Why Social Media is Killing Your Business

We all hear how important it is to be the King (or Queen) of social media. We need to be on Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn, Google+, and, of course, Pinterest. But did you ever consider the aspects that might actually be hurting your business?

A number of productivity experts have commented on the idea that we live in “busyness,”meaning that we feel we are busy because we continually enmesh ourselves in doing things for the sake of doing them, without being cognizant of the actual result. We feel that we have to be on social media so we are, often to our own detriment. Consider these numbers:

According to Empowerednetwork.com, 22 percent of time spent online is spent on social networking (see article here: http://bit.ly/10PJM9r). People spent twice as much time on Facebook than they did exercising. The average user spends 24 hours a month on a social networking site. Also, the research related to student productivity is alarming as well. According to this piece, the GPA of college students that regularly use Facebook is a full point lower than their peers who do not log on.

One out of ten workers spends more time on the Internet than they do working. Workers are interrupted once every 10.5 minutes with things like IMs and Tweets; once that happens it can take as long as 23 minutes for employees to get back on task.

So what do you do if you need to stay on top of your industry and keep up with your social media? And what if you are a solo entrepreneur trying to market your business? Sometimes we are faced with tough choices: finish the proposal for a new client, or market yourself on social media to get future business. If this sounds like a familiar battle, here are a few ideas to help you control the time you spend on social media:

Make sure you're doing the right things: I realize this is kind of a no-brainer but it's still worth considering. When was the last time you checked your engagement on any of these social sites? Are people responding to you or are you just posting and ditching? Make sure that your message is getting to the right people on the right sites. Maybe you don't have a message that will resonate with Facebook, maybe your people are really on LinkedIn or Google+. Consider taking a close look at how "social" your social networks really are and whether they're really benefiting you.

Scan headlines: Unless you are sitting in a really boring industry that doesn't make a lot of news, we can't possibly keep track of everything that's going on, all the time. That's why I suggest doing a quick scan of your headlines in the morning. You have to be really diligent with this. Delete whatever doesn't immediately spike your interest, read what does. If you spend the morning reading everything in your market you're probably gaining a lot of knowledge, but not a lot of value. Not everything matters. Pay attention to only what does.

Get a media alert system: Since Google Alerts is going away, I've been recommending some new systems (either Talkwalker.com, http://talkwalker.com/en, or Mention.net, https://en.mention.net/) - both of these sites are very robust and will keep you apprised of any goings on in your market. The keywords you select here will be very important so don't pick a keyword that's too general. Also, you'll probably want to modify these keywords as your market changes. With these services, you will get one email, once a day, with every headline and story that the service mentions. Some services will even send you tweets that mention the keywords you're looking for which is also helpful because if your objective is to engage in conversation around a particular keyword, you can dig in as soon as you get the notification email.

Get over FOMO: Many of us suffer from FOMO (fear of missing out); in fact, a number of newspapers have done stories on this. We stay hyper-connected to everything because we're afraid we'll miss something. I can almost guarantee you if it's something major, you'll find out. If it's not, don't worry about it. Get yourself out of the FOMO habit by turning off your devices after a certain hour, or for a certain period of time during the day so you can concentrate on work.

Watch your numbers: Much like point #1, you'll want to watch your numbers closely. Check your social media engagement and make sure that people are, in fact, engaging with you. When we do this, we always find places we can enhance or draw back on. Don't waste your time on things that won't matter. A lot of what folks do in social media is also related to FOMO. They want to be "everywhere" because they feel like if they don't, they'll miss out on business, news, speaking gigs, whatever. People don't enter your message through every portal, you'll find that the majority of your customers is on one or maybe two specific social media sites. Be there and ignore the rest.

Limit your time: It's hard to do, but I really recommend that you limit your time to thirty minutes in the morning and thirty minutes at night on social media. Let's face it, we can watch the stream of conversation all day but if we do, we're losing valuable time that we could be investing elsewhere.

Busy vs. productive: We're being constantly bombarded with "busy" messages. Consumers are busy, we're busy, everyone is busy - but are we busy or productive? The two aren't the same. If spending too much time on social media is limiting your productivity, you have a problem. Often before each task, I'll ask myself whether this is just part of being busy, or if it is productive. Is the task leading somewhere or just keeping me on the constant loop of "busy?" Imagine how much more free time you'd have if you pulled back and assessed busy vs. productive for everything you do at work. It's great to be busy. Better to be busy than to be sitting around waiting for the phone to ring, but we often associate success with being busy. If you're not accomplishing anything, then being busy is, well, just being busy. The problem with social media is that it "feels" busy, which can be a bit deceptive.

Consider outsourcing: If you feel like you can't handle everything you need to do in social media, considering hiring someone who can help you reach your goals. Social media experts and assistants are popping up everywhere. If you want a recommendation, go onto LinkedIn and put out a call for some resources. LinkedIn can be a fantastic place to find new vendors, by the way. Recently I put out a call for a collection agency and found some really amazing companies. People on LinkedIn love making recommendations, so go there if you're trying to find someone.

Productivity experts will often encourage shutting down your Internet or turning off email to help you focus. While these ideas are great, there's still a huge time-suck that is social media. It's part of what we need to do to gain exposure and new business, but it can also be a serious detriment to our success. Finding a balance between being "social" and being productive isn't always easy, but it's a balance worth striking.

Reprinted from "The Book Marketing Expert newsletter", a free ezine offering book promotion and publicity tips and techniques. http://www.amarketingexpert.com
 

Poetry and Prose Corner August 2013

For Labors Unheralded

Heaven bless the working man,
Or woman, as the case may be,
For labors that have built a nation,
Made it strong,
Kept it free.

Day by day endures the trek,
Spaghettied byways
Overflowing.
Ceaseless days of repetition,
Watching with frustration growing.

Even while complaints may linger
As the endless hours drone,
Though his ire may peak aplenty,
He will never take it home.

Home to where his world makes sense,
A different kind of recompense,
Where labors wear a sweeter flavor
Sheltered by a picket fence.


Dennis S. Martin
Lulu Storefront: http://www.lulu.com/dsmartin
Plays: http://sites.google.com/site/playsbydennissmartin/


Memory Lane

by Femke Weidema and Deborah Wilbrink c. 2012

When he sailed the raging sea, was he scared of what would be
Or hitched his wagon to a star, ‘cause it would take him far
Walking streets paved with gold where the nights were never cold
And people won’t grow old before their time
When I climb the Family Tree, I know so much more about me
I should write that down, I should save that story
I should write a book so the kids remember me
I’ve got things to say, I know they are still learning
I could steer away some pain with a drive down Memory Lane.
Did he find his wife to be, barn-raising in the field
Like grandpa found his bride and never left her side
Though many things were never said, he’d tell the story how they met
With love I won’t forget before my time.
When I climb the Family Tree, I know so much more about me.
I should write that down, I should save that story
I should write a book so the kids remember me
I’ve got things to say, I know they are still learning
I could steer away some pain with a drive down Memory Lane.
Memory Lane…
I will write that down, I will save that story
I will write a book, I will write a perfect memoir
‘Cause I’ve got things to say, I know they are still learning
I will steer away some pain when they drive down my,
When they drive down my Memory Lane

Available on the CD Imperfect Memoir by Deborah Wilbrink or listen at perfectmemoir.com

Then and Now

When I was growing up, I did the stroll.
I had no clue that I would ever "troll",
nor that the future meant someday I'd grapple
with entities like Microsoft and Apple.
Rap's beat could never "shift a paradigm,"
nor did its passion cause an "aha" time.
To "push an envelope" seemed odd to me,
involving planes or plain stupidity.
A solid bank graced every downtown street.
Of course, our cancelled check was our receipt.
Nobody "spoke to" things like "bells and whistles."
"Sunsets" were nouns that didn't mean "dismissals."
Expanding firms were praised for their potential,
but growth was never labelled "exponential."
I don't recall "proactive" workers then.
Nobody "tweeted" like a finch or wren,
or hissed with venom, "Have an awesome day";
and speeches were complete without "segue."

