Archive for the ‘Engaging Culture’ Category
“Marketing” Basics & Fundamentals for Christian Authors & Publishers
December 21st, 2009 by J A Heinlein
With all of the changes, emerging technologies, and new things to learn in our publishing world and in communications media as a whole, it is important to always have the “basics” in mind.
Vince Lombardi – Basics of Football
There is a legendary “fundamentals” story that is often retold about Coach Lombardi’s approach to football and leading his players.
Vince Lombardi, one of the most successful coaches in the history of football, started every new season with a standard speech to veterans and the rookies alike. He would hold up a football and say, “This is a football!” He would roll it around in his hands and talk about the size and shape of the football, and the many ways that it could be handled on the football field including carrying, passing, kicking. He would then take the team out onto the football field and say, “This is a football field!” He would describe the measurements of the field, and the rules of the game. He did it every year – even after the Green Bay Packers a previously losing team became the NFL Champions and Super Bowl Winners. He is said to have even repeated the speech at half-time during a particularly tough game…
The “secret” to Vince Lombardi’s success was clearly that he always helped his players to focus on what was fundamental and basic to the game of football -and, to do those elementary things very, very well.
Marketing Basics
Most everyone has heard of the “Basics P’s- Practices of Marketing” – usually summarized by 3-5 “P’s” including:
Product, Price, Place(ment), Promotion, People
I encourage you to make these “P’s” a part of your regular “fundamentals of marketing” study and as part of every strategic plan.
Outlined below are what I believe to be the “4 Foundational P’s”- Practices for Christian Authors & Publishers.
As Coach Lombardi did with his players, these practices should be continually revisited and reviewed throughout the publishing process and for each new project.
Prayer
We need to start every project with a commitment of that project into God’s hands. And, then we must spend time in prayer thoughtfully pondering the “why’s and how’s” and asking for God’s direction.
“I have so much to do that I spend several hours in prayer before I am able to do it.” —John Wesley
Purpose
Prayer and thoughtful pondering also helps us to focus our objectives and goals. What are our own intentions. Are those intentions aligned with God’s purposes and His particular purposes for us personally? A clearly defined purpose creates great courage and resolve.
“What’s in your heart? … What disturbs you?” -Rick Warren, author Purpose Driven Life
“Success demands singleness of purpose.” –Vince Lombardi
Plan
A book project must always be approached as a business enterprise. A well developed strategic plan is critical to success. The plan is the purposed “vision” of the project.
“Good plans shape good decision. That’s why good planning helps to make elusive dreams come true.” -unknown
“Our goals can be reached through a vehicle of a plan, in which we must fervently believe, and upon which we must vigorously act. There is no other route to success.” -Stephen A. Brennan
Perform
Performance is where all the work gets done. It is about Implementation – Execution – Accomplishing intended objectives.
This part is where many unfortunately fall short. To take the words of James a bit out of context (Jas 2:20), “Faith without works is dead.” The author will always be the best “marketer” for their book, just as parents are the greatest champions for their children. The author must likewise be the champion for their work and a tireless marketer working in partnership with associates and in vigorously developing and expanding their author platform.
John Wesley famously said, “Pray like it depends on God, work like it depends on you.” It certainly applies to our work and callings in practical application.
“I firmly believe that any man’s finest hour, the greatest fulfillment of all that he holds dear, is the moment when he has worked his heart out in a good cause and lies exhausted on the field of battle-victorious.” – Vince Lombardi
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Where Do I Sell My Books? How do I tell the world my message?
December 8th, 2009 by J A Heinlein
Is your Marketing Strategy: New & Improved…Tried & True… or Old & Tired…?
Recently, Christian Retailing featured an article on “Self-publishing”. It outlined new developments and statistics and included highlighting some “big brand name” publishers who have become involved in self-publishing. And, predictably, it quoted some quite overused and outdated arguments against. But, one quote that stood out to me was a quote from a respected industry agent (and friend) regarding sales and distribution,
“I think the chances of those books actually having a very effective distribution channel [into retail bookstores] are very slim.”– RG, Christian Retailing Dec 7, ‘09
First of all, I have to respond by saying, that I highly respect the very essential role of agents in the publishing process. But, that said, it must also be understood that good agents are good at selling books to publishers. But, even good agents don’t generally participate in the actual selling process into the “real marketplace”.
