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ProBlogger Book Launch – Highlights and Updates From the Pre-Launch

Posted By Darren Rowse 23rd of April 2008 ProBlogger Site News 0 Comments

ProBlogger-Book.jpgIt’s time for a little ProBlogger Book Launch Update.

A number of readers have been asking how the launch is going and are watching some of what we’re doing for their own launches – so let me share a few things we’re learning and seeing (plus I’ll give you a chance to win a copy below).

Sample Chapter Getting Good Reviews

Making a sample chapter available for downloading has been something well worth doing. We’ve seen it downloaded thousands of times and I’ve had some good feedback on it. If you haven’t already got your sample chapter just signup for our email list at ProBlogger Book. You’ll get taken to a page where you can download it and will be signed up for a weekly blog tip (which you can unsubscribe to at any time).

Blog Networks are Buying the Book in Bulk

One of the things I hadn’t expected (but should have) is that we’re seeing a number of blog networks buying the book to give to their bloggers. It makes sense, blog networks want their bloggers to improve their blogging as it benefits the network as a whole as well as giving the blogger a little bonus. In a sense these networks are using the book as a training manual for their bloggers. At just over $16 per blogger it’s a fairly economic way to teach your bloggers!

Ad Networks are Buying the Book in Bulk Too

Similarly a couple of ad networks are putting in bulk orders for the book also. The reasoning for it is that they’re going to use it as a prize for their publishers and/or are giving it to their publishers to help them improve their blogging (which again helps the networks and creates some goodwill among their publishers).

Using the Book as a Bonus for Internet Marketing

‘ve heard just now of one Internet Marketer who is talking about using the book as a ‘bonus’ on one of the products that he’s preparing for launch. He’s thinking of throwing the book in as a free bonus with every course he sells. Again – at just $16 this doesn’t cost him much but provides his product’s purchasers a nice little extra when they sign up for his course.

Want to Buy it in Bulk?

If you’re wanting to buy the book in bulk 50-100+ books let me know and I can introduce you to someone at Wiley (our publisher) who can talk to you about options for discounts (although Amazon have it fairly heavily discounted – 39% off retail in the lead up to launch).

Reviews and Interviews

In the week around launch expect to see some buzz about the book. Our publisher is sending quite a few review copies out to bloggers and Chris and I are doing plenty of interviews and even a few guest posts on other blogs. The strategy is to get our names and the book out in front of plenty of potential readers – especially outside of the blogging about blogging niche.

Sales Figures

I’m yet to see any official sales figures but the book has been as high as #300 on the best seller list at Amazon. This figure rises and falls depending upon what promotion we’ve been doing but it’s great to see the book doing well in different Amazon best seller sections.

Launch Dates

The book is due to leave the printer on 28 April and should hit Amazon and other stores in the days that follow. Amazon have it listed for a 5 May launch but I’ve noticed on previous launches that they often ship books a day or two before the dates that they give. Hopefully those of you who have ordered one will you’ll have your the first week of May!

WIN A COPY

There are a number of competitions running around the place already where you can win a copy of the book (another way that people are using it) but I’m going to be giving a few copies away in the coming weeks.

One way that you can put yourself in the running is to subscribe to ProBlogger via email. You can do this at the top right hand side of the blog by entering your email address in the field there. This will sign you up to a daily update of the latest posts from ProBlogger – you can unsubscribe at any time. I’ll draw a random subscriber’s email out on Friday.

About Darren Rowse
Darren Rowse is the founder and editor of ProBlogger Blog Tips and Digital Photography School. Learn more about him here and connect with him on Twitter, Facebook and LinkedIn.
Comments
  1. To win a copy of your book, I’m going to need as much luck as matching 5 out of 6 lottery numbers if everybody participates in email subscription. Let’s hope nobody subscribes :).

  2. I find this website very good to learn how to be a professional blogger. I wish I was one of the winners to get a copy of the book. for sure I’ll write an review in my website about it if I won. Thanks for all the great tips.

  3. The sample chapter is excellent. Looking forward to the complete book.

  4. cool…i have subscribed myself…..

  5. I’ll have to consider getting a copy. But first I wanna get a PB t-shirt :)

  6. I’ve given away a book on my blog as a prize as well. Going to order one for myself.

    (on another note, I was the first one to actually spot it on Amazon ;-) right Darren?)

  7. When I publish a book one day, I am also planning to post Amazon affiliate links to my own book :)

  8. Hi, hope i wil recieve my copy in next month. eagerly waiting for it.

  9. Congrats on your launch, not only because of the book’s early popularity, but also because of how book sales have expanded farther than you anticipated.

    That’s a bonus I’ve experienced with my books, the oldest of which is in its fourth edition.

    The information shared in your post, Darren, provides a quick tutorial on how to think about sales and marketing in the long run, even if a person isn’t an author.

  10. And for those who cannot win a copy from problogger can subscribe to my email feeds to win a copy of the book from my blog’s contest. The good thing is you get many more prizes like themes + custom logos in the contest too.

    Darren if possible than please do write about it. It will surely be a nice help.

    Regards

  11. It’s something I would definitively want to read. Let me test my luck over here (yeah luck and me like mother teresa and bodybuilding) and try to win a free copy, if not…you know the story. ;)

  12. Wow great to see it doing so well
    Hope I can win a free copy, it will really help my blog and make me improve a huge amount

  13. Thank you for posting about this.
    Great tip about selling to groups!

    Are you doing any advertising for the launch
    (banner ads, adwords, etc)?

  14. I’m always so excited when my feed reader tells me you’ve posted.

    It’s like a little happy moment in my day!

    I’m Off to check out your book now!!

  15. Looking forward to reading the book! :) Thanks for the opportunity to win a copy.

  16. Wish you best of luck. I hope to get it at book shops in India soon.

  17. All I can say is WOW!

    I’ve been a faithful reader from the very early days of ProBlogger and it’s great to see your book take off like this.

    By the way: I went from having an idea to a very successful and profitable website because of ProBlogger.

    Thanks Darren!

  18. This is all great advice, I might add one way to attract folks to an eBook pre-launch is to have a fellow eBook author and “online article writer” write a book review, in trade you write a book review for their eBook. One such site with lots of writers is EzineArticles. I have done this with a couple of eBooks to help get the word out.

  19. As soon as I saw there was a book I got my order in. I can’t wait to get it. The first chapter is greater. It was like watching a movie trailer. It just got you excited to see it all. I am still very inexperienced at blogging so I use your site and received your daily emails so I can continue to learn the in’s and out’s. Great job on the book.

  20. Generally I do not post on blogs, but I would like to say that this post really forced me to do so, really useful information.

  21. Great post!

    I launched an ebook without reading this post (it is free though) and now I think that I should have but I am working on my new ebook and I don’t think I can give it free because I am working a lot on it and for this one I will use these tips.

    Great Post
    Thanks
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    Free Website Traffic

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