Food for Thought

Shadowing Your Competition

selbyink — Thu, 07 Apr 2011 21:02:23 +0000

When we take the attitude in life that we are here to learn; we have an open map to follow. This is also true with promoting our books. How do we decide what path to take when marketing our books? One of the best ways is to research what has worked before. Discover through research on Amazon, the library, or in your local book store what other books have been written that are similar to your material. Since you and your book are unique there will always be differences. However these authors are your role models or guides to creating your marketing plan. Other authors are allies for developing speaking engagements. Literally – be their shadow and follow in their footsteps. Only you can also learn from their mistakes.

Make a list of four or five experts who talk or write about a topic similar to yours. Then do some digging online to see where they have received publicity and where they have spoken. A journalist, blogger, or producer decided to interview them; it’s probably because that media person covers your topic on a somewhat regular basis. Why shouldn’t their next interview be with YOU? Your pitch to the producer can be, “I saw that you interviewed Marcy Jones about her book on holistic divorce. That was a great interview. With my book I take a slightly different angle – I focus on the children, on saving money, or how men can be better fathers through the divorce.” When you contact them have your talking points about your book ready. Producers really appreciate you doing their homework for them.

Do the same thing with speaking engagements. Often a meeting planner who booked your competitor in previous years will be open to booking YOU this year because usually they can’t have the same speakers back year after year. Why not put yourself forward today? Start “shadowing” your competition and create a really focused list of publicity and speaking opportunities for yourself. I know experts who share similar expertise, network, and recommend each other to meeting planners and media they know.

When you shadow your competition you don’t have to reinvent what works for promotion for your material. You can also judge through your research whether that interview, review, or article was beneficial to them. Did that review on Amazon receive comments? Was that review in the San Francisco Book Review quoted in other articles, or interviews? Did that interview on George Noory’s “Coast to Coast” show spark copycat interviews? Did any of the reporters, or producers invite them back for additional interviews? Then take the time to actually listen to a recorded interview. How can you make your interview better, engage the listeners more?

Having competition may only mean that your topic has a following already. Find these same authors on FaceBook and friend them. Observe what pages they like or groups they follow. Go to these pages and groups and develop a following for yourself there. If they have followers from these pages then it only makes sense that you will also. You can also offer to have a “live” discussion on your Fanpage, and each of you invites your followers. Style it as a debate, or as a collegial discussion, and both of you will benefit. Sharing a discussion may be the first step in creating a new ally. Peter Pan sang a love song to his shadow, maybe you will have one by the time you’re done. www.selbyink.com

Keep Showing Up

selbyink — Thu, 06 Jan 2011 23:19:31 +0000

At the end of the year, we often reflect on and define what was successful in our marketing plan. We also endeavor to fix what is broken and polish what already shines. A powerful desire for success in our ventures is one inspiration to create our books. Before you published your book did you define what success would look like for you? Not every person who publishes their first book will create a big splash, be a financial success, or make their name as a speaker or workshop presenter. Let’s define what we mean by success: the achievement of something planned or attempted or something that turns out as planned or intended. Maybe your success was becoming a “local writer makes good”, or a name as an online writer, or your book was reviewed in magazines. One of our authors consistently made it into the top 25 in her category on Amazon. And those who do make this kind of success inspire the rest of us to keep showing up. What did you do that was a success this year with your book? Next year do more of what works for you and your book.

You can also let go of what hasn’t worked. You can stop doing book-signings if only 2 people come every time you show up. Offer teleseminars instead to your mailing list that includes contests to win your book. Sales not where you want them? Find a distributor that will take on your book, or at least get your book into Ingram, Baker & Taylor, and Amazon. Your readers need to be able to find your book easily. After radio interviews, does host suggest that you could do a better job? Get a reliable radio coach to improve your on-air presence and make you more entertaining. Your workshops are not well-attended? Find someone in your field you can collaborate with and develop a joint-venture. People comment that they don’t like your cover? Republish your book as a 2^nd edition with a new cover. When you are willing to let go of what isn’t working there is always a solution to improve your success track.

Did you take advantage of the “local writer” angle as much as you could?

