8 Marketing Tips

Let's keep it simple. Are you pondering what your marketing tip is? Here are 8 marketing strategies to consider.

1. Write articles for magazines or newspapers: This is not for pay. It is purely for exposure. You'll more than likely get a good response by offering your expertise on a given topic for free.
2. Business Cards: Consider your business cards to be seeds being planted in a garden. Ever card can produce a harvest.
3. Auto signs: A car door magnet with your book cover and contact information can be very effective. It's your own mobile billboard.
4. Conduct tele-seminar or online seminar: Again, don't look for money, look for exposure. The money will come.
5. Pass out fliers in though out the neighborhood: Honestly, the return on this may not be great, but the law of compensation guarantees that once you have done all you can, you will receive a reward for your effort.
6. Promotional Sales: There is a holiday every month of the year. In fact, almost every day of the year has some kind of significance. Find out when "Left handers day" is and offer a special to all lefties.
7. Send out complimentary copies: The goal is to send books to people who have the influence to push you to the next level. Focus your mind on finding "connectors" (people with connections).
8. PUBLIC SPEAKING: Look for or create public speaking opportunities.

Out Run Last Year's You!

I've waited for the first week of 2014 to end before I sent this challenge because I want you to look back to see if you have done what you said you would do in 2014. The new race for success has begun.




Your only competitor is yourself. You have to out-perform the you of 2013. If last year's you had a great idea for a book last year, then this year's you must write the book.




Here are 3 steps to winning this race against you.




1. List last year's accomplishments: This is extremely helpful in discovering where you have to go. Try to list 60 accomplishments from last year. This will be hard, but it will cause you to wring out every inch of ideas and thoughts from your mind. Some examples are "read 5 books", "lost 5 pounds" "sold 100 books" . 




2. Make Plans to Accomplish More: After you have written out your list, make plans to increase those accomplishments for this year and also add new accomplishments. So now you'll need to read 10 books. Figure out how much time that will take, and how many pages per day that will take. Plan to lose 10 pounds. Plan to sell 200 books by doubling what you did to sell 100 books.




3. Get to Work: Do something every day towards these goals. Will Smith the actor/rapper said it this way. "You don't set out to build a perfect wall. Instead you set out to lay one brick as perfectly as a brick has ever been laid. And the more you lay individual perfect bricks, you will eventually have a perfect wall."




Happy New Year, and Happy Selling!
www.TrueVinePublishing.org

The Science of Influence

Book selling is the most important part of your book writing journey. Therefore it is critical that we understand what makes people say yes.

I wanted to share this link http://youtu.be/cFdCzN7RYbw on this topic. Don't try another marketing campaign until you have watched this!

Happy Selling!
www.TrueVinePublishing.org

Don't Ask for Support

Never ask anyone to support you and buy your product. Support me no longer holds the weighty "guilt" factor anymore. Everyone is hurting or has some need so there are several reason why the "support me" campaign won't work.

Reason 1: People don't care about what benefits you. They only care about what benefits them. This is not pessimism,  I promise. This is marketing 101. 

Reason 2: Because people only care about what benefits them, they resent you asking them to support your benefits when they believe they have their own issues that need supporting. Thus you become a source of irritation.

Reason 3: People hate to be sold. This innate disdain immediately closes a mental door to cooperation with your campaign.

So. What do you do? Always, ALways, ALWAYS offer to your audience what your audience wants. Talk about what they want and offer them a piece of what you have that will meet their needs. If they like that chip, they'll buy the whole bag.

Happy selling!
www.TrueVinePublishing.org

Execution is 99% of Success

Execution is everything. Some people feel that you shouldn't do anything if you can't do it right. I don't subscribe to that notion. I believe 99% of success is found in completing the task. It may not be perfect, but when you perform the task you will learn as you go. When you call your first radio station and ask the receptionist, "who should I speak to about being interviewed on one of your talk radio shows," he/she will tell you, "Oh, let me patch you over to our program manager." At that moment, you have learned the contact person for all radio stations. Now you know who to seek out, email, or call.

Don't procrastinate for fear of not doing things right or perfect. Don't fill your mind with the idea that you have to be able to know the jargon and sound like an expert. Be okay with the vulnerability of asking for direction. In most cases, those who know will be happy to redirect you if you're headed in the wrong direction. That is why they are working.

