Promotion Books

Millions of people want to get a book published. Yet they are unsure where to take their first steps and how to sort through the available possibilities. Do you take the traditional route or self-publish or use print-on-demand (POD)? Experienced author Helen Gallagher gives step-by-step advice and in the opening pages includes a large quote which says, "Attract a publisher if you can, but if not, don't wait your life away...Publish your book yourself."

Yet to many self-publishing is a scary proposition. How do you sell your book into the market and avoid a garage full of books (which don't help anyone--especially you the author)? Gallagher guides the reader to handle these questions with solid counsel. Then she covers the business of writing your book and marketing it to keep it alive and active in the marketplace.

Whether you have never been published or you are a seasoned author, you can learn some new tricks in Gallagher's book. I've read dozens of how-to-write books yet I often highlighted different pages in RELEASE YOUR WRITING. I plan to check out the websites and follow up on her suggestions. I recommend you do the same thing with the contents of this book. Don't just buy it and stick it on your shelf but study the pages.

A professional freelance writer and the author of "Computer Ease", Helen Gallagher draws upon her many years of experience and expertise in "Release Your Writing: Book Publishing, Your Way!" to provide an informative instruction manual that demystifies the publishing process, addresses the technological issues associated with publishing, and provides a profusion of effective, practical, immediately applicable marketing strategies to insure a book's commercial viability. Effectively organized into three major sections, 'Getting Published' covers contemporary changes in the publishing industry, the self-publishing option, Publish On Demand (POD) companies; and eBooks. 'You, The Word Processor' includes The Time to Write; The Writer's Toolbox; and 'Computer Power Tools'. The third section is devoted to the 'Business of Being a Writer' by focusing on book marketing and promotion, and keeping a book in print and available to the reading public. It should be noted that Helen Gallagher's writing style is conversational and engaging -- making it an ideal format for presenting her observations, ideas, and advice. Enhanced with an appendix listing writing resources, a glossary, and an index, "Release Your Writing" will prove invaluable and instructive reading for aspiring writers who have become published -- either on their own or through an independent publisher.

I admit it--although I have six books in print, I didn't know much about print on demand (POD) publishing, or what its benefits are. Gallagher's book includes everything you need to know to decide whether POD is right for you, and provides a wealth of information about how to choose the right POD publisher (love the side-by-side comparison chart of the top 10 POD firms) as well as tips on writing and marketing the book.

This book actually changed the way I think about POD--I now realize it's a great option not just for new authors, but for published authors who have out-of-print books they want to get back into the marketplace as well. Whether you're new to book publishing in general, or simply know little about POD, this is the book for you. It's a quick read, but I already have a number of pages dog-eared for future reference.

Kelly James-Enger, author, Six-Figure Freelancing: The Writer's Guide to Making More Money (Random House, 2005)

If you're a writer who's looking for practical advice on how to write, publish, market, promote your book, and keep it alive once it's out there, Helen Gallagher's Release Your Writing: Book Publishing, Your Way! is the book for you. My yellow highlighter was flying off its 200 pages while I noted valuable tips on how to move forward with the publishing process. In fact, by the time I was finished reading this gem, nearly the entire book was highlighted. Furthermore, the book is written in such a down-to-earth tone that you'd better set an extra place because you'll feel as if Gallagher is sitting across from you at your kitchen table. So whether you're in the preliminary outline stage, in the midst of writing your manuscript, or giving it a final edit, read Gallagher's book before you launch yours. You'll be grateful you did.

Francine Pappadis Friedman
author of
MatchDotBomb: A Midlife Journey through Internet Dating

The information in this "action-packed" volume is tremendously helpful. My own book, Waltzing Australia, had been published before I found Helen's book, but I have still found it immensely valuable for the wealth of marketing ideas. I also appreciate the tips on using the computer more efficiently. This is a wonderful resource for any writer, traditionally published or self-published, because we can always use more tools -- and more market exposure.

There isn't anything "easy" about selling, but somehow Stephen Shhiffman made it feel simple in this book. If you want a refreshing course on what made you a sales person in the first place, this is a good read. I hadn't been selling in a while and simply maintaining accounts. This got me over my fear of calling. In fact I should read it again just so I don't forget!

