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Joe Vitale Beats Harry Potter

It happened about an hour ago. Joe Vitale managed to beat Harry Potter to achieve #1 bestseller spot on Amazon.com for his The Attractor Factor book, and he did it with practically no budget and no offline media support, using only "grassroots marketing techniques".

Most certainly a success that we can all learn from, especially since Joe just issued a press release explaining how he did it. And Joe, congratulations!

Here's his press release, which was actually issued a couple of hours before Joe hit #1.

Author Picks Fight With Harry Potter -- and Wins #2 Bestseller Uses Internet in New Ways to Sell Books


(April 6, 2005) The Texas author of numerous books is using a wild EBay auction, online allies, and a truckload of bonuses to, as he says, "chase Harry Potter up a tree."

Joe Vitale's latest book "The Attractor Factor: 5 Easy Steps for Creating Wealth (or anything else) From the Inside Out" (Wiley, $29.95) hit #2 at Amazon and #2 at Barnes and Noble yesterday and is still there today.

The latest Potter book -- still unreleased -- is #1.

"I've bumped Trump, and Da Vinci, and I'm going after Potter," announced the author, whose book is #1 in the business category.

His method has been grassroots and inexpensive:

First: He made an offer few could refuse. Go to http://www.mrfire.com/factor and you'll see a list of 23 bonuses -- "ethical bribes," Vitale calls them -- for anyone who buys his book today. This encourages sales in one day. Many people are buying hundreds of copies to support the author. Vitale just extended the deadline on these offers to midnight on April 6th.

Second: He has used allies to win the war. Vitale contacted owners of large lists and asked them to do a mailing for him. Most agreed, knowing it would be good publicity for them to be involved in Vitale's one-man underground campaign to sell books.

Third: Friends of his posted a creative auction on EBay to sell two million books in one week. Whether he does it or not will have to be seen. See the listing at http://www.JasonMangrum.com/2MillionCopiesSoldOnEbay/

"I'm one guy and a computer going up against a fictional character with a media empire behind him," said Vitale. "Everyone said I don't stand a chance. But look - I'm already #2."

Will he dethrone the Potter king?

Vitale, who is a magician in his spare time, waves his magic wand and says, "Harry Potter oblivio."

"I have more tricks in my Internet bag," says Vitale, who has made bestsellers before using his online system. "Just watch my e-smoke."


Comments

Umm...actually, he's at #5 and falling. He may have been number one for a few hours (we were all watching at), but he's not anymore. It's a kind of pathetic to compete with a book that ISN'T EVEN OUT YET and then lose after a few hours.

Posted by: Matt at April 9, 2005 1:34 AM

Well, let's not forget that Harry Potter has a huge following, generated not only by the books themselves, but the movies as well, and huge media support, while Joe is "just" one man with a highly limited (in coparison to "Harry", zero) media budget.

Posted by: Rok Hrastnik at April 9, 2005 3:11 PM

I can't stand the inane rationalizations of this kind of sub-human cleverness. You're obviously on the gravy train. I don't mean you are paid directly, but in the very least, you BENEFIT by having the news on your blog. Plus, it makes you look like you're "in the loop."

It doesn't matter that JK and Harry had a huge promotional team or that JV topped #1 for a few hours on a particular day. What matter is the method by which it was done -

The self promotion - fight promotion - method piggy backs off of someone else's success, first of all. Second, it defies the law of attraction which is what the book is about. Real attraction ATTRACTS - by charge...it doesn't have to manipulate people or create fictitious battles.

This pseudo-attraction that has you, and a handful of other sycophants FAWNING over Joe and calling it clever and admirable is EXTERNAL - not INTERNAL. It is not CREATING attraction it is MANIPULATING attention.

The only thing worth noting here is that you, and a handful of other sycophants, fancy yourselves capable of discerning the difference.

Concerned Citizen

Posted by: Concerned Citizen at April 11, 2005 12:21 PM

Dear Concerned Citizen (it would be nice to have your name, since we're talking),

Yes, of course I benefit by posting this news item on my site: if you'll take a look at the description below the logo you will see that we in fact do cover "different" marketing campaigns. I benefit by giving my readers an example of a successful campaign "with a difference". But nothing else than this.

For your other comments, please see the other article covering all of this:
http://www.marketingstudies.net/blogs/diary/archive/000322.html

And yes, this was a publicity stunt.

But did it hurt anyone? No.

As such, there's nothing wrong with it.

Take care,

Rok

Posted by: Rok Hrastnik at April 11, 2005 3:05 PM

I'd hate to think there was anything "Sub-Human" about setting out to achieve a goal and then achieving it. Rats, and I was just about to set a goal myself too.

Posted by: skywriteing at April 12, 2005 12:44 AM

Becky, you get it:)

Posted by: Rok Hrastnik at April 18, 2005 12:14 PM

Was this a publicity stunt? Yes. In the fine tradition of PT Barnum (of whom Joe Vitale is fan). Did it harm anyone - no. In fact, if anything it helped to promote Harry Potter. Its not as if people were choosing between the two books.

So Joe sold a ton of books too using a variety of Guerrilla techbiques. Bravo! I say.