My greatest bliss in being embryonic?
Not hearing, even once, the term "iconic."

Rita Janice Traub
 

How You Can Help Your Favorite Authors

Okay readers, listen up. This one is for you. Being an author isn't easy; in fact, it's a pretty tough job. We write our books for you and, in return, we'd love a little help now and again.

Most of my articles are around marketing, social media, and advising authors on what they can do. Often I am sure that authors read these pieces and feel like they need a nap. Yes, there's a lot to be done, but you shouldn't go it alone. Your readers can be your best ally to help you market, and readers, listen up: it's not easy being an author in a world where everyone can get published.

Often readers do want to help, but aren't really sure what to do. Also, there's a bit of a mystique around authors. Many readers think, "Well, the book has been published, they probably don't need my help." But this couldn't be further from the truth. Authors (especially those who are starting out) do need our help. Here are a few things you can do to help support your favorite author, and for authors, don't hesitate to post this list somewhere on your website. If you need help (and who doesn't) you need to ask for it.

* Review the book: I've been doing an experiment with a book that I published anonymously. I included an email address for readers to write to share their thoughts on the book and I was shocked at all of the emails I got. Most of them complimentary (whew) and many of them asking when I'd write another book (something every author wants to hear). I would write them, thank them and ask them if they had the time, would they consider reviewing it on Amazon. This has netted me over fifty reader reviews. Authentic opinions about the book, written by a reader. Fantastic, yes? Readers are some of the best resources for reviews. If you are an author, ask for a review. You might even include a note at the end of the book to your readers inviting them to review it and telling them why. I'm surprised that many readers don't do this; it's not because they're lazy, but because they wonder if their opinion matters. Guess what? It does! Like a book? Please review it. Even if you don't like it, review it anyway. Most authors welcome feedback if it's constructive. Always be positive.

* Video reviews: If you're ready to take this a step further, why not offer a video review? Amazon lets you do this and I know, as an author, I would be thrilled if someone reviewed my book on video! If you do this, send the video clip via Dropbox or Hightail (formerly YouSendit) and keep the clip to under a minute. Hold up the book and smile!

* Photo sharing: This is another thing that I would love so much. A reader holding up my book, snapping a picture and posting it on social media! This is a fun, visual way to share your love for a book. Even better, snap a picture where you're reading it. Taking a book on vacation? Why not show yourself enjoying the book (cover out!) reclining in a hammock or sitting somewhere sipping espresso (Paris?). If you don't have any travel planned, take a picture anyway. Authors love, love this so much!

* Local bookstores: Though it may seem like every author who is published gets a shot at bookstore shelf space, the truth is that most don't. If you've found a book you love and had to buy it on Amazon because your local store didn't carry it, tell them. Bookstore managers have told me if they get multiple requests for a book, they will consider stocking it.

* Reading groups: This is often a tough one for authors to get into. Reading groups are a fantastic way to get the word out about your book but many are tough to reach and often pick their books months in advance. Unlike The Pulpwood Queens, which has a website and a strong online presence, most local book clubs don't have that kind of exposure but their regional reach can be fantastic. If you know of a local book club let them know about this book and then put them in touch with the author. It's a quick thing to do and I speak from experience when I say that any author would be very, very grateful to have this kind of a connection.

* Buy the book for a friend: This is pretty basic. If you love the book you just read, buy a copy for a friend. I do this almost every year for Christmas. If I love a book, I gift it. When you gift it, remind the person to review it.

* Social Media: Sharing has become part of our lives. We share good and bad news, but when was the last time you shared what you are reading? Here's where that great picture you just took of you reading a book can come in handy. Or even better, hop on over to Goodreads or Library Thing and share your love for this author to the millions listening there.

* Bookmarks: Most authors will get things printed up like bookmarks, postcards, etc. Bookmarks are especially fun because despite the eBook surge, many of us are still reading printed books. Email the author and see if he or she will send you a stack of them that you can share with your local library or bookstore. Leave them at the counter or pop them inside of similar books. Sort of like Amazon's "Other customers also bought", which pairs up similar titles. I know of a few times when this has happened, meaning readers contacting authors and the authors are blown away and grateful. Again, this takes very little effort. Ask for the bookmarks and the next time you're at a bookstore drop them off. Easy and the authors will really appreciate the local exposure.

* Authors on tour: It's not often that authors tour anymore, but if you have someone coming to your area, why not offer to help them get the word out? Maybe drop off fliers, or if you are so inclined, call your local paper and let them know this author is coming to town and that, as a reader, you'd love for the paper to do a story on it. Getting a heads up about an author coming to town from a reader can be ten times more effective than even a well-polished pitch. Why? Because the media is serving the local community and if a resident is sharing an idea, they're bound to listen.

* Libraries: Authors can have a tough time getting into libraries, so why not buy an extra book and donate it? Then let the author know that you did this so they can let readers know where they can check out the book. I know most authors would love to have a reader do this. It's impossible to reach everyone and most authors don't have the budget to do a library pitch on top of everything else. Many will submit their books to publications librarians read and hope for the best. Having a local connection is a fantastic way to get a book some local exposure.

When I've offered these tips in a session sometimes someone will pop up and say, "But big named authors don't need this kind of help." That's possibly quite true, but if you're only reading big names you're missing out on a whole crop of wonderful new writers. And, candidly, most authors, no matter how big they are, will appreciate the help. The publishing world isn't just shrinking for the little guy; it's shrinking for every author. As a reader, you have a unique opportunity to make a difference and help an author who has poured his or her heart and soul into a book. As an author, if you need help from your readers, ask. Post this article on your website or excerpt pieces of it that you feel best fit your needs. Even better, create your own list. When you ask for help, you might be very pleasantly surprised by the results.

Reprinted from "The Book Marketing Expert newsletter," a free ezine offering book promotion and publicity tips and techniques. http://www.amarketingexpert.com
 

WITS Book Reviews August 2013

Title: Family Can Be Murder
Author: Chris Hammer
Publisher: The Fine Line (May 15, 2013)
ISBN: 978-1908825100
Reviewer: Dana Micheli

There’s nothing better than a murder mystery that can keep you guessing and laughing at the same time. Chris Hammer’s new novel, Family Can Be Murder, does just that. This fast-paced thriller is a wonderful combination of family drama, skeletons in the closet, and good, old-fashioned suspense.

