November 2015 President’s Letter: How to Sell to Libraries

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libraries

On October 24, author and librarian Shelley Walchak, Patricia Ross, and I presented at the Colorado Association of Libraries conference. Our topic was The Self Publishing Movement: What it Means to Libraries.

We invited the audience (all librarians) to tell us what some of their reasons were for not buying indie or self published books as part of their library collections.

Here’s a few of the reasons they gave:

1. Perceived lack of quality of self published books
2. Takes too long to research the titles
3. Lack of reviews in trade pubs
4. Annoyance at being bombarded by friends/family requesting the book
5. Too difficult to buy it

These are all perfectly good reasons. I read the same reasons in a lot of online research I did while I was preparing for the presentation. Libraries are a special market that a lot of self published authors and small publishers have had difficulty in cracking. Fortunately, a lot of these obstacles have solutions.

If you want to sell your book to libraries, you have to fulfill librarians’ requirements.

• First of all you need to produce a good book. I’ve seen some gorgeous, fantastic self published books in the 10 years I’ve been working with authors. I’ve also seen some embarrassing crap. Make sure yours in the former by hiring professionals to edit and produce your book.
• Get trade reviews in the publications librarians read. This has become a lot easier since Kirkus Reviews, Publishers Weekly, and Foreword Magazine all have review services for self published books. Yes, these are paid services. Yes, it is worth having a trade review or two for libraries and also to use on your website, social media and Amazon sales page.  Don’t forget CIPA members Blue Ink Review as well. They also have a subscription service for libraries and booksellers.
• Don’t send an army of friends in to request your book. Librarians are a smart bunch. They know when they get an army of people requesting a book that they’ve never heard of that there’s something going on. You’re not fooling them at all. ’nuff said.
• Have an easy way for libraries to buy your book. If you’re going to make a big push for library sales get a distributor or wholesaler who sells to libraries. Though many libraries will buy directly from you or from Amazon. Make your book visible and have a few ways they can buy.
• Lastly, have a marketing plan. Libraries only have so much space for books. For that reason, they are always weeding their collection of books that aren’t being checked out. If you want your book to stay in a library after they buy it, you must continue to market it so people want to check it out.

Libraries are a terrific place to sell your book. Follow these tips and also take a few minutes to talk to the hard-working librarians behind the reference desk to get their ideas.

Good luck!

My best to you,
Mary Walewski
CIPA President 2015-2016

Give Them What They Want in a Bundle

Tags

bundles, discounts, marketing, products, publishing

By Teresa Funke
Reprinted: From Speaker Magazine (2014)

I self-published my first book, an historical novel, back in 2002, and immediately threw myself into the full-time job of marketing.  As an independent fiction writer, there were many hurdles to overcome, and I put much of my creative energy into concocting out-of-the-box ways to attract attention for my story. And it worked. But while I was plugging away at promotion, a voice kept whispering in my ear, write another book. Okay, the voice belonged to my husband, a marketing manager for a Fortune 500 company. He knew that the more product you have, the better the results from your efforts.

One of the benefits to producing more goods is the ability to bundle your wares.  Back when I had just one novel, all of the hours I spent in promotion earned me one-off sales of a single item. Back-of-the-room sales were good, but not great. Now with six books, all on a similar topic, I am able to offer two types of bundles, and my back-of-the-room sales have increased exponentially. People want a deal. And if they can get more than one of a product that appeals to them at a discounted rate, they will almost always go for the bundle.

And this doesn’t just work with your books or written materials. You can bundle your services as well, or mix and match products and services. You can offer books, booklets, e-books, t-shirts, notecards, etc. or create downloadable video or audio courses, webinars, or podcasts if you write non-fiction or book club visits, Skype visits to schools, etc. if you write fiction. The key to a good bundle is the key to all business dealings; it’s about the customer, not you.

If you are creating a bundle simply to move material that didn’t sell or to push as much product as possible, your motives are selfish, and customers see right through that. People want only what they want, and items need to be linked in a logical manner. Resist the urge to offer your business coaching package and audio course with a copy of your book How to Build a Shed. Buyers will shy away from a bundle that doesn’t meet all of their needs.  They will also turn away from bundles if they suspect the seller is simply trying to rope them into additional purchases.

