If confusion is the first step to knowledge, I must be a genius.
– Larry Leissner

Looking at the title of this post, it is okay to ask, “What?” Well, the title is based on tip #55 of Brian Jud’s disturbingly useless book, Get Your Word’s Worth: 555 Tips for Improving Your Book Promotion. Tip #55 states, “Enhance the perception of greater frequency by creating a common look and theme for all communications devices.” While I believe I do understand what the author is trying to convey, I am shocked by the fact that someone in their right mind actually takes the time to come up with further 554 comments of the same moronic nature and the same descriptive value of your daily horoscope.

Let me just take a short mental detour and explain how I got to own a copy of this absurd work. And for the record, please excuse my “colorful” language. After re-reading this post I noticed my negative attitude. Nevertheless, I stand to what I publish here on my blog. I am just a regular guy whose blood broils when I smell a foul deal.

555 Tips For Improving Your Book Promotion

Every now and then I indulge myself with a trip into the bizarre world of writing and publishing by browsing the Internet and looking for websites related to the topic. A great number of these websites dedicated to the publishing industry try to create some income by posting Google ads, and, naturally, the ads offered point to other publishing services – just have a look at this very post.

The vast majority of these ads, however, are sponsored by the sharks in the publishing business, preying on the unsuspecting, aspiring writer, who is desperately looking for a chance to get published. One of these sharks is BookSurge.com, a company owned by Amazon.com. While I do applaud Amazon.com for their business sense, I do not approve of the ruthless methods they use to trick potential new clients into submitting their e-mail addresses and phone numbers.

So, I did click on the Google ad sponsored by BookSurge, and thus creating some small income for one of my favorite websites, DailyWritingTips.com. I was just curious what BookSurge had to offer. The hyperlink directed my browser to a dedicated web page that offered a free copy of Brian Jud’s eBook. I am not afraid to submit my e-mail address (it’s spam protected) or my phone number (it’s the phone in my small office at home, and I’m hardly there during day hours). I am sure they will call eventually and leave a message. They also ask for details of your current literature project, and I wrote I was in the process of writing a novel about a young woman who interacts with vampires and werewolves (my wife insisted on watching the New Moon DVD with me).

My expectations weren’t very high when I opened the eBook and, still, I was shocked by the moronic blabbering in the book. This is yet another prime example of a compelling, but grossly misleading title. It also indicates to me that Brian Jud is a very clever, but ruthless business man. Brian Jud is selling an expertise that is solely based on plain and simple bull-shitting. At the end of the book (tip #555) he points to his website at bookmarketing.com. Yes, I did check the site out, and it screams BS! You recognize a scammer’s web site by a few characteristics, the unattractive style, the large blue and red fonts on a white background, and the unusual long pages. Add to this some – nothing short of orgasmic – testimonies by people whose name are presented like you should know them. “I read Brian Jud’s book, and I sold 200,000 books this last month.” (Sorry, I made this up; it’s fairly easy.)

I am sure Brian Jud makes a comfortable income selling his useless books. As I always point out, there is nothing wrong about making a good profit, but it should be done with dignity and integrity. Brian Jud lives by the principle of what is right is not as important than what is profitable.