Archive for March, 2014

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Don’t Slam Doors on Your Bookselling Success

Monday, March 31st, 2014

We each go into publishing with different expectations and dreams. Some authors don’t even consider what lies beyond the writing of their books. Others have high hopes for success, but no inkling of how to attain it. All they’re interested in is writing the book that’s been haunting them or tickling at them for years. Some authors believe that their story or their perspective is so interesting and meaningful that the book will be eagerly embraced by a wide audience. They give little thought to their responsibility in the success of their books.

If you’ve been following this blog for even a few months (let alone many years), you’ve read my rants, scoldings and tirades on this topic. Here we go again:

  • Books, in order to sell, must be promoted. No one will buy a book they don’t know exists.
  • The best marketing agent for your book is you!
  • Do not publish your book until you have a clear understanding of your responsibility as an author.
  • Identify your audience and actively promote to them.
  • Be ever on the look-out for opportunities to promote your books.

Now I want to dwell on the last point here. Promoting a book is hard work. Depending on the level of success you desire, you must spend time identifying your audience and putting your book before them. But sometimes opportunities arise unexpectedly. You get an invitation to speak before a group, you’re asked to include your book promo in a mailing or catalog, someone offers to review your book, or you’re invited to introduce your book to potential readers through a newsletter or blog, for example.

Do you know how many authors ignore FREE opportunities like these—even those that require just five minutes of their time? It’s my experience that a whopping 98% of authors will disregard such offers and purposely miss an opportunity to get exposure for their books.

Don’t be in this percentage! Don’t be one of the nearly 78% of authors who fail. Wake up to the realities of publishing and book promotion. Be cognizant of opportunities and act on them on behalf of your amazing book all the time, every time.

Publishing/Marketing News and Views

My fifth newsletter is ready to send. It will probably go out this week—a little early. If you’d like to subscribe to Publishing/Marketing News and Views by Patricia Fry, sign up here: http://www.patriciafry.com. Read back issues here: http://www.matilijapress.com/publishingblog/?page_id=3081

As you’ll see, we’ve covered the writing of a successful book, writing a great book proposal, publishing and now we’re focusing on book promotion. Don’t be left out. Subscribe today! If you have any trouble subscribing, email me: PLFry620@yahoo.com

 

Posted in Book Promotion | No Comments »

How to Sell Over 1,000 Books/Month

Sunday, March 30th, 2014

Total sales for my novels this month is actually over 1,100 and counting. How did I manage that? Here’s what I suggest:

  • Write in a genre that is popular.
  • Write a good story.
  • Hire a talented cover designer.
  • Have your manuscript edited.
  • Repeat these three tips (I have published four books in my Klepto Cat Mystery series to date).
  • Offer books in more than one format. My novels are all formatted for Kindle. Two of them are now also in print form. We’ve sold over 100 print copies this month.
  • Promote, Promote, Promote.

Check out my cozy mystery novels : http://amzn.to/1kAI8I2

Like my Facebook page: http://www.facebook.com/kleptocatmysteries

Posted in Book Promotion | No Comments »

Writers’ Get-a-ways

Saturday, March 29th, 2014

If you’re a working writer, like I am, you probably love the work, but welcome the breaks. I treasure my daily walk—always have. It helps me to clear my mind of the clutter, focus on what needs to be done and see things from a different perspective. I typically return from my walks, lunch with a friend, time with my grandchildren and even vacation trips with renewed energy, enthusiasm and some fresh ideas.

Granted, it takes a lot to get me away from my office. But if I can make myself leave and if I can adopt a holiday frame-of-mind, I will usually enjoy myself and my writing will benefit. By a holiday frame-of-mind, I mean I try to leave work willingly, turn my work brain off and focus on the new task or activity.

The best part of leaving my writing office for me is that I usually bring something back. While out and about, I get ideas for my latest project. I get to introduce one of my books to a new potential reader. Yesterday, for example, I told my mom’s cat’s veterinarian about my new book series featuring this cat and handed out a couple of bookmarks. She showed them to her staff and told them that Smokey is a celebrity. Now that was a fun moment. May even result in some sales.

