The Ultimate Book Gift
I love giving and receiving books for Christmas, but have you ever considered the ultimate book gift? You could give someone you love the chance to write their own book. Now some of you might […]
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The Question You Need to Ask Before You Start Writing Your Book
If you’re thinking of writing a book, you might wonder: Where do I start? My answer might surprise you. Put down your pen, shut down your laptop, and think about the following question: What is […]
What to Do When a Publisher Rejects Your Book
When a traditional publisher says no to your book, it’s painful. You’ve worked hard on that book, and you’re convinced that it can change minds and make a real difference in the world. But the […]
Three Ways to Publish Your Next Book
If you are looking for a publisher, what do you do? With the explosion of book publishing options online, it’s getting confusing, so here is the lowdown on the three options you have to publish […]
Why I am a Hybrid Publisher
If you’re looking for a publisher, what are your options? You can try to land a deal with a traditional publisher like Penguin Random House or HarperCollins. If you get one, you’re very, very lucky. […]
The Hidden Power of Being Vulnerable
We all want to look like we’re strong and confident. We want people to think that we never make mistakes and that we always know what we’re doing. But have you ever considered the power […]
True Family Wealth
How do you create true wealth in your family? By earning more money and handing it to the kids so they have an easier life than yours? That would be a mistake: Just look at […]
What do ghostwriters have in common with record producers?
I’ve been watching The Defiant Ones, the terrific documentary on the two great record producers, Jimmy Iovine and Dr. Dre. The four-part series is hugely entertaining, but it also reveals a lot about the collaboration […]
Do you want to get into major media? Answer this question…
Why now? If you want to get into major media with news of your book, you’ll need to answer this question. And you should ask yourself why your book is relevant now before you start […]
How a Book Can Boost Your Speaking Career
Barlow author Eric Termuende is a hot property on the speaker’s circuit these days. His calendar is packed with engagements all over Canada, and when I met him in one of his favourite restaurants in […]
We’re On A Mission
Are you on a mission? What is it? If you’re not sure, you might ask yourself: What’s driving you? Why do you do what you do? It took me a long time to find the […]
Facts Matter
Facts actually matter—not alternative facts, but cold, hard facts. So began the great Toronto defence lawyer Marie Henein in The Globe and Mail last week week: “In the justice system, where I work, evidence grounds […]
Ideas worth Spreading: How to get a TEDx talk
If you are trying to tell the world about your idea, as most Barlow Books authors are, a TEDx Talk is a great way to do it. You might even get onto the big stage […]
How Can Authors Maximize Their PR Opportunities?
As a publisher, one of my favourite things is seeing Barlow authors in the major media. So it was great to see Jim Beqaj on Global News this morning to talk about his new book, […]
Timing Matters in Book Publishing
Why now? It’s one of the basic questions of publishing. Why should your book be read right now? What makes it relevant to your target audience? If you can answer this question convincingly, you’ll be […]
How to Get That Op-ed Published
Writing an op-ed, an opinion piece that goes on the page opposite from the newspaper’s editorial page, is a great way to get noticed. It will give you a wonderful platform to sell your idea, […]
Giving a Speech vs. Writing a Book
If you’re one of the great speakers on the circuit right now, you might be thinking of writing a book to boost your career. How hard can that be? I asked that question to a […]
How Great PR Gets Books on Shelves of Stores
This week, to celebrate the International Day of the Girl, we are publishing Kakuma Girls, the inspiring story of teenage girls at Kakuma Refugee Camp in Kenya. It’s by 17-year-old Clare Morneau. Ever since this […]
Do reviews matter?
The short answer is yes. People often buy a book based on word-of-mouth—what people say about your book—and reviews can influence what people say. Reviews can also help you if you are writing a book […]
On a Mission
If you are writing a book because you have something important to say to the world, it’s crucial to get your message into the media. This way, you can get the word out, about your […]
When Asking for Help Feels Good
Do you have trouble asking for help? For entrepreneurs, it’s tempting to say, I’ll do it myself. I don’t want to impose on anyone by reaching out for help. But the incredible thing is that […]
The Five Questions I Never Asked During 30 Years in Journalism
When you’re working for a newspaper or magazine, you don’t have to think that hard about your audience. The readers are already on the page. You have to make readers want to read your story, […]
How to Give a Great TED Talk, From the Head of TED
What’s the secret behind the greatest TED talks? Who better to ask than Chris Anderson, head of TED. He’s got a new book out, TED Talks, and recently he came to Toronto’s Rotman School of […]
Should You Judge a Book by the Way it’s Financed?
Should you judge a book by the way it’s financed? A lot of people do. They think that if someone else pays for your book, it will be better than one that is partly or […]
Who’s Reading Your Books?
Who’s the average book buyer in Canada? BookNet Canada has just released a terrific survey to answer that question, and some of their findings may surprise you. The survey of 4,277 Canadians in early 2015 […]
Authors: How Do You Reach Your Target Audience?
If you are writing a non-fiction book, who do you think will read it? Do you know who your readers are? Really? It matters if you want to sell books to anyone other than your […]
What Should You Do to Sell Your Book the Year Before it’s Published?
What should you do in the year before publication day to sell your book? A lot, as it turns out. What you do in this time is just as important as all the effort you’ve […]
How Can You Get More Readers?