Connecting with local press
Speaking to local businesses, schools, and churches
Writing short columns for local papers
Making a connection with local retailers appropriate to your genre

Often authors develop a following locally and then that local following jumps to a regional, and then national level. What worked for you best in being the local author?

Did you write a blog, or submit articles online?

Connecting your blog to networks
Submitting your blog as an article with article clearing houses
Re-posting your article to your social network
Collaborating with other authors who write blogs

Authors can develop an online platform through having their name appear over and over in connection with their material. What worked best for you in developing your online platform?

Did your book get reviewed in print or online magazines?

Find other magazines similar and submit your book and the review to them
Excerpt the review on your website
Quote the review on your social networks
Offer to be an occasional, or monthly contributor to their magazine

One of our authors consistently received requests to speak at conventions because of the reviews he received in magazines. You can use your magazine following as a platform to develop more readers. What worked best to enhance the success of your reviews?

Did your book make a splash on Amazon?

Ask everyone you work with or are interviewed by to write a short blurb for Amazon
Develop your Amazon page with links, your Bio, videos, and an “inside the book” view
Contact Amazon reviewers who write about your genre, offer them incentives to cover your book like a give-away for their readers
Give your Amazon statistics to a distributor to show them that your book is saleable

There are so many options to make your Amazon venture more successful. You can use your Amazon success as part of your media kit, display it on your website, and show it off on your social network. What worked to grow your Amazon successes?

From Karen Lawrence’s blog http://assisttheartist.wordpress.com/ Hitting the big time–it’s one of those ever-present, pie-in-the-sky desires that even the most practical of creative entrepreneurs will admit they fantasize about fairly regularly. Somehow being an author and wanting to grace the best seller list go hand-in-hand. Some of us know the feeling of wanting that kind of success but never quite achieving it. Elizabeth Gilbert, author of Eat Pray Love, was shocked by her “freakish success”. Elizabeth suggests we “just keep showing up” and success will find us. Her philosophy is a good one whether you’re looking for that big break or the next idea to follow. If you’re not consistently showing up, working at what matters to you, being in the game–the unpredictable muse picking the NEXT BIG THING won’t find you. Keep showing up. It’s the best marketing plan of them all.”

Previously published in the San Francisco Book Review.

Your Competition, Your Teacher and Ally

selbyink — Thu, 11 Nov 2010 19:23:27 +0000

Now that you have finished your manuscript, what books have come out that are similar to yours? Maybe you have heard the cliche “there is nothing new under the sun?” No matter how unique your material may be, there is still someone who has written something similar. The similarity may be a grain of sand within a whole beach, yet that grain of sand has something to teach you or a way to help you. Your competition can be your teacher in a variety of ways: how to do better promotion, how to speak about your book, how to reach your audience, how to not make the same marketing mistakes they made. And your competition can be your ally, through collaboration, sharing of media leads, and joint ventures. For those attempting to do their own marketing, creating allies is a vital part of developing your platform.

Who is your ideal reader? Be specific. Is your parenting book a better fit for single parents, single moms, or blended families? What are your reader’s biggest frustrations, needs, or goals? How do you cover your reader’s needs in your book? How will they carry around your book? With the answers to these questions you can not only devise a clear marketing plan, you will know how you and your teacher/competition/ally differ. And finally look at how your perspective is different; are you more positive, do you offer more solutions?

You can learn more about your teacher and potential ally by going to your local bookstore, to Amazon, or to conferences that relate to your topic. What is the genre and category of your book? Look at their table of contents and compare it to the topics you cover. Study their bibliography for comparison. Once you have zeroed in on a few authors research their websites, read their blogs, learn what events they are doing. Conclude your research with a short phrase that discerns the similarities and differences between your books.

It’s your choice how you approach your teacher and ally. Will they just be a teacher, or can they also be an ally? There is always room in the market for additional information on any subject. What you offer will not fit everyone’s needs. How does your work complement your competition’s book? Maybe your book is about collaboration? What better way to demonstrate your principles than by creating a joint venture for you and your book!

The next step is to look at your assets. Which ones do you feel comfortable sharing? Do you have more radio experience than your potential allies, or do you have a workshop that would benefit from having a collaborator? Do you have a mailing list that could also help your ally? Is there room in your blog for their contribution? How will your teacher and ally benefit from collaborating with you? How will you benefit from working with them?

