Book Marketing Strategies Found in a Casino

Today’s post is by Brian Feinblum, chief marketing officer at Planned Television Arts, who has been promoting and marketing authors since 1989. Brian blogs at Book Marketing Buzz Blog.

On a recent trip to the Mohegan Sun casino, it occurred to me that many similarities exist in one’s approach to gambling and book publicity. I’ve working in this field for over two decades, and I’m constantly drawing mental parallels between promoting books and the other areas of my life. But this gambling connection proved particularly fruitful, so I put together a few truths that are just as applicable to your campaign as they are in the casino.

1.   Don’t bet what you can’t afford to lose. Lesson: Invest your time and resources to support your book, but don’t mortgage your house or quit your day job to do so.

2.   Never put all of your chips on one bet. Lesson: Don’t pin your hopes and dreams on one particular media outlet. Go after big, medium, and small wins. They all add up.

3.   Diversify your efforts and play more than one type of game. Lesson: Don’t focus all of your efforts solely on blogging or TV interviews. Instead, approach a number of media, both local and national—radio, print, radio, and online.

4.   Be aware that the odds are not stacked in your favor. Despite that, the only way to win it is to be in it. Lesson: You need to catch a lucky break, and it can only happen when you get off the sidelines and play the game.

5.   Look before you leap. Watch the betting strategies of others before you play. Lesson: Observe the campaigns that result in the big successes, learn, and then live it.

6.   Don’t bet on something you don’t understand or feel comfortable with. Lesson: Only market and promote in a way you feel secure in; otherwise, hire a professional or avoid it.

7.   Enjoy the win. Celebrate! Lesson: When you do experience success in your PR and marketing efforts, celebrate it and value the moment.

8.   Play the hot hand. Lesson: It may be luck or skill or being in the right place at the right time, but whatever it is, keep doing what works until it doesn’t.

9.   Take a risk—the reward can be huge. Some bet on the long shot knowing that if they win, they’ll get a huge payoff. Lesson: Take a chance on the long shots publicity opportunities—the big-name holy grails of book promotion—and enjoy the reward if it comes through.

10.  Know when to walk away. In gambling, the more time spent betting, the more likely you’ll lose. In marketing and PR, the opposite is true—you need to keep at it to have a chance at success. Lesson: In either scenario, assess where you’re at regularly and know when it’s time to call it quits.

In case you were wondering: I won fifty bucks at the Mohegan Sun’s roulette wheel—after being down $250. I got to walk away feeling like a winner.