Stop the Book Insanity … Or Why I Don’t Want to Market My Book

Stop the Book Insanity …

Authors sometimes don’t want to hear what works in creating a successful book campaign—campaigns that include the creation, the marketing and the sales of a book … they would rather keep doing the same thing … the thing that has produced no results. Which is usually sitting on their tush. Or if they did try “something” and it didn't work, that they then choose to sit on their tush because nothing else will work. Or, if they had cost overruns in creating the book (and just who is responsible for that?—yes, dear author—look in the mirror), they refuse to do anything to support/market their book once they have all those books sitting in the garage.

Stop the Insanity … And please, pass me the barf bag so I can continue …

Great—you’ve got a book. What’s next? What’s next has to be marketing and selling of it. What’s next is teaching it and you how to connect with others. What’s next is telling the world. What’s next is to stop rationalizing, making excuses and justifying why you can’t market it. What’s next is for you, dear author, to commit—recommit—to your book and yourself.

“I’m tired.” So … we all are.  The creation of a book can lead to Book Fatigue Syndrome—I get it, you need a rest. Take a week or two off … but then, it’s back to work.

“ I've already committed so much money, I can’t put another penny on my credit card …”  What were you thinking in the first place—that if you just held a copy of your finished book that the world would flock to the stores, the Internet, your website, your front door, you ,to get a copy? Get over it—you need expert marketing help … starting right now.

“I just want to write …” This is so yesteryear. No author gets to do the ostrich bit these days. Part of authoring is connecting with potential and ongoing book buyers. It means marketing, marketing, and more marketing.

“I hired the wrong person …” Yep, it happens. Lick your wounds—determine what went wrong in the process—then get back to work.

“I don’t know how to do all this social media stuff…” Welcome to the crowd … but there are those out there that do … and guess what—they are part of the book marketing campaign—your book marketing campaign. Your book budget.

Too, too many authors abandon the book ship early in the process. And what do they do? Many start another book—maybe a variation of what they just did. And what will happen when they finish? Most likely, abandonment. In effect, you've become an unfit author/parent. What are you thinking? Stop the insanity. Today. Now.

Author U has your marketing answers/solutions. It’s at the Extravaganza in just four short weeks from now: May 3-5.  Fiction, Nonfiction, eBook or pBook. You missed the early, early bird—you could have had all workshops for $277 (non-members $405; you missed the early bird—you could have had all workshops for $377 (non-members $455); you can now have it all for $424 (non-members $574—it’s still a heck of a deal and remember, all meals are included. Remember: Author U feeds your Belly and your Brain!

Stop the Book Insanity … Today … Now!  Please …  Stop the Book Insanity … Register: Author U (niversity)

Judith Briles is known as The Book Shepherd, a book publishing coach and the Founder of Author U (niversity) a membership organization created for the serious author who wants to be seriously successful. She’s been writing about and conducting workshops on publishing since the 80s. She’s the author of 30 books including Show Me About Book Publishing, co-written with John Kremer and Rick Frishman and a speaker at publishing conferences. Her next audio and workbook series,Creating Your Book and Author Platform will be available in the Spring of 2012. Join Judith live on Thursdays at 6 p.m. EST for Your Guide to Book publishing on the www.RockStarRadioNetwork.com. Follow @AuthorU and @MyBookShepherd on Twitter and do a “Like” at AuthorU and TheBookShepherd on Facebook. If you want to create a book that has no regrets, contact her at Judith@Briles.com.

Author Tweets for Valentine’s Day 2013

                     

Everybody knows that it’s Valentine’s Day … but did you know that it’s also National Organ Donor Day and Ferris Wheel Day?  

Reach out to those you love; have a good time; and share what you have with someone who needs it when you no longer do!

      Today,Your Guide to Book Publishingwill focus on creating your book with Guy Kawasaki, author ofAPE-Author, Pulisher, Entrepreneur. Tune in at 6 Eastern, 5 Central, 4 Mountain, 3 Pacific and for our out-of-the-country members and followers … you are going to have to do the clock crunching for your time zone at http://rsrn.us/youpublish.  You can also go to the Home page of http://www.AuthorU.org, scroll down and click on any of the past five show—just click and you are instantly there!