Jane Grotto, the star of the story, isn't looking for any trouble. She is content to run her car repo business, have Sunday dinners at her parents' house and hang out with Fred, her feisty but good-natured Chihuahua. But when Jane's favorite cousin is accused of murder, trouble finds her. As she races to prove his innocence, she stumbles into a closet full of family secrets, one of which is definitely worth killing for. Jane isn't looking for romance either, but when sexy NYPD detective Lou Lotedo shows up on the scene...well, let's just say there's only so much temptation a good Catholic girl can resist.

Like any book you can't put down, Family Can Be Murder is over far too soon. Luckily for us, it is only the first installment of the Dysorganized Crime Series. Jane and Fred return in the second book, due out this fall. Part of the proceeds go to funding Irving House, the organization Hammer founded four years ago for the care of senior and special needs animals. Family Can Be Murder is available on Amazon, Goodreads, and Kobo, as well as through the Irving House website. 

Top 7 Strategies for Blog Marketing

by Joel Friedlander

In this series on author blogging, we’ve already discussed how important it is to have a linking strategy, opportunities to get lots of kinds of organic traffic to your blog or website, and what I like to call the holy trinity of blog traffic.

Despite all this, many authors are still missing one essential truth: if you want people to visit your blog—engage with you and your ideas, subscribe, sign up for something and perhaps someday to actually trust you enough to buy something you have to offer—then you have to market your blog.

For most of us, it won’t be enough to simply write great blog articles, to fill up our archives with terrific content. The voice crying in the wilderness may be screeching or it may be beautiful. The point is in the wilderness, there’s no one listening.

And the fact is that once you understand exactly what this “marketing” thing is about, there’s a good chance you’ll enjoy it.

Why?

Because you enjoy the topic you’re writing about on your blog, or you wouldn’t be doing it. Marketing your blog just means taking that conversation to other readers, different audiences, in more places.

That sounds like more of a good thing to me! So, here are the top 7 strategies for marketing your author blog:

Blog Commenting

There’s a good reason why commenting on other people’s blogs is often listed first when talking about how to start getting traffic to your own site. Comments are in your voice, express your views, and allow you to introduce yourself to new audiences and create connections with bloggers and other readers directly.

Look for blogs that already have the readers you’re trying to attract, since those blogs have succeeded at what you’re trying to do. Also, look for other bloggers who are about at the same point in their growth as you are. These peers will grow along with you, creating a great marketing network.

Make substantive comments that really advance the discussion. It’s fine to disagree with the blogger, as long as you have a rational point of view, an openness to discussion, and a respect for other people’s viewpoints.

Keep doing this and you’ll soon get on the blogger’s “radar”, opening up lots of other opportunities. And you’ll be surprised at how these little links in the comments can turn into rivulets of traffic back to your own blog.

Forum Posting

Group discussion sites keep evolving online, and our marketing should evolve along with them. Why? Because we want to be where the conversations about our topic of interest are taking place, where people are gathering specifically when thinking about this topic.

Forums are still active online, and making expert comments there that help other posters can enhance your reputation. You also have a marketing opportunity in the signatures forum software allows you to create, so don’t forget to link back to your blog in your signature.

But now there are also lots of great discussions happening in social media. Active groups with rich social media connections are available on LinkedIn, Goodreads, Google+, and other venues. Locating the right groups for you and contributing valuable content will attract readers who want to see what else you have to say on the subject.

Article Marketing

Although article marketing isn’t as popular as it once was, it’s still a legitimate, free way to get links and traffic for your blog by submitting posts to article sites like ezinearticles.com.

One great way to utilize article marketing is by taking long blog articles and splitting them up into shorter posts, since the articles that seem to work best on article sites are around 250-350 words. This also gives you a chance to create more headlines on the topic of your article, and headlines are the most important part of these kinds of articles.

But also consider contributing your articles to sites that aggregate content in your field, or which rely on expert authors for the bulk of their content. These kinds of sites often have high readership and can direct lots of traffic your way.

Speaking and Teaching

Even though your blog is an online asset, don’t neglect the outstanding opportunities to build your author platform, including your blog traffic, through speaking and other live events.

Because these events are usually sponsored by a larger organization, you’ll get prestige and credibility from your association with the event. You’ll also need to find a way to connect people who attend the event with your blog. You might want to have business cards or handouts with a QR code that links to your blog, or offer a freebie that people have to go to your blog to collect.

Guest posting

Whole books and courses have been written about guest posting, because it’s such a powerful tool in helping to grow a blog, an author platform, a reputation, and a persona.

Many blogs have submission guidelines for guest authors, and most bloggers are happy to consider articles from legitimate authors within their field.

Obviously, if you’ve created a connection or established a relationship with the blogger beforehand, it’s going to be much easier to get your article considered for publication.

When you blog as a guest on someone else’s site, they are “handing you the microphone” along with the responsibility that comes along with it. Make sure you’re very familiar with the content on the blog and the kinds of questions readers ask in the comments. And make sure you hang around to answer questions, and promote the post through your own network. That will make it much more likely you’ll be invited back.

Blog Tours

Many authors associate blog tours with the launch of a book. It’s a great launch strategy, and I consider it a basic marketing tool, whether it’s connected to a new book or not. Maybe you’re just launching a new review service on your blog, or a new PDF you’ve put together.

A blog tour will give you the opportunity, like guest posting, to meet the readers of other blogs. But in the case of a tour, you’ll travel from one blog to another in quick succession over the period of a week to a month, depending on your pace and stamina.

You’ll want to concentrate on why your new offering should be interesting to readers at these various sites. You can create excitement with contests, giveaways, and special offers to readers at the tour stops. And take a word of advice: interviews deliver great content but take a lot less time than writing lots and lots of articles.

Blog Carnivals

This is probably the most overlooked form of blog marketing, simply because blog carnivals are not as popular as they were in the early days of blogging. If you can find a blog carnival with good circulation in your field, by all means, start submitting your best articles. Set a reminder for yourself so you don’t miss the deadlines.

Blog carnivals collect articles submitted by bloggers in a specific field, then publish links to all the articles. Sometimes bloggers take turns hosting the carnival, and sometimes the carnival is run by a single blog, like our own Self-Publishing: Carnival of the Indies.

Either way, these links contribute to your overall linking strategy giving your blog a bit of authority as well as traffic from people who want to explore your content. It’s all good.

There are bloggers who have grown incredible sites using just one or two of these strategies. Over the course of the last few years, I’ve tried all of them at one time or another, and I can tell you from experience, they all work.

Which strategies will work for you? Finding out will be a fun and exciting journey. Some will appeal more than others, and that’s fine. Diversifying your efforts ensures that you’re more likely to find things that work and that you enjoy.

Great content, effectively presented, is the foundation of everything that happens on your blog. But when you find a way to market your blog that’s fun for you, and that attracts readers too, you can really say you’ve “won” at blog marketing.

Joel Friedlander is a self-published author, an award-winning book designer, and an accomplished blogger. He's the founder of the Self-Publishing Roadmap online training course, and a frequent speaker at industry events, where he talks to writers about how the new tools of publishing can help them reach and inspire their readers.

WITS Announcements

As a subscriber to Writers in the Sky Newsletter, you are entitled to share your announcements with our readers. See guidelines at http://writersinthesky.blogspot.com/p/submit-your-material.html and send your material to us before the 24th of each month to make the next month’s issue. Anything posted in the WITS Newsletter is also shared with our blog readers at http://writersinthesky.blogspot.com.


