A Challenge for Writers of Marketing Books
I have just finished reading yet another book about "creating a successful blog". I was planning on reviewing it here, as I have done with a few others. The problem is, it isn't very good. It's one of the worst ones I have read so far.
If I included a review of it, I am going to seem like a hater who only gives bad reviews. This simply isn't true. When I find great books, they will get my full endorsement - I Promise!
Because of this, I am challenging authors of marketing-related books: show me your best work!
The Challenge: Create a marketing-related book and publish it. In the comments section of this post, include the link and why you believe your book stands out above the rest. If you already have a book published that deals with current methods or techniques, you are welcome to include that as well. Just follow the rules!
Here are rules of the challenge:
Don't Write About Topics That Readers Can Find Easily on the Internet
You will get hammered on your Amazon reviews if your book contains nothing but information that your readers could find for themselves on the web. I will end up casting it aside, or giving it a bad review here on Get Paid Boot Camp (GPBC).
Why should someone pay for information they can search for themselves? How would you feel if you paid someone else and discovered that it was available using a simple Google search?
When the Title of Your Book States a Claim, Deliver on That Claim
Don't say that your techniques are the best thing since sliced bread unless you can back them up. If your title makes a claim, you need to make sure your book delivers on that claim. If your title uses the phrase "never before seen" makes sure that is true.
The book I just finished reading had the phrase "Step-by-Step" in the title. There was no steps shown anywhere in the book. After you write your kick-ass book, ask yourself if you have answered the claims made in the title. It is that simple!
Write About Something That Truly Works
The web is littered with techniques that are out-of-date. Many will even get people in trouble if they use them. Don't fall into this trap of producing a book full of tips from years' past. You may get a few sales but you will get dinged with your Amazon reviews, and possibly here (I am putting you on notice!)
This one is going to be tough to judge without putting the techniques described to use. However, as long as they make sense and you believe that when people implement the techniques they will work, this will fall within the rules.
Write About Something That No One Else Has Covered
Marketing topics are over saturated. If you don't believe me, do a Google search and see how many billions of results get returned. Head on over to Amazon and see how many books have been published on these subjects. Most of them are useless.
What this means for you, dear writer, is you need to create something that is outstanding. You should be doing that anyway. If you write about topics that others have beaten to death, expect to have a bunch of people hammer you with negative reviews. They're waiting for you, by the way! You've been warned!
It doesn't have to be completely unique as long as it is useful and not common. If you describe using PPC for getting traffic but you show a different or unique way of going about it, that should fall within the rules. Just strive for it to be as unique as it possibly can.
No Fluff Pieces, Please!
This one is tricky because people use Amazon as a lead generation tool. This means they take books with slight value and give them away as part of a promotion. Readers who take advantage of this, sign up for the authors' newsletters.
This technique is still effective. You need weigh the benefits with the possible bad reviews. A better approach is to make a blockbuster book and create a subset of the book that still contains a good amount of valuable information. This subset can be used to give away to potential clients. You can also use the subset book to sell your main book.
No Grammar or Punctuation Errors
I can't believe I even need to include this item. But, if you have read several of the books that won't make it to my review list on GPBC, one of the main reasons is the grammar is horrible. The books are unreadable. Don't let that happen. If you're shooting for a kick-ass book, get it edited.
True Story: An author once reached out to me and other authors to review his book. The book was filled with so many grammatical errors that no one left a review for him. He sent us all emails asking if the reason we didn't review the book was due to the grammar errors. He then asked us to point out all the grammar errors for him. In other words, he wanted to use our reviews as a means of getting us to edit his book for free.
Can you imagine? I don't think I was the only author who told the guy never to ask for a review again. By the way, please don't do this. This guy may have believed he was being clever. All he was being was rude and inconsiderate. It should go without say that I will give you a seriously negative review if you try this!
Write About White Hat Techniques Only
I want to give my readers access to techniques that work. However, I also want those techniques to be ethical. If the techniques of your book seem unethical or even illegal, I probably will review it in a negative light, or at least warn my readers that the techniques described could lead them to trouble. I realize that judging what is considered white hat is subjective. If I review your book and it seems that I got this wrong, you are welcome to contact me and let me know. I will take what you say into consideration.
