• Guest please check The Index before starting a thread.

[Publicity] Market or Die

Khazarkhum

Super Member
Registered
Joined
Apr 10, 2005
Messages
725
Reaction score
100
I encountered this in the November RWR.

http://www.marketordie.net/services.html

I didn't see any other posts about them, so if any do exist, mods, please either combine or remove this one.

In any event, what intrigues me is the pricing. For a mere $75, someone will look at my website and tell me if it's any good. If I can cough up $500, they'll even mention me on social media, which will, or course, be Market or Die sites. And if I can splurge on $1500, they'll provide 8 whole hours of brand advocacy work.

Are these people from Publish America? How can anyone think this is a good idea?
 

TomGrimm

Super Member
Registered
Joined
Nov 19, 2009
Messages
282
Reaction score
55
What catches my eye is the
customized Facebook ad, guaranteed to increase your number of likes
Ignoring that just one Like is technically an increase, this means nothing to me if I'm looking for sales. In fact, a lot of those offers seem like they're just "we'll tell you how to spend your money, after you spend hundreds of dollars on us" deals.

(Of course, I'm not marketing savvy, so perhaps these are all must-haves)
 

Khazarkhum

Super Member
Registered
Joined
Apr 10, 2005
Messages
725
Reaction score
100
What catches my eye is the Ignoring that just one Like is technically an increase, this means nothing to me if I'm looking for sales. In fact, a lot of those offers seem like they're just "we'll tell you how to spend your money, after you spend hundreds of dollars on us" deals.

(Of course, I'm not marketing savvy, so perhaps these are all must-haves)

There are so very many things here that are just counter-intuitive. To me it looks like another money-making program, where the only ones making money are the people with the program.
 

Jamiekswriter

USA Today Bestselling Author
Super Member
Registered
Joined
Jul 13, 2010
Messages
1,227
Reaction score
152
Website
www.jkschmidt.com
Market or Die

Hi guys,

Market or Die is definitely not affiliated with Publish America.

Full disclosure: Jennifer Fusco, the owner, was our CTRWA President this year. I'm the new President for 2013. So I know both her and the company very well. Her books were invaluable to me, but I was a complete novice at marketing so YMMV. Jenn's the Creative and Brand Manager for GE, so she knows what she's talking about marketing wise and can teach you how to build your brand. She's repped by Eric Ruben for her urban fantasy novels. She's also a columnist in RWR.

She's done workshops that were like the "Brand Me" offering and people have raved about them. One of them was Sarah Wendell from Smart Bitches Trashy Novels. In fact, if I remember correctly, Jenn published her first Market or Die book based on Sarah's enthusiam on getting her workshop information into the hands of the writer.

I'm behind a firewall at work right now, but if you check out the Market or Die's facebook page it should give you a list of their clients.

If you guys are truly interested in hearing from writers who have paid for the service and what they've gotten out of it, let me know and I'll see if I can point them over here.

IMHO - If you have a marketing department already working on your book and you're satisfied with what they're doing for you, MOD is probably not for you. But if you're with a small press or self publishing and you either don't have a following or are looking to build one, MOD may be worth checking out.
 

MeganRyder

Registered
Joined
Apr 2, 2012
Messages
1
Reaction score
0
Response about MOD

I encountered this in the November RWR.

http://www.marketordie.net/services.html

The president of Market or Die is a monthly contributor to the RWR and is a member in good standing in RWA. Their focus is on assisting writers build their brands and their marketing strategy. I am very well acquainted with the president and some of their clients and personally am very favorable towards the skills and services offered. I have heard the president speak and read her books and they have helped me start along my own path of building my brand and dipping my toes into the marketing world.

I think you're wise to be cautious when seeing advertisements. But you're doing the right thing to ask questions, research the company and decide if it is something you need. Another thing you might consider is to email the company and solicit more information about their clients. I know there are several published authors in many different genres that are clients of MOD, and they are in many different types of publishing - including traditional and e-publishing.

For my own opinion, there are many groups offering marketing services and branding. What I like about MOD is the president is a marketing professional outside of MOD and her experiences in the writing world have dovetailed with her marketing experience. I can categorically state that the company is a true business and not a scam and they have strong talented consultants to help you along the path of branding and marketing.