Really helpful in setting up a proper Prospect Management System. I can recommend his other books as well !

In Sales Don't Just Happen, Stephan Schiffman, the founder of a fast-growing sales training company, expands on his approach to selling based on developing a proposal that makes sense to the prospect. He fills his book with discussions of the same basic principles he has presented in several other books, though each has its own emphasis, such as cold calling or making a more effective close. Here Schiffman ranges through the four key phases of the sales cycle - prospecting, interviewing, presentation and close - to teach 26 strategies (one main technique per chapter) that push a sale forward. At the end of each chapter, he summarizes how to apply that chapter's tips. These methods are generally quite useful, though familiar, basic approaches. One warning: if you've read Schiffman's other sales books, you may experience a sense of déjà vu. But otherwise, we recommend this solid manual to any corporate sales rep who makes in-person presentations in quest of large sales.

In Sales Don't Just Happen, Stephan Schiffman, the founder of a fast-growing sales training company, expands on his approach to selling based on developing a proposal that makes sense to the prospect. He fills his book with discussions of the same basic principles he has presented in several other books, though each has its own emphasis, such as cold calling or making a more effective close. Here Schiffman ranges through the four key phases of the sales cycle - prospecting, interviewing, presentation and close - to teach 26 strategies (one main technique per chapter) that push a sale forward. At the end of each chapter, he summarizes how to apply that chapter's tips. These methods are generally quite useful, though familiar, basic approaches. One warning: if you've read Schiffman's other sales books, you may experience a sense of déjà vu. But otherwise, we from getAbstract recommend this solid manual to any corporate sales rep who makes in-person presentations in quest of large sales.

The core concept in this book is that success in sales depends almost entirely on a possible purchaser's willingness to become (in effect) a collaborator with the salesperson inorder to determine HOW best to meet the possible purchaser's needs, solve her or his problems, achieve his or her objectives. (Note: A "possible" does not become a "prospect" unless and until she or he commits to take the Next Step.) The progress and satisfactory conclusion of this collaborative process require a series of Next Steps to which the prospect is agreeable. Schiffman asserts (and I wholly agree) that sales "don't just happen"; rather, they are achieved by the aforementioned process which requires a prospect's permission to collaborate, permission which the salesman must obtain at each stage.

The sequence of Next Steps is not merely a buying of time, however. On the contrary, if skillfully managed by the salesperson, it accelerates the buying cycle as objections are systematically eliminated. To repeat, the objective for the salesperson at each stage in the process is to have the prospect agree to their taking, together, the Next Step. Moreover, the Final Step is not closing on a given sale. There is no Final Step. If I understand Schiffman's thinking and the 26 strategies which he advocates, there is always a Next Step to strengthen even more the relationship with the buyer who will presumably make other purchases later.

Recently I learned that, after surveying many thousands of consumers of various products and services over a period of five years to learn why they no longer did business with certain companies, researchers were told that 1% of the customers had died; 3% had moved out of the area; 5% had been "influenced" away; 9% had found "better service" elsewhere; and 14% had experienced "unresolved conflicts" with the given company.

That adds up to 32%. Now here's the kicker:

68% left because of "perceived indifference."

Hence the obvious importance of what happens after a sale is made. Schiffman is dead-on when insisting that one of the salesperson's greatest challenges is to proceed, relentlessly, to each Next Step after one sale and before the next each customer. In this book, he explains HOW to do that, also why; it is the salesperson's responsibility sustain forward movement. Schiffman also explains why, in certain situations, it would be a waste of time to continue with certain clients without their permission. That does not preclude sustaining contact, and doing so with style and grace. His eminently sensible implication is that there are significant differences between cultivation and solicitation.

Throughout the book, the reader is provided with an abundance of practical advice which includes don'ts as well as do's. For example, Schiffman explains in Chapter 2 how to find out "who's really playing ball"...and who isn't; in Chapter 8, how to make forward progress even when the prospect says no; in Chapter 12, new ways to wake up sleeping prospects; in Chapter 20, how to raise the tough issues before the prospect does; and in Chapter 24, "how to find out where we really stand in the prospect's world." Simply knowing what the 26 "proven strategies" are is well worth the cost of this book; having Schiffman explain how to use each most effectively creates for the book a value that is incalculable.

