Writing and Publishing News

It seems these days that some authors believe in the computer as their marketing tool, and others stick with more traditional means of promoting their books.

While some authors rely on Internet book review sites, their own fancy websites, active Facebook sites, You Tube videos, email blasts and so forth to promote their books, others find their comfort zone in more hands on activities. They still do an occasional book signing, get out and speak about their books, visit bookstores and specialty stores and ask for consignment deals, approach libraries with their books, reserve booths at book festivals and such.

Which author are you? I recommend that you do as the Osmonds suggest and be a little bit country and a little bit rock and roll. In other words, incorporate both high tech and traditional activities—mix it up. It’s important to go out and meet your potential readers. But you really should also have a website where they can learn more about you and your book and order it. You should speak to those readers who are hooked on social media as well as those who don’t own a computer.

What are you doing to promote your book this long weekend? Here are some suggestions:

• Create a marketing plan for the second half of the year.
• List those activities you want to pursue and haven’t done yet.
• Prioritize those activities.
• Make an action list to get you started with the first three on your list.
• Create a timeline to accomplish those actions—step one starts today!

I’d love a report on how you did with this exercise.

For help initiating this exercise and for understanding more about book promotion, choosing those activities that are right for you and for your fiction or nonfiction book and implementing those activities, order your copy of “Promote Your Book,” today. It’s at amazon.com in print, Kindle and audio. You’ll probably find it at your local mega bookstore, as well.

What’s the next book promotion activity you have planned? Do you have a booth reserved at an upcoming book festival or other outdoor event? Have you applied to speak at an appropriate scheduled program or convention (on an aspect of business, networking, writing, relationships, parenting, spirituality or…)? Maybe you are setting up your own workshop where you’ll teach tips for gardeners, how to cook with herbs, safe hiking tips, how to set up a webpage, photography, woodworking or…).

Or are you sitting around waiting for an opportunity to drop in your lap? Are you one of many who believe that you’ve done enough to entice readers by building a website? Or, perhaps, you are still expecting a large onslaught of orders to come from the presentation you gave at the library last year.

Unfortunately, book promotion is not a one shot proposition. This is especially true today with so many books vying for attention and so many authors with the energy, ideas and interest in actively promoting their books. If you want to continue selling copies of you book, you really must keep the momentum going. How? Here are a few ideas:

• Join writers and publishers groups and organizations and participate. Network with other members to learn about book promotion opportunities.

• Read the organization newsletters from cover to cover. You’ll find out what others are doing to promote their books while discovering opportunities that might work for you.

• Encourage communication from discussion groups, organizations, etc. because you never know when you’ll receive an intriguing invitation to promote your book.

• Search out opportunities through local newspapers and your industry publications.

• Spy on other authors. Visit their websites to find out how they are promoting their books. Consider using some of the same tactics.

Granted, there is a whole lot of information and material out there that doesn’t relate to you or your project. But don’t close off so completely to the world around you that you miss out on some interesting and lucrative opportunities.

For additional ideas, tips and techniques related to book promotion, be sure to read my book, “Promote Your Book,” by Patricia Fry. It’s available at amazon.com in print, kindle and audio. It’s also at most other online and downtown bookstores.

Check out SPAWN (Small Publishers, Artists and Writers Network). Consider joining today:
http://www.spawn.org

Download my latest FREEBIE 50 Ways to Sell Books Using Your Personality http://www.patriciafry.com

Do you find it intimidating or overwhelming when asked to write a brief bio and/or a description of your book or a presentation you plan? Join the club, as they say. For some reason, this is a real problem for many writers and authors. We can speak (or write) volumes, but ask us to put something in a nutshell and we freeze up.

Yet, if you have a book to promote or you write articles for publication, you are often put on the spot to encapsulate your project or your qualifications. When you offer to speak on behalf of your book, you may be asked to summarize your presentation for the program and publicity purposes.

So what can I suggest to those of you who get writers block at the thought of writing a bio or a summary of your book or program? First, take a deep breath. Breath in and out…slowly now. Relax. Do a few head rolls and arm shakes.

Okay now, before putting pen to paper or fingers to keyboard, think, not of yourself, your book, how you will come across, how you want to come across…think of your audience. What do the potential readers of your article, attendees at your presentation, etc. want to know about you, your book or the presentation?

Well, as for a bio, they want to know who you are and why they would want to read or hear what you have to say. So your bio should ooze credibility in your field.

