Secrets of Marketing through Celebrity Letter Writing and Getting Endorsed

Our guest this week for Publishing and Publicity for Smart People is Chris Lucas.  He will be sharing insider tips on reaching celebrities for the purpose of marketing your book.  He will be our guest on Book That Author this week and feel free to listen on my website. Leon: Tell us a little about you, hobbies and family. Lucas: I’m a lifelong north New Jersey resident, so I’m in the shadow of New York City, which has exposed me to a certain energy and excitement that I’ve fed off of for years. I’ve been a professional working actor for the last two decades. Much of the acting work I’ve booked has come from self-marketing and by writing letters directly to the decision makers in Hollywood and on Broadway. My hobby is writing letters, and I try each day to write at least one good old fashioned pen and paper letter. I’ve been married for 15 years and I’m the proud Dad of two young boys, who have also picked up the letter writing habit.   Leon: How did you begin your writing journey? (Or business if it applies)  Lucas: My Grandfather worked as a stringer for the New York Times and my Dad is an Emmy winning sportswriter/broadcaster, so writing is in my blood. A few years ago, I started a career consultation service for actors, called The Actor’s Detective, based on my success with writing letters. Many of the actors who attended my seminars asked me what they should say to the producers and directors when they wrote to them, so I put together a small book, “The Actor’s Detective Guide to Writing Letters to Celebrities” as a guide for them. Recently, a grade school teacher read my book and suggested that I update it so that the lessons I teach in it could be applied to anyone who hopes to make a connection with someone notable. Leon: What audience (or clients) do you want to reach? Lucas: As mentioned, my book was originally written for actors, but the revised version is great for people who have always wanted to write a letter to someone that they admire, but weren’t quite sure what to say. Specifically, I’ve had great feedback from parents, teachers and grandparents who use the book to get kids excited about writing letters (of course they are more enthusiastic about corresponding with Tim Tebow, Katy Perry, Will Smith or Justin Bieber than they are with Aunt Tilly, but it’s a start.) I’ve also had charities tell me that the lessons and examples in the book helped them to collect endorsements and autographed items to raise money for their cause. Leon: What are the most effective ways you have promoted your book or business? Lucas: Word of mouth has been most effective. I applied the same principles that I use when marketing myself as an actor, which is to spend no less than two to three hours a day researching contacts and letting them know about me and my book. I’ve sent hundreds of letters and emails to people that I think might be interested in reading (and promoting) my book. Leon: What ways have you used social media? Lucas: Obviously I’ve created a Facebook page and Twitter page for my book and company, but it’s not enough to just do that, as many think. I had to work hard to let people know about them and build a fan base. Leon: What is the importance of tools like Twitter, Facebook, SEO, Web Optimization, Blogging, Podcasting, etc. to author promotions? Lucas: I think that they are incredibly important. I grew up in the 1980’s, just before the generation that was raised with the internet, so I was a late convert to social media. I had trouble seeing their importance and viewed Twitter, for instance, as a novelty. My wife challenged me one night to write a few blog posts and then post links to them on Facebook and Twitter. I did it grudgingly and figured I’d only see a blip of interest. When my sales jumped 750% the next day, I kissed my wife and made a resolution to pay more attention to social media from then on.  Leon: What are 5 things you feel every author should know about book marketing? Lucas: 1)    There are lots of great books out there, many on the same subject you are writing about. If you can’t figure out how to make yours stand out from the rest, you are in deep trouble. 2)    Perhaps as important as knowing the subject of your book is also knowing your potential audience. If you don’t realize who the potential buyers are, how can you possibly expect to sell to them? 3)    Don’t approach people with an attitude of “How can you help me?” Of course we want them to promote our book for us, but if you approach it instead with “How can I help you?” and answer a need for them, you are well on our way to success. 4)    The job of any successful author is not just writing the book, but also selling the book. We tend to think that we are above the commercial fray, but if you want to make a living as a writer, you have to get in the trenches and peddle your wares. 5)    Unless it offends your personal beliefs or values, never turn down an interview or chance to promote your book. I’ve heard authors (and actors) say “Oh, that audience is too small for me” or “Nobody reads that blog!” but you never know who might see or hear you and get excited about your book. It only takes one influential person to get the ball rolling, and you never know when they will be listening or reading.  Leon: What are 5 things you want the audience to know about the importance of your business? Lucas: 1)    Marketing is the key to selling yourself both as a performer and as an author. If you don’t keep up with it, you’ll see the bookings and sales drop. This is the main message behind my consultation business, The Actor’s Detective. 2)    Writing to a celebrity is no different than writing to anyone else, you have to make a personal connection for it to be a success. In my book, “The Actor’s Detective Guide to Writing Letters to Celebrities” I talk about the six essential steps to write a letter in a way that almost compels the recipient to get back to you. 3)    Writing letters has become a dying art. I’m hoping to revive that with both my company and my book. 4)    Social media and emails serve a purpose, but with so many people using them, and so much electronic information overload, a good old fashioned letter will stand out and set you apart. I point out many of these success stories in my book. 5)    In an uncertain economy, authors and performers have an advantage, because we can create income opportunities with our talents almost out of thin air. If you are not doing all you can to explore these opportunities and utilizing your skills, then you are wasting valuable time. The Actor’s Detective offers consultations to help you discover and develop those revenue streams. Leon: How would you like to be contacted for people to purchase your book or service? Lucas: My book is available all of  the usual retail sites, but if you purchase it directly from my website, I will include over $100 of bonus gifts, including a free Actor’s Detective consultation, a newsletter full of celebrity addresses and the opportunity to pick any five celebrities and I will send you their direct addresses. Again, these bonuses can only be claimed by buying the book from my website for just $10. Leon: Please give our authors a closing word of encouragement. Lucas: If you try to think of your goals (big sales, awards, notoriety success, etc.) in the big picture, or as the end result, it can be overwhelming. Break your big goals down into smaller bite size daily actions (i.e: writing 10 letters a day, researching 10 new book bloggers a day, making 5 calls, etc.) by the end of the week, month, and year you’ll be able to look back and see that you’ve accomplished a tremendous amount. If I told you to write 3,000 promotional letters this year you’d say I was crazy and that you were too busy. If I said write just 10 letters a day, you’d probably say “I can manage that!”  Little steps turn into big steps and soon you’re on top of the mountain.     Linda Leon Media Specialist and Author Promotions c2012

