Flawless Event Planning - Part 2

Here are the essentials for booksignings and other events. 

Your event is right around the corner, but what do you need to have with you?  

• Cart/Dolly
• Table
• Tablecloth
• Poster or banner stand with a simple graphic (not a wall of text)
• Easel (if bringing poster)
• Books (be reasonable about the quantity)
• Book stands
• Cash box (with a "bank" based on how much you are charging. Set price so coins aren't needed.)
• Credit card swiping device (Square, PayPal, etc.)
• Any other collateral items you have, such as bookmarks, postcards, brochures, press kits
• Reseller tax permit for the state you are selling in (in a folder is fine)
• Optional: Original illustrations
• Optional: Photos from the book
• Tradeshow Kit*

*Tradeshow Kit: This is the holy grail. Here’s the scoop:

The tradeshow kit is a tackle box filled to the brim with what may seem like random items. Lisa, over her 30+ years of coordination and management of tradeshows, has compiled this list of items to put into a tradeshow kit. This kit includes the Things You’ll Need, the Things You Don’t Think You'll Need, and some Things You Don’t Even Know You’ll Need! These things interchange from show to show, but rest assured this kit should stay assembled and at the ready on a shelf or in your trunk, so you can grab and go for any event, planned or spontaneous! It has saved CMI many times, and it will save you – guaranteed!

Flawless Event Planning - Part 1

Your event is coming up quickly! Are you prepared?

It’s exciting to take your book to an event where you’ll engage customers and hopefully sell them your book. You want to make sure that you have an exciting display and all of the tools necessary to do business.

What do you bring? This question has plagued authors all across the country for years. Here’s Lisa’s list from doing over 350 national, regional and local shows from budgets of $250 to $90,000.  What she learned is to be prepared for the strangest things to happen! The items you bring along, and a little advance planning can make or break your show. 

1. Know who is attending the show and how your product benefits them.
2. Know if your fellow exhibitors are your REAL audience 
3. Know how you are going to follow up on your leads BEFORE you even go to the show
4. Have your spiel memorized, practiced, honed and perfected. And don’t change it from person to person!
5. Keep your messages simple and to the point for the audience you are seeking. Don’t try to be all things to all people.
6. Know how long it takes you to present your book to a prospective customer. (Learn how to stop talking and let them ask a question)
7. Know your goals
8. Know your budget and stick to it
9. Know who is in charge of the show itself: their phone number and name (It doesn’t hurt to bring a pack of Thank You notes and a couple of little gifts just in case.)
10. Don’t get hung up on little annoying distractions – be prepared with a Tradeshow Kit* so you don’t have to waste time hunting down minutiae.

Part 2 - Tune in next week for the essentials in packing for your events!

Book Marketing Summit Summary

Well, we did it!  We gathered, book publishing professionals and authors of all types, in one room and shared ideas. There is just something about hearing an author talk about their passion, and what is working for them, what they have tried and what didn't work as well.  Sixteen people joined us for the first Monthly Book Marketing Summit at Swanson Library to exchange ideas. There are lots of writing groups, but I wanted something different: A meeting of published authors talking about marketing!

There were children's authors, non-fiction authors, and fiction, with greatly varied topics -- but the one similarity tying us all together is their desire to share a story with others.  Some of the topics that were shared were:

Blogs, Facebook and other social media - The discussion was "Do they actually translate into sales?" The general consensus is that they don't work in isolation -- you have to use them concurrently and frequently.

Traditional print media - Newspapers, magazines -- risky for books because unit cost is low for an individual sale, Must have distribution through bookstores for this to be effective.

Publicity - Is it worth the trouble?  The discussion was the full spectrum with one individual thinking it doesn't really work anymore, one person thinking it is the holy grail and the rest of the room happy to spend a few hundred to distribute a press release a couple of times a year.

Events - Book Festivals: (No general book celebrations in Omaha or the area; too snooty); Farmer's Markets: good for some types of books for the right author (but not for everyone and you have to be accepted); Craft Fairs: A lot of work, but can be lucrative with good placement.

