by Sophfronia Scott

You may not be fortunate enough to have, as a Dr. Phil or an Oprah does, a rabid audience constantly communicating their desires to you. But that’s okay. You can still find out what people–more importantly, what YOUR people–want in a book. In one way or another you’re probably already receiving this information everyday. The trick is to find it and to translate what people are saying–and not saying–to you. Remember, the more you can find out about what your readership wants, the easier it will be for you to decide how to write it for them.

Product Sales
You can start with product sales. What people are buying from you says a lot. What they aren’t buying can say even more. Analyze your current product sales and examine your strongest and weakest sellers.

Your Client Hall of Fame
Do you have clients or customers who are, hands down, the best ever? They are your ideal clients. You enjoy working with them, selling to them, hearing from them. They “get” you and your products because they know what you have is perfect for them. Many clients like this get short shrift or taken for granted because most entrepreneurs think they’ve already sold to this person and can’t do so again. They feel there’s more to be gained from the new customer. But nothing could be farther from the truth! Think about the “80-20 Principle”, which says that 80 percent of anything comes from the 20 percent. For instance, 80 percent of your sales probably comes from just 20 percent of your clients.

If that’s your situation–and most likely it is!–then the book you’re preparing to write is going to be written with your ideal client in mind–even if you think they already know or no longer need what you plan to write about. That’s why their input may be the most valuable you find anywhere. You can capture that input by inviting a handful of these ideal clients/customers to join your “research & development team”. You’ll take them out for lunch, or maybe offer up a juicy freebie on the internet, if they agree to give you some time to pick their brains about what they’re working on, what they want help with, what challenges they’re facing. You can even ask the question directly: what kind of book would they most like to read from you?

Surveying the Field
A survey is a great tool to use to find out what your customer base wants, but if you don’t stay focused in putting it together it can get out of hand pretty quickly. Establish a few clear goals for your survey. It would be easy to start using your the to ask your customers anything under the sun, but save that for future surveys. This one is just for deciding what your book will be about. You’ll want to get very clear on what specifically you want to learn from your survey base. Do you want to know their problems? Do you want to know what kind of help they want? Do you want to know how they respond to certain words you’re thinking of using in the title?

You want to be as clear as possible on what you’re looking for. Why? Because if your goals are muddy, your results will be muddy. Think back to your main goals for writing a book. If you want to establish your expertise, then perhaps your book might showcase your knowledge on a particular area in your business. But is that an area where your client/customer base lacks and wants information? Ask! If the main goal for your book is to be a lead generator, then you’ll be seeking to bring in as many people as possible who want help with a big, nagging issue–your book will help them with that issue. But what is that issue? Ask! You’ll soon have all the answers you need.

© 2008 Sophfronia Scott

Sophfronia Scott is Executive Editor of The Done For You Writing & Publishing Company. Get your FREE audio CD, “How to Succeed in Business By Becoming a Bestselling Author” and your FREE online writing and book publishing tips at www.DoneForYouWriting.com.

by Sophfronia Scott

It happens all the time. An aspiring author will send me an email asking “What do you think of this self-publishing company?” or “What have you heard about that one?” I will respond if I do know the company in question, but there’s no way I can have had experience with all self-publishing companies. Of course there’s no replacing you doing your own research on the company, but what questions should you ask?

Fortunately, Mark Levine did all the research for us. He’s the author of The Fine Print of Self-Publishing in which he presents the results of his research on the top 39 self-publishing companies. I had the opportunity to hear Mr. Levine speak at the Erma Bombeck Writers Workshop recently. What follows are his tips on what makes a good self-publishing company. By the way, I highly recommend you order the latest version of Mr. Levine’s book. In this update he includes an analysis of the actual profits made by each self-publishing company in printing markups and royalties. You can order it by going to www.BestSelfPublishingCompanies.com.

A Good Reputation Among Writers

Of course, the best way to do this is by speaking to other authors who have published with the company. You can find these authors on the company’s website, but you should also do a search for the company on Amazon.com and try to contact authors who are NOT mentioned on the company website. After all, a disgruntled author would not be featured as a glowing testimonial! You can also check out the company’s reputation by consulting the Better Business Bureau and self-publishing sites such as “Preditors & Editors” at http://anotherealm.com/prededitors.