Only you can decide if their services meet your needs or what you are looking for. There are plenty of groups out there offering similar services but its up to you to ask questions and determine which is the best fit for you.

In my opinion, MOD gets a strong thumbs up.
 

GinnieHazel

Super Member
Registered
Joined
Nov 27, 2012
Messages
97
Reaction score
9
Location
Stoke-on-Trent
Miss Fusco may very well be in good standing with some groups, (I'm assuming RWR is Romance Writers Review) and she's probably a very nice person. There's still very little clarity over what you'll receive for your money and she seams to have a bit of a jargon problem.
 

sugarwrites

Registered
Joined
Apr 28, 2012
Messages
3
Reaction score
2
MOD

I know the people at MOD and they are very far from just "a money making program." Their aim is to help writers. I write for a big 6 publisher and the things my marketing manager works with me on is similar to what the MOD people suggest. Facebook ads, amazon author central, blogging, website development, etc. And if you aren't lucky enough to have some one provided to you by your publisher, you may want to check out their services.

When you're in the business or writing and selling books marketing is a must. And they're are A LOT of things out there that are just trying to snatch away writer's hard earned dollars but this one isn't one of them. Check out Ms. Fusco's bio. The woman is in demand and credible.

That being said spend your money wisely and always do your research.
 

Khazarkhum

Super Member
Registered
Joined
Apr 10, 2005
Messages
725
Reaction score
100
It's very nice that she's in marketing.

That still doesn't explain why it's so expensive, what it does, or if a writer should bother with it. When the website marketing your services is unclear about just what those services are, it makes me wonder how well they'd promote my work.
 

shadowwalker

empty-nester!
Super Member
Registered
Joined
Mar 8, 2010
Messages
5,601
Reaction score
598
Location
SE Minnesota
It does seem like an awful lot of money for things one could either pretty much do for themselves or that are more or less one-shot deals. I'm also wondering how marketing for a huge corporation like GE translates to marketing for authors, especially those who have very little money for said marketing or who already have their publisher handling most of the marketing. Not saying it's a good or bad investment, just not something I could see myself doing.

As to the 'member in good standing' thing, not really a recommendation, is it? That usually just means they've kept their dues up to date ;)
 

MelanieRMeadors

Registered
Joined
Nov 30, 2012
Messages
1
Reaction score
0
Coming out from lurkerhood...

I've seen Jennifer Fusco speak several times over the past couple years, and I invite you to as well; she is constantly going to conferences. She is a professional, really knows her stuff, and her services are in high demand, which might explain why her prices might be higher than you are used to seeing. I've seen some of the work that others have done as far as marketing and brand development (if you can call it that) for self pubbed and small press authors, and I'll tell you one thing--the actual customer service you get when you work with MOD is second to none. Not only do you get the services listed on their site, but you are treated like a real person. It's not all just swapping a few emails. You are treated with the same dignity and respect that Jennifer Fusco uses people at her GE job. She takes clients out to lunch, she treats them as a professional company would, not just like some schmuck who works from their basement. These prices are certainly cheaper than what a publishing company would be paying for services that may be even less than what you get with Market of Die.

There are many philosophies regarding marketing and brand, and perhaps you don't believe that you should invest in it as much as others do, which is fine. But that doesn't mean this is a bad company. If you have any questions, I invite you to contact MOD with them. Share the info after you get it, when you can make an informed opinion. I'm not at the point quite yet where I need them, but next year I'm hoping to make that step, and knowing the great service other people have experienced with MOD, I don't think I would consider another company.
 

LindaJeanne

On a small world west of wonder
Super Member
Registered
Joined
Nov 6, 2011
Messages
746
Reaction score
120
But, Facebook ads?? I keep hearing over and over again that Facebook advertising hasn't been effective for anyone, in any industry.

While several people in this thread have said very nice things about her, which I have no doubt are true, no one has answered the question:

what does she do for authors that they couldn't do for themselves? (or, if they lack the time and inclination, hire someone else to do for them for a lot less money)

Having marketing experience with GE is great, but that's not something she does to market books. Since she's worked in both industries, I'm sure she's aware of how different marking books is from marketing for a large corporation like GE -- and thus she should understand why we'd need to have explained how she is applying experience from the one to make it relevant to the other.

She may well have excellent services, that are well worth the investment, that are far beyond what an author can do alone. But as a marketing expert, I would expect that she could market those services to us in a way that we understand what she is offering and why it is so valuable.

