Every stone is a step...

I produced books for an architectural firm for 6 years...  
I learned that every business has its own language and culture. I learned that a building is more about the people inside and a building's contribution to the community both visually and functionally than it is about bricks and mortar. I learned that building something has a lot to do with listening.

I went to school for 9 years...
I learned that I just have to know what I don't know, and how important common sense and resourcefulness were going to be in my life. I learned that there are some people who are in it for themselves, and others who really do care about others.

I published the first book for someone else...
I learned that a book is more than ink on a page, that to complete a book takes more than one person alone, and that publishing is the truest test of marketing there is.

I worked as a waitress for 15 years...
I learned sales, customer service, wine, listening, the difference between appreciation and gratitude, and that every plate has a history and every guest has a story.

I worked for an ad agency for 8 years...
I learned that people can be divas about their work. I learned that true creative geniuses are born that way, and they see the world from a completely different perspective, and that balancing creativity with common sense is important. I learned that the fax machine took the approval/rejection process from 2 days to about 5 minutes.

I worked for a non-profit publishing company for 9 years...
I learned that independent publishers are spirited, creative, passionate; they are the ones that want to change the world. I learned that publishing is collaborative, cooperative and one of the only businesses where a direct competitor is the first person I call. I learned what email was, and as a result, I could have a worldwide network of other publishers who had "been there, done that."

I published the second and third indie books...
I learned that authors sometimes work for 10 to 15 years on a book they have been dreaming of for 30. I learned that demographics are not as important as psychographics in marketing books. I learned what an awesome responsibility it is to be a surrogate for another person's dreams, as well as how fun and rewarding it can be.

I worked for a dot.com for 3 years (that's actually 10 in dot.com years)...
I learned that I can be motivated and inspired by hard-working, talented coworkers and leaders. I learned how to call upon my inner resourcefulness to get the impossible done. I learned how to present my case and how to tackle an overwhelming number of tasks for a project.

I worked for a custom jewelry company for 3 years...
I learned that everything is negotiable in advertising. I learned that competition for the ring finger is much more death-defying than the competition for a reader's commitment of a few dollars, a few hours, and some change in thinking.

Publishing recruited me, for good...
I love how publishers and authors can work together for the greater good. I learned that when someone decides to self publish, it is a commitment to the author's dreams, a solid contract with a reader, and an absolutely mind-boggling algorithm of marketing challenges.  I learned that everyone has a story. I learned that most publishers, whether traditional, micro, self, niche or independent are fair-minded people. I learned how to set realistic goals and how to help others do the same.  I learned how most independent publishers support one another in solidarity to create books that provide value to their buyers while they entertain, educate or inform their readers.

Each stone in my career path, while they often overlapped one another, has led me to the knowledge that we are all part of something bigger and what we do affects others. 

Write something that can change someone, make them think, or entertain them for a moment or two.

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.  

Metro Author Series for Fall - Ready for Registrations!

Register NOW for Fall 2012 Author Series 


To register online, go to WebAdvisor.
To register by phone, call 402-457-5231 or 800-228-9553
ONLINE COURSE INFORMATION - After registering for your online course, please complete the required Online Orientation at www.ed2go.com/metropolitan
To be placed on a wait list call 402-457-5231
Term: Fall 2012
Cost: $29 per session (senior discount available)

How to Write Your Book (COMM_005N)
September 29, 2012, 9-noon, Sarpy Campus
Admit it: You' ve always wanted to write a book. So what s stopping you? Publishing experts Sandra Wendel and Lisa Pelto will help you find time, focus your thoughts, outline your ideas, put words on paper,and get into print. It s easier (and less scary) than you think. Ideal for memoirs, nonfiction, and children s book authors. The class How to Publish Your Book ideally follows this one.


How to Publish Your Book (COMM_525N)
October 20, 2012, 9-noon, Sarpy Campus
Publishing your book is easier than you think with small-run digital printing, ebooks, and independent publishing as a small business. Gone are the days of query letters and agents. Make your book dream a reality. Book publisher/marketer Lisa Pelto and writer/editor Sandra Wendel will take you step-by-step through the many options and costs. For writers of all types of books, including fiction, printed books, ebooks. If you haven' t put words on paper yet, consider attending the class How to Write Your Book first (not required).

How to Market Your Book (COMM_530N)
November 10, 2012, 9-noon, Sarpy Campus
Learn the most effective strategies for marketing your book from publishing experts Lisa Pelto and Sandra Wendel. Whether you are traditionally published or independently publishing an ebook (digital) or printed book, you must take the lead to create a knock-em-dead book campaign. To be successful, you'll wear the hats of marketing director, publicist, event coordinator, speaker's bureau, and advertising coordinator. Learn what goes into a winning press release, how to pitch to the media, market your book to the trade and directly to consumers, and how to develop an effective and coordinated online presence that includes the power of social media. In addition, you will craft an effective marketing message and your elevator speech, along with receiving a tutorial on the online options. 

You will receive the greatest benefit by taking these classes in sequence; How to Write Your Book, How to Publish Your Book, and How to Market Your Book, but this is not required.

Join us!  It's a fun series -- and every quarter is different because we cater the class to the attendees.  

Note:  The How to E-publish Your Book, Class 050N-70 is not connected to this series and is taught by a different person, however
we cover all of this material and help you decide if epublishing is right for your book.

What did you have for lunch...every day last year?

Ridiculous question, right? Unless you had the exact same thing each day for lunch in the last 365 days, you probably would have a lot of trouble answering this question.  If you wrote it down, you would be able to do it, no problem.

Yet many authors don't write down who helped them, and then end up forgetting about people who contributed. You don't want to put "And for those of you who helped and are not mentioned, you know who you are" in your book.  How lame is that?

As you are working on your book, write down the names and contact information of the people and organizations that have helped you along the way.  All of them, no matter how small the contribution seems at the time. Don't expect to remember everyone you will want to thank later in your acknowledgments -- and you should acknowledge each person that helped you.  

Everyone likes to be recognized for making a contribution to something with permanence.  Also, if you need to follow up on something later, you'll know who to contact.  Finally, most of those in your acknowledgments will be your little marching marketing army because they are in a book! 

Now, back to work!

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).