Mega Book Marketing Event Review

Mark Victor Hansen’s Mega Book Marketing Event was held April 15-17, 2005 in Los Angeles. This event brings together hundreds of authors and publishers who want to learn the secrets of book publishing success. Who is better equipped to give advice than Mark Victor Hansen, co-author of the popular “Chicken Soup for the Soul” series of books? He has sold millions of books throughout the world.

At the Mega Book Marketing Event, guest speakers and vendors include agents, book promoters, book packagers, publicity agents and more. This year, Ellen Reid, a Santa Barbara-based book shepherd, attended the event and made a presentation.

“The event was positive and upbeat,” said Reid. “Authors were motivated. Mark Victor Hansen’s information keeps on giving even after the event is over.

“One of the key points Mark made is that it’s the author’s job to market the book. This is eye opening for some authors and publishers who think that getting a publisher automatically guarantees that the book will be marketed to the right readership.
“The book must look good, of course. That’s where a good book shepherd can impact an author of publisher. Packaging and positioning the book correctly positively impacts book sales.”

“The Mega Book Marketing Event is an emersion into the world of book publishing and marketing. It must be experienced in person,” said Reid. “The outside world doesn’t exist for the three days one attends the event. It is the best place to get an advanced degree in book marketing.”

A significant message throughout the Mega Book Marketing Event is that authors and publishers create books to “give back” to the community—either through the content of the book or through spending the book’s proceeds to improve the world.

Reid captured the spirit of the event by saying, “authors were motivated to do things they wouldn’t otherwise do as a result of attending Mark Victor Hansen’s event.”

There were no book printers represented at the Mega Book Marketing Event trade show—partly because the event is geared towards connecting an agent with a publisher. Still, in any group of authors, there are always some who will want to self-publish. The challenge to book printers is who will be the first to take a booth at Mark Victor Hansen’s Mega Book Marketing Event next year? Who will capture those customers who are motivated and excited to publish their book?