DO YOU LOVE ME? by Gigi Goodall
ISBN 9781484877241

A heartrending true story of abandonment, redemption, and forgiveness, Do You Love Me? inspires and motivates. Gigi tells of her experiences, beginning at age five, of being shuffled to various foster care homes and work-for-board situations. The gold in this true plot is the turn-around: a family of five and a gift of helping others. This girl with a minimal education makes a lifelong, substantial career with special relevance and heart: helping the poor find better housing. Her stories of both sides of life, neglect and care, shine a light for readers. Already a book club choice in Florida!

Do You Love Me? by Gigi Goodall, edited by Writers in the Sky’s Deborah Wilbrink, is available on Amazon and by request at your retail bookstore.
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Read the first chapter for free and then decide if you want to download the 3-hour-long MP3 audio book of More Than Meets the Eye ~ True Stories about Death, Dying, and Afterlife for only $7.00. http://tinyurl.com/bd7qhy8
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IMPERFECT MEMOIRS Shares Stories in Song

Imperfect Memoirs by Deborah Wilbrink contains 10 original alternative folk and country songs. Of special interest to writers are the story songs: “Edgar,” a tale of gang recruiting in the middle schools; “Little Pony,” about a woman whose childhood incest experience affects her new marriage; and “Memory Lane,” a call to write your memoir. Available now on cdbaby.com, iTunes, Amazon, and more.
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Each story in The Sid Series ~ A Collection of Holistic Stories for Children focuses on life skills such as environmental awareness, helping others, being true to one’s self, overcoming fear, and following inner guidance. http://TheSidSeries.com
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The Dream Quest One Poetry & Writing Contest is open to anyone who loves expressing innermost thoughts and feelings into the beautiful art of poetry or writing a story that is worth telling everyone. Write a poem or a short story for a chance to win cash prizes! All works must be original. Visit our website for details: http://www.dreamquestone.com
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WITS editor Deborah Wilbrink would like to share some tips about writing memoirs. She says that memoirs are significant events, and that you have many of them. In her blog, “Using Plot & Conflict, she gives some tips on constructing a chapter or vignette from the story element model of literature.  To download this PowerPoint presentation, keep following the link Using Plot & Conflict and it should open on your screen. Deborah Wilbrink teaches and facilitates the recall and writing process, tailoring the small class to meet student goals. Mrs. Wilbrink is an editor, ghostwriter and personal historian. She is a publishing journalist and former English teacher. See http://www.perfectmemoirs.com/point-of-view-blogpage/ or http://writersinthesky.com/meet-the-team.html#teacher for more information. 
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Whose Stuff Is This? Finding Freedom from the Thoughts, Feelings, and Energy of Those around You is a guidebook for empathic people who have been unknowingly carrying energetic burdens that belong to someone else. See all purchasing options at http://whosestuffisthis.blogspot.com/p/purchase-book.html.
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If you are looking for someone to create an original piece for your book cover, you might want to connect with Diane Daversa on Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/#!/pages/Diane-Daversa-Fine-Art/109782219119036.
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Writing career won't budge? You need The Morning Nudge! Get your free subscription now at www.morningnudge.com
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Shifting into Purer Consciousness ~ Integrating Spiritual Transformation with the Human Experience is about how to embrace multidimensional frequencies, lessen physical and emotional symptoms of rapid spiritual ascension, and offers tips to make the ascension process easier and quicker. http://shiftingintopurerconsciousness.com.
 

Editor's Corner August 2013

Welcome to the August 2013 edition of the WITS newsletter!

Lately, I have been thinking about the roles of inspiration and confidence (or lack thereof) in a writer’s success. If you are thinking, “Well, duh, what writer isn’t obsessed with these things?”, just bear with me. We pray for that flash of inspiration, that a-ha book idea; however, the a-ha is often followed by the uh-oh. We start thinking, “How would I make this work?”, or “That would never be believable.”, or–my favorite—“No one would buy this idea!”

Creative people tend to compare themselves (negatively) to the superstars in their respective fields (because, let’s face it, we never hear of the actor who didn’t get the part). This makes it difficult, particularly in times of self-doubt, to imagine that we can achieve our goals. In these moments, it would behoove us to remember that JK Rowling was unknown—and destitute—when she starting jotting down ideas for Harry Potter. But she refused to give up, and she made publishing history.

If that doesn’t convince you, I recommend checking out the Writer’s Room, a new show on the Sundance Channel. Each week, the writers from highly acclaimed shows (i.e., Breaking Bad) talk about their creative process and how hard they worked to convince TV execs that their stories would work on the screen. Here’s a hint: they didn’t do it by comparing themselves to others, but by distinguishing themselves from others.

Happy Writing!

Dana Micheli
Writer and editor, Writers in the Sky Creative Writing Services
http://writersinthesky.com
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Writers in the Sky is a team of ghostwriters, editors, and book marketing specialists committed to the craft and business of writing. We work with our clients on all levels of the publishing process, from editing and manuscript assessments to book formatting and marketing. So whether you are a first-time author or a veteran of the craft, let Writers in the Sky help you get your book out into the world. We also provide assistance with résumés, business documents, and academic essays. For more information, visit www.writersinthesky.com.

Join Us for a Conversation with Author and Animal Activist, Chris Hammer

They say it only takes one person to change the world. In Chris Hammer's case, it only took one animal, a beautiful, blind pit bull named Irving. When Chris, a lifelong animal lover, set about finding Irving a home, she discovered a lack of services for abandoned senior and special needs animals. That was the inspiration for Irving House Animal Sanctuary, the organization Chris founded four years ago to save these precious creatures from almost certain death.

Chris has another passion--writing--and she ties these two loves together in her wonderfully crafted books. Today, Chris joined the WITS podcast to discuss her latest, Family Can Be Murder. It is a fast-paced mystery with plenty of intrigue, humor, and of course, a dog. Fred, the smart, funny Chihuahua, steals so many scenes that he'll undoubtedly return in the next installment of the Dysorganized Crime Series.

Her first book, Bixby's Canine Capers, is a collection of short stories chronicling the adventures of an equally feisty beagle, including the internationally acclaimed, Bixby and the Wolf.

Click here to listen to the podcast


Like what you heard? Family Can Be Murder is available on Amazon, Goodreads, Kobo, and through the publisher, The Fine Line Editorial Consultancy. You can also order Chris' books and learn more about her work with animals at www.irvinghouse.org.

This Week's Podcast Guest: Author and Animal Activist Chris Hammer

It is not often we meet someone who really lives their passion, so you can imagine my       delight to meet a person who's devoted to two! This Friday, author and animal activist Chris Hammer discusses her new novel, Family Can Be Murder. It is a suspenseful,  fast-paced thriller that will have you laughing one minute and scratching your head the next. 

Jane Grotto, the star of the story, isn't looking for any trouble. She is content to run her car repo business, have Sunday dinners at her parents' house and hang out with Fred, her feisty but good-natured Chihuahua. But when Jane's favorite cousin is accused of murder, trouble finds her. As she races to prove his innocence, she stumbles into a closet full of family skeletons, one of which is definitely worth killing for. Jane isn't looking for romance either, but when sexy NYPD detective Lou Lotedo shows up on the scene...well, let's just say there's only so much temptation a good Catholic girl can resist. Like any book you can't put down, Family Can Be Murder is over far too soon. Luckily for us, it is only the first installment of the Dysorganized Crime Series. The second book will be released some time this fall. 