Give people choices, but keep it simple. If I have to scroll down to figure out what you are selling, you’ve already lost me. I offer a four-book bundle of my children’s series and The Teresa Funke Collection, which includes all six of my WWII novels. But I also bundle my books with teaching materials to create teacher kits or classroom sets. Simple.

There’s no rule for pricing bundles, but I’ve found a 20% discount works well. People can quickly add up the savings, and I still make a fair profit. If you bundle correctly and with the right intent, you will often find that people are grateful for the offer. They can buy presents for multiple family members or treat themselves to all of your books without having to choose, yet they still feel like you saved them money. It’s a win-win for all.

Post by Teresa Funke. Teresa is an award-winning author and a professional speaker. She is also a nationwide writer’s coach working with people brand new to writing up through published authors who want to create a promotion plan.  Visit her website at www.teresafunke.com  to learn more or her YouTube channel, Teresa Funke, to watch her popular writing videos.

5 Ways to “Eat the Elephant” of Self Publishing

Tags

indie authors, marketing, self publish, self publishing

By Mary Walewski, CIPA President

“When eating an elephant take one bite at a time.” —Creighton Abrams

I recently met with a new marketing client. This author was close to publishing his book and freely admitted he was totally overwhelmed by the experience. He expressed what most authors I’ve met have said,

“I thought writing the book was going to be the hard part.”

What author hasn’t been a little shocked to find out that, in addition to writing the book, you also have to become an instant expert in editing, graphic design, publicity, online marketing……?

I wasn’t surprised that my new client was a bit overwhelmed. He had just realized that his book had become a 2nd job and of elephantine proportions at that. Our meeting ended with creating a to-do list for both of us.

Hiring a professional to do various aspects of your publishing process is certainly one of the ways an author can “eat the elephant.” But where do you start?

Just Google it.

Googling “how to publish a book” brings up a bunch of self publishing sites and related publications on publishing — 266,000,000 of them. Ignore the obvious “publish your book with us” sites (they can be very expensive) and focus on publications like Writer’s Digest and blogs for starting information. Articles in general publications will hopefully lead you to the websites of some of the leaders in self publishing and publishing trade organizations like CIPA.

Read about it.

Read a book or two on self publishing. Search “self publishing on Amazon and you’ll get 121,792 to choose from. Search on “book marketing” and you’ll have another 312,000 books to browse. Suggestion to start: narrow it down to what’s at your local library – most likely they’ll have several titles.

Talk to people who’ve been there already.

Talk to authors you know, or join a Meetup of authors. How are they finding answers to their self publishing questions?

Join CIPA! (You knew I was working up to this, didn’t you?)

Organizations like CIPA serve to educate our members about publishing and marketing books to help them avoid expensive mistakes. In addition to our monthly meetings, we also have CIPA Brainstorms, (formally called Focus Forums) small group meetings about specific subjects. This summer, we had three webinars on different topics – Our 20 Biggest Self Publishing Boo-Boos, 10 Steps to a Hardworking Website and How I Sold 5000 Books to American Furniture Warehouse. And let’s not forget about the vast amount of knowledge shared by our members. Details on joining here.

Hire a pro.

Hire a professional to guide you through the process. This could be one-on-one coaching, classes, or having someone do it all for you. CIPA has members who are editors, designers, marketers and more. Get referrals whenever possible from your author connections.

If you’ve already published and are ready to gear up your marketing for the fall, these steps will work for you, too. Do a little research and talk to fellow authors and professionals about how to get back on the promotion track for your book. A little knowledge will help to shrink that elephant down to a manageable size.

Be sure and join us for CIPA’s kick off meeting on September 19. We’re still finalizing the program; watch for details! In the meantime, I hope to see you at the 21st Annual CIPA EVVY Awards, Sunday, August 23, 2015! Details here.

Mary Walewski
CIPA President 2015-2016

Mobilegeddeon – What is it and does it matter to you?