For a book or presentation description, people want to know what’s in it for them. What can you offer of value to them.

So you see, it isn’t about you at all. Now do you feel better?

Do you ever think about this? You should, because no one will buy your book if they don’t know it exists. And didn’t you write it and produce it so it would be read—so people would buy it?

How can you find out how many people know about your book? Now that’s a tough one. You might have a counter at your website that clicks each time someone visits. But does it count unique visitors or every visitor, including spam? Even though I have a barrier in place here at my blog site to keep spam out, spammers still find ways to bypass it. I get around 20 to 40 spam “comments” here every day.

You can count your facebook “friends” and your twitter followers. If you’ve been diligent in your promotion, they may know about your book. What is that, maybe a total of 200 people? 2,000, maybe? Don’t forget to count those on your mailing and email lists—another 500, perhaps?

What percentage of those people have or will purchase one or more copies of your book? Maybe 5 or 10 percent? That’s 125 to 250 books, right? Not bad. This may pay your publishing expenses. But don’t you want more? Wouldn’t you like to sell thousands, instead of hundreds of copies of your book? Then you need to become more well-known how? Here are ten ideas to get you started:

• Continue adding to your mailing/email list and use it.
• Offer free reports, chapters, stories, etc. at your website.
• Blog every day and speak to your particular readers.
• Get out and speak to groups of your potential readers.
• Get tons of publicity for your presentations before and after the events.
• Join appropriate organizations and participate.
• Get involved in online discussion groups related to the theme/genre of your book.
• Get speaking gigs at conferences related to your book content.
• Sell your book at book festivals.
• Continually seek opportunities to become known to your potential audience.

So how many more people will know about you and your book after you’ve involved yourself in these activities for six months or a year? Perhaps another 1,500 to 5,000 people or more? And that could be another 75 to 500 (or more) copies of your book sold.

No one will buy a book they don’t know about. And some people won’t buy a book they’ve seen or heard of until they meet or know something about the author. Personality sells books and certainly exposure sells books. That’s why I wrote my latest book, “Talk Up Your Book, How to Sell Your Book Through Public Speaking, Interviews, Signings, Festivals, Conferences and More.” Available at amazon.com in print, Kindle and audio. Also available at most other online and downtown bookstores. Or order your copy here http://www.matilijapress.com

You’ve all seen them—those complimentary blurbs printed on the back of the books you read. Sometimes you even recognize the names of those who wrote them.

What are they for, who should have them and why? Here’s the deal, for many decades—maybe forever—authors have relied on credible experts in their fields to endorse their nonfiction books. Authors of fiction try to get well-known writers in their genre to write testimonials for them. And authors may solicit endorsements by psychologists, educators and so forth for their children’s books. These brief statements by known and/or credible experts are thought to help sell books. Think about it, if you see an endorsement by your favorite author on a book or by someone you admire or trust—even an actor you like—aren’t you more apt to purchase that book? Possibly.

How do you get testimonials? Well, you determine who would be the greatest influence in enticing people to read your particular book and then contact them. This may be someone you know or someone you’ve only heard of. It could be someone quite well-known or someone with a book or who leads an organization related to the theme of your book. If he or she likes your project, they just may say yes. After all, a testimonial on your book cover affords greater exposure for their own books or organizations. So even high-profile people in your field, especially if they have a new book out, may be most pleased to write you a favorable endorsement for your book cover. Note: a testimonial from a very well-known person could even go on your front cover.

Another way you could use someone else’s name to bring attention to your own book is by asking them to write your foreword and then put their name on the front cover of your book—say, for example: Foreword by George Clooney…

How many endorsements should you get? For my nonfiction books, I request a dozen or more. I may not hear back from everyone. If I end up with too many for the cover, I list the others on a page in the front of the book.

Sometimes the people you ask for an endorsement will want to read the book or at least a summary of the book and your table of contents before agreeing. Others just allow you to write an endorsement and put their names to it. I’ve even had experts in my field give me a sampling of possible statements and I choose the one I want to use. Some people who are asked quite often for their endorsements have learned to write rather generic testimonials. They focus their comments on the industry rather than the book itself. Does it matter? Not if it is worth having this person’s name on the back (or front) of your book.

Reach out early in the game. Not everyone is as prompt as you are when it comes to responding to a request. So you’ll want to start early gathering testimonials from those names that you most want on your cover. And be sure to follow-up.