Fair Publishing Fees

Mr. Levine says the following: “Fees [for self-publishing] can range from $299 to $30,000. It’s impossible to get a custom designed cover and professional layout plus the other basics you need for less than $1,000. If you can’t afford to pay at least that, wait until you can.” I agree. Unfortunately in self-publishing, the phrase “you get what you pay for” is highly accurate. Furthermore, you should acquire samples of the company’s past work to ensure their product is up to your standards.

Low Printing Markups

Of course, you should expect some markup in what the self-publishing company pays for printing the book, but the markup should be within reason. “A 15%-20% markup is acceptable,” Mr. Levine noted in his presentation. “Inflated printing mark ups result in an artificially high retail price being set which can hurt sales.”

Generous Royalties Without Any Fuzzy Math

Royalties should be at least 30% of the retail price of the book less actual print costs. You can consult Mr. Levine’s book for sample calculations on this, but the idea is that your royalty set up should not have the publisher “double-dipping” and making money on both ends of each book you sell.

Favorable Contract Terms

Before you sign any publishing contract, Mr. Levine says, you need to make sure the contract contains: 1.) a way for you to terminate the contract within 30-90 days without any penalty, 2.) a clause that states that you own all the rights to your work and any derivatives of your work, and…

A Fair Policy Regarding the Return of Original Production Files

This means your contract contains a clause that requires the publisher, upon termination of the contract, to provide you with all original production files that contain the cover art, formatted version of your book, and any other material you paid to have created. Mr. Levine notes, “You want these files so you can publish the book on your own or with another company and not have the entire book formatted again. You can just swap out the copyright page, bar code, old publisher’s ISBN and such.” This is only right. After all, you’ve already paid for this work, it should be yours.

One Last Note

The best way for you to choose the right company is to start by knowing exactly what you want out of the publishing process. Write it all out if necessary and use it as a checklist when researching self-publishing companies. You can have all the facts and figures in the world, but no one can give you what you want if you don’t know what you want. Good luck, and good publishing!

© 2008 Sophfronia Scott

Sophfronia Scott is Executive Editor of The Done For You Writing & Publishing Company. Get your FREE audio CD, “How to Succeed in Business By Becoming a Bestselling Author” and your FREE online writing and book publishing tips at www.DoneForYouWriting.com.

by Sophfronia Scott

Book marketing dynamo John Kremer had many tongues awagging at the Erma Bombeck Writers Workshop after his presentations on the Amazon.com book launching strategy. The author of 1001 Ways to Market Your Book discussed the tactic of enrolling joint venture partners to help catapult your book, if only temporarily, onto a bestseller list. He also did a special session on using viral video and attracting mega-traffic to a website. Many of the attendees were incredulous and didn’t see how the ideas could apply to their books. That’s because, I think, they were getting too caught up–perhaps even overwhelmed–by the details and missing out on the big picture. Here’s a way to look at John’s lessons–and your book project–in a whole new light.

Big Picture=Your Vision For Your Book

Before you look at the lessons you must have a clear vision for what you want from the promotion of your book. Do you want more speaking engagements? Have you self published and you want to attract an agent or traditional publisher? Do you want to attract more clients? If you don’t know what you want it will be harder for you to choose which tactics will be right for you or even know how to gauge their success. Once you understand your vision, it will be easier for you to see that…

Each Tactic is a Part of a Bigger Process

This means that each tactic you employ will not end when the tactic is done. Ideally it should lead to something else. Let’s take the Amazon.com launch strategy as an example. I overheard many writers in the room asking each other, “What good is it to have my book be #1 on Amazon.com for only an hour?” Well, if your marketing of your book goes no farther than making this one thing happen, it won’t do you any good. But if you take that ranking, write a press release about it and send it out to the media, then highlight it on your website and even perhaps on subsequent covers of your book, then you’re parlaying that #1 ranking into further promotion and more attention. Throughout this process you will also be…

Developing Relationships

John Kremer insisted that this was the real key in executing your marketing strategies. If you do it well you’ll be making connections with many partners who own their own lists and have similar interests to yours. If you hire someone to execute an Amazon.com launch for you, Mr. Kremer pointed out, you miss out because you won’t get to develop these relationships. If you nurture and maintain a connection with the partners who launch your book, you’ll be able to work with them again in the future to launch other books, products, workshops or even your services. Again, it’s about the big picture. Too many writers might do a launch and never contact their partners again. That would be such a waste.

