BOOK MARKETING

Yesterday one of the book publishers from the US from the two to whom I submitted my manuscript for consideration emailed me a marketing questionnaire. She says that my answers to those questions enables them to decide which publishing contract I should sign with them. The following is a list of their marketing techniques posted on their website. They asked me to check it and choose three marketing options in which I must participate thoroughly. Focus and consistency must be my values in this direction.

Public Relations through sites like Face Book, Twitter and LinkedIn; Internet Radio Talks, Social Media, Enhanced Author Websites, Author Video Trailers, YouTube, Book Signing and Appointment Setting, Author Displays and Kiosks, Google Alerts, Author Posters and Printed Material, Press Releases and Blurb Writing, Blogging, Email Marketing, Coaching Services, Electronic Press Kits, SEO, Book Reviews, Reading Marketing Books, E-books, Amazon Publicity, Article Submissions, Public Appearances, Audio Books, Contests, Exhibits at Books Shows and Publicity in Local Media and so on. No end to this list of marketing techniques an author has to learn and practice.

They also say that gone are the days when one wrote a book and sat comfortably at one’s home leaving everything else to the publisher. I felt like shooting these idiots of the publishing company because they looked like a marketing set of people rather than worthy book publishers. A fellow writes a book to entertain and educate others thinking that many have time to read his stuff because they have no other work at all in their lives. Readers should enquire on their own about a particular genre of books, go to shops and buy them and read them in ways they know and afford at their end in a given context.

If you have degrees in Marketing in MBA, HR and other publicity stunt related fields; please burn them and let us live happily. A mother suffers one day to deliver her baby from her womb but one with creativity and zeal to reach others around him suffers every day to write a good book, compose great music, make an extraordinary film or work for a an inspiring drama. An artist is a cursed creature. He burns his time in his lonely and mundane tasks when others are playing in stadiums, romancing with their partners and doing such things which don’t require any hard work or creativity on their part and which thoughts and acts do not contribute to the happiness or welfare of others at all. My friend Veeranjaneyulu is the best example for that. He has been working almost every day for the last ten years on his paintings because he loves it and he does it greatly. Not a single girl in India found him suitable to marry because he does not know how to cheat others and involve in meaningless and unethical publicity stunts. He missed 95% of his personal life during these ten years of his youth. Very few try to know about such an artist on their own because they are after Sachin, Sania and Sonia the builders and promoters of this nation. This is just one example to let you know where we are and what we are doing.

You watch a cricket match without anybody telling you to do it. You watch the dance of Michael Jackson, Britney Spear, beauty contests, blue films and do such many other immoral and illegal activities to satisfy your spoilt spirit or special interests. Many writers do better jobs than these people and it is not harm to you if you read a book on your choice than depending on others’ motivation or begging for this. Such readers who need motivation from others to read a good book do not help a country develop or a society move in the right direction. A nation perishes when its readers need to be motivated and compelled to read informative, educative and inspiring books. This is what must be happening in the world now. It is a web of idiots and rogues who want education and motivation to do good things and nothing to understand and practice sins and crimes.

I did not reply angrily to these people of a publishing house because I want to know more about them and then write back in a way that cures their diseases in a perfect way. Do not expect a writer to beg you to read his book. He must be ready to see you and interact with you if you have any questions and observations. A personal touch does matter with an artist of any kind who produces something worthwhile and inspiring. There are ways to do it neatly and easily. Read his blog, call him up, send him an email, see his photos if they are anywhere on Internet, read his book reviews and be satisfied with what he can do to be in touch with you rather than expecting him to do everything you know and like.

I hate 90% of the marketing techniques specified above. A book is your asset to improve yourself in the right direction. You pick up and read a good book if you are originally a good fellow or girl. Let not modern culture change the mindset of a writer whereby he needs to write what interests you rather than what you need to read and how you need to be reformed, reoriented and made sensible and sensitive citizens of a nation or appreciable individuals in a society or family. A good writer should teach you how to think and behave but he must not change his character and writing pattern being influenced by your diseases, disorders and demerits.

Drinking liquor, smoking, eating and drinking bad foods and drinks is fashion for you.

Prostitution is an expression of your pervert and modern culture.

Gambling signifies your deterioration as a considerable human being.

Beauty contests exhibit your sense of values and standards.

Watching sports and games like a lunatic all the time decides the future of a given nation.

Involving in corruption and malpractices shows the nature of a given race like Indians.

Whiling away your time in night clubs, bars and drug abodes exposes your character.

But, fortunately, reading a good book presents you as a sensible and acceptable living entity of a society or nation. Learn to do it and appreciate others if they are getting ready to do it.

Identify and read good books for your improvement as a human being. Don’t drag a writer into your world of filth and publicity stunts. God gifted you with a brain to distinguish between a good book and a bad book. Choose your book and read it. Do not expect others to motivate you toward that end. Many pity your accidents and deaths because it is normalcy of this world order but nobody pity you if you turn into a lunatic thinking like a rogue and doing things of an idiot.

It is because of such rogues and idiots like you, publishers today must be devising that many ways to divert the attention of so many criminals and sinners in this world toward the healthy habit of reading books. They are there for money, not to correct you publishing good books. Let not evil, sins and crimes attract and kill you slowly.

Do not perish on your own. Let your fate decide it.

Do not take a writer as a clown. You can see them in circuses.

Great writers survive and serve the society around them when there are great readers, not due to commercial publishers who always think from the point of what they benefit rather than what the society benefits through a book. It is unfortunate that today there are many publishers to print a book which sells like a hot cake, but not one which must be printed for its merits expected and needed in a good or bad society.

I hate 80% of youth, both girls and boys, in India today because their interests, trends and fashions are so modern that other good fellows have to conform to them and create something minding their pervert culture. Do you expect a doctor to be a lunatic to treat you because you are a mentally sick person?

Only God should know about the values and standards of people and readers living in other countries.