Posts filed under ‘Marketing’
Predict the Curve and Write
The old, “Think Outside the Box” has been replaced. Granted, you’re still required to tap into an idea, look at it from an angled perspective and then transform it from the ordinary. But these days, that’s not enough…
Not only do you have to live outside of this box, but now your peripheral vision needs to see beyond the upcoming curves. As a writer, a freelancer, and a business strategist, you must Think Ahead of the Curve.
Take a look at our industry. Freelance submittals are usually accepted for publication in issues that are 6+ months out. What do you think determines the acceptance of your writing? Luck…maybe. A great story…possibly. But there are flood waters of great stories. So, how does your story stand out?
Use your competitive relish for predicting hot trends to provide cutting-edge content.
The constantly-in-motion Internet is responsible for keeping an accurate pulse on the changing tastes and wants from around the globe. While the web provides writers with further opportunity, this also forces each of us to become cultural gurus, visionaries and trendsetters.
We are reverted back to student status outside of our major — research and study to find opportunity.
Here are a few ways to get you ahead of the curve:
- Stay Current with the News (local and global): For example, a particular newsworthy event which occurred in Patagonia or Lewistown, Montana will heighten the media’s awareness of that particular area and thus increase future stories and expenditures to the location. The key is to realize when that first story hits a higher level of interest will occur. Begin researching a topic appropriate to the area (fly fishing) and pitch your idea before the hype has begun.
- Upcoming Events: Capitalize on the opportunity when an event is first announced. The usual media uproar occurs when the event’s date is nearing. Why not be the first to present the event or gain an interview early in the game when the content will hold more value.
- Anniversaries: Nostalgia sells and cultural milestones offer a way to gauge progression. Highlight the importance of what it means to readers today and the legacy that continues to grow. Look for obscure connections that add a deeper level to your story.
The writing market is saturated with fresh and seasoned talent. Our ability to consistently generate new and timely material is becoming equally as important as our individual writing styles. Exercise the predictability of the coming shifts in trends and events. Foresight is becoming a necessary road to your writing success.
Four Steps to Holiday Book Promotion
There has never been a better time of year to promote your book.
Right now, during this season, people are searching — parading the streets for that idea that’s perfect for someone they know. It is officially holiday time and the countdown to flying shreds of colorful paper has begun. And as a published author (that’s right, I’m talking directly to you), your promotional efforts should be in full night-before-Christmas-shopping throttle.
Your book should be the hottest thing coming this season. Now, if you were a good little author this year and planned ahead to market your book this holiday season, you’ll already be reaping the benefits. Most bookstores and event coordinators start planning for the holidays months in advance. However, even if you are on the naughty author list, you can still cash in on some of the sales this December if you put your mind to it and get creative.
Here are some ways to keep your momentum among the holiday shuffle and push the title of your book:
- Step outside the Bookstore. Traditionally, an author would hold a book signing in a local bookstore. But most bookstores start planning their December stock and events months in advance. So this holiday, think of a high traffic area and better yet, one that you may find your targeted readers. Does your book fall in the women’s lit genre? How about the local yoga studio, coffee house, a spa or shopping center? For the science fiction genre, try comic book or gaming stores. And for a children’s book, seek out boutiques and toy stores. Explore bazaars, craft shows, local holiday events. Just get there and display your work. (And add a special touch of free gift wrapping if you are in the spiritsJ).
- Happy Holidays from Your Local Author. Get a mailing list by zip code and create a holiday mass mailing of Christmas cards or post cards with information on your book and where to purchase. Emphasize “local author” and offer and incentive, maybe free shipping or 15% off.
- The 12 Days of Christmas Countdown. Highlight your book in each of your social media and in your blog/website. Create a daily promotion which may include an autographed edition, a percentage off, etc. Or get creative and highlight a new reason each day on why the average Joe should purchase your book.
- Give Back. Whether you are on location signing copies of your book or generating awareness online, have a way for people to submit their name, address and e-mail for the chance to win a free autographed copy of your book. Maybe even raffle a book off every couple hours. It’s about involvement with your readers and exposure (not to mention building a list of interested readers).