Tags

google, mobile optimization, mobilegeddeon, seo, websites

By Corrinda Campbell

Summary

On April 21st, 2015 Google changed the mobile search landscape by announcing that search results appearing on Smartphones will not include websites that aren’t mobile ready.

It matters to you if you have or are going to have a website. You need a mobile ready, preferable responsive, website that is easy to view and use on phones and tablets.

If you already have a website that isn’t mobile ready then you must consider your audience, website objectives, and marketing tactics with regarding how and when you’ll convert the site. And for any kind of new website the requirements must include mobile views on phones and tablets.

What is Mobilegeddon?

Google is usually very circumspect with regard to exactly how their search algorithm selects the websites that it displays to you when you ask it to do a search, on say cat videos.

In February they made a rare announcement where they explained how mobile search results will change in April 2015. They wanted to give people plenty of time to adjust to the change and unlike other algorithm variables, this one really can’t be used to “game the system”. Note that isn’t a challenge to all of the “Black Hat” SEO practitioners to figure out a way.

How does it affect my website?

Important – This does not mean that if your site is not mobile friendly that it will not display in the web browser. If a visitor goes directly to your site or links to it from someplace else it will display as it always has.

The change only effects the Google search results page (SERP) that is displayed on Smartphones. It does not include results that appear on tablets or computers.

Do I need a mobile ready website?

Yes, is the short answer.

While this change only affects search results on Smartphones, my opinion is that it’s only a matter of time until this change applies across all devices and computers. And with the rapid increase in the use of mobile devices, if you want your brand, website, products/services, and business to look professional then a mobile website is a must.

When and how to make the change depends on your particular use of the website. For sites that don’t rely on paid or organic results and don’t have a high number of visitors using phones to visit their sites, you have a little more time to plan the switch to mobile. If the reverse is true for your website, then you need to address your mobile issues yesterday.

How do I know if my website is mobile ready?

Google has provided a handy tool to test your website, the Mobile-Friendly Test page. Enter your website address to see if Google thinks your site is good to go.

This page only tests the site for mobile readiness it doesn’t show you what your site looks like.

There are a number of useful mobile device emulators that allow you to see what your site looks like on different devices. When you’re using these tools remember they’re emulating the different views. And while they’re pretty good always check at least on your own phone and tablet.

A couple of good emulators: Responsinator.com and MobileTest.me. If you want even more specific information you can review the Mobile Usability report in Google Webmaster Tools.

Post by Corrinda Campbell. Owner of Small Business WP Services since 2009, Corrinda helps make sure your website is doing it’s job so you can focus on what you love doing. She helps business owners make smart decisions and with the heavy lifting or even all of the lifting. And is the lead organizer of the Denver WordPress Meetup and co-organzier of WordCamp Denver. A Colorado resident since 2000, Corrinda has lived on both coasts and enjoys gourmet cooking, skiing, books, and her furry office assistants Rex and Oliver. Connect with her at corrinda@sbwps.com.

4 Ways Indie Authors Go Wrong Writing a Book Description

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about your book, book descriptions, descriptions, synopsis

By BlueInk Review

Every book needs a description of its contents – that snappy teaser copy you traditionally see on the back cover. When done properly, it lures readers in, as well as signals what audience the book is targeting. And it’s invaluable on marketing materials, author websites and other promotional materials.

But at BlueInk Review, we’ve seen too many book descriptions by indie authors that fall flat, turning readers off before they even open the book.

Where do they go wrong?

Here are 4 of the most common mistakes we see:

1. They don’t have it edited

We can’t count the number of times we read an excellently crafted book, with every comma and period in place – only to turn to the book description on the back cover and see all kinds of copyediting errors and a convoluted description that leaves us scratching our heads. We can only conclude that the author gave the manuscript to a competent editor but didn’t feel it was necessary for the editor to look over the book description, as well. Moral of story? Give all the copy related to your book to an editor before publishing.