Poetry is language at its most distilled and most powerful. – Rita Dove

Here’s your Top Ten Tweets for the past week  

 

Tweets are faster than a speeding bird … below are Author U’s Top Ten Tweets from the past week that you may have missed …

Success & Resources                                                                           

Mark Coker, CEO of Smashwords tells NPR: “I think we are at the very early stages of renaissance in publishing” pwne.ws/VB5yMY … FYI, Mark will be the keynote at Extravaganza 2014. He will have a special gift for all at this year’s Extravaganza … it’s a warm up!

Authors: NEW literary agent: @suddenlyjen of Donald Maass Literary seeks science fiction, fantasy, and mysteries http://t.co/FzCaSCJU

Apple highlights self published authors and books–very cool.http://ow.ly/huwRM

Author tip: 33 Ways to Get Help For Your Blog (Without Breaking the Bank) http://ow.ly/hA25A

Writing 
Author and Book Alert: Virginia Tech study finds chick lit can affect female readers’ self-esteem. http://t.co/rdPmLsb7

Social Media and Marketing Strategies

Author tip: 3 Lessons I Learned Figuring out How to Create a Book Trailer http://t.co/u6jlfQRm

How to write a faster blog-good tips here for authors to get the book ball presence going. http://ow.ly/hpqKY    

INFOGRAPHIC: 64 Awesome Facebook Marketing Techniques, Timeline Edition – AllFacebook http://ow.ly/hoTXU

How to Drive More YouTube Views With Pinteresthttp://t.co/GVvMbX2x

Cool and Sometimes Goofy

Harry Potter characters critiqued the Super Bowl last night: “They had a Sirius Black out.” http://t.co/9civpImK 

Bonus:  Last week’sYour Guide to Book Publishingwas with Chris Robley of CD Baby and BookBaby was a wealth of information on creating everything in eBooks, tablets, CDs and multimedia. Listen in. http://rsrn.us/youpublish  or you can download directly from the AuthorU.org website.

Don’t forget to fill out “About” on your FB page. It’s what people see! Add your URL there.

Not following Author U on Twitter? Change that and follow: @AuthorU

Not in Author U LinkedIn Group? Join on LinkedIn today.

 

Dr. Judith Briles 
The Book Shepherd - The Author and Publishing Expert
Create. Strategize. Develop. Publish. Achieve.

Chief Visionary Officer: AuthorU.org

Book Publishing Today Are You the Sardine in the Sea

Are You the Sardine in the Sea?

Yep, there are millions of books out there … is yours contributing to book pollution … or do you have a unique voice, something new to bring to the party, a twist to something old … in other words, can you break from the pack? Or, will you continue to be a sardine in the vast sea?

And the answer is … yes indeed.

There are a variety of ways to stand out from the crowd. Start with:

1. Decide you want to do it. Good idea … It will take some effort on your side to shine above, to create the hook and twist that allows others to see you in a different way. It doesn’t mean you have to spend a fortune in the process … what it does mean is that you have to bring some vision and passion to the process. Tis also a good idea to go with what you know … or at least have some expertise in … which leads to the next point.

2. Don’t re-invent the wheel. Yes it’s a cliché … but still, pay attention. Look around you—what is your book, your idea that is already out there that others know about. Do you think Starbucks invented coffee; that McDonalds invented burgers; or that Dominos invented pizza? Those products have been around for more years than I have toes … yet with a twist and a tweak, they scored big time.

Did Stephen King write the first horror novel; JK Rowling the first witches and fantasy novel; or Ken Blanchard the first management book? No to all. But what they did was turn their genres upside down—imagine, a skinny management book with lots of stories—who could have thought of something like that?

Ken Blanchard in his One Minute Manager series. Stephen King’s, The Shinning, took a well-known estate in a Colorado area and turned it into a creep factory. JK Rowling’s Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone morphed witches, bad guys and good guys on the first page.

3. Create an Experience. When Blanchard wrote his book,The One Minute Manager, he so connected with his reader—managers are OD’d with things to do, and manage. Here’s a blue print to do it in a minute—what a concept! Rowling created theHarry Potter series with her amazing story telling ability—readers of all ages opened the pages and fell into the books. Experiences up the kazoo that her followers couldn’t get enough of. Stephen King is just different—a superb writer, but with a creep factor … and if you like creep, he’s your guy.

What separates the successful author from the run-of-the mill author is the experience. When the connection happens, they will continue to come. It’s a wonderful thing.