This time of year, your audience is attentive. Take advantage of the search and help guide them along. I bid you good luck and welcome any of your ideas to share with fellow readers and writers.
Cold Call Your Writing
Just walk in the door – this is the hardest part of selling – just getting the courage to walk in. And now you’re probably wondering why I, a writer with a blog about writing and authorship, should be taking you down this route of self pep-talks and sinking uncertainty only to arrive on the doorstep of this thing called sales. Well, you want to sell your book, don’t you?
Your book’s success is determined by a large number of factors – promotional and marketing direction, consistency, outreach, quality, and, well, you get the gist. But for now, let’s just concentrate on sales. And let’s focus on one idea – a good idea – as your first step towards promoting yourself and your writing.
Visit your local bookstores and libraries.
Simple.
Google book stores and libraries in your area and prepare a spreadsheet (or simply write them down) so you may keep track of your progress and track which stores you’ve contacted and the name of the person you spoke with.
Prepare a press kit, or a “leave behind”, with your author and book information. Maybe it’s a folder with a color print out of your book cover, an author bio, book description and your business card. If you have had any previous press coverage, include that as well.
Now … just walk in the door.
Introduce yourself and ask to speak to a manager of the store. Show them a copy of your book. Explain that you prepared a packet of information for them to review. And most importantly, let them know what you want from them. (What do you want?) Maybe it’s to hold a book signing in their store, and if it’s a library, you might donate a copy of your book for readers. If you are a children’s author, read and sign purchased copies of your book during story hour in the children’s section. Maybe you want to prepare a presentation about fictional writing. Get creative. And don’t expect to get paid. (Not every road to success is paved in gold).
Now get to work. Preplan, understand the funnel method (where every 10 that say no, one will say yes), and go knock on some doors. Sell yourself to the industry and to your readers.
Blog It Right
The idea of blogging seems quite simple. Create a free account, log in, and share your thoughts and know-how with a world of readers.
Well…kinda.
It all depends on whether you want your possible readers to stumble upon you, hopefully like what they see and return for a second reading. Or, you may want to create a blog that proactively reaches out to readers with its search-ability.
A successful blog will actively contribute to your efforts in building awareness around you and your writing. And there are some very tech-geek elements that simply DO make a difference in your blog’s success.
Here ya go:
Choosing Blog Software. Select from customizable blog solutions such as WordPress, Blogger, and Typepad. Create your site in line with your overall marketing or branding strategy. Keep it fairly simple to navigate and select your template based on user-friendly positioning of archives, comments, categories and page layout.
Host Your Blog Directly to Primary Domain. If you have a primary website, host your blog within that domain if possible. The addition of your blog to your website will attract links, publicity, and search rankings — not to mention trust in your brand. Simply stated: Why would you want to send your readers to various addresses for information pertaining to you and your writing? You need a one-stop, easy-to-remember address.
Track Your Visitor Count. Visitor tracking software tells you which posts are heavily read, which are not being viewed and how the search engines are delivering traffic. Add Feedburner to your blog and use the data to improve your blog based of visitor reactions.
Tag Your Posts. Add tag titles appropriate to the content in each of your blog posts. Cover a variety of angles or points-of-view in relation to your post in order to increase your blog’s search results.
Link Appropriately. Pretty self-explanatory. Your writing is your business. Do your research and comment and link to sites that may benefit the “standard of quality” you are aiming for with your blog. Linking drives traffic, but over-linking devalues your work.
Blogging is beneficial. It’s personal and adds the emotional element to your business. Do you have any tips you would like to share?
Diversify Your Writing Portfolio
You know it and I know it — it’s hard to make it in this writing gig. And nowadays, with heightened competition and innovative marketing practices, it’s almost mandatory that you extend your writer’s hand down a variety of promotional avenues.
It’s about building a business – your writing business – and you and your thoughts are the product. What are you going to do to build your name, enhance your capabilities, and brand yourself with high level expectations?