2. They list every plot twist

Your book description is meant to be an enticement, in the same way that an appetizer is meant to whet a diner’s appetite for the meal to come. But too often we see what amounts to the entire meal laid out in the book description: summaries that mention each and every plot twist in the book. If readers know everything that’s coming, why would they want to read the book? Summarize the plot or narrative, but don’t give away all your surprises.

3. They don’t mention the genre

Is the book historical fiction? Young adult? A memoir? If readers have to guess after reading your book description, you haven’t done your job. The purpose of a book description is to attract readers who love your kind of book. Without mentioning the genre, you are potentially losing your most enthusiastic readers. State the genre up front; don’t be shy. Use the words at the beginning of the description, as in: “In this historical novel….”

4. They don’t craft it as carefully as they’ve crafted the book itself

Writing a snappy book description is an art unto itself. It must describe the salient points of the book, including the story’s most enticing elements while not giving too much away — all in one or two brief and artful paragraphs. Think of it as the most important sales pitch of your life.  Every word must count.  Every idea must serve to rope readers in. If you don’t feel comfortable with that kind of writing, hire someone who does to help you.

Post by BlueInk Review. BlueInk Review is a fee-based book review service devoted exclusively to self-published titles. For more writing and marketing tips, please visit our website at http://www.blueinkreview.com.

CIPA Author Spotlight: Barbara Ziek Crowdfunds Her Way to Publishing Success

CIPA Author Spotlight:

Barbara Ziek Crowdfunds Her Way to Publishing Success 

By Leslie Miller

In anticipation of CIPA’s January meeting on Crowdfunding, we’re casting our author spotlight on Barbara Ziek, author of Zadie and Plain Vanilla, the Rainbow Alpaca. Barbara used a Kickstarter Campaign to crowdfund the money to publish this book, to great success. Let’s find out how she did it . . .

LM: Barb, why did you turn to crowdfunding to finance the printing of your first book?

BZ: My husband and I have an alpaca ranch outside of Colorado Springs. A friend and I had written and illustrated a children’s book about alpacas. Our major hurdle was financing the printing. One night, I was poking around the internet to learn more about book publishing. I clicked on a link to something called Kickstarter, a crowdfunding site. I’d never heard of Kickstarter or crowdfunding, and frankly, their claim of a risk-free method of funding creative projects sounded too good to be true. But after reading further, I decided it was worth a try.

One month later, we had the $6,000 necessary to print our book!

Take a look at Barb’s Kickstarter Page here: http://www.kickstarter.com/projects/zadieandplainvanilla/be-a-paca-backer-were-launching-zadie-and-her-rain?ref=live

LM: For those who have no idea what we are talking about, can you give us the short version of crowdfunding? What is it?

BZ: Crowdfunding helps entrepreneurs connect directly with people who are interested in their project and willing to support them financially via a pledge. Word about the project spreads through the project originator’s social network – Facebook, Pinterest, Twitter – and through people who use Kickstarter in search of intriguing projects to back. With the click of a mouse, people who like your Kickstarter project make a pledge and become Backers. Your Backers support your project by pledging money in return for Rewards. Rewards are services or products created by each Kickstarter project’s originator.

LM: How do you create a Kickstarter campaign?

BZ: Kickstarter guides you through the process. You have to set your financial goal and deadline – they recommend thirty days. State the amount you need and exactly what you’ll use the funds for. In our case, we needed to pay for editorial and book designer services, printing, and shipping the books to us. (We didn’t figure in the amount to ship the books to our backers either, and we should have.) Your Backers’ credit cards will be charged at the end of your campaign – only if it is successful.

LM: How do you get anyone to pay attention to your crowdfunding efforts?

BZ: Your Kickstarter page is the heart of your campaign, containing all the info about your project for the public to see. Along with all the details about your book, you also have to explain the pledge levels and Rewards your Backers will receive at the end of the successful campaign. Kickstarter recommends you shoot a short video and post it on your Kickstarter page so people can actually meet you and hear you explain your project.

LM: Can you explain Rewards?