If this person does not know you, offer an introduction, a link to your website and a good description of your book. Also, of course, offer to send all or part of the book to them.

The testimonial or endorsement is still a popular method of promotion. It comes under the concept of building promotion into your book even before it is a book.

For more about testimonials, building promotion into your book and hundreds of other book promotion ideas and activities, order your copy of “Promote Your Book.” It’s at amazon.com in print, Kindle and audio as well as at many other online and downtown bookstores.

There’s an old statistic that I first saw probably in the 1980s, stating that 81 percent of the population believed they have a book in them. At that time, only a handful of those people actually wrote their books. Today, I’d say that most of them have written a book or two. And the publishing industry has exploded in many different directions in order to keep up with the expanded needs of authors.

What happens when the dynamics of an industry changes as much as the publishing industry has? How do others react when they see so much activity suddenly occurring in one field? Many people jump on the bandwagon in hopes of getting a slice of the pie. While some people fall into sweet deals that come about as a result of major changes, others quickly become aware of opportunities created by current trends. And they all strike out to become book editors, cover designers and even publishers.

It used to be that if someone was in the business of editing, cover design or even publishing, it was assumed that they knew what they were doing and that they had a work ethic standard authors could rely on. Today, it seems as though there are a whole lot of individuals who are offering services to authors and starting businesses without nearly enough savvy, work ethic and skills. Some of you have learned this the hard (and expensive) way. Others of you might be considering jumping in and starting a publishing or editorial service in hopes of helping some of the thousands of new authors seeking publication each year.

But before you launch a business, hang out your shingle or sign up with a company or service, make sure that you are getting what you need and desire. A good start toward either of these goals—operating a successful business within the publishing realm AND choosing the right business or service for you and your project—is to educate yourself about the publishing industry.

Join publishing organizations such as SPAWN and IBPA. Subscribe to industry magazines and newsletters. Read books on the subject—such as my book, “Publish Your Book, Proven Strategies and Resources for the Enterprising Author.” If you hope to become an editor, study Mary Embree’s latest book “Starting Your Career as a Freelance Editor.” Both are available at Amazon.com and most other online and downtown bookstores.

Do you recognize yourself in any of the following scenarios?

“I have an idea and I’m going to write a book. I’ve never written anything before. But I think my idea is valid and I want to share it with the world. The best way to get my idea out there is to put it in book form.”

“I would like to build my credibility and my business by writing a book related to my profession.”

“I have this urge to tell my story and I want to tell it to as many people as I can reach. How better to reach them than through a book. I’ll write my story and present it as a book for the whole world to read.”

“I want to teach what I’ve learned about life. There are a lot of people suffering as I did for years and maybe my story will make a difference in the lives of many others.”

“People should stop eating so much junk food (overeating, smoking, doing drugs, avoiding religion–fill in the blanks). If they knew the truth about the dangers of ‘fill in the blanks,’ they would change their ways. I’m going to write what I know on this topic and try to change the habits of millions of people for their own good.

“If he and she can produce a novel and sell a few copies, I should be able to write and sell my novel. My story is better than many I see on TV or in the movies and a lot better than those I’ve read, lately. I want to get people’s reaction to the amazing story that’s rolling around in my head, so I’m going to write a novel.”

“I’d like to earn a little money for my retirement years. I have the time now and I might as well spend it writing. I know I have a good idea for a book. All I need to do is write it. A publisher will do the rest. I should be able to collect thousands of dollars each year from royalties. Writing could be a lucrative pastime.”

“I’m told I have writing talent. I do love to write. Maybe I should put some of my stories in book form and see if I can get a publisher interested.”

Do you see yourself in any of these scenarios? I’ve known people in each of them. Is your story missing from this list? We’d like to have you share it with us.

No matter which of these stories resembles your own, there are two things you really should do before writing that book (or at least before seeking publication).

1: Study the publishing industry
2: Write a book proposal.

And there is one thing you need to do upon completion of your book: Hire a good book editor.

Someone emailed me after my presentation Tuesday night to tell me that he’d heard me speak before and that he got more out of my talk this time than he did the last time. He figured it was either that I had more to share now or that he was at a place where he was ready to follow my suggestions.

How astute of him. It is so true; when an author is not ready to hear some of the hard truths of book promotion, for example, he or she will tune out any words of wisdom whether they are spoken or written. If it is a concept they are not ready to face, they will discount it. We’ve probably all done that with regard to many things over our lifetimes.