Family Can Be Murder is her first novel, but it is not her first book. Her debut short story, Bixby and the Wolf, won international acclaim and was ultimately developed into a short story collection, Bixby’s Canine Capers. 

Chris is also the Founding Director of Irving House Animal Sanctuary; a rescue organization she established four years ago for the care of abandoned senior and special needs animals.  The organization is named for her first "client", a blind pit bull named Irving.  Since she was a child, Chris wanted to do two things: write, and help animals, and she is living both dreams. A portion of the proceeds from all book sales will fund Irving House. 

To read more about Chris' incredible work with animals or to order her books, please visit http://www.irvinghouse.org/

And be sure to tune in to the WITS podcast on Friday!

Eliminate Writer’s Block in 4 Easy Steps

Think You Have Writer's Block? It May Just Be “Chakra Block”!

By Denise Demaras

As a writer, artist and holistic coach, I focus on things that affect creativity, as it is a marker of overall health. Recently I've been looking more closely at the role the chakra system plays in our health and creativity. The chakra system, when balanced, open and in sync allows for a creative and love-filled life experience as we function from our center and highest self. Life can feel inspired, divine and guided.

On the other hand, when the chakras are imbalanced, everything--including our relationships, physical health, and creativity--suffers. That book or painting goes unfinished because it feels like an exercise in futility. Our questions go unanswered because we are blocked by excuses and negative self-limiting beliefs. We look to others for answers that will never suffice for our own unique expression. There are seven major chakras and each play an integral, separate yet related, part in our life experience and our health.

In our first--or root--chakra, we find our foundation for life. This determines our physical needs in this three-dimensional realm. We respond to life experiences from an unbalanced root chakra when we react from the “survival mode”. Life revolves around whether there is “enough”, whether it be money, food, love, and so on. It can show up in your relationships when the concern is what the other is doing for you; or in your professional life as for example, wanting to be an artist and being afraid that you cannot make a living being an artist. Often these beliefs are under the surface, undermining relationships or keeping you from selling your work, paintings or books. It’s simple; your brain computes self-limiting beliefs that program your life experience - always running in the background and interrupting the field of unlimited possibilities in life.

When the root chakra is balanced, we are able to live more realistically, fearlessly and focused. We are grounded in the ways of the world on a physical level and that converts to stability, certainty and physical strength. We have healthy boundaries, know we can survive and are not limited by excluding or labeling people, cultures, or religions - all of life is there for us to use in order to create our own unique way.

You can ferret out these limiting beliefs and “uninstall” them by watching your thoughts and behavior. Observe yourself, your thoughts, before you act. Listen to the thoughts that dismiss your desires, happiness or creativity. For example, if you learn of a dream job opening, and hear yourself think, “Oh, they would never choose me for that.”, or ”If they hire me they'll probably fire me when they see I am not good enough”, and so on. The same is true in your love relationships. Do you find yourself staying single because you think, “I'm not good/smart enough for him/her?” Or are you afraid it won't work out and you'll be hurt or fooled again? If so, you are in perpetual survival mode; living on high alert and always waiting for the other shoe to drop.

When you believe self-limiting thoughts, you prevent life from being the expansive, love-filled, passionate, creative and joyful existence it is meant to be. Step out of duality and fear by balancing your root chakra. To open up this chakra, break through your writer's block, enjoy deep love, passion and enthusiasm for life, try this:

Breathe: This slows down the mind naturally and relaxes the body-mind-spirit so that you can see your life in the moment with clarity and ease.

Gratitude: Focus on what you have with appreciation, rather than what is missing.

Acceptance: It is all good - your circumstances are in your life for your own development.

Journal: recording your thoughts, whether on a notepad, iPad, or phone helps to uncover self-limiting beliefs.

Poetry and Prose Corner July 2013

Survival

Please, Lord, leave this house untroubled,
We who serve you humbly plead.
Knowing well your faithful promise
We shall follow where you lead.

Heralds rise to sound the trumpet,
Blast a warning all must heed.
Close the door and
Light the candle.
Hearts in faith need never bleed.

Safe within this sanctuary,
You are surely all we need.
Nothing to bring shame upon us,
No concessions to concede.

Faith denies all pessimism.
Hope springs forward from her seed.
Onward with determination,
One day soon we shall be freed.


Dennis S. Martin
Lulu Storefront: http://www.lulu.com/dsmartin
Plays: http://sites.google.com/site/playsbydennissmartin/


Expansion

Infinite being of love and light
Expand your essence
Your truth and grandeur
Past the limits of time and space
Past the commandments
carved on tablets of stone
You make your own rules now
Infinite being of love and light
Expand your essence to the size of this room
Expand your grace to the size of this city
Expand your I AM Presence
to the far reaches of the multiverse

Beloved infinite being,
Expand your essence
Trace your desires back to yourself
where you are already loved
You are already God

© 2013 Yvonne Perry

Ten Lethal Marketing Mistakes Almost Everyone is Making

People always ask me, “What's the single biggest mistake authors make?”. I'm not sure it's just one mistake, though the truth is that one mistake can sink your entire book. Often when I tell a group of authors what I'm about to share with you they shake their heads in disgust, yet so many authors continue to make mistakes that can be fatal to their book's success. Most of the time, though authors know that publishing a book is like starting a business, they're still shocked when their book is a failure, despite the fact that they didn't market it.

“I don't have the time,” they'll say. Well, guess what? If you don't have the time to market then don't spend the time to publish it. Unless it's just a “thing” you wanted to do, then fine. Publish away, but don't expect success beyond your immediate family and close friends. Most authors, however, seek to publish for other reasons, most of them tied to their platform, business, or speaking. If you fall into this category, here are ten things you should avoid like the plague:

1. Waiting to see what happens: Often authors will put stuff out there and wait. They'll wait to see if it works, wait to see what comes back, or wait to see what kind of sales they make. Authors often tell me this, too when they hire us. “I'm going to wait till your work is done before I market.” Why do they do this? Sometimes they want to measure the effectiveness of what we've done which I totally get. But it's just not a good idea to wait, at least not in this climate. You should keep working, whatever you can do.

2. Feeling like you have to do everything: You don't. Yes, I know it often feels like you need to do everything. There are social media sites calling your name, blog posts to be written, book events to attend, blogs to read. There's a lot that you can be doing but focus on what you should be doing and, to that end, make sure you're doing the right things. Spend your time wisely. Don't get distracted by the latest big social media craze. If you can't be on both Goodreads and Library Thing then pick one. You're better off being in one place and having a solid presence there than just dabbling in networks. Dabblers typically don't make sales.

3. Not putting out enough content: The reason that it's important to pick your battles in social media and marketing is not just because of the “dabbling factor” but also because you have to create content. Lots of it. Blog posts, Twitter updates, YouTube videos, engaging pins on Pinterest, and the list goes on. Creating content can be a full time job if you let it, but there are hundreds of articles out there that can teach you simple ways to create helpful, engaging content for your readers. Good content is the single biggest driver of audience attention. Don't have time to create content? I was listening to a talk by Gary Vaynerchuk on social media and content. Someone asked him, “But what if someone doesn't have time to create a lot of content?” He smiled and said, “Then you shouldn't be doing this.” I couldn't agree more.

