Once upon a time, people went to bookstores when they wanted to buy \ra book. Or at least, that was the theory. Actually, non-bookstore \rchannels have been a big part of book sales for decades¡ªat least since \rpeople like Joe Karbo ("The Lazy Man's Way to Riches") back in the \r1960s.\rFor my own books, whether they were \rs\relf-published, done with \ra small commercial house, or by a New York conglomerate, I've found that se\rlling direct is more secure, more financially rewar\rding, and far less hassle than sweating out the returns game with the b\rookstore channel.\rAll along, I've sold through speeches (I love getting pai\rd to do my own marketing), over the Web (the f\rirst of my four websites went live in 1996), to clients at my office, wh\ro stare at a rack of my work throughout their entire appointment, and thr\rough

an extensive effort to create "buzz."\rThe great thi\rn\rg is that *anyone* can generate buzz. Three of my techniques:\r1. Be a sourc\re or guest for conventional \rm\redia. I've been quoted in Reader's Digest, the New York Times, Woman's Day, Bo\rttom Line, the Wall Street Journal, Christian Science Monitor, Los Ange\rles Times, Inc, and dozens of other well-known and obscure publications (s\ree a detailed list at http://www.principledprofits.com/pressroom.html)\r. I'm also a call-in guest on at least a dozen radio shows per year. Whether

or not I sell a lot of books directly through \rt\rhese interviews, I definitely create a lot of buzz (search for my nam\re at Google and see for yourself)--and the best interviews sell a number o\rf books through my websites or toll-free numbers.\rHere's my "secret weapon" f\ror getting coverage: a service that sends source queries from journalist\rs working on

stories. (Find out more at http://www.frugalmarketing.com/prleads.shtml)\r2. Find your niche on line, and participate actively. There ar\re literally hundreds of thousands of "communities" online: virtual watercoo\rlers where people gather to tal\rk shop: mystery, historical novel reading groups, professionals in every l\rine of work. Find a group whose audience is the same as your book,

and participate often. I currently participate in three groups for small

press publishers (a primary market not only for my books but for my co\rpywriting services, a group for Internet marketing profess\ri\ronals, three fo\rr professional PR and copywriters, and several others. Yes,

I spend an hour or two per day keeping up with--and participating on--th\rese lists, but the impact on my business is huge.\r3. Distribu\rte content. A\rr\rticles, book excerpts, blogs...if you write often enough about a subject,

you become an expert. And you can find dozens of websites, discus\rsion groups, print newsletters, 'zines, even radio shows--all hungr\ry for well-written, informative material. You get "paid" with \ra

few lines of blurb and contact info.\rFor my new book, "Principled Pr\rofit: Marketing That Puts People First," I am addi\rng two things to

the mix: a network of independent representatives who will sell my book \ron commission--thus reaching new networks I've not been \ra\rble to reach on my own--and aggressive pursuit of corporate sales. I've h\rad my first success with the latter: 1000 copies to a prom\ri\rnent airline. And that means the book was already profitable before it ro\rlled off the press!

Shel Horowitz, author of *Principled Profit: Marketing That Puts People \rFirst,* *Grassroots Marketing: Getting Noticed in a Noisy World,* and \rfour other books, offers affordable, effective copywriting and strategic \rmarketing planning to clients on three continents. He is the originator of \rthe Ethical Business Pledge Campaign to change the World at http://www.principledprofits.com/25000influencers.html. His sites at http://www.frugalmarketing.com and http://www.principledprofits.com offer \rhundreds of useful articles for entrepreneurs and marketers, including \rthe complete back issues of his FREE Monthly Frugal Marketing Tips. \rShel will be glad to help you create your next press release, sell sheet, \rweb site, or other marketing material. He can be reached at \rshel@principledprofits.com, 800-683-WORD.