4. Don’t get stuck on pricing. Yes, you need to pay attention to it; it does make sense to know what other books similar to yours are going for. But, and it’s a huge but, don’t price your book because of fear. When my book, Zapping Conflict in the Health Care Workplace was initially published, we priced it at $29. On the second printing, it was increased to $35.

The distributor and book stores said it was too high. Listening, than choosing to ignore their input, I went with my gut. The product was needed in my niche market—it wasn’t just another book on conflict resolution—there were many of those. It was a book that was based on a survey of health care professionals and woven with health care stories. In other words, I built it for them—not the distributor or the book store.

There was no resistance to the price. Conflict was big in health care—I had some solutions with a twist. We sold mega- thousands and enjoyed multiple printings.

5. ID your niche. Oh yes … this is a biggie in the author success model. The kiss of death for the author is when he or she thinks their book is for everyone. Get over it—it’s not … create your own community of readers and followers.

With the Zapping Conflict in the Health Care Workplace that was followed by Stabotage! How Deal with the Pit Bulls, Skunks, Snakes, Scorpions & Slugs in the Health Care Workplace, I was able to tap into my financial, number-crunching pedigree and factor in just what toxic behavior cost the health care workplace—quantifying got leadership’s attention. A community was created.

Who needs, really needs/wants your subject? The more you narrow it, the bigger you can become within it.

6. Build it, they will come. Starting as the sardine is just fine … you’ve got to get some legs in the authoring and publishing sea. When you build it, when you break out, you will no longer be the sardine in the sea … you will be the whale…. better, much better.

If you want to learn how to become a whale, attend Author U’s 2012 Extravaganza in Denver May 3-5. All the book marketing pros will be there to guide you through the sea -  Author U (niversity)

 

Dr. Judith Briles 
The Book Shepherd - The Author and Publishing Expert
Create. Strategize. Develop. Publish. Achieve.

Chief Visionary Officer: AuthorU.org

Author Smarts: Creating the Copyright Page

One of the most common questions that authors ask is about the Copyright page and “What should my copyright page look like?” Good question, here’s an answer:

 

The Copyright Page, which follows the title page of your manuscript, is a flexible document with respect to format, but several elements must be included.  The most confusing two are the ISBN and LOCN.  Detailed instructions for sending for them are included below:                                                                                                    

• Copyright

-The copyright symbol,

          -Followed by the copyright year

          -Followed by who (the author) or what (the publisher) is      responsible for (owner of) the copyright

          -Followed by the phrase, “All Rights Reserved”

Example: © 2013 Jane Johnson.  All Rights Reserved.

• The Title
• Warning against Copying without Permission
• A Disclaimer mentioning the author(s)’ name and/or publisher’s name (if different)
• A paragraph, possible boxed, indicating how books may be purchased singularly or in bulk—this is where you can put Publisher name, website, how to email or phone for books directly. If you have a publishing logo, include it—it adds a little dressing to the page.
• Cover Design by:
• Interior Design by:
• Editor:
• Book Consultant:
• Publisher (if not already stated on the © page):
• The ISBN (The International Standard Book Number)
• The LCCN (The Library of Congress Control Number)
• A numbered list of subjects identifying topics the book may be identified with for shelf location in a library or book store
• The Edition (first, second, etc.) and where it was printed (USA, Canada, China, or  …)

Copyright: You’ll want the copyright year to be the year following the actual year of publication if publication is going to be in the fall. You may have books in hand but the “official” push won’t happen until the latter part of the year and into the next. By the time your marketing has been put in place and operational, and books are finally in the hands of buyers, the actual year of publication may be over … Bad News! The book is no longer “new.” Really bad news.

Tip: Your book is finished, printed and available by say September, 2012, it should have a copyright date of ©2013.
You’ll want to make a clear statement indicating that no one can copy your “stuff” in any of the many possible ways these days, without your permission; and that you are not
responsible for errors or omissions, nor are you liable for damages resulting for use of information contained therein.

Warning against Copying without Permission: “No part of this book may be reproduced in any written, electronic, recording, or photocopying without written permission of the publisher or author.  The exception would be in the case of brief quotations embodied in the critical articles and reviews and pages where permission is specifically granted by the publisher (name) or author(s) (name).”

The Disclaimer:  “Although every precaution has been taken to verify the accuracy of the information contained herein, the author and publisher assume no responsibility for any errors or omissions. No liability is assumed for damages that may result from the use of information contained within.”

