Marilyn Ross (2)

As tricky as a box of monkeys

Before deciding to self-publish my first tome, I read a number of books about self- and electronic publishing; Tom & Marilyn Ross's "The Complete Guide to Self-Publishing" was one of the first books I consulted, and it was by far the most useful. It was so helpful, in fact, that I rushed right out and got a copy of their next guide, "Jump Start Your Book Sales."

"Jump Start Your Book Sales" is similar in style and format to "The Complete Guide to Self-Publishing." The Ross's have packed the book with tons of helpful marketing tips - 337 pages worth, to be exact. In 25 chapters, you'll learn how to: get your book reviewed, both online and off; pull off successful author interviews and book signings; get your face on TV and your voice on radio; submit op-ed pieces and articles to newspapers, magazines, newsletters, `zines, and more; get your book into bookstores, libraries, schools, and nontraditional retail outlets; convince experts and celebs to endorse your book; sell your product in catalogs, via direct mail, and on QVC; and create snappy marketing materials.

Overall, "Jump Start Your Book Sales" is a smart buy. The Ross's offer a wide variety of strategies to help both self-published and traditionally published authors promote their work. While "The Complete Guide to Self-Publishing" did briefly discuss some of these tactics, the Ross's expound on this advice in "Jump Start Your Book Sales." HOWEVER, after reading both of these guides back-to-back, I have a sneaking suspicion that they may have simply copied and pasted sections directly from one book to the next. Although some similarity is understandable (given that some of the topics discussed in "Jump Start Your Book Sales" are also mentioned in "The Complete Guide to Self-Publishing"), I do think that the authors should have spent more time rewriting and updating the information that they included in both volumes. I don't have time to actually comb through each book to see if any paragraphs were copied verbatim - but, at the very least, the writing, terminology, and phrases used were similar enough to give the feeling that they were copied. At best, this is unfair to those readers who shell out the money for both books.

Also, the issues I had with "The Complete Guide to Self-Publishing" are applicable in "Jump Start Your Book Sales" as well. The Ross's writing style can be grating at times - it's way too down-home folksy for my tastes. Their use of similes and metaphors is excessive to the point of lunacy. The "Web Sites, Wisdom and Whimsey" section, located at the end of every chapter, is a waste of time, ink, paper - and ultimately money (yours!). Finally, they fail to give electronic publishing and the Internet as much attention as they merit. The title for this review, by the way, is derived from both the Ross's love affair with similes as well as their tricky Dicky-ness in recycling so much information from their first book to the second. I hate to repeat myself, so please see my review of "The Complete Guide to Self-Publishing" if you'd like a more detailed explanation of any of the aforementioned complaints.

Even with these flaws, "Jump Start Your Book Sales" (like "The Complete Guide to Self-Publishing") is one of the better self-publishing books I've seen. It's a must for anyone interested in publishing and/or marketing their own work, simply because of the wealth of information it contains. If you're looking to save money, you should stick to "The Complete Guide to Self-Publishing" for a good overview of self-publishing, and opt for "Jump Start Your Book Sales" if you're just in need of marketing/publicity tips.

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