July Amazon Comparison of ECPA Publishers

Check out the July Amazon rankings for the Top 15 ECPA Publishers. This research lets you see both the overall industry rankings, plus each publisher's individual top 20 bestselling book list.

Why is this information helpful to you? This is one of the few ways that authors, agents, and publishers can simultaneously see how a publisher's best books stack up against their peers. For example, Neilsen BookScan doesn't let other publishers see the competition's sales numbers (only bestseller lists). But, WildFire's free research gives ECPA publishers a way to see which titles are selling well on Amazon at 14 other houses. This data is also helpful to see which authors, topics, and genres are dominating Amazon sales trends.

Items of Interest this Month:

a. Top-Selling Overall Titles by Amazon Ranking:
- Book: The Love Dare at # 78 from B&H Publishing.
** Rankings exclude the self-published title, The Shack, at # 5.

b. Biggest Publisher Moves:
B&H Publishing drops from # 9 last month to #12 this month.

c. July Rankings Mark Best Overall Sales Month for 2009
The combined average sales rankings for the top 15 ECPA publishers dropped from 10,349 in June to 5,014 in July (the lowest monthly combined average of 2009), which indicates an increase in Amazon book sales for the industry over the last 30 days.

Note: Amazon rankings do not reflect accurate sales figures and only account for a small percentage of a book's total sales. However, they can help determine how specific publishers or book titles perform over time versue their peers.

Click here for an Excel spreadsheet of the June, 2009 rankings.

For all previous month rankings, click here.

Italian Vacation Pictures

Many of you have asked about my recent vacation to Italy. Even though I'm a consultant to authors, I just couldn't find the words to do the trip justice. So, here's a few pictures from our travels. My wife, Ashley, and I stayed in the Cinque Terre and Lake Como regions of Northern Italy. Put these places on your must-see list.
(Click on a picture to enlarge.)

Social Networking - Unlocking Behavioral Disorders

(Click on the picture above to enlarge)

Credit to Alan Weiss and his awesome blog for posting this hilarious photo (and available T-shirt) from Despair.com.

Social media is getting all of the hype these days. Yet, it's struggling as a medium to actually create significant books sales. For example, at BEA 2009 last month, John Sargent, the CEO of Macmillan Publishing stated, "Viral marketing doesn’t sell a ton of books.” He said a video based on a Macmillan book spent time in the number-one spot on YouTube in the U.K.—and wound up selling a whopping 200 extra copies. So what works? Most CEOs agreed front-of-store displays can boost sales.

Now, I'm not knocking social networking...just don't forget about the tried-and-true methods for authors to spread a message, such as public speaking, newsletters, personal networking, alliances, etc.

As for the behavioral disorders that social networking can cause authors, check out this insightful article, Why I Kissed FaceBook Goodbye, from Anne Jackson, author of Mad Church Disease.

June Amazon Comparison of ECPA Publisher

Check out the June Amazon rankings for the Top 15 ECPA Publishers. This month's research lets you see both the overall CBA industry rankings, plus each publisher's individual top 20 bestselling book list.

Why is this information helpful to you? This is one of the few ways that authors, agents, and publishers can simultaneously see how a publisher's best books stack up against their peers. For example, Neilsen BookScan doesn't let other publishers see the competition's sales numbers (only bestseller lists). But, WildFire's free research gives ECPA publishers a way to see which titles are selling well on Amazon at 14 other houses. This data is also helpful to see which authors, topics, and genres are dominating Amazon sales trends.

Items of Interest this Month:

a. Top-Selling Overall Titles by Amazon Ranking:
- Book: The Love Dare at # 27 from B&H Publishing.
** Rankings exclude the self-published title, The Shack, at # 5.

b. Biggest Publisher Moves:
Tyndale overtakes Zondervan for the # 2 spot.
Baker jumps Waterbrook to claim the # 4 position.
Moody rises from #14 last month to #11 this month.
FaithWords falls from # 7 last month to #10 this month.

Note: Amazon rankings do not reflect accurate sales figures and only account for a small percentage of a book's total sales. However, they can help determine how specific publishers or book titles perform over time versue their peers.

Click here for an Excel spreadsheet of the May, 2009 rankings.

For all previous month rankings, click here.

Secrets of Public Speaking

Do you really want to know the secrets of public speaking?