It’s inevitable! No matter how much you love sitting in front of your computer, you’ll have to eventually leave and pick up some groceries, ship a package, visit someone, etc. And you should go out and socialize, sign up for classes/workshops, attend lectures, exercise in the fresh air. You might as well glean the most from the experience. How?

  • Do something that helps to de-clutter your mind and make room for fresh ideas and perspective.
  • Relax to the hilt when the opportunity arises so you’ll return more refreshed.
  • Put yourself in the moment instead of thinking about what you think you should be doing.
  • Look for ideas for your stories or articles everywhere you go.
  • Talk about your latest book every chance you get.

I’d love to hear from you and so would my followers. How about responding to these questions so we can all learn and gain perspective: (Leave your response here or email me at PLFry620@yahoo.com )

  • Do you take regular breaks from your writing?
  • Long or short ones? Describe.
  • Do you find it difficult to leave your office and your writing? How do you make yourself take a break?
  • Do you run errands, socialize or get some exercise on a schedule or when you feel the need?
  • What are your best distractions from writing?
  • What causes you to return to your writing most refreshed and productive?
  • Do you hire people to help with household/yard/office etc. tasks? How does this serve you and your writing business?

 

 

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You, Your Research Project and the Internet

Thursday, March 27th, 2014

How to you solve problems these days? If you’re like many, you turn to the Internet. If you’re old school, however, sometimes you forget to consider all of the information, guidance, resources, personal experiences and even professional advice on the Internet. And sometimes an Internet search—especially when it involves a medical question—can be overwhelming and confusing.

Yesterday we had a technological problem in our offices. And company representatives for the program involved refused to help—said, “Sorry buddy, your system is too old—can’t help you.”

We turned to a technological wise friend and she said, “Do an Internet search. Try to find others who have had the same problem and resolved it.”

Of course! How many times have I done this very thing—typed in my question, the symptoms, the dilemma, and found someone at a forum with a similar one AND a solution. So this is what we did.

Within minutes, we discovered someone who had been faced with the same annoying computer problem and resolved it. This individual was generous enough to share his discovery with others and now we are up and running again.

So my message today is a two-parter: Share your knowledge and experiences at appropriate sites in case someone else desperate to find an answer has access to it. And learn how to use the Internet to resolve your issues.

If you can’t get satisfaction through the company that produces the product, for example, or your from your doctor or veterinarian, put out an Internet APB: use keywords that will generate an appropriate response for your specific question or issue.

Instead of: “How do I get my printer to work,” type in: “Printer quit working when I reinstalled Adobe.”

Rather than: “Neurological problems in cats,” or “Food allergies in cats,” try, “What causes my cat to twitch?”

Research should be second-nature to writers. Even writers of fiction or personal essays require assistance and answers with regard to punctuation and word usage. Most also must conduct research to fill in certain details in their stories and to check for accuracy on issues they aren’t intimately familiar with.

So if you are a writer, don’t short-change your project and your readers. Learn to use the Internet to the fullest. And this might mean changing the way you ask for help. You never know where you’re going to find what you need—through an advertisement (what do you call those free-standing canopies?), through a forum on the subject where a participant has had a similar experience, through a medical site or a site dedicated to rescuing horses, for example.

 

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Do Emotions Have a Place in Business?

Tuesday, March 25th, 2014

There’s nothing wrong with expressing emotions related to your writing business. We enjoy the writing process. We’re thrilled when we publish a new books or story. We get excited when book sales are up and elated when we get a good review.

But it’s important to keep emotions in check when making important decisions. In other words, choose the topic/angle/genre for your book using your head, not your heart. Make sure it is a book that will be well-received. Is anyone really interested in reading about your personal gripe with the government or your trip to Australia? Is there an audience for books in the genre you have chosen? Are you writing this book for the pure pleasure, in order to get it off your chest—to vent,  simply because you want to share or, even worse, change minds? If you haven’t studied the market to make sure you have an audience who wants to read your book, you may eventually discover that you’ve written the wrong book for the wrong audience. You may have made your decisions based on emotion rather than business sense.

