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