4 Things Successful Authors Know

1. I must make the time. It will not make room for me.
All humans, successful and unsuccessful have one thing in common. We all get 24 hours in a day. Successful authors are not blessed with extra time to write. In fact, the more successful they become, the less time they have to devote to writing. So how do they pump out more books? They make the time. They set a writing time with which no other person or circumstance can interfere. Unsuccessful writers say, "I don't have the time."

2. Success Depends on ME!
When interviewing an aspiring author, I ask a question to gauge the potential success of the author. I ask "Do you have a marketing plan or do you want the publisher to promote the book for you?" Sadly, most people say, "I would like the publisher to sell the book. I don't have time to market a book." I know immediately that author will not succeed, no matter how much they try to prime my interest by saying "this is going to be a best-seller." I want to tell them, "NO! It's not because YOU don't want to sell it." No one can promote a book like its writer. If you won't push it, who will?

3. Nothing is free
So many authors want everything for free, and I've even had an inordinate number of authors who want to give away their books for free. Successful authors understand there is a financial commitment to success. Authors must invest in their product, in the marketing and promotion of their product, in the furtherance of their learning by attending conferences and seminars. With the basic financial obligations for success, can you really afford to give away book? If you want to give away books, just write a blog. 

4.  I must have a plan
No one sets out on a road trip with no plan on where to go and how to get there. Yet, many authors write a book with no plan to sell it. Successful author research their market, they create inroads with groups and organizations, they study their audience's spending habits, hobbies, likes and dislikes. They study conferences where like-minded writers will be. They go to seminars and events where they can sell (and learn). The unsuccessful print books with no plan.

Do You Have a Media Kit?

Practical useful information is essential to success. So today let's talk about:

Creating Your Media Kit

Your media kit is your resume to radio stations, television stations, newspapers and magazines. It is an all-in-one package of everything the media needs and wants to know about you. Your media kits should be professional from top to bottom. Don't send media kits in plain folders as they can easily be lost in the pile.

The content in your media kit should support your bid for exposure. In fact, your kit should have enough information for the reporter to write a story on you without asking you a question.

To make your Media kit shine, invest in custom designed folders that display your book cover. Your folder should have pockets for your literature and your book, and slits for your business card.  Again, this is an investment, but it will pay off in the long run.  You may also want to use a glossy paper to print your bios, cover letters, etc.

A good media kit must contain the bare minimum of:

ü    Cover letter:

ü    Professional Headshot (B/W  or Color)

ü    Copy of the book (autographed)

ü    Business Card

ü    Ad Copy or Press Release

ü    Interview Questions:

ü    News Angles

One Yes is worth a Bucket of No's

One of the greatest fears of man is the fear of rejection.  I have clients who are professional speakers able and willing to speak to an auditorium of people, but intimidated by the notion of asking one person to buy a book. 

To overcome this fear we must embrace two new philosophies:

1. "GO FOR NO! No is the new yes.
Change your perspective on the word no. For the next 30 days condition yourself to hear no by asking any and everyone for what you want with a goal to get as many NOs as you can. This is not to reject yes. TAKE THE YES! That's icing on the cake. By going for no, you take the power and sting from it; thereby making you stronger and more resistant to it.

2. One Yes is worth a bucket of NOs. Adrian Davis,  my closest friend and confidant set out to create the Christmas with Crown Davis Charity Event. He planned to provide 20 Families with Christmas gifts and dinner who could not other wise afford it. He used the "Go for No philosophy".

Although he sent out 50 sponsorship requests, he got 10 yeses, and essentially 40 NOs. Yet, of the 10 yeses, he raised $2500 to provide Chrismas food and gifts to OVER 20 under-priviledged families. Let's do the math. Every 1 YES he got was worth 50 NOs.

1 Yes is worth a bucket of NOs

Learn more about the Christmas with CDM event at:

https://www.eventbrite.com/e/christmas-with-crown-davis-tickets-8602740027?aff=efblike

How To Make Money as an Author

If there was one thing I want to get into the minds of aspiring authors it is this: Most likely, you are not going to get rich from selling books. Your book is your platform, not your income maker. Book producing was the platform that I developed from my book. What door does your book open for you that pays more money in less time?

Platforms are built on 5 Pillars:

1. Books: People want to read your knowledge. The written word can be retained forever. Unlike verbal, where people only remember 10% of what they hear, your audience can always go back and re-read your words of instruction, inspiration, and knowledge. However, once people read your words, they then want to hear them.

