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 by: Jay Johnson Be sure to check out: The Aton Project Newsletters at: http://www.self-publishinghelp.com/TheAtonProjectNewsletters.html. This newsletter, by author Tony VanSluytman, has been receiving rave revues despite it not being directed to writers. and FREE Writing Course http://creativewritingworkshop.info. We are quite proud of the contributions of these two dedicated authors and wish for you to learn more about them. *** Moonspinners Writer's Page (http://www.maureenmcmahon.com), the website of Maureen McMahon, has been voted one of the 101 Best Websites by Writer's Digest 2006 - specifically her Ask The Experts section, created in collaboration with fellow author Fran Silverman (http://www.maureenmcmahon.com/bookmarketing.html). The Experts Site is composed of 150 subscribers to Fran’s newsletter, Book Promotion Newsletter (http://www.bookpromotionnewsletter.com), who answer book marketing questions at no charge. Download: 10 Ways to Promote Your Book... Welcome our two (2) sponsors... ADRdomainsPlus.com for Your Domain Names and Internet Products  BOTH have GREAT rates and EXCELLENT service  A new radio show devoted to book marketing made its debut on Tuesday, March 21, 2006 on Achieve Radio, noon to 1 p.m., MST. Host Francine Silverman will talk with authors, publishers and publicists, providing listeners with a unique perspective on book promotion. To access Book Marketing with Fran, go to http://www.achieveradio.com and click “Click to Listen” at top of page. Should you miss the show, click “Shows & Hosts” on the left and scroll down to Fran’s show and click, “More-Click Here” for the archives. Patricia Fry, president of SPAWN (Small Publishers, Artists, and Writers Network) and author of 24 books, will be Fran’s first guest. Patricia’s latest book is The Right Way to Write, Publish and Sell Your Book (Matilija Press 2006), a comprehensive guide for hopeful and struggling authors. Fran is author of Book Marketing from A-Z and editor publisher of Book Promotion Newsletter, http://www.bookpromotionnewsletter.com You are the Box Office Smash: The Personal Screenplay by Gordy Hoffman Right this very second, in the heart of every struggling, undiscovered screenwriter, in the dark, hidden corner deep within, there is a voice, a clear whisper, saying one thing: You're never gonna figure this out. And this is not referring to the story with its gaping hole, the finale missing a payoff, the hit and miss humor, the flat title. I'm talking about freedom. The freedom to work as a screenwriter. Compensation for a home for family and a life. The resources to wake up and ply your craft and pay the freight, without obstacle. The chance to see your writing made into pictures, to work with the industry's best, to fulfill this goal of professional screenwriter. Hollywood success. Behind this voice is the idea that somehow, some way, you'll find the hero, or the hook, logline or pitch that will punch your golden ticket. If you could only figure out what the studio wants, if you can only get a solid bead to this game, you know you can write and execute. What is the script I should write to get an agent? What is the one that will sell? It's not that I don't know how to write, I know how to write screenplays, I just need to know what they want, even though I think I know what they want, but I don't think I have the idea that they want. Yeah. I'm not gonna figure this out, whispers the voice. Why this uneasiness? Does it originate within ourselves? I don't think so. But where does it come from? The daily obsession with box office grosses? The news of the seven figure deals to newbies? The endless procession of boneheadedly conceived franchises-in-waiting arriving in the theatres every Friday? People winning Academy Awards for movies you would not be caught dead writing? Recognizing an idea you came up with years ago on your couch, produced with a $130 million budget drowning in CGI? All these things are but a few of the possible reasons why this seeds unhealthy doubt and confusion in the modern screenwriter. Tracking these forces outside us and beyond our control in an effort to trudge the path to a successful screenwriting career will prove to most to be unproductive and corrosive. Basically, trying to figure out what Hollywood wants will land us in a resentment that makes "giving up" a sane response to the very challenge which used to inspire us. In short, we cannot chase a perceived trend and remember our dreams. You cannot look at the marketplace and find your voice. You can find ideas, trends, and inspiration there, perhaps, but you can find these things driving in traffic as well. But listening to your voice is the key to creating original, compelling stories. Your life is your own story. You have a completely unique thread of experience. By allowing yourself to express these emotional experiences, your screenplay, your story, will be different from any other and powerful, as original as your fingerprint. Why is it powerful? When we have the courage to be specific about what we know about living, we create an authentic world an audience recognizes as the life they are living on planet Earth. This connects your audience to your story. This connection is the foundation of the phenomena of story. Why does story mean so much to us? We recognize the triumphs and tragedies of our lives, with all the hilarity and tears. By seeing it, we are validated and it underscores meaning and purpose to living. If we don't use what we've collected in life in our hearts