4. These rules don't apply to me: I was doing a series of speaking events recently and after I was done, an author came up to me and told me about his book. I asked him what he was doing to promote it, he said: nothing, really. Not because he didn't have the time, but he felt that his topic was such a hot trend, he didn't need to. This might be the worst mistake authors make and the most frequent. The basic rules of marketing today do apply to you. I don't care if you are somehow connected to someone who is famous, writing about someone who is famous, or slightly famous yourself. If you don't work for it, the results will still be the same: crickets.

5. Not staying on top of trends in your industry: The basic idea here is that you stay on top of not just your industry, but the industry you're in, too. That is: publishing. Why should you stay on top of what's going on in publishing? Because the trends might affect you. Let's say you have a book you want to put out and because it's short, you figure it's not substantial enough to warrant publication. Guess what? If you'd been staying up on trends you'd know that for a variety of reasons short is the new long. Thanks to consumers who want quick bites of information and things like Kindle Singles, consumers love short. I just published a book called How to Sell Your Books by the Truckload on Amazon.com. Every single email I've gotten back from readers is that they love it because it's packed with information, no frills and, most of all, short.

6. Lack of engagement: If someone (a reader) writes you a note or an email, are you responding to them? Often times the answer to this is no, which surprises me. Reader engagement is crucial, not because you need to be polite (didn't your mother teach you that?) but because in an age where bloggers are inundated with review copies and review space is shrinking, guess who will be your next best ally? Yes, your reader. Engage with them, thank them but most of all, respond to them.

7. Waiting till the book is done to launch the website: This is one of my favorites actually. Well, not really. I speak with authors all the time who are a week away from having a book and have no website. “It's coming,” they tell me. When? I ask. The answer is often, “Oh, when the book is out.” That's about three months too late. Now, granted, sometimes this can't be avoided, I totally get that. Delays happen. But in 90% of the cases when I hear this, it's because the author didn't know that it can take months (and in some cases years) to get traffic to a website. Start early and the minute the site is up, start blogging, too.

8. Being in a rush: A few weeks ago I got an email from an author who asked me for my recommendations on a publisher. I told her and the next day she emailed back and said, “I got so excited that I just uploaded it. I didn't have it edited but that's ok, I still have a book!” Well, I'm not sure of that. Ok, yes, you still have a book but in the long run, did this really benefit you? She said she was using this book to promote herself. Let me ask you this: would you send a potential employer a resume that wasn't edited? Likely not, right? Yet many authors have published books that aren't edited, either. While I know there are a lot of options for publishing and a lot of very quick ways to get your book “out there” fast is not always good, sometimes it's just fast. If you just want a book for family and they won't judge you on your horrible editing, then go ahead and rush to publish. But if you want something that you can be proud of, that's going to help you build your platform, don't rush. Just because you can publish quickly, doesn't mean you should.

9. Ask for what you want: I was speaking with a group of authors recently and there was an author in the crowd who said that every book event she does always has a great turnout (lucky her!). I asked her how she was using these events and she looked at me sort of confused. “What do you mean?” she asked. I told her that with that kind of a turnout, she should be signing folks up for her mailing list and then following up with them (think reader engagement). I asked her what she really, really needed for her book. She said she needed more reviews. I told her to ask her readers for help. “You can do that?” she asked. You bet you can. Readers really do want to help authors they love so let them and tell them. Whether you're doing live events, online promotion or whatever. If you want reviews for a book ask your readers. I have an author who, every time someone writes her about her book, she will thank them and ask them to review it. Almost all of them do this. It's a fantastic way to build your reviews on Amazon. Because of this she now has hundreds of reviews on Amazon. Wouldn't you like to have that? Just ask.

10. Wanting to make a fast buck: With all the news around eBooks and the money some authors are making in this industry, it's tempting to think, “Hey, I need some cash, let me publish something.” But as with any industry, these stories are the exception, not the rule. Yes, many authors are doing very well but they're also working on it every day. This isn't a “set it and forget it” type of market. You can't just throw content out there and wait for the sales to roll in but you'd be surprised how many people do this.

I often find myself telling authors that “publishing is a business” so much I feel like I should get it tattooed to my forehead (and what a conversation piece that would be!). But the reality is that it is and, though many who are reading this will feel like this article is written for beginners, that's not true. I've seen authors who have spent years in this industry, struggling for success because they keep making the same mistakes over and over.

Many mega-bestselling authors are turning to self-publishing as a way to get content to market quicker. I heard a formerly traditionally published author speak about this recently and during the talk she said, “I don't have time to do anything other than write the book. I just can't do anything else.” I was sort of surprised that she said this, but coming from the traditional world and having been published for years that way I can see how she might have lived a somewhat sheltered life. Even for traditionally published folks the world is a different place and no one, even the biggest names, are immune to this. As to point #4, the rules apply to everyone. Yes, that means you.

Reprinted from “The Book Marketing Expert newsletter,” a free ezine offering book promotion and publicity tips and techniques. http://www.amarketingexpert.com

WITS Book Reviews July 2013

Title: The Ashes of Windsor
Author: Liz Newman
Publisher: Devine Destinies
Publish Date: September 15, 2012
ASIN: B009FBW6WU
Reviewer: Dana Micheli

I have read three of Liz Newman’s books, and I am continuously amazed by her ability to tell such different kinds of stories with the same level of suspense, romance, and intrigue. In Vampire Eden, I was taken to the underbelly of Vegas where the undead run wild; in Eternity Skye, I was taken back to the days following the September 11th attacks, when so many of us were forced to reevaluate what was truly important. The Ashes of Windsor, however, depicts an all too plausible—and all too terrifying—post-apocalyptic world.

By all accounts, Inari Giles has an incredible future ahead of her, one that includes an Ivy League education and a passionate romance with her boyfriend, Peter Huntford. But all of that changes when a nuclear bomb hits New York City and plunges the eastern part of the country into starvation, war, and disease. When Inari learns that Peter has fled the area, she feels as though her will to live went with them. But then her hero returns, along with his family, to rescue her. They take her to one of the few surviving hospitals, where she can recover from her extensive injuries, and she and Peter formulate a plan to escape to Arcadia, a land left untouched by the nuclear fallout. There are conditions to being admitted to this place, and Peter and Inari just might fit the bill—that is, if they make it there alive.

Part Handmaid’s Tale, part Walking Dead, The Ashes of Windsor took me on an emotional roller coaster with every flip of the page. One minute I was laughing at a typical teenage exchange between Peter and Inari; the next, I wanted to cry from heartbreak or cower with fear. Newman has hinted at a sequel (or, hopefully, a series), but it will be a painful wait.

Author Blogging 101: How Long Should Your Blog Posts Be?

by Joel Friedlander

How long should a blog post be? I get asked this question all the time, mostly by people who are concerned with “doing it properly.”

What can you say in response? Most books and courses on blogging will suggest that 250 to 500 words will do, depending on your subject. That doesn’t work for me, or for lots of other bloggers.

When I got started, I noticed most of my instructional posts seemed to reach the end right around the 1,000 word mark. I didn’t choose that, but it seemed like that’s where my “meter” was set.
Your results will vary.