Marketing Inspiration from Michaelbrent Collings

Welcome to another edition of Publishing and Publicity for Smart People, the column. Don’t miss the podcast this week.  Michaelbrent Collings will be sharing tips on getting books converted into scripts and selling them. Matter of fact don’t miss any of our episodes, they are filled with fantastic marketing info. Visit our website to listen to any program.

Leon: Tell us a little about you, hobbies and family.

Collings: I’m a guy who wears a lot of hats.  Author, musician, martial artist, lawyer.  But of all of them, my most important jobs are those of a husband and father.

 

Leon: How did you begin your writing journey? (Or business if it applies)

Collings: I began at age four, when I wrote my first story… in red Crayola; It was a story about a parrot.  Other than that, it didn’t have much going for it <grin>.  My father, a professor of creative writing at a major university, took a look at the story and helped me improve it, to my delight.  I was hooked, and have been writing since then.

 

Leon: What audience (or clients) do you want to reach?

Collings: The perfect audience, for me, is one that is willing to shell out a few bucks for my books.  Ha!  Seriously, I’m in this to tell a good story.  So I appreciate people who are looking for that.  People who want to escape from “normal” life for a while, be it an escape into a world of time-traveling serial killers (as in my book RUN), or an escape into a world of wizards and witches who are warring over the fate of humanity (as in my book Billy: Messenger of Powers).

Also, the perfect audience is one that is willing to shell out a few bucks for my books.

 

Leon: What are the most effective ways you have promoted your book or business?

Collings: The most effective ways to promote a book (or any other product for that matter), are the following:

            1)  Be willing to talk about it.  Any chance you get.  A lot of people have great stuff they’ve written.  But they’re too shy to ask anyone to read it.  Guess how successful at selling their work they’re going to be?  If you have something good, you should believe in it enough to think that asking someone else to read it isn’t a burden, it’s a gift.

            2)  Have a good product.  Like it or not, most books (and hamburgers, and cars, and everything else) sells from word of mouth.  Which means that in order to bring in readers, your work has to be good enough that not only do they want to plunk down five or ten or twenty bucks to get it, they want to convince all their friends to do the same!

 

Leon: What ways have you used social media?

Collings:  Well, I’m on Twitter, and have a Facebook fan page and my own website.  Those are my main social media focuses, and they seem to be working out fairly well for me!

 

Leon: What is the importance of tools like Twitter, Facebook, SEO, Web Optimization, Blogging, Podcasting, etc. to author promotions?

Collings: The reality is that more and more people today make their purchases through the internet.  That includes books.  So a wily author is going to know how to drive eyeballs to his/her website using SEO and web optimization tools, as well as how to keep them returning through blogging, podcasting, and basically just keeping their presence felt on the ‘net.  Final word: being a bit of a tech geek is going to do nothing but help your career.

 

Leon: What are 5 things you feel every author should know about book marketing?

       

Collings: 1)  It’s hard.

            2)  It requires WORK.

            3)  It requires PATIENCE.

            4)  It requires CONSISTENCY.

            5)  It CAN be fun.

 

Leon: What are 5 things you want the audience to know about the importance of your business?

Collings:  How about just one thing: books are critical.  They are the medium through which we express our hopes and dreams, our fears and our plans for conquering them.  A person poor in books is one poor in spirit.  And that’s just sad.

 

Leon: Please give our authors a closing word of encouragement.

Collings: You can do it!  Writers write.  That is the single defining characteristic of our profession.  Life is nothing but a series of interconnected stories.  Which means that if you’re alive, you’re qualified to TELL your stories.  You have to practice, practice practice, but I sincerely believe that everyone has it in them to be a writer… and succeed.

 