And, that statement also caused to me to reflect on an industry “trend shift” that is not readily perceived and often overlooked.
Books are sold in bookstores right? Well, about half of them are…
“52% of books are not sold in bookstores. They are merchandised [directly] via mail order, online, in discount or warehouse stores, through book clubs, in nontraditional retail outlets, etc.” “The worldwide book market is almost $90 billion, and every year [more than] half of those sales are made in non-bookstore markets such as museums, schools, libraries, warehouse clubs, catalogs, book clubs, book fairs, and to corporations, among many other markets.” – http://BookStatistics.com, Para Publishing – http://bit.ly/14nOAF
Bookstores are now “a sales channel” and, are now not “the only channel” for book sales. And, selling books to the “traditional retail channels” is likely not the most profitable way to sell books – especially for a smaller publisher or new authors. For most, the required “sales hoops” that must be jumped through are simply insurmountable. This includes high discounts, expensive marketing and merchandising programs, and a high percentage of returns. And, all of that is done for a very short “selling window” – usually 3-6 months.
Another whole discussion involves the very definition of “what is a published book?”–it’s many forms and formats that are now available–and the related new emerging sales channels.
So where/how do I sell my books?
The most basic and fundamental objective of marketing is connecting with the right audience–that is introducing a product, solution, or service to those that are most likely to benefit.
Developing a productive author platform that engages and develops relationship with the intended audience is essential.
The good news is that there are now many ways to connect to your best audience – that is to directly access your intended niche market - and common interest affinity groups.
The Online Trend: Building an “Author Brand” with Social Media Marketing
Develop a Social Media/ “Web 2.0″ strategy for building & expanding author platform on established associations, identity, and audience.
- Develop integration process for EVERYTHING – create a sales “funnel”
- Drive target audience to a specific direction/destination – author website and ecommerce page(s).
- Use all web 2.0/social media priority “standards”: Facebook, Twitter, Blogging, Youtube, LinkedIn, and bookmarking sites such as Digg.
Purpose Objective: build a following – a “Tribe”
“A tribe is any group of people, large or small, who are connected to one another, a leader, and an idea. For millions of years, humans have been seeking out tribes, be they religious, ethnic, economic, political, or even musical (think of the Deadheads). It’s our nature.” “Now the Internet has eliminated the barriers of geography, cost, and time. – Seth Godin, Tribes
“If you are an author, your tribe members are your readers—or, at least, that’s potentially true. The only question is whether or not you will become the tribe’s leader and equip them to communicate with you and with one another.” – Michael Hyatt, CEO-Thomas Nelson
Recommended reading:
Beyond the Bookstore: How to Sell More Books Profitably to Non-Bookstore Markets (9781594290022): Brian Jud
Tribes: We Need You to Lead Us (9781591842330): Seth Godin
Trust Agents: Using the Web to Build Influence, Improve Reputation, and Earn Trust (9780470743089): Chris Brogan, Julien Smith
Related Links
- Are you a trust agent? Do you need to be? (myventurepad.com)
- The Power of Tribes on Blog Talk Radio (theimuniversity.com)
- Julien Smith – Social Capital and the New Tribe (andreavascellari.com)
- Reach Matters – Even In Social Media (socialmediatoday.com)
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Marketing Your Book with Social Media — it’s a conversation
November 10th, 2009 by J A HeinleinWilliam Barrett, Professor of Philosophy, wrote back in 1979:
“…our modes of communication and expression take place within the framework (of an increasingly complex technology) and are increasingly shaped by it … the task … in this situation becomes neither the meaningless rejection of technology nor the equally meaningless affirmation of technology, but to try to see where technical and technological thinking, with no other principle but itself, must lead us; and whether some countervailing mode of thought may not be called for.” —Barrett, William, The Illusion of Technique, (Anchor Books: Garden City, New York, 1979) p. 230″
I was just going through my email — clearing the box — while having coffee at one my favorite local community coffee shops (as is my morning ritual). As I read the message (excerpted below) from a new client, it occurred to me that his request contained something that I have been pondering all last week… how do you really “use” social media?