Free Promotion on Kindle Unlimited
To participate in this challenge, your book must be enrolled in the Kindle Unlimited program. When you are ready to submit it to me, it must be free to download. I will do my best to download the book during that free promotional period. It's rare that I won't get to it, but I reserve the right due to unforeseen circumstances, etc.
The reason for this rule is to prevent me being seen as favoring one author over another. In other words, if I spend money on books from some authors and not others, it may be seen as a conflict of interest. By placing the requirement that all books must be free, this situation is avoided.
If your book is free and is not part of the Kindle Unlimited program, I will also consider it. Just let me know.
I Want to Review Great Books
I am on a hunt for great books from up-and-coming authors. I can review books from big names like Seth Godin, Gary Vaynerchuk, and a host of others. You don't need my reviews for these big names. You should be reading their books anyway.
These influencers aren't hungry anymore, at least not in the same way when they first started out. I am looking for the people who want to join the ranks of these big names. I am looking for books that will make my readers' minds blown, or at the very least, will make me extremely comfortable in giving a good review!
What Will You Win?
There won't be any money. But, when you die, on your deathbed, you will receive total consciousness! So, you got that going for you, which is nice!
[Paraphrased from the movie Caddyshack - 1980, said by Bill Murray's character, Carl Spackler.]
Sorry, I couldn't resist. Caddyshack fans know this reference!
I won't be giving out any money. But, I will review the books here on this website. I will sing your praises loudly to anyone willing to listen (and even those who aren't willing.) I will get the word out in every way I can. I will point people on my favorite writer's forums to your books.
If this isn't incentive enough, know that writing a kick-ass book may sell well on Amazon. This means you will make money. You can also use this kick-ass book as a lead generation mechanism.
How Will I Judge the Books?
When I read through your book, I will apply the rules and see if the book matched them as closely as possible. The rules allow for flexibility and are subjective. You may hit some rules better than others. As long as the rules are matched as closely as possible, I will likely include your book.
Important: To keep it fair, I will only accept books that are part of the Kindle Unlimited Program and part of a free promotion for me to download (I belong to the program). This way, it avoids the situation of spending on some authors and not others, etc. Yes, this also keeps my costs down. The disadvantage is you would not be allowed to publish your book anywhere but Amazon properties (Kindle, CreateSpace, etc.) for a 90-day period. The good news is the commissions on books sold is much higher when you are part of this program.
Is There a Deadline?
At this point, I plan on reviewing many books. If you have a decent book that matches as close to the rules as you can, put a link in the comments. I will review it and if I agree, I will give it a review.
Why Am I Doing This?
When I first came up with the idea of reviewing books here on GPBC, I was excited to look for books that would help my readers earn money online or get paid. That's the premise of my website. However, most of what I read stunk up the joint! They didn't even make it to the consideration stage. Perhaps, I need to create a list of books that didn't make it so my readers know which ones to avoid. (Note to self!)
It's becoming a waste of time for me to even read these books. At this point, I can usually tell from reading a few pages whether there is any meat to the books. Some books are well-written but don't contain anything new. Even these are getting to the point of being a waste of time.
Are the Rules Too Difficult?
It's possible. However, people shouldn't be writing marketing books unless they can meet this challenge. It's a massively competitive field! At the very least, if they don't meet my standards, they are not getting reviewed here. I have a feeling others share my thinking regarding this.
The bar is set high for a reason!
Are You Up for the Challenge?
I am looking for books that I can be proud to review and give 4-star or 5-star reviews. There are plenty of crappy books that I can review that are 3-stars or less. I don't want to waste my time on these any more. Please, I dare anyone reading this to write a kick-ass book that will help my readers excel by using your awesome techniques.
Are You In?
If so, tell me in the comments about your commitment to writing this great masterpiece. If it's not you, pass this on to someone who you know would be interested. Oh, and please share so that others can get in on the challenge!
By the way, if you already have that kick-ass book, send me the link in the comments section. If I read the book and agree that it belongs as a 4-star or 5-star review, I will review the book here. I will also approve the comment in its entirety with the active link for others to click.
Important Note about Comments: Please don't use the comments on this page as an opportunity to SPAM me. It will be a total waste of time since I will be approving all comments on the page. Any SPAM comments will be deleted immediately. Also, please make sure your book adheres as closely to the rules as possible. It will be a waste of time to submit it if it doesn't.