How many books have you seen recently that offer bonuses when you buy the book on a certain day? These bonuses are offered by collaborators and allies. Their support broadens any single platform and breaks the burden of isolation. You don’t need to take on the launch of your book alone you can create a team which may include a publicist, as well as allies and collaborators. What does your team look like today? What are some concrete steps you can do to enhance and expand the scope of your team?

First published in San Francisco Book Review “After the Manuscript” 11/10

In Print, is in Print, is in Print

selbyink — Wed, 06 Oct 2010 21:14:00 +0000

Gertrude Stein wrote; “a rose, is a rose, is a rose” and people applauded her poetic skill. She established that a rose is a rose, just as your name in print is definitely your name in print. Of course, the “Brass Ring” of promoting your book is securing a print review in a prestigious magazine. However, revenue space has pushed many book reviews out of newspapers and magazines. The competition for the remaining space is fierce. Be your creative self, stop the chase for a print review and find other ways to get your book mentioned in print. Write articles, create a blog, and build friendships with editors in your field. The key is making sure you have a byline that mentions you, your book, and your expertise. Getting your name in print any way you can is priceless. These articles and mentions can be recycled over and over again.

* Write articles that tie your book to a specific magazine. Marcy Jones Esq. is the author of Graceful Divorce Solutions. She regularly studies PEOPLE magazine for tie-ins to her book. She wrote an article about Sandra Bullock’s divorce, included her byline, and has been republished everywhere.
* Editors love lists. What in your book lends itself to being on a list? Lists can be the top 10 reasons people divorce, or 10 ways to keep your family together through a divorce.
* When you call or email a producer or journalist, ask them a question that begins with “Do you know….?” Quote them this year’s statistics on how many people are divorcing. Has the divorce rate gone up or down? Give them these details, and that’s news. Anytime you can give them news you become someone they can go to for future quotes. Follow up after they quote you and say thank you!
* Ask people in the market you’re serving what they read or watch? Industry trade journals are often near the top of the list. Trade journals are great because they’re usually willing to introduce new experts to their readers. You can even offer to write a regular column for them.
* Study your local and regional papers. Do they have a Dear Abby column but don’t have a column on staying healthy through divorce? Pitch the newspaper with the idea that they need to get up-to-date with current trends. Create a niche you and your expertise fit in. You might have to show some sample columns – even if you are not directly paid. Columns can lead to consulting and speaking work.

Once you have secured your article or review in print, keep recycling it. Recycling is one of the biggest tools for promotion of your book. Once your name is in print, the article, or mention can be effectively used over and over in different online and print venues. One way to recycle is to use the mention as a way to get your foot in the door with other editors. When we secure reviews in “Publishers Weekly” or the “Utne Reader” we always mention this fact in our pitch. You can recycle the article or mention on your website, Facebook page, Twitter page, Linkedin page, etc., etc. Your blog can be used in the same way. Contact other bloggers to exchange posts, or post your blog in every social media connection you have developed. Recycling an article not only saves time, it links your name and book to other previous mentions. Your name and book in print is in print, is in print, is in print.

Elements of Courage

selbyink — Sun, 22 Aug 2010 20:37:46 +0000

White Eagle: “When you are in doubt, be still and wait. When doubt no longer exists for you, then go forward with courage. So long as mists envelop you, be still; be still until the sunlight pours through and dispels the mists—as it surely will. Then, act with courage.”

What does acting with courage mean to you? What are the elements (within you) that combine to make you feel courageous? When you feel like you are drowning in doubt, anxiety, or ghosts (from) of the past, and yet you face your fears anyway, do you call that courage? Is it courageous to set an intention, bump up against limiting beliefs, and be willing to expand past those beliefs? Is it courageous to want to create change for your life and others? What do you need to feel courageous? In order to be brave do you need friends who hold the same beliefs you do? Are there passions roiling within you that just won’t stop nagging at you until you do something about those passions? Are you willing to step out with courage today?