Given the preponderance of truly bad websites out there, I can see how a $75 website critique could be valuable to some.

But the highest priced packages, involving things like mentions on social media (to people following Market or Die, who are presumably other authors interested in promoting themselves, rather than readers looking for books), and Facebook ads (does she have any information showing that they are effective, to counter everything I've heard about how and why they are not?) it's harder for me to see the value of.
 

GBrousseau

Registered
Joined
Nov 30, 2012
Messages
1
Reaction score
0
I Highly Recommend Market or Die Author Services

I am a published author who has worked with Ms. Fusco to create my brand and tag line. Jennifer Fusco knows what she's doing. She works as Creative and Brand Manager at GE and in her writing career has not only developed a marketing program for authors, but is a urban fantasy writer who is represented by an agent. This business is legit. Jennifer was not only professional, but willing to work with me until I was satisfied with the end result. I highly recommend Market or Die Author Services.
 

LindaJeanne

On a small world west of wonder
Super Member
Registered
Joined
Nov 6, 2011
Messages
746
Reaction score
120
I am a published author who has worked with Ms. Fusco to create my brand and tag line. Jennifer Fusco knows what she's doing. She works as Creative and Brand Manager at GE and in her writing career has not only developed a marketing program for authors, but is a urban fantasy writer who is represented by an agent. This business is legit. Jennifer was not only professional, but willing to work with me until I was satisfied with the end result. I highly recommend Market or Die Author Services.

Great to hear :). Can you estimate how much you think her work increased your readership and/or sales by? What was the most valuable part of the process, for you?
 

jaksen

Caped Codder
Super Member
Registered
Joined
Sep 6, 2010
Messages
5,117
Reaction score
526
Location
In MA, USA, across from a 17th century cemetery
I am a published author who has worked with Ms. Fusco to create my brand and tag line. Jennifer Fusco knows what she's doing. She works as Creative and Brand Manager at GE and in her writing career has not only developed a marketing program for authors, but is a urban fantasy writer who is represented by an agent. This business is legit. Jennifer was not only professional, but willing to work with me until I was satisfied with the end result. I highly recommend Market or Die Author Services.

And, who are you? Anyone can come here and say they are a published author. If she's done great things for you, tell us your name, or writer's name, or titles of your book, books, etc.

Edit add: I think I was born in Missouri or something. I need to see the real deal, the proof, the evidence, the actual results for an actual person, as in how much their marketing expertise helped/benefited/improved the sale of said writer's book, books, series, etc. Anyone can make a lot of vague statements. Hard facts, where are yours?
 
Last edited:

aliceshortcake

Wilde about Oscar
Super Member
Registered
Joined
Dec 4, 2010
Messages
1,633
Reaction score
258
Location
Oop North
Fusco's three marketing books appear to be self-published. She is represented by Eric Ruben of the Ruben Agency but I can't find any information about the publisher of her novel Deceived by Darkness. Speaking of which, I hope Fusco warns authors against posting blurbs like this on their websites:

Cursed with a power she cannot control, single-mother, Shae Donovan vowed to protect her son and keep him away from his father-the King of Demons. Her life's mission has been about keeping her son safe, and escaping the many demons who've tried to capture them.

But, when her son's father returns to earth, he will not stop until his son agrees to rule at his side. However, the King of Demon's isn't Shae's only problem.
http://www.jennifer-fusco.com/darkness.html

GBrousseau, are you Gerri Brousseau, author of A Pirate's Ransom?
 
Last edited:
Joined
Nov 30, 2012
Messages
2
Reaction score
0
I'm going to say up front that I am choosing to remain anonymous on this post b/cse I used to work for a book PR company (x) and have chosen to use some of MOD's services (y). If you want to disregard this message b/cse of that, feel free.

Part of the issue here is that the world of publishing, and therefore the world of marketing/publicity for authors is changing at an amazing speed, prompting numerous different business models. I think that part of the reason why MOD's lists of services is rather vague is based in part b/cse what you as an individual author may be different than what another author may need. Therefore, what they can and will do for you may be very different.

The business model, in general, of a self-published or small-published author is very different than that of a traditionally published author. That is going to make a huge difference in what you may feel that you need as far as marketing and publicity are concerned.

