Journey of ‘exporting’ knowledge by a Gen-Y author

Võ Minh Quân, or Quân Võ, is the author of ‘Profit-Driven Digital Marketing’ which was classified as Top #1 Best Seller in the Global Marketing category on Amazon only a month after its release. Photo giaoducthoidai.vn

Võ Minh Quân has been well-known at home and abroad for his book Profit-Driven Digital Marketing, which was classified Top New Releases, and then Top #1 Best Seller in the Global Marketing category on Amazon only a month after its release.

The 37-year-old author, also known as Quân Võ, released Profit-Driven Digital Marketing in March this year.

It is available in three formats, ebook, paperback and hardcover. The English audiobook version was released by the end of June and is available on various global platforms such as Google Play, Barnes & Noble, Libro.fm, Kobo, and Audiobooks.com.

The book has reached readers worldwide, including the US, the UK, Ireland, the Netherlands, Japan, Germany and Canada. This global version has also been included in the libraries of twelve universities in Ireland.

The newbie’s first book is in Vietnamese entitled Digital Marketing cho nhà quản lý (Digital Marketing for Managers) released by the end of 2022.

Digital Marketing cho nhà quản lý has been available on e-commerce channels, major bookstores in Việt Nam, and was nominated for ‘Top 5 Most Loved Vietnamese Business Books’ and ‘Top 10 Must-Read Business Books of 2023’ by Saigon Business magazine.

Quân was a student in the advanced Computer Science programme at the University of Science in HCM City, in partnership with the United States’ Portland State University.

He has started ventures in various fields and is currently the CEO of a digital marketing company in HCM City and a visiting lecturer on entrepreneurship at the University of Science.

“I was not an all-round student in secondary school just was ‘average’ in literature and ‘poor’ in chemistry because I was not good at memorising formulas,” he told giaoducthoidai.vn:

However, from his time as a physics major student until now, he has always maintained curiosity about social sciences.

“The older I get, the more I enjoy reading and exploring social sciences, literature and arts because they are interesting. As I grew older, my curiosity increased and I read many books on various topics, both in Vietnamese and English. This applies a lot to my current job and the motivation to write a book that many people would love,” Quân said.

“Of course, making the book global was not easy. Besides the support from the platform in promoting the book, I had to overcome many challenges to write the book to ensure it is not outdated and suits the tastes of foreign readers.”

For Quân, writing a book is not just about sharing what he knows but thinking about the product seriously, from the title, cover design, price, publicity and more.

All these aspects require an investment of time and specialised personnel.

Regarding content, he believed it is essential to be engaging and relatable. Readers should find value in the book, relate to the situations they have experienced and apply the lessons in their lives.

“I don’t have a strong personal brand in the global market, so bringing the book to the international market required careful preparation, treating it as a serious product with market research and having a clear target audience,” Quân said.

“The competition on e-commerce platforms like Amazon is extremely fierce. Buyers partly rely on the author’s brand, whether they are famous and trustworthy. While foreign markets are vast and diverse, with countless experts in various fields, the competition for a new author like me is even more complex.”

Self-publishing platform

In Việt Nam, Quân works with the team at Giver Books publishing company.

Like other publishers, Giver Books supports authors in content editing, cover design, obtaining publication licences, printing, distributing and promoting the book.

However, to publish the English book, instead of seeking a comprehensive support publisher abroad, Quân chose to build his own team to help with cover design, editing and ensuring the book’s suitability for the international market.

Additionally, he explored the Kindle Direct Publishing (KDP) platform, an Amazon service supporting self-publishing authors.

Established in 2007, KDP is used by many authors worldwide but is still relatively unfamiliar to Vietnamese authors.

“Author royalties depend on the book format sold – paperback, hardcover, or ebook – ranging from 35 per cent to 70 per cent of the listed price. Amazon calculates royalties by subtracting printing costs (for print books) and taxes based on the country or territory of origin,” he said.

“If an author wants Amazon to support distribution to retailers, they can pay an additional fee. The profit an author receives per book is not high, but in return, just by uploading the book file and cover design to the platform, Amazon takes care of the rest.”

Self-publishing on Amazon allows for print-on-demand distribution, which allows authors to control the print quantity according to demand, saving printing costs.

Furthermore, Amazon has printing facilities in several countries. The expanding network of printing facilities can profoundly change the publishing industry by eliminating the need for physical transportation of books across national borders.

According to author Quân, KDP is breaking down traditional barriers in publishing procedures, paving the way for books to reach readers more easily.

Quân also spends a lot of time researching and analysing, choosing keywords to make it easier for buyers to find his book on search engines. Selecting the book’s category for classification is crucial, such as the Global Marketing category on Amazon.

Additionally, factors like cover design, presentation format and pricing, based on research of foreign books in the same field, are essential for packaging the book as an international product.

He also considers price adjustments at different times to help the book compete and become a best-seller.

Inspiring his children

Quân Võ’s books are available in libraries of 20 universities in Việt Nam. Photo giaoducthoidai.vn

It is known that one of the motivations for the author to write books is for his children to find their father’s achievements online.

According to him, personal effort is a way to push boundaries, paving the way for his children. What he achieves can serve as an example for his children to follow.

“Like selling books from Việt Nam to the world, not many people thought it was possible before. I strive to make it happen,” Quân said.

“I want my children to understand that when they like doing something, despite difficulties and what others might say, if they try hard enough, they will achieve it.

“I hope what I am doing, including writing and selling books on Amazon and ‘exporting’ knowledge from Việt Nam to the world, will give my children more confidence and motivation to live up to their potential and interests and not be limited by any prejudices or barriers society may impose.”

Quân started from scratch, figuring out each step along the way. He constantly challenges himself with different milestones, overcoming numerous difficulties in the journey of exporting knowledge.

“My wish is to contribute to creating a wave of Vietnamese authors daring to ‘package’ and share their knowledge and experiences with global readers, fostering confidence and pride in Vietnamese intellect,” he said. VNS