Archive for July, 2013

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Misconceptions About the Publishing Industry

Tuesday, July 30th, 2013

I’ve been vacationing with family and, while the landlords of the place we’re staying advertised wi-fi, we can’t get it to work. I have felt crippled without it. Oh, I can stay in touch and field important questions and address or, at least, acknowledge most issues using my SmartPhone, but there are some things I just don’t have access to or don’t know how to access without an Internet connection to my computer. One of those things is my blog.

I hope my absence has been noticed. I’ve missed bringing you news, encouragement, perspective, information and tools you can use in your quest to write, publish and sell your book.

While chatting with various family members and visitors to our vacation spot, the subject of publishing has come up often. It’s interesting how uninformed the general public is about the publishing industry—as are most new authors. People presume that all one has to do in order to get published is to write a book and present it to one of the major publishers. People still assume that authors can fairly easily sell millions of books and make a lot of money. They believe that all published books have the same opportunity to be placed on bookstore shelves. They think that most books are sold at bookstores. They are aware of only a handful of traditional publishers. And they expect that because a book is published, it is a good book. I have to tell you that none of the above is true.

I had someone suggest to me that authors ought to think about hiring someone to promote their books for them. This person didn’t know that since the huge explosion within the publishing industry, there are hundreds and hundreds of people jumping on the bandwagon professing to be book publicists, as well as author’s agents, book editors, self-publishers, POD printers and so forth. You’ve heard the phrase, “there’s an app for that.” Well, in publishing, if there’s a need, there’s someone at the ready to fill it—for a buck.

I may not post to this blog again this week. So hang in there with me. In the meantime, post your comments here letting me know subjects you’d like to see me cover.

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Four More Platform-Building Activities You Can Do NOW

Friday, July 26th, 2013

Four More Platform-Building Activities You Can Do NOW
Excerpted from 50 Ways to Build Your Author Platform. A FREE ebook from http://www.patriciafry.com

16: Participate in conferences.
There are conferences in practically every topic. These are great venues for getting exposure for your book, meeting members of your potential audience and getting ideas for additional books and articles. It’s also a terrific way to build on your credibility as an expert in your field.
Here are a few directories of conferences. Study the website for the conferences you want to attend. Discover what types of workshops/presentations they have and who their presenters are. Create a few workshop ideas and contact the organizer to discuss them.
Again, not only will you become known to your workshop attendees, but everyone who reads the promo leading up to the event, the program, the website information, will see your name in conjunction with the topic. And if you start appearing at conferences before your book is published, you can add this credit to your bio on the back cover of your book.
http://shawguides.com
http://www.allconferences.com
http://www.bevents.com

17: Talk about your book project every chance you get.
Even before your book is a book, talk about it everywhere you go. When someone asks you, “What have you been doing?” Or “What are you writing now?” this is a great opportunity for you to share your book idea on the spot. Not only will you likely get some feedback that could be helpful in writing or designing your book, it’s an opportunity to ask for a business card that you can add to your massive email list. (See below—# 18.)

18: Collect email addresses everywhere you go.
While your book is the topic of discussion everywhere you go, collect email addresses of those interested in the subject or who express an interest in your novel. You’ll use this email list in many ways.
For example, when the book comes out, send a mass email letting everyone know. If it wins an award, hits the 5,000 sales mark, gets a great review or if you are speaking somewhere, you can alert your friends, students, customers, colleagues and others who have expressed an interest in your book via an email announcement.

19: Continually put yourself out there with regard to your expertise or genre.
You don’t want people to forget you. You want to be noticed. You want to be fresh in their minds when they are considering buying a new novel to read or when they want more information on your book’s topic. That’s why it is important to keep submitting articles and stories, to show up at conferences and other events, to teach classes or conduct workshops every year and to get out and speak often.
Building and maintaining a platform is like the process of book promotion. It’s ongoing for as long as you want to be considered a novelist or an expert in your field.

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Platform-Building Activities

Thursday, July 25th, 2013

Excerpted from my FREE ebook, 50 Ways to Establish Your Platform. Download your copy here: http://www.patriciafry.com

Begin These Platform-Building Activities Now
It is never too soon to start the following eight platform-building activities. (Note: I’ll share four today and four tomorrow.) In fact, I recommend that you take action today and keep the momentum going throughout the life of your book project.

12: Create a marketing plan.
Rather than relying on a scattershot method of book promotion, make a plan. It may change with time—that’s okay. But get something in writing so you have a direction and some ideas to pursue.
What can and will you do in order to get your book noticed? Make a list.
Where can you get exposure? List the obvious venues and avenues and then note those that are not so obvious.

13: Submit articles/stories to appropriate publications.
You should have been doing this all along because it is an excellent way to build credibility as an expert or professional in your field/interest or creating an audience for your fiction.