Take the pro-active approach to your writing business and diversify your portfolio with the following items:
1. Blogs, Podcasts and Videos. A triple threat of sight and sound. Engage your potential readers with a regular writing schedule, your blog, giving snippets of your style and a name they can follow. Create podcasts and video linked to your blog and virally distribute on websites such as YouTube and FaceBook.
2. Articles. Write and submit, write and submit. Seek out magazines within your writing genre or those that may compliment your story or writing style. Brand yourself with specialized knowledge. And get published, even if it’s in a monthly edition.
3. Writing Associations. Embrace your industry and attend annual writer’s conferences. Become involved in writing communities and network with fellow writers. Get to know industry editors. Carry a professional portfolio of your writing, published works, awards and any press coverage.
4. Seminars. Seek out opportunities to speak to potential readers and industry professionals. Speak for free if you have to. You can start small — writer’s groups, bookstores. Prepare a presentation with a niche and present it to your writing associations for next year’s conference.
5. Facebook and Twitter. Get e-socially connected. It’s a must and it works. Haven’t you heard a story of a friend of a friend…well, that can be you and your writing the friend is speaking of. Get involved in social networks, treat it as an element of your business, and promote your writing.
Start small and understand that this combined effort will take time. It’s one of those things — you give it all you’ve got and it feels like your efforts are slow paced. But with consistency and the extra mile, the payoff can be grand.
Five Little Things You Can Do To Get More Attention for Your Book
1. Love your work. If you wholeheartedly believe in your book, other people will notice. Don’t be modest or shy about what you’ve accomplished—encourage people to read it as much as you can (without being overwhelming, of course). And don’t hold out for universal approval either. Take Hemingway, for example; he was amongst the best literary minds of the 20th century, but lots of people can’t stand to read his novels. Not everyone is going to love—or even like—your book. Stand by what you’ve written and some people may just believe in it as much as you do.
2. Know the importance of your cover design. This is the very thing that is going to make most people want to pick up your book in the first place, so don’t take it too lightly. Make sure the cover is eye-catching; whether it’s bright, beautiful or really gruesome, it must win the consumers’ attention. If you’ve hired a cover designer, such as those available through Wordclay, trust the artistic instincts of your designer—it’s their job—but make sure you’re sense of the book is reflected in their work as well.
3. Always have a copy of your book handy. You never know when you’ll run across someone who can help with your writing career! I’m not suggesting you literally take it everywhere, but maybe keep one in your car incase you need it—hey, it can’t hurt.
4. Network socially. Don’t make the mistake of only networking with people you already know are in the publishing/book industry. Lots of editors, publishers and writers have social lives and you may not know who they are when first talking to them in a bar, at the grocery store or in line at the movie theatre. Also, if your group of friends and acquaintances know all about your book, they can talk about it with other friends, and so your “buzz” increases (literally) at an exponential rate.
5. Have a description ready to go. When people ask about your book, it’s way more convincing if you already know what you’re going to say—point out the highlights, the genre and the general message, for example—but try not to sound rehearsed. And, don’t give too much away, or there isn’t any incentive to buy it!
-Colleen
The (Not-So-Risky) Business of Business Cards
One of the most powerful, yet highly underestimated marketing tools in today’s technology-based world of publishing is the business card. Call it old-fashioned if you want, but business cards are a worthwhile investment. Look at it this way: you spend hundreds, maybe thousands of dollars on your book—not to mention all the blood, sweat and tears—you owe it to yourself to invest in a set of business cards to market yourself as an author.
Here’s how business cards can help you as an author:
1. Relay the basics. In a society obsessed with instant gratification and convenience, the business card is the simplest and most efficient way to give someone your general/contact information. As an author, it is important that a publisher not only remember your name, but your book as well! You should include the title, a short description, where the book is available and even a picture. Bottom line, business cards relay the important stuff and minimize miscommunication.
2. Be professional. This is self-explanatory. It reflects much better on you if you already have your information prepped and on hand, rather than asking someone to find the resources and the time to write it down.
