Welcome to the 400th episode of Book Marketing Mentors, the podcast that's all about helping nonfiction authors find the best ways to market and sell their books.

I can hardly believe it I’m here celebrating this super significant milestone. 

 September 15, 2015, was the first ever episode of Book Marketing Mentors, where I interviewed the great John Kremer on “Practical Ways to Market Your Book.”

Looking back, those early episodes were a far cry from where the podcast is today. 

 For starters, I’ve gotten so much more confident and relaxed about interviewing my guests. And, I allow it to be a lot more fun.

 Little did I think that 8 years later, I'd still be sharing proven strategies, tools, ideas, and tips on ways to market and sell your books.

 I absolutely love exploring the fascinating world of numerology and the meanings behind numbers. While it may not be an exact science, the number 8 holds immense power. According to numerology, it represents discipline, patience, and persistence as a key to unlock one’s full potential. 

 I believe that it’s taken discipline, patience and persistence to produce this podcast week after week, month after month, year after year.

 Then there's the number 400, which symbolizes hard work and determination. It's a constant reminder to keep pushing forward on the right path. 

 And even though I’ve often thought of giving up, I’ve kept going thanks to so many of you, my loyal and dedicated listeners who remind me of the value these episodes bring. 

 I owe you all a boatload of gratitude for supporting me over the years, and reminding me that this is a worthwhile contribution to the world of book and author marketing. 

 As I celebrate this 400th episode, it’s fun to reflect on my journey. 

8 years ago, podcasts were still very much in their infancy, and there were far fewer to listen to. 

 As you all know my now my love of niche marketing, and the idea of having a program solely for authors. felt like a great fit and extension to the Aviva Publishing brand. 

 When I started to explore the podcasting world, I discovered a course run by John Lee Dumas. He was producing “Entrepreneurs on Fire” every single day. That podcast exploded and put John on the podcast map as one of the top podcasts listened to worldwide. 

 I followed his methodology and suggestion to have a minimum of 6 episodes in the can before going live. 

 I recall how hard it was to pull the trigger on the first episode. John Melley my podcast mentor in the beginning , challenged me to “Just Do It.” John is in fact the intro and outro voice on each episode. At the time he worked for one of the Boston radio stations, and now he’s a full-time voiceover talent.

 The idea of actually going live scared the eebie-jeebies out of me. I knew that I was making a huge commitment especially is I was to do this consistently on a weekly basis. I was scared and excited at the same time. 

 So, as I mentioned earlier, September 15, 2015 was the day it all started. I’ve been consistently posting episodes every Wednesday for the past 8 years. 

 The only time I missed a few weeks was when my father passed away and I spent several weeks in London clearing out his apartment and getting affairs in order. 

I worried that I hadn’t prepared for this and that listeners would think I’d disappeared. Funny thing is that no one commented. 

 Eight years ago, when I started this podcast, my mission was simple: to help authors market their books more effectively. 

 Over the years, we've covered a wide range of topics, from social media strategies to book launches, from author branding to content marketing. 

 Along the way, I’ve had the privilege of hosting some of the most brilliant minds in the industry. Each one of my guests have generously shared their unique wisdom and expertise.

 My guests have been the heart and soul of this podcast, and I want to express my deepest gratitude to each one of them. Without their wisdom and generosity, I wouldn't have reached this significant milestone.

And, I mustn’t forget to mention that in 2018 Smart Blogger voted BMM as one of the top book marketing podcasts in the world. WOW that was truly a great feeling to have the podcast acknowledged in that way.

 Like with every learning experience, we make and learn from our mistakes. I thought it would be fun to share some of the blunders I've made over the years that have in turn helped me improve my interviewing and presentation skills.

 First on the list blunder is that dreaded lack of preparation. We’ve all been there in some form or other. 

 For me those moments have been when I’m about to introduce my guest and realized that I’d forgotten to ask the correct way to pronounce their name.  Or perhaps I’d forgotten to share that I always end my interview asking the guest to share a Golden Nugget. 

 I hate to spring this on my guest without them being prepared because if can often lead to some uncomfortable silence or a series of “ums” and “ahs” as they think of something to say. 

 Alternatively, they share one thing and then think of something else they prefer. I always want my guests to feel comfortable and enjoy their interview.

 What this does is lead to extra and unnecessary editing. 

 If I’d been better prepared with a list of questions and guidelines, I would have discussed this in more detail with the guest before the show. 

