I have no time for marketing!
How can I market my book? I have no time!
This must be the hands-down, number 1 excuse people give for not marketing their book. (It’s also the reason they don’t exercise or eat right, but that’s another topic.)
I have a lot of sympathy for this excuse, as it’s one I’ve used for years for not exercising or eating right.
Here’s what I discovered along the way:
- We all have the same 24 hours a day. How we use it is entirely up to us.
- You have to delegate! Most of us with “no time” are guilty of the biggest sin of entrepreneurs: we are convinced that if we don’t do something, it won’t be done THE WAY IT SHOULD BE. To which I reply: Get over it! I once worked for a publisher who could not keep from meddling in his salespeople’s accounts. He was convinced he was the only one who could manage that particular properly. He caused endless amounts of frustration, needless drama, and botched sales. DO NOT be this guy. If you have someone else helping you – be it spouse, child, friend, or contractor -Â please instruct them, check their work, and give them the freedom to do it their way. They may do it better than you!
- If you have no one to delegate to, look hard at your schedule to see what you can dump. Yes, dump. How many things on your to-do list are you doing “because you’ve always done them?”
- Television. What are you watching out of sheer habit that you don’t even enjoy any more? The average American watches 4 hours of TV per day. You can do a lot in 4 hours.
- Clutter. I know people who can’t work in their offices because the clutter saps their energy. Clean it up.
- No plan for marketing. Without a plan, you’re just throwing mud against a wall to see what sticks. It’s a huge time suck, too.
Looking for a time management system that works? I think the best books I’ve ever read on time management are David Allen’s Getting Things Done and the sequal Making it All Work. What sold me on his system for organizing is that he takes you from the big view (your overall vision) to the day-to-day – it’s Tuesday at 3:15, what should I do now?” It took me a few days to shovel out my inboxes and get a system in place, but it’s been worth it.
Go to your local library to check out a bunch of time management books to find a system that suits you. You’ve spent too much time writing your book to not market it due to “lack of time.”
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February 22, 2010
Tags: David Allen, Getting Things Done, Making It All Work, no time for marketing, time management Posted in: marketing, small business 
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Marketing online: “I gotta be me!”
A lot of your success in marketing online depends on whether your prospects think 
there’s a real person behind the website, the blog, and the Facebook profile. They also have to like that person, but that’s another topic. Today I want to talk about being genuine in your online interactions.
I’ve seen several of my clients blank out once the new blog is set up and it’s time to add content. Adding to that question of what to write is the “What if I do it wrong?” fear. There is no way to do this wrong if you’re taking the time to think about what you want your blog to be about and give yourself space to find your voice.
Then there’s the “what if I offend someone?” fear. Well, shoot, you can do that anywhere. Why stop at offending online? Seriously, sooner or later we all offend someone. What’s worse is being afraid to say anything for fear of offending.
You’ve already given your business a personality that reflects you. You’ve chosen a name for your business, a logo, colors for your website, letterhead, and a mission statement. Your blog name and content are just an extension of what you’ve already done.
Do you need to have all of this figured out and carved in stone before you first post to your blog? Heck, no. If we had to do that, we’d never get anything written. Your business focus and interests within your field will change over time. So will the tone you take and how you express yourself.
If you’re writing in a way that doesn’t really express your personality, your shiny new blog is going to become a chore very quickly. Write about what you care about and what your readers care about. Give your opinions and show your passions. That’s how you’ll stand out from the Blogging by the Numbers crowd.
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February 17, 2010
Tags: Add personality to your posts, be genuine online Posted in: blogging, social networking No Comments
Social Media Marketing: It’s not about you
You can usually tell a newbie on Facebook or Twitter by how often every day they make a pitch about their book or their business. Something really heavy-handed like: “Looking for that special birthday gift? Buy my book!” That deafening silence you hear is everybody ignoring your pitch.
There’s a few things wrong with selling this way.
1. It’s old-style selling. Nobody on Facebook or any other social site wants to be sold on anything.
2. It’s really annoying when you tweet or post that 6 times a day.
3. It’s really easy for the rest of us to hide you on Facebook or unfollow you on Twitter because that’s all you post.
People buy to solve a problem they have. If you have a solution to their problem and they know and trust you, they will buy your book or service. No pain, no sale.
I was on vacation in Cabo a few years ago and went to a time share pitch to get a discount coupon book for my hotel. On the surface, a guaranteed vacation every year might be a great deal. Except I wanted to buy a house, not a time share. No pain, no sale.
Rather than pitch everyone you can, look for people who really need your book or service. Work on establishing your expertise. Then, surprise! There won’t be any selling involved. People will line up to buy.
It’s a fun way to sell.
February 9, 2010
Tags: Facebook, How not to act on Facebook and Twitter, social media marketing, twitter Posted in: Facebook, marketing, social networking No Comments
My life decaffinated
I decided to start my spring cleaning early by cleaning up…myself. I started a 30-day cleanse on Saturday to detoxify my body and hopefully drop a few pounds. The diet part is relatively easy. Lots of fruits and vegetables and protein shakes and very little else for the first two weeks. But the real killer was giving up coffee.