2.  Audio: Tele-seminars and CDs are very lucrative platform builders. People want to hear the inspiration behind your words. By hosting tele-seminars, you can engage a massive audience from the comfort of your home. Successful speakers generate more income from audio products. Whereas no one would spend $100 for a book, they will spend $100 on a 7-disc audio set. I know from whence I speak.

3. Video: After your audience reads and hears you, they'll want to see you. People want to look into the eyes of the person they have come to admire. They want to see your humaness, see your personality. Videos allow you to provide this connection. Youtube videos, Social media clips live Vine, Socialcam, Instagram, all provide a platform for you to connect with your audience and build a relationship.

4. Public Speaking: Your audience not only wants to read, hear, and see you, they want to witness you. Motivational speaker, Les Brown told how he made $400,000 for a 1 hour speech... How many books would you have to sell to reach that pay check and how long would it take you?

5. Personal Coaching: Lastly, once people have read you, heard you, seen you, and witnessed you, they want to be coached by you...Most coaches charge $135- $150 per hour to coach. I once read the book of a Professional Coach who said he was in such demand that he began charging what he thought was an astronomical price of $5,000 an hour to get people to leave him alone. To his surprise, people paid without the blink of an eye.

Your book is NOT the money maker. It's your platform to greater opportunities.

(excerpted from the Author's Success Manual copyright (c) 2013 by Timothy O. Bond)

Happy Selling!
www.TrueVinePublishing.org

Be An Authority

"What gives you the right?" This is the question people are thinking when you decide to become an AUTHORity on a subject. As I have always said, "people buy you, not the book."

I say all of this to emphasize the importance of you becoming a recognized authority of your topic. A few tips to help you start establishing your authority:

1. Blogging:
It surprises me how many people know they need to do this, know how free and easy it is, and still don't do it. Becoming a daily source of FREE information establishes your claim that you know of what you speak. I emphasize free, because if you are charging for everything, then people see that you are just looking for their money, and that you don't have a true passion for the topic.

2. Speaking:
Hosting or presenting at workshop, meet up groups and seminars is invaluable to your career. In particular, teleseminars. Most writers are timid when it comes to public speaking. Teleseminars would be a great way to engage an audience and develop your speaking persona. Also, if you don't have a platform yet, this would save you the money and time. I have written more about creating your teleseminar in "The Author's Success Manual" including the best programs to use.

3. Newsletters:
Create a monthly newsletter on your topic or platform. Along with branding yourself as an authority, this will also help you build a database of contacts which will serve you very well in building your audience.

Happy Selling!
www.TrueVinePublishing.org

How to Get Media Attention

 

There are probably a plethora of ways to get the attention of media concerning your book but I'll give four.

1. Do the work for the editor or producer and create a story:
Print media Editors and radio/tv producers want to do one thing: fill pages and time slots. So they actually don't have the time to be creative. They need to be fed the idea. So you sending a random, non-specific press release is useless. However, if you send a story idea about the increase in drug addiction in your city and how you overcame the problem, you're more likely to get that producer's attention.

2. Be prepared to email, fax, or call at the drop of a dime:
Keep a contact list of reporter and editor contacts in your phone, in your email data base, and by your fax machine. Be prepared to reach out to them regularly. When news happens that is the slightest bit related to your topic, you need to move quick and get a release to your list of editors and producers. If your book is about dogs and a story comes out about a local animal abuse arrest, you need to have your release in the hands of the media showing them that you are an expert on the topics of animals and (go back to tip #1) how you would be able to do an interview on what makes people abuse animals.

3. Be brief:
Remember, editors and producers don't have time to read a 2-page letter. You have 30 seconds (if that) to highlight how you can make their day successful. So GET TO THE POINT! Use caps and bold letters for the power points. I suggest you Google how to write a brief but effective ad copy.

4. Add pictures. Images draw attention.
Add a poignant image. If there is an animal abuse story, adding a heart-wrenching image of an abused animal like we see in those animal abuse commercials won't hurt your chances of getting attention.

Happy selling!
www.TrueVinePublishing.org

You are Designed for Success

"Every human being is literally engineered for success by his Creator" -Maxwell Maltz, Psycho-Cybernetics. 

GET THIS IN YOUR SPIRIT!!!! 

How else can I say this??.... You are designed in such a fashion that you can do anything you set your mind to. Just like a car is designed to transport and is equipped with all of the acessories to do just that.

This is worth meditating on all night.

Once you learn how to use your equipment you will succeed at ALL things.

Libraries

Quick tip for you authors who are looking for more exposure and more potential sales. Get your book in the library distribution. With the damaged economy, more people are getting books from libraries instead of purchasing them. Getting your book in the library distribution may prove to be a great benefit.