BZ: Rewards are a critical component of your campaign. They address the “what’s in it for me?” factor that’s important in getting people to pledge. When creating your Rewards, ask yourself, “Who are my Backers and why would they be interested in my project?” For our book, we focused on four target markets:

1. Parents and grandparents with kids who would enjoy the story and the felting project in the book.
2. Alpaca farms with farm stores, who could sell the book with their own alpaca fibers.
3. Schools and homeschoolers who could tie the book to their curriculum and might enjoy an alpaca visit
4. Fiber people – felters, knitters, spinners, etc., who’d like to encourage a love of fiber arts in children they know.

We targeted these groups with specific Rewards. For instance, to parents and grandparents, we offered the book and the necessary supplies to do the felting project for $25, shipping included.

LM: I’ve heard that social media is a big part of a crowdfunding campaign. How does it tie in?

BZ: Once your project is approved by Kickstarter, you use Facebook, Twitter, and other social media to notify all your friends, relatives, and professional acquaintances. Encourage them to spread the word to all their contacts as well. You need to set up a business page on Facebook and link it to your Kickstarter page. Your Facebook page should be up and running the minute your project goes live on Kickstarter.

LM: How important is it to have your social media in place before you start the campaign?

BZ: The more active you are on social media, the better. But on my personal Facebook page, I had only around 90 friends. The FB business page for the book itself started from nothing. I kept trying to add people over that month, trying to get Alpaca people to the page.

LM: In hindsight, what might you have done differently?

BZ: I think I would have changed the Reward structure, so that we got to keep more of the money. And I didn’t use Pinterest, but that’s a good choice if you have an interesting cover or photos in your book. It could have also been great for us, considering how photogenic alpacas are.

LM: Any other tips?

BZ: I’ve got loads of tips . . .

1. The Kickstarter site is filled with great information about what others have done. Read through it before creating your campaign.
2. Once your successful campaign is completed, you are responsible for sending the Rewards to your Backers. Be sure to include shipping time and shipping costs in your campaign plan. I spent three weeks packaging and shipping 242 books! (Consider the cost of international shipping as well, because Kickstarter is a worldwide site.)
3. Create a website for your book and announce it on your Kickstarter page and on your project’s Facebook page. Have it ready to go as soon as your Kickstarter campaign ends.
4. Be sure to take fees into consideration as your create your Rewards: Kickstarter takes 5% and Amazon charges 3%-5% fee for processing the credit cards used by your Backers.

LM: Barb, aside from publishing your book with no debt, what were some of the other benefits of crowdfunding?

BZ: We made many new friends and business connections. The 242 books we sold through our month long Kickstarter campaign wound up in the hands of Backers in 28 states, Canada and Switzerland – within three weeks of the book’s publication!

• We have repeat wholesale customers, including an alpaca rancher in Maine who has reordered multiple copies of the book numerous times.
• Backers from all over are now interested in our next book.
• People are ordering books from our website after seeing a Backer’s copy.
• We get fan mail from kids who love the book!

It was hard work – but it paid off for us in a big way.

*****

We hope to see you at our January 2014 meeting on Crowdfunding. Barb Ziek will be on hand to lead a round table and lend us all the benefit of her experience!

SPECIAL OFFER: NSA Member Pricing for this Friday’s all-day Tech Event at the PPA Extended to all CIPA members

Tags

CIPA, colorado books, marketing, nsa

Heather Lutze & Heather Gilmore have graciously offered to extend the NSA discount to CIPA members for this Friday’s I Heart Tech NSA CO Event!

The CIPA code for member pricing is: CIPA$

When this code is entered on the payment page, and APPLY is clicked, the rate will adjust to $99 for one person, or $149 for two.

Click here to find out more! 
$99 for one person; bring a friend for just $50 more.

Date: Friday, March 22, 2013
Time: 8:30 a.m. – 4:30 p.m.
Registration & Breakfast will begin at 8:00 a.m.
Where: PPA Center

Hot lunch buffet and handouts provided

Modern technologies… Digital Media… Social Media and Social Sharing…

Do you embrace them, or run from them? Are you engaging with your target market via social media and social sharing? Or are you still trying to market your business the same way you did twenty years ago?