and spirits, then our story loses its authenticity and the connection the audience should make fails. They do not see themselves, and when they leave the theater, they do not call their friends. When people do not call their friends after seeing a movie, the movie bombs. When a writer opens their person to their work, when they allow themselves to be vulnerable, to risk exposure of the secrets of their life story, they take a huge step towards creating a screenplay of substantial value, a screenplay with a greater potential of a large number of tickets sold. This is precisely why art and commerce have remained bedfellows for thousands of years. To look at the relationship between art and commerce as adversarial or incompatible is just plain foolish. Art happens when people invest their spirits in their work without fear, and story is artful when the writing is truthful and the writer is authentic. And what do we have to be honest about? We can only lie about what we know, and we can only tell the truth about what we know. And that is what has happened to us, our life story. This is what we share. This is not a pitch to write "what you know." This is not about writing stories about where you work or where you live. This is about writing about what you felt. You can imagine characters and worlds and actions and speech you've never personally experienced, but if you remember to infuse your choices with your emotional and spiritual struggles and victories as a human being, your screenplay will be different in the very best sense of the word. The question you have to answer is not what does Hollywood want today. The question is how honest of a writer do you want to be. I guarantee you can write a blockbuster, you can write a box office hit. This will happen when you find an audience. And the correct path to this crowd of people is listening to yourself. If you practice, you will develop an inner ear for who you are and what you know and you will become masterful in loading your work with your fingerprints. Writing is personal work. You are the guitar. You are the box of paint. Give of that and your audience will remember why life is good and they will talk of you. About the Author Winner of the Waldo Salt Screenwriting Award at the Sundance Film Festival for LOVE LIZA, Gordy Hoffman has written and directed three digital shorts for Fox Searchlight. He made his feature directorial debut with his script, A COAT OF SNOW, which world premiered at the 2005 Locarno Intl Film Festival. A COAT OF SNOW made its North American Premiere at the Arclight in Hollywood, going on to screen at the Milan Film Festival and the historic George Eastman House. Recently, the movie won the 2006 Domani Vision Award at VisionFest, held at the Tribeca Cinemas in NY. A professor at the USC School of Cinematic Arts, Gordy is the founder and judge of BlueCat Screenplay Competition. Dedicated to develop and celebrate the undiscovered screenwriter, BlueCat provides written script analysis on every script entered. In addition, Gordy acts as a script consultant for screenwriters, offering personalized feedback on their scripts through his consultation service, www.screenplaynotes.com. For more articles by Gordy on screenwriting, visit http://www.bluecatscreenplay.com. Issue 107: March 28, 2007 ISSN 1545-5599 BOOK PROMOTION NEWSLETTER Issue 107: March 28, 2007 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)Progress Report (4)Promotional Coups (5)Feedback (6)Kudos INTRODUCTION My interview with Paul Sladkus of Good News Broadcast, where I am having my book launch party, is finally up. https://videos.whiteblox.com/gnb/secure/player.aspx?sid=28755 I originally had trouble listening to it because I use Firefox. As soon as I cut and paste the link to Internet Explorer, it worked perfectly. I had neglected to read what Beth, Paul's assistant, had written: "The Whiteblox player that the video is on won't work on a firefox browser or mac computer." File this under "Hey, You Never Know." I had gone downtown to distribute invitations to bookstore buyers in the vicinity of the Good News Broadcast. I stopped in the Barnes & Noble on the corner of 18th and Fifth Avenue, figuring I'd be in and out. What I learned is invaluable. I spoke with Kevin Bryant, the trade book buyer, who informed me that this branch is not part of the corporate structure; rather it is part of the Barnes & Noble college division (it is, after all, near NYU). This means the bookstore is independent and can buy self-published and POD books. He showed me the four racks of books under "Media and Journalism," explaining that most of these books - both textbooks and consumer - are not at other branches. This is where my book will be shelved. According to Kevin, this section is frequented by students, professionals and journalism professors. He suggested that since I live in NYC that I have a book signing there and gave me the phone number of the community relations manager. [I called but have not heard back from him yet]. Before a signing, the books are placed on the end cap and in the window - what better publicity can one ask for? I'll let you know when the signing is so those of you who could not make the book launch may be able to make the bookstore event. 