Of course, the best advice in the world is worthless unless and until it results in appropriate action. Success doesn't just happen.

I just finished this training and have to say it is wonderful. SEO is such a hot topic, and the trainer, Richard John Jenkins, does a wonderful job in covering the topic in fine detail. The foundation of what is obtained from this training can be used to drastically improve a website's ranking in the major search engines using ethical methods, without resorting to "black hat" tactics.

This video explains not only SEO processes and sources, but also how to go about the thought processes and the also the correct way (white hat) to go about performing SEO services for your site and your customers if you are in the business. I thoroughly enjoyed Richards cavalier and no nonces approach in this video. If you want a quick jump start into the SEO world, I recommend this video.

I have gone through a few other tutorials and the only thing they had in common was that they were BORING. This is not the case with Richard Jenkins' SEO videos. He is able to present vital information in a way that is very easy to understand and his scense of humor makes the video series very enjoyable to watch. I would recommend this tutorial series to anyone who wants to understand search engine optimization.

This resource is a must for anyone who has anything to do with a website...whether it be design, marketing, analysis...anything. Richard Jenkins and Lynda.com deliver a thorough review of Search Engine Optimization that is highly watchable, insightful and inspiring. From beginning to end, Richard Jenkins addresses important strategies for ranking with search engines, driving site traffic, important web design considerations, meta descriptions and tags, and much more. He also introduces the viewer to many tools that will ensure SEO success. This resource is well worth the investment of time and money.

I discovered search engine optimization after having a website up for 3 yeaars that never seemed to generate any business. In fact, I couldn't get my company name to come up when I searched for it myself. In doing some marketing research I discovered this process called search engine optimization (SEO) and what you didn't know about it could hurt you. And it was. I then discovered John's SEO CD that taught everything I needed to know in a way that I could easily comprehend. He teaches using lots of live examples so you know exactly what he's talking about. John is an excellent teacher and reveals valuable resources in his tutorial. Step by step he tells you what you need to do and why you need to do it. What he teaches not only improves one's website, but marketing in general. I highly recommend John's CD and urge everyone to learn about SEO. [...]

If anyone is the connoisseur of selling dreams it's Dr. Buitoni. His words will educate and inspire anyone who has a Dream to Succeed! This book should be the BIBLE for every college business class in the world!! It's a winner!! Don't Quit! Jake CEO, Body by Jake Enterprises

The writer has some great ideas as well as using some great analagies. One example that stood out in my mind, is the subject of lobster, you can buy it in the store in a plain paper covering or you can buy it in a fine restaurant and have it dressed up to the very finest. You need to be able to show people how the product you are selling will fulfill a dream that they have and not just smiply a purchase.

You do not have to be the President of Ferrari North America or the owner of Sothebys to sell dreams. In this refreshing, creative and eloquently written book, Dr Buitoni teaches us the key to unleashing success for businesses, products or even people. Selling dreams should be required reading for all businesses -- no matter what the business. The art of successful dreamketing is the wave of the future to sustain and maintain customer loyalty. We all dream. Dr Buitoni teaches us how to tap into those dreams to make them successful realities in business and in life.

Gian Luigi Longinotti-Buitoni's premise is that the best way to sell products is to tap into customers' emotional impulses, which can override their rational thinking. It's a good theory, as proven by how effectively the CEO of Ferrari North America used it in writing this book. As a reader, you can't help but get swept up in the pages of description of wondrous products from the likes of Ferrari, Tiffany, the Ritz and Cohiba. And when you do, it's easy to overlook the fact that the book is slightly repetitive and presents ideas that are far from radical. However, Longinotti-Buitoni's anecdotes about the development of the Ferrari brand name, as well as those of other high-end companies, are sure to delight marketing and advertising practitioners. We [...] recommend this book to professionals in those fields, who will find useful insights, especially in the excellent summaries that come toward the end of each chapter. A clear introduction and a well-executed concluding chapter also help clarify the ideas. There is probably more passion than substance to Selling Dreams, but in the end, isn't that what it's all about?