Our world needs that bravery. Now. When we feel pressure to conform to social norms we are given a choice to fit into a box or act (up)on what we feel is right. Only one person with determination and conviction is necessary to make a difference. Two or more can change the world. Simple changes often require the greatest courage and at the same time create the most profound change. For those of us who live in suburbia, what do we do when local codes say we cannot hang out the wash, or schools demand we drive our own children to school rather than car-pool? How do we fit puzzle pieces of worrying about our planet while adhering to rules and codes that forbid ecologically sensible behavior? For those of us who live in cities and watch violence against women rise as lines of statistics in the media; what can we do? Such laws, and negligence scream out for civil disobedience. As Thoreau reminds us, “…Let your life be a counter friction to stop the machine.” Go ahead and hang out the wash! Or you can take back the night, and set up an escort service where no woman has to walk alone.

When there are two or more women gathered together we can do anything. We can call on our women friends to be there to help us through either triumphs or challenges when we cannot or ought not do something alone. When we are laughing and smiling we want to share our joy, when the tears can’t help but come anyway, we want our friends there also. We want our girlfriends there whether we are grieving a loved-one, watching our last child go off to college, planning on going back to college ourselves, or just making it through our daily chores. Our sisters are chosen through love or experience and given to us at birth. They watch our backs and love us as we learn to love ourselves. Knowing our women friends are there does make us braver. We can face difficult choices with less anxiety. When we know that our girlfriends are there it’s easier to follow our passions to make a difference in the world.

I count on my women friends for love, for laughter, for encouragement to keep writing, for strength to face health or financial challenges and continue on. They are there when I am ill, when my car breaks down, and when I need recovery. They give me courage to thoroughly be myself and courage to step out of the boxes I may find myself trapped in. I am blessed to always have a few close friends that I cannot imagine living without. Then there are the many friends I can call on for guidance about this project or that emotional pattern. There are friends who have died and left me with a sharp grief to endure, all because I still miss them so much. And then there are many acquaintances I call friends who love me while I am learning to better love myself. And beyond that there are absolutely fabulous women I don’t know yet, or who I admire from a distance. Sometimes there is a strong web of interconnection among friends. More often my friends are individual bright lights on my journey. I am grateful for all of them. Thank you.

For this week’s exercise there are two steps. The first is to watch this video, and remember your girlfriends. Why are they your friends? What makes them stand out as your friends? What are their special qualities? The 2nd part of the exercise is to write down their particular genius you admire, for what you see in them is a mirror of what is inside you. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u_4qwVLqt9Q

Comments/Feedback? You can find me on Facebook, Twitter @selbyink or www.selbyink.com

Blue Cotton Candy or a Crsip Green Apple?

selbyink — Thu, 29 Apr 2010 20:41:49 +0000

It’s been years since I ingested cotton candy and thought it was fun. Not much more than sugared air, the memory of eating it only lingered as long as my blue lips. However, the good time I had at the county fair became a good memory. And a perfectly ripe apple keeps me coming back year after year to relive that experience. In marketing your book the goal is to keep the readers coming back to see whether you have anything new out, to share what they read with friends, and be loyal fans.

One of the quickest and easiest ways for your book to be noticed is to be a guest on a radio show. People still listen to the radio at work, while driving their cars, or as background at home. Most radio interviews happen on the phone, so you can sell books while in your robe and slippers. Make each minute count during your interview. Offer tips, be a storyteller, and catch audience’s interest. For most people it’s easy to talk or teach in an interview, however to capture someone’s attention long enough to have them buy your book takes skill and practice.

Making Your Radio Interviews Count Part I

Make sure listeners know who you are. Give the host an introduction that is exactly how you want to be introduced. What is the most advantageous way of describing you and your book?
Never say “the answer is in my book”. Both hosts and the audience hate that. Instead you could respond with “we address that issue through what we call problem solving tools. Active listening is one of the techniques we use. Active listening involves…” And then you can add “there are a number of other tools we offer in the book.”
Practice answering a list of questions in front of the mirror, with family, while driving in your car. Practice until you are easily answering the questions you include in your media kit. Then have your family ask questions not on the list and be spontaneous with your answers. (Or you can hire a radio show coach to guide you through the ropes.)
Clearly state how people can purchase your book, and inspire them to action. During the interview talk about your website. What else will people learn by going to your website? Make sure the host knows the name of your website so they can mention it also. Mention how your book might be a good gift for Aunt Susan who likes books on wildlife, or how Dad always wants to know more about cooking. Give them a reason to buy the book for someone else besides themselves.