Linda Leon
Media Specialist and Author Promotions

c2012

Company that Discovered Lil Jon and JA Rule Now Helps Authors

Welcome to Publishing and Publicity, The Column.  We look forward to bringing you updates from industry professionals and you can hear more about each of our guest on our podcast at our book marketing professionals website.  Over the last few weeks our guests have ranged from pr expert to movie scouts.  I would encourage you not to miss an article or episode.  Today our guest is Aryeh Carni of Shindig Events. The company, Shindig was founded in 2009 by Yale College, Harvard Law grad Steve Gottlieb whose prior entrepreneurial success includes building TVT Records, one of the most successful independent record labels in the history of the US recording industry, a company with an unprecedented 25 Gold and Platinum releases to its credit. Steve discovered Nine Inch Nails, Ja Rule, Lil Jon, Underworld, Pitbull, and others.Leon: Tell us a little about you, hobbies and family. Carni: I conduct business development and marketing for Shindig and I love keeping up on new media and technology.  I’m fairly young but have always been into media and marketing, so I think it’s something I just have in me.  What’s interesting about working at an Internet company is that I’m part of the new workforce that actually grew up with the Internet, so it has always come somewhat naturally to me.  When you see little kids today playing seamlessly with iPads, it is incredible to think what their generation will be capable of.  But for me, seeking out opportunities and connecting with people over the Internet is second nature and something I have a real passion for. Leon: How did you begin Shindig? Carni: Our founder Steve Gottlieb founded Shindig in 2009 on the idea that current video chat platforms are inherently rigid, uncomfortable and don’t allow for large-scale interactions.  We are a venture-backed start-up and our proprietary technology is the only platform out there that allows for large-scale video chat events. Leon: Even though Shindig is a relatively new company, your group has been in promotions for a while and also started one of the biggest music companies in the U.S., discovery artist like Little Jon and Ja Rule.  Give the listeners insight into how this expertise helps your vision for Shindig in terms of growth and advantages for authors. Carni: Authors and musical artists are very similar in nature.  They may be expressing themselves quite differently but in terms of reaching an audience, they are exactly the same.  In our age of social media, traditional one-way interactions are a way of the past.  With artists in particular, people want to see the human side of an artist instead of just purchasing another brand off the shelf.  Just having a Facebook page isn’t even enough.  It’s the two-way interactions that that page provides that builds real connections between author and reader (or singer and listener for that matter).  Building those real, long-lasting relationships is what Shindig is really about.  Enabling readers to interact with their favorite author as well as other members of their reading community, to not only forge a bond with the author but also build an engaged community centered on their fan hood for you. Leon: What makes Shindig different from other networking platforms like SKYPE? Carni: Skype is great at what it does – providing an online phone call with built in video chat.  If you only want to talk to one other person you should probably use Skype.  But in terms of connecting with many people at once, we the best out there.  Our platform allows for an endless number of interactions between yourself and your fans, allowing authors to give live presentations to hundreds of audience members at one time.  You can interact with each fan individually and fans can interact amongst themselves.  You can share slideshows, documents and music with the audience and you can even call on attendees for an interactive Q&A.  The Shindig platform is the only technology that allows for such events, making your online event the most unique experience possible. Leon: What is the importance of tools like Twitter, Facebook, SEO, Web Optimization, Blogging, Podcasting, etc. to author promotions? Carni: They are all very important because creating a dialogue with your readers and fans is the most important thing you can do.  If a fan tweets about your latest book and you respond with a personal message there is nothing more exciting to that reader and the minute it took you creates a fan for life.  And of course the more tools you use and the more active you are the more visibility you will get and more success you will have business-wise.  The common threads you see with all new promotional tools are the social aspect.  The one downside is that everyone is typing everything and no one ever meets.  That’s where we come in.  We would like to take those like-minded communities and turn them face-to-face and in real time.  We believe that speaking to some directly, not through an IM or a message board, is the most social experience you can have online. Leon: What are a few benefits that authors will have if they use your service? Carni: Hosting a Shindig Event will allow you to engage with your fans and ultimately sell more books.  If a fan has had a chance to meet you and personally ask you a question the chance they buy your next release is much higher.  And better yet, capitalize on your engaged fans at the event by offering special promotions to all your attendees.  Another idea that has been very popular is hosting a cross-promotional event with multiple authors from the same genre.  This is a great way to find more fans and build out your community of dedicated readers.  What’s great about finding new readers through an event is that when they “discover” you they won’t be reading about you on a blog but rather they will have the chance to interact with you on the spot!  We can think of no better way to build an engaged audience. Leon: What are 5 things you want the audience to know about the importance of your business? Carni: 1.Social media isn’t the future, it’s the present 2.Social media is as much a business tool as it is recreational 3.It’s never too late to start using social media 4.Videoconferencing is the most social media tool out there 5.Online events are the way of the future – be one of the first on board and reap the benefits Leon: How would you like to be contacted about your service? Carni: You can contact me directly at 212-699-3654. Leon: Please give our authors a closing word of encouragement. Carni: I would say to think about your name and your brand as a company and your books as your product.  Look at any successful company today and they have a Facebook page, a twitter handle and they remain quite active on all of them.  It may seem either daunting or even a waste of your time but if you start to think of social media activity as a best business practice it will become an invaluable weapon in your arsenal.  It should also be fun so don’t be afraid to experiment.  People want to see the real you so let your personality shine. Linda Leon Media Specialist and Author Promotions c2012