You already know about some independent as well as organization magazines, newsletters and enewsletters related to the theme or genre of your book. These are the publications read by the audience for your book—the same people who read these publications will likely be interested in your book.

Use publication directories to locate others—“Writer’s Market” and the Wooden Horse Pub Magazine Database, for example. Do an Internet search to find others.

Always locate or request a copy of each publication’s submission guidelines. These are usually available at their website. One-size-does-not-fit-all. Different magazines have different guidelines and it’s important that you follow them.

Remember that the purpose of your article is to bring something of value to readers who are interested in the topic of your book. Demonstrate that you are well-versed in your topic. People who are interested in this topic and are impressed by what you write, will surely be interested in your book when it is available.

For fiction—readers who have enjoyed reading your short stories will be delighted to know that you have a novel on the horizon.
Include something about your upcoming (or published) book in the bio at the end of the article or story. Say, for example, “John Phillips is the author of his first novel, “Racing for the Stars,” available at Amazon.com in print and Kindle or order it here: (Give your website)

14: Conduct workshops.
For a nonfiction, how-to, self-help or informational book, you might be able to devise workshops and even online courses around the theme of your book. The benefits of doing this are many-fold. You will gain credibility among your audience—your students and others who learn about your workshops. Each time you put up a poster, advertise in a library or college flier or the local newspaper, your name with regard to your book topic or genre comes before anywhere from dozens to thousands of people. Every time you mention your classes in your blog or on your website, you are getting publicity—everyone seeing this publicity now knows you as an expert in your field or a writer of science fiction, for example. This, folks, is what a platform is all about. I hope you’re starting to get it.

15: Teach classes.
Many junior colleges have extension programs for adults interested in learning how to use a computer, memoir-writing, woodworking, photography, investments and so forth. Why not teach your specialty and add even more credibility to your platform.

If you have enough skill and knowledge about writing fiction, you could teach courses in some aspect of this topic.

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What is Your Author Platform?

Tuesday, July 23rd, 2013

Your author platform is your:
• Popularity
• Level of Recognition among your potential audience
• Prominence in your field or genre
• Visibility—Reach within your field or genre
• Level of Influence among your potential readers
• Credibility in your field or genre

It may consist of the following with regard to your field or genre:
• Experience
• Track record
• Connections
• Skills
• Proficiencies
• Reputation

It is basically your reach—your following. As Penny Sansevieri says, it’s not so much who you know as who knows you with regard to the topic or genre of your book. How many people know you or know who you are? How many have you influenced in a positive way related to the theme or genre of your book? Are you a trusted expert or professional in your field or in the genre of your book?

Here’s a question you should contemplate even before you write your book. Why would someone buy your book rather than other similar books on the market? This is something you need to seriously explore. If you can’t come up with valid reasons, it may be because you haven’t taken the time and effort over the years—or you just haven’t had the opportunity—to build a solid author platform. Not enough people know who you are. You don’t have a track record within your topic or your genre. You don’t have enough going for you to attract readers.

Learn more about your author platform and how to establish and build on yours by reading my FREE ebooklet, 50 Ways to Establish Your Author Platform. http://www.patriciafry.com

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Build Your Author Platform—50 Ways

Monday, July 22nd, 2013

Now available for download FREE: 50 Ways to Establish Your Author Platform.

Download your copy here: http://www.patriciafry.com. Click under FREE Ebook in the right column.

Those of you, who have been reading my books, my articles and my nearly 2,000 blog posts, understand that if you have a published book, you must be prepared to promote it. And promotion is more than just hoping to get your book in some of the independent bookstores around town. It’s more than writing an announcement about your book in your Christmas cards. It’s more than blogging, sharing the news at your facebook page and sending out press releases. It is a matter of preparing yourself to become the marketing agent for your book.

And who’s going to buy a book they don’t know about from someone they don’t know to be credible in their field or a solid writer in their genre? Your platform is your following, your way of attracting readers. It’s your popularity, your level of recognition among your potential audience—prominence in your field or genre, your visibility, your reach within your field or genre. It’s your level of Influence among your potential readers and your credibility in your field.

Some authors come into the publishing arena with strong platforms. Others must work to build a platform to accompany the book they are writing. This FREE 40-page ebook provides the information, ideas and understanding you’ll need in order to establish and build on your platform. Download yours today!

http://www.patriciafry.com

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Promote Your Book Even on the Busiest Days

Sunday, July 21st, 2013

I’ve been remiss in posting here, lately. As many of you know, I try to maintain this blog daily. There are just too many large projects, small tasks and annoyances vying for my attention. I find that I just can’t get it all done. Something has to give and, lately, my blog and household duties are taking the backseat and some projects are being delayed. My first enewsletter, for example. It is written, but it won’t go out until sometime in August. All of my ducks with regard to that newsletter just aren’t in a row quite yet.