Posted by: J D Moore at September 20, 2005 11:17 PM

Hmmm... Wow, he must have a great book! Too bad it's not carried by Barnes and Noble or Borders. I wonder why? Maybe it's because 10% of his book are Amazon.com reviews from an earlier book, Spiritual Marketing. Why would that prove that the Attractor Factor works? It doesn't, unless the books are the same. I read the reviews on Amazon.com, and found that there are PLANTED REVIEWS!!! Here is what a reviewer said in his review of Spiritual Marketing:

"It's a book that you'll buy again just to give away!!!, May 27, 2003
Reviewer: Richard Brassaw "Storyman" (Torrance) - See all my reviews
I didn't find the book. It was more like the book found me.
Searching for a book on marketing, Joe Vitale's book appeared on my search list. In retrospect it was serendipity. I read page after page of glowing reviews and decided that there must be a reason all these people are taking the time to say such great things about the book; it was either that or Joe sure had a lot of friends.
As mentioned in one review it is a very short read. It isn't the number of words that matters as how much impact those words can have on your life. To risk being redundant to previous reviews the results are profound.
After reading the book, I told a friend about it and suggested he read it. At first he wasn't interested because it challenged a couple of strong beliefs that he had about himself and others. Maybe it was my enthusiasm that caused him to agree to read the book.
A few days later my phone rang. It was my reluctant friend who said, "hello," then paused before speaking in a slow, quiet voice, "I think that book got me a job." If you've read the book you'll recognize the irony and if you haven't read the book you should."

Now read a review of the Attractor Factor by someone with a remarkably similar experience:

"Inspiring and transforming book, September 16, 2005
Reviewer: Lin Yutang - See all my reviews
How to illustrate my experience about this book? I presume that I did not find the book. It was more like the book found me.
As a business operation marketing VP, I tend to go on searching for books on advertising and marketing; Joe Vitale's book appeared on my search list. Looking back in retrospect it was like destiny. I read page after page of glowing reviews and decided that there must be a reason all these people are taking the time to say such great things about the book; it was either that or JoeV. sure had one too many friends.
Just as it was mentioned by one reviewer, it is a very short read. It isn't the number of words that matters as how much impact those words can have on your life. To risk being redundant to previous reviews the results are profound. In our marketing business, one of the things we do is to provide business advice to our clients, and this book has become the inspiration to offer our clients for a better and a more holistic approach to the business arena.
After reading the book, I told a CEO friend of mine about it and suggested he read it. At first he wasn't interested because it challenged a couple of strong beliefs that he had about himself and others. Maybe it was my "Emersonian enthusiasm" that caused him to agree to read the book.
A few days later my phone rang. It was my hesitant friend who said, "hi there," then he paused before speaking in a slow, quiet voice, "I think that book got me a huge business contract." If you have read the book you will recognize the irony and if you have not read the book you should. If you want to know how to manifest what you most desire to be, do, and have in your lifetime, JoeV's "The Attractor Factor" has the step-by-step guidance you are looking for.
This book is clear, concise, no nonsene, and deeply moving, JoeV shows you exactly how he creates the life of his dreams, and tells you exactly how we can do it, too. Starting right now - yes, today!
Whether you transform your life or not is up to you. They say, life is a choice and reading this book should be your choice.
Most books out there really are not much help in directly, effectively guiding one to facilitate that transformation. "The Attractor Factor" is not "most books" ... in any way. This book helped me set things in motion for our business at "PQSdirect" and my own life the very day I started reading it. And it's snowballed from there in incredible ways. If it can do this for me and my company, it can do the same for you!!!
It's just plain and simple: Get "The Attractor Factor" ... use it and place it in practice ... and make your life the life of your dreams!! Do not wait, make it happen, About this book, no regrets no retreats...it really works!!!"

Wow, that's cheap. I posted a 1 star review on Amazon.com, but it was deleted, because I pointed out these two reviews. They were deleted within 20 minutes, both times. There is someone working for Joe or he's doing it himself. Since we know that there are planted reviews of his books, and he uses them as proof that the Attractor Factor works, he's a fraud! How can someone mislead people who are stupid enough to buy his books? He certainly knows that there are planted reviews, but THAT is his key to marketing. If there are more positive than negative reviews, people are more willing to buy the book. So the key is to keep making fraudulent positive reviews.. Nice one.

Posted by: Nothing at December 31, 2005 11:45 PM

To nothing: Joe Vitale's books are in both Borders and Barnes and Noble.

And to everyone else, his latest book stayed at #1 on Amazon for 4 days so he's doing something right.

And I thought the Attractor Factor was a great book. (I bought it at Borders not Amazon.)

Posted by: John Thorley at March 28, 2006 1:02 AM

Joe has quite a following, (including me) not only for his wisdom around law of attraction (attracting what you want as opposed to what you do not want).

And being a master of being a role model for marketing online and actually "living" law of attraction!

He walks the walk!

I would expect his latest book would be a hit!

Congrats Joe!!!

PS Your book "Spiritual Marketing", the first book I ever read of yours, is still a favorite of mine!

AND I absolutely LOVED you in " The Secret Movie "!!!

Pat Graham-Block

Posted by: Pat Graham-Block at April 14, 2006 4:03 PM


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