 What’s my solution? 

Do my homework! Research the guest, and know the topic we’re going to discuss. And, of course go over a few questions and guidelines before I press the record button to let the magic happen!

 Another aspect of the lack of preparation is to make sure my guest has all their notifications turned off, and their phone on silent mode. 

It’s irritating when we’re in the middle of a great conversation and then there’s a beep, bell, buzz, or some kind of notification sound or their phone rings. It can throw me for a loop. And of course, it’s often tough to edit out because it overlaps with the conversation. 

 My editor can and does performs miracles for me, but there’s only so much she or technology can do.

A side note, Everlin has worked with me since the very beginning – she’s amazing! 

She’s one of my special Fiverr finds. And, I plan to hang on to her till either she or I quit. 

 If I haven’t prepared the direction, I’d like the interview to go, there have been times where I had to back pedal because the guest has given me one-sentence answers to my questions. 

I run out of steam and need to ask the guest where we should go with the conversation. 

 Even though you don’t hear this as I’ve obviously edited it out, it doesn’t make for a smooth interview and conversation. 

 Blunder #2 Poor Audio Quality

Now, let's talk about a sin of poor audio quality. You know, when it sounds like you're recording from inside a tin can or in a football stadium with the guest at one end and me at the other. 

 In the beginning, I was afraid to mention anything about the quality of my guest’s audio. But now I make a point of making sure that I’m satisfied with the quality of their mic. The last think I want is for you to struggle listening, and possibly tune out faster than you can say "technical difficulties."

 This leads me to another blunder - Overlooking Technical Checks

Overlooking technical checks is like setting sail without checking the weather forecast.

 I’ll let you into a little secret that there have been a few times when the table was turned in my direction. 

My mic played up because I’d forgotten to do a mic check beforehand. This made my segments so bad that I had the option to ask the guest to record the interview or to redo my segment. When I’ve opted to do this then Everlin must carefully stitch them into their right position. She’s genius at this.

Let me tell you this is one of those pet peeves, it’s time consuming and super frustrating.

 What’s frustrating too is that my guests didn’t mention it. Now I make a point of asking how my mic sounds. 

 I highly recommend a quick tech check before starting the recording. 

 Which leads me to the few horrific and embarrassing times I spent 25 or 30 minutes interviewing my guest only realize – you guessed it, I’d forgotten to press the record button. Thank goodness for understanding guests. 

 No comment! I’ll leave it at that. 

 I know there are many more things I’ve learned over the years but I’ll leave those for another milestone anniversary.

 Now let’s chat about some exciting news I want to share with you. In celebration of our 400th episode, we've given the podcast a fresh new look and feel. 

We've revamped our branding, which you'll now find this new visual identity across our website, social media, and all the podcast platforms. It’s a reflection of our commitment to evolving and growing as we continue this incredible podcast journey.

 And, my plan moving forward is to continue to interview more experts to provide you with valuable insights and strategies to help you market and sell your nonfiction books.

 As we start closing up 2023, I thought it would be valuable to share a few key strategies and trends in book marketing that I invite you to keep an eye on in the coming year.

 You’ve probably noticed that the non-fiction book market is getting more and more overcrowded. With the rise of self-publishing, digital platforms, and accessible publishing tools, anyone with knowledge and a story to share can easily become an author. 

While this ease into the publishing world is exciting, the challenges are that it’s getting harder and harder to stand out in a bustling marketplace. 

 So, the big question is, how can you rise above the noise and establish a unique presence for yourself? 

 First and foremost, it’s all about identifying your target or even better, your niche audience. 

 As many of you know, this is by far and away my all-time favorite subject, especially since I wrote the bestselling book “Riches in Niches: How to Make it BIG in a small market. As well as the “The Complete Idiot’s Guide to Target Marketing.” 

So as you can imagine, I could spend many hours time just talking about this subject.

 The whole premise of target marketing is the idea of marketing more efficiently and effectively. But what does that really mean? In essence, it’s about prioritizing what’s important and then having a clear strategy to keep working the plan.

 I’ll use myself as an example, my intention for starting this podcast was to share valuable strategies, tools, tips and ideas to help non-fiction authors with their book and author marketing. I knew I couldn’t do this by myself, so interviewing experts and tapping into their expertise was a way for me to accomplish this strategy. I see it as one of my key marketing strategies. It allows me to show other people’s wisdom and expertise, as well as build ongoing colleague relationships. In essence, for it’s a two-pronged plan and most importantly, it’s one I really like doing. And, it’s fun for me to interview both friends and colleagues and people I just meet right before the interview. This is my biggest and most successful marketing strategy. 