Some authors enter into the publishing industry with heartfelt expectations. They follow their hearts into publishing as if it is a creative endeavor, when it is actually pure business requiring a level business head.

As you approach your book project, enjoy the process—love the work—but make your decisions with regard to the book itself, publishing options, marketing plan, etc. using your business head. If you’re not sure how to do this, and many new authors are not, read my book, “Publish Your Book,” today! It’s at Amazon in print, audio and for Kindle. Or order your print copy here: http://www.matilijapress.com/PublishYourBook.html

Announcement

My emotions are running high today. I’ve just published my 4th novel from the Klepto Cat Mystery series. “Undercover Cat” is now available on Kindle. Check it out here: http://amzn.to/1kAI8I2

This may be just the nicest cover yet. All of the covers for my Klepto Cat Mystery series are hand-painted by Bernadette Kazmarski. Check it out and let me know if you like it.

Posted in Publishing | No Comments »

Authors as CEO of Their Books

Sunday, March 23rd, 2014

Is writing taking over our lives? It seems that we communicate more through email, texts, blogs, newsletters and even books now than, perhaps, we do verbally. And there are more of us wanting to be published. We have the means to document and create great collections of material, thoughts, ideas, interpretations, opinions, grievances and so forth, thus more of us are choosing to have our works published.

What are some of the reasons people decide to publish a book?

  • “Everyone says I should tell my story of (fill in the blanks)—survival, overcoming something, a medical miracle, a lifetime of bad luck, finding love, peace, religion, etc.”
  • “I have information and expertise I want to share with the world.”
  • “I have a good imagination and everyone says I’m a good storyteller.”
  • “People need the knowledge and information I have. I want to change minds and make a difference.”

What these people don’t realize is that they may be traveling down an expensive, go-nowhere road. Most authors, when they decide to publish their writing, have expectations for some level of success. Unless they’ve done some studying, research and soul-searching, here’s what they don’t realize:

  • Publishing is a fiercely competitive business and it takes a business mindset to succeed.
  • Your book will NOT sell just because it exists.
  • Successful authors work harder after the book is published than they ever thought of working during the writing process.

What would I suggest? Study the publishing industry before getting involved and create a plan that includes the following:

  • Research your field, genre or topic to locate books similar to the one you want to write. How are they selling? For nonfiction, what could you offer that is different, fresh, needed, wanted? For fiction, how can you make your book fit into a popular genre?
  • If you’re accustomed to writing only emails and texts, take a brush-up course on writing; join a writers group.
  • Identify aspects to your platform—what experience, knowledge, skills do you have that will help you to succeed as an author and a marketing agent for your book once it’s complete?
  • Build on that platform—learn more about promotion, hone new skills such as public speaking, writing advertising copy, etc.
  • Read books and take workshops on book promotion.
  • Create a marketing plan and be prepared to activate it as soon as your book is a book.
  • Plan to promote your book for as long as you want it to sell.

The key to successful publishing is knowledge and education. You wouldn’t enter into any other kind of business without knowing something about the business, potential customers, suppliers/distributors, your competition and so forth. Publishing is a business. As an author, think of yourself as the CEO of your book. Take charge from the beginning. This is your key to success.

Within the next few days, I’ll write about Emotions in Business and how they can interfere with your book’s success.

 

Posted in Authorship, Publishing | No Comments »

Authors Are Entrepreneurs

Saturday, March 22nd, 2014

There are a couple of ways for authors to accomplish things. You can learn to do it all. And I know authors who can, who do, or who try to. Or you can hire some of the work done.

What are the tasks I’m referring to? Well, there’s the writing of the book. Some hopeful authors lack the basic skill to write a cogent book. They and need help actually putting the story or material together.

Most of us need to hire a cover designer. And all authors should engage pre-publication readers and hire an editor and/or proofreader.

While many authors make it their business and their responsibility to learn the ins and outs of technology, others must employ help to have their book prepared for Kindle or to work with a printer or book manufacturer, for example.