However, there are a few things you need to know about getting your book in the library distribution:

1. Most libraries are looking for local books. So you may not have luck getting your book in libraries around the country initially. Start locally with the plan to build your reputation.

2. Because library books get heavy use, libraries are usually looking for a very sturdy, hard back, glued or sewn book. If you have paperback, I've seen covers heavily laminated to insure they hold up.

3. The best way to bring your book to a libraries attention is through reviews. A positive review in review journals, such as Library Journal, School Library Journal (for children's books), Publisher's Weekly, Booklist, or any others, will give your book an excellent chance of being bought by PCPL (and other public libraries as well). A list of contact information for
these publications is listed below.

Booklist

Kirkus Reviews

Library Journal

Publishers Weekly

School Library Journal

4. The next best method is  to send a flyer mailed to the Collection Development Office. The Collection Development librarians generally only have a few seconds to look at a flyer, so your best bet is to emphasize the essentials.

• WHAT the book is about. This should be brief.
• WHY the book is appropriate for our collection. (attach a copy of your review)
• WHO the intended audience is for the book.
• WHO the author is. (include qualifications and be sure to mention that you are a local author or publisher.)
• WHEN and WHERE the book was published. provide complete bibliographic data, including date of publication, price (including discount if multiple copies are purchased), ISBN (very important), edition statement, type of binding. If the book is self published. Give some indication of its physical appearance, including how it is bound.
• HOW the library can purchase your book.

Everyone Has a Book Inside

Statistically 83% of Americans feel as though they have a book within them. I have come to realize that 100% of people on the face of the planet have a book within them. Why? Because a book is nothing more than a person's perspective, imaginary projection, or instruction.

You may feel as though you have nothing to write about, but I submit to you that there are things about which you are extremely passionate; whether it be crime, fishing, cars, or even cheese. I submit that you have a level of expertise that only you can explain in your own unique way.

If you're wondering about what you could write, think about that issue that raises your blood pressure or causes you to get as excited as a child in a candy store. In other words, focus on your passion. You are sitting on a diamond field waiting to be mined.

Happy writing!
www.TrueVinePublishing.org

Confidence

There is one characteristic you are going to have to develop if you're going to succeed in any endeavor, but particularly as an author: confidence.
Being an author puts you in a vulnerable position. You are delivering your hearts convictions, your most grand ideas and creativity to a world of skeptics. You have to be confident in the unique gifts and insights that you have been given, knowing that there is someone out there who needs and appreciates your message.

To develop your confidence I suggest:

1. Study more: Speaking for myself, I lack confidence when I don't feel like I know all I should know. I noticed a large leap in my confidence concerning publishing as I began to study the industry and read more and more books that reinforced the information I was telling my clients. So study all you can about your topic. The more you know, the more confident you will be.

2. Hang around like minded people: Yesterday, I hosted the 3rd meet up group and one attendee seemed very nervous. We later talked and he explained he thought everyone would tell him his idea was foolish. I encouraged him to keep coming back because the group would be a nurturing ground and the more he got good feed back from likeminded people, the more confident he would become. People who see what you see, push you to move with confidence.

3. Talk to yourself: I say this literally. Look in the mirror and tell yourself how great your book is, who your book is going to help, why your book is helpful. Tell yourself that you are the best person to tell your message. Do it frequently, with passion and excitement. Just try it. I guarantee you'll see a big difference in your confidence

Happy selling
www.TrueVinePublishing.org

Follow Your Instincts with Urgency!

Well, I hate to say it, but I messed up! But, my failure can be your success.

 

Not too long ago I had a great idea to start a radio campaign giving helpful tips on the publishing process and then offering my coaching and consulting services. It was a great idea.... but did I follow thru? No.

 

Yesterday while driving, I heard a commercial on the very radio station I was thinking about using. The young lady offered 3 ways to get a book published and then offered her coaching and consulting services. Aggghhh!!

 

Lesson: Your success will come from moving quickly on your ideas and moving with an urgency. We should act as though your idea is worth $1 million that you only have 24 hours to access. Ideas are tangible vibrations in search of executors. If you don't act, it will continue searching for someone who will.

 

Follow our instincts with urgency!

 

Happy selling!

www.TrueVinePublishing.org

Don't Hide Your Writing!