Do you ever feel as though you are walking through Jello? Does your perfectly planned life sometimes spiral out of control? It’s all good here—just busy and sometimes simply more than I can handle. Good thing I know my priorities.

Clients come first. I’ve had two large editing jobs back to back in the last weeks. Commitments are important. I agreed to speak at a conference in Las Vegas this month. And SPAWN (Small Publishers, Artists and Writers Network) still takes some of my attention most weeks. Family is a priority. My 91-year-old mother needs more help these days. My own work is significant in my world and I’ve been trying to squeeze in time to work on my novels. Then there’s that daily walk I value, my social life and a house and yard to maintain.

I often hear authors say, “I just don’t have time to promote my book.” And this is certainly one of those times when I’m finding it difficult to do so. How do I handle this situation? I remember my own advice to authors and promote every chance I get in every way I can. Book promotion can and should be ongoing and constant no matter what else is going on in your life. Here’s how I manage:

• I promote my books and services every time I send an email because I have a signature attached to my outgoing emails.
• I post to this blog almost daily.
• I use Twitter to promote this blog.
• I submit an article to a magazine or newsletter read by my audience in between tasks. (I submitted two last week after I finished one editing job and before starting the next one.)
• I talk about my books wherever I go—if I meet an author or hopeful author, I talk about “Publish Your Book” or “Promote Your Book.” If the individual reads fiction, I tell them about my mystery series.
• I leave bookmarks here and there when I’m out and about.
• I respond to authors’ questions when they come to me directly or through SPAWNDiscuss.
• I send information I discover to authors who might be interested—in other words, I network.
• I take time to read or at least print out information of interest to authors so I can include it in my own newsletter or the “Market Update,” which I compile for SPAWN members.
• I try to always take care of the smaller, less time-consuming tasks that come across my desk immediately, if possible.
• When I hear or read about a conference or other author event locally, I apply to speak. This doesn’t take much time.
• I might get up an hour earlier or work an hour or two later when the work starts to become overwhelming. This gives me time to plan or do a couple of book promotion activities.
• I combine book promotion activities with errands. I’ll stop by a bookstore to make sure they have a good supply of my books, drop off bookmarks or a poster at the library, set up a book signing, etc.
• During down time—after dinner while in front of the TV, I research possible speaking opportunities or book festivals, write new promo about one of my books, seek out new markets for my articles, comment at appropriate blog sites and forums, and so forth.

If you have a book or several books to promote, never ever give up completely on your marketing responsibilities. No matter what’s going on in your life, you can continue to promote your book. As you can see, it is possible to get exposure for your book and maintain a rapport with your potential readers throughout the course of even your busy days and weeks.

For additional ideas for planning and executing your marketing strategy, read “Promote Your Book, Over 250 Proven, Low-Cost Tips and Techniques for the Enterprising Author.” It’s at Amazon in print, Kindle and audio as well as at other online and downtown bookstores.

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More Public Speaking Tips

Thursday, July 18th, 2013

Use vocal variety. Make your talks more enjoyable by using an assortment of vocal tones and pitches. If you need help developing vocal variety, practice reading to children. Consider joining a story telling group.

Eliminate non-words. Inexperienced speakers unconsciously use so many filler words that Toastmasters have an “ah counter” at every meeting. This person counts the number of filler words members use during the meeting. Filler words include uh, ah, um, er. We can only eradicate filler words when we become aware of them.

Stop poor speaking habits. Rid your vocabulary of stagnant verbiage. Break yourself of using those mundane phrases you like to repeat, such as, “yada, yada, yada” or “know what I mean?” Likewise, watch the overuse of words like “really,” “clearly” and so forth.

Be prepared. You will be more at ease if you know what to expect. Find out if there will be a podium or microphone for your use. How many people do they expect? How will the room be set up? Have your props organized so there will be no annoying fumbling during your presentation.

Know your audience. And gear your speech to the needs and interests of this particular audience. When I speak on local history, I give a completely different talk to students at local elementary schools than I do when addressing civic organizations or historic society members.

Anyone can get up in front of an audience and speak. How well you do it is what counts.