Next Book Marketing Summit: December 10, 6:00 pm-8:00 pm - Millard Public Library

Your Book is Not An Engagement Ring

After 30 years in marketing and publishing, I've learned a lot of things that fly in the face of conventional wisdom.  Like, for example, a line (surprisingly!) doesn't start forming at the bookstore with your first tap on the keyboard... Or "you're not legitimately published unless a New York house publishes your book." Or a mention in Redbook, complete with cover graphic of your book, will result in 1,000s of sales. Yes, these ideas tend to disappoint...

But the most insidious thinking in book marketing is the 

show-stopping, money-gobbling, time-wasting constant FEAR OF COMPETITION.  

In my experienced, but humble, opinion, the only real competition in publishing is SUBSTITUTION. Are your prospective readers buying something other than a book to fill whatever the need warrants?  Is Jane Doe buying a book to learn how to plant a garden or is she taking a class?  Is John buying a book for entertainment on his trip or is he buying new sunglasses and a travel Scrabble set? Substitution is the only insurmountable competition because it's virtually impossible to predict and market to.

What's the fix? You can sell a lot of books by looking at who bought another book like yours.  Think about it for a minute. What's your favorite kind of book to read?  Memoir? Romance? Self Help? Adventure? Parenting? Do you just have ONE book that fills all your entertainment, educational, information-gathering needs?  Hell no. You probably have dozens, if not hundreds in the same or a very close genre.  People tend to gravitate to a certain type of reading to fit their mood at that moment.  They get one nugget from a business book, or four days of entertainment from each novel, or one new strategy to try with their kids. Each book only has to offer that one nugget that brings value to the reader.  That leaves a lot of room for everyone else!

Now, if you were in the engagement ring business, you could only hope to sell one engagement ring to that one customer (except in Hollywood, of course).  That's cut-throat competition.  Which one retailer, which one ring will win the honor of residing on that bride's finger for the rest of her life.  Luckily, book marketing is the exact opposite.

What should you do now?  The first person I call when we get a book to market is another author marketing to the same type of reader. You can coop marketing with them to cut your costs in so many ways.  You can ask for endorsements. You can cross market.  Get to know other authors in your genre and I vow that it will benefit you!  

EVENT: If you are in or near Omaha and you would like to share marketing ideas with other published (or nearly published) authors, join us Wednesday, November 5th for the first monthly Book Marketing Summit.  It will be at Swanson Library from 6-8 pm.  Can't make this one?  We'll have one each month, so like my page on Facebook for notifications of times and places. 
https://www.facebook.com/events/760336264038625/

Focus Pocus!

There is an old saying that the urgent often wins over the important.  

Are you spending so much time flitting about chasing after every little thing that comes up that you are missing the biggest opportunities?  Your overriding goals in publishing should help you focus on the things that matter.  Set your goals realistically, measurably and reachable so you have a way to tell if your goals are being met.  

I recently helped an author retrieve her publishing rights from a POD "self publisher". There were some legal documents she had to sign and some files she needed to get from the publisher. There was also the not-so-small detail of being paid the royalties she was overdue prior to cancelling. Rather than waiting until all the "I"s were dotted and "T"s were crossed as I recommended, she proceeded to cancel the contract ahead of the other items. Suddenly there were no royalties for that whole quarter in question. Trouble was, I could see through my own channels that there indeed were over $10,000 in ebook sales for that quarter.  How much the royalty should have been was not clear in any of her paperwork, but I assure you that it was not "nothing." Now, with auditors, attorneys and accountants, everything is delayed for her, and her book is time sensitive.  

Another author told me that she had already printed 3,000 of her hardcover book through Lightning Source because she knew there would be sales. Now she was in my office requesting help to sell the six-month-old book.  So she has a garage full of books -- 2,920 of them!  She had concentrated on getting a low unit cost for a book that had no readers or buyers, no distribution, no customers, no website, no marketing materials, no nothing. The list in the prior sentence should illustrate a few things she should have done prior to printing all those books. 

Bottom line, really look at what you are doing now, what you are doing next, where you want to be a year or two from today, all while looking back at you did yesterday to see what worked. Are you focusing on the tasks that will bring you big sales today and in the future? Are you truly supporting your book? Are you focusing on building and strengthening the hive or just flitting around to smell the flower of the day?  