1) FEATURE ARTICLE How Self-Syndication Leads to Free Publicity By Dorothy Thompson In this world of everyone holding their hands out and wanting your hard-earned dollar, authors are heading toward more of a do-it-yourself attitude when it comes to book promotion. Since book royalties are usually nothing to get real excited about, funds for book promotion may be something that is non-existent for the first-time book author, or any author for that matter. However, any book coach or publicist will tell you that you have to create a buzz for your book no matter what it takes. So, what’s an author to do? There are many strategies you can take, but the one that has given me more publicity is the syndication of my articles. No, I am not syndicated in the NY Times or Woman’s Journal, but I am syndicated on thousands of online websites and a few print publications as well, including the celebrity tabloid, “OK!,” which is found in most grocery stores and Wal-Marts (I know because I scarfed up their whole inventory when I found out). How does one make this happen and how does this equal book sales? Easy. There are hundreds of content ezines on the Internet and most of these online publications have feeds which send your articles to more publications, who in turn put your article up on their websites. What happens is that one article will appear on hundreds upon hundreds of websites, thus upping your search engine’s ranking because you were smart and included your website link in your bio. Not only are you gaining expertise through syndicating your articles, you are helping bring potential buyers to your website to see what else you have to offer. But, more than that, these same articles - even though you aren’t getting paid for them - are giving you free publicity that would have otherwise cost you hundreds of dollars. Let me give you an example. Today, in the mail, I received a complimentary magazine with an article I had syndicated two years ago. Even though that article is not recent, it continues to bring in added publicity. But, what I found interesting was that if you wanted to advertise your book in this same publication, which included a 60-word description of your book, a color cover photo of your book and a direct link to your website, it would cost you $100 if you were not a member of their organization and $125 if you were. Even though I didn’t get a color cover photo included of my book, I did get a full-page ad for my article, which included a generous bio, including information about my book and two links to my websites. The cost? Zip. So, how did I manage to get this non-recent article I have syndicated for years over the Internet into a print publication? I did nothing to make it happen, except list the article up on my website stating anyone was welcome to publish it as long as the bio was intact. Someone saw it and noticed that it would be perfect for their publication, and whammo bammo, I have a gig in a print magazine. Simple as that. As for the OK! Magazine gig, the editor found one of my articles over the Internet which had my website address in the bio, and contacted me through the email address link on my website. He phoned me, asking questions about the Jennifer Aniston-Vince Vaughn relationship, and my quote ended up in the magazine two weeks later. All you have to do is write an article, making sure it has a bio with your website link or contact information, and send it off to content ezines such as: Alumbo! http://www.alumbo.com Article Alley http://www.articlealley.com Article City http://www.articlecity.com Article Marketer http://www.articlemarketer.com Article Corners http://www.articlecorners.com Associated Content (this one pays!) http://www.associatedcontent.com Ezine Articles http://www.ezinearticles.com Go Articles http://www.goarticles.com A word of suggestion would be to not forget to add your articles to your website, as that’s where a lot of my contacts have come from, too. Syndicating your articles is one of the most profitable publicity-wise venues I can think of and I am surprised when I find authors do not think to do this. If they only realized the potential this has, they’d jump on the self-syndicating bandwagon in no time! Dorothy Thompson, Pump Up Your Book Promotion PR Marketing Expert and author of A Complete Guide to Promoting & Selling Your Self-Published eBook, teaches authors how to pump up their own book promotion at http://www.pumpupyouronlinebookpromotion.blogspot.com, as well as editing the award-winning writer’s website, The Writer’s Life (http://www.thewriterslife.net). http://www.dorothythompson.net 2) GRIST FOR YOUR MILL If you're a non-fiction author and believe your book is compelling, read on. Ian Punnett, co-host with wife Margery of "A Balanced Breakfast," in St. Paul, Minnesota, only accepts books (no bios). I originally wrote him because I saw that a subscriber, Kamy Wikoff, who writes about relationships, was on the show. Ian is very responsive and has explained why they need the book, and not the bio: "I'm sure almost every author would make a great interview but we have to connect to their book, not the writer. So, if you ever have a great book that you think would make a great segment, just send it to us and we'll see if we can fit it in." Since I haven't read all your books, I am leaving it to you to follow-up if you are interested. There are no guarantees. http://www.fm107.fm. The address is at the bottom of the website. ------ If you are a children's book author, this may interest you: Marianne Berkes was quoted in the March 2007 issue of the Children's Writers Guide to 2007 published by Writers Institute Publications, West Redding, Ct. She writes: "This interesting 12-page article, 'Writing Big for Small Presses,' written by Katherine Swarts, reports that the U.S. is home to more than 50,000 small presses. (There is a list of small presses