Confessions of a Movie Scout and Publicist

Welcome to the next edition of Publishing and Publicity for Smart People, The Column. We are kicking this season off with a bang and have had excellent guests.  You don’t want to miss an article or episode this season if you are serious about book promotions.  We have interviewed Todd Young of the Connextion.com.  Todd has been instrumental in the placing recording artists and authors in distribution and setting up concrete pathways for payment delivery and promotion. Next we interviewed Susannah Greenberg who is a famed publicist responsible for the promotion of several best selling authors including publicity for one of my favorite books called Who Moved My Cheese.  She also worked for several traditional publishers including Random House and its Pantheon Books Division. This week our special guest is Gail Kearns of  To Top Press and Beyond.  She is at the top of her game. Gail and her team are experts in book publishing consulting and support services. With over 16 years of experience, they skillfully and successfully shepherd your print and/or e-book through writing, editing, design & layout, printing, distribution, sales and promotion, both in trade and niche markets and on the Web. They have worked with over 400 authors and independent publishers worldwide.  But for now let’s see what Gail has to say. Leon: Tell us a little about you. Kearns: I grew up on the east coast and went to Hunter College in New York City where I studied Art History. I got into film production after graduation and during my years in that business I became a book scout for RKO Pictures. I scouted books that would make good movies. It was a fabulous job because I got to meet most of the literary agents in New York. I’ve always been an avid moviegoer and reader. My favorite genre is memoir. There’s something exhilarating about witnessing and living the events of a person vicariously … because they’re events I may never experience myself. Leon: How did you begin your journey as a book shepherd? Kearns: When I moved to Santa Barbara in the late 90s, there was no movie industry here, per se, so work was virtually non-existent. I had bought my first laptop computer and sent out a resume to a list of publishers I found in the Santa Barbara phone book. Having worked with authors and screenwriters, I offered my services as a book editor. I got a call in about three minutes from a woman who had a children’s activity book publishing company. I learned the publishing ropes of writing descriptive copy for books and brochures for trade shows there. Then I met Dan Poynter, the guru of independent and self-publishing. He hired me to do fact checking, proofing, and eventually copyediting. And the rest is history. I’ve gone on to grow my business to be a full-service book shepherding agency. I still do most of the content editing and production oversight. I have a team of book designers and printers I work with, as well a number of e-book converters. I have help with marketing and PR of titles with other book publicists and a number of social media marketing interns from the university. Leon: What type of clients do you want to reach? Kearns: I’m most interested in reaching potential clients who are serious about being an independent publisher and will do the work required to become successful. That also means being realistic about the timeline of launching a title and the number of months it may take to find its readers. The best clients are those who understand this and are willing to work with me in a team effort approach. I’m more than willing to do the vast amount of educating it takes with a newbie author/publisher as long as they are willing to follow my lead and participate fully in the process. Beyond that, I would like to reach more small publishers who already understand the business and are looking for ways to reach readers both online and off. I like thinking outside the box. Leon: What are the most effective ways you have promoted your book or business? Kearns: Frankly, most of it has been word of mouth. I get repeat clients and clients refer me to other authors. It seems everyone is writing a book these days. It’s no different when I was working with screenwriters, and every person I met had a script under their arm. That said, I have paid big bucks to advertise in places like PW Select and gotten absolutely no return on my investment. I also do some networking amongst my peers and have been asked to do guest posts on their blogs. I’ve also sent out national press releases about To Press & Beyond when I feel it’s warranted. For example, a recent client launched a dog book and partnered with shelters in the towns in which she was doing book signings. For every book sold, she made a donation to the local shelter. It was and continues to be a very successful marketing ploy. Plus it’s for a great cause … finding forever homes for dogs. To Press & Beyond announced the launch of this book in a national press release. Leon: What ways have you used social media? Kearns: I have a business Facebook Page and a website that I update several times a year. I try to populate my FB page with interesting and relevant content. Sadly, I’ve not yet started my own blog. I’m too busy getting my clients up and running with a blog and on other social media platforms. For my clients, I have begun to set up blog book tours. Those can be great for a title’s exposure as long as the blog/site has a lot of followers and is heavily trafficked. Leon: What is the importance of tools like Twitter, Facebook, SEO, Web Optimization, Blogging, Podcasting, etc. to author promotions? Kearns: I think blogging is a must these days. If an author has time, I would suggest an author FB page. I don’t think anyone should eat up valuable time with entering all social media platforms simultaneously. Our web designer, Kate McMillan, takes care of SEO and Web Optimization for our clients as well as building their author sites. What I love about Kate is that she’s both a good designer and a dynamite programmer. Leon: What are 5 things you feel every author should know about book marketing? Kearns: 1. Write the book knowing who your ideal buyer is, what niche you are filling and knowing how your book is unique. 2. Begin building your author platform online as you are writing your book, a year ahead of time if you can. 3. Write down your marketing plan, including all the ways you can think of that you’re willing to self-promote. Share this with your publicist. He or she will fill in the blanks and help you implement. 4. Timing makes champions. There are lead times with everything when it comes to marketing and PR. Give the process plenty of time. 5. Creating dynamic marketing materials will give you a heads above the rest. Leon: What are 5 things you want the audience to know about the importance of your business? Kearns: 1. We help authors navigate the waters of self-publishing and avoid the pitfalls that many self-publishers fall into, which saves time and money in the end. 2. Whether you have a publisher, a distributor, a wholesaler, a shepherd, an editor, a designer, a publicist, etc. you still have to believe in and promote your book yourself. Very few books will sell themselves. 3. Keep an open mind as you go into the project just in case there is a really good idea you have missed. 4. We know the book business and if we don’t know something we know where to go for reliable information. 5. We like to think outside the box and suggest places where your book can sell other than bookstores. Leon: How would you like to be contacted for people to hire you for your services? Kearns: Go to our website and fill out the form for a half hour gratis phone consult. Email me to set up a gratis call. Call me at 805-898-2263. If I’m busy, I’ll call you back ASAP. Leon: Please give our authors a closing word of encouragement. This is an exciting time in publishing. More authors are able to get their books to print and/or into e-book form. Print books are not going to go away (anytime soon, at least), so consider a print book as well as an e-book. E-books are simply another revenue source for publishers. When you work with a book shepherd like To Press & Beyond, you are going into a business. Don’t give up prematurely. In the words of Wayne Gretzky, you miss 100% of the shots you don’t take.  Hope you enjoyed this and don’t forget to listen to the interview on my website!!! New shows posted every Thursday. Linda Leon Media Specialist