Come back next week for Part II “Making Your Radio Show Interview Count”.

Fresh Local Honey!

selbyink — Sun, 21 Mar 2010 23:02:14 +0000

Honey sweetens my tea, drips thickly on toast, and smells wonderful in my bath soap. Throughout winter we hoard the honey in memory of the greening spring and golden summer. Bumblebees are stirring now. They feel the sweet breath of spring encouraging them to plunge their plump bodies into early blooming Daffodils. Spring flowers are the harbinger of new beginnings and the bees and their honey are the catalysts for that beginning. Spring is a time when we can re-invent ourselves, and our books. What are your plans for this spring? What blossoms will you cultivate to re-energize your book and you?

General themes for spring are gardening, outdoor sports, Mothers Day, and Easter. How can your book fit into any of these themes? Stretch your imagination and find the connection. Perhaps your book chronicles the Mid-Eastern strife over the ages. You could include write about how people celebrated their springs in the various cultures. Or your book is about parenting children with autism. You could create a ritual and then write an article about how to celebrate spring with an autistic child. Or you have written a regional cookbook. You can cook a spring special recipe and bring samples to your local church. Then write about people’s reactions. The possibilities are endless to align your book with the themes for spring.

When you have the connection you can blog about these themes, submit articles to local newspapers, call up your favorite radio show and offer that connection to the host. You can reinvent your book with a little imagination and willingness to tie your book to current events.

Another option to reinvent your book is to research conferences or expos that fit your book. Again stretch your imagination to find a connection. A parenting book would connect with conventions of psychiatrists and social workers. A history book would appeal to a convention of teachers. A regional cookbook would appeal to history buffs. Once you have the connection and the conference there are a number of options you can follow. Call up the administrator of the conference and offer your book for sale there, with a special discount for attendees. You can go to the conference set up a booth, and network all weekend long. And if you have credentials to be a speaker you can call the director and offer yourself as a break-out workshop presenter. Participating in some way in these conferences gives you whole new audiences for your book.

The bees are humming! Their welcome tune hints that the possibilities are endless…instead of becoming overwhelmed, expand your awareness to include all around you & the din becomes a symphony.

As American as Apple Pie!

selbyink — Mon, 08 Mar 2010 03:45:47 +0000

Every time I smell apples baking, vivid memories wash over me of my grandmother carefully rolling out the dough for the crust, watching the red apple peels curl away from her deft knife, and then her sure hands sprinkling the filled pie with cinnamon. Being in her kitchen watching her cook was my island of safety. When the steaming pies emerged from the oven I also felt transformed. Her kitchen was my retreat from the family battleground. As I matured the remembered comfort was displaced with substitute gratifications that became compulsions and addictions. Finally after much resistance and denial I am creating a positive relationship with food, and any discomfort. I am releasing the past to the past. Today, I am reclaiming my kitchen with a packed cupboard of spices and shelves of International, and gluten-free cookbooks. I am choosing to nurture myself through honoring the Great Spirit while opening my heart to all the wonder and love around me.

Our bone deep and heart baring stories are what makes us unique, what excites the reader, and ultimately what makes books fly off shelves. Carl Sagan, “In order to make an apple pie from scratch, you must first create the universe.” Jeff Brown’s Soulshaping: A Journey of Self-Creation is a prime example of what Carl refers to in this quote. Jeff evolved his own universe by delving deeply into his shadows and ghosts, while honoring what he first heard as the call of a “distant flute”. Through verdant prose Jeff, the wordsmith, leads us to authenticity through “the challenge of actualizing a soulful calling in a harsh landscape”. While on retreat at Harbin Hot Springs in CA Jeff experienced what he calls a “soul breaking experience”. “As I cried I felt liberated. Crying released the sweeter man who lived inside. Perhaps sensitivity is not a sign of weakness. Perhaps it’s a sign of life.” Any man who can share his feelings on a level this profound is more than an Inspiration, his voice echoes and reechoes like waves breaking on the shore. Like a touchstone I will return to Soulshaping as I continue to weave my own web of soul-shaping. Jeff cofounded the “Open Heart Gang” a group of soul warriors “heaven-bent” on encouraging others to raise their own flag of heart consciousness. Jeff is currently riding on the Soulshaping bus all over North America. For more info WWW.SOULSHAPING.COM

