--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: What sells a book sells a book, same in…" description: "\"What sells a book sells a book, same in traditional or self-publishing . You gotta shake your tail feathers.\" — Joni Rodgers" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/7dc/joni-rodgers-48129_book_what-sells-a-book-sells-a-book-same-in-t_2863437.jpg" --- # What sells a book sells a book, same in traditional or… ![“What sells a book sells a book, same in traditional or self-publishing . You gotta shake your tail feathers.” quote by Joni Rodgers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/7dc/joni-rodgers-48129_book_what-sells-a-book-sells-a-book-same-in-t_2863437.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/7dc/joni-rodgers-48129_book_what-sells-a-book-sells-a-book-same-in-t_2863437.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/7dc/joni-rodgers-48129_book_what-sells-a-book-sells-a-book-same-in-t_2863437.jpg) > “What sells a book sells a book, same in traditional or self-publishing . You gotta shake your tail feathers.” [Joni Rodgers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joni-rodgers/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Selling a book requires energetic promotion regardless of publishing route, urging bold, eye‑catching tactics. **In simple terms:** Promote loudly no how it’s published. Key Takeaway Be bold in marketing. Themes marketing promotion self‑publishing traditional publishing confidence Mood energetic assertive Type motivational practical When to use this quote - book launches - social media campaigns - author events - bookstore displays Key Concepts branding audience engagement visibility Questions to Reflect On - How can you balance hype with substance? - What channels best reach your target readers? A Different Perspective Bold tactics may not guarantee sales without quality content. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Book](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/book/) [Book Sells](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/book-sells-3876493/) [Books](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/books/) [Feathers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/feathers/) [Inspirational](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/inspirational/) [Marketing](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/marketing/) [Publishing](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/publishing/) [Publishing Gotta](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/publishing-gotta-3876494/) [Self](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/self/) [Self Publishing](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/self-publishing-238703/) [Sells](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/sells/) [Sells Book](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/sells-book-1828254/) [Shake Tail](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/shake-tail-1714968/) [Shakes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/shakes/) [Tails](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/tails/) [Traditional](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/traditional/) [Writer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/writer/) ## Related quotes > [I love to dance and twist and prance, I shake my tail, as away I sail, wingless I fly into the sky. What am…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/babloo/i-love-to-dance-and-twist-and-prance-i-shake-my-tail-as-away-i-sail/) [Babloo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/babloo/) > [Nobody reads a mystery to get to the middle. They read it to get to the end. If it's a letdown, they won't buy…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mickey-spillane/nobody-reads-a-mystery-to-get-to-the-middle-they-read-it-to-get-to/) [Mickey Spillane](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mickey-spillane/) > [The first page sells this book. The last page sells your next book.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mickey-spillane/the-first-page-sells-this-book-the-last-page-sells-your-next-book/) [Mickey Spillane](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mickey-spillane/) > [The first chapter sells the book; the last chapter sells the next book.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mickey-spillane/the-first-chapter-sells-the-book-the-last-chapter-sells-the-next-book/) [Mickey Spillane](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mickey-spillane/) > [In America there's a tendency to write the same book over and over because that's what sells. So in a way, my success in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steven-tyler/in-america-there-s-a-tendency-to-write-the-same-book-over-and-over/) [Steven Tyler](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steven-tyler/) > [Obviously, there are those in the industry who don't give romance novels the level of respect the sales would warrant. They'll talk about a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sylvia-day/obviously-there-are-those-in-the-industry-who-don-t-give-romance/) [Sylvia Day](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sylvia-day/) > [As an author, I love to know my book sells really well.