(Click on the picture above to enlarge)
Credit to Alan Weiss and his awesome blog for posting this hilarious photo (and available T-shirt) from Despair.com.
Social media is getting all of the hype these days. Yet, it’s struggling as a medium to actually create significant books sales. For example, at BEA 2009 last month, John Sargent, the CEO of Macmillan Publishing stated, “Viral marketing doesn’t sell a ton of books.” He said a video based on a Macmillan book spent time in the number-one spot on YouTube in the U.K.—and wound up selling a whopping 200 extra copies. So what works? Most CEOs agreed front-of-store displays can boost sales.
Now, I’m not knocking social networking…just don’t forget about the tried-and-true methods for authors to spread a message, such as public speaking, newsletters, personal networking, alliances, etc.
As for the behavioral disorders that social networking can cause authors, check out this insightful article, Why I Kissed FaceBook Goodbye, from Anne Jackson, author of Mad Church Disease.