Well, first of all, to “correct myself”, one doesn’t “use it”… one participates… it is simply a conversation. Use beyond that, can quickly just become annoying noise.
Recently, I have been more than impressed and humbled by being able to participate in personal and direct messages and conversations with the likes of Chris Brogan and Danny Brown. These guys (”guys”… they are figurative “giants” really! -personable, nice, “gentle giants”, but giants nonetheless) …find a way to organize their daily lifestyle, moments… precious time to directly answer and converse on a personal level with many, many people… constantly… every day….
It is after all “Social Media”. They literally have 100’s of thousands of “followers”…but, somehow they find a way to “have the conversation…” And, this is what I find to be most impressive and confounding… and, am observing to be the “Secret” to theirs and others like themselves’ success.
I like many, am still learning and trying to figure it out? I suspect and am also learning… that part of it is just to relaxing into the practice…. that is… one must “just be”… and become a willing and calmly active participant in the happening… In other words, don’t “try” so hard…
One thing that is certain and very obvious… The example and model is there — being personal is not optional!
My email conversation:
“Hi Jay,
I apologize for my confusion….I’m not the “brightest bulb in the box” when it comes to Facebook…or computers!!
Can you give me an idea of exactly what to do with each of the names and addresses you gave me? Once I understand it I will never forget..it’s just….understanding it??
Maybe just take one of the addresses like ______and tell me step by step how to get them on my Facebook?
Sorry for the request… but computers and I have not been very close friends….arrrggghhh!!!
Thanks Jay – For Everything!!
========================================
“J,
-no worries… and, I strongly disagree!
You are refreshingly one of the “brightest bulbs” that I have met in a long time…
I am thankful to be in the company of the likes of you, L, and “Dr. Pat”!
re Facebook
You are naturally very social, so once you get “it”…the learning curve will be short…
Think of “it” as just talking…having a conversation…
-that is the true heart of “social media”…
-there is a lot of “noise” out there as “marketers” try to flatten the learning curve…
-and, many are mistakenly just applying old practices to the new medium (including me…I have been guilty…)
…but, this one… “Social Media” is different…
…and, alas, I blab…
one step at a time…
step 1: simply “join”…ask for a “friendship“, become a “fan”, or join the “group” -whichever applies…
step 2: introduce yourself
step 3: join the conversation…or start one…
step 4: post “helpful links”… items of “mutual interest” and incl your own…
step 5: coming soon…. “Earning the right to ask a favor…”
HAVE FUN!!!
: )
Jay
Some other tips for using Facebook
Of course variations of these can be done on other social media platforms… please comment below and I will respond with more suggested ideas…
Add to your page
- Your bio
- Description of your book
- Include your contact information (website, blog, twitter, MySpace, LinkedIn, Biznik information)
- Join one of the many groups for writers and authors and be active!
- Include a graphic of your book cover
- Invite friends to review your book and post comments
- Add a Shelfari widget and showcase all of your books or books by other authors you support
- Create a virtual bookshelf with your books
- Post updates about your book to the blogs and comments sections
- Invite other authors to be your friends, build your network
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Turning bad reviews into good marketing
October 20th, 2009 by Nick CiskeApparently, everybody hates Brad Meltzer’s new book entitled Book of Lies.
So what can you do when all the big names in book reviews pan your book?
Well, you could wallow in shame and decide to never write again…
Or, you could enlist your little league team and some senior citizens at the local nursing home to make a hilarious spoof video out of it.
Enjoy!
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Some Great Design Blogs
October 9th, 2009 by Torrey SharpPossible dilemma: You need to hire a book cover designer for your project, but have not been trained in graphic design, have never art directed before and/or are generally not too immersed in the field of graphic design, art or culture. So, how do you become informed in some of these areas? Where do you go?
A helpful first step is to simply jump into this arena and check out what’s going on. It may feel overwhelming and this awareness won’t necessarily make the process of working with a designer go smoother, but it will give you some added perspective and appreciation for the range of style and solutions that come to bear on design related problems. This awareness will enable you to ask more questions and enhance the communication with your designer. The better the communication, the better chance your designer will find the right solution for your book. Here are a few blogs our studio frequents to stay on top of what’ happening. Of course, there are countless others. Some of these are specific to book design and some are more general in nature. Enjoy!