November - It must be time for writing something

While writers everywhere are participating in NaNoWriMo, I decided I wanted to participate in a writing exercise of a different sort -- NaBloPoMo, a program run by Blogher.com (National Blog Posting Month) -- With it, I vow to blog each day in November with ideas for publishing, writing and marketing. Thank you for spending your time on my blog; I hope you find it useful.

Since November 17, 2014 marks the 10th year my company has been in business, it seemed like as good a time as any to get back to blogging.  

I looked back at some of my previous blog entries about publishing, writing, marketing and running a business to decide what might be missing, or changed, since then. I decided that if a new author spent some time on my blog, they might find ideas that would help them make better decisions about publishing and marketing.  Not bad, but I have more to say.  

My goal this month is to provide marketing ideas for authors.  Yes, some of them cost money. Yes, some of them require some effort besides signing up. And yes, some of them are bigger and better than others.  However, my goal is to get you doing at least one thing each day to market your own book(s).  

You might think my November 1 entry about future entries is kind of a cop out, and in a way it is.  I always tell writers to just sit down and write something to get them started.  I'm no different.  

No matter what you are writing this month, remember that there are others exposing their thoughts, vulnerabilities, dreams, stories and lives. That should make it a little easier to share your own.

See you tomorrow.

3 Super Simple Ideas for Self Publishers to do NOW

These ideas are so simple you can do them right now, even if you just have a working title:

1. Buy the domain name of your book title, your name (if it is unavailable, add "author" at the front. i.e. www.AuthorAprilKelly.com), and your publishing company name. Buy these in all the possible misspellings.  
2. Capture your Facebook ID sooner than later. From your profile, go down to the bottom of the screen to "Create a Page" and follow the prompts.
3. Put Google Alerts on your title, your name, your topic and competing book.

Do a minimum of one thing to market yourself and your book today.  (Yes, even on weekends.)  That could mean mentioning it to someone at lunch, handing out a card, calling a prospective customer, commenting on a blog.  Anything is better than nothing -- but do something every single day!

The 6 Outrageous Mistakes Authors Make (Part 2)

The 6 Outrageous Mistakes Authors Make

When Writing Press Releases (Part 2)

Guest Blogger, friend, and colleague Sandra Wendel

Now where were we? Oh, yes, the importance of a grabber headline and the mistakes authors make in writing press releases:

Mistake #1: Thinking that your book coming out is headline news. It’s not. Fix: Give your book’s press release a reason to be read. 

The fact that you wrote a book is not news. But surely your book has a “wow” factor. Use it to hook reporters with a knock-their-socks-off headline that grabs them.

Common boring example many authors choose (Marilyn didn't submit this headline, but it's an effective example of what not to do):  

Marilyn Coffey Releases 40^th Anniversary Edition of Her Novel

Instead, set the hook and yank with this headline we actually used:  

Taboo Novel Shocked America 40 Years Ago

Real-life current example from a traditional publisher who should know better:

From the Authors of Barefoot Running Comes the Essential Guide to the Life-Changing Benefits of Barefoot Walking

My rewrite (but nobody asked me):

What’s the One Simple and Free Physical Activity Everybody Can Do

to Change Their Lives?

Maybe the people in New York publishing think launching a book is news. They’re still stuck in that tired traditional publishing model. You don’t have to be. Why? Because your book is competing with millions of ebooks and tree books for eyeballs. Your goal: Get a time-pressed lifestyle/health journalist or book reviewer working on a big city daily newspaper to scroll through a lengthy email of headlines and first lines to linger and perhaps stop—and OMG click—the link to read your grabber headline.

Give ’em a reason to request a copy. Or risk becoming noise in their crowded Inbox.

Mistake #2: Making reviewers jump through hoops to get a copy of your book. 

Your “wow” headline got the attention of a writer/reviewer/blogger. Now what? Offer them (a) a media review copy of the book by overnight delivery; (b) a virtual copy of the book immediately; (c) multiple ways to reach you via email, phone, web link to the book’s website; (d) all of the above. Right answer is (d).

