Review of The Frugal Book Promoter by Carolyn Howard Johnson

Paperback: 288 pages
Publisher: Star Publish (August 4, 2004)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 193299310X
ISBN-13: 978-1932993103

The Author’s promotional bible. Always keep it close it times of need.

What can I say about this book that hundreds of other authors haven’t? As a writer and self-publisher, the onus has always been on me to promote my own books; a task I’ve always found extremely difficult and laborious. I’m a writer and photographer, not a sales and marketing expert. I hate feeling like I’m talking to someone just to sell them something, or boast about my fantastic book. I always imagine them thinking, “Of course you would say it’s good, you wrote it!” And like most writers, I want to write, not be a salesman.

But Carolyn Howard Johnson has shown me a whole new way to not only promote, but make it fun and tie it in with the thing you are passionate about: writing!

The Frugal Book Promoter shows us how you need to brand yourself as an author, and publicise yourself as much as your work. You don’t have to boast about your work, just simply let people know it’s there. If your book is good, others will boast about it for you. Exposure is the word Carolyn uses often. She teaches us that the trick is to simply brand yourself as an author and let people know who you are, and what you write. Carolyn shows us a prolific amount of ways to do this, from writing articles for free to blogging, joining discussions groups, writing book reviews and so much more. It’s so simple, and in most cases completely free. I often hated the thought of writing articles for free, but the book emphasises that although you may write for free, the tagline at the end could well result in book sales, so effectively you are likely to get paid indirectly. Think about it, these publications wouldn’t have paid you anyway, and you would have to pay for advertising, so effectively you are working for your advertising. And of course you are writing, which is what a writer wants to be doing.

This is just one example of the priceless advice offered in the Frugal Book Promoter. This book is an absolute treasure chest of useful information, and not only inspires you to get up off your backside and start promoting, but is also packed full of useful websites for you to get started. I’ve committed the ultimate sin with this book by folding over numerous page corners (something I never do with a book) to bookmark all the useful reference points. The websites listed here, often lead on to other useful sites.

I’d always dreamed of the day when I would snag a major publisher so they could do all the promotion for me, but the Frugal Book Promoter has taught me that even with a major publisher, the onus will still be on me to promote my books; after all, ultimately the author cares more about the book than the publisher. So now I plan to forget about that and march best foot forward into a new world of endless promotional opportunities that this book brings.

If you are an author then this is one book you cannot afford to be without. Written with Carolyn’s free-flowing and easy prose, the Frugal Book Promoter stands out head first above the rest and is the sort of book that you will always want to refer back to.

I don’t know how I ever survived without it.

For more info on Carolyn and her other books, visit her website:
http://www.carolynhoward-johnson.com

Reviewed by Ian Middleton: Travel Writer & Photographer
Ian is the author and photographer of four books, his latest being a travel guide to Ireland’s ancient myths and legends, Mysterious World: Ireland. Learn more about Ian and his work at
http://www.ian-middleton.co.uk/
http://www.ianmiddletonphotography.co.uk
http://ireland.mysteriousworld.com