3. Express Your Uniqueness. Business cards are marketing cards, and you are the product. This is a direct and easy way to convey what you and your book are all about. Maybe you designed your card so that it communicates the genre of your book, (a romance or spy novel, for example), or maybe you pulled a great quote and printed it beneath the title. Remember, it’s your chance to be creative and stand out!
4. Pass it On. Business cards quicken the networking process. Think about it! If a third party is inquiring about your book or manuscript, it is much easier for someone to hand out your business card than sift through old papers or e-mails to find your contact information. Ultimately, it’s less work for everyone involved—it’s so minor, yet so important. A person is more likely to pass along your information and/or recommend your work if playing the middle-man isn’t quite on par with getting a root canal.
5. Stand Out and Be Remembered. Neither a Twitter account nor a Facebook page give you the advantage of that first impression handshake accompanied with a timeless, “Here’s my card.” Face-to-face time is important, but being memorable is key. A tangible business card is something that they have to hold onto, and chances are, they’ll remember you and your book.
How Do You Market Yourself as a Writer?
Marketing yourself is hard work, but it’s also a necessity. Why? Good writers are a dime a dozen these days. Having a strong skill set isn’t enough anymore. Knowledge of writing style and technique is just the beginning (and it’s easy to get overloaded by the constant search of your author voice and that complimentary storyline).
Competition in this industry is stiff, and chances are, you’ll be going up against countless writers that are just as good as you. So, what can you do to stand apart from the rest? Market yourself.
Now is the time to start viewing yourself as more than just a writer. Think about it; you are your most valuable brand. Now is the time to solidify your brand and to figure out what it means. Think about the image that you want to project. Think of how your brand is a bigger extension, a bigger vision of who you are. A brand is essentially a stand-in version of you; it lets people know who you are when you’re not present.
Marketing yourself will require some key elements, both big and small. The great thing about marketing is that it is so open-ended; there are a number of ways to achieve the same goal and it is completely up to you to develop a plan that suits your style.
The Marketing Mix. As a writer, your marketing plan does not have to be complex, but it’s still important to dedicate some thought to the four elements contained within the “Marketing Mix.” They are product, price, place and promotion.
Product: What are you trying to sell? Is it what your customers want? How will you supplement and provide support toward your writing project? Are you keeping current with the book trends? Will you offer e-format? Is your story marketable? Why did you write this particular story?
Pricing: How do you set your pricing? What guidelines do you use? Is your pricing fair and in line with the rest of the market?
Placement: How is your writing being sold? Do you have a strong online presence through a website to reach Internet-based customers? Does this site promote previous writing, current works and any promotional events? Do you have printed copies on hand to reach additional prospective readers? Who is your ideal customer? Have you reached out to them and made your writing known?
Promotion: How are you promoting yourself as a writer? Incorporate a blog, business cards, downloadable or printable samples of your book, media kit, postcards, bookmarks and stickers to reach potential readers. Branding your offerings in a cohesive manner will make your presentation more enticing.
Simply (and maybe harshly) stated, it doesn’t matter how good of a writer you are if no one knows you exist. You need to market your writing and your personality as a writer — an author. This begins with recognizing, determining and implementing your marketing mix. This is the easy part. What’s next? Supplementing your author platform with materials that scream a recognizable writing and author brand.
Tomorrow: Logo, Business cards, Blogging and a Friendly note
Branding Your Blog
Writers have something to say. And writing exercises the muscle that hones your craft. We tell you to write daily, write outside of your regular writing, embrace writing prompts; write, write, write.
In business (and your writing is your business), the goal is effective efficiency. So why not incorporate a blog into your extracurricular writing. A blog that brands your author identity, promotes your writing, develops an online presence and supplies an additional site for direct purchase of your book. Benefit your writing with writing.
Whether you are a current blogger or new to this interactive trend of information, this is a bandwagon that needs to coincide with your overall author brand. Author brand? Try embracing the concept of brand personality. To understand what brand personality is, envision your brand as a person. If your brand was a living, breathing person, what adjectives would you use to describe it? It would also have values, beliefs and interests. Combined, these are the attributes which will make your brand unique.