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jay-asher/as-an-author-i-love-to-know-my-book-sells-really-well/) [Jay Asher](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jay-asher/) > [Buying new books supports the writer by providing both a royalty and an audience; a writer whose book sells well has a better chance…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/celeste-ng/buying-new-books-supports-the-writer-by-providing-both-a-royalty-and/) [Celeste Ng](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/celeste-ng/) > [I think it's a fallacy to say that a good book sells itself. It doesn't happen. I'm a voracious reader and I can give…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/amish-tripathi/i-think-it-s-a-fallacy-to-say-that-a-good-book-sells-itself-it-doesn/) [Amish Tripathi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/amish-tripathi/) > [I really started self-publishing on a serious level in 2002. Those smaller books did well, ended up moving from doing a series to compiling…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tim-fish/i-really-started-self-publishing-on-a-serious-level-in-2002-those/) [Tim Fish](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tim-fish/) > [The publishing industry provides a viable channel which enables a wide distribution of books that we're not seeing in any other way. Unfortunately, self-publishing…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sylvia-day/the-publishing-industry-provides-a-viable-channel-which-enables-a/) [Sylvia Day](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sylvia-day/) > [Self-publishing in comics is core to the whole artform. There is no scarlet letter in comics as there still is, to some degree, in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kieron-gillen/self-publishing-in-comics-is-core-to-the-whole-artform-there-is-no/) [Kieron Gillen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kieron-gillen/) > [Go APE: Author a great book, Publish it quickly, and Entrepreneur your way to success. Self-publishing isn’t easy, but it’s fun and sometimes even…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/guy-kawasaki/go-ape-author-a-great-book-publish-it-quickly-and-entrepreneur-your/) [Guy Kawasaki](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/guy-kawasaki/) > [I know there's a lot of talk about self-publishing right now. Everyone's giddy with the possibilities. And I'll admit that it looks good on…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/patrick-rothfuss/i-know-there-s-a-lot-of-talk-about-self-publishing-right-now-everyone/) [Patrick Rothfuss](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/patrick-rothfuss/) > [It's like the query letter problem that I just mentioned, magnified a hundredfold. You might be good at telling a story, but that doesn't…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/patrick-rothfuss/it-s-like-the-query-letter-problem-that-i-just-mentioned-magnified-a/) [Patrick Rothfuss](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/patrick-rothfuss/) ## More by Joni Rodgers > [“They say the Lord never gives us more than we can bear. This is only true of money and cleavage.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joni-rodgers/they-say-the-lord-never-gives-us-more-than-we-can-bear-this-is-only/) [Joni Rodgers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joni-rodgers/) > [Ultimately, of course, there is no excuse for being fat in this culture. It's the one last prejudice we allow ourselves, the final frontier…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joni-rodgers/ultimately-of-course-there-is-no-excuse-for-being-fat-in-this-culture/) [Joni Rodgers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joni-rodgers/) > [Like any of life's refining fires, cancer is a potentially profound learning experience. So what did I learn? I learned that profound learning experiences…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joni-rodgers/like-any-of-life-s-refining-fires-cancer-is-a-potentially-profound/) [Joni Rodgers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joni-rodgers/) > [“I used to be a Christian, but I decided to follow the teachings of Jesus instead.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joni-rodgers/i-used-to-be-a-christian-but-i-decided-to-follow-the-teachings-of/) [Joni Rodgers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joni-rodgers/) > [“There's a traditional Kenyan prayer: "From the cowardice that dares not deal with new truth, from the laziness that is content with half-truth, from…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joni-rodgers/there-s-a-traditional-kenyan-prayer-from-the-cowardice-that-dares-not/) [Joni Rodgers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joni-rodgers/) > [You're so lucky you never had morning sickness. It's horrible. Like a hangover without the good time.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joni-rodgers/you-re-so-lucky-you-never-had-morning-sickness-it-s-horrible-like-a/) [Joni Rodgers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joni-rodgers/) > [“I was overwhelmed with the privilege it is to parent another human being, the luxury of love, the decadence of caring.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joni-rodgers/i-was-overwhelmed-with-the-privilege-it-is-to-parent-another-human/) [Joni Rodgers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joni-rodgers/) [Explore all 8 Joni Rodgers quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joni-rodgers/) ## More Book quotes > [I think a new world will arise out of the religious mists when we approach our Bible with the idea that it is not…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/aiden-wilson-tozer/i-think-a-new-world-will-arise-out-of-the-religious-mists-when-we/) [Aiden Wilson Tozer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/aiden-wilson-tozer/) > [If I had a dollar for every time I couldn’t sleep, I could buy a billion locks and finally read a book in peace.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/aesop-rock/if-i-had-a-dollar-for-every-time-i-couldn-t-sleep-i-could-buy-a/) [Aesop Rock](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/aesop-rock/) > [Young men, especially in America, write to me and ask me to recommend “a course of reading.” Distrust a course of reading! People who…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/andrew-lang/young-men-especially-in-america-write-to-me-and-ask-me-to-recommend-a/) [Andrew Lang](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/andrew-lang/) > [The Rosary is the book of the blind.