By page 5, I was entranced by this book. In keeping with its theme, SELLING DREAMS looks at the role of luxury in our lives from the broadest possible perspective. It offers fascinating anecdotes from craftspeople who combine art and business in the realms of cars, movies, food and drink, watches, hotels and more. I was especially pleased to see the illuminating perspectives from great philosophers alongside shrewd business analysis and cultural insight. A very unusual and worthwhile book that I already plan to reread. - Marcia Yudkin, Ph.D., author of Six Steps to Free Publicity, Persuading on Paper and other books

I bought this book because I was never a tea drinker, but always felt left out as the popularity of now drinking tea started. I knew nothing about different types, how to serve it, what to serve with it, and just the simple things everyone knows. This book helped me with all of that and now I even like tea. After a few hours of reading, I know more about tea etiquette than anyone I know.

This is a wonderful little book. If you enjoy "all things tea" then this is the book for you. Easily read, with details about proper etiquette for every type of social and business situation. It truly would be a nicer world if people (including children) were more often taught these things. Mrs. Johnson intersperses the chapters with interesting personal stories and recipes. I highly recommend it.

I am starting a small catering business doing tea parties! This book is perfect! It has everything you always wanted to know about preparing, enjoying and serving tea. From the different types of tea from Cream Tea to High Tea and what to do with the tea bag after you've taken it out of your tea cup. I highly recommend this book to anyone wanting to serve and to enjoy a proper afternoon of tea. Thank you for being so thorough.

This is a very informative and enjoyable book. A pleasure to read, it gets right to the point and does not waste time. I would recomend this book to anyone interested in Tea for Business and Pleasure!

I find this book very useful and informative. The author presents the material in a concise and down to earth manner. The etiquette portion of this book contains do's and do not's that leaves no questions. The tone of the book is conversational just like the topic it explains. If you are thinking about having a tea party for the first time or attending to one, this book is a must read!

Ruth Stevens' Trade Show and Event Marketing has proven to be a very useful book with many good ideas. As a Marketing representative who has worked in both the Tech Industry and for Consumer Products companies I have had the opportunity to attend a wide variety of trade shows, ranging from annual Comdex and CES shows in Las Vegas, to ECRM, NACS, and GMDC shows around the country. When you are dealing with such high costs and logistical problems at these shows you can tend to feel overwhelmed. But authors like Ruth Stevens have helped to pave the way, making our paths to trade show success a little more pleasant, by way of communicating a thoughtful approach to difficult problems. Good work!
Review by: Adam Platts, Northridge

Completely comprehensive on every aspect of trade shows and event marketing. Whether you are part of show management or an exhibitor this book is a solid reference. Even if you are seasoned at trade show and event marketing - you will learn something from this book.

Not until I dug into the case histories did I realize how truly valuable this book is. These punchy examples drive home point after point with clarity that makes all other how-to books I've read on this subject pale by comparison. "Put Ruth in Your Booth" could be its subtitle.

Ruth has hit all the right buttons in this book. As a trade show consultant, too many of my clients focus on the display and event on the show floor, neglecting the pre-show and post-show part of the medium. When you take Ruth's well-documented book literally and plan, promote, you will indeed profit. Especially with proper post-show lead development. I am sending copies of this one to my best clients and prospects.

If you are in marketing and you exhibit at trade shows, this book may change your behavior forever. Not only does it provide in-depth information about what trade shows can do and how they operate, but it also explains the financial structure you should put in place to determine whether participating in a trade show is worth your while financially. That may be bad news for corporate marketers who prefer to unpack their booth, buy the coffee and flowers, and hand out literature.
But if you want to turn a trade show appearance into a truly special corporate event, author Ruth Stevens has a game plan for you. Her book includes sample budgets, case studies, expense spread sheets, lead generation forms, checklists, survey ideas and a great appendix listing sources of additional information. It explains everything you need to know about the opportunities that trade shows offer and how you can use them to advance your marketing goals. We highly recommend this book to marketing managers of business-to-business companies who want to start getting solid returns from special events.