that authors may want to submit to.) The cover of my book, Over in the Ocean, in a Coral Reef (Dawn Publications 2004), along with five other picture-book titles by authors who write for small presses (as well as large traditional presses) is shown and my quote reads this way: "It's more intimate and you really get to know the people you are working with" says Marianne Berkes, author of five children's picture books, including 'Over in the Ocean, In a Coral Reef.' Two of my picture books are with Lerner Publications. They have over 2,500 children's titles in print on a great variety of subjects for schools, libraries, and bookstores. While I'm fortunate to be in their catalogue, I'm just a small fish in a great big pond. On the other hand, my three nature-awareness books with Dawn Publications are a perfect fit. I love working closely with this fine small press where everyone is interested in promoting my books year after year." Marianne adds: "Never thought I'd be quoted in this type of publication, but I am really honored, and of course it's another way I'm able to 'promote' my books." Marianne's fifth book (again with Dawn Publications) has just been released: OVER IN THE JUNGLE, a Rainforest Rhyme, and her sixth will be out in 2008: GOING 'ROUND THE SUN, Some Planetary Fun http://www.MarianneBerkes.com Publicist Annie Jennings has a fabulous offer: She will get you or someone you know who'd make a great guest an interview on Sirius Satellite (with more than 12 million listeners) at no charge. She will connect you with the show that's right for you "on a network that is devoted to health, eco and wellness and includes lots of topics that are listed below." Annie would love to present you to the show to not only help you achieve mega exposure but to help you build an outstanding platform. "This is my gift to my community," says Annie, of the National PR Firm Annie Jennings PR. "I have the rare opportunity to provide a variety of shows on Sirius Satellite with the guest experts they need to create great shows for their listeners." Here is how it works: Fill out the guest expert form and get your free CD "MEDIA WEBSITE CONSULTS LIVE and ON AIR" too at http://www.anniejenningspr.com/satelliteradio.htm Let me know all about yourself and your book. I will submit your info to the appropriate shows and we will visit your website for more info. If they decide that you work for the show and choose you for an interview, the show will call you directly or I will let you know! FREE CD: You get a FREE CD for letting us know about you using the form from Annie's SMASH HIT TELESEMINAR SERIES "MEDIA WEBSITE CONSULTS LIVE and ON THE AIR" - that's packed with the info you need to create a site the media will love! The Sirius Satellite Radio Channel requests that all interview requests go through Annie Jennings PR and asks that you do not call the channel directly. Annie Jennings PR will submit your info to the show and if they choose you to be on the show, you appear with Annie's best wishes and her compliments. All Authors Experts Welcome: The shows would like experts in all areas including love, sex, career, relationships, health, travel, nutrition, entertainment, fitness, anti-aging, lifestyles, sports, wellness, how to choose a job and life path, green living, gardening, psychic readings and lots more! Australian Jill Weeks was on my radio show and subsequently became a subscriber. http://www.where2now.net. On the show I asked why her books, especially Where to Retire in Australia (2000 and 2005), was not on Amazon. She later contacted Amazon and this is the notice she received: "At this time, only sellers with a U.S. checking account, a U.S. billing address, and a U.S. phone number are eligible to apply for Amazon Payments. Unfortunately, the lack of an international standard for identity verification has made it impossible thus far for us to offer this service to our international sellers. Therefore only the US rates are listed on the form." 3) PROGRESS REPORT Stephanie Chandler will be the guest of Wayne Turmel on The Cranky Middle Manager's Show on June 21, 2007. http://www.achismarketing.com Stephanie is author of From Entrepreneur to Infopreneur, which Wayne promised to review. Anne M. Fletcher will be the guest of Parthenia S. Izzard on Wellness, Wholeness & Wisdom Radio on April 21, 2007, on WWDB 860 AM, 9 a.m., Eastern Time. http://www.AMTherapies.com Anne's latest books are WEIGHT LOSS CONFIDENTIAL (Houghton Mifflin 2007) and SOBER FOR GOOD (Houghlin Mifflin 2002). http://www.annemfletcher.com Heather Resnick was a guest on Career Talk with Maggie Mistal on Martha Stewart Living Radio, Sirius 112. http://www.maggiemistal.com. "It was fun until the phone cut out twice, so my 15 minutes of fame was more like 10! I think we all got a good chuckle out of it – I know that I did," recalls Heather. "At least she was able to say my name and book title! I also managed to give her two New York resources for her listeners. I think she will put my contact information on her web site." Heather is author of WOMEN REWORKED - Empowering Women in Employment Transition (Creative Bound Intl. 2006) http://www.womenreworked.com http://www.mshumptydumpty.com 4) PROMOTIONAL COUPS Here's an idea from Patricia Fry - Teach online classes related to the subject of your book. It's easy--all you have to do is develop a course, promote it to your audience and then teach it via email. For my 6-week online article-writing course, I email a lecture and an assignment to students each week. Students are welcome to email their "homework" for