There are many, many books on the market about how to market books. My first impression of 'Market and Sell Books: a My Guide' by Claire Pickering and Rebecca Richmond did not lead me to think that this one would add much to the genre. At 340 pages, with an uninspired, clip-art type cover, the tome did not come across to me as doing a very good job of marketing itself. But then I looked at the table of contents. And the marketing hook started to take hold.

'Market and Sell Books: a My Guide' offers a very complete, very detailed, very specific compendium of book marketing tools. For example, regarding the topic of keywords and search engine optimization, Claire and Rebecca advise: "Your keyword should appear two to five times for every 100 words in your description."

The discussion of online marketing tools is an absolute gold mine. Some of the tools presented, such as Amazon Authorgraph, I have seen described nowhere else. Chapters Three, Four and Five are particularly invaluable, giving comprehensive road maps for navigating the landscapes (or landmines!) of Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn. And 'Market and Sell Books: a My Guide' is worth its price just for the Glossary of Terms at the end. For example, did you know that the term for the list of hyperlinks on a blog or website is called a "blogroll"? Or that "RSS" stands for "really simple syndication?"

Rebecca Richmond is a master practitioner of NLP and Time Line Therapy, and at times the coaching tips she provides throughout the book can come across as a bit "new age-y". Also, I could definitely do without the smiley faces. But overall, Market and Sell Books: a My Guide contains subtle but powerful differentiation from other how-to's on book marketing. It is now an important member of my resource library.

'Market and Sell Books: A My Guide' by Rebecca Richmond and Claire Pickering is an excellent how-to-book for new authors. Organized into ten easily digested chapters, the book comes with a glossary of terms and an index for quick reference. The authors explore in-depth the minute details of marketing a book and developing an author platform with much advice from their own personal experience. Other marketing topics examined are: the most popular social media websites for authors, the importance of consistent blogging, writing guest posts on other web blogs, and how to get free publicity through author interviews and book reviews. The chapters on social media begin with: a brief history, their primary purpose, and how to set up a professional profile page. In addition to marketing, the UK authors explain step-by-step the importance of distribution by Gardners and Amazon.

While there are stacks of self-help guides on the market, the authors provide just the right combination of beginner knowledge with advanced tips for the expert. Famous quotes are intermixed with non-fiction textbook material to keep the read fun and lively. I especially enjoyed the focus on attracting people to an author’s website through creative marketing rather than spamming them with call-to-action buttons. Many of the examples were new and fresh ideas. The presentation format and quality of editing were apparent throughout. This guide will be of interest to anyone who has written a fiction or non-fiction book and needs a workable road map to marketing success.

'Market and Sell Books: A My Guide' is well done, easy to digest for a new author. I enjoyed it and even learned a few things myself. It is interesting to know that the process is so similar in the UK and US.

'Market and Sell Books: A My Guide' by Rebecca Richmond and Claire Pickering is a marketing instrument geared towards writers and aspiring writers. Like a business plan, it describes step-by-step the tools needed in order for one to succeed as an author and be profitable with sales of their own book(s). The authors’ advice goes from reasons why people purchase different genres of books, to defining the right price, and even motivation to keep on track with assignments. Rebecca Richmond and Claire Pickering dedicate four chapters of the book to social media such as Facebook, Twitter, and others, with details on how to make the most out of those avenues to promote, advertise and sell books. Writers also receive advice on using websites, blogs, articles and other marketing tools, as well as different means of distribution.

'Market and Sell Books: A My Guide' is an excellent guide. If I were to publish a book today, I would certainly follow the input in this one. I liked the detailed explanation on the different types of social networks and how to get the most out of them. I also loved the tips on blogging and articles, and the small section the authors dedicated to copyright and permissions. Rebecca Richmond and Claire Pickering did a terrific job offering tips on how to stay motivated and how not lose track of your goals along the way. For those without any marketing background of any kind, this book can be a great starting point. For the ones with the knowledge but with a low budget to invest in marketing, this will be an incredibly useful tool. This is the type of book you can refer to over and over again. I'll definitely keep this book as a reference for future writing endeavors. Excellent job!

'Market and Sell Books: A My Guide' by Mrs Rebecca Richmond and Claire Pickering is a self-help book that aims to equip writers with the techniques and skills needed to ensure that their books become the success they dreamed of when they started writing. The authors achieve this by teaching them how to use different platforms to reach out to their target market. The authors show you easy and affordable marketing of your book through different marketing techniques like the endless opportunities provided by various Internet platforms, including social media, blogs and websites. The authors give comprehensive step-by-step coverage on how to utilize these different marketing techniques to gain maximum exposure for your book.

Writing an incredible book is not an easy task but one that is manageable. However, there is no point putting all your effort into writing a good book if no one is going to read it. Rebecca Richmond and Claire Pickering ensure that your book reaches your intended audience. The advice is very practical and amazingly easy to implement. The authors make techniques that would have been hard seem simple by explaining the implementation in a way that is very comprehensive and easy to grasp. They do not just tell you what to do, but they go ahead and show you how. 'Market and Sell Books: A My Guide' provides 360-degree coverage of the subject and the marketing/selling techniques advised are affordable so you can avoid unnecessary expenses. Whether you are a new author looking to enter the market with a bang, or an existing author looking to give your sales that much-needed boost, this book will tell you all you need to know.