Here’s an insider secret: journalists are busy and sometimes lazy. Make it easy for them to click for results. [P.S.: Make sure you are available to answer your phone and emails immediately if not sooner. Send a thank you note for any coverage you get.]

Only mail books with your press release right off the bat to the crème de la crème of media where you’re assured of a review, and that might be only five to ten sources that don’t include the Oprah Book Club.

Mistake #3: Saving the good stuff for the end of the release. Fix: Hit ’em with your best stuff first. 

Don’t wait until the end of the press release to mention that your book contains never-before-seen photos or that you’re the last living relative of Al Capone. That’s your lead. Lead with it. Inside secret #2: Journalists may not read to the end. They live in a reverse pyramid world.

Mistake #4: Looking sloppy. Fix: Proofread. 

And proofread again. If your press release is jumbled and contains typos and poor grammar, surely your book does too (or so the thinking goes).

Mistake #5: Thinking the entire world is interested in your new book. Fix: Hit your best prospects. 

The entire world isn’t interested in your new book. But niche journalists and their niche readers will be. Include on your email hit list the big time reporters/reviewers/publications in your genre, with their emails and names spelled correctly. Other often-overlooked sources for publicity include your alumni magazine; your hometown media (and make sure you include a personal note telling them your connection); church bulletins; social club newsletters; membership organizations you belong to; affinity groups; bloggers on the topic; and anybody who helped you write your book.

Hit your followers on Twitter, Facebook, and LinkedIn with hot links to your book’s webpage. Make them your little army of marketers to “share” your news on social media with a personal note (“I went to high school with this guy.” “Her kids go to our daycare too.”) These are the followers you have been cultivating all those months and years it took you to write your book.

Mistake #6: Using the wrong press release service with the wrong email list. Fix: Send a Hail Mary with a competent press release service and updated lists. 

Yes, look into a press release service that (a) hits the media in the genre you’re dabbling in (lifestyle writers at major U.S. daily newspapers for your self-help book and fantasy bloggers for your Harry Potter–like novel), and (b) select a service with coverage you can afford.

Tuesdays are still supposedly the best days to send press releases. But nobody really knows. If the Dow tanks, that day is a bad day to send press releases. Avoid weekends and Monday mornings and Fridays before a holiday.

It’s an old wives’ tale that releases shouldn't be longer than a page. So how long is a page these days? Say what you need to say, say it well, and stop. Include pertinent information about your book (title, author, about the author, ISBN, number of pages, price, formats, a 50-word blurb, book’s website URL optimized and hot, color cover and color author photo, and tell where to buy the book).

Sandra Wendel is a book editor. (www.SandraWendel.com) 

Marketing - Day 7 - Best advice of the day

Not everything is right for your book.

Don't do everything, only do what will make a difference.

Don't market to everybody, it's too expensive.

Don't try to make your book available everywhere books are found. You want to be everywhere your buyers are instead. 

Don't spend every dime on printing (save some for marketing). 

6 Outrageous Mistakes Authors Make - Part 1

When Writing Press Releases (Part 1)

Guest Blogger, friend, and colleague Sandra Wendel

Let me convey my best advice in a few words: Who cares if you wrote a book? You may stop reading now if you’re pressed for time and just wanted the Cliffs Notes on this blog post.

Yes, you wrote a book. Yes, you want publicity. Yes, you need to get the word out about your book and sell a million copies (or realistically at least a few hundred, but you hope for a few thousand). But how?

That’s where perfectly terrific writers who have written a magnificent manuscript that has been expertly designed and independently published turn into do-it-yourselfers with two left thumbs (unless, of course, they have two left hands through the miracle of medical transplantation, which would be a real news angle for a press release on a book on that subject).

In other words, many authors (and their publishers) can’t seem to expertly execute the press release part of their marketing strategy. In many cases, the press release becomes an afterthought to which they give little thought.

Not a good idea.

Yes, you need a press release. Yes, you will want to alert certain media outlets that you wrote a book. But nobody cares you wrote a book, and unless you feel like wasting time and effort (and probably precious marketing bucks), stop the presses right now until you read here how to craft a press release that delivers (articles, readers, reviews = sales).

