Red Zen Marketing

Reading, Writing and Twitt-mahtic. Can social media sell books?

Well, if it can give them away, it sure has a chance!

I just signed up at Thomas Nelson Publishers to be a reader/blogger in their new social media program. It's a "read a book, write a review" program writ large--and they're still taking applications from would be blogging reviewers at this time.

The books are provided free, and they don't ask for them back. So, in a sense, it's not unlike what has always been done with book reviews in conventional media, except that they are extending the idea to the Interweb and asking folks of all walks of life who already blog, to write a review, in order to continue to qualify to get the next book to read and review. Like a library pass, I guess. :) The publisher makes it clear the the reviews are to be absolutely honest -- just tell it like it is: negative or positive. They just want some buzz.

Well, I'm In!

I'm letting you know up front I'm participating, but I'll also have a small note in each review related to the program. Not 'cause it's required, but because I think it's the right thing to do.

Oh, and I'll only be choosing and reviewing books here that I think are relevant to the direction I'm setting for the blog. Don't expect a review of an academic analysis of the influence of postmodern consumerism on declining protestant tithing rates. Nope. However, you can expect I may include reviews of books that impact on ethics of business and marketing decisions, or even career and life development--cause that's a whole lot more interesting than whatever I said first up there. Actually, my first book is The Principle of the Path, by Andy Stanley. Subtitle is "how to get from where you are to where you want to be". Sounds like what we all need, right? We'll see.