Create Book Buzz Like a Pro

I am Linda Leon and welcome to the next edition of Publishing and Publicity for Smart People, The Colum.  If  I were you, there is no way I would miss my upcoming interview with Susannah Greenberg.  She is literally an encyclopedia on book promotions and it is free, just listen to the my podcast that you can find any time on my website.  I interviewed Susannah and here are some fabulous pointers for writers to help them create buzz for their book.  Just to let you know that she really does know her stuff, check out this bio. Susannah Greenberg is President of Susannah Greenberg Public Relations, a book publicity firm in the Greater New York City area.  Her clients are authors, publishers, and book industry organizations.  She has represented best selling authors including Spencer Johnson and Alan Dershowitz; launched the campaign for April is National Poetry Month for the Academy of American Poets; handled public relations for the Book Industry Study Group; and is the Publicity Chair for the Women’s National Book Association in New York, NY.  She gets features, reviews, and articles for her clients in TV, radio, print and online.  Media placements by her firm include the Wall Street Journal, National Public Radio, New York Times, the Today Show and more. Most recently, she assisted in the 2011 launch of Albert Whitman Teen, a line of books for young adults. Prior to founding her own firm, Susannah Greenberg was employed at Simon & Schuster, M. Evans & Co., Cambridge University Press, and Pantheon Books. Leon: Tell us a little about you, hobbies and family.   Greenberg: I have been in the book publishing business my entire career.  I began at Random House, and many jobs and years later decided to start my own business, Susannah Greenberg Public Relations, a book publicity firm.Leon: How did you begin your writing journey? (Or business if it applies) Greenberg: My business began as a series of freelance book publicity projects between jobs.  It grew organically from there and then by more deliberate tactics to maintain and grow the business.Leon: What audience (or clients) do you want to reach?   Greenberg: My clients are book publishers, authors and book industry organizations.  Because of the digital book revolution, I am working with many more self-published authors than in the past.  The opportunities are much bigger for the self-published author because of eBooks. Leon: What are the most effective ways you have promoted your book or business?  The Internet! Also, real life networking by serving on the board of groups including the Women’s National Book Association, by speaking at important trade conventions such as Bookexpoamerica and more.Leon: What ways have you used social media? Greenberg:  I use social media to promote my business and my clients’ books.  Creating web sites, Facebook pages, author profiles on social reading sites like Goodreads, and also building the buzz by reaching out to bloggers and web sites. Leon: What is the importance of tools like Twitter, Facebook, SEO, Web Optimization, Blogging, Podcasting, etc. to author promotions? Greenberg:  CRITICAL, they are critical.  Any book pr campaign worth its salt must include social media tools like these.  All my campaigns integrate both traditional and social media.  But traditional media, especially book review, is shrinking.  So, social media is very important. Leon: What are 5 things you feel every author should know about book marketing? Greenberg: 1.  Book pr campaigns need to begin well in advance of the books on sale date, at least 3-4 months, you should have your pr strategies in place and be ready to execute. 2.  It is never too early to start building your web presence and online community. 3. Research your niche communities of interest and make contact with them.  4.  Know your strengths and limits.  If you think you can’t do it all on your own, you need to hire a pr firm like mine.  5.  Find your message.  Without over scripting yourself, create an “elevator pitch” for your book, that is a concise and appealing way to describe your book and what is about that communicates clearly to the media and the reader.   Leon: What are 5 things you want the audience to know about the importance of your business? Greenberg: 1.  Discoverability is key.  PR is the key to that.  If you don’t have the proper PR for your book, no one will hear about it and know to buy it.  2.  Experience counts.  I have worked with numerous best selling authors and books for years.  3.  I specialize in book publicity.  Not all public relations are alike.  It is important to know book publicity specifically and I do. 4.  Creativity is important.  I try to look at all the ways a book can be promoted, all different aspects of a book that can become a story for the media, as well as look at external trends and current affairs for ideas for ways the book can be tied in to them.  5.  Staying current with the digital revolution is a must for a book publicist and I am always on the leading edge of using new medium and technologies to maximize book pr.  I was on the Internet way before my peers in book publicity.  I was one of the first to move into social media.  SGPR is always searching and learning to stay ahead of the curve in developments in book marketing online. Greenberg: You gotta be in it to win it, no wallflowers allowed.  If you are proud of your book, get out there and shout about it!  Tell everyone you know about your book.  Wonderful low cost and effective opportunities are now plentiful because of the social media revolution.  Jump in and take advantage.   Build your buzz from early on and it will grow and you will succeed!