Every author should be building an email list. Why? It gives you direct access to your readers, which is gold in the new publishing business. An article in this week’s Publishers Weekly explains why. An […]
Getting In: Can Self-published Writers Get Their Books into Libraries and Bookstores?
How can a self-published writer get into a bookstore or library? It takes a lot of effort, as this week’s Publishers Weekly describes. You have to take books in hand, plus a sell sheet, and […]
Will Your Book be Sold in Physical Bookstores?
You’ve written your book. It reads well. But will it sell in physical stores? Anyone can put a book up for sale on amazon. But will your book get on the shelves of bookstores across […]
Why We Say No
If you want to write a book to strengthen your brand, does it make any sense to publish one that is poorly written and edited? No, it doesn’t. That’s why we at Barlow Books sometimes […]
What Does a Book Editor Do?
There are different kinds of editors, and all of them help to create a successful book. Early in the project, you might need an editor to develop and sharpen the idea, and make sure the […]
Are You Trying to Get Through to Readers 18-25?
If you’re writing a book, and you think young readers might like to read parts of it, how do you get through to the 18-25 demographic? Here’s one way: Publish excerpts on Wattpad. This Toronto-based […]
Can Self-published Writers Find an Agent?
Not so long ago, literary agents wouldn’t consider representing a self-published writer. Some still feel that way, because most self-published books are not professionally edited, produced and designed. Yet as this Forbes article explains, some […]
What Brand is Your Book?
If you can brand a company like Disney or Volvo, can you brand an author? Or a book? One of our authors, neonatologist Karen Pape, was working on her book about the promise of baby […]
What to Do the Year Before Your Book is Published
What should you do in the year before publication day to sell your book? A lot, as it turns out. Pre-publication PR is crucial for the success of a book, according to Jared Kuritz, managing […]
How Books Sell
There are now 52 million books on Amazon. How will you sell yours? It’s a big question, and to answer it, you have to remember the three pillars of selling books, said Peter Hildick-Smith, president […]
The Joy of Special Sales
Anyone who publishes a book knows that book returns can destroy profits and potentially put you out of business. Bookstores are a consignment business: If they don’t sell a book, they can return it and […]
Crowdfunding for Books
If you are writing a non-fiction book, it may be hard to find a Canadian publisher who will give you enough money to research and write your book. Advances have plummeted; publishers are reluctant to […]
From Book to Best Seller
An excerpt from trade magazine Forum, featuring Barlow Books owner and publisher Sarah Barlow Scott. So how does one get from manuscript concept to bestseller? First, recognize that writing and launching a book is not […]
The Look Inside the Book Matters
Part Four in a series on self-publishing vs. professional publishing Look inside one of your favorite books. Now take a look at a Word document. You can see the difference right away. A professionally published […]
What’s Your Book About? Easy to Ask, Hard to Answer
Part Three in a series on self-publishing vs. professional publishing Are you writing for yourself or for an audience? There’s nothing wrong with a selfie. I have lots of them on my shelf. After every […]
Not Just a Pretty Picture: The Art of a Great Cover
Part Two in a series on self-publishing vs. professional publishing A book is sold by its cover, and if you care about selling books to readers, you’ll find there is a big difference between the […]
The Title: Does it Tell People What Your Book is About? Does it Sell Your Book?
Part One in a series on self-publishing vs. professional publishing Authors often wonder how self-publishing differs from professional publishing, either by one of the big traditional houses or by a new independent publisher like Barlow. […]
How to Finance Your Book Through Crowdfunding
If you are considering crowdfunding your book project, you have lots of options to choose from. But which crowdfunding platform is best for you? Justine Schofield, the development director at Pubslush, outlines the different options […]
Why Should You Publish a Book? Barlow Publishing’s Sarah Scott Says it’s a Differentiator
Want to attract more customers or more high-profile clients? Traditional marketing might get you there. But Barlow Publishing’s Sarah Scott thinks you’ll have better luck if you write a book. When you author a book, […]
PROFIT BusinessCast Interviews Barlow Publisher
In a 15-minute interview, Sarah Scott explains the difference between self-publishing, traditional publishing, and the Barlow hybrid model.
Top Five Tips for Marketing Your Book on Social Media
Make the author accessible to fans through social media; e.g., host scheduled Q&A sessions Generate hype before launch by seeding it with like-minded opinion makers Encourage reviews on Amazon and in app stores Tease and […]
How Can You Get More Readers?
If you want more people to read your book, use social media to spread the word. And don’t wait until you’ve finished writing your manuscript. “Start yesterday,” says Silicon Valley author and speaker Guy Kawasaki. […]
Everybody Wants to Publish a Book – But Who Will Read It?
The number of self-published titles has exploded in the last decade, but most of the books are read only by friends and family. This information comes from Mark Levine’s helpful book The Fine Print of […]
Planning a Book is a Strategic Exercise
Some of the questions you have to ask yourself at the very beginning of a project may resemble a strategy workshop in a business. Here are the key ones: Who is your audience? What will […]
How to Get Great Quotes: Start With the Right Questions
Many authors have trouble interviewing people, especially if the authors are experts. To make a story or a person come alive, you have to ask deceptively simple questions that encourage your subjects to reveal themselves. […]
Can a Book be a Social Book?
We have the social network. Is it time for the social book? That question was raised on CBC’s Ideas recently in a provocative show called What Is a Book? Electronic books change the static nature […]