Segments will include:

• Blogging & Content Creation Made Easy for Speakers
• Leveraging Google+ and Google Hangouts to Make $$
• Twitter vs. Facebook Smack Down: Compare and Contrast Twitter and Facebook for Business ROI
• Essential Speaker Tech Tools (to make life on the road easier and more profitable)
• Get Booked & Stay Booked with LinkedIn
• Your Web Site & Content Creation Plan for 2013
• Creating Your Action Plan
• Wine reception (okay, that’s not really a segment but will happen at the end of the day)

Find out more here!

Planting Seeds

Tags

CIPA, marketing, motivation

By Brian Schwartz

I want to share with you an analogy that is likely familiar to most of you. As you begin to read this month’s letter, I’d like you to role play with me. Put on your farmer/gardener hat.  Think of your actions as the seeds, and your book as the crop you’ve planted.  I think you’ll find that gardening/farming and publishing actually have a lot in common!

Both farming and gardening provide wonderful analogies for the mindset to succeed in publishing (and maybe even in life).  I’d suggest you use this analogy, as I do myself, to build your own publishing empire. I’ve personally found the days I think like a farmer, are the ones I can call my most fruitful.

As farmers, we don’t get immediate results – instead we must await the result of our actions taken today.  In order to reap a harvest tomorrow, we must plant seeds today.  The reality is that most results are largely outside our control anyway, yet they often take our attention from what we can control. What you should give your attention to instead, are the seeds of action you plant today. For it’s the rewards you reap tomorrow that can be attributed to those seeds.

Crops can’t be harvested unless seeds are planted, cultivated, and allowed the space to grow.  A smart farmer knows that the right variety of crops will grow high and become profitable.  Other varieties, not so much.  Every season, it’s a bit of a gamble. The key to be a successful farmer is in selecting the crops that will be in high demand and short supply at the time of harvest.  This is similar to an author writing a book today that will be in high demand tomorrow.  If there’s no demand for your crop (ie. topic), then you can’t expect to demand a high price for it either.  Trust that over time, the value of a crop will fluctuate.  If too many others are selling the same crop, the price goes down… eventually, nobody is making any money until someone invents a new variety that makes the others less relevant.

Last month, I shared the importance of making space for the important items on your plate.  If you plant too many seeds in too small a space, none will survive – in fact, they may all grow a little, but not enough to be harvested.  Instead, plant the seeds that you want to see grow and give them space to grow. See the result as the goal, and seeds as the steps to get there.

You can plant seeds all day long, but there’s no guarantee they’ll grow. In fact, throw a seed in the ground and ignore it – most of the time, it won’t grow. We are bombarded with distractions all day long that will try to pull our attention away from what is most important.

The fact is that the most successful farmers focus on one crop at at time. They don’t try to plant a bunch of different crops, but instead pick one they can grow the best, and work at creating the best crop available anywhere.  Don’t dilute your efforts.  The smart publishers pick a niche and dive as deep as they can into that niche.

Just remember that if other farmers see increased demand for a crop, they’ll likely rush to plant the same crop, and when they do, the price will often fall and demand will be diluted. But trust that it’s good to be in early and often.

Are you using the right tool for the job?

In order to succeed in farming, you will need a set of tools.  Like a farmer, the tool shed of a publisher includes key partners, technology, wisdom, experience, and other farmers.  Successful farmers are always looking for the best tool for the job.  Always be asking: Is this the right tool for the job?  Be sure to talk to your fellow farmers – what tools are they using? Is there a more effective tool (or process) I should adopt?  CIPA offers a wonderful venue for this type of exchange.

Early to rise

Farmers are early to rise. The work ahead demands an early start. There will be times of the year when you must get up early, work long hours, and do it again the next day.  Other times, you’ll be able to throttle back, give yourself some time off, and reap the rewards of your harvest.  This reminds us of the importance of having passion in whatever it is you do.  A person with passion will always outwork someone doing something simply for the profit.  One caveat – some people’s passion is profit!

Are you planting annuals or perennials?

