Positive Book Review - Armchair Interviews

When the new book was released a few weeks ago, several copies were sent to the various reviewers in the industry. This can be somewhat of a tense time for authors, because these organizations can have a big impact on the success of a book, but you never know what they are going to say. Well, the good news is that the first review was just published and it is GREAT! Here is the review summary from Armchair Interviews:

"If you are looking for a gift that will keep on giving, I’d recommend The Secrets of Money. It’s a one-size-fits-all kind of reference book, for no matter the age of the person, whether they’re about to open their first checking account or are ready for retirement, they can find something to help them manage their money a little better, I know I did. I give it 5 stars."

Although I put my heart and soul into writing a good book, as an author, it is very reassuring to have an independent 3rd party reviewer reinforce your efforts with such positive, impartial comments. My appreciation goes out to both Jan Warren and Andrea Sisco at Armchair Interviews for taking the time to read and review my book.

Click here to read the complete book review on Armchair Interviews.

Cheers,

Braun Mincher, Author
The Secrets of Money: A Guide for Everyone on Practical Financial Literacy
www.BraunMincher.com

Goals for 2008

Merry Christmas and Happy New Year! With the holidays almost behind us, most of us are starting to set goals for 2008, which is just around the corner. I have a lot of big plans and wanted to take a quick moment to share a sampling of what 2008 has in store for me and my book project.

Angela and I attended a lot of holiday parties this season. Many people had read my new book and had good feedback to share, which I enjoyed discussing with them. I was amazed at the diverse occupations and financial situations all of these people had, and how much they all seemed to honestly like my book (granted, they could just be nice, but I really dug to try to get the truth). Readers I spoke with included a retired attorney, an electrician, a bank loan officer, a school teacher, a real estate investor and several college students. My best compliment was from the retired attorney who said that my book was better than Suze Orman’s, because it appealed to a wider range of people and had practical information. Personally, I think that our books are a good compliment, but it is nice to be regarded that highly since she is the undisputed diva of personal finance and someone I admire.

As of next week, my book will have been out for only a month, but it has already done very well sales wise (anyone can sell a book during the holidays...). However, the real work is just beginning. In the early spring of 2008, I am lining up numerous nationwide media interviews to bring awareness to my passionate initiative to better educate all consumers, and not just the business or financial savvy, on the topic of practical Financial Literacy. This will include a nationwide book tour (hopefully, I will be able to fly my 182!), signings and numerous speaking engagements. Please check my Events page for details as they become available.

People traditionally think that individual book sales through brick-and-mortar bookstores are how most authors sell their books. While this is probably true, and I am certainly pursuing that avenue as well, there are also two other sales channels that I am aggressively going after which will allow the project to grow much quicker. The first is quantity discount sales to corporations, groups and schools who purchase 100 to 10,000 of the books at a time to use as a customer/employee premium (gift) or in their programming (teaching). Second, is through professional speaking engagements for groups, trade associations, colleges, corporations and the like who will purchase copies of the book in advance for each attendee (which I will happily autograph afterwards).

Thank you to everyone for your continued encouragement and support. This is a very exciting project, but as you can see above, the real work is just beginning. I am working to apply the same fundaments that helped me be successful in the business world to the “book business,” which I am continuing to learn more about everyday. I look forward to seeing everyone on my 2008 Book Tour!

P.S. If you have not already done so, please give my online Financial Literacy Quiz a try and compare your score with your friends:
www.FinancialLiteracyQuiz.com

Cheers,

Braun Mincher, Author
The Secrets of Money: A Guide for Everyone on Practical Financial Literacy
www.BraunMincher.com

The 'Book Business' Update

While it has only been a week since the release of my new book, The Secrets of Money: A Guide for Everyone on Practical Financial Literacy, I have learned even more than I thought possible about how the book business works. Our top distributor has already sold out of inventory 3 times, so that is a good sign (unless you are one of the people who wanted to buy a copy of the book when they are out).

This last 7-10 days have been somewhat of a blur with the shipping of books, press kits, review copies, etc. It is personally fulfilling to see the books actually getting into the hands of people who will enjoy them and benefit from the knowledge I worked so hard to convey.

If you have not already done so, be sure to test your level of Financial Literacy by taking my online 50-question multiple-choice quiz and comparing your results with your friends. Sadly, the national average right now is only 57%, and if you cannot pass with at least 75% you should think about some additional Financial Literacy education (buying my book would be a good start!). Here is the direct link:

http://www.financialliteracyquiz.com/

In my web surfing this week, I did come across several BLOGS related to "Personal Finance" which I found interesting and would like to share:

http://www.iwillteachyoutoberich.com/
www.getrichslowly.org/blog
http://www.thesimpledollar.com/

Holiday Cheers,

Braun Mincher

Braun Mincher Releases His New Book!

It is with great excitement that I announce my new book was released yesterday nationwide! After more than 3 years of hard work and perseverance, it is very gratifying and a sizable personal accomplishment to finally complete my 472-page "Encyclopedia of Personal Finance."

Why I Wrote the Book
Several years ago I found myself in the position to "retire" at the age of 30. I decided to embark on a new mission and pursue my passion to better educate consumers on the topic of Financial Literacy. After seeing how uneducated many adults in this country are when it comes to basic Financial Literacy and how little we are doing to prepare the next generation, I wanted to make a positive difference. By conducting extensive research and leveraging my business experience and education, I have published my new book, The Secrets of Money: A Guide for Everyone on Practical Financial Literacy.