All of my author clients know that I'm a big fan of Andy Stanley’s book, Communicating for a Change. It’s the best book on public speaking that I’ve ever read. If you don’t have a copy, get one today. I usually make Andy’s book required reading for any author who is learning how to create better keynote speeches.

However, you can also get access to Andy’s key information free via his Leadership Podcast available on I-Tunes. Click here to listen to his session called "Effective Communication" (you may need to download the I-Tunes store software). I highly encourage you to take 30 minutes this week and listen to Andy's informative message. Your keynote speeches will never be the same!

Soundbites Sell Books

Since most media interviews that authors get are brief, it’s important to limit your answers to the key information. I used to make the mistake of going into detail when I answered an interviewer’s questions. I’d go through my entire answer, and then try to wrap it up with a clever statement. By that time, however, my audience was bored and losing interest. To them, it was like reading a newspaper with no headlines. They needed something to get their attention in the first place.

One of the best ways to grab your audience is to speak in “soundbites,” which are pithy statements that sum up your thoughts. Think about soundbites like a newspaper editor using a headline to introduce an article. And, when an interviewer asks you a question, start your answer by using your soundbite. This approach will help keep your audience listening for the rest of your answer.

For example, when I wrote my book on relationships, interviewers used to ask me, “Rob, is it appropriate for a woman to ask a man for a date?” My soundbite response was, “She can try, but if a man won’t lead in dating, then he usually won’t lead in marriage, and she’ll windup miserable married to a passive guy.” Now, you may disagree with my answer, but my bet is that I grabbed your attention, right? And, you probably want me to explain my answer further. This should be your goal as an author. Say things that make the audience want to know more about your message. Below are some soundbites that I’ve helped authors create:

• The goal of confrontation should always be restoration – not winning.
• Oftentimes, we’re kinder to strangers than we are to our kids.
• Sex is like superglue.
• Forgiveness is a gift you give yourself. Because as you forgive, you set yourself free.
• No one enters a toxic environment without safety measures. Why enter a toxic relationship without protection?

Logic makes people think, but emotion makes them act. So, a good soundbite helps generate emotion in your listeners, such as laughter, curiosity, or even anger. When people feel a deeper interest in your book, then they will want to buy it. Remember, someone may be listening to your interview in their car, and it may be a while before they can purchase your book. If you find a way to stick in their memory, then you increase the chance that they will take action.

So, once you’ve created your interview questions, then come up with soundbites for each answer. Take the time to memorize your soundbites. Doing so will help lead you into the rest of your answers. When you’re booked for a radio interview, write out your soundbites on a sheet of paper and keep them in front of you.

Author Interviews 101

When you finally land that big author interview on radio or TV, do you know what to do? Many authors blow their promotional opportunity by trying to teach the audience. That's right, the attempt to teach can be a big mistake. Instead, consider this counter-intuitive approach.

Use your brief interview to tease the audience, rather than teach the audience. Now, I know the word “tease” may offend some people. You could be thinking, “It’s not right to tease my audience, that’s manipulation or shameless self-promotion.” If you feel that way, then let’s discuss the most ethical action you could take towards your audience.

For example, let’s say you wrote a non-fiction book that helps parents communicate better with their children. Or, maybe you wrote a novel about a woman overcoming deep tragedy. What is the best thing to do for your interview listeners? Is it wise to overwhelm your audience by trying to cover every teaching point you can cram into 10 minutes? Most people won’t remember what you say. So, wouldn’t it be wiser to use your interview to motivate people to get your complete message?

It’s actually more beneficial to your audience if you use an interview to lead people to what they really need – your whole book. You can throw a ton of information at people. But, that’s like a doctor throwing a box of Band-aids to someone who asks for help with a serious illness. Band-aids won’t cure the problem. Instead, a good doctor forgoes a short-term request, and leads the patient down a path to get fully cured.

Your job during an author interview is no different. Use the brief time to engage the audience, get them interested in your message, and inspire them to go buy your book.

Track Your Author Website Effectiveness

Just because you have a website doesn’t mean that it’s effective. Fortunately, there are easy ways to track if your website is helping to build your author platform.

First, you can monitor tangible outcomes, such as tracking new subscribers to your newsletter, speaking engagement inquiries, media interview requests, or book sales from your website. If you send visitors to Amazon.com or Barnes & Noble.com (which I don’t recommend) you can check your book’s ranking and see if it improves. Use www.TitleZ.com to gauge your book's Amazon ranking over time.