You need to have a good balance of annuals & perennials.  If you plant too many perennials, you may end up with a yard in the winter that doesn’t have any plants.  Too many annuals and the perennials can get lost in the landscape. The smartest gardeners plant a variety of perennials that bloom throughout that year.  That way, the landscape looks beautiful year round!  As a publisher, can you think of titles that will be in demand year after year? I think about the authors who write relationship advice and books about love… they reap a harvest every Valentine’s Day!

Annuals = immediate abundance but short lived beauty

Annuals are readily available, and may be in demand. As a publisher/author, they may show up in the form of services that meet the immediate needs of your readers. But to stay competitive, each year you will need to update your services.  Think of it as the opportunity to assess the needs of the marketplace (or changing environment), and plant the appropriate annuals. Annuals can be used to backfill your income while you wait for perennials (see below) to multiply. The drawback of a business full of annuals is that you must constantly plant a new crop of annuals (ie. clients) each month.

Perennials = long-term recurring reward

Perennials require little maintenance and will reward you with blooms (cash-flow) year after year; they can also multiply, providing you with additional profits over the years to come. Plant a perennial this year (ie. publish a book) and you will be building a recurring cash-flow for years to come. But since perennials multiply, to stay healthy, they will require periodic thinning. If you do make space, overcrowding will occur and flower production and disease will naturally decrease the population. Thinning requires digging up some of the plants, pulling or cutting them apart and replanting; this process must be repeated about once every three years. Some Perennials self-multiple with little maintenance.  Strive to find a theme in your work that allows for the seed you plant to be a perennial.  This begins early in the ‘idea phase’ of your topic by picking ideas that can be ‘perennialized.’ You can see this in action with publishers who create multiple spin-offs of their topic and multimillion empires as a results. Some better known examples include: Chicken Soup for the Soul, Guerrilla Marketing, and The Dummies Series.

Benefits of Using Both Perennials and Annuals

Most gardeners prefer a mix; perennials provide constant beauty, while the annuals give the gardener the opportunity to change things up a bit.  As an authorpreneur – it’s up to you to find a mix that works… even the most successful farmers get caught in dry spells when the crop they’ve planted is in abundance without enough demand.

Care & feeding of your crops

Initially, seeds need water to germinate. They need to be planted in fertile soil. The right conditions are key during a seed’s infancy. Some seeds will go dormant if ignored, and they may be hard to find later.

Things that are in your control, things that are not

You can control things like the water you feed your plant, the weeding, and attention you give it.  You can set it up so it can get plenty of sunshine (exposure), but you can’t control the sun or the rain.  The most important thing you can do as a smart farmer is to be wise in knowing the care and feeding a particular crop will require. Do you have space in your ‘yard’ for it?  Will it steal sunlight from your other plants that are already growing?

Weeding

Weeding and maintaining your crops is a never ending process, so you are best to accept that fact and get used to it.  The most successful businesses fail when the owner takes the success for granted and starts to ‘kick back’ and just watch his crops grow.  Truth is, successful people work harder once they are successful to stay successful.  Weeding is a daily battle. So be sure to always be on the lookout for weeds and the sooner you pull them, the less work it’ll be.  Let them go too long, and it becomes harder and harder to remove them. Think of your bad habits as weeds – the sooner you eliminate them, the easier they’ll be.

Relationships

Your relationships  are seeds as well.  You’ll need to do some occasional wedding so others in your ‘yard’ can thrive.  You can sell your ‘seeds’ to other farmers who will plant them in their pasture, and you’ll both receive a reward at harvest time. Keep in mind, the partner farmer can do much better when you provide the tools and training to help them thrive.  Also, many will use that training to create their own crops and eventually could become a competitor.

Co-op

One of the many facets to running a successful farm is to participate in marketplaces that allow you to sell your harvested crops!  One unique model that creates a high margin is co-ops and farmers markets.  Co-ops are ongoing ‘store fronts’ where customers can buy at a discount.  Farmers markets are events that showcase a farmer’s crop to a targeted group.  What Co-ops can you participate in as a publisher?

As you think of yourself as a farmer or gardener, ask yourself:

• What seeds have you planted this week?

• What weeds have you pulled?

• What season are you in? And what are you planning for your next crop?

