ISSN 1545-5599 BOOK PROMOTION NEWSLETTER Issue 141: July 16, 2008 EDITOR: FRANCINE SILVERMAN http://www.bookpromotionnewsletter.com http://www.nystatetravel.com Issued every other Wednesday since 2003 In This Issue: (1) Feature Article (2) Grist for Your Mill (3) Wonderful Websites (4) Subscriber Seminars (5) Progress Report (6) Kudos ======================================= Display your book at one of the most popular Western apparel and gift shows in the US - the Denver-WESA Marketplace. Five Star Publications is offering a co-op program with prices starting as low as $149. Please email info@fivestarpublications for more details. ======================================= (1) FEATURE ARTICLE Your 'Just Do It' Appointment By Andrea Campbell Researching markets, ugh. Checking statistics, ugh. Finding agents, ugh. Noting preferences, ugh. Writing queries, ugh. Not selling, argh. These are the steps that so many writers hope to escape, skip over or avoid. But if you are dodging these tasks, then you're not selling. You may be bitching to anyone who will listen but you're not selling. “It's a bad market,” you say; “I missed the window,” you whine, or, “I can't find an agent who understands my book” and so on, ad nauseum. Apathy reigns I've been teaching e-courses online for a long time and there is one thing that writers fail at consistently, and that is marketing. They will spend years slogging through how-to-write books, taking great pains designing characters or nonfiction topics, laboring over craft, attending conferences, but when it comes to selling, their brains stop. These are often very talented individuals who claim they love writing but they cannot wrap their minds around the fact that they have to do a market study and write to find their message. It's like they get amnesia and can no longer remember what it is they're supposed to do after the book or the article. And you know why? Because it's a pain in the ass. (And they could save themselves a lot of heartache by knowing what to do before writing too, but that's a subject of a different stripe and begins with my other e-class.) Marketing is hard For many decades, people have gotten the impression that writing is creative. It needs a muse, deep thought, unusual ideas. Writers like to hear the words: nurture, talent, inspiration, and passion. What they don't want to hear is that they didn't do the right marketing, that their synopsis says nothing, that their agent query missed the mark. They don't want to separate themselves from this sleek little phraseology that: writers 'don't need no stinking' marketing. They want to believe that sales happen as if some divine influence will fly down from editor heaven and discover their work, simply because they like to talk about it. But are they saying the right words? The right words People are getting published. And some of the books that are on the market are not earthshaking, stunning, or breathless prose. They're just stories, or just how-tos, or just semi-interesting topics. So what's wrong with you and your writing? Like anything else, you're not doing your complete homework. And until you start asking yourself: “What are the right words? What is the best approach? Did I do a market test? Is my audience definable and do I recognize their needs? Do I know who publishes my type of book? Am I understanding what this agent wants? Can I explain my book the way it needs to be told? Have I really analyzed the competition? Have I approached this as a business? Local schmoozing I spoke to a local writers group in my community this past September, (it's ironic too, because I founded the group in 1990). My topic was something they requested I speak on-and that was: how to get an agent. So, in preparation for the luncheon, I asked some basic questions: what are we having for lunch? No, ah, sorry, I asked if they could each e-mail me a query that they were currently working on or sending out. Thrilled at the prospect, I got quite a few samples. The results Two of the samples were not written as business letters. One person could not describe their book at all. Two other folks used generic examples instead of specifics. One was too scant, the other too long. One person did not have credentials. Most all of them had a case of “wills'-“my book will….” Several of them did not reiterate their product name. And the writing was either poor or boring on most of them. Worst part of it, I had to tell these people my results! (I did cushion the blows with tricks of my own; I'm not heartless for heaven's sake.) But the point here is that you might not be different from these other writers, who may be very good in their own right (sorry for the pun). Read carefully If you pay attention to this article and read through it with a highlighter, you will be much further along toward solving the marketing puzzle. And for some, it will always be a puzzle because they don't want to sit down and match up the colors, find the right shapes, or look for the pieces that make up the frame; their