Are you waiting to finish your book before you release your words to the public? If you're like 90% of the people I meet, you're probably saying, "I need to copyright it first. " If so, take my word, no one is going to make a fortune from an excerpted passage. But if you're still bothered, just type Copyright (c) 2013 by (your name) at the bottom of everything you write on the web. It will hold up in a court of law.

Moving on, so now that you have peace let's remember why you write in the first place. It's is to change the world. You may not have that idea but the fact is words change ideas, ideas change actions,  actions change cultures, and cultures change the world.

Don't hide your words for the big pay day. The big pay day will come as a result of your liberality.

Happy selling!
www.TrueVinePublishing.org

4 Tips for a Fulfilling Writing Session

Many people are intimidated by the writing process. The mystique of the author sitting in front of a computer equipped with a dictionary and thesaurus makes the aspiring writer feel as though he or she is not prepared.

However, the writing experience can and should be as fun as talking to a friend. Utilize these four tips to simplify your experience and make it more fulfilling:

1. Permit yourself the time: We all have a plate full of responsibilities, and if you're working on a book as a side project, you may feel guilty while writing instead of working on your other responsibilities. Permit yourself a specific amount of time that is dedicated to writing only. No other thoughts are allowed in this time. If you have a packed schedule, make the sacrifice of waking up earlier than normal. When you allot your writing time, you can write guilt free.

2. Brainstorm: I like brainstorming over outlining because outlining confines me to staying in a specific order, whereas brainstorming allows me to work on all of my chosen topics and worry about order later. I just take a sheet of paper and write out every idea I want to address. I write on each topic every day or week. I break down each topic into three or more points and create a chapter.

3. Let your personality shine: Don't try to be deep when writing your book. Be yourself. Write as if you're talking to your friend about your topic. If you're writing fiction, allow your character's personality to shine bright. If you're writing a scholarly book..... then... be deep. You probably like being deep anyway, which is "your personality".  :-)

4. Purge: While you're writing, don't worry about grammar, structure, punctuation, or story order. Your only goal is to purge your mind and fill that paper up while emptying your mind. When you're done, you can get an editing team to refine the work.

Happy writing!

www.TrueVinePublishing.org

Let Your Passion Lead You

I heard a great quote: "You don't get out of life what you want, you get out of life what you are!" Your success as an author lies in your truest conviction and passion about which you're writing. If you're writing a non-fiction about dogs, you will not be successful if your interest in dogs is passive. You must be totally invested in your topic. If you're a fiction writer, you must be passionate about entertaining others through literature. Become one with your topic so that you move from "wanting" to write a book on your topic to "becoming" an authority on your topic. Happy selling! www.TrueVinePublishing.org

Success Through Social Media

I had a great but sad conversation with a Social Media consultant last night about what social media offers and what it demands. So I figured I'd close this week out with things you should know about social media.

1. Weave Your Brand into a Social Environment
Media Social Media is more about the "Social" than the "Media". Understand this: people don't want to be sold to on social media. Social media is the new play ground, barber shop, bingo night, and Bridge Club. Social media is where people go to unwind, to play games, to catch up with friends, to get the latest scoop. So your hard core press for sales will receive 1 "like" while your random thought about last night's episode of Grey's Anatomy receives 30 "Likes". So you must weave your message in. #BeStrategicallyRandom.

2. Show Your Personality
The Social Media is a tough crowd. They want originality and they want personality. Hoot suiting random news clippings, scriptures, or quotes is quickly recognized and unappreciated. If you want to garner a following, you have to show people who you are. #ShowYourUnderbelly

3. Stop Asking for Money
Social Media is not a place to make sales. It's a place to make friends who then support friends... (Pause and think about that). Social media is all about maintaining a steady presence. You're not going to post your $20 book and get immediate sales to people who you've not built relationship. #StopBegging

4. No One Can Represent You For You
If you are your brand, then you need to do your own Social Media, or at the least, dictate what you want said and done. Hiring someone to talk to your audience for you is about as effective as a teacher hiring a bum on the street to teach her class. If you get an inspirational thought or make a profound statement during a speech, your hireling can't relay that passion. #Represent #ShowUp!

So if you're not getting the response you want from social media, you may want to consider these few thoughts. Are you the insurance salesman at the playground bombarding your people with sales pitches they don't want to hear; or are you engaging conversations and weaving your message into a social environment? Are you showing your personality, or do you look like a computer program on twitter, spitting out scheduled quotes every hour on the hour? Are you coming across like a beggar asking everyone to buy your new product, or are you building an army of supporters? Lastly, are you representing yourself?