Think Creatively

You would think as writers we wouldn’t have to be reminded to think creatively, but from what I overheard at the conference it seems a necessity. Mr. Kremer showed us many instances of how video is used to promote on the internet. Again, I heard writers say “I don’t see how that would work for me.” Understand that when you think that way, you’re closing yourself off to possibilities. Sometimes all it takes is a little imagination to take an idea and stretch it to fit your situation.

Try this. Sit down with a sheet of paper and answer this question: if someone were to hand you $1,000,000 to write out a 5 minute concept for a YouTube video for your book, and you could make it as silly as you wanted, what would the concept be? Don’t think too much, just write the most ridiculous thing to come into your head. Play with the ideas. Once you have something written, see if you could (with a few tweaks perhaps) execute it in real life. If you don’t like it, scrap it and try another. See? You’re already on your way to trying something completely different in your book marketing!

Of course not every marketing tactic will be right for you, but it’s up to you to think outside of the box and see the possibilities. And who knows? Maybe your book will stay on the bestseller lists a lot longer than you planned!

© 2008 Sophfronia Scott

Sophfronia Scott is Executive Editor of The Done For You Writing & Publishing Company. Get your FREE audio CD, “How to Succeed in Business By Becoming a Bestselling Author” and your FREE online writing and book publishing tips at www.DoneForYouWriting.com.

By Sophfronia Scott

What’s your book about? You might answer “Marketing” or “Families” or “Cooking” or “Personal Development”, but I challenge you to go further and think about your book in terms of your message. What’s the overall message you’re delivering in your book? People will be drawn to your overall message and how it makes them feel. Your message makes you attractive, like a super magnet. When you have something to say and the confidence and fortitude to say it, that sets you apart from everyone else. Ideally your personal presence will deliver this message in a powerful way, so much so that people will want line up to learn from you, be around you, work with you. In short–they’ll want to give you money.

Let’s use Dr. Phil and his work as an example here because he has created so many bestselling books, all with very different subject matter. However, all of his books have the same basic message. Dr. Phil’s message is intended to make you take charge and “get excited about your life”. Taking this kind of personal responsibility is what’s going to help you solve all of those pesky life problems. It’s going to help you lose weight, strengthen your family, meet the right mate or salvage your marriage. Note that the message is simple, clear and not about Dr. Phil.

HOWEVER…
Don’t you get the sense that Dr. Phil probably lives this message, that this is exactly the way he lives his life? It would be very hard to believe that this tall, powerful, well-spoken, straight-talking man would turn around and blame someone else for something falling apart in his life. His message “fits” him because this is the way he is. You get the sense that he would be saying the same things regardless of whether he’s at a cocktail party or on national television. It is who he is and yet it’s a message that connects with a wider audience because Dr. Phil has directed it towards helping people solve a problem. You can do this too!

Your Belief Systems
Okay, right now I’m going to ask you to do something that might sound like I’m saying, “Don’t think about the huge purple-spotted elephant standing in the room” when that’s all you can do! I’m sure your brain is already spinning and crafting your message for your book or your business. STOP! Don’t do it just yet. If you create a message right now, whipped out of thin air, it will dissipate for you just as quickly. You won’t connect to it and it won’t work.

A strong message has to be anchored in something–in the core of who you are. That’s the only way you can craft a message that fits you–one that is attractive, credible and one that others will immediately relate to.

So how do you do that? Your message must naturally grow from your personal belief systems. Your belief systems are the glasses through which you see the world. It’s how you live–who you are. You may not even have words for your beliefs right now because you’ve never thought to give them words before. Too few of us stop to think about what we really, truly believe. We just act and move through life without thinking about the thoughts running through our brains or why we make the choices we make.
But that’s also why it’s so easy for you to stand out when you do get clear on your beliefs. With just that one step you’ve already done what many haven’t!

