business selling used books, be sure to read this. If you are looking for a really nice, sincere, giving, friendly, person, you can get to know one by reading this book.

I have been selling books on Amazon for several months now and was looking for a book that could give me a little more expertise and tips on how to be more effective at buying and selling books. I found this book to be mostly information I have read many times before in other places, with very little new useful info for anyone who has been selling for more than a few months. This book has some good information for new book sellers, but you can get 99% of this info by reading the Amazon.com guidelines on selling and reading Michael E. Moulds' blog, both of which are free. If you don't want to spend 30 minutes on Google to get this information for yourself, then this is the book for you. If not, don't waste your money.

This inspiring book is a must for all recruiters who understand the leverage power of online sourcing and networking.

As its subtitle suggests, The Virtual Handshake is all about interfacing with business and social contacts through the worldwide web. In my field (recruiting), the lines between business and social contacts blur since everyone I encounter might need either a new job or project, might know someone who does, or might be in a position to hire. Networking is not just about pressing flesh and passing business cards at a luncheon these days. There is a rapidly growing area of opportunity to meet people and make deals on the internet. However, please note that The Virtual Handshake does not merely expound the virtues of the internet or report results of deals closed and marriages made, the authors also make the technologies easy to understand and provide practical advice on how to use what's out there. Published in 2005, the book provides current information on various virtual options and their uses. The authors cover topic such as social software and services online; virtual clubs and associations; tips on managing the deluge of email; basics on blogging; effective use of email blasts without being perceived as a spammer; netiquette; privacy protection; and, of course, real-life examples of the use of the virtual medium. Easy to read and very useful, The Virtual Handshake is a primer for those of us who haven't been hip to the virtual world that's out there. It made me wonder if I've been living under a rock! The good news is it's not too late to learn, and this book will definitely help. I was so inspired by this book that I boldly went out there into the virtual world and set up my own blogsite!

This book delivers everything it promises. It is interesting from beginning to end and is obviously written by someone who is inspiring, articulate and experienced. It gives really good advice abot how to handle and manage one's growing familiarity with Internet capabilities and offers several good references for aspiring networkers. It even explains how to write a good resume.

The world is changing and so is business. The Internet, and various "Web 2.0" technologies, for lack of a better (or even good) name, are rapidly becoming an integral part of business and life.

The Virtual Handshake doesn't attempt to get you entirely up to date -- that's impossible, but up to speed -- that's far more valuable.

If you don't have any trusted colleagues you've never met in person or maybe not even talked to over the phone, you need this book. Even if you've spent a quarter of a century online like I have, you need this book. I learned a lot, and still refer to this book often. (If your secretary reads your email to you and you dictate answers, I suggest you retire or read this book ASAP.- You need help catching up).

After reading The Virtual Handshake, and I strongly suggest you do, you'll understand the basics, importance, and success guidelines of social software. You'll be up to speed in perhaps the most critical area of business change in our lifetime. The CURRENT wave of the Internet, and probably more important than the original commercialization and popularization of the Internet.

Hey, what's more interesting, the Big Bang Theory or How Life Came About?? This is the "How Life Came About" part and you'll learn about things like virtual communities and social networking, but far more importantly,- you'll know what to do. Actual steps you should take --- and plenty of case studies to help you understand their importance. Guidelines to harness the power of these new whateveryoucallthem.

Hint: be yourself, act responsibly, and remember you are the same person both online and offline and don't forget it!

There is a lot of valuable information in this book. Plan to read it, enjoy it, and then study it. And plan on concrete benefits.

It's a rehash of common sense. Do not waste your time reading this book.

This is an overall good book to own filled with practical advice about how to run an on line book store. Very indepth, sometimes too much so, like the bit about how to package a book for shipping, but you also do not get that level of detail in anyone elses book either. This is one of the quartet of books you should get when you decide you want to open up your own on line book store.

There are a lot of things sellers need to know and lots of support for this need for knowledge in the book from customer service, what to pay for books, how to grade and price books, as well as tons of other great information that you will need.

Overall 5 of 5 books, enjoyed reading this and learning how to apply the well thought out advice presented in this book.

Michael Mould deserves serious kudos from the world of used booksellers. This book is extremely thorough and gives fantastic nuts and bolts advice. Mike is both rational and encouraging--he avoids the hype of "start-ups" which allows his book to be genuine and open-minded. His "day in the life" anticipates the "basic" questions and his lists of services and weblinks are very helpful. I also highly recommend buying copies that come with the CD "Bookkeeping for Booksellers". That Mike shares all the work he has done is generosity on a karmic scale. Not only is the book helpful, but Mike has created and inspired a large and collaborative community of booksellers through his work. Thanks, Mike, for pointing the way.

Michael Mould covers every detail for those who are interested in online bookselling (as a hobby or a business). I keep this book on my desk and refer to it frequently. Personally, I found the photographs on packaging and shipping to be very interesting (and vital, considering some of his own USPS experiences and insights). He even provides an informative "A Day in the Business" section detailing his own daily bookselling procedures. Very helpful. I have yet to see another bookselling guide to offer such detailed information or step-by-step illustration.

I probably purchased every book on selling books online. The book by Michael E. Mould, if purchased first, would have saved me a lot of money and frustration. He has answered every question I could have asked about selling books online in a concise easy to understand format. I have used many of his suggestions from scheduling my time to pricing and grading my inventory and much more in-between. His impressions of where to sell my books was useful since I was already signed up with Amazon but had not begun to sell anything. He gave me the confidence to know I had made the right decision in choosing Amazon. His knowledge of the proper tools and procedures for saving me from wasting a lot of time has been very helpful.
I am a senior citizen and the less I have to handle the inventory the better. That's one of the best suggestions I took away from the book. Thank you, Mr. Mould
Ila J.

A very practical book for those wanting to start an online bookselling
business. Details from A-Z on how to establish yourself as an online bookseller with great resource info and tips and how to avoid pitfalls.
I would have liked to have seen more info in the way of what types of books to buy (categories of books) that might sell well. There are a few remarks about which ones to try to avoid, but not enough on which types to look for. Otherwise a very detailed and useful book.