http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/144938028X?ie=UTF8&tag=thiper-20&linkCode=as2&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=144938028X I don't know Rana Sobhany and I've only heard her as a on guest this podcast I used to listen called the 404. I'm actually surprised to see her write this book because she comes off as more of an an iphone enthusiast more than a marketing coach. I'm curious to see what this book offers and how well this will do though.
From the description, the book covers the key points that are necessary for a marketing program. Can't speak about the content, but the basics seemed to be covered. Rana has an interesting background since she is more of a storyteller than an actual marketer. I'm not sure how that translates over to iPhone apps, but I can see it being useful in the development of key questions--why should I buy this? and who cares?. It may not apply directly but answering those types of questions is a helpful exercise for selling your product.
don't you know the rule of thumb? Q: how to get rich on the app store? A: write a book on how to get rich on the app store? seems like another get rich type scheme - why don't developers band together and share experiences and then have a community driven information source.. that way everyone helps each other; instead of sinking $xx into a book and making publishers and authors rich. unless she actually develops applications and has published them - why would i listen to her advice?
That's cute. Perhaps you should actually read what it is I've put together. There is no way to "get rich quick" on the App Store. Even the most basic applications that are successful on the Store have a fundamental understanding of marketing principles. Comments like this are why the App Store is so screwed up.
While your book may have plenty of value, and I suspect it will have automatic appeal to some developers, you're going to have to do a better job marketing it if you want to convince cynical folk that it's worth buying. I'll check out the Amazon summary, but in the meantime am curious which publishers/developers you worked with to do research for the book?
@Deewin I dunno if you saw, but they are also another book for App/iPhone marketing from different authors and publishers. http://www.amazon.com/Business-iPhone-App-Development-Marketing/dp/1430227338/ref=pd_bxgy_b_img_b I am curious to see what those 2 book will contains and if it will be worth to read. I have read so many articles and followed other developer experience on forums/twitter that I wonder if I learn really something new that I didn't know.
I know Rana used her connections and Tumblr blog to interview iphone devs but it looks like Dave actually creates iphone apps. I know that doesn't necessarily mean his will be better but I'm also curious if these books actually offer any advice that isn't already known or found though a quick Google search.
My guess is both books ultimately will offer similar advice. There is no secret formula or hidden method. It really comes down to devs taking marketing seriously and being realistic about their offering. When I was on the PR firm side, having realistic expectations was the biggest obstacle for devs.
As far as most developers go, they could use a Marketing 101 course -which is what I'm sure this book delivers. Support your product? Blogs? Webpages? Forum interactions? Build up a reputation? Checkeroo. Thus far I don't think there is a proven app marketing scheme (do A for result B) - there are things THAT work - but it really comes down to how good your app is and how good you are at networking. Of course this is me guessing, maybe this book will have the secret we've all been waiting for which will go mainstream and no longer work, since you know, people who have secrets want to keep them that way He's referring to it as a get rich quick scheme for YOU
I don't know why so many developers are always offering opportunities to make competition harder. I always tell indie devs to keep their successful marketing schemes to themselves, because once you "advise" it to other developers or supply it to a "community driven information source", it only hurts you. This thread just got interesting.
It goes back to the old rule of thumb during any gold rush -and yes this is a gold rush- if you want to make money during it, sell shovels. The thing that I find interesting with regards to this topic -and I have not read the book- but marketing, is a skill, can you learn it from a book? Yes badly. Think of it this way: At some point you read a book about objective C, the first app/game you did was probably pretty poor -thus the learning curve- in fact if Objective C was your first language, it is likely that it took you two years to learn. Marketing like all other skills takes a long time to learn -I am not a marketing person, but I have worked with many, many marketing people that were very talented and they spent years and in some cases decades honing that skill. There are very few people that can just pick up a book and learn coding and likewise, there are very few people that can nail the marketing aspect from doing the same. Of course there are exceptions to the rule, Alex from Firemint is a freak in terms of her marketing skills -the games are fantastic, but how many of us have seen amazing games that don't even come close to the top 50?- and she just gets it. Likewise there are people out there that can read coding for dummys and wam bam they can code like a pro, but they are the exception rather than the rule.
What specifically did Alex from Firemint do (marketing-wise) to help Flight Control stand out from the pack? I'd love to hear specifics from folk that have been successful (or unsuccessful!) in this area. As for BraveTarget's advice to keep one's tactics close to their chest, I'm doing this as a hobby, and find AppStore dynamics fascinating. I don't have any vested interest in keeping quiet about my own sales numbers or strategies, if it helps stimulate discussion.
Thanks for mentioning "The Business of iPhone App Development: Making and Marketing Apps that Succeed." Although there are a few iPhone app marketing books on the horizon, what makes this book unique is that it was written by developers for developers, showing you not only what to do, but also how to do it, complete with time-saving resources and ready-to-use code examples. Sure, there's no single magic bullet or easy path to riches in the App Store. Marketing your app requires a lot of time and planning, but with more than 6 months of research and case studies poured into this book, I'm confident even the most accomplished iPhone developer will find some value within the 408 pages. But don't take my word for it! To view the complete Table of Contents and even preview the book (via Google Preview), check out: http://iphonebusinessbook.com/ Okay, so enough of my shameless book plug. On a side note... In Rana Sobhany's defense (after reading previous posts in this thread), you do not get rich writing technology books. Unless you're a big name author like David Pogue, it's simply too small of a niche category in the book market and the royalties are tiny. As authors, we share our passion and experience in the hopes of helping other developers in the community... and if we can squeak by, making a living in the process, then it's worth the long months of writing. I'm not trying to start any kind of debate here, but just wanted to clear any misconceptions.
How little is little? If you got paid $1000 to write a book, you just made more than the majority of iPhone developers. I don't begrudge anyone for taking the time to compile information and make a little money from it. However, your TOC doesn't really cover anything that we haven't already discussed publicly within this and other forums. The App Store moves quickly, and what works today may have little to no effect tomorrow. There are certain standards that seem to be universal, like pre-release promotion. The games of yesterday didn't have to compete with huge names in the industry. At this point, the only thing your book and Rana's book will provide me with is something to think about, and the information will be relayed directly to other developers just as I have been doing for the last decade. For free.
Well the same goes for absolutely any book that teaches you anything. These days pretty much all of that same information can be found on the internet. The advantage of having a book that collates this information is that you don't have to scour the web, you have the information in one resource and at your fingertips. Furthermore any old schmuck can publish any old nonsense on the web while publishing a book generally means you have a proven track record in the industry and hence the book is a more trustworthy resource. Finally, having a large amount of information presented in a consistent manner is a huge plus, especially when the book includes working examples, case studies etc. Programming books often have handy reference sections too. Anyway my point is that these days very few books present information that isn't already publicly available but this shouldn't be a reason to stop using them. The point about relevance of the information over time is a good one though, specifically when talking about marketing strategies for the app store.
I'm not denying the usefulness of a book. Books are capable of going more into depth, with a functional structure, outline and (hopefully) well thought out ideas. Most often, when we exchange information within a forum, we don't have the luxury of spending a week to formulate a proper response, with a solid outline and thorough explanation of ideas. Even blogs are somewhat limited in their effectiveness. I really don't begrudge the authors- writing takes talent. However, there are no shortages of people willing to exploit developers in this industry. Developers are desperate, and they are desperate in large numbers. If they weren't then Dave and Rana wouldn't have any readers and they wouldn't be writing books on the subject.