This doesn’t have to be a complicated process. You can start out just by writing out two words:
I BELIEVE…
If the word “believe” doesn’t work for you, then think in terms of “What I know for certain…” or “This is what I know to be true for me…”

Next, write down a series of sentences to complete these phrases. They can be about life in general, or about work, family, love, money, society, history. If you have trouble with this, you can do a couple of things. If you already write, such as a regular newsletter or journaling, review your past writings and see if there are patterns to what you say or think about. Do you give the same advice to people over and over again? Do you have a “thing”– something that really bothers you every time you see the subject or situation come up? What inspires you?

For instance, I believe:
–if anyone wants to bring something creative into the world, they should be able to do it
–love is a powerful force, especially within families
–spirituality is important
–it’s important to be in charge of one’s own creative process and decision-making
–anyone can accomplish great things when they put their mind to it

Once you understand your belief systems you can translate them into your message. Basically what you’re going to do is take your beliefs and apply them to your topic at hand. Once you do, you’ll find your writing, your speaking and even your marketing will be so much easier because it will come from the heart.

If you find all this overwhelming, it might help to have another head working through your message with you. I recommend you consider my “Authors of Achievement: The Finish and Publish Your Book” program because this is exactly the focus of the program: creating a book–and message that fits perfectly into your business plan! You can check it out at www.AuthorsofAchievement.com.

© 2008 Sophfronia Scott

Sophfronia Scott is Executive Editor of The Done For You Writing & Publishing Company. Get your FREE audio CD, “How to Succeed in Business By Becoming a Bestselling Author” and your FREE online writing and book publishing tips at www.DoneForYouWriting.com.

By Sophfronia Scott

“And then what?” I find myself asking that question a lot lately as entrepreneurs and speakers approach me about getting a book done. We usually get to a point in the conversation where I ask the person what they want to happen after they get published. They’ll often say something like, “I really just want to get the book out there.” Okay, we can do that, I say. “And then what?”

I ask the question because these days, especially where a business is concerned, you’re leaving a lot of opportunity–and money–on the table when you think of your book as just a book. If you take some time to think it through, you’ll see that your book can actually become your business. Jack Canfield has done really well at doing this. His latest book on the Law of Attraction just came out, but if you’re paying close attention to everything he’s doing, you’ll see the book is really an introduction to his new line of “Dream Big” products.

You can do this too. You take the content or system you’ve created in your book and expand on it in a way that’s almost like the relationship between a movie and its merchandising. As the Mel Brooks character says in the film, Spaceballs, “Merchandising! That’s where the real money from the movie is made!”

At a very basic level, you can take the system you teach in the book and turn it into high-fee workshops or keynote speeches. It can become a series of products—or even a series of books when you apply the same system to different situations. Take The E-Myth by Michael Gerber, for instance: not only is the E-Myth a whole coaching program, it’s also a line of books for managers, medical professionals, different types of companies. If you look at the material closely, it’s not all that different. It’s just been repackaged.

Why You Can Re-Purpose Your Material Again and Again

Some people might be concerned that if the material is in the book, why would they come to a workshop or pay to come see you speak. When people connect to the material, they usually want more, even if it’s just to see you in person. Don’t be afraid to re-purpose your material over and over again. If you need confidence, just look at how the big guys have been doing this for ages! Here are a few formats to consider. All or none may suit your purposes, but you get the idea–your book can be so much more:

Workshops/Boot Camps
If you’ve done a good job of developing your material, there’s no reason it can’t translate really well into a 2 or 3 day workshop or boot camp. A workshop or boot camp can be a great moneymaker since you can charge as much as $5,000 for each attendee.

Audio Programs
A benefit of CDs is that it helps people relate to you as a real person. They get to hear your voice and connect to you. They also hear your authority and your command of your material.

Videos/DVDs
DVDs have a higher perceived value than CDs or books–you’re moving right up the media ladder! They also boosts your credibility because your customers will get to see the faces of the people you’re helping. Many speakers even record video testimonials from the attendees and include them in the product.

Workbooks
Your first question might be “How is a workbook different from the book I’ve already written/or am writing?” Never underestimate how much people want more. Many authors follow up popular how-to books with workbooks that allow readers to apply the method to their particular project. Writing the Breakout Novel was followed by the Writing the Breakout Novel Workbook. Likewise The Marshall Plan for Novel Writing was followed by The Marshall Plan Workbook.