puzzle will always be unfinished, languishing. So you know what you must do: look for the clues and just do it. Make an appointment to just do it. -------------- Andrea Campbell is the author of ten traditionally published nonfiction books on a variety of topics. She is a new publisher, an editor, and a teacher. She teaches two e-courses for Absolute Write: Publish That Book, which alternates with The Gatekeepers: All About Agents and Editors-Getting them, working with them, and growing as a career author. http://www.absoluteclasses.com/Campbell/gatekeepers.htm ************************************************************************************ (2) GRIST FOR YOUR MILL Sound Authors, hosted by Dr. Kent Gustavson on World Talk Radio Network, http://www.soundauthors.com, is launching a new show as a "spin off of sorts" called the Sound Authors independent show, where brand new authors who are new to the industry will be featured. It is a paid service that includes several features to help them promote their book and get started in getting radio gigs. Any up and coming authors who are interested may contact Amber Bean at amber@offsitebusinesssolutions.com ------------- Arlene Uslander contributed the following: A few more stories are needed for the sequel to the very popular book, The Simple Touch of Fate. Stories must be true and talk about how being at the right place at the right time, or not being at the wrong place at the wrong time, had a profound effect on your life, or the life of someone you know. The word limit is 2,000 and the deadline is August 1. We cannot use any more stories about death or how you met your mate. Please send stories to Brenda Warneka at brendawarneka@yahoo.com ------------ Wendy Nan Rees, host of Wendy's Animal Talk, has a new guestbook and would like you to sign it. http://www.wendynanrees.com/Guestbook.php ------------ Do you want to be a volunteer expert? I did - an expert at talk radio. Go to http://www.allexperts.com and choose a topic - let's say "TV/radio." Then under "Radio" click "radio." Again click "Radio" at the top and on that page click "Volunteer to be an Expert in This Category." There are lots of topics available such as Jobs/Career, People/Relationships and Animals/Pets. It doesn't matter if there are many experts in the same category. ------------- Yvonne Perry devised a fabulous video to advertise her business - Writers in the Sky Creative Writing Services. It's worth a look: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UKuuaYGhf5g Yvonne is author of More Than Meets the Eye (Write on! Publishing, first printing, Booksurge.com, second printing, 2005), true stories from people across the country who have communicated with loved ones on the Other Side or have died and returned to tell about it, and Email Episodes: A Hilarious Look at Life (2004), and five children's books. Her newest book is RIGHT TO RECOVER Winning the Political and Religious Wars over Stem Cell Research in America (Nightengale Press 2007). http://www.yvonneperry.net --------------- From Margaret L. Carter - Authors who live in central Maryland may be interested in the Annapolis Book Festival, held every spring at the Key School, a private school in Annapolis. Information on applying to participate is here: http://www.keyschool.org/key_community/festival_info_authors.asp Margaret's latest books, all from Amber Quill Press and published in 2003, are Crimson Dreams, Sealed in Blood, From the Dark Places. www.margaretlcarter.com ************************************************************************************* (3) WONDERFUL WEBSITES I recently joined two social networking sites, one on book promotion and the other for radio hosts: http://pumpupyourbookpromotion.ning.com "We offer virtual book tours and other promotional opportunities which includes a question and answer spot it our new section, Author Day. If you would like to have your book featured at Author Day which includes a full page including book cover, website link, buying link, author bio and book synopsis, plus a full day of interacting with our visitors in a question and answer format, click here to find out our rates." If you would like to announce your book or send promo about your book, it's absolutely free. All you have to do is register, sign in and post. Blatant self-promotion is encouraged. ---- There were less than six radio hosts when I started sending invitations to radio hosts July 4th weekend and 85 have already joined. http://radiohosts.ning.com It's clear these groups give added exposure but it's hard to know if they help further our careers. If anyone has experience with social networking, I'd love to hear about it. ****************************************************************************************** (4) SUBSCRIBER SEMINARS Judith Sherven, PhD and Jim Sniechowski, PhD now produce “Bridging Heart and Marketing” - the only Internet marketing conference dedicated to the specific needs of the care-giving, soft sell community. "Bridging Heart and Marketing