As a teacher of promotional classes for authors, I cannot recommend this book enough. As an author, I have used it personally, and it has been an excellent resource. I've learned so much about RSS feeds and how to pep up your blog.

Again, I can't recommend it enough.

I read Patrice's blog and am a fellow author of multiple books (one of which is self-published). Patrice has hit upon a maximum-impact minimum-risk strategy of publicizing and marketing your books/articles online. The efforts she outlines seem much more effective and focused than what traditional publishers are able to do for their authors, which is becoming smaller all the time.

Whether you are published by a traditional publisher or self-publish, you can use the strategies in this book to sell more of yours! Those who would benefit most are non-fiction authors with a niche audience. But Patrice does address fiction and novel authors as well.

The only thing I wanted more of was more information about doing Virtual Book Tours. Patrice does say they're a good idea, but gives no specific information on setting one up. I'd love to see that in the future or in a special report!

This is exactly the book I needed. It's essential for savvy writers. This book impacteded writing promotion plan in such a massive way. I can't praise it enough. If you want to be successful as a writer today, you need this book.

What a lovely book. I'm really glad I purchased a copy for myself. I'm a SCORE volunteer counselor and quite often my clients ask about Web sites and Web site design, and how to incorporate them into their small business' marketing plan. This book is the one that comes to my mind when I recommend a tome for them to read so I don't have to go into a long-winded sermon on the ins-and-outs of building a Web site. The other book I like a lot is Susan Daffron's book entitled Web Business Success (ISBN: 0974924504).

The book has 12 chapters, but I haven't listed them below. The list below includes the topics covered in the book that I have prioritized and grouped the way I would have liked the book to read.

1. How to Design a Web site
2. Add a Blog
3. Add a Podcast
4. Add an Ezine
5. Create eBooks
6. Create audio CDs and DVDs
7. Learn about Shopping Cart technology
8. Learn about RSS technology
9. Learn about Search Engine Optimization (SEO)
10. Learn about Online Advertising
11. Learn about Online Marketing
12. Learn about Using Amazon to Promote and Sell Your Book

My favorite topics were 1, 2, 5, 9 and 11. In my humble opinion they are the meat to putting together a Net presence using a Web site. It is these topics that I recommend my SCORE clients focus on when reading the book. I've tried the ezine thing, and I have found it to be a waste of time and effort. CDs and DVDs are beyond me at this time. But maybe in the future I might consider them as a great marketing vehicle. I think shopping cart technology is good for a retail shop. But an author with only one or two titles may want to skip it. I don't find much use for RSS technology since I don't go heavy on reading blogs. Maybe when there get to be a number of good blogs to read, then I might recommend RSS.

I have recently read a few books on using Amazon to promote and sell POD books. I think they were written after this book, and they seem to do a better job covering topic #12 above. Maybe the material on Amazon in this book is a little dated? But I saw a lot of good stuff on Amazon in this book. Consider also checking out Shepard's book entitled Aiming at Amazon (ISBN: 093849743X) and Weber's book entitled Plug Your Book! (ISBN: 0977240614).

Don't think that this book is only good for authors who want to use the Net to market their book. The principles and techniques beautifully explained in this book are equally applicable to promoting any business. So any wanta-be entrepreneur that doesn't know much about the Net or Web sites will do themselves a favor by getting this book, reading it, and then studying it. 5 stars!

The title to THE WEB-SAVVY WRITER, by Patrice-Anne Rutledge, holds a very important key. The reader should be web-savvy. At least more so than I am, because much of this book went over my head. I would have liked more detail on some of the technical stuff, but still, it emphasized my weaknesses and showed me the areas I need to study.

I would consider this a reference manual. This is not a book you should read once and try to retain. This is a book to keep on your shelf and refer to often. This is also not a one stop shop for marketing and promoting your book, but it does cover, quite thoroughly, the aspects of electronic marketing and promotion.