No matter what the genre, or topic of your expertise, I invite you to have courage and reveal the deepest truth you have to offer. No holds barred will excite your readers. While promoting your material your personal story helps identify you and sell your book. Life is good; it is safe to climb out from under the bushel basket and shine. The brighter your light, the greater the truth you share, the more likely you will bull’s-eye your success.

Greens for Spring

selbyink — Thu, 25 Feb 2010 21:46:35 +0000

Is there such a verb as greening, as in longing for greens? I am definitely longing for the greens of spring, both the salad makings as well as the spring green of the first blush on trees. Everywhere I look, the color I have seen this winter has been white, white, and whiter. Although the colors from sunlight reflected on snow have been brilliant, and the lavender and lilac of shadows on snow are awesome, I miss all the varying shades of browns in the corn and wheat fields. The first sweet leaves of Bibb lettuce and Arugula are my gardens heralds. What are your favorite spring greens?

The launch of a book is similar to our anticipation of spring, hearts beat a little faster, palms are slightly sweaty, and nerves are buzzing. In the past launching a book meant going to the highest profile bookstore open to hosting you and your book, and then signing the book. Today a different multi-tiered approach is required.
1. While you are writing your book develop your own email list, or research who has a list you can buy. Sending regular eblasts out to your list builds anticipation.
2. 6 months prior to the launch begin networking and developing a social media following.
3. 3-4 months prior to printing your book solicit endorsements from other authors and appropriate experts.
4. 3-4 months prior to the launch solicit online or in print reviews. Each review opens the doors to your name, and the book’s title being recognized by potential buyers.
5. 2-3 months prior to launch plan multiple events; book-signings as well as workshops and lectures.
6. Once you have planned your events you will need to create supportive media coverage for each event.
7. Or you can hire a publicist to be your teammate and they will do most of this work.

Fresh Greens! Enter to win a book review from Selby ink to be posted here, and on selective review sites online. The author who submits the most unique and successful promotional tip wins the monthly contest, and gets their book reviewed. Ask for guidelines for submission at mari@selbyink.com

Milk or Dark Chocolate?

selbyink — Sun, 14 Feb 2010 03:13:02 +0000

On Valentines Day we are told that candy and flowers will definitely buy us love. Whether chocolate actually buys us love, we often debate over which flavor will get us more of what we want. Whether chocolate and love are linked; chocolate is definitely a mood enhancer, and people are passionate over their preferences. Today, I prefer my chocolate to be fair trade, 64% cocoa, and sugar free. Instead of focusing on what we can get with our chocolate, make a difference by buying Fair Trade products as another way to vote with our dollars. Fair Trade Certification empowers farmers and farm workers to lift themselves out of poverty by investing in their farms and communities, protecting the environment, and developing the business skills necessary to compete in the global marketplace.

We can also change the world one book at a time. Your passion brought you to write your book. What was the inspirational passion that sparked you to write the book? What are the changes in the world you hope to see with your book? In addition to your message in your book, imagine speaking about your passion. Reach into your book and find the “real-world” applications. For instance if you write about chocolate and love you can develop a talk for women who are newly single about finding solace outside of the chocolate box. Or you could speak to psychiatrists and therapists about the link between chocolate and love. Or you could speak about fair trade chocolate to retailers. Once you identify the real world applications the opportunities for speaking engagements are limitless. Since you have written a book about a subject this qualifies you as an expert, and you can be doubly paid. Paid for the passion in your book, and paid to speak to people about your passion.

Books have always been my passion, and being a publicist for people who are passionate about their material is a definite bonus. Rumi: “When you do things from your soul, you feel a river moving in you, a joy.”

Happy Valentines Day!