How Will You Broaden Your Business?

Choose the ways you would like to re-purpose your book material and how you plan to produce it or make it happen. Remember, be imaginative. You know your business better than anyone else. But I encourage you to think big and make the commitment to follow through and implement your ideas. You’re really stepping out in a major way here–make every moment and every idea count!

If you find all this overwhelming, it might help to have another head working through your strategy with you. I recommend you consider my “Authors of Achievement: The Finish and Publish Your Book” program because this is exactly the focus of the program: creating a book that fits perfectly into your business plan! You can check it out at www.AuthorsofAchievement.com.

© 2008 Sophfronia Scott

Sophfronia Scott is Executive Editor of The Done For You Writing & Publishing Company. Get your FREE audio CD, “How to Succeed in Business By Becoming a Bestselling Author” and your FREE online writing and book publishing tips at www.DoneForYouWriting.com.

By Sophfronia Scott

I just got an email from Arielle Ford, the noted publicist who helped put Deepak Chopra on the public radar. In her email she was promoting her sister Debbie Ford’s new book, Why Good People Do Bad Things: How to Stop Being Your Own Worst Enemy. Since Arielle Ford is no slouch, it’s important to look at what she did with this email and how you can apply her tactics to your book marketing campaign.

First of all, the subject of the email was “Maybe Eliot Spitzer should read my sister’s new book”. For those of you who don’t know, Eliot Spitzer is the newly resigned governor of New York who was brought down by his alleged patronage of a prostitution ring. In her email, Ms. Ford goes on to say that her sister’s book is out and that Debbie has already been on television discussion Mr. Spitzer and his legal challenges. The rest of the email is all about the book and how to purchase it.

So what exactly was Arielle Ford doing? She was pitching to the news. Obviously the plight of the just-resigned governor is at the top of the news food chain right now. By connecting the book to the story, she’s setting her sister up for potential interviews on the many follow-up stories sure to come in the next few days, or even weeks.

There’s absolutely no reason why you can’t do the same thing. While this particular story may not be suited to your book, there are many more stories in the news every day that may be just the right fit. These chances crop up every time a big story hits the news. It’s important you know this because the news always opens a brief window of opportunity for a writer to either pitch a book or get some television or radio time based on their expertise. But you have to be ready. Here’s what you do:

1.) Keep Up On Current Events

TV and radio producers need new material and must put stories together quickly. That means you have to be right on top of the news and able to send a pitch in the moment you see a significant story developing. This doesn’t mean you have to be glued to CNN daily or subscribe to an Associated Press news ticker, but you do have to be aware of what’s going on. Speed is of the essence.

2.) Know How to Write a Quick Press Release

With that in mind, you’ll have to be able to craft a good press release at a moment’s notice. There are all sorts of technical aspects to putting together a press release, but basically you want it to have a strong headline, a quick and dirty description of your story and what you have to offer and contact information so producers will know how to find you. Make sure you make the connection that you are a no-brainer to be interviewed.

3.) Know How to Write a Quick Book Proposal

You’ll want to be able to do the same with a book proposal. Here the most important part will be promoting your expertise and a great table of contents. The point is to catch an agent or editor’s eye so they can start moving on the idea. You might have to flesh the proposal out after that, but for now you just want them to know you have the idea, expertise, connections and ability to follow through with the book.

4.) Use a Few Well-Chosen Email Addresses

Sure, you could mass email a press release, but for your book proposal (and for certain media contacts), you’ll want to make direct contact with a few, well-chosen people who you know will give your missive more than just a passing glance. This could be an agent you met in person at a conference, an editor who once rejected (with a nice note) one of your submissions or a producer whose email you received from a friend or colleague. Mark the email “urgent” if you must because they understand when timing is important. Just don’t do it everyday! Ideally you want a person who can tell you pretty quickly if a project is viable, whether others want to do the same or if there’s no interest period. Always be on the lookout to add such contacts to your list.

5.) Go!