Order your copy of Talk Up Your Book today. It’s featured in an email ad sent out by Amazon this morning. The subtitle is, “How to Sell Your Book Through Public Speaking, Interviews, Signings, Festivals, Conferences and More.” Order it from Amazon or here: http://www.matilijapress.com/TalkUpYourBook.html

If you are an author with a book to promote, you really ought to read this book: “Talk Up Your Book, How to Sell Your Book Through Public Speaking, Interviews, Signings, Festivals, Conferences and More.” It’s at Amazon.com in print, Kindle and audio and at most other online and downtown bookstores. Or order your copy here: http://www.matilijapress.com/TalkUpYourBook.html

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Tips for More Effective Public Speaking

Tuesday, July 16th, 2013

We were talking about public speaking and communication for authors last week. Here are some specific tips for more effective public speaking:

Speak up and speak out. Many inexperienced orators speak too softly or they allow their voices to drop toward the end of their sentences. Whether addressing a large audience or a small group, always speak so that you can be heard even in the back of the room. I recommend standing to speak. Your voice will carry better if you do.

Repeat audience questions. When someone asks a question during your presentation, always repeat it before answering it. This ensures that everyone hears it.

Make eye contact. Move your attention around the room as you speak, making eye contact with each person

Don’t apologize. Avoid sabotaging your presentation by making excuses for not being well prepared or for poor speaking skills. Stand tall, appear self-assured and you will gain the confidence of your audience.

If you need help honing your public speaking skills and getting speaking gigs, order this book today: “Talk Up Your Book, How to Sell Your Book Through Public Speaking, Interviews, Signings, Festivals, Conferences and More.” It’s at Amazon.com in print, Kindle and audio and at most other online and downtown bookstores. Or order your copy here: http://www.matilijapress.com/TalkUpYourBook.html

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Police Writers in Las Vegas

Monday, July 15th, 2013

I apologize for being MIA this week. I was in Las Vegas at the Police Writers’ conference for four days and wasn’t able to post the blogs I had prepared for you. (Not sure if it was the connection, my computer or a glitch with WordPress…)

The conference was presented by the Public Safety Writers Association (PSWA). What a friendly, prolific, interesting group of writers and authors. The sessions were fascinating. I had the opportunity to learn something about the prostitution culture, the mystery of DNA, homeland security as well as writing dialog, the hallmarks of a cozy mystery and so forth.

A large number of the nearly 60 attendees write mysteries and crime/police stories. Since I’m now dabbling in mystery writing, myself, I was quite interested in some of these topics.

My contribution to the conference was a presentation on book promotion–that element of publishing that most authors would like to avoid and that we all need to engage in for as long as we want our books to sell.

Today, I’m inundated with work. I want to post more information about public speaking with you. But let me start the week by sharing an announcement. My little cozy mystery, Catnapped, is finally up at my website. Check it out here: http://www.matilijapress.com/Catnapped There’s a link to the ordering page at Amazon.

It is a Kindle book and sells for $2.99.

Sales have been brisk—staying within four digits. It was down under 6,000 last week. If you like mysteries and cats, you really ought to read this little book.

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You as a Public Speaker

Thursday, July 11th, 2013

Yesterday’s post featured one of the challenges public speakers face. You don’t consider yourself a public speaker? If you have a book to promote (or you’re working on one), I urge you, no matter how distasteful it seems, to get out there and talk to your readers (or potential readers).

You can’t sell a book that no one knows about. One way to spread the word is to go out and talk about it.

I tell authors, “Talk about your book everywhere you go.” When Debbie Puente came out with her book, “Elegantly Easy Crème Brulee and other Custard Desserts,” she did this and regularly made sales. She said, “I sold books at the ball park, the grocery store… Everywhere I went, I’d sell books.”

An author should also be relatively comfortable as a public speaker. I’ve sold many books and have received great exposure from my numerous presentations. I speak at civic club and organization meetings and in public schools. I’ve spoken before numerous writing/publishing groups, at writers’ conferences and I was the first woman keynote speaker at a Toastmasters convention in the Middle East some years ago. And then there are book signings. Sometimes authors are required to give informal presentations when they sign books at bookstores or other venues.

If public speaking gives you noodle knees and sweaty palms, I recommend:

• Join a Toastmasters Club. http://www.toastmasters.org for the one nearest you.

• Join an organization of your choice and gain speaking experience by participating.

• Get involved with a storytelling group.

• Hire a voice coach. (Generally listed under “music teachers” in the Yellow Pages)

• Observe other speakers. Note what techniques work and which ones don’t.

• Take on leadership roles at work.

• Find a mentor—someone who’s speaking abilities you admire.

If you are an author who is interested in honing your public speaking and communication skills and if you need help finding speaking gigs, writing a speech, participating in a successful interview, knowing how to handle audience questions, handling hecklers, protecting your speaking voice, giving more creative presentations, approaching program directors, getting invited to do radio shows and much, much more, “Talk Up Your Book, How to Sell Your Book Through Public Speaking, Interviews, Signings, Festivals, Conferences and More.” It’s at Amazon.com in print, Kindle and audio and at most other online and downtown bookstores. Or order your copy here: http://www.matilijapress.com/TalkUpYourBook.html

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