Keys to Turning Your Blog into a Successful Brand
- Determine Your Goals. Goals provide a focus, direction and a way to measure your success. Clearly define your goals so that you may actually measure your blog progress through posting a set number of articles per week, gaining a certain level of traffic each year, developing a strong network of links and reaching a specific ranking. Without the gray area, it’s easier to see if you’re hitting the mark.
- Discover what Your Readers Want and Need. How does your brand fit into the life of your readers? The best way to determine the wants and needs of your readers is to ask them. Encourage a reciprocating relationship of comments and feedback. Develop a direct connection between your blog and readers. Do some old fashioned research, whether it’s through polls, surveys or emails. Offer incentives such as a contest.
- Clearly Communicate Your Blog’s Personality. Develop a unique slogan and have a memorable blogging voice. This is a relationship between you and your readers, so you will need to be trustworthy and reliable. Your blog will be a source of information or of pleasure. If you are not consistent, your readers will not be either.
What is your blog about? What characteristics make your blog unique? How do you plan on taking your blog to the next level? Give some thought to the one thing that makes your blog unique — the one thing you can claim as yours. Here is where you should focus your energy.
Think of the blogs you repeatedly visit — you can probably find the same information on another site, yet you return. Most successful blogs share a common characteristic: Readers follow the Blogger, not the Blog. Create a personality within your blog and make your brand come alive. Once you establish a level of quality on your blog, keep writing and never look back.
Attract Media Attention to Your Writing (Yes, You!)
So, you’re ready for more exposure? And you want to get your writing out there a bit more. What should you do? Why, Contact the Media, of course!
You can boost exposure for your writing (and your author self) and in turn, the sales of your book, all through a little press coverage. Whether it’s a story on your upcoming book release or a detail of your relevant story line, utilizing the press is a paramount method in allowing readers to learn more about you and what you have to offer.
Although the notion seems slightly intimidating with a pinch of impossibility (take my word on this one…It’s NOT), the involvement with various media outlets will level your degree of success. Make Media Your Friend. And know that gaining coverage requires a little effort on your part.
Let’s break it down: Newspaper, Magazine, Online.
Newspaper. Does your town have a newspaper or a local alternative weekly? If so, start paying attention to who writes the particular sections your book may be “newsworthy” in. Give that person a call or send a well-thought-out e-mail. Let them know who you are, what you’re doing, where your book fits within the community and offer your story. Remember to include or follow up with links to your website or blog and attach photos which can be used in print.
Magazines. Getting featured in a magazine is a little more work, but well worth the effort. Research which magazines your audience may read. Get copies and browse through highlighting possible sections, similar coverage and new opportunities. Find out who the market editor is for the publication. Don’t be afraid to approach these folks. They wouldn’t have a magazine without stories to write — they need you to provide them with content. They are looking for “what’s next” and by bringing a great story, you are lightening their load. Simply get in touch. Mail a letter, including all of your information, or submit a press kit. It is important to address the appropriate person as opposed to Dear Editor, and you can find this within the magazine. Bear in mind that magazines have long lead times and feel free to follow up about six weeks from your original communication.
Online. Don’t overlook your online opportunities. There’s a world of creative communities, fellow writers and bloggers to share and inform your art of writing with. How about a feature on your favorite writers’ blog? Take note of the blogs and websites you frequent or may share a common denominator. Depending on your books topic, search the web for sites that your story may hold relevance — a particular town, healthy eating, lifestyle, etc. Find out whom to submit your request and compose a well-written e-mail containing an introduction, active links, photographs, and maybe even a mock article. Use proper grammar (do not treat your e-mail like a text message). Describe your writing and your story fully while keeping it short and sweet.
Remember to be prepared before you contact any media source. You’ve heard the perception of first impressions. And while there is no magic formula for getting print coverage, you need to introduce yourself through a solid presentation. What is your hook? Why should the media cover you? Give fellow writers a foundation on which they can build their story.
–Melissa
Tomorrow: Let’s talk the basics of a press kit and get you on your way towards befriending the media.