You might have to do this again and again before hooking an agent, editor or producer with your idea. Don’t hesitate and don’t think “Well, I didn’t hear from this person before, they won’t be interested this time.” You never know! Be confident in what you have to say–just make sure you do have something to say! There’s no bigger turn-off for a producer or editor than to constantly receive disorganized, irrelevant information again and again from the same writer. Make sure yours is the pitch they pay attention to when it comes in.

© 2008 Sophfronia Scott

Sophfronia Scott is Executive Editor of The Done For You Writing & Publishing Company. Get your FREE audio CD, “How to Succeed in Business By Becoming a Bestselling Author” and your FREE online writing and book publishing tips at www.DoneForYouWriting.com.

It’s finally done! Here you see my new ezine, Business By the Book, which replaces Ask the Book Sistah. I know you’re probably wondering about what all this means. Basically I’m transitioning my business to focus solely on non-fiction books. While I will continue to write my own fiction, I’ve learned that in terms of marketing and product creation, it’s easier for me to focus on one instead of the two types of writing. But if this is what you’re interested in, great! Here’s what you have to look forward to:

* This newsletter coming out each week on Thursdays.
* More awesome teleseminars (see schedule in each week’s issue).
* New programs designed to get your book finished and YOU published!

To learn more, just check out my new website at www.DoneForYouWriting.com and while you’re there you can order your F.R.E.E. audio CD, “How to Succeed in Business By Becoming a Bestselling Author”. I’m so excited about this growing phase of my business and I’m happy to have you here on the journey.

By the way, I’d like to thank my rockin’ friends, Beth Davis (The Hand Analyst) and Fabienne Fredrickson (Client Attraction.com) for being my extra eyes, ears and minds as all this came together. Here we are last month at our Glazer-Kennedy Peak Performers meeting in Baltimore. It was amazing how many great ideas we got and how much we grew in just two days! But that’s what happens when you put yourself in a room of successful go-getters. The good energy is bound to rub off!

So onward and upward! I hope you enjoy the new ezine. Let me know what you think.

Best wishes for your publishing success,

Sophfronia Scott
Executive Editor

By Sophfronia Scott

Depending on your attitude toward writing, this could be the organzing your book’s content could be the part you’ve been waiting for–or dreading! But whichever camp you fall into, writing your book–and writing it well– can be a daunting task. However there is a way for you to organize your material and make the writing of it a lot easier: break it up or chunk it down!

Even if you’re working with a complex subject, you want to chunk it down as much as possible and keep it simple for your readers. You want them to see that they can do X all on their own just by reading your book. You will give them everything they need. This tactic makes it easier to organize all your knowledge and expertise because you know you only have to focus on one particular “how to” and the X steps it will take to handle it.

A good way to break up or chunk down material is to organize it into steps, keys, strategies or plans. Note Dr. Phil’s use of “keys” and “steps” and “plans” in his titles. The material in those books are organized in exactly that way: 7 keys, or X steps or this or that grand plan. Of course, not all non-fiction books are organized this way, but if you’re seeking to attract customers by giving them information or solving their problems, then most likely your material would work well with this structure.

Having a step-by-step plan also gives the reader a sense of confidence that they can implement your strategies. Most people like knowing that someone is going to take them by the hand and show them exactly how to do something.

Your Own Proprietary System
If you’re thinking “I don’t have steps or a plan” or “I don’t know how to put my information in a step-by-step format”, here’s a different way to look at it. Fabienne Fredrickson of www.ClientAttraction.com teaches this as figuring out your “proprietary system”. Your “system” is simply what you do when you work with clients all the time. When you work with a client or customer, you probably do the same thing with each one– you just never thought of your process as “steps” before and you definitely have never written them down.

So if you’re thinking you want a new, mind-blowing way to look at an old problem, you’re causing unnecessary work for yourself. You don’t have to create something from scratch—this can be about what you already do.

For instance, when you first start to work with a client, what’s the first thing you have them do? And the next? And the next? Write it all down and keep going until you’ve included everything. Then go back and number each one. Voila! You have your proprietary system! DON’T SKIP THIS STEP! Make sure you write it all down because this list could become your profit center for years to come!

© 2008 Sophfronia Scott

Sophfronia Scott is Executive Editor of The Done For You Writing & Publishing Company. Get your FREE audio CD, “How to Succeed in Business By Becoming a Bestselling Author” and your FREE online writing and book publishing tips at www.DoneForYouWriting.com.