Book and Record Distributor Provides Great Marketing Insight

Publishing and Publicity for Smart People – The Column I am looking forward to the new resources we will be able to provide authors this year in my new segment Publishing and Publicity for Smart People, The Column. My book entitled the same will be out very soon and I am very excited about it. This column will work in conjunction with my weekly podcast, Book That Author, which can be heard on my website.  The theme of the podcasts this year will be to provide authors with tools they can use to promote their books. We will cover topics such as SEO, website advancement, social networking promotions, new media and traditional media development, book shepherding, book distribution resources, marketing and publicity and a lot more. Our first resource of the year is Todd Young, the owner of  The ConneXion.  Here after called The X.  This company sets up distribution channels for creative artist to promote their books, records, DVD’s, video projects and a host of other projects. For authors intending to grow their book business it is very important to have a reliable distribution system that will manage your account.  This way you can keep up with purchases, get paid on a consistent basis, and also not have to worry about how your products are being shipped and distributed.  Distribution partners will also handle all customer support. In my recent interview with Todd he had this to say: Leon: Tell us a little about you, hobbies and family. Young: For the last 15 years it has been hard to see where my business ends and my family begins.  In 1997, my wife and business partner, Janna, started the X with the dual goal of creating a company that would make the lives of art creators easier by allowing them complete control over ownership of their creations and at the same time allow us to be parents of our kids. We worked hard but often we worked around their schedules so that we could maximize our time as a family.  Speaking of family it was a wonderful day a few years ago when my brother joined The X team as our director of distribution.  We are now recruiting my older brother to join the team! Leon: How did you begin your business? Young: I returned from living in Spain in the fall of 1995, fell in love with Janna, and got a job with an independent record label.  I knew nothing about the music business but as I managed all the direct to fan sales (both at venues and via mail, the internet wasn’t really the medium then) I quickly learned that there was a lot of money coming in, but none of it was getting to the artists or other creators.  As I checked around with the artist community, it became clear this was not an isolated problem.  After a short discussion on a snowboard trip, Janna and I decided two major things, to start output and distribution …and to start our life journey together.  Both of which I am happy to say are going strong. Leon: How much will it cost an author to distribute through The X? Young: It will cost $100 as a set up fee, $20 a year for storage and maintenance, file conversion (file to .epub file) cost is quoted per project, ballpark is 45-75 cent per page, and 70% of all the monies received from the retailer goes directly to the author. Leon: What services does The X provide besides core distribution? Young: We provide marketing – direct to fan email campaigns to your fans, promotion via The X to our thousands of monthly visitors, promotion to our fan family of over 150,000 persons who have opted in to get information on The X family of artists. We are a full blown manufacturer – whether you need a book, a record, a robe with your name on it, or good old fashioned shirts, posters, stickers – we make everything you can think of to promote your project.  There is a lot of potential here for sales revenue.  Many times authors especially think that only the book is the attraction, but after 15 years in this business I can tell you that associated merchandise has its place too. We offer ticketing and can set up credit card acceptance for your venues or any live appearances you might have. Leon: Is the publishing environment good or bad for authors in the new digital age, both in relation to the product output and revenue/sales? Young: We believe it is good for self-publishers, if they are flexible to the changing ways of the industry and the buying public.  There is a lot more content out there as the traditional gatekeepers are losing control that is a good thing for self-publishers.  If you couple this with a worldwide audience of buyers, not just a few who actually frequent bookstores, there is a huge potential for sales.  The X has been party to this before via our roots in the music industry.  There is great potential for sure. Leon: How can your company help authors to sell books? Young: At the most basic level we can get you distributed and available to a worldwide audience in less time than it used to take just to get the book manufactured.  This happens in 2 main ways.  I want to break them down because we do notice that often this part of the message gets confusing for some people. 1. Direct to fan sales: This happens directly between your website and your fans.  We handle everything, customer service, collection of payments, shipping of the physical items and e delivery of digital items, etc. 2. Distribution to digital retail – That means resources like Amazon, I Books, Kobo etc.  We handle everything from file conversion of your word doc to an E Pub file, all the way to monitoring sales; so if a spike happens we can jump on it and when appropriate, add to the marketing plan. To some clients, our most important service is that we take no ownership though we do tons of work on your behalf.  You keep all control and the majority share of the monies earned.  Sales are never a given with any artist project and we won’t make pie in the sky predictions, but I will promise that if you and your team do your job – keeping your name and your book with a high profile and keeping the creative content coming, The X team will highly service both digital retail and your old and new fan base directly.  We will extend your line of complimentary merchandise so your revenue keeps increasing and of course raising your profile within our community of over 150,000 fans.  We always say, let us do the grunt work so that you can stay focused on the creative side. Leon: How does one utilize social networks to raise sales? Young: This is an evolving area. I can say through consistent communications of interesting ideas and thoughts is a much better plan than a once a day recitation of what you had for lunch.  If you are an author, everything doesn’t need to be buy my book.  However, staying fresh and accessible is the goal.  It is also very extremely important to push fans to your official site.  Some think that having an official site is no longer necessary.  We disagree completely.  Having your own ecosystem is very important and if you push it on your social networks, then all those clicks raise the SEO level of your own site and not someone else’s. Leon: What is the importance of tools like Twitter, Facebook, SEO, blogging, podcasting etc. to promote the author? Young: This goes back to the idea of your job in the bargain, you will have to keep yourself and the creative output in the face of the populous.  These tools make that do-able.  When the time comes for the purchase, The X will service the fans, do the accounting and get you paid, all while you are creating your next masterpiece! Leon: What are five things you want people to know about your business? Young: 1. The direct to fan relationship is the most valuable thing you have going for you.  It will only increase as time goes on and the market gets more content heavy.  This has been our focus for 15 years.  We made connections for other people let The X make connections for you. 2. Don’t be a dinosaur.  Yes, I am one that loves holding a book; but lots of people love their e-readers.  Don’t let your personal preferences stand in your way.  Instead let The X distribute for you far and wide. 3. We are trustworthy.  We have been servicing authors and entertainers for 15 years, no worry with us about getting a call back, getting your questions answered or perhaps most importantly, getting your money on time, every time. 4. We do not have you sign paperwork that locks you in for years – no commitments.  If you need to leave us, you are free to do so, though we hope you will stay. I am proud to say that we have very little attrition. 5. Be excited.  This is a very exciting time to be a creator.  Have no fear.  The whole world is now your market. Leon: How do you wish to be contacted? Young: Contact me, Todd Young, President at call 360 333-7397.  You can also contact Collin Young, Director of Distribution at 512 843-2805. Thanks for reading the interview! Linda Leon

Marketing Tips From A Publisher

Linda Leon’s Interview with Linda Radke – Five Star Publications

Leon – Tell us a little about yourself, hobbies and family.

Radke – I’ve been in the publishing business since 1985. As everyone well aware, the publishing industry has changed quite a bit since then, and today I find myself concentrating mainly on Partnership Publishing, e-Publishing and distribution and offering publishing and marketing services and counseling.

I am the author of The Economical Guide to Self-Publishing (a 2010 Paris Book Festival first-place winner in the “How-To” category and a Writer’s Digest Book Club selection, now into its second edition) and Promote Like a Pro: Small Budget, Big Show (a Doubleday Executive Program Book Club selection). I am also a founding member of the Arizona Book Publishing Association, was named “Book Marketer of the Year” by Book Publicists of Southern California, and received numerous public relations and marketing awards from Arizona Press Women. So I have a plethora of experience to share with my clients.

Leon – How did you begin your writing journey?

Radke – I owned a very successful household employment agency, and wanted to publish a few books to complement my services. I was going after a narrow market niche. So, I bravely ventured into the self-publishing arena — before it was a common place. Well, I discovered that I had “printer’s ink in my veins,” and spun my publishing venture off into its own full-time business.

Leon – What audience do you reach?

Radke – We reach a very diverse audience — basically any and every audience required to help our authors sell their books. However, there does seem to be a few themed threads running through our list of books, such as Westerns, cookbooks, children’s books (both fiction and nonfiction, mysteries, historical books, educational books and memoirs.

Leon – What are some of the most effective ways you have helped authors to market their books?

Radke – · Finding experts and famous personalities to endorse their books.
· Research a book’s market before committing to publishing it
· Tapping into organizations that would either make good partners for our authors or ones that would fit our target markets for book sales
· Creating dynamic marketing materials and an impressive website
· Promoting our authors as spokespersons or experts in their fields

Leon – What ways can e-books be marketed?