my comments and to ask questions throughout the duration of the course. Students like it because it's as if they have a private tutor. How much should you charge? What should you say in your promo? Here's an example from the article-writing course I'll be teaching in April of 2007: Learn How to Write and Sell Magazine Articles from 33-year veteran article writer, Patricia Fry. Sign up NOW for her 6-week online Article Writing course starting April 10. Whether you become a freelance article writer or promote your books through articles, the techniques and skills you learn here will help you to meet your goals. $125. http://www.matilijapress.com/course_magarticles.htm. Questions? plfry620@yahoo.com Of course, at my Web site I have a detailed description of what I will present week-by-week and I offer a way for potential students to sign-up for the course. Vicky DeCoster illustrates how being featured in article led to a radio interview on Omaha Public Radio station KIOS 91.5 FM on March 14, 2007. "The hosts of the show 'Community Health Line' contacted me after reading a feature article about me in a local women's magazine (you can read the article via a link on my web site). The 30-minute radio show usually focuses on health issues, but they were intrigued with my story and decided to do a show on humor, the health benefits of humor, and my book. "We had a great time! It was fun to be interviewed by two men about humor for women. This was wonderful exposure for my web site (which was mentioned twice during the live broadcast). I printed a report that afternoon that showed my web site traffic peaked to some of its highest numbers ever during the show. Just a story to show your readers that feature articles really do pay off in so many ways!" Vicky is the author of two books of humorous essays published by iUniverse: HUSBANDS, HOT FLASHES, ALL THAT HULLABALOO! (2006) and THE WACKY WORLD OF WOMANHOOD: ESSAYS ON GIRLHOOD, DATING, MOTHERHOOD, AND THE LOSS OF MATCHING UNDERWEAR (2003). http://www.wackywomanhood.com 5) FEEDBACK Cindy LaFerle responds to the feature article by Fern Reiss about pitching to publications (March 14, 2007 issue): Great article on how and when to pitch your book. When I was an editor for a country inn travel magazine (Innsider), I would be swamped with releases or media kits from people whose product or service had little or nothing to do with the focus of my magazine. I received a sample package of herbal pet products, for example, along with a note asking if we'd write an article about the company's new flea repellent. It was clear the sender hadn't really seen or read my magazine. It's amazing how many people will blindly send ANYTHING to an editor, which is a waste of everyone's time. On the other hand, if the writer demonstrated a real familiarity with our magazine, I paid close attention to their pitch. Along the same lines, especially if you are pitching to monthly magazines, it's important to remember that editors work months in advance on seasonal issues. At Innsider, we used to call it "Christmas in July," and often shot our holiday decor photos a year in advance, since most inns didn't keep their decorations up past January. Later, when I freelanced for several newspapers, I also learned that even the daily papers plan ahead for holiday topics. It's not unusual for a newspaper editor to assign holiday or special event pieces several weeks in advance. Some readers are still under the impression that newspapers work up to the deadline on new material -- but that isn't the case with the lifestyles section, which is often planned weeks ahead. As you noted in your article, good timing is everything! http://www.laferle.com Cindy is author of WRITING HOME (Hearth Stone Books 2005) a collection of her award-winning weekly newspaper columns on motherhood and the domestic arts. Arlene Uslander received the following note from Marta Felber about her feature article on agents (February 28, 2007 issue): "I found your feature article on Literary Agents in Silverman's newsletter tremendously comprehensive and useful. Not very encouraging, but quite realistic. I've printed it for frequent reference. Thank you." Arlene is author of 14 non-fiction books; her most recent is THE SIMPLE TOUCH OF FATE: How the Hand of Fate Touched Our Lives Forever, an anthology of true inspirational stories. http://www.thefatesite.com. Marta is author of GRIEF EXPRESSED, WHEN A MATE DIES (Fairview Press 1997 and 2002) and FINDING YOUR WAY AFTER YOUR SPOUSE DIES (Ave Maria Press 2000). http://www.lifewords.com 6) KUDOS Phil and Carol White, authors of LIVE YOUR ROAD TRIP DREAM, have been chosen as National Spokespeople for 2007 for the Recreational Vehicle Industry Assn (RVIA). In their new capacity they will speak to the media on RVing related topics as well as representing RVIA at the National AARP Convention in Boston in September. The Whites were chosen to represent the baby boomer demographic who now own more RVs than any other group. The average income of today's boomer "Nature Lover" is $93,000 and a 2004 survey by Woodall's estimates that RVers spent more than $3.8 billion in local communities where they visited. "This is a really exciting opportunity - paid even!" says Carol. "I have been working on it for two years - the big plums sometimes take a long time, a lot of patience and some luck." http://www.roadtripdream.com Francine Silverman is author of CATSKILLS ALIVE (second edition) and LONG ISLAND ALIVE, both published in 2003 by Hunter Publishing and geared to every interest. To learn more