By Sophfronia Scott, “The Book Sistah”

Selling your book will be ten times easier as soon as you can accept this one, think-out-of-the-box strategy: your book doesn’t have to be inside a bricks-and-mortar store to sell copies. Too many self-published authors get caught up in trying to figure out how to get distribution which will get their book into big box stores such as Borders and Barnes & Noble. The process can be expensive and daunting. But these days the best grass-roots marketing that can sell tons of books happens on the internet. Using a few tricks of the trade you could reach a wider audience, sell more books and do it while spending less money!

Create a Website That Does More Than Look Good

Nearly every author has a website these days, but not every site helps sell a book. Yes, it’s great to have photos, calendar dates and an order button for your book. But a website can do a lot more. Put a sign up box on every page of your site and offer a free gift to people who fill it in. That will give you a great head start in building your mailing list. You can also use your site to showcase your talent: post clips, sample chapters, your resume and a way for editors looking for freelance writers to contact you. Give your readers reasons to come back to the site regularly. Some authors hold contests and showcase readers or book clubs that loved the author’s book. Have a speaker’s kit on your site as well for easy downloading so you can direct inquiries for appearances there. You can even feature periodic sales on your site (perhaps during holidays or your birthday!) where readers can buy your book in bulk for gifts.

Enlist Others to Assemble a Special Offer Package

Everyone knows you have to get your book on Amazon.com. It’s the easiest place for people to go to find your book. But how do you get them to go there and buy it? The key is to get other people (preferably with lists of their own) to help you put together a special offer package.

You ask people to donate services, a free download, or gift certificate (the idea is this helps them promote their businesses) and you bundle these goodies up into a bonus package that people receive when they buy your book. The offers should appeal to your target market. Then you set a launch day and everyone who contributed to the package sends an email blast to THEIR lists telling them of the great offer. So you not only have a great offer to entice people to buy, you also have the offer going out to A LOT more people!

I’ll give you an example so you can see how this works. I recently participated in a special offer for Christine Martinello to promote her book, The Momager Guide: Empowering Moms to Leave A Loving Legacy. This offer was only supposed to last a week, but it was so successful Christine allowed it to continue. She also went, in just a few days, from being ranked #2.4 million on the Amazon sales list to being ranked #13 on the parenting and families bestseller list and # 238 in overall book sales. A true bestseller!

You can check out a similar promotion that started last month at www.HappyForNoReason.com. This site promotes author Marci Shimoff’s new book. I received several emails from prominent names such as Jack Canfield encouraging me to go to the site and buy the book. Look at her site and see how clearly it’s set up. She tells you how to buy the book, how to leave your contact information and how to download your bonuses. It’s a great example to follow.

Use Many Tools

A great website is just a start. To maximize your exposure, use more than one of the many internet tools available. Use a blog to increase your search engine visibility. If you’re posting on a regular basis and on subject matter connected to current events, your blog could also become a source of free publicity. Just make sure your blog postings note you are “author of your book”. Podcasts are another way of establishing credibility and getting the word out. An aspiring author recently asked me about how to create buzz around a book he’s writing about a historic sports broadcaster. A podcast is a natural outlet for him. Not only can he produce shows about sports broadcasting that show off his expertise, he can also play old clips of his book’s subject and stir up interest in him as well.

E-newsletters, like this one, are a great way of establishing rapport with your readers and keeping them up to date on what’s coming next. I recently signed up for Stephen King’s newsletter so I can see how this mega-selling author continues to put himself out there. (Note: King and his publisher sent out text messages to random cellphones to promote his book Cell. A great use of a different marketing tool!)

Don’t overlook your email signature. I still get people interested in my book just because they saw it mentioned in my email signature. Keep it simple: mention the title, a great review and tell them where to get it. Since you can set your email up to put your signature on everything you send out, this is marketing you can just “set it and forget it”.