- FFFFound
- Design Observer
- FWIS
- The Book Design Review
- FaceOut Books
- By Henry Sene Yee Design
- David Drummond | Covers
- Books Covered
- Notcot
- Jacket Mechanical
- Ace Jet 170
- Grain Edit
- The DieLine
- Cool Hunting
- David Gee Works on Paper
- Core77
- The Font Feed
- Design You Trust
- Arthur Cherry
- Ideas on Ideas
- Publication Design
- Alltop
- Dwell
- The Daily Discussion
- Visual Culture
- Ellen Lupton Design Writing Research
- Putting People First
- Graphicology
- Netdiver
- Good Is
- Designers Who Blog
- Speak Up
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Determining if an author blog is right for you
October 9th, 2009 by Kimberly BrockAt latest count, there are more than 100 million blogs on the internet today. Traditionally, blogs were web based log or diary entries which included photos, insights and links about what the author found interesting. Today, more and more businesses have also used blogs to send out updates, news feeds and connect directly with consumers. As an author, is creating a blog right for you?
I recently came across a great article titled, “The Author’s Dilemma: To Blog or Not to Blog” by Claire E. White. In this article Ms. White outlines the different types of blogs, what makes a great author blog and the pros and cons of blogging. The article is a few years old, but the content is still relevant.
This article included a great quote from Jonathan Karp of Warner Twelve:
Writers have to be promoters if they believe in their work. Blogs are a way for authors to communicate directly with readers and establish a personal connection. It’s a way to reach readers who may not attend bookstore events, and it’s more convenient for authors, too. I haven’t met too many writers who were eager to fly to Houston for a day — though I’m sure Houston is lovely this time of year.
Still uncertain whether or not a blog is for you? Here are some points to consider before starting a blog:
1. You must love to write. Blogging requires frequent, interesting entries, responding to posts and leaving feedback on other blogs.
2. You must enjoy surfing the web. Having a successful blog does not end with posting your thoughts. It requires marketing, visiting other blogs, networking with other authors, and staying abreast of news that pertains to your topic.
3. You must have the time to commit to a blog. Having a successful blog requires frequent, meaningful entries that not only capture new readers, but also keeps established readers coming back for more. You must be willing to establish a set schedule for posting and be willing to follow through.
4. You must be transparent. What makes a good author blog is not just providing a platform for a given work, but the insights it provides readers into the author’s day to day struggles and successes. Maybe your dog has been sick and you finally found the right medication to help it? Maybe you struggle with migraines? Maybe you had a dream that inspired your work? Though on the surface, it appears that these topics have nothing to do with selling books, but what it does do is connect you to your readers in a very real and intimate way.
5. You must be fairly comfortable with internet technology or know someone who is. The best author blogs are constantly changing and evolving. Having a blog does require some basic software understanding. Having a blog will require a commitment to growing and learning how to maintain and improve your blog in order to provide the best online environment for your readers.
If you are ready to start a blog, here is an online article with the simplest instructions I have seen as to how to start a blog.
Here, too, is a list of some great author blogs to reference.
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Rick Warren’s New Book Cover Contest
September 21st, 2009 by Nick CiskeIf you haven’t heard/read about Rick Warren’s contest to design his new book cover, well, it’s too late (the content ended Saturday).
From the press release:
Grand Rapids, Mich., September 17, 2009 — 99designs.com, the largest marketplace for crowdsourced graphic design, last night announced that best-selling author Rick Warren is running an open design project for the cover of his new book, The Hope You Need: from The Lord’s Prayer, to be published by Zondervan. Since that announcement, the website is being flooded with designs.
“As of 11 a.m. East Coast time today, 327 designs have been submitted to the website,” said Steve Sammons, Zondervan’s Executive Vice President of Consumer Engagement. ”We’re announcing this morning that the winning design will now receive $5,000 rather than the original $3,000.”