• What is your CASH CROP? And are you paying it enough attention?  How are you improving it?

Are you a farmer or hunter?

One of the reasons I left my job in sales was because of the ‘farming vs. hunting’ mentality that existed where I worked.  Management saw each of us as either a ‘farmer’ or a ‘hunter’. The hunters were expected to find new clients, the farmers job was to cultivate existing clients to yield a profitable harvest.  I was a farmer in a company that valued hunters.  We all have unique experiences that make us better suited as farmers or hunters.  I’ll plan to expand on this article next month by creating an analogy for those of you who might have a tendency or preference to be a hunter.  But until then – put on your farmer’s hat and get to work!

-Brian Schwartz
CIPA President 2012-2013

How to Eat That Elephant – CIPA Focus Forum

Tags

author platform, book marketing, CIPA Focus Forum, Mary Walewski

Writing, publishing, and selling a book is like trying to eat an elephant. It can be an overwhelming prospect and it’s hard to know what should be done first – writing or building your platform so the book will sell.

And how do you find out what you don’t know about publishing and marketing so  you don’t make expensive mistakes?

Eat that elephant one bite at a time. And –

Build your platform as you write your book. Seem counter-productive to do two big projects at once? On the contrary, doing both at the same time will actually make your book more sellable and will give you a boost in presales.

Join CIPA board member and book marketing consultant Mary Walewski as she takes you through the platform-building process with her Platform Checklist, a workbook she developed just for this class.  A case study featuring two longtime CIPA members and their new book will show you step-by-step just how you should build your platform and make your book sellable

After the case study, you’ll have plenty of Q & A time  to ask questions about your own platform.

Here are three things you’ll learn in this class:

• ONE essential thing you must do to be successful with your book.
• TWO simple things you can do that will pay you back exponentially down the road.
• The THREE biggest reasons your book fails to sell.

Can’t make the live class? Register anyway! This class will be recorded for later viewing.

“Build Your Author Platform:  A Step by Step Guide.” will be presented live on Monday, Feb 11 from 7 pm to 9 pm, via webinar.

Cost of the Focus Forum is $25 for members and $45 for nonmembers. Register here on CIPA’s website. After registration, you’ll receive your link to register for the GoToMeeting webinar directly from Mary Walewski. Before the class, you will also receive your copy of the Platform Checklist in MS Word format. A class recording will be available for participants after the class.

Never been on a webinar before? All you need is your computer, internet connection, and either a computer headset or a phone to hear the audio. No driving – and for that matter, no shoes – required!

Four Power Questions to Ask Yourself This Year to Increase Success

By Brian Schwartz

We all make resolutions with the new year. I am sure you have made yours! Maybe you want to sell more books as an author, or a publisher. Or maybe you would like more business as a service provider. I’d like to share what I feel are the ‘power questions’ you should be asking as you take action to increase your success as a publisher in 2013.  Key to making these four questions work for you is having clarity of purpose and knowing the real ‘why’ behind your goals and objectives. I believe that one or more of these questions reveal why we often fail to accomplish what we set out to do.

1. Have I allocated the necessary space & time to complete the task?

(If not, what can I eliminate to make space for it?)

2. Do I possess all the necessary knowledge, prerequisites, or resources to complete the task?

(If not, do I have enough to partially complete my objective? Is there someone else who can do a better job at the task?)

3. Is fear (obvious or hidden, real or imagined) that is preventing me from taking action?

(Let go of attachment to the outcome. Trust the path you are on, no matter what the result, is the right result for you. Great accomplishment often comes many failures.)

4. Have I let myself get distracted? Have I let something, someone, or my own lack of discipline get in the way? Has my energy and attention been pulled to the latest ‘bright shiny object’?

(Become more disciplined by establishing habits and thought patterns that work for you.  Be honest with yourself and admit if you heart is no longer in it.)

In my experience, the source behind accomplishment is tied directly to self-confidence, self worth, and doing the things that you truly believe matter the most (even if nobody else does!).

All the best to your success in 2013. I hope our paths cross soon!

-Brian Schwartz

CIPA President 2012-2013