Look at these three highly successful bloggers who can act like case studies in how long your blog post should be, and see what you think.

Seth Godin

Seth Godin is a marketing and branding expert with a huge following that has helped to propel many of his books onto the bestseller lists.

Even more than that, Godin is a true thought leader, with people in many places picking up on his ideas and being inspired by them.

His post today is Polishing Perfect, a classic Godin piece on how to stop deviating and get your project moving forward. Classic line: “Stop polishing and ship instead.”

Total word count of this post: 104 words.

Glen Allsop

Not quite as famous as Seth Godin, but Allsop is only 26, so give him time. He writes long, deep posts about the essentials of online commerce.

Allsop’s writings have had quite an effect on the online marketing world, and he built a highly popular site very quickly. Many of his articles get hundreds of comments from his rabid fans.

His most recent post is Case Study: Have Your Best Product Launch Ever (Without a Single Affiliate), an article that goes into remarkable detail about a product launch while, at the same time, whetting the appetite of thousands of readers for the product being launched. Classic line: “Selling is not about getting a customer once, but having them look forward to receiving more things from you in the future as well.”

Total word count of this post: 7,925

“The Passive Guy”

Yes, I know his name is David Vandagriff, and he writes the highly popular Passive Voice blog. An intellectual property attorney, Vandagriff has a different style. Instead of writing a lot of blog articles, he curates content, posting excerpts from articles he finds online.

Sometimes he’ll post the excerpt and link with no commentary, sometimes he’ll add a sentence or a paragraph, and once in a while he’ll let loose and write a few hundred words on a subject.
Today, Passive Guy published 6 blog posts, with a total of 150 words in copy. That’s for all 6 posts.

What Did We Learn?  Okay, the 3 very popular bloggers in our case studies had word counts that ranged from none (Vandagriff) or few (about 25 words per post for Vandagriff if you average it out) to almost 8,000. Allsop’s post is 76 times longer than Godin’s. Essentially, these numbers are meaningless.

The question, “How long should my blog posts be?” is unanswerable. Your blog posts should be long enough to do the job, whatever that job is.

What’s your offer to your readers? Godin, Allsop, and Vandagriff inspire amazing passion in their followers, and keep them coming back for more.

When your passions intersect with your readers’ needs, the question itself will cease to exist.

So blog on.

Joel Friedlander is a self-published author, an award-winning book designer, and an accomplished blogger. He's the founder of the Self-Publishing Roadmap online training course, and a frequent speaker at industry events where he talks to writers about how the new tools of publishing can help them reach and inspire their readers.
 

WITS Announcements July 2013

As a subscriber to Writers in the Sky Newsletter, you are entitled to share your announcements with our readers. See guidelines at http://writersinthesky.blogspot.com/p/submit-your-material.html and send your material to us before the 24th of each month to make the next month’s issue. Anything posted in the WITS Newsletter is also shared with our blog readers at http://writersinthesky.blogspot.com.

Read the first chapter for free and then decide if you want to download the 3-hour-long MP3 audio book of More Than Meets the Eye ~ True Stories about Death, Dying, and Afterlife for only $7.00. http://tinyurl.com/bd7qhy8
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LAST CALL FOR ENTRIES!

The Dream Quest One Poetry & Writing Contest is open to anyone who loves expressing innermost thoughts and feelings into the beautiful art of poetry or writing a story that is worth telling everyone. Write a poem or a short story for a chance to win cash prizes! Postmark deadline: July 31, 2013. All works must be original. Visit our website for details: http://www.dreamquestone.com
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Each story in The Sid Series ~ A Collection of Holistic Stories for Children focuses on life skills such as environmental awareness, helping others, being true to one’s self, overcoming fear, and following inner guidance. http://TheSidSeries.com
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Whose Stuff Is This? Finding Freedom from the Thoughts, Feelings, and Energy of Those around You is a guidebook for empathic people who have been unknowingly carrying energetic burdens that belong to someone else. See all purchasing options at http://whosestuffisthis.blogspot.com/p/purchase-book.html.
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State of Appreciation is a free weekly online newsletter that blends practical and spiritual approaches to enhance personal power and self-realization. This publication offers empowering articles, gifts, and free contemporary and classic empowerment downloads at http://stateofappreciation.weebly.com.
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If you are looking for someone to create an original piece for your book cover, you might want to connect with Diane Daversa on Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/#!/pages/Diane-Daversa-Fine-Art/109782219119036.
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Shifting into Purer Consciousness ~ Integrating Spiritual Transformation with the Human Experience is about how to embrace multidimensional frequencies, lessen physical and emotional symptoms of rapid spiritual ascension, and offers tips to make the ascension process easier and quicker. http://shiftingintopurerconsciousness.com.
 

WITS Podcast Schedule July 2013

Writers in the Sky Podcast is a Nashville-based talk show about writing, publishing, and book marketing. An educational tool for people who want to learn more about the craft and business of writing, this show offers interviews with authors and writers, as well as the latest news about books currently on the market. You will also learn about publishing methods and marketing techniques as we interview publishers and publicists. Listen to archived shows via RSS Feed. Download WITS Podcast on iTunes for your iPod or iPad.

On July 26, author and animal activist Chris Hammer dishes about her new book, the hilarious whodunnit, Family Can Be Murder.

Editor's Corner July 2013

Welcome to July 2013 issue of the WITS Newsletter!

Recently, I watched Limitless, a movie about a writer whose life is going nowhere fast. A talented but defeated man, he has a book contract, but has not written one word of his novel. With the bills mounting and an angry agent breathing down his throat, he is one step from eviction and, even worse, obscurity. Then a chance meeting with an acquaintance presents him with an irresistible opportunity: a pill that allows him to tap into his “limitless” potential. This pill brings to the forefront of the mind every memory, every piece of knowledge he has ever acquired. More importantly perhaps, it dissolves all fears, insecurities, and “what if” negative thinking. In other words, it does what metaphysical people have been trying to teach us for centuries: it eliminates the mind chatter that distracts from our goals, leaving perfect clarity and focus. Of course, it’s downhill from there, with the usual Hollywood-style murders, mayhem, and political corruption.
I sat there, fascinated (and distracted from my own work!) as he finished his book, became fluent in five languages and made millions in the stock market, all in less than a week. If only such a pill existed! As the end credits rolled and I floated back down to earth, I realized I had not been so affected by a film since the Matrix. Both contemplate the possibility of manipulating our reality and stretching our limits (albeit artificially) beyond anything currently possible. What if we could simply shed our fears? What if we recognized each obstacle as a mere illusion? Imagine what we could accomplish then, even without the pill or the computer program. I invite you to try it the very next time you are sitting in front of that blank computer screen. I did, and if nothing else, it’s certainly making things more interesting.

Happy Fourth of July, folks, and as always, happy writing!

Dana Micheli
Writer and editor, Writers in the Sky Creative Writing Services
http://writersinthesky.com
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Writers in the Sky is a team of ghostwriters, editors, and book marketing specialists committed to the craft and business of writing. We work with our clients on all levels of the publishing process from editing and manuscript assessments to book formatting and marketing. So whether you are a first-time author or a veteran of the craft, let Writers in the Sky help you get your book out into the world. We also provide assistance with résumés, business documents, and academic essays. For more information, visit www.writersinthesky.com.