 

Dr. Judith Briles 
The Book Shepherd - The Author and Publishing Expert
Create. Strategize. Develop. Publish. Achieve.

Chief Visionary Officer: AuthorU.org

Author Uncertainty

Another phone call. Another author who is frustrated confused and stressed out. Another author who step into publishing without wearing the “author beware” hat.

“I’ve been taken.”
“My book looks awful.”
“The publisher hasn’t delivered on anything it promised.”
“There are too many hidden charges.”
“I’m not getting paid.”
“I thought this was a reputable publisher.”
“I’ve been screwed …”

Look in the mirror. Did you really check out the company? Did you go to Google and put in its name, then “problems,” “complaints” or “scams” after its name? Did you do your homework?

Some authors who get caught in the publishing maze think it’s insane. It’s not really insanity for the author—unless the author keeps repeating the same thing over and over again. It is insanity that these “publishing professionals” keep doing the same thing over and over—taking advantage, misrepresenting and basically delivering the shaft to the naïve and vulnerable author-to-be.

Before you jump into the publishing boat, clearly understand that there are differences. If you go the vanity route or the pay-to-publish route or the subsidy route and that publisher uses its ISBN, you are not self-published. You are not independently published.  Rarely will any legit reviewer give it the time of day if the vanity/subsidy/pay-to-publish imprint is on your book.

Why is there a stigma associated with this crowd? How about editing?—in 99 percent of the publishing cases, editing in non-existent. The cover is a cut and paste job and the interior designs are one of maybe three templates—all a bit like vanilla, vanilla and more vanilla. And, they usually look blah in the outcome.

You have paid someone/something to publish your book. Do you thing they really, really care about your book? Guess again … what they care about is your check book … or your credit card.

To create a legitimate book, one that looks good, reads well and has integrity about it, you don’t need someone else’s name as the publisher. You can self and independent publish—the goal is to have a well-done book. Have some fun, create a publishing name that has a little pop (don’t use your name). Learn the dollars and sense of publishing. Get educated. Then publish.

Selling the book … that’s where a savvy marketing plan comes into play.  And you, dear author, are going to be the one that funds it. Don’t expect a publisher to…that’s the very long ago, good old days.

 

Dr. Judith Briles 
The Book Shepherd - The Author and Publishing Expert
Create. Strategize. Develop. Publish. Achieve.

Chief Visionary Officer: AuthorU.org

Surfing the Publishing Wave

Twenty plus years ago, one of my author friends coined one of my favorite book titles: Sacred Cows Make the Best Burgers. It’s all about change and slashing through the things that continually hold people and companies back. A few years ago, I ran into Bob Kriegel at a conference we were both speaking at. He was still talking about burgers and he reminded me of a story he told me long ago about surfing and change. As I think about his works, they fit perfectly with today’s author.

Huge “waves of change,” are barreling in from every direction and shaking up the basic foundations of everything we thought we knew and know about publishing. There isn’t a week that goes by that some new tidbit has come to the surface. For some authors, that new tidbit has the capability of capsizing them.

With the “e”volution of the past few years, these publishing change waves will continue to increase and come at a faster rate. Traditional publishers are finally acknowledging that a Nor-eastern is in their midst. The good news is that the independents are more adaptable and can maneuver across the waves. We may not have the credit lines the big boys have; what we do have is the ability to stay in front of the waves. Traditional publishers traditional wait for the wave to move. We small guys are moving within the wave—a huge difference.

There are several Surfer Rules … adapting them for publishing include:

Surfers Love What They Do … Be Passionate
The best surfers live and breathe their sport. The most successful authors live and breathe their books, their vision, their commitment. It all starts with the Passion Factor. If you don’t have a fire in your belly about your book equally matched with a giant helping of enthusiasm, the waves and riptides of publishing will crush you. The Passion Factor is the high octane of your fuel system. The hiccups you will run into become minor obstacles … many can turn into opportunities.

Surfers Have Flair … Push Your Limits with Flash
If you do whatever other author is doing, is writing about, is speaking about … what you get is boring. You are bored … and so is the audience. You’ve got to bring some pop and pizzazz to your voice and your words. You’ve got to bring the same pop and pizzazz to your presentations and marketing. Are you up to it?

Top performers in any area are never satisfied and thus they’re constantly pushing their limits. Good surfers are continually trying innovative new moves, new equipment, new places and going for bigger waves and longer rides. Staying ahead of a wave demands taking risks, trying new approaches and constantly challenging yourself and those around you.