about her guidebooks and for links to hundreds of attractions on Long Island and in the Catskills, visit Fran's one-stop website at http://www.nystatetravel.com BOOK MARKETING FROM A-Z (Infinity Publishing 2005) is written by 325 paid subscribers to Book Promotion Newsletter. TALK RADIO FOR AUTHORS - Getting Interviews Across the U.S. and Canada (Infinity Publishing 2007) is an intimate look into 230 talk radio shows that welcome guests. Both books are available at http://www.buybooksontheweb.com (Category: Marketing) and at http://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. Mail: Infinity Publishing, 1094 New Dehaven St, Suite 100, West Conshohocken, PA 19428 Issue 108: April 11, 2007 ISSN 1545-5599 BOOK PROMOTION NEWSLETTER Issue 108: April 11, 2007 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)A Good Question (4)Promotional Coups (5)Progress Report (6)Feedback (7)Contest (8)Kudos INTRODUCTION I reported in the last issue that the Barnes & Noble coordinator did not get back to me (after three phone calls). Well, he finally emailed me for my bio and synopsis of my book and the ball is now rolling. I have given up my radio show as of the end of this month. Never had the feeling I had much of an audience and it was too much work and too expensive to justify continuing. Hope something better turns up. Unlike with Book Marketing from A-Z, I only sent Talk Radio for Authors to one reviewer: Corey Deitz, the host of About Radio at About.com. Here's the review. I don't need any more. This one gives all the details: http://radio.about.com/od/radiohowtos/a/aa033107a.htm I did, however, send the book to radio newspaper columnists and Talk Radio for Authors received a wonderful review in the Deseret News (Salt Lake City, Utah): http://deseretnews.com/dn/view/0,1249,660209238,00.html Please consider adding www.AuthorsandExperts.com and www.SchoolBookings.com to your list of resources. These are great places for authors, experts, and speakers to connect with members of the media, those searching for speakers, and schools. Free to schools and media members, and an economical resource for authors and experts. Ask us about partnership publishing! www.PartnershipPublishing.com 1) FEATURE ARTICLE Is Your Book Viable? by Peter Bowerman (Excerpted from The Well-Fed Self-Publisher: How to Turn One Book into a Full-Time Living, by Peter Bowerman. Fanove, 2006. http://www.wellfedsp.com) “Crazy” Lives… We've all known people who talk about their “crazy” lives, which, 99 out of 100, is just a life like most other lives, or, at the very least, certainly not some Oprah-worthy existence. They exclaim, “I should write a book; no one would believe it.” Yeah, and no offense, but I'd wager no one would buy it, either. What we think is absolutely fascinating about our life is rarely so for others. So, Rule #1 of the SP game, and part and parcel of the whole Sales and Marketing discussion here is this: Write a Book People Will Want to Read. Painfully obvious, right? Total no-brainer? Well, as we've all discovered, few things are no-brainers, especially this one. A corollary to this rule is: Don't let ego or vanity (“Hooowee, I'm going to be an author!”) cloud your judgment and keep you from asking yourself the tough questions to determine if your proposed subject matter is indeed salable. Remember: a garage full of books is an amazingly ego-boosting sight for about two hours. Tops. Don't Go “Book Blind”! Put another way, don't succumb to what I'll call “book blindness,” a common affliction of first-time self-publishers and even some more experienced folks: when you become so enamored with the idea that you've written a book and you're so intimately attuned to how much blood, sweat and tears went into its creation (and by extension, how “incredible” you know it is) that you lose sight of the fact that your market doesn't know any of this and needs to be sold on all of it. That means content, cover, title, subtitle, editing, and everything else that contributes to a successful title - in the market's opinion, not yours. What's the Payoff? Let's look at a clear-cut example of a book people want to read: a Top 10 title on The New York Times fiction best-seller list. What makes such a book so popular? With non-fiction titles, the subject is undoubtedly topical and compelling, and the information is sufficiently valuable to enough people to translate to commercial success. With fiction though, it's likely the draw of a marquee author. What makes those authors so popular? Well, you could safely say that their books strike a common chord in enough readers with compelling story-telling, rich character development, recurring themes or heroes/heroines (in the case of a series), authentic depictions of human nature, etc. Simply put, for a book to become a best seller, enough people have to feel there's a payoff: a feeling that's pleasurable or familiar, something they can relate to on some fundamental level, etc. Will your book deliver that crucial payoff? Tune in to WRII-FM All writing, if it's to be effective (i.e., get through to your reader), must always consider the audience, as we just discussed. Throughout the entire self-publishing process, you'll need to keep your reader/listener/viewer constantly in mind. Choosing the right (read marketable) subject matter for your book is just the first time you'll do that. Along the way, you'll do it on countless other occasions, as you craft: 1) email pitches to potential reviewers; 2) press releases to particular publications or associations that have specific “hot buttons”; 