Writing a Book is NOT the Goal ??

I have a secret to tell you... Come closer.... shhhhhh.... Your book is NOT the money maker.

Your book is merely the introduction-- or in more ideal circumstances-- an accessory to your real money maker which is your "platform." 

Your platform is your message or service that elevates you above the norm. The person who writes a book about their experience as an abused child misses the point if they stop at the book writing phase. The book is the introduction of the writer -- but introduces the writer as what? It should be to introduce the writer as an authority on the problems of and solutions to child abuse. Once introduced, that writer should seek speaking engagements, regular guest appearances on talk shows and radio shows, regular contributing writing jobs for newspapers.

Some seek those options as marketing tools, but they are not. Once you introduce yourself to the world as an author, then you have opened the door. NOW, you find your place in this new world of AUTHORities.

Your book is a key to a bigger door that leads to your platform. You can sell one book for $10. Or you can use that book to get speaking engagements that pay $15,000 for 1 hour of talking and sharing your expertise.

For more info on building your platform research Michael Hyatt

Happy Selling!
www.TrueVinePublishing.org

Preorder your copy of The Author's Success Manual
@ http://truevinepublishing.org/Book_Store.html

Build Your ABS Muscle

Book selling is about consistency. The average consumer must hear or see a message an average of three times before they act on it. So you must build your ABS: Always Be Selling muscle. Never stop promoting your book and your platform.

Patricia Fry of the Small Publishers, Artists and Writers Network (S.P.A.W.N) wrote in an article "25 Ways to Promote Your Work, Whether You're an Artist, Author, or Small Publisher" that writers should adopt the mindset to:

• Talk about your book everywhere you go
• Hand out brochures with excerpts
• Always have copies on hand
• Schedule dedicated time to promoting your book
• Try at least one new promotional activity each month.

If you are in the process of becoming an author, or if you are currently an author, you have become a business, and success requires full-time commitment. If you have a job, that means you now have two full-time jobs.

Michael Hyatt, NYT Bestselling author of Platform: Get Noticed in a Noisy World, and Jack Canfield co-author of Chicken Soup for the Soul acknowledge that the time requirements of promoting a best-selling book is hard work. Hyatt conducted over 1,000 radio interviews in 1 year, not to mention talks, television, book signings, blogging, vlogging... the list goes on.

Robert Kiyosaki, Bestselling author of Rich Dad, Poor Dad said it was easier to run his China Gold mine and South American Silver mine than to be successful at selling books.

Is this to discourage you. No! Not at all. The thing all of these people have in common is that they ARE SUCCESSFUL at selling books and you can be too. However, it is to remind you that this is a full-time commitment.

Five ways to always build your ABS muscle:

1. Paraphernalia - Get jackets, shirts, hats, pens, note pads with your book cover and contact information
2. Car Magnets- You never know who's watching you. Every person who crosses your path is a potential book sale. Because of my car magnet, I sold a book to a worker in the Sonic drive thru.
3. Social Media Branding- Is your book cover on your Facebook profile picture or banner? Why not? If not, do you have an author fan page?
4. Website- This should be a no-brainer, but in our global society and the digital highway, your website is a global billboard.
5. Author Business Cards or book stubs- A professional business card is a great way to pass the word about your book. "Book Stubs" are small square cards with basic contact information, cover image and a Qr Barcode to scan with a smartphone that will direct people to your website or bookstore.

Happy selling!
www.TrueVinePublishing.org

Author's Success Manual coming October 2013

Freebies!

Freebies!

Looking to sell more books? Have you ever considered giving some away? Although it seems counter productive, giving free copies of your book to the RIGHT people is often the best thing you can do.

Jack Canfield, Co-Author of the  Chicken Soup for the Soul Series and Guinness Book of Records holder for having 7 books simultaneously on the NYT Bestseller List discusses the steps he took to become a New York Times Bestseller in his book the Success Principles (Highly Recommended! !).

One of the game changing strategies was to get a list of celebrities and send out free copies. As a result, you may remember  a reference to Chicken Soup for the Soul in an episode of Friends, one of the most popular shows in modern history. 

Can you imagine having your book referred to in a positive way on Scandle?!! How massive do you think the response would be? Find out who the door openers are who may find value in your book and give them a copy.

Now you all know I like to keep balance. Let it be known that Jack gave out free books on a regular basis for 2 years before the floodgates opened. So that means money, persistence,  and overcoming doubt. But if you keep pushing,  you will reach the goal.

Happy selling!

www.TrueVinePublishing.org 

Plan Your Publishing Road Trip

Have you ever taken a road trip? Outside of some kind of accident or car malfunction, there is no doubt that you will reach the destination if you planned properly for the trip. Let's review the steps.

1. You had a purpose and a benefit for going on your destination.
2. You chose to pursue the destination.
3. You decided where you wanted to go.
4. You mapped out the way to get there.
5. You took action and drove to the location.

As an author, there is no doubt that you can succeed, but the problem is most authors don't plan for the trip. When the goal, purpose, decision, mapping and action has been made, you can't fail. Don't confuse what I'm saying with immediate success.

Like the road trip you must:

1. Be clear on your purpose and what you want to get out of the endeavor. Do you want  riches and fame? (there's nothing wrong with that.  Just be clear about it so that you can get the proper map for the destination.) Do you want to enlighten people about a specific issue and could care less about making money? Don't compare your book to anyone else. Just be clear on your purpose.

2. Make the decision to give it your all--time, effort, and money. No turning back. Becoming an author is becoming a business. The author unwilling to invest in their business is the author destined to fail..

3. Where do you want to go with your book? Who do you want to buy your book? Where do you want to sell your books? How many books do you want to sell every week, every month, every year? Be clear on where you're taking this project whether to the masses or to a niche group. Being a successful author is not measured by becoming a New York Times best selling author. It's determined by reaching the people you set out to reach.

4. Map out how you plan to get to your destination. Does your road lead through at least one major book conference per month, a networking event every week, a public speaking opportunity every day, a workshop, radio interviews or television talk shows? Map out your marketing plan. Give yourself a daily, weekly, and yearly assignment.

5. Take action. All of the rest means nothing unless you take action. Don't worry about being perfect because you'll learn as you go. It has been my experience that the doors of opportunity have motion sensors. THEY WON'T OPEN UNTIL YOU MOVE TOWARD THEM!

Happy Selling!
www.TrueVinePublishing.org

Don't Stop Screaming, but Scream at the Right People.

 

When it  comes to marketing, we live in what Michael Hyatt calls a "noisy world." The average consumer is presented with 3500 advertisements per.... DAY! That's 24,500 per week; 98,000 per month. To handle this deluge of information, the brain dumps all unimportant, inconsequential, and non urgent information in the trash.  So your mass tweet, Facebook post, or even radio interview is about as effective as a business card posted on a light pole on the interstate.

 

But don't stop screaming! Just scream to the right people. Define and target your core audience. To be sure, your core audience is NOT people who could use your book. Your core audience is a person who needs, no desperately needs your book. A person who will hear or read your advertisement and take immediate action.

 

If your book is on finance, your core audience is the person who is on the verge of bankruptcy. So when they hear the value statements of your book, "My book will teach you how to regain control of your finances and enjoy your life" that person will be more likely to take action.

 

Don't stop screaming, just scream at the right people. Take the time to figure out who that core audience is.

 

Happy selling!
www.TrueVinePublishing.org