The Hope You Need: from The Lord’s Prayer, scheduled for hardcover release on November 17, was inspired by a sermon series Warren taught at Saddleback Church in Orange County, CA. It invites readers to plug into the unparalleled power that exists within the words of the best-known prayer on the planet. With his classic approachability, passion and candor, Warren will provide helpful insight and much-needed inspiration for reviving whatever seems to be dying in life.
The final tally: 3189 designs.
There’s a lot of debate (resulting in a very heated dialogue) going on about this being spec work, which many people and organizations feel is bad for both clients and companies, but I won’t get into that here.
I’d like to talk about the practical implications of this, and why it’s probably a bad idea for anyone to mimic this publicity stunt.
- It’s Rick Warren — attach his name to anything and you will have some amount of success. You are not Rick Warren.
- The prize was $5,000. You can get a professionally designed cover for much less — and you get to work directly with the cover designer. Offering a smaller reward would likely get you some entries, but not the number Rick did.
- Side note: If you were one of the most successful authors of modern times and had signed an exclusive deal with Zondervan to publish your next book, why would you fork over $3,000 of your own money for a cover design contest? Zondervan would have hired a professional designer and paid the bill!
- Speaking of the number of entries… would you rather: sift through hundreds (or thousands) of cliche, poorly designed book cover concepts (many of which couldn’t follow simple instructions like the trim size) or 2-3 high quality concepts? There are a few decent covers in the pile, but it’s definitely entered “needle in a haystack” territory. Some of the entries are intentional jokes… while others are just terrible.
- One cover is supposed to be of a person kneeling in prayer, but the focus is on the, uh, lower front of the mans torso. Imagine that face out at your local Christian bookstore!
- There’s no guarantee you’ll get concepts from a Christian cover designer. If your book deals with abstract spiritual concepts the results could be comical or downright offensive.
- If you pick a winning entry — will that designer be able to produce press ready files or will you need to pay extra for that?
I could go on, but you get the point: there’s little added value to a contest like this, and in this case, the price tag was higher. Of course, the exposure the book received was priceless, but it hadn’t been Rick Warren, it wouldn’t have been newsworthy.
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Christian Library International distributes donated Christian books to US prisons
August 5th, 2009 by Nick CiskeThe mission of Christian Library International (CLI) is to bring Christ to the imprisoned. Since its founding in 1996, CLI has helped thousands of incarcerated men and women find new hope in the healing powers of Christ. With a small Christian staff and a team of devoted volunteers, CLI maintains a low overhead, ensuring that the bulk of our resources go directly to the prisons we support. Our success depends on the prayers and generosity of individual donors as well as local churches, foundations and Christian publishers.
The Bible you sent and my starting studies have born unexpected fruit. Some inmates have asked me to organize a Bible Study group. If you have any suggestions for group study I would welcome your input. Yours in Christ, Inmate George, Canton, GA
It may not generate sales, but it may save souls…
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I got an interview! Now what?
July 27th, 2009 by Tina JacobsonYour publicity strategy is beginning to pay off, and the interview requests are rolling in.
Before you take your message to the airwaves, here are some things to consider:
- Review the contents of your book, making note of the specific passages that support your messaging points.
- Your main message should be simple, short and memorable. Be prepared to present both a 30-second and a 60-second version.
- Look over your list of suggested questions so you won’t be caught by surprise.
- Tailor your message to the specific audience. For Christian markets, you need not traffic in “God Talk.” Most in the audience are Christians, so you are “preaching to the choir.” Those listening who aren’t Christians will appreciate hearing what you are saying without being beaten over the head.
- Whether the host is serious and hard-nosed or laid-back, take your cues from his or her tone.
- Match the personality of the people to whom you are talking. (The listeners’ personalities are probably similar.) Studies show that sales increase if listenerscan relate to the person who is talking to them.
- If your interview will be conducted via phone, you will need to use a landline—no cell phones or cordless phones. Choose a quiet room, and turn off call waiting (*70) before the interview.
- If the interview will occur on television, choose attire that is mid-tone or dark SOLID in color (i.e. purples, greens or blues). Pastels also work well on camera.
Some general things to avoid in any interview include:
- Do not constantly “sell” the message of your book or ministry. Make the interview interesting by providing usable or encouraging information about your ministry.
