An unusual occurrence happened when I saw the cover of Plug Your Book.  I smiled.  Book covers don’t usually have much affect on me, but this one is fun, especially for a marketing book.  Weber’s writing style blends the serious points of the book with just the right dose of lightness so the book never stalls.  Plug Your Book is packed full of information for authors beginning their first book marketing campaign, but seasoned book marketers are likely to find a nugget or two of helpful information as well.  The explanations and descriptions of the various techniques discussed in Plug Your Book are easy to understand and devoid of confusing hype.  While Weber clearly finds some techniques more beneficial than others, he encourages writers to make informed decisions tailored to their needs for their books.

The Complete Guide to Book Publicity explains not only what needs to be done to publicize a book but also how to do those things including writing press releases, putting together a press kit, approaching media outlets, and building a campaign in an efficient and cost conscious manner.  Blanco also includes a chapter on deciding whether to hire a publicist or or publicize your book yourself.  This book is a “must have” for the library of any author performing any or all of his/her publicity

Whether you’re an author pursuing a deal with a major publisher or trying to decide if self-publishing is for you, This Business of Publishing is essential to understanding how the publishing world works.  Curtis examines everything from the method used to sell books to the effects of mergers on editors, writers and agents as well as publishers and bookstores to the effects of technology on all aspects of the industry.  This Business of Publishing will aid established authors, aspiring writers, and self-published authors in understanding the business of the book industry therefore helping them plan their career strategy.

Jump Start Your Book Sales is a terrific resource for increasing book sales.  It’s not only filled with useful suggestions but websites to utilize and media contact addresses.  The Rosses cover publicity, advertising, and other marketing strategies as well as dealing with bookstores and the media.  Jump Start Your Book Sales is an essential book to any author wanting to sell more books.

Guerrilla Marketing for Writers is filled with ideas for marketing your books.  The ideas are broken down to help with budgeting.  The authors helpfully label the ideas using titles such as “expensive”, “low cost”, “free”, and “you get paid”.  While not all the ideas are appropriate for every book, the authors provide plenty of information to aid in deciding which ideas work best for varying types of books and which budget.  Guerrilla Marketing is a great starting point for any book publicity/marketing plan