Surfers Wipe Out … and So Do Authors … Expect It
If you think you are going to catch the perfect wave every time, you are in for a rude awakening. No one does. Surfers have to be patient. They know when the big one is coming in. They sense it; they feel it; they have prepped for it. So must an author.

If you think that everything that you will do, and that you engage others to do, will be perfect—that’s an “oh-oh” moment. They aren’t. Many authors get frustrated with what they perceive as failure of a marketing plan. Maybe it was; maybe it wasn’t. Marketing isn’t a one-time shot. It’s patience, over time, loaded with commitment and a game plan. Some marketing works, some doesn’t.

Surfers Look to the Outside … Authors Must Anticipate What’s Coming
The next wave, or the next, next wave could be the “big” one. Authors have to anticipate what’s coming along. That’s why the authoring commitment creates a life-long learning opportunity. The huge mistake that most authors make is that they think that once the book is printed/published, the world comes to them. That’s where the Wipe-Out factor comes into play. The publishing world continues to morph; the Internet delivers a variety of new ideas and opportunities (as well as crashing waves) on a weekly basis.

Once you put your toe into the authoring wave, you now must commit to continuing education. Schmoozing with other authors, attending conferences, absorbing the latest trends is essential if you are going to continue to ride the publishing waves.

Surfers Don’t Just Sit There … Authors Must Keep Scanning the Horizon
If you’ve even watched a surfer; he starts paddling long before he is in the wave. Publishing is no different. If you wait to long to get into the wave—to get your book going, you will get caught up in the backwash—sometimes knocking you down in the process and stopping you cold. In publishing, the author usually has to get into the wave—move—before it overtakes him or her. Yes, maybe one more interview will add more flavor to your book, or one more study. But, could that be the next book?

It’s not uncommon for authors to get caught up in “one for the money, two for the show, three to get ready, three to get ready, three to get ready.” Catch the wave!

Surfers Don’t Surf Alone … Authors Shouldn’t Publish Alone … Ever!
One of the traits of successful authors and indie publishers is that they’ve learned that they don’t, and can’t, do it alone. Nor does the savvy surfer surf alone. Determine who you need on your team—book designer, cover designer, printer, editor, book coach … who else. Get them engaged as you scan the publishing horizon.

Publishing is an exciting place to be. Your words can feed your family and untold thousands, even millions. It’s your future … and theirs. Get your foot into the sand … it’s a great place to be!

 

Dr. Judith Briles 
The Book Shepherd - The Author and Publishing Expert
Create. Strategize. Develop. Publish. Achieve.

Chief Visionary Officer: AuthorU.org

Is There a Book in Your Belly?

Authors can’t write a good book without the Passion Factor. It’s how the book in the belly gets out. Do you have one in yours?

It’s their passion that fuels their engines, enables them to work one more hour, take one more step to get their “baby” written, laid-out, designed and to the printer. It’s their passion that allows them to roll up their sleeves and create a marketing and promo plan and even speak publicly about it.

If you want to write a book, you've got to love the topic/cause. If it’s just something to do, the question has to be asked, “Why do it?”

Not everyone should write a book, attempt to create a small press, or become an independent publisher. Someone may have said you should, but should you? Does a deep internal drive tell you, “Yes, your thoughts, your words need to be read, seen, or heard”? If so, go for it. Embrace it.

A simple question: why do it?  When the author identifies his or her Platform, the Passion Factor is a critical component.  It collapses without it. Sometimes the Passion Factor if bold and outfront; other times, the author stumbles upon it–not even aware that the book in the belly would rise to the surface.

What topics/areas do you know about—by schooling, life experiences, the school of hard knocks? Do you gyrate toward a subject? Do others tell you that you are a wiz at something? Is there a deep, burning desire to advocate a cause or reach out to help others? Does passion comes into play? Have you had an “aha” moment where the skies opened up and your belly began to dance?

Guaranteed: it’s the Passion Factor that will drive your work to completion and success. Why do it?–simply this: it’s my Passion … I believe in it; I’m committed to it; I will put my time, my energy and my money to support it. My book. It’s in my belly.

 

Dr. Judith Briles 
The Book Shepherd - The Author and Publishing Expert
Create. Strategize. Develop. Publish. Achieve.

Chief Visionary Officer: AuthorU.org