Also, a big part depends on what you as an author feel that you are capable of doing. Someone who is wealthy may not mind spending a lot of money on book trailers or book tours, etc, whereas other authors have to be more frugal. So budget is one factor, and another is comfort level. Do you freeze up during live events? If so, they may not be for you. Etc etc.

The best way to figure out whether or not a company can work with/for you and whether or not the money is worth it is to pick up the phone (old school, I know) and have a conversation. You may be an author who is comfortable blogging and would like to set up a blog tour or you may hate blogging and want to find some other way to amplify your message.

Something else to remember, publicity and marketing are not the same thing. Marketing is about building a brand and then amplifying that brand so that you build a lasting relationship with your consumers (from my understanding of it, anyway).

Publicity is more about driving people to your product and hopefully increasing sales. (Having articles about your book signings in the local papers, press coverage of charity events, etc) Publicity (aside from the cost of the publicist, of course) is free coverage of you and your product provided by the media. So radio-shows, podcasts, newspaper articles, etc.

I feel I can speak to only what Ms Fusco has done for me at the present time and whether or not I feel like it was worth the money.

I asked her to do a competitive market analysis. So she sent me a questionnaire so that she could figure out what I would feel a)comfortable doing and b)what I felt like I could do consistently for the long term, as well as questions about the book, etc

She then studied the "competition" to see how three other writers who have a similar target demographic, reach their readers through their website/social media and live events.

Then I received a literal binder full of her findings. Page after page of not only my own current strengths and weaknesses but also that of the competition.

She then came up with a plan for the best way I could reach my readers. I can't tell you how helpful the suggestions were. I suddenly went from a writer with no clue to a writer with a plan. A plan that I was able to use immediately in the construction of my website and for my pre-launch schedule. I'm still constructing the website, but that's another story.

Essentially, we found possible ways for me to reach readers that I was both comfortable with and that my competition wasn't already doing. It put me into a "void" in the current market that no one else was filling.

Would this be worth the money to somebody else? I can't say, we're all different, but for me I feel that it was money well-spent.

As for the Facebook ads, I have no idea about how effective they are, all I hear are anecdotal pros or cons from people. I think a lot of the effectiveness of ads in general depends on a) how well the ads themselves are designed and b) how the ads are targeted. Having a good ad design can make a big difference towards driving actual sales, and I have no experience in that department, so I for one, will seriously consider having her help me with a ad design.

With Facebook it's especially difficult because it is hard to tell whether or not the click-throughs translate into a sale. But as I said, my book is not released yet, so I have no Facebook ads and no numbers one way or the other as to how all of this drives sales.

All I can say is that I'm happy with the services that I've received. But again, I have no release yet, so I have no numbers to share.

This is where "marketing" becomes difficult to define, because it focuses more on building lasting relationships with the consumer and less on numbers tied to one specific book.

I suggest that if you are looking to find the best way to promote your book, that you a) set a budget b) ask your publisher (if applicable) what they are willing to do to promote you and your work c) figure out what you are happiest to do (blogging, live events, etc) d) call a number of different book marketing companies and ask specific questions e) ask to speak to current clients and see how they feel.

So far, I am a satisfied customer.
 

Jamiekswriter

USA Today Bestselling Author
Super Member
Registered
Joined
Jul 13, 2010
Messages
1,227
Reaction score
152
Website
www.jkschmidt.com
MOD clients

Hi guys,

Now that I'm not behind my firewall. Here are some of MOD's clients that I plucked from the MOD facebook page.

Sourcebooks author: Sara Humphrey's http://novelromance.net/

"The services provided at Market or Die Author Services are a must have for any author looking for help in navigating the world of book marketing or building an author brand." ~ Sourcebooks author, Sara Humphreys.

Berkeley Prime Crime author: Jessie Crockett

http://www.jessiecrockett.com/

Harlequin author: Dani Collins

http://www.danicollins.com/

“From my first contact with Jennifer and her partners at MODAS I felt in good hands. They were very responsive and wanted to work with me, assessing my needs and meeting them promptly. I’m reassured knowing MODAS is there for me as I move forward with my career.”


I was also trying to find some examples of her brand marketing strategies and workshops so you can get an idea of what she knows and can offers writers. I found a bunch of blog posts. Here's a few.

