Wednesday, December 28, 2016

When Book Marketing Goes To The Dogs



I’ve written before about my English bulldog, Daisy. She’s not only a fun pet and faithful companion, but a great model for authors promoting a book.  Here’s how to book market like a bulldog:

1.      Be Persistent
She doesn’t stop bugging me when she wants something.  She’s downright stubborn, lazy, and playful.  It seems when I want to walk her she tells me she’s not going anywhere. She makes up her mind and sets out to achieve her goal.

2.      Keep Pushing
When she wants to play – which usually is at 10 or 11 at night when I have settled into a TV show and am lazing on the coach, about to fall asleep – she is pushy - literally.  She brings her toy nudges it into me.  If that’s not enough, she barks at me.

3.      Make Your Presence Known
She is not quiet or shy.  She will get my attention by putting something in her mouth that I don’t want chewed – my shoe, a Mets cap, my daughter’s stuffed animal.  It’s her cry for help.

4.      Claim Your Space
Daisy knows how to establish ownership of a space. She nudges me to the side so she can sit on her favorite spot on the couch.  On my bed, she makes a king-size bed seem small, finding a way to push my wife and me to the edge of the bed.  In the car, she calls shotgun and refuses to budge unless you literally sit on her – and even then, not always.

5.      She’ll Eat Your Lunch
She sits back and waits for the opportunity to pounce – especially when food’s involved.  She will find a way to get to someone’s plate on the dining room table.  If any snacks fall to the floor, she’ll be all over it.  She will also push guests into giving her some scraps.

6.      She’ll Beg To Get Results
Those innocent doggy eyes of hers make me melt.  How could you not play with her, rub her belly, or feed her when she looks at you with eyes that say “I love you”?

7.      She Likes A Challenge
Most of her games involve a challenge.  She likes getting a tossed ball but refuses to give it back.  She’s has not exactly mastered fetch. She likes to play tug of war.  And when she purposely grabs something that needs to come out of her mouth.  She likes us to chase and corner her and then find a way to get beyond her strong grip.

8.      She Remains Intensely Single-Minded In Her Focus & Effort
She makes whatever her goal is a priority and dismisses everything else that could possibly distract her.  She lasers in on a toy, a food, or an activity and she will use all of her energy, power and resources to make sure she gets what she wants.

So you don’t have to add a tail, grow some fur, or get on all fours and bark in order to achieve great things as a book marketer but we’d all learn a few things if we mirrored Daisy’s behavioral attributes and applied it to book publicity.  In a dog – eat – dog world, Daisy finds a way to give voice to her needs without speaking a single word.  Imagine what you can accomplish!


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Brian Feinblum’s views, opinions, and ideas expressed in this blog are his alone and not that of his employer. You can follow him on Twitter @theprexpert and email him at brianfeinblum@gmail.com. He feels more important when discussed in the third-person. This is copyrighted by BookMarketingBuzzBlog 2016 ©. Born and raised in Brooklyn, now resides in Westchester. Named one of the best book marketing blogs by Book Baby 

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