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Today I’m FINALLY starting this project that I’ve been thinking about forever — the “Books Every Author Needs to Read” series is going to be a list of books — great books, tremendous books, life-changing books — that will make a dramatic difference in the way you treat the business (and yes, it’s a business) of marketing your books.

Now, let me explain something right up front…

First, this list is not in order of importance. In other words, It’s not a “Top 10″ list or anything like that.

I’m going to talk about books as they occur to me to talk about them. I’m not rating or ranking these. Just so we’re clear on that.

Second, this is not going to be the kind of list that has books like John Kremer’s 1,001 Ways to Market Your Book on it.

Not that that isn’t a book you should read. It is.

But these are going to be books you may not have read, may not have heard of, or may not have thought to yourself, “Oh yeah, I should read that and apply it to the way I market myself and my books to the world.”

For those of you who don’t know me all that well, I have a kind of unique background.

Not only did I spend more than 15 years helping authors market their books, but a few years ago I got into straight-out MARKETING. I built an Internet marketing company to the point where it allowed me to quit my day job, and now I do this full time.

I also work with authors now to turn their books into online products. This is probably (no, definitely) THE MOST fulfilling thing I’m doing at the moment. But I digress…

I’m suggesting you read these books because they’re going to teach you about MARKETING.

I don’t think any of them specifically mentions book marketing. But that’s kind of the point.

What I would suggest you do is learn how real marketers, real sales pros, and real advertisers GET PEOPLE TO BUY STUFF. Because if these techniques work to sell toothbrushes, tennis rackets and, in the case of non-profit or cause-oriented concerns, IDEAS, they will work to help you sell your book.

Marketing is marketing, in other words.

So, now that I’ve thoroughly confused you, I want to get to book #1, which is Ogilvy on Advertising.

ogilvyI read this book during a week-long vacation in Canada this summer and was floored.

David Ogilvy built an empire — a true empire — by doing one thing and doing it well. Creating ad campaigns for products, businesses and causes that truly “moved the needle.”

This is a great book but it’s short on theory and long on facts.

An avid tester, Ogilvy measured results from his campaigns and recorded them meticulously.

He shares everything in this book.

Imagine, for example, if the best book marketer in the world said, “Do this in your pitch letters to book reviewers and you’ll get 63% more requests for review copies,” or “Write this sentence in your letter to TV producers and you’ll get 36% more requests for your media kit.”

Those lame examples don’t do the book justice, believe me.

But it’s filled with stuff like that — do this and you’ll get XX% more people to read your advertising copy. Use this typeface and you’ll increase response by XX%.

It’s amazing.

I took 8 pages of notes in my journal based on what I learned in this book.

As an author, you should be reading it to understand what sells “in the real world” and how true advertising professionals create campaigns that compel people to take an action.

You know I’m big on teaching authors how to create “Calls to Action” that make people buy your book.

Ogilvy is one of the best at this.

Thus, Ogilvy on Advertising makes my “Books Every Author Needs to Read” list.

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