I love coffee.
Coffee gets me out of bed in the morning, makes me want to live when it’s dark and nasty outside. I love the aroma of coffee, love the ritual of making it. I love to sit and drink it quietly, planning the day.
I especially love the caffeine. It wakes me up, makes me focus.
I haven’t had a cup of coffee since Friday.
Saturday was day one of the cleanse and my caffeine withdrawal. I felt like hell, all headache-y and out-of-body. And really sleepy. I wondered why the hell I was doing this to myself. Drinking the shakes and eating only salad and brown rice was a snap in comparison.
Sunday, day two:Â headache and out-of-body feeling was gone. Drank hot water and lemon first thing instead of coffee with half and half, agave and a dash of cinnamon in the grounds. Not bad. Drank orange and pineapple shake with protein stuff. Ok. Salad next – getting used to it.
Piece of cake.
Monday, day three: did not feel tempted by pizza offered at speakers’ workshop. Still want coffee more than anything. But, getting into herbal tea.
Tuesday, day four: The Mountain Man guy came into the office with his big cart of candy and nut mixes. Had to say no to dark chocolate covered almonds and cranberries. No problem. Would still kill for a non-fat latte.
Wednesday, day five: got the new food routine down, feel great, lost 4 lbs. Check.
Still want coffee? Check.
February 3, 2010
Tags: 30 day cleanse diet, caffeine, coffee Posted in: Just me 2 Comments
When should you stop revising and publish your book?
There’s a point in writing your book when you have to stop writing and rewriting and just publish it.
The trouble is, nobody knows when that is. I like Dan Poynter’s advice to publish when your book is 95% ready. Print a few hundred, get some reviews to add to the next edition, fix a few typos and do it again.
I have a friend who’s been working on his book for about 10 years now. At least twice now, he’s been ready to publish, print and get the book out there. At least twice, he’s changed his mind and his editor and has gone back for revision.
I wonder if that book will ever be finished. I hope it will.
I think publishing a book is like growing a garden. Every year I discover one rogue plant in my yard that oversteps its boundaries, or one non-performing perennial, and always there are weeds I can’t get rid of …And next season I will try to make it closer to perfect again.
The good news is that when you publish your book, like cultivating your garden, you get to try to correct your mistakes in the next edition or format.
January 20, 2010
Tags: book editions, book publishing, book revisions, editing Posted in: self publishing, writing No Comments
How to not suck at public speaking
I read somewhere that most people fear public speaking more than death. I know a lot of authors who take this attitude to the max. Writers can be an introverted bunch. Unfortunately for some of them, one of the best ways to sell a book is to do public speaking. Your book becomes the “back of the room sale” along with your consulting services. It’s way easier to make good money this way than by selling a book one at a time.
Public speaking is also a good way for a consultant to sell their services. When I first started my business, I was asked to speak at a Sales Pro meeting on “How to Research Your Marketing Niche.” My goal was not to suck. I succeeded…barely.
The second time I spoke about self publishing to a writers group of about 8 people. I set my sights a little higher – to not have people sneak out the door when I turned my back. Well, I succeeded. I think everybody was still there at the end. I was starting to get the hang of speaking and even enjoyed it.
So when I had the chance to participate in a Speakers Dojo with Angela Libby Jankousky of Turning Point Presentations, I jumped at the chance to improve my speaker skills beyond “not sucking.”
Some things I learned from Angela and from my fellow participants:
- Watching your presentation on video is extremely useful and extremely painful. We all have weird mannerisms and speech patterns that are painfully revealed by video.
- I’m shyer than I thought. (People who have met me are probably snickering at this.) I never thought it would be so hard to be, well, animated when I speak. But it feels weird. Kind of exposed, really. It’s getting easier with practice.
- I’m not so scared now of bombing. You’ve got to practice to get good at something.
January 14, 2010
Tags: Public Speaking, speaking skills Posted in: Public Speaking, marketing No Comments
Why I lurk on social networking sites
It’s been estimated that over 93% of people lurk on social networking sites; not participating, just listening to the 7% who are actually taking part in the conversation. I confess to occasionally lurking myself.
I’m really a social person. But sometimes when I’m on Facebook or Twitter I just don’t feel like chatting.
So, I lurk. Now lurking can be defined as “to stay hidden, ready to attack” according to Webster’s New World Dictionary. (Am I the only person left who still has a dictionary on her desk?) Anyway, I do the hidden part mostly. I would only attack if somebody tried to steal my coffee.
You learn a lot when you lurk. You can follow up on tempting links and be the proverbial fly on the wall if there’s an interesting exchange. I tend to do a lot of research on internet marketing this way. And, sometimes I just eavesdrop. I suspect a lot of people do.