When Should We Add the (Book) Marketing?

by Joel Friedlander

A few months ago Seth Godin posted one of his typically short and to the point blog posts with the headline “When should we add the marketing?”

(Godin is also the author of the famous advice that the best time to start building your platform is three years before you publish your book. This will give you an idea of where Seth is going with this topic.)

Here’s part of the argument:

“Marketing is the first thing we do, not the last. Build virality and connection and remarkability into your product or service from the start, and then the end gets a lot easier. Build it into your app, your book, your movie, your insurance policy, and the red soles of your shoes.” —Seth Godin, “When should we add marketing?“

Robert Bruce at Copyblogger picked up this theme in an interview with Godin where they went into even more detail on the idea that you start with marketing concepts, it’s not something you “tack on” to a project already in process.

The idea that the marketing is the first thing we do will sound unpleasant or even sacrilegious to many writers. For lots of people writing is a refuge, or the fulfillment of a vision, or a daily need, something they are “called” to do, or simply something they do because of an inner drive.

What, these authors might ask, does marketing have to do with any of that?

But there’s one central truth to what Godin is talking about here. This truth applies to writers who want to interest other people—people who don’t know them and who aren’t related to them—in an idea, a story, a skill, a collection of information.

That truth is this: making marketing part of the beginning of the process acknowledges the importance of readers, the end users of our books. When marketing is “baked into” our books or other offerings, we’ve really thought about the readers first.

Writing without regard to readers all too easily ends up with the scenario I’ve described before: a phone call from an author who has gone through the whole process of writing and publishing a book, and now wants to know, “How do I sell these things? Should I start marketing now?”
Brian Clark, the founder of Copyblogger, didn’t ask his readers what products they wanted, and he never ran a survey on his blog, even though it quickly grew to one of the most widely-read sites online. But he listened. He listened to his audience, read his reader’s comments, and studied what people were saying.

It was the market intelligence Brian gained from that listening that allowed him to launch one blockbuster product after another, building a content-driven empire.

The funny thing is, as writers, we have access to one of the best sources of market intelligence ever invented, one that gives us an unfair advantage over people for whom writing is a struggle. It’s the same tool Brian Clark used to great effect.

The blog. Yep, that’s our secret weapon.

Message to Nonfiction Authors: “Not So Fast!”

I talk to quite a few authors who are clients, colleagues, or readers. From those experiences, I’d say about half the nonfiction authors I’ve talked to have missed this point entirely.

• They don’t know who their readers are.
• They have no market intelligence.
• They don’t know the bloggers or other influencers in their niche.

Consequently, they have no “listening posts” or ways to engage their audience.

Painful though it may be to hear it, my advice to these authors is usually to put the book aside and spend the next three, six, or 12 months finding out how to answer these questions. Usually the best way to do that is with a blog.

Through a blog you can

• Engage readers in an “endless conversation” that will provide massive amounts of market intelligence
• Enter a deeper relationship through content your provide to subscribers if they grant you permission to talk to them by giving you their email address
• Experiment with content and how to present it to see what works best for your readers in the real world
• Network with other authors and bloggers in your field, cross-fertilizing your ideas and building a “network of networks” made of readers within your subject area

And that’s just for starters.

Where Do You Stand?

So what’s it going to be for you if you’re a nonfiction author? Will you get obsessed with the book itself, and drive toward publication whether you understand what the market wants or not?

Are you so convinced of how right your ideas and presentation are that you think people will simply accept how awesome your book is and rush to buy it?

Or are you willing to step back, take the time to build a robust platform first, and thereby ensure that when you do publish that book, you have the support of a community of fans, people whose opinions, likes and dislikes really matter to you?

The difference can be immense. Imagine presenting your book to a room full of the people you know now. Once friends and family leave, you’re likely to be alone in the room.

Now imagine the same scenario after you’ve grown a community, acquired readers interested in what you have to say. There will be plenty of people in that room willing to help you celebrate your publication, and help to spread it to other people too.

Which one will it be for you?

Joel Friedlander is a self-published author, an award-winning book designer, and an accomplished blogger. He's the founder of the Self-Publishing Roadmap online training course, and a frequent speaker at industry events where he talks to writers about how the new tools of publishing can help them reach and inspire their readers.
 

Poetry and Prose Corner June 2013

From the forthcoming book, Echoes in the Universe, A Spiritual Memoir, by Leonard Goodwin:

Summer Enlightenment

By Leonard Goodwin


Behind our house
in the sunlightened field
of yellow green grass, two feet high
with a path worn through
I walk to the rise of the hill
where blue sky begins
and the giant oak
reaches for a cloud

I stand in silence
feeling warmth
of the solar furnace soaking through
my outer layers of self
Feet sinking deeply into earth
taking root
Body stretching upward
arms growing out

I am the tree
looking out beyond the field
to urban streets
where busy human forms
rarely raise their eyes
to scan the heights
to which they might ascend

My head touches the cloud
a billow of white
floating in the blue
I am the cloud
the tree, the grass
the earth, the sky
the unfolding human drama
The I and We
in total harmony
 

Birthing A Book

by Deborah Wilbrink

The excitement is palpable: a book lies in a brown paper UPS envelope on my door step, half wet from the rain. Ripping it open, I gasp. It’s beautiful! I rush it to the author, Barbara Goodall, and she agrees. So does the buyer at our local Barnes & Noble bookstore. Now I’m on Cloud 9.

Do You Love Me? started as a pamphlet with another title, published far below the author’s expectations. Her family encouraged her to take it to a professional level, and she contacted Writers in the Sky. I knew it was a treasure when I began reading. It’s taken months to get this ready – editing, consulting, then formatting design samples and formatting the book; getting design help for the cover; and that’s just getting this print on demand proof. Then I led Barbara through the forest of ISBN and Library of Congress and copyrights, finding my way more easily with the Internet and experience. Barbara is a pleasure to work with, and her book, Do You Love Me? is so worthwhile. We still have a few periods to place and commas to knock out; a photo to enlarge. But now I know these precious words, all her own, will survive.

The journey to get the word out to others begins: distribution, sales, marketing, publicity. There’s no budget for this. But this book has a message, so we have faith.

My parents and grandparents, a couple of four, were always together—but there was no room for me.
Do You Love Me? is a true story of how an abandoned child struggles to belong, and how she finds fulfillment in giving. Repeatedly left in the care of strangers, Goodall tells her story in Part 1 of looking for love and a home. She wondered whether she was worthy of love. In Part 2 she is loved by her husband. Together they provide a loving home for others: their four children, twenty-five foster children, and finally the mother who rejected her. Along the way, Goodall maintains a career in finding public housing for those in need. She has a reputable and honored career, despite having to leave high school those many years ago. Barbara Goodall’s memoir is a living testimonial to the miracles of attitude and faith. A heartrending story of abandonment, redemption, and forgiveness, Do You Love Me? inspires and motivates.

Do You Love Me? will be available in mid-June from Amazon; or ask for it at your local bookstore and library, who can find it in “Books in Print” by August. We are getting the nursery ready for our “baby” and welcome all comers to admire it, and to share in our joy.

If you are writing and preparing a book, congratulations! It takes a lot of effort; and is very rewarding. Ask for help. That’s why we’re here.