- Do not say “my ministry” or “my book,” but refer to the ministry name or book title. This helps the audience to remember who you are or what you have written.
- Do not cancel confirmed interviews unless it’s an emergency. Keep in mind that the station is graciously giving you time to promote your ministry and message, so you want to make the most of the given opportunity.
Think of each interview as a conversation. The more interesting you are, the more interesting the subject becomes, the more interested the audience is in the book, and the more books you sell in the end.
Perhaps most importantly, be relaxed, be prepared, and BE YOURSELF!
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Twitter Marketing: Joining the Conversation
June 26th, 2009 by Kimberly Brock
Twitter has become one of the newest social media tools to hit the Internet providing marketers, bloggers and Internet users a new means to communicate. Even though I had worked in marketing for many years, I have to admit–I was more than reluctant to explore yet one more shiny new Internet tool. Once I did, my head virtually exploded with the possibilities Twitter offers.
From a simple question, “What are you doing?” Twitter connects you with friends, family, coworkers, colleagues and potential customers. In 140 characters or less, I am able to keep my “followers” (those who subscribe to my Twitter feed) updated on my life. For example, I may post that I am having a business lunch in regards to a new product release. I generally tweet about my life, what I am doing professionally, when I am traveling, links to articles that may interest my followers and join in the general Twitter discussion.
If you have been hesitant to join in the Twitter phenomenon, here are some tips to get your started:
- Go to Twitter.com and sign up for an account. If you are doing this for business, it is advisable to use your real name.
- Create your profile page and post a photo of you. You will also want to write up a small bio. Do also link any other pertinent information such as personal and professional websites, blog, linked-in page and any recent write-ups. I do recommend creating a custom background for your page. The website twitterbackgrounds.com has a great selection of FREE designs to choose from. The more people get to know you as an individual, the more likely they are going to return to you or click through to see what you are working on.
- The next big question is “Who do I follow?” You want to start with friends, family, coworkers, and colleagues [Ed- and @BelieversPress too!]. Then go to wefollow.com. WeFollow is a directory of Twitter subscribers. You want to follow tweeple who have similar interests. Twitter, after all, is a social media tool; finding people with similar interests will help facilitate meaningful conversation. [Ed: Check out the ECPA tag for people in the Christian publishing industry]
- Next, I recommend visiting crazybob.org/twubble. “Twubble” is a service developed by Google software engineer Bob Lee. It recommends new Twitter friends to you based upon whom your friends follow. This is a great means of increasing your Twitter bubble (twubble). I have found many great Twitter feeds to subscribe to from this site. [Ed: Mr. Tweet is another popular service that recommends followers]
- Do enter in the conversation. Do not bombard followers with constant posts about your product. Ensure that the content for which you are posting is relevant, interesting and noteworthy so that your subscribers look forward to your posts. It is incredibly tempting as a marketer to want to get the greatest visibility for my product, but posting spam too frequently will turn off my followers and they will no longer click through.
- Encourage conversation. Twitter is not just a source for content. Try posting a thought provoking question, run a survey, or get honest feedback to an idea you have been kicking around. Ask questions that encourage your followers to engage with you.
- Follow relevant Twitter feeds. If I find someone who consistently posts interesting content, I will comment and let them know. This introduces them to my existence and that builds traffic for my campaign as well.
Still need a little nudge to get started on Twitter?
You may want to check out the June 2009 issue of Time Magazine that features an article titled, “How Twitter Will Change the Way We Live.”
Excerpt:
Today the language of advertising is dominated by the notion of impressions: how many times an advertiser can get its brand in front of a potential customer’s eyeballs, whether on a billboard, a Web page or a NASCAR hood. But impressions are fleeting things, especially compared with the enduring relationships of followers. Successful businesses will have millions of Twitter followers (and will pay good money to attract them), and a whole new language of tweet-based customer interaction will evolve to keep those followers engaged: early access to new products or deals, live customer service, customer involvement in brainstorming for new products.
If you would like to follow me, you can find me at @kimberlybrock
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If you know He has given you a message that needs to be written, then write it. If you’ve had some work published but lately you’ve gotten lazy, you need to recommit yourself to your writing ministry. Prayerfully set some measurable goals and get to work.
— , Write His Answer
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