Chris Brogan wrote about “social listening” a couple of years ago. He took the process a step further by suggesting ways that information can come to you, by using tools like Google Alerts, Technorati, and Twitter’s search feature. I’m always surprised when I talk to authors who don’t continue to monitor what’s new in their field after their book comes out. Aside from tracking when you or your book is mentioned, it’s a good idea to keep tabs on what’s new in your field. Who knows? This sort of monitoring could lead to additional articles you can write or products to create to add to your book sales.
Some simple steps to try:
1. Google Alerts are easy to set up to get info on your topic delivered to your mailbox.
2. Follow gurus in your field on Twitter. Use the search feature to find them, then follow them.
3. As an added step, if you like their tweets, check out their blogs and subscribe.
Happy lurking!
December 8, 2009
Tags: Facebook, lurking, social network sites, twitter Posted in: Facebook, social networking, twitter No Comments
If you’re marketing online, be thankful for…
1. Wordpress. The open source blog software enables you to build a great website without knowing any code. And it enables me and millions of others to blab endlessly about great observations, information and sometimes just….stuff.
2. The thousands of how-to sites that tells you everything you need to know about marketing online, how to fix your plumbing, buy a car, cook your Thanksgiving dinner, and darn near anything else you want to know.
3. Google Analytics/Feedburner/free keyword tool Google may take over the world someday, but at least they’re giving us some useful tools in the meantime.
4. YouTube – another Google-bot, I’m grateful to YouTube for giving me a way to take a silly break in the middle of a stressful day. And for giving creative types with fevered imaginations a place to post their work. Anybody up on what Chad Vader, Darth Vader’s younger brother is up to these days?
5. Amazon.com – and other online shopping sites that I intend to use for my holiday shopping again, enabling me to skip getting up at 3 am on Black Friday to wait in line outside of Best Buy.
6. The online community – Who would have thought 20 years ago that you’d have “friends” all over the world that you’ve never met, but share hobbies, obsessions, and marketing tips with? Heck, I know more about my Facebook friends than I do about my next door neighbors.
Happy Thanksgiving!
November 24, 2009
Tags: Google Analytics, how-to sites, online marketing, social media marketing, YouTube Posted in: internet, marketing, social networking No Comments
6 Ways to Feed Your Monster Blog
Sooner or later bloggers have to Face The Monster. The Monster is a blank blog screen and no ready ideas of what to blog about. Here are my six best ways to defend yourself against The Monster with a steady stream of ideas:
1. Develop a swipe file of ideas from articles, other blogs, and the like. I keep mine on my Outlook Task List, grandly called “Hidden Wit Editorial Calendar.” (It’s not a calendar, but I think it sounds really official.)
2. To capture the stray good idea, carry a small notebook in your purse or stash it in your car. Try not to write and drive at the same time. I also know people who stash one near their bed for their middle-of-the-night ideas. I can never find the notebook in the dark, so I gave up on that one.
3. Review books that you read on your topic. You could start a series if you read a lot.
4. Tell stories about people in your field, observations about current ideas, news items that relate to your topic.
5. Tell personal stories. Some people might like my stories about my over-active dog Maggie, others may think they’re really lame. That’s okay. I’m writing about stuff I observe and how I think it relates to marketing and books and publishing. Sometimes I might hit a nerve with a bunch of people. Other times, I may be writing for myself.
6. Repurpose stuff you’ve already written. I used to publish a newsletter and have reused most of the content in my blog. Do you have old reports, presentations, ezine articles from a few years ago? Update them and use them in your blog. If they’re too long for a single post, create a series.
November 16, 2009
Tags: blogging, finding topics to blog about Posted in: blogging No Comments
What’s Your Chimp Factor?
Chimp Factor: A featured topic or element in an article, blog post, or ad that always makes you (or your audience) stop and look.”
I just made that up. My husband recently sent me a link to the Trunk Monkey commercials that a car dealer made a few years ago. I’m a sucker for commercials featuring chimps.
The joke was that this dealership sold cars with a unique feature: a chimp in your trunk that you could call for help. One commercial showed the “chaperone” Trunk Monkey – the chimp with the shotgun that kept an eye on your daughter’s date. And I especially loved the “theft protection” one where the car thief was whacked by the Trunk Monkey with a tire iron and dumped in the river. (Hey, he had it coming.)
Think about your audience and what their “chimp factor” might be. Is there a hot topic that always gets their attention? A topic you’ve written about or given presentations on that always does well? What do other people in your field seem to write about over and over? Pay attention to these clues in order to determine what your hot topics and areas of specialties should be.
There are two topics that I seem to get the most interest in over and over – selling on Amazon.com and social media marketing. In the last 3 months, I’ve given one presentation on Amazon, one on social marketing, and have 2 more on social marketing coming up. Naturally, that’s also what I’ve been focusing on in my general research and writing.
I’m also watching blogs and ezines to see what could be the next Big Thing. Could be video. Or it could be bananas, if there’s a monkey involved.
November 9, 2009
Tags: finding your niche, researching your topic, trunk monkey Posted in: blogging, marketing, writing No Comments