There are two schools of thought on this topic. While some authors want total control of their projects—they resist relying on someone else—others don’t want to be bothered with the learning curve. They avoid getting involved in things that take them away from the writing.

Some authors even refuse to do their own promotion. They bring their book to fruition and then drop the ball. Some authors go in search of an individual who believes in their book as much as the author does and who will represent it with gusto. And where are they going to find this person? Even a large chunk of money can’t always buy someone’s blind devotion and dedication to a book they didn’t pen—that they have no emotional attachment to.

There are some excellent publicists and publicity companies. The thing that authors don’t understand is that many of these individual’s efforts and activities depend on the author’s participation. It’s rare (if not impossible) for an author to sell large quantities of his or her book without putting a lot of time, energy and effort behind it.

When you set out to produce that novel or nonfiction book, do yourself and your project a giant favor. Learn what the publishing industry is all about. Understand that you are not simply writing a book that will sell by the millions without your involvement. Publishing is a business. As an author, you must consider yourself a businessman or woman from the moment you sit down at the keyboard to create your masterpiece.

Tomorrow, we’ll discuss why writing for publication is not just another creative process.

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Excuses Don’t Fly in Publishing

Tuesday, March 18th, 2014

Are you eager to write and publish a book? If you have minimal writing ability, hate sales, lack marketing savvy, have few professional skills, are seriously afraid to speak in public and/or are chronically ill, you’d better reconsider. Unless you have a strong desire to learn and grow, you won’t do well in the publishing world.

I’ve met many hopeful authors who failed because of their own excuses. Oh, they manage to write and publish a book—there are numerous companies that make this part of the process easy. But they fail to sell more than a few copies of their books. In fact, the latest figure I heard was that nearly seventy-eight percent of authors today sell fewer than 100 copies of their books—total. Why? Because of their excuses.

“I don’t know how to promote my book.” “I don’t like to promotion.” “I’m homebound—can’t get out to promote my book.” “No one has offered to review my book.” “I don’t know how to get a website.” “I can’t think of anything to blog about.” “I don’t have time to market my book.”

What these authors don’t understand is that publishing is a fiercely competitive business. It is not an extension of your writing. You can’t go into publishing with the same mindset and skills as you used when writing the book and expect to succeed.

So what is a hopeful author to do?

  • Study the publishing industry so you understand what it takes to participate, what your options are and what your responsibilities as a published author are.
  • Take it upon yourself to discern whether or not your book idea is a good idea. Is there a market for this book? Can you write a viable or entertaining book on this topic or in this genre? Exactly what will it take to promote your book? Are you willing to do what it takes?

Excuses have no place in successful publishing. If you know you have potential justification for NOT writing a good book and for NOT fully representing it in the marketplace, you might as well save your time, energy and money. Get involved in something you can handle well.

To learn more about the publishing industry, please read “Publish Your Book, Proven Strategies and Resources for the Enterprising Author.” This book prepares you for the business of publishing and book promotion. I tell authors they must consider themselves the CEO of their books. From start to finish, it is the author’s responsibility and obligation to guide his/her book through all of the proper channels toward success.

Publish Your Book is at amazon.com in print, Kindle and audio. Or order it here: http://www.matilijapress.com/PublishYourBook

 

Posted in Book Promotion, Publishing | No Comments »

Help for Reluctant Book Promoters

Sunday, March 16th, 2014

I’ve decided that the most dangerous place to be when you’re an author with a book to promote is your comfort zone.

While there are a few authors with marketing experience and personality, most of us find book promotion rather daunting. It takes a type of effort, energy and know-how way different from that which we poured into writing the book. Successful book promotion takes stepping outside our self-inflicted comfort zones.

How do you write a press release or a sales pitch to a reviewer, for example? How do you feel about getting up in front of a group and speaking about your book? Do you know how to set up a speaking engagement or book singing? How do you talk about your book to potential readers at a book festival or other venue? Where does one get the courage and skill to do public speaking?

It’s a matter a stretching and growing—learning something new and applying it. Most authors must step outside their comfort zones in order to successfully promote and sell their books. How?