By “delivers,” I mean turning your press release into a key cog in your marketing machine that turns into book sales. It’s one thing to pump out a press release telling the world about your wonderful new thriller, memoir, or self-help book, but I ask again, “Who cares?” Other than your family and maybe a few desperately loyal friends, nobody cares.

What journalists and bloggers care about is a hook, an angle, and a reason to give your “news” some space in their newspaper or on their website or a mention in their book review blog. Book bloggers are the new book reviewers, by the way, and you need to find them and give them a reason to pay attention to you.

Just because you wrote a book is not news. Please read that sentence again. It’s brutally true.

So what makes a busy, tired, overworked, underappreciated journalist or blogger or book reviewer on a tight deadline stop and take notice of your press release?

Oh, I have used up my allotment of words for today's blog, so you’ll have to read the next installment for the six outrageous mistakes authors make in writing their press releases.

Gotcha, didn’t I? Never underestimate the power of a powerful news hook and headline.

Guest blogger: Sandra Wendel is a book editor who has written scads of press releases and made plenty of blunders along the way. (www.SandraWendel.com) 

Part 2 tomorrow...

Marketing - Day 5 - Learn a New Marketing Language

In 1960, Jerome E. McCarthy came up with a revolutionary way to break up the elements of marketing -- the Four P's. He said that if you can establish these four things as you introduce and maintain the marketing of something, you'll be successful:  Product, Price, Placement, Promotion. Marketing classes repeat the Four Ps over and over and over -- I did it myself a week ago...

After I presented my class last Saturday, I began to ask myself "Do the Four Ps still play today?"  I think in the 20th Century marketplace with a product-oriented philosophy where you had to pound your message over a prospect's head over and over, yes.  In the real world of today, not so much. The 21st Century marketplace has given the consumer power -- power to demand quality, value, a great product experience, ease of purchase and acquisition. 

Let's get microscopic and look at today's consumer:

Is the Product still important?  Today, I believe that the Experience the customer has with your product is the only message prospective buyers care about.  You can talk all you want about the product itself, but prospective consumers are going to focus on what it does for them. Period.  

Is the Price still important?  If you look purely at Price as a critical piece of marketing, you are looking at it only from one direction. I believe Value is more important -- and that is a two-way transaction. Does your customer believe that they gained something that is commensurate with the price you are charging?  On the other hand, does the amount it costs to make the product leave you with enough of a margin when you set your price?  Consider the middlemen too.  Do they bring value to your customer by getting the product where it is supposed to be without charging so much that it is impossible to make a profit?

Is Placement still important? Not so much anymore. Why?  Because you have to be Everywhere your customer might be looking.  Does that mean Everywhere Everywhere?  No. It means you have to be where your buyer is when they want to take out the $20 to buy your book.  Study the habits of your consumer and make sure your book is available in the places that make sense -- and that doesn't mean bookstores only. People buy books in all sorts of places -- retail stores, online, through groups and associations, at events, directly from you. 

Is Promotion still important? Seth Godin has recoined this element as building a "Tribe." David Ogilvy calls it product Evangelism. Promotion in its purest description is an offer, delivered creatively, delivered often enough to catch the attention of the buyer, with enough of an offer to persuade the buyer to purchase. Today, it's more important to Engage your customer in an emotional experience that delivers greater value than another company's experience delivers. 

Let your consumer be part of your marketing. Bring them into the pages of your story. Make your book easy to find and buy. Bring them value for their money. See, marketing is easy.  

Marketing - Day 4 - Think Engagement

What do you want your consumer to DO?  Is buying your book the end of the transaction for you, the author/publisher?  If you are like most of our authors, you want your reader to actually do something, change something, learn something, tell someone, be happier, be better, be inspired, or be entertained. 