How often have you made a suggestion to a friend who was struggling? The friend may disregard your ideas and comments until one day, she comes to you and says, “I’ve decided I’m going to do such and such,” which is exactly what you’ve been suggesting all along. Only your friend believes this is a brand new idea that she came up with all on her own. We’ve all experienced this scenario. She could not even acknowledge the idea until she was mentally, psychologically and/or emotionally ready.

I see this type of a scenario played out with some of the authors I meet. They will not open up to the reality of what it takes to promote a book. They go out and listen to professionals talk on the topic. They purchase and read books and articles by experts in the field. They consult with people in the know. But they believe what they want to believe until they are finally ready to take in the truth of it. And sometimes authors don’t truly understand the magnitude and importance of book promotion until after they’ve produced a book and are faced with the hard realities.

If you plan to produce a book, I urge you to open your mind to the business of publishing. Put at least as much effort into understanding the publishing industry—including what it takes to promote a book—as you have the writing of the book. The more you understand about your publishing options and book promotion, the more apt you are to make good decisions on behalf of your book and the more successful you will be.

Disregard the concepts that make you feel uncomfortable before truly understanding the impact they’ll have on your success, and you could easily be one of the nearly 78 percent of authors who fail.

A good place to start understanding the publishing industry is by reading my book, “Publish Your Book, Proven Strategies and Resources for the Enterprising Author.” It’s at Amazon.com in print, Kindle and audio as well as at many other online and downtown bookstores. Or order it here: http://www.matilijapress.com

There are two concepts that you need to consider when you have a book to promote.

• No one will buy a book they don’t know about.

• It is up to the author to promote his or her book.

I spoke to a group of 50 or 60 authors and hopeful authors last night—all who came out to learn how to promote their books without having to step too far outside their comfort zone. And I felt it was important for them to understand these two concepts first.

Let’s examine the first statement: doesn’t it make sense that if you keep your book a secret—if you don’t reach out to your potential readers and tell them about your book—they aren’t going to be clamoring to buy it? First, you should answer the following questions.

• Who comprises your audience?
• Where are these potential readers?
• What is the best way to approach them?

And you should be the one to create a marketing plan for your book since you care more about your project than anyone else in the world. As I told my audience last night, you can buy into your self-publishing company’s marketing package. You can hire a publicist. You can accept the (often) minimal help a traditional publisher offers as far as book promotion. But you should never turn your responsibility for marketing your book over to anyone else.
During the writing process, through the publishing process and on throughout the entire book promotion process, you—the author—must take charge and consider yourself the CEO of your book.

Learn more about publishing and book promotion through Publish Your Book and Promote Your Book, available at amazon.com and most other online and downtown bookstores.

The latest issue of the IBPA Independent features my article, “How to Entice People to Your Presentations.” If you’re a member of IBPA, it’s on page forty. Here’s an overview of that article:

• Make sure you have a hook.
• Find out how the program chair plans to publicize your event.
• Make sure the publicity person follows through.
• Prepare a bio for this person to use in publicity.
• Announce your presentation at your website.
• Post the announcements at your blog, Twitter, your newsletter, etc.
• Send press releases to local newspapers.
• Send press releases to appropriate newsletter/mag editors.
• Use all your social media accounts.
• Send notices and then reminders to your email list.
• Call key people and invite them.
• Schedule a radio gig.
• Create flyers/ post posters.
• Contact bookstores owners and other appropriate businesses.
• Follow-up, follow-up, follow-up.

Also in this issue, “Get More Mileage From Your Blog,” “Marketing Fiction,” a piece on modern day book distribution, one about bulk sales—how to make them happen and one on illustrated books
If you do not belong to IBPA, you might consider checking them out. http://www.ibpa-online.org

I had an article in SPAWNews this month, too. This is the enewsletter for SPAWN (Small Publishers, Artists and Writers Network). In fact, we put out a pretty interesting free enewsletter. This month, our book doctor talks about book promotion, book trailers and autographing book. We review a book about starting an editing career. We feature articles on shy writers, book clubs and unusual places to sell books. Subscribe and/or join here: http://www.spawn.org

I’m off to speak on book promotion tonight at the Ventura County Writers Club. If you live in the area, be sure to come by and join in on the fun. Camarillo Senior Center on Burnley Street in Camarillo, CA 7 p.m.