Well today is a wonderful, lazy Sunday afternoon. Actually, this whole weekend has been very relaxing. I’ve had some time to reflect on recent projects and issues at hand. One issue I’ve been struggling with is how to best market the book Empowered Medicine; A Guide for Consumers. As a first time author, I knew I had a message to share with the book, but marketing is not my forte to be quite honest. Many authors find themselves in this predicament. Many think if they have a good message, the book will sell itself. This is so far from the truth. People cannot read what they don’t know exists.

I noticed that many people were visiting the companion website www.empoweredmedicine.com and seeing the book advertised there, however, many did not seem compelled to purchase. I’m thinking because at first glance one probably thinks to themselves, ‘Oh look! Another health book!’ and quickly bypass it.  I also noticed that once people actually purchased and read the book, they realized that it wasn’t like every other health book on the market. They appreciated that it talked about something no one else was talking about: the official treatment guidelines. They also liked how it had done what no other book had done: summarized the treatment guidelines into terms we can all understand.  They loved it!

I finally realized that the best people suited to market a book is not the author or some fancy marketer but the people who have read and appreciate the message the book has to offer. I also wished there was some way I could thank those who had personally recommended the book to others. What I needed was grass roots marketing at its best and the Thank You Program was born.

The Thank You Program basically allows one to email the publisher and request a referral code. Whenever that person recommends the book to another reader, they ask the reader to enter the referral code when ordering the book. When the book gets purchased, the publisher sends $2.00 to the person who recommended the book via Paypal. This not only allows the word of the book to spread but also thanks those who recommend the book. $2.00 may not be a lot to some but just think if 25 people bought the book in this manner. That’s a nice dinner, compliments of the publisher!

I was a little worried that some would find this a little gimmicky or the like. However, I decided not to worry about what people think and enjoy the fun of the project. I think others will also find the whole process fun.

If you want to learn more about recommending the book and earning your referral commission, just visit the publisher at www.smartleafpress.com/thank-you.