3) articles for print/online publications which look for specific content; 4) promotional copy, commentary and content for book signings, discussions, seminars, speeches, radio/TV interviews, other public appearances, and much more. We need to tune our marketing minds into “WRII-FM,” that unspoken question in the mind of the reader of any printed material: “What's Really In It For Me?” If the answer is, “nothing” or “not enough,” then it's on to the next book on the bookshelf, email in the inbox, or article in the magazine. How's Yours Different? Let's assume that you've determined that your subject matter is indeed viable. Next stop? Barnes & Noble, Borders, or Amazon.com. See how many other books there are on your subject. It might be a great topic, but if there are 20 titles that deal with it already, do we really need a 21st? Yours had better be pretty darn special, and to someone other than you (and your mother…). Plenty of Room In the case of my first book, there was literally one book on the market on the subject of commercial writing: Secrets of a Freelance Writer, by Bob Bly. It's a very good book, in fact it was the book that got me started in the commercial writing business. Still, it was just one book. Bob's book is solid, substantive and straightforward. Mine was going to be just as meaty in its own right but more fun, whimsical and irreverent - starting with the title itself, The Well-Fed Writer, and continuing on from there. So, clearly, I felt comfortable that there was more than enough room for another book on the subject, especially one with a different tone and approach. Most importantly, the subject matter was very compelling. I knew there were zillions of struggling or “wannabe” writers out there who would be more than a little intrigued by a book that showed them, step-by-step, how to make a handsome full-time living as a writer. A Book Proposal? Here's a great way to gel your thinking about the market viability of your book. About the time I'd finished my first book, and before I'd definitely decided to self-publish it, I put together a book proposal, which, of course, is the first step to pitching agents and/or publishers. But even if you've already made the decision to go the SP route, a book proposal is a wonderful way to get a reality check. It ensures that you'll think this thing through thoroughly before taking the (financial) plunge. That means figuring out what the book would cover, why there's a market for it, who would buy it, why they would buy it, what your competition is, what your expected costs will be, and much more. Don't make the oh-so-common mistake of overestimating the appeal of a potential book idea. Perhaps you do have a great book, but a little homework now will save a lot of headaches later. Peter's earlier book is The Well-Fed Writer http://www.wellfedwriter.com 2) GRIST FOR YOUR MILL Gail Cohn, host of Book Talk, will interview any author - fiction or non-fiction - but only in-studio. The only topic she doesn't cover is religion. Gail is in Atlanta, Ga. and says that authors who are coming through on book tours or visits should contact her. http://www.radiosandysprings.com booktalk@radiosandysprings.com I came across an Internet radio show called The Reproductive Challenged Woman with host Barbara Winters dealing with women suffering from inferility and adopting children. Since I don't have any clients that I know of dealing with this issue, I am sharing this with you. http://www.rcwshow.com Contact Barbara at barbara@rcwshow.com 3) A GOOD QUESTION SNOW IN JERUSALEM, a picture book by Deborah Clayman, aka Deborah da Costa, has gone out of print in the United States and she'd like to find someone in the U.S. who would do it in paperback. "We have the rights and the illustrators are onboard," she said. Shirley Chang is looking for an ebook creator that is both free and secure. "I'd want the copy function disabled, along with other security features," she says, explaining that "some ebook creation program/software/sites create ebooks that have security features that forbid people from selecting any portion of text and copying it. So you can't use the copy and paste function." "Hopefully, it is compatible with the JAWS screen reader, but if that's not known--no problem, I can always test it. I'd greatly appreciate any recommendations." http://www.shirleycheng.com 4) PROMOTIONAL COUPS Barbara Popyach was invited by Wind Publications to publish a cookbook so she invited Kentucky authors to submit their favorite recipes with quotes, stories, poems and blurbs. More than 40 authors responded, including the father of George Clooney. KENTUCKY AUTHORS COOK was published in 2004. "One good move on my part," recalls Barbara, who has since moved to Florida, "was to contact local realtors [in Kentucky] and ask them to order the cookbook as a gift to new home buyers. The publisher worked out a deal if they purchased 10 books or more, they would get a reduction. This worked very well and I am getting good royalties even if I'm not in Kentucky promoting the book." Tricia Molloy contributed the following: Help Facilitate Book Study Groups A New Thought church in California recently began a nine-week book study group on Divine Wisdom at Work after reading a book review in Science of Mind magazine. Since my ideal readers are business people who are familiar with universal principles and attend New Thought churches, I contacted most of these churches by email and created a page on my website to help them facilitate their own book study group. http://www.divinewisdomatwork.com/Groups.asp