Radke – That’s the million-dollar question that everyone wants answered. A lot of the ways you would promote an eBook would be the same you would any other book — including press info to the media, radio shows, television appearances, blogging, Facebook, etc. etc. But the real question authors should be asking is: HOW CAN I GET DISTRIBUTION for my eBook. You can promote the heck out of a book, but if it’s not distributed in convenient, trustworthy places, you won’t sell it. And yes, Five Star Publications does have a very economical distribution agreement plan for eBooks.

Leon – Based on your experience what are 5things every author needs to know and your most difficult experience in your publishing career?

Radke – Sorry, but I’m going to have to go with six things:
1. Before you even start writing a book know how you are going to market it. Don’t write a book and then just expect it to be marketable. It doesn’t work that way.
2. Have a realistic expectation and manage them each step of the way.
3. Have expertise in your subject matter.
4. Know your audience and how to reach them.
5. Utilize professionals each step of the way.
6. Create a 12-month marketing plan.

The toughest part of my job is being upfront with authors. We are painfully, but diplomatically honest with folks. And no matter how much money they might throw our way, we will not publish a book that we feel does not have a fighting chance in the market. In addition to the book being good, we must also know that the author will be a good marketing partner with us. The days of a shy author selling a million copies and never leaving the comfort or security of her home or office is over. Authors must also be promoters if they expect to succeed, and as long as an author has a “go-getter” personality, we will teach our clients the rest.

Leon – What ways do you use social media to promote your books?

Radke – We offer professional and reputable bloggers the opportunity to review our books and offer them as giveaways.

When we provide a website to an author, we also provide a blog, and encourage them to blog frequently.

Five Star tweets, blogs and posts information on Facebook about our authors and books, etc.

Leon – In what ways do you feel social media is impacting the future of the book industry?

Radke – It is becoming one of the book industry’s best promotional tools. All authors should become social media experts. I realize it’s tough, because they are so busy going out on book signings, doing trade shows, presentations and traveling, but they need to blog, tweet, Facebook daily if possible, but a minimum of three times per week.

It’s amazing how often a Facebook or other social media type of connection can turn into a book sale, lead to being invited to present at an event, or even just offer information that can be a tremendous help to promotional or marketing efforts. The media is searching the social media engines for material all the time!

Leon – What is your viewpoint on Facebook and Twitter?

Radke – In addition to what I’ve already added, I would recommend having experts show you the way. Connect with colleagues who can show you the ropes, or take a workshop at a library. Learn it, learn it, learn it.

Leon – What are your next writing goals?

Radke – Movies, screenplays, TV and more

Leon – What are some closing remarks you would like to share with our authors?

Radke – Listen and learn from folks who have been there and done that! And know that you only get out of something what you are worth putting into it — in both effort, as well as money!

Join Linda as she interviews Linda Radke on Book That Author on Thursday.

How To Make Money Writing and Selling E-books on the Internet – Five Very Powerful Tips

I recently read stats that thirteen million e-book readers where purchased in 2010, up 325% from 2009.  That number is expected to grow exponentially by 4th quarter 2011. E-book sales increased 400% and were just slightly under one billion dollars in sales last year. All of that powerful sales activity is only going to multiply.  Are you going to be one of the people to supply e-books to over thirteen million e-book readers?  There is certainly enough room for your book to be part of the revolution.  Tapping into the market can be as easy as applying these 5 powerful tips on the best ways to make money writing and selling e-books on the Internet.

Tip One

Find out what people want to know and give that information to them.  You can create an entire dynasty of books if you write for the purpose of providing information.  The Internet is the quickest way to find out what people want to know. For example you can go to any question and answer site on the web and find out what people want to know.  The title of this article is related to one of those questions. In my research 88,400 people want to know this information.

On my Book That Author podcast I had the opportunity to interview John Kremer who is a popular information writer and provider. I asked him why he decided to write his best selling book 1001 Ways to Market Your Book and to create bookmarket.com, it was because he found there was an audience interested in information about writing and marketing books.  He wrote one book, addressed the need for marketing information and has made a career out of it.

Tip Two

It becomes much easier to learn how to make money writing and selling e-books on the Internet when you begin to apply key word strategies. Key words help you to determine what people are looking for and are used to help people find you. Content ideas for your e-books can be populated very easily that way. The best way to use key words is to avoid using highly competitive key words.  I would recommend obtaining a copy of the book The SEO Bible to learn more about key word strategies.

Tip Three

Marketing your e-book is all about getting the most exposure for it that you can get.  Many people think it is hard to learn Internet marketing skills but it really is not if you begin to build knowledge daily.  Set a side a few minutes every day, learn a marketing concept and then apply it.  I am going to help you start by suggesting 5 things to learn and apply within five days.  This probably will take less than 15 minutes a day to do but it can increase your ability to sell books tremendously. One – find out what is affiliate marketing and sign up for an account.  One of the biggest sources is Click Bank. Two – visit Google.com and pick out at least three Google tools you can use to market your book. Three – find a book on Amazon that is extremely popular, read that book and then leave a review that contains information about your e-book. Four – sign up for at least 2 article directories and see how people are using the information and then begin to do the same.  You can post information about your book in the bottom tag line of the article.  People use articles because they are highly distributed which means more people get to know about you and your e-book. Five- read articles on paid per click and see if it would be an effective way to market your book.

Tip Four

Consider unusual places to sell your book.  The following places are not the first to come to mind but people are actively using them to sell e-books:

Ebay.com

Craigslist.com

Sales Spider.com

Community Classified.org

US Free Ads.com

Tip Five

The final way to learn how to make money writing and selling e-books on the Internet is to get involved in forums.  One of the most useful forums to get involved in is Kindle Forums.  I interviewed Vicki Lieski an independent author on my podcast Book That Author, she stated that one of the main influences for her being able to sell over 113,000 e-books was getting involved with the Kindle community, getting to know the people in the forum and then using any opportunities they presented.  The main opportunity was getting involved with interview requests.  There are forums and social networking communities throughout the web, get involved.