But just because it’s one I like and use, it doesn’t mean it’s right for you.

 Some of you like social media marketing. That’s not my jam. It fact, it’s not something I enjoy doing and as a result, I do very little of it, despite the fact many of my colleagues swear by it. It works for them because that’s one of the strategies they use. 

 Whatever target market strategy you use, make sure you enjoy doing it and never feel that it’s something you should do. It’s easy to fall in a trap of colleagues telling you should do this or that.

 Since I’m on the target marketing tangents, one of the biggest mistakes I see authors make is to a target a market that is far too big. Or better still, they are frightened to make their market too small. 

 Let’s say you’re the topic of your book is stress management, and you feel it would be a good fit for women between the ages of 35 and 55. 

This is a huge market. A woman of 35 is in a whole different phase of her life and would have different stressors than a woman in her mid 50’s.

 Are these professional women or are they stay-at-home moms? 

Do they have toddlers or are they empty nesters?

 And of course, I can go on and on with the differences between women with a 20-year age gap. 

Even if your book would be a right fit for these women, their life situation is likely to be very different and so marketing to them would be far harder than if you pick a smaller market, for example, professional women in their 40’s working in healthcare in Chicago. 

This would probably still be a big market but at least one you could wrap your arm around more efficient and effectively.

 Remember if you want to brainstorm some of your marketing ideas or need help finding a good niche or target market for yourself, I offer a complimentary 20-minute brainstorming session. Go to BrainStormWithSusan.com to book your session.

 Another trend that’s continuing to grow in popularity are audiobooks. 

 The reason audiobooks are so popular in the nonfiction book market is because they're super convenient for busy folks. 

 It’s also dynamic way to offer and deliver educational and instructional content. Listening to a book engages different senses and immerses you in the experience.

 Producing a nonfiction book as an audiobook can be a game-changer for authors! It opens doors to a wider audience, increases accessibility, and creates exciting new opportunities for engagement and revenue.

 Audiobooks reach more people, including those who prefer listening rather than traditional reading. Or if you want to listen to them while doing other stuff. 

Personally, I love audiobooks because I enjoyed listening to them on long car rides and when I’m cooking dinner.

 And if you decide to narrate your own audiobook it gives you the opportunity to establish an intimate connection with your audience.

However, this isn’t for everyone because if you’re not used to recording audio, it can take a long time to read a 200 plus page book. Best to leave it to the professionals.

 However, there’s no harm in adding a personally recorded message at either or both – the beginning and end of the recording.

 One fear I hear from authors is if there’s an audio version of the book, does it mean that people won’t buy the printed version. It’s a funny, but readers often like a book in multiple formats. If a book is chockful of useful information, I buy the printed and or ebook so that I can easily refer back to the information. 

 The final strategy I’ll leave you with today is podcast guesting. This is currently one of the most powerful marketing strategies.

 Guesting on podcasts is an absolute game-changer! It's like grabbing a cup of coffee with thousands of potential new friends. 

 Imagine sharing your expertise, passions, and fun stories directly with listeners - it's the ultimate way to connect. Podcasts are the coolest trend in the digital world, reaching diverse audiences who crave authenticity. 

Being a guest isn't just an interview - it's a chance to build trust and credibility with your target market. You're not just a voice - you're a friend that listeners invite into their daily routines. It's marketing, but without the pushy sales tactics. Instead, you get to create genuine relationships and leave a lasting impression on the podcast universe. Guesting is all about making marketing personal!

 Why not check it out and I’m happy to chat with you about ways to get invited as a podcast guest. Schedule a 20-minute complimentary session with me at BrainstormWithSusan.com

As we wrap up this special 400th episode, I want to once again express my gratitude to all of you, my listeners who have tuned in, episode after episode. Your support, feedback, and enthusiasm have been a constant source of inspiration. 

 A big thank you again to my guests, sponsors, Everlin my editor, and everyone who has been part of this incredible journey. 

It’s thanks to you that I’m here today, celebrating this remarkable milestone.

 Thank you for joining me for this special episode of Book Marketing Mentors. Here's to the next 400 episodes of learning, sharing, and growing together. 

Until next week, here’s wishing you much book and author marketing success.