About the Book - Required Reading for Every Adult Consumer!
My book for adults was written to be the single source of "what you really need to know" to be Financially Literate in the real world; everyone should have a copy in their personal library. Written in a conversational and easy-to-read format, the concise information is presented in a practical rather than a theoretical manner and is appropriate for consumers of all education and income levels. You will clearly see how the topics in this book relate to you. Chapters include: Consumer Credit, Mortgage Lending, Real Estate, Car Buying, Insurance, Taxes, Investing, Estate Planning and Keys to Financial Success. See the Table of Contents.

Buy the Book Today!
Buy a copy for yourself and also change someone's financial future with this great Holiday Gift or Stocking Stuffer!

Whether you are 18 or 80 (or anywhere in between), this book is for you! You may purchase the book from either our website by clicking here or on Amazon by clicking here. The cost is the same on each site ($21.95), but Amazon offers free shipping if your total order is over $25. However, if you would like the book personally inscribed or signed by the author (no additional charge), please order it from our website and note such in the "Additional Information" section at checkout.

Testimonials
Obviously, we feel that this book should be a "must read" for every consumer, young or old. However, do not just take our word for it. Click here to see what others have to say!

100% Satisfaction Guarantee
You Have Nothing to Lose and Everything to Gain! We guarantee that the value of what you learn from buying this book will more than pay for itself. If not, send it back for a full refund of the purchase price. How many other books can offer this guarantee?

Test your Knowledge of Financial Literacy!
Take our 50-question multiple-choice quiz and compare the results with your friends. If you cannot pass with at least 75% then you NEED to read this book! Click here to take the Financial Literacy Quiz!

Thank you to everyone for your continued support of this project. I am sure that you will enjoy reading the book yourself and will find the information useful. Please also consider giving a copy to your friends and loved ones.

Happy Holidays,
Braun Mincher

Visit my Website: www.BraunMincher.com

NYC Meet The Media Update

Well, New York was an amazing experience. Over 4 days, I had the opportunity to meet almost 100 national TV/Radio producers and “pitch” them on my upcoming book. The interest and response was tremendous, although most want to wait until the book actually comes out in about 3 weeks. I did get pre-booked on several shows and will be releasing the details of that shortly.

Several of the producers pulled me aside to talk further, and I even got invited to a private lunch from one of the major shows. This trip was really an opportunity to make an introduction and the key will be keeping in touch. My initiative of “practical financial literacy” seems to be a good hook, especially the fact that I am challenging high schools and colleges across the nation to make “financial literacy” classes a graduation requirement, just like math, English and science.

In addition to the media contacts, the other summit attendees I met were all very interesting and dynamic people. Although there were a few other people in the personal finance category, the topics ran the entire gamut. I spent most of my time working, but Angela and I did find the time to have dinner with my editor and his wife, in addition to enjoying an off-Broadway show. Angela also got in LOTS of shopping in Manhattan, so she was happy!

We are now on our way back home to Colorado. This next week will be full of following up with the media I met in NYC, as well as reviewing the final typesetting layout for the book. I will also start scheduling some book signings for over the holiday season. Thank you for reading my blog, and please check www.BraunMincher.com for frequent updates.

Media Summit - New York City

Well, as they say, today is the day! I will be heading to NYC in a few hours to meet with almost 100 top TV/Radio producers over the next 3 days. I have appointments with all of the major networks and their various morning, daytime and evening news/talk shows. I have had the opportunity to speak with several of these folks in advance, and am already optimistic without being over confident. While I feel that my topic is obviously very timely and will make for good news, national TV/Radio exposure can do nothing but help further my cause of better Financial Literacy for everyone. Needless to say, I am excited and looking forward to this trip with Angela. My suit is pressed, my shoes are shined, and my pitch is ready -- next stop: NYC.

After more than 3 years of hard work, the book project is finally showing signs of coming together. The actual writing (120,000 words of it!) was finished over the summer, so we have spent the last couple of months editing and then re-editing all of the chapters. The book just entered the "typesetting" phase with the publisher, and then the next (final) step will be the actual printing. I am doing everything within my power to get this turned around ASAP due to all of the demand (and in time for the holiday shopping season...), but we are probably still looking at a mid- to late-November release date. In the meantime, we are accepting pre-orders on the website, and it will also be available shortly from both Amazon and BN.com. Let me know what you think of the proposed cover design posted above.

Thanks again to everyone who is helping to turn this idea into a reality. This is such important work, as we as consumers need better education when it comes to Financial Literacy. It has already been very fulfilling to see how some preview copies of the book have been received. For additional information about me or the new book, The Secrets of Money: A Guide for Everyone on Practical Financial Literacy, please visit my website at http://www.braunmincher.com/.

New Blog!

Welcome to my new Blog. I will make frequent postings here to keep everyone updated on the happenings in my world and the release of my new book, "The Secrets of Money: A Guide for Everyone on Practical Financial Literacy." Presently, the book is scheduled to launch in November.

At the end of October, I will be traveling to New York City to meet with lots of national TV and radio producers to launch my PR campaign.

For additional information about me or my new book, please visit my website: http://www.braunmincher.com/.