Promoting a book has never been easier with all of the wonderful tools available today.  The Internet has made it possible to literally become an expert book marketer.  The playing field between traditional publishers and self -publishers has been lowered because of the World Wide Web.  Smart self-publishers are rising to the occasion and learning to promote books in highly effective ways.  If you have enjoyed this article please share it, tweet it, like it or post in your communities. Helping authors has been a joy for me.  Follow me on Twitter.  Feel free to join my new You Tube channel Book Marketing Pros.  Or just stop by my website at book marketing professionals and listen to my podcasts which are filled with useful marketing information from the best sources in the industry. Have a question about book marketing? Just ask. Happy book promoting!!!

 

Top 5 Book Selling Tips for Savvy Self-Published Authors

 

1. Book selling tips can go a very long way in helping self-published authors to hone their skills.  Tip number 1 is to get quality reviews for your book.  There are lots of ways to get online reviews such as general review sites, blogs, and the standard sites such as Allbooks Review, Amazon, and Barnes & Noble.  You can also get professional reviews with traditional industry sites such as Foreword Reviews.

Get busy submitting reviews and making requests for people to review your book.  Then broadcast positive reviews through Twitter, Facebook and any other social networking sites that you belong to.  Don't be shy about asking, just do it.  Allowing this to be a normal part of your book marketing will be a productive part of your successful writing career.

2. Brand yourself. Book sales increase in direct proportion to what people think of your image. Are you presenting an image as an expert?  Promoting a book successfully is all about showing your professionalism and expertise in your subject matter.  The more people think of you as an expert, the more they will connect with you.  They will begin to develop trust.  That opens doors for networking opportunities and sales.  Wouldn't you love to develop a strong following of loyal fans?  It is indeed possible to do this through branding.  Next thing you know, you will be booking more interviews, having a large fan base, being requested to write articles and other wonderful opportunities to market your “now” high demand published book. Your professional presentation will become your public signature.

Remember to always tell everyone that you are a published author.  That alone will place you in “expert” status.  Add your author status to the signature line on emails, use it as your signature when you comment on book reviews as in, I am Jane Doe the author of __________, or I am John Doe the author of the forthcoming book ________. Begin to think of the different places you can apply this rule – forums depending on their rules, freelance writing assignments, on your business cards, on your website and as a part of any other communications piece.

Sometime people think that it is easier to brand yourself when you write in “non-fiction” categories such as how to books, technical writing, or manuals. There are plenty of fiction experts who are just as skilled at branding themselves.  Just look at J.K Rowlings and Stephanie Meyers.  They have amassed an almost cult like following by branding themselves in their genre.  They may have written a work of fiction, but they are skilled in book promotions.  There is absolutely no reason that your published book cannot have the same potential.

3. If you really want to sell more books then get to know Amazon.  Join their Search Inside the Book Program.  I always love reading those extra nuggets of information that often make the difference between purchasing a book or not purchasing a book.  Get listed with Amazon's book awards program.  Lots of indie authors get into Amazons book competition. Post reviews on other Amazon book authors and remember to leave your Jane Doe signature.  Did you know that Amazon does have a “real people” customer service phone-line.  Be sure to have a killer cover design because that will draw more attention to your book on Amazon or any other site.

4. Become friends with librarians, they love to promote local newly published authors.  They simply buy books. The more they like your level of professionalism and book content, the more they will put your book in different branches. Librarians also allow you to promote your book by public book readings.  Some will even pay a stipend for your visit.  Some of the librarians we have worked with have been very generous.

5. Start selling books through e-book promotions. You can use e-books to test the market before investing in paperback or hardback editions.  You can test a selling price point faster with an e-book.  I have read stats that say the conversion rate from an e-book to physical book purchases is between 80-90%.  It is great to know that the majority of people that purchase your e-book will purchase your book.

Pricing e-books has been under constant debate but a good rule of thumb to help determine your e-book price is to learn from those that are really helping authors to sell e-books.  Amazon has been dominating the e-book marketing world with their $9.95 killer pricing.  The book-selling tip of all time comes from savvy self -publishers that re-wrote the rules with the cut rate .99 cent e-books.  This is a sheer impulse buy rate.  It is responsible for sending many indie authors to the head of the best selling class.

Promoting a book has never been easier with all of the wonderful tools available today.  The Internet has made it possible to literally become an expert book marketer.  The playing field between traditional publishers and self-publishers has been lowered because of the world wide web.  Savvy self-publishers are rising to the occasion and learning to promote books in highly effective ways.  If you have enjoyed this article please share it, tweet it, like it on Facebook or post in your communities. Helping authors has been a joy for me.  Follow me on Twitter, and Facebook.  Feel free to join my new You Tube channel, Book Marketing Pros.  Have a question about book marketing? Just ask. Happy book promoting!!!

 

 

 

Strategies To Get Over 100,000 Views For Your Book Trailer

Today’s book marketing is STEALTH. It is not like the old days when marketers constantly pushed people towards a product. Now it’s about building relationships, soft selling, being an expert and branding. Randy Halverson’s viral video, “The Tempest Milky Way,” is a perfect example of stealth. When I first saw this video it had over 119,000 views on Yahoo and 22,000 views on You Tube and I can guarantee the number is going to continue to climb the stratosphere. Why -because he did it by the new rules. He presented himself as an expert, he is branding himself virally, and he is building relationships. You should see all the comments the video is getting. The new rules of marketing is show not tell. It’s not always about telling people who you are, what you do and why they need your product. It’s about showing them in a way that is uniquely you — your personality and the relationships that you build are the new tools in branding.