Another good tracking tool is to analyze your website statistics. If your web designer or hosting company doesn’t provide this information, you can set it up for free with Google Analytic (www.Google.com/Analytics). After you create a free account, Google will provide you with special computer code that you embed into your website’s individual pages. Once you do this, then Google will track all of your website data for you.

When you examine your website statistics, however, make sure you concentrate on the right information. For example, basing your site’s effectiveness on how many “hits” or “pageviews” you get is a flawed notion. These are inflated figures that don’t give you accurate information about your web traffic. A better guide is to track how many “Unique Visitors” your site receives. This number reflects how many different people actually visited your site, which is a better reflection of your real platform.

If you notice a decline in visitors, sales, signups, or other factors, it could mean that people are bored with your website. So, take time each month to assess where you can add new content that provides value to your readers. If you run out of ideas, bring in guests with a similar message. People will appreciate your desire to help them, and they’ll show it by returning to your website on a regular basis. And, the more often people return, the more likely they will buy your books.

May Comparison of ECPA Publishers

Check out the May Amazon rankings for the Top 15 ECPA Publishers. This research lets you see both the overall CBA industry rankings, plus each publisher's individual top 20 bestselling book list.

Why is this information helpful to you? This is one of the few ways that authors, agents, and publishers can simultaneously see how a publisher's best books stack up against their peers. For example, Neilsen BookScan doesn't let other publishers see the competition's sales numbers (only bestseller lists). But, WildFire's free research gives publishers a way to see which titles are selling well on Amazon at 14 other houses. This data is also helpful to see which authors, topics, and genres are dominating Amazon sales trends.

Items of Interest this Month:

a. Top-Selling Overall Titles by Amazon Ranking:
- Book: The Love Dare at # 27 from B&H Publishing.
- Bible: English Standard Version at # 45 from CrossWay.
** Rankings exclude the self-published title, The Shack, at # 9.

b. Biggest Publisher Moves:
Charisma House jumps from # 14 to # 11 this month.
David C. Cook pushes Barbour off the list at # 15.
Harvest House falls from # 7 last month to # 9 this month.

Note: Amazon rankings do not reflect accurate sales figures and only account for a small percentage of a book's total sales. However, they can help determine how specific publishers or book titles perform over time versue their peers.

Click here for an Excel spreadsheet of the April 2, 2009 rankings.

For all previous month rankings, click here.

Author Empowerment University

It's time for a new kind of "summer school." Rob Eagar is offering an affordable, group-based coaching service called the Author Empowerment University. Here's the details:

What is the Author Empowerment University?

• 3 months of advanced book marketing instruction taught by Rob Eagar.
• Group coaching with a minimum of 5 authors and a maximum size of 8.
• Weekly instruction via group teleconference calls.
• All teaching sessions will be recorded for students who miss calls or want to listen again.
• Students will have individual follow-up access to Rob via phone and email.
• Specialized tutorials and teaching guides provided by Rob.
• Students will enjoy encouragement and accountability by learning together as a small group.

What subjects are covered during the teaching sessions?

• Teach author how to make their website capture readers and market books better.
• Learn how to acquire more media interviews and increase book sales on the air.
• Discover how to obtain more speaking engagements and craft powerful keynote speeches.
• Create resources and pass-on tools that help spread word-of-mouth.
• Establish a unique brand and differentiate a book's message in a crowded marketplace.
• Utilize newsletters and social networking to build ongoing relationships with readers and leaders.

What result can students expect? (figures based on the success of Rob's previous coaching participants):

• Increased author book sales by 15 - 25%.
• Doubled author website and blog traffic.
• Newsletter growth of over 100 new subscribers per month.
• 30% increase in annual speaking events.
• Speaking fees increased by 30%.
• Contact with over 250 new targeted leaders.
• Ability to secure an extra 5 - 15 media interviews with press releases.

The fee to enroll in a group is only $2,500 per author for the 3-month program. Most authors can easily recoup this fee by landing a couple of new speaking engagement or boosting their website sales. This is the best deal available to get focused, weekly instruction at the advanced-level with Rob Eagar.

Space is limited on a first-come, first-serve basis. A new group will start as soon as five people register by May 15th.

If you would like to sign-up or get more information about the Author Empowerment University, please call 1-800-267-2045 or email: Rob@StartaWildFire.com