  • Learn what it takes to promote a book—take workshops, read books and newsletters focused on book promotion and observe others in book promotion mode.
  • Determine what is the best way to promote your particular book and hone the skills it takes to pursue it.
  • Just do it. Even if it is frightening or uncomfortable, step up to the plate, go out on a limb, step outside your comfort zone and do whatever it takes to let your readers know about your book. Yes, even when you get shut down, the door is slammed in your face and you feel vulnerable or embarrassed.

You’ll actually discover that most reviewers, radio personalities, audiences, bloggers, etc. are happy to discover new authors and new books and will receive you with open arms.

So, if you’re a little uncomfortable speaking in public or approaching bloggers and interviewers, for example, you have two choices. Buy into your discomfort and don’t pursue the opportunity or move through the discomfort and get the exposure you need for your book.

Books for Breaking Down Book Promotion Resistance

Become a More Accomplished Book Promoter, Thus a More Successful Author

Publish Your Book, Proven Strategies and Resources for the Enterprising Author

Talk Up Your Book, How to Sell Your Book Through Public Speaking, Interviews, Signings, Festivals and More. Both by Patricia Fry and both available at Amazon in print, audio and Kindle.

Posted in Book Promotion | No Comments »

Learn to Conduct Research, or Else…

Friday, March 14th, 2014

It doesn’t matter what you write—fiction, nonfiction, ads, technical stuff or even poetry—some research is necessary. If you’re writing a historical novel involving soldiers and you don’t know the design of uniform for that period, you’d better go in search of a photo so you can describe it. If your story includes a visit to a pottery shop in Spain, you’ll need to know what one might look like inside. What do you do if you can’t think of a rhyming or descriptive word for a poem or prose? And all writers should refer to an appropriate style book or grammar site when they’re not sure of a particular word usage, for example.

When I started writing for publication, I used a manual typewriter and did most of my research at the library downtown. While writing my local history books, I also visited museum libraries. And now we have the Internet—a whole world of research material at our fingertips. Yet, still, some freelance writers and authors do not use the Internet to their full advantage. They don’t know how to do a successful Internet search. They sometimes get overwhelmed by the volume of information and resources on the Internet. And they resent the time involved in a search. They’d rather be writing.

If you hope to experience success with your book or article, I urge you to break through the blocks that keep you from conducting the scope and depth of research you should be doing on behalf of your project. Here are a few tips:

  • Learn how to use the strongest search words in order to find the information you want. Experiment to find the words and terms that will bring the best search results.
  • When you find a useful site, look for a resources page and spend time checking out the sites and other resources listed.
  • Bloggers often list their favorite sites. Perhaps there are several on their lists that will be useful to you.
  • Log sites you found most helpful in your search on a particular topic. You may want to visit that site again and again.
  • Ask other authors, bloggers and site hosts for recommendations.

You’ll find many reasons to research using the Internet. Here are a few:

Before you write that book:

  • Do an Internet search to find out if your book is a good idea or not. If there are hundreds of books like your proposed nonfiction book, is there room for another one on the same topic? On the other hand, if you’re writing fiction, you’ll want to know that you’ve chosen a popular genre and subject.
  • Is your title fresh or has it been used before?
  • Which titles seem most successful?

While you’re writing it:

  • You’ll want to check facts and figures to make sure that the information in your book or article is accurate.
  • Use the Internet to locate an appropriate publisher or publishing option.

After your book is published:

  • There are many opportunities to promote your book online and it can be time-consuming and daunting to search through all of the information there. But it can also be worthwhile to spend that time seeking out appropriate reviewers, bloggers eager for new books to promote, bloggers looking for authors to interview and so forth.
  • You can visit sites of authors who write in your genre/topic. Find out how they’re promoting their books. Most of them have a page listing their presentations, reviews, etc.
  • Study articles and find books and sites related to book marketing.
  • Search for book outlets for your book—book festivals, specialty bookstores, etc.

If you are a published author or you’re working on your first book and you spend fewer than 5 hours per week in Internet research mode, you’re not using this tool to your fullest advantage.

 

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