Someone more tech-savvy than me (and that includes most readers) would probably find this book more useful than I did, but I must add I did gain a lot of insight and once I do bone up on some of the technical areas, will read this one again. Even with my limited technical knowledge, I will reference this book often.

Of course Rutledge covers what you would expect here for book promotions - websites, search engine optimization, blogging - but goes much further. There are chapters on such promotional methods as RSS feeds, podcasts, ezines, and even how to sell and promote your book here, on Amazon.

Perhaps the best part of the book, for me at least, was at the end where Rutledge includes several author profiles. Here the reader learns first hand what has worked best for other authors in a variety of genres. Overall, a good book, even is some of it was over my head.

I was not prepared for the dramatic change in my outlook and self-awareness after I read Wokini. I couldn't put it down, and I even took notes. Wokini answers the who, what, where, why, when, and how, of happiness. I bought extra copies to give to my family and friends, and I hope they pass thir copies along to their loved ones. Wokini is such an easy book to read. The spiritual journey described in the book carried you from place to place looking for not only answers but questions.

By chance, I found this book in my local library, read it and had a life change. Today while looking up Nicholas Sparks I find that Wokini is in print once again. Life is good! This book will change your whole attitude and outlook on life. It begins by breaking down the old ideas (lies) about what happiness is and is not. It follows with a day by day path on how to achieve true happiness. A great book to give and to keep!

When my grandmother died I had to go through her things, and I found not one but two copies of this book. Out of curiosity I read it, and was very moved and at the same time felt enlightened. I really wish that I could talk to her about this story, and regret that I didn't know her well enough, because anyone who appreciates this story is on the right path as far as I'm concerned. I am a Christian and I am not Native American, but those things really don't matter as the only thing you need to have when reading this is your desire to search, to learn more of yourself and the world. You will get out of this book much more than you spend on it!

I can't help but wonder who the target audience is/was intended for this book. At times it read very smoothly; other times I felt like it was written in an uncreative/predictable manner. It made a lot of good points; I valued a lot of the lessons and advice. I just felt like the whole story about David, the presence of his sister's spirit, etc could have been left out and it would have been just as good. I learned quite a bit; I just wasn't awed. I think there are better motivational books out there besides Wokini.

In a very clear, simple and entertaining way Billy Mills' story leads the reader to a better understanding of true happiness. At the same time he provides a little peek into Lakota beliefs and practices. The book is easy reading by children and adults alike, and will be enjoyed by both those who are interested in the Lakota and those who've looked for happiness in all the wrong places. I too hope that there will be another printing of this book. It is a sad commentary that such a delight should be lost to future generations. This is a book that I have given (and would love to continue if reprinted) as a gift to quite a few people. But, for the present, I must be satisfied with two... one for myself and one to loan out for others to read.

Wonderful, wonderful, wonderful....not only because I'm in it, (brother used me in one of his shoots for Village Voice campaign)...but, buying this book is a great way to see innovation and artistry normally slated for galleries...

Warren is the best there is when it comes to reviewing the current Ad scene. However there are some factaul errors in the book. i.e. He talks about the breakthrough work that PKL did for Smirnof vodka in the sixties... It was'nt for Smirnof, it was for Wolfschmidt Vodka. Even more important was the work PKL did to launch the first Xerox dry copier, with the famous "Monkey" commercial.
However, the most dramatic ommision was that there was absolutely no mention of Jack Tinker Associates, the InterPublic think tank that kick started Mary Wells into Wells Green Inc.
Otherwise, a great book.
Warren, email me, Ive lost your phone number.
George Parker

Hardly anyone outside the industry itself has a high opinion of advertising, and I'm probably no different -- most of the time. However, I've long appreciated the occasional high degree of originality and wit of which ad writers and artists have shown themselves capable, especially since the late 1950s. This fat volume brings all of them together, beginning with Volkwagen's groundbreaking "Think Small" campaign. There are chapters on the influence of European copywriting on American ads, the development of a new "visual language," the rise of backhanded "oddvertising," the growth of advertising as a reflection of (and finally an agent of) social change, and the advent of guerilla anti-advertising, each of them an entertaining and instructive mix of graphics and text. There's even a separate chapter on the ups and downs of the famous and long-running "Got Milk?" campaign. This gorgeous book will keep you studying the artwork and reading the discussions far into the night.