Raffle a New Product to Encourage More Interaction I often hear from readers who share their stories of using universal principles to achieve their goals and I list those stories on my website. To encourage more of these, all those who submit a story by the end of April are eligible to win a 2-CD set Divine Wisdom at Work audio book in a random raffle drawing. http://www.divinewisdomatwork.com/Stories.asp Tricia is author of DIVINE WISDOM AT WORK™ 10 Universal Principles for Enlightened Entrepreneurs (Aha! House 2006). http://www.molloycom.com 5) PROGRESS REPORT Stephanie Chandler recorded an interview with Paul Casey, host of The Small Business Report on Alternative Talk 1150 AM, Seatlle, WA, on April 1, 2007. She doesn't know at this point when it will air. http://www.newschannel150.com http://caseycommunications.net Stephanie is author of FROM ENTREPRENEUR TO INFOPRENEUR: Make Money with Books, E-books and Information Products (John Wiley & Sons, December 2006) and THE BUSINESS STARTUP CHECKLIST AND PLANNING GUIDE (Aventine Press, September 2005). http://www.StephanieChandler.com Roger Ellerton will be the guest of Scott Cluthe on Positively Incorrect on Sirius Radio, Channel 114, tonight, April 11, 2007, from 7 to 8 p.m., EST. Roger is author of LIVE YOUR DREAMS - Let Reality Catch Up (Trafford 2005). http://www.live-your-dreams.biz 6) FEEDBACK Peter Bowerman noticed a line in Dorothy Thompson's piece about article marketing in the last newsletter entitled "How Self-Syndication Leads to Free Publicity" that didn't sit right with him: "A word of suggestion would be to not forget to add your articles to your website, as that’s where a lot of my contacts have come from, too." "Actually, perversely, adding the same articles to your web site that you have listed on article content sites can get you in trouble with the search engines," says Peter. "It's called 'content mirroring.' I have a bit about this in my new book, The Well-Fed Self-Publisher, where in a section entitled, "Five Tips For Maximizing Your Article-Writing Strategy," I summarize a few points I got from article-placement guru Jason Potash. It reads: 5) NO "Content Mirroring": This was one of those head-scratchers, but pay heed. If you have a bunch of articles circulating out there on a bunch of sites, and they contain URLs pointing back to your site, do not put all those same articles in a data bank on your site. That's called "content mirroring", and apparently, it's considered to be a strategy to trick the search engines, which means if you do it, you'll lose search engine rankings points (or even be totally excommunicated) as a result. Don't ask why. I'm not sure I understand it either, but just don't do it." Peter adds: "And I did a search for 'content mirroring' on Google and came up with this from an internet marketing blog: http://www.thejunglemarketer.com/blog/2005/10/02/avoiding-dublicate-content-mirroring/ . And in this one, he offers suggestions for slightly altering your content so you CAN place them on your web site." 7) CONTEST Dotsie Bregel summited the following: Boomer Women Speak APRIL-MAY Writing Contest My Favorite Memory of the 50s, 60s, or 70s Deadline: May 31, 2007 Entry Fee: NONE - Great prizes including $50.00 CASH, books, and New Membership or Renewal to NABBW! http://www.nabbw.com Remember "Hey Jude" or "American Pie?" Maybe you remember riding around all week on $2.00 worth of gas. Or … eating foot-longs at the local Dairy Queen? When your memories stir, does your heart race back to prom night? Don't let "what happened at Woodstock stay in Woodstock!" Why not share your favorite memory with us and win prizes? We want to know your favorite memory of the 50s, 60s or 70s. Send us your fav and let us all travel with you down memory lane. Just think, this time you don't have to buy gas! Please visit us at http://www.boomerwomenspeak.com for guidelines and submission information. 8) KUDOS ABC TV honored Be the Star You Are! charity with a special segment entitled "A Salute to Cynthia Brian and Be the Star You Are! - A woman matching books with readers-in-need through a grass roots literacy charity." The broadcast also aired on Good Morning America. To view the video visit: http://abclocal.go.com/kgo/story?section=abc7_salutes&id=5189819 Francine Silverman is author of CATSKILLS ALIVE (second edition) and LONG ISLAND ALIVE, both published in 2003 by Hunter Publishing and geared to every interest. To learn more about her guidebooks and for links to hundreds of attractions on Long Island and in the Catskills, visit Fran's one-stop website at http://www.nystatetravel.com BOOK MARKETING FROM A-Z (Infinity Publishing 2005) is written by 325 paid subscribers to Book Promotion Newsletter. TALK RADIO FOR AUTHORS - Getting Interviews Across the U.S. and Canada (Infinity Publishing 2007) is an intimate look into 230 talk radio shows that welcome guests. Both books are available at http://www.buybooksontheweb.com (Category: Marketing) and at http://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. Mail: Infinity Publishing, 1094 New Dehaven St, Suite 100, West Conshohocken, PA 19428 Betty B's Arcana Connection by Betty Bradford Byers INNER-VIEWS WITH CELEBRITIES Short Stories Corner Poetry Corner Write On Southwest...Book Reviews by Connie Gotsch The BOOK DOCTOR Book Reviewer's Corner Public Service links And so much more! | Return Home | The BOOK DOCTOR | The BANYON NETWORK | The Banyon Buzz Newsletters | The Aton Project Newsletters | Contact Us | |
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