And these two intriguing tidbits from an FSB Associates book marketing letter I occasionally read:

1. The Web has become an explosive medium for advertising and promoting many things, especially books. As a primary resource for information, “going online” is now second nature to most people, and everything can be found there. Social networks have helped this surge of popularity as “the percentage of adults who have profiles on at least one social networking site (in 2009) has skyrocketed to 35%, up from only 8 percent in 2005.”* (Source: Pew Research Center)

2. Macmillan’s John Sargent says “viral marketing doesn’t sell a ton of books” … Sargent spoke those words at the BEA CEO roundtable discussion on May 28th, citing “a video based on a Macmillan book spent time in the number one spot on YouTube in the UK-and wound up selling a whopping 200 extra copies”.* Rarely has one “hit,” no matter how big, sold many books. And especially on YouTube, a medium with little success selling any books at all. Expecting something to go “viral” won’t work. (Source: Publishers Weekly).

Wow. So online publicity is finally mainstream (as anyone who reads this blog realizes). But then again, no single effort — not even a highly successful youtube video — is guaranteed to sell books. Fascinating, isn’t it?