We look to the back of the book for an opportunity to engage our customers. We add things that the reader might want to know, do or purchase as a result of loving whatever book we are talking about:

• About the author - Do you invite your readers to engage in conversations with you about characters, ideas and content?
• How to buy more - Perhaps your reader would like to purchase a case for her employees. Make it easy for her by providing information in the back of your book.
• Speaker Information - If you are a speaker or presenter, put information in the back of your book that will enable a reader to find you easily to hire you for an event.
• Bibliography or Suggested Reading - Do you provide ideas for additional reading? 
• Facebook Page or Blog - Engage your readers by allowing them a forum to discuss your book with you and other readers.
• Design philosophy - Does your book have special features, fonts, design elements that have special significance?  Many readers look in the book to find why something is the way it is.  
• Index - Indexes come in many forms. Does your book detail people and places? Customize it for that purpose.
• Glossary - Glossaries help the reader understand the terminology within your book
• Discussion Questions -Book clubs, schools and other groups appreciate discussions questions to get them started.  Having discussion questions in the back of your book is something to advertise on the outside of your book and in your marketing materials.

When you get your reader involved with you, your book, and other readers, it helps you spread the word about your book and you. Engage your reader in conversation and help them do what you set out to do when you wrote your book in the first place.  

Marketing - Day 3 - Think Commitment

In our publishing classes each quarter, I discuss the commitments a buyer makes versus the commitments a reader makes to you (the author). It's an important distinction because so many of you are choosing to publish your own work, and the behavior of book consumers is the same as it has always been no matter what formats you choose to offer: People buy books for themselves to read. People buy books to give to other people.

While I hear many authors ask virtually anyone in their path to "buy my book;" what most don't recognize, is that there is a much bigger commitment at work. Take a few moments to consider what you are really asking of your consumers; and remember that your buyer and your reader may or may not be the same person.

The commitment from the buyer is simple: You sell me a book, I'll commit $20 for it, and you deliver it to me in any form I want.  Done and done.

The commitment from the reader is complicated:  I'll commit the time to read it and think about what you say. I may also commit a portion of my self to actually making a change you recommend, or furthering an idea you suggest. In some cases, I may even change my life. You tell me I'll be either entertained, informed or educated and I'll commit the time to see if you deliver.  

Make certain that your book does deliver what you promise in your marketing, and be thankful for the valuable commitment your customer has made to you.

Marketing - Day 2 - Describe Your Book

You'll need to provide descriptions of your book for various purposes. You'll need it for your back cover, your sell sheet, descriptions for your wholesaler, book sellers, catalog listings, press materials, and your verbal explanation of your book (we'll handle your elevator speech later).

Here's the different types of descriptions we write for each and every book (because experience tells us that these lengths are most frequently requested):

  Length    Common Usage (but many other uses present themselves)
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
  30 words - For those occasions when someone asks for 1 or 2 sentences about your book
  50 words - Very common length for catalogs and newspapers announcing your book
  75 words - Common for wholesalers and bookstores
100 words - Newsletter announcements, short descriptions for websites and bloggers
150 words - Pretty common length for back cover copy, but not set in stone
300 words - Longer descriptions when a website leads a buyer to "read more"

Craft this copy carefully. Every word is relevant and all of these words should provide separate and powerful tools for online searches. Google the keywords that you are considering for your copy to see what results come up. Remember that this copy is not the place to be vague or to use "puffery" like "the best book" or "the only book." Tell the reader exactly what they will get from reading your book, what your book brings to the table that other books don't provide, and don't play games with the buyer. Appreciate the moment the person has taken to read about your book by providing meticulously-written copy that illustrates your promise.

File a master file with all of these descriptions at the ready. Make sure if you change a relevant word that you change the word in all of your descriptions for consistency.

Save each description you send with it's own file name. For example, Your_book_030213_Amazon_100

How to Market Your Book - Day 1 - What is Success?

It's the first day of March, the beginning of Small Press Month. Take a vow with me to make marketing your book a priority this month. Do something every day.

TODAY:  Write down what YOUR definition of success is in publishing.

It's not the same for everyone. Really examine what you are trying to achieve.

Hint:  It is probably not all about selling books!

If you are willing to share, let us know what your definition of success is.  Thanks!

Get Organized and Start Writing

It's the second week of January and you are sitting there this morning wishing you could get to writing your nonfiction book. Here are some lessons I have learned from working with writers for three decades:

GET ORGANIZED!

