| |
|
 |
 |
|
   |
|
| Section Menu | SuperThrift Online | About the Book | The Promotional Campaign | Radio Shorts (mp3) |
|
This was created on the suggestion of some American self-publishing experts whose opinions I respected. I decided not to use this sheet primarily because Canadian media people tend to be a tad more pragmatic. I created it to appear as a newspaper or magazine article, professionally-typeset in nine-point Times Roman newspaper type, three columns across on an 8-1/2"x11" sheet. The heading was made in display type to give the review the appearance of an actual newspaper clipping.
Note that I attempted to make this a balanced review as opposed to a rave, an honest portrayal of the book itself rather than a sales pitch. Some markets will use such reviews verbatim, perhaps shortening it to fill a hole in a publication. It makes sense that if you seem fair about the shortcomings and limitations of your own work, editors will be more fair with you.
"Sample Review of 'The Ultimate Shopper'"
-----------------------------------------Handy hints collections, buying guides and consumer action manuals have been publishing industry staples for so long that it's easy to turn a jaundiced eye to any book claiming to offer a fresh approach to saving money. And when it calls itself "The Ultimate Shopper", skepticism can easily turn to cynicism.
The publishers, Living Skill Books, are so sure they've got a winner on their hands that they're offering the reader's money back if the book doesn't save the reader $500 a year or increase purchasing power by a minimum of 10 percent with, if you can believe it, no additional time and effort. And they're pushing this volume as a consumer manual for everyone from the coupon freak to the dyed-in-the-wool impulse shopper.
All well and good. But will it produce the kinds of benefits promised by the publisher? It's hard to say unless you actually put the contents into practice, but it does have a number of things going for it.
First of all, author Steve Winter has ignored subjects such as budgetting and cutting corners, topics which are well-covered by other books. Second, he has not targetted the book only at housewives. He offers ideas and techniques for practically every age and interest group and most income brackets from poverty-line to upper middle-class. And he does so without alienating any particular group of readers.
Third, the ten-point strategy-and-tactics program that takes up the first half of the book may be the most practical and modern approach to saving money at the supermarket yet offered in book form.
Fourth, although he claims to disdain "household hints", he has peppered the pages of his book with several hundred truly unusual ideas, tips and tricks which he claims will work for anyone with the presence of mind to remember to use them.
Fifth, he never claims to be a consumer expert. His forte is getting the most enjoyment for a dollar spent, not seeing how far his dollars can go. He continually urges his readers not to sacrifice enjoyment for a few pennies saved, and he shows how life's little luxuries can be more easily afforded by saving nickels and dimes where they will not be missed.
Sixth, he may be the one of the first since Meg Bracken to use humor to get his moneysaving message across. Winter apologizes for his wit ("my jokes are not pretty and it WILL be painful"), but readers should find his cutting one-liners and witty anecdotes welcome relief from the usual dry fare offered by consumer writers.
Seventh, there are many truly novel concepts discussed here. Second-hand buying is dealt with from a decidedly un-sleazy perspective. Winter offers tips for saving money on vitamins, prescription drugs, even a cost analysis of the mail order record clubs (according to him, they're a sterling investment). There's even a chapter on how to build a no-cost hope chest designed to provide a retirement income.
It's easy to fault him for talking about so many diverse subjects when what most consumers really need is a hard lesson in economics, but that was never his point. He almost seems to be saying that by following his suggestions, budgetting will be unnecessary for many people. But if he helps people to save money who would never use a budget in the first place, he's at least performed some service.
In short, this is truly a moneysaving guide for every consumer. It's the kind of book you can give to a hardcore coupon-cutter, a divorced husband or a young person setting up their first household and know that each will benefit from it. At under 200 pages, it seems a trifle short for its $9.95 price tag, but if the publisher is truly prepared to honor the moneyback guarantee it's hard to see how anyone could go wrong with it. The publishers say they'll refund your money if you're dissatisfied with the book for any reason.
So if you're into saving money and looking for some new ideas, give "The Ultimate Shopper" a look. No, it won't make you into the ultimate shopper, but it's certainly a step in the right direction.
![[cublea.net home]](../../images/lgbtm.gif)