II" takes place September 12-14 at The Ayres Hotel in Manhattan Beach, CA - just minutes from the Los Angeles airport. Supported by the theme that "Selling Is Spiritual Service," you'll build your conscious, inspired, and profitable marketing platform with 3 days of training from world class Internet marketers. And you'll enjoy priceless business networking with like-minded colleagues - plus several special events. Attract perfect customers - who are looking for you - when you develop your ability to bridge heart with marketing! For More Information and to Register, go to: http://www.bridgingheartandmarketing.com ***************************************************************************************************** (5) PROGRESS REPORT These are the spots I found for my clients: Tina Howe will be the guest of Lesa Trapp, host of The Odd Mind on Blog Talk Radio, on July 25, 2008. http://www.blogtalkradio.com/AngelLesa Tina is author of Alysa of the Fields - Book One in the Tellings of Xunar-kun (Booklocker.com 2006) and "The TrailFolk of Xunar-kun - Book Two in the Tellings of Xunar-kun" out in the fall of 2008 http://www.tinafieldhowe.com/Alysa ----------------------------- Judith Columbo and G. Lloyd Helm will be the guests of Yolanda Renee, host of Renee's Book Talk on Blog Talk Radio, Judith on August 14, 2008 at 9 pm (ET) and Lloyd on August 21, 2008. http://www.blogtalkradio.com/yolandarenee http://www.yolandarenee.com Judith is author of the The Fablesinger (The Crossing Press 1989), a fantasy set among the myth and magic of the Caribbean, and republished as an Authors Guild Backinprint.Com Edition in June 2001 and Night Crimes, a mystery/suspense tale (AmErica House Book Publishers 2001). http://odin.prohosting.com/night01 See G. Lloyd Helm's information under Kudos. http://www.blogtalkradio.com/yolandarenee ----------------------------------------- Stacey Kannenberg will be the guest of Patricia Garza, host of MamasTimeOut© on Blog Talk Radio http://mamastimeout.com for its Back To School segment on August 17th at 2:30pm MST/5:30 pm EST. Stacey is author of Let’s Get Ready For Kindergarten! & Let’s Get Ready For First Grade! and the founder/CEO of two publishing companies: Cedar Valley Publishing and Stacey Kannenberg Unlimited http://www.cedarvalleypublishing.com ********************************************************************************************* (6) KUDOS Beshert - It Was Meant to Be: Part One Chapter II: At the Mercy of Our Luck (Warsaw, Poland, April 1917 - November, 1939) was edited by Cora T. Schwartz, author of Gypsy Tears: a story about loving a Holocaust survivor, and The Forgotten Few: a photo journal of the remaining Holocaust survivors in Mogelov, Ukraine. http://www.coraschwartz.com On April 14, 2008, the original manuscript of "Beshert - It Was Meant To Be" was added to the permanent archival collection of the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum in Washington D C. http://www.theverylongview.com/WATH/mothers/beshert2.html ---------------- G. Lloyd Helm was the guest of Paul McNeese, host of The Author Show on http://www.wnbnetworkwest.com/WnbAuthorsShow.html Gary's two novels are Other Doors (MousePrints Publishers 1997), an anti-war fantasy, and Design (PublishAmerica 2006), a blend of science fiction and philosophy, tracing the rise of religion in parallel with the rise and fall of an empire. *********************************************************************************************** Francine Silverman, P.O. Box 1333, Riverdale, New York 10471, is author of: BOOK MARKETING FROM A-Z (Infinity Publishing 2005) written by 325 paid subscribers to Book Promotion Newsletter. http://www.amazon.com/s/ref=nb_ss_gw/102-0106967-2029708?initialSearch=1&url=search-alias%3Dstripbooks&field-keywords=Book+Marketing+from+A-Z&x=22&y=24 TALK RADIO FOR AUTHORS - Getting Interviews Across the U.S. and Canada (Infinity Publishing 2007) an intimate look into 230 talk radio shows that welcome guests. Both books are available at Amazon.com and at http://www.buybooksontheweb.com (Category: Marketing). http://www.amazon.com/s/ref=nb_ss_gw/102-0106967-2029708?initialSearch=1&url=search-alias%3Dstripbooks&field-keywords=Talk+Radio+for+Authors&x=0&y=0http://www.amazon.com Subscribers are entitled to a 20% discount on either book. Contact Fran at franalive@optonline.net for code. The publisher's toll free number does not work outside the continental US and orders cannot be processed from its website for shipping outside the US. Subscribers in foreign countries who wish to purchase the books with the discount may email Michelle at michelle@infinitypublishing.com or fax an order (610/941-9959). She will provide confirmation that your order has been received and will be processed promptly. When using these options subscribers should put everything to Michelle's attention and reference the Promotional Code (contact Fran for code). If emailing Michelle, DO NOT put your credit card number in any email correspondence as this is not secure.