Entangled author Robin Covington wrote this blog post featuring Jenn. In the comments Jenn responds to questions.

http://romanceuniversity.org/2012/0...of-book-marketing-strategy-by-jennifer-fusco/

Jenn also had a couple of blog posts at the writer's guide to epublishing. She responds to questions in the comments.

http://thewritersguidetoepublishing.com/brand-and-why-its-important-to-marketing-your-ebook

This one I think is very helpful about building your writer's brand:

http://thewritersguidetoepublishing.com/building-the-brand-that-works-for-you

If this is something you're interested in, you can sign up for her free newsletter. Here's a sample of what the newsletter looks like:

http://us2.campaign-archive1.com/?u=72ac5f340cf870d094b8456e0&id=b4fbc3bece

Anyway, hope this helps. :D -- Jamie
 
Last edited:

Bogna

Super Member
Registered
Joined
Jan 3, 2012
Messages
447
Reaction score
33
Location
New Hampshire
Website
bemaslanka.wordpress.com
I have yet to see any sales stats. Would one of the new posters here share them with us? All of the good reviews of MOD are hearsay to me if there isn't any proof of sales increase.
 

LindaJeanne

On a small world west of wonder
Super Member
Registered
Joined
Nov 6, 2011
Messages
746
Reaction score
120
I asked her to do a competitive market analysis. So she sent me a questionnaire so that she could figure out what I would feel a)comfortable doing and b)what I felt like I could do consistently for the long term, as well as questions about the book, etc

She then studied the "competition" to see how three other writers who have a similar target demographic, reach their readers through their website/social media and live events.

Then I received a literal binder full of her findings. Page after page of not only my own current strengths and weaknesses but also that of the competition.

She then came up with a plan for the best way I could reach my readers. I can't tell you how helpful the suggestions were. I suddenly went from a writer with no clue to a writer with a plan. A plan that I was able to use immediately in the construction of my website and for my pre-launch schedule. I'm still constructing the website, but that's another story.

Essentially, we found possible ways for me to reach readers that I was both comfortable with and that my competition wasn't already doing. It put me into a "void" in the current market that no one else was filling.

Thank you for providing this info.
 

LindaJeanne

On a small world west of wonder
Super Member
Registered
Joined
Nov 6, 2011
Messages
746
Reaction score
120
I have yet to see any sales stats. Would one of the new posters here share them with us?
I second this. This would be very useful information for anyone considering these services.
 

DreamWeaver

Shakespearean Fool
Super Member
Registered
Joined
Apr 11, 2005
Messages
2,916
Reaction score
403
Sure are a lot of brand-new posters here.
With all the brand-new posters here to tell us how happy they are (unfortunately with very little solid detail), I am beginning to wonder if one of MOD's marketing techniques is to rally the troops on forums? This doesn't seem very professional and so far seems rather ineffective, given the lack of solid data to back up the motherhood & apple pie statements.

Guess I'm another Missouri person...;). Keeping an open mind--I'm willing to be converted with concrete data and details.

ETA: didntwinthepowerball, thanks for your details. I will be very interested to hear your estimate of how much this helped your sales, after your book has come out and had some time to build. Since you got the competitive market analysis, you should have a good idea how your book does against the "competition". (I put that in quotes simply because it's not exactly competition--people who buy books tend to buy several in the genre they like. They mostly arrive at the cash register with an armload or at least a stack, rarely with the one gem that beat out the competition :D.)
 
Last edited:

shadowwalker

empty-nester!
Super Member
Registered
Joined
Mar 8, 2010
Messages
5,601
Reaction score
598
Location
SE Minnesota
Yeah, that whole "competition" thing makes me wonder even more. Another way authors differ from corporations like GE. We want people to buy our books, but rarely instead of someone else's.
 

aliceshortcake

Wilde about Oscar
Super Member
Registered
Joined
Dec 4, 2010
Messages
1,633
Reaction score
258
Location
Oop North
Yeah, that whole "competition" thing makes me wonder even more. Another way authors differ from corporations like GE. We want people to buy our books, but rarely instead of someone else's.

Absolutely! Setting up writers as competitors is ridiculous. We're talking about books, not rival energy suppliers - if I go into Waterstones and see two interesting SF novels by different writers I buy them both. And at the end of the day you can't force readers to buy books they simply don't want.