• First, remember that fiction is made up, non-fiction is "not made up". Interestingly, 70% of first-time authors are not able to identify which is which!
• Do give your project a working title. Don't put pressure on yourself to create the perfect title. Your working title is a destination - make it precise enough to give you a path to reach it and if something doesn't get you to that destination, don't put it in your book.
• Do set aside a place for your writing.
• Do set aside time for writing. Tell yourself  "I will write two paragraphs today," and then do it. (Notice I didn't say "I will write two perfect paragraphs today," nor did I say "I will write a chapter."
• Do write out a table of contents on index cards with suggested points bulleted underneath.(Hint: don't call it an outline.) I like index cards because you can rearrange their order. Don't expect to have your table of contents complete in one sitting -- it's a dynamic and fluid guide at this point.
• Do buy a three-ring binder and a bunch of plastic pockets and start gathering photos or other items you want to include or write about in your book.
• Do write the low-hanging fruit stories first ... and in the words of Anne Lamott, "Give yourself permission to write a shitty first draft."
• Don't try to write the first paragraph or the last line first. 
• Do be yourself in your writing -- One of each Tolstoy, Hemingway or Dr. Seuss is enough
• Do take a class on writing -- any and all types of writing classes. If you were going to try yoga, you would go to a class to learn and perfect your technique. Works the same for your writing.
• Do read a book in your genre. 

Today is day one.  Two paragraphs.  Go.

Is this the year you will become a published author?

This could be your year!  There are more alternatives, more opportunities and more distribution channels than ever to share your story.  Brush off those beginning chapters you started but didn't know how to finish and what to do next, and stay tuned...

1. Define what success is to YOU. Be specific!  Why are you writing a book?
2. Who will want to read your book. Be specific - Everybody is NOT an answer.
3. Decide who will BUY your book. If you are self publishing, your marketing dollars go here.
4. Don't spend a dime until you fully understand 1-3.
5. Be realistic, positive and get informed. Realize that no matter what your budget is, there IS a way to get you published.

My 2013 resolution is to complete a useful blog post every week of this year with lots of great tips and things to think about as you embark on your exciting journey.

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Want to get the info in condensed form?  

We have classes at Metro Community College in the Omaha area.

How to Write Your Book:  January 12, 9:00am to noon, Sarpy campus (Course COMM-005N-70)

How to Publish Your Book: February 16, 9:00am to noon, Sarpy campus (Course COMM-525N-70)

How to Market Your Book: March 2, 8:45am to 11:45, Sarpy Campus (Course COMM-530N-70)

Register: All classes are $29 (senior discounts are available) www.mccneg.edu/ce or call 402-457-5231

The Four "P"s of Book Marketing, (and then some...)

A couple of weeks ago, I went to a presentation where the speaker asked the group of small business owners: "What are the four Ps of marketing?" As usually happens when a crowd is asked a question, no hands went up. So the speaker pushed again. "What are the four Ps of marketing?" A young woman timidly raised her hand and said "uh, product, presentation, uh, ummmm, people and persistence?"  To that the speaker said "No. Anyone else wanna try?"  I watched as another victim raised his hand and said "Product, profit, packaging and plan."

Again, the speaker said "Uh. No. Anyone else?" Finally, someone gave him the answer he wanted, "Product, place, price and promotion." However, he was wrong to even hint that the other words are not important to marketing. I believe there are a dozen critical words in marketing (for books in particular). We'll start with the ones most people are familiar with, and then move to the others in the next post.

Product: Does your book fill a need? Does it look like it fits in the category? Is it high quality? Is it in the proper format? Are you buying the manufacturing at the right place?

Place: This term is often replaced with the word "Position", but I'm keeping those separate -- you'll see why later. In my world, place means distribution. Is your book where people can find it when they are ready to plunk down the $20? Can you make money in the distribution outlets you have selected?

Price: Does your book reflect what the market will bear for this type of book? Have you done your research to see if there is a correlation between price and sales? Have you considered your costs? If you are using any type of collaborative publisher, don't let them push you into a price that is too high for the market. Be realistic and do your due diligence.

Promotion: Ah, this is where most people focus their time, energy and financial resources. This is advertising -- this is something you should be able to measure and quantify, and everyone thinks they can, but it's only part of the mix. This is getting your name out there. If you think you are ready to publish and you have not begun promoting your book, start today. (If you are still reading this...go now. Start NOW.)