This isn't just a book for ad students and insiders, though I imagine they'd love it. I'm not an ad junkie myself, but I happen to love this book because it's a very different and interesting coffee table book, that you can spend hours looking at. The ads featured in the book are amazing - funny, clever, intriguing, sometimes works of art in themselves. And the captions explain what's going on, all that sly thinking and logic behind the ads. I find it's the kind of book that really gets people talking. But be forewarned - it's a huge book, so make sure you have a strong coffee table!

As the proud author, just wanted to share w/readers some of the recent press reviews for Advertising Today:
"An amazing book," says Esquire magazine; a 4-star rating from Maxim magazine; Village Voice says "media archaelogists will pore over it for decades to come"; praised on ABC World News; on her radio show, Joan Rivers called it "fabulous" & the hot new coffee table book; J. Walter Thompson pres. Bob Jeffrey says, "Never has a book captured the heart and soul of advertising as much as Advertising Today."

This is a great book for understanding all aspects of creating a Direct Marketing company or a direct marketing program within your company. The basics and then some are in this book. Well written in that it kept my attention from new ideas and way it was written.

If you want to read only one book on the catalog business, make sure you pick this one.

I've read more than 5 books in English and German on the catalog subject and Schmid's book is in a class of its own.

It promises to cover the entire catalog process, including strategic planning, merchandising, creative, marketing (circulation), fulfillment, testing, and measuring response and ROI. And it delivers on the promise to an extend that I've never seen before. I spend this summer in Cannes, France, and enjoyed Schmid's book in the hot sun. Just couldn't put it aside...

His 11 pages long spreadsheet model in appendix includes everything for a new catalog start-up feasibility study ... and provides insight for the budgeting process to more experienced catalogers. [Why doesn't he provide a downloadable version in Excel on his homepage?]

The only competitor to this book is probably Katie Muldoon's 1995-publication, which is out of print (her home page says that a new book on the strategic aspects of catalogs is forthcoming).

One weakness that all books on cataloging have so far is their unserious treatment of the Internet. Schmid's book is from 2000 and it shows. It doesn't contain solid work on dynamic publishing, which is exploding via the Internet these years. It's not that Schmid doesn't accept that the Internet will be a phenomenal factor, but in this area so much of the catalog processes have been digitized since 2000. Thus, on this promise it doesn't deliver.

I still recommend this book as the best source so far to understanding all the catalog processes and hints to improving the bottom-line.

Peter Leerskov,
MSc in International Business (Marketing & Management) and Graduate Diploma in E-business

This is such a great book for a company that is starting a Catalog business or thinking about it. It covers all aspects of the Catalog business and gives you a checklist of all the necessary tasks to launching a successful catalog. Great book...

Virtually every company that makes things has to ahve a catalog. It's the thing that tells your customers what you do and gives them the detailed information that they need to make a decision.

Catalogs began with the mail order industry where the technology grew to measure sales return per square inch of paper. Over time, the professionals learned what worked and what didn't. Then when everything was working pretty well, the Internet came along and changed all the rules. All of a sudden space was endless, no more big checks to the printers. Communications was essentially free, no more big checks to the post office. The rules changed because the option to thumb through the catalog was no longer there. Instead sophisticated search and discover techniques needed to be worked out.

Jack Schmid has been in the catalog business, both print and electronic for many years. In this book he passes along dozens, if not hundreds of points. The book covers quite a lot of ground. Much of the book is on the functions that have to be performed whether the catalog is printed, electronic or both. This includs things like product selection, fullfillment, customer service and finance. There is a goodly amount of material on the printed version of the catalog, as these are still required by most companies. There are several points interspersed throughout the book and finally chapters on things like database marketing, the Internet, and more.

This is one of the most all inclusive books available on catalog marketing and includes just about everything there is to know.

A wonderful overview of the catalog world with plenty of real-world examples including: ROI calculations, promotions, customer segmentation.....
Worth its wieght in gold!