Show Up in Many Places

The internet is a big place and the people you’re targeting to buy your book visit many sites. Your best bet is to figure out where they go and show up there in a variety of ways. For instance, you can design a banner ad for your book and get it posted on targeted sites. In some cases you may have to pay for the advertising, but if you have a site that someone wants to show up on themselves, they may be open to swapping ad space with you for free. Same thing goes for newsletters. Write articles for other newsletters, swap articles with other authors. Or, better yet, post articles to sites such as isnare.com or EzineArticles.com, and your writing will be sent all over the internet. You never know where your article will show up. One of my articles recently led to me being interviewed by Investors Business Daily. The reporter simply found it while doing a search on the topic of her story.

One last note: Because the internet is practically limitless in its reach, it’s easy to get overwhelmed by all the marketing possibilities. Take a deep breath and map out your strategy. Not every tool will suit you, so don’t try to do everything. It’s better to choose two or three techniques and work those to success rather than do ten things, in a scattershot way, with poor results. Remember, technology is supposed to make life easier!

© 2008 Sophfronia Scott

Author and Writing Coach Sophfronia Scott is “The Book Sistah” TM. Get her FREE REPORT, “The 5 Big Mistakes Most Writers Make When Trying to Get Published” and her FREE online writing and book publishing tips at http://www.TheBookSistah.com

By Sophfronia Scott, “The Book Sistah”

I have finishing on the brain these days. I just finished a large project with another close to completion. I’m also working on urging clients to finish reviewing and editing their own manuscripts so they can move on to the publishing process. But I reached a new level of thinking about this while listening to a recording of performance coach Lee Milteer where she talked about finishing. A friend of hers had been working on a book for several years, but he passed away before finishing it.

“Why does that happen?” I wondered. Why do some people finish books and others don’t? I began to look closely at my own process and what I observed in others. I considered all sorts of projects large and small–because I believe our thinking is similar no matter what the size. Here’s what I learned. I hope these tips will help you finish.

What Happens When You’ve Finished?

When I look at what motivated the most, I noticed the big dream was pretty enticing: the vision of leaving a legacy, wanting to communicate to a bigger audience, wanting to have a presence in the world as an author. All these are nice goals, but they’re missing one thing: they’re not immediate. Think about it. When you had to pull an all-nighter in college to finish a paper, were you thinking about the overall message of the paper? No! You just knew you had to finish it or get a poor grade! There was an immediacy to the situation!

I finished my project recently because it was part of a bigger picture–and I couldn’t proceed until I had finished this part of the picture. With a deadline approaching, there was an immediacy I couldn’t ignore.

Now, think about your book. What will happen when you’re done with it? Do you really have plans for your book, or will it be a “Wow, I finally did it, that’s great and that’s all” kind of thing? I’m willing to bet just completing the book will not be enough for you. How can you make your situation immediate so you MUST finish?

What Happens If You Don’t Finish?

Of course that means there must be consequences of your not finishing. Will your business not grow? Will you lose money? How will you feel? Really focus on this. If you don’t have a consequence big enough to motivate you, create one! Make a deal with a friend, so you have accountability, that if you don’t finish your book you will do something that would be absolutely horrifying for you. Maybe it’s making a donation to an organization you dislike, or giving away a favorite gadget or keepsake.

How Will You Feel If You Don’t Finish?

Once you figure out that consequence, I want you to really connect with the feeling of that consequence. How uncomfortable would you really be? A little or a lot? Does it really matter to you, or is it discomfort you think you can live with? After all, life has its disappointments, right? It’s that kind of thinking that will sabotage you when you least expect it!

Is What You’re Feeling Enough to Get You to Finish?

If what you’re feeling isn’t bad enough to make you finish, then you’ll have to come up with a different consequence. If that doesn’t work, find another one. If that doesn’t work, you may have to be honest with yourself and decide whether writing a book is truly important to you. It’s okay if it isn’t. Just because writing a book means something to a lot of people, that doesn’t mean it must hold the same importance to you. In fact, coming to the realization that it isn’t your thing will free up your time, emotions and energy to pursue a goal more in line with who you are. And I’ll be the first to say, “Go for it!”

© 2008 Sophfronia Scott

Author and Writing Coach Sophfronia Scott is “The Book Sistah” TM. Get her FREE REPORT, “The 5 Big Mistakes Most Writers Make When Trying to Get Published” and her FREE online writing and book publishing tips at http://www.TheBookSistah.com