Next post will cover some other Ps:  

Position, people, persistence, patience, presentation, profit, plan and publicity.  

Warning: More Sharks are Fishing the Waters

Penguin's recent acquisition of Author Solutions is barely an indication of what is beneath the surface. For a traditional publisher as large as Penguin to add themselves to the mix of "self" publishing brings an annoying new challenge to those independent authors who have chosen to truly self publish. I'm talking about those true self publishers who hire and pay experts to provide services to get them up and running. I'm talking about those true self publishers who have their own distribution and marketing operations, and those who can't get a media person to look their way because the media are so busy selling their own titles on their own shows. (How freaking hard is it to get airtime for your book when it is your own freaking show?)

Penguin: Don't even try to continue to apply the term "self publishing" to the services provided by the companies you just acquired, because it gives the industry a bad name. They hijacked the term and we want it back.

Authors:  So many hooks are dropping in the waters around you -- many have sharks on the other end of the line. Their revenue comes from you, not consumer sales of your books. Understand what you are signing before you enter into any contracts with businesses that use the term "Self Publishing company" if their own logo goes on the back or if your book will be in their own distribution account. Don't be fooled when they tell you "You own the copyright to your book" because you own it anyway. What you don't usually own with these companies are the layout of the interior and the cover they did; nor do you usually own the publishing rights for that book, and you may not own any subsequent formats for that book (like ebooks). Please know what all the terms really mean and don't get caught up in their nets even if they dangle big publishing promises on their hooks (as was indicated in the press release).

Don't Buy a Pet Fish and Expect it to Act Like a Dog

Chew on This...

The publishing industry changes pretty much on a daily basis. The opportunities for independent authors have never been greater, and the barriers to entry have virtually disappeared. It's just not that hard to publish a book these days -- however, if you plan on being successful, you have to think of it as a business. The good news is that it's easy to get your book out there; the bad news is that a lot of poorly conceived, poorly funded, and poorly edited books also make their way "out there" in droves. The really good news here is that there are people to help you understand the business and your options and what you are getting into. (Hey, btw, we can help you with all that stuff!)  Do your research (check behind their ears, look at their teeth, do a sniff test on Google).

Lots of Publishing Species From Which to Choose...
The new terms in publishing are coming fast and hard, and it's important to understand what they mean to you. I'm not going to give you a glossary of terms here, but suffice it to say, you need to understand the pros and cons of each publishing option.  Don't sign anything until you really, really understand what everything means. Several publishing options are explained and expanded upon throughout this blog.

Who Let the Dogs Out?
Once you choose your publishing breed, don't change your mind and decide it should be doing something instead because some friend told you "You should do ______." Unless they are truly an expert, this is bad advice 99% of the time. Use the best features available from the method you choose and don't expect your method to do new tricks for which it is not set up.

Every day, I hear people who have chosen to publish through a print-on-demand company wonder why their book is not on the shelves of the bookstore. It can be a wise choice for many authors, but knowing your realistic objectives will be your guide. Without clear-cut, realistic, educated objectives, you could be caught chasing your tail.
On the other hand, every month, I meet at least one author who published their book with the fabulous intention of selling it in the back of the room after a speaking engagement. Good plan. A few weeks into the book's life, a friend walks up to the author and says "I went to the bookstore and they said they don't have the book. I want to buy it there." Of course the unspoken message the author hears is "What, isn't your book good enough for bookstores to carry it?" I tell those authors to say "No, bookstores aren't right for my book; however, I take cash, checks and all major credit cards. I'll run out to the car and get you one. I'll even sign it for you!" 

The Tail End of It All...
Making your book available through as many options as possible certainly helps your customer make the decision to purchase your book. Don't buy into claims that your book will be on the shelves of every bookstore, because it won't. (And you don't want it there!) Being available to order at those places is good, however! There are 100,000 books in a pretty big bookstore these days. There are a million new books published each year, and some 30,000,000 titles currently in print, maybe bazillions more. Those aren't very good odds. My final thought is to help you remember that bookstores aren't your target end consumer -- readers are!

Know your plan and stick with it for success!