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/fulton-j-sheen/the-rosary-is-the-book-of-the-blind/) [Fulton J. Sheen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/fulton-j-sheen/) > [I have many who keep me going, I am very fortunate in this sense. There is nothing like a child who knows more about…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/floyd-cooper/i-have-many-who-keep-me-going-i-am-very-fortunate-in-this-sense-there/) [Floyd Cooper](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/floyd-cooper/) > [I think books in which people are really happy and things are going well are probably the most challenging novels there are to write,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anna-quindlen/i-think-books-in-which-people-are-really-happy-and-things-are-going/) [Anna Quindlen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anna-quindlen/) > [It's like the query letter problem that I just mentioned, magnified a hundredfold. You might be good at telling a story, but that doesn't…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/patrick-rothfuss/it-s-like-the-query-letter-problem-that-i-just-mentioned-magnified-a/) [Patrick Rothfuss](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/patrick-rothfuss/) > [I don't think I have made as much of my life as I should have. I should have written more books.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/arthur-m-schlesinger-jr/i-don-t-think-i-have-made-as-much-of-my-life-as-i-should-have-i/) [Arthur M. Schlesinger, Jr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/arthur-m-schlesinger-jr/) > [Some books are not read in the right way because they have skipped a stage of opinion, assume a crystallization of information in society…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/doris-lessing/some-books-are-not-read-in-the-right-way-because-they-have-skipped-a/) [Doris Lessing](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/doris-lessing/) > [“People talk about books that write themselves, and it's a lie. Books don't write themselves. It takes thought and research and a backache and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/neil-gaiman/people-talk-about-books-that-write-themselves-and-it-s-a-lie-books/) [Neil Gaiman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/neil-gaiman/) > [There are great books in this world and great worlds in books.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anne-bronte/there-are-great-books-in-this-world-and-great-worlds-in-books/) [Anne Bronte](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anne-bronte/) > [The purpose of this book is to supply, in the form suitable for laymen, guidance in the adoption and execution of an investment policy.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/benjamin-graham/the-purpose-of-this-book-is-to-supply-in-the-form-suitable-for-laymen/) [Benjamin Graham](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/benjamin-graham/) > [But I think that of all the literature that I studied, the book that did more than any other to fire my enthusiasm was…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kwame-nkrumah/but-i-think-that-of-all-the-literature-that-i-studied-the-book-that/) [Kwame Nkrumah](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kwame-nkrumah/) > [It's amazing to see things that are suggested in the book fully developed and so brilliantly realized through the artistry of the designers.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/suzanne-collins/it-s-amazing-to-see-things-that-are-suggested-in-the-book-fully/) [Suzanne Collins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/suzanne-collins/) > [“But I’ve developed a great reputation for wisdom by ordering more books than I ever had time to read, and reading more books, by…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marilynne-robinson/but-i-ve-developed-a-great-reputation-for-wisdom-by-ordering-more/) [Marilynne Robinson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marilynne-robinson/) [Browse all 29,378 Book quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/book/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "What sells a book sells a book, same in traditional or self-publishing . You gotta shake your tail feathers.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Joni Rodgers" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joni-rodgers/what-sells-a-book-sells-a-book-same-in-traditional-or-self-publishing/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Book" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joni-rodgers/what-sells-a-book-sells-a-book-same-in-traditional-or-self-publishing/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/7dc/joni-rodgers-48129_book_what-sells-a-book-sells-a-book-same-in-t_2863437.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/7dc/joni-rodgers-48129_book_what-sells-a-book-sells-a-book-same-in-t_2863437.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/7dc/joni-rodgers-48129_book_what-sells-a-book-sells-a-book-same-in-t_2863437.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“What sells a book sells a book, same in traditional or self-publishing . You gotta shake your tail feathers.” — Joni Rodgers", "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "creator": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } } }, { "@type": "BreadcrumbList", "itemListElement": [ { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 1, "name": "Home", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 2, "name": "Quotes", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 3, "name": "Joni Rodgers", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joni-rodgers/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "What sells a book sells a...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joni-rodgers/what-sells-a-book-sells-a-book-same-in-traditional-or-self-publishing/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joni-rodgers/what-sells-a-book-sells-a-book-same-in-traditional-or-self-publishing/#breadcrumb" }, { "@type": "WebSite", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "publisher": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } }, { "@type": "Organization", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "logo": { "@type": "ImageObject", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wp-content/themes/sq/assets/icons/icon-512.png", "width": 512, "height": 512 } } ] } ```