Rich Author / Poor Author and What's the Difference?

Every author wants their book to succeed. Some authors focus so much on writing, though, that they never learn how to make their message work for them. I’m NOT saying that the goal of writing is to get rich. However, if your writing doesn’t become financially self-sustaining, then your influence will be brief. I know authors who wrote great books, but they were forced to quit due to a lack of income. So, use this article to consider if you’re causing your message to shrink or spread like wildfire.

Poor Authors think they only need a Good Book.
Rich Authors know they need a Good Marketing Plan.
Poor authors hope if they write a great book, then it will automatically sell itself. However, this notion is unrealistic when you’re competing with over 100,000 other “great” books published each year. Good writing alone can’t always cut through the noise. Plus, poor authors assume their publisher will do all of the marketing. Yet, cash-strapped publishers usually restrict most of their marketing budgets to the big names.

Rich authors don’t just write good books. They build a good marketing plan around their book to help generate sales. Publishers love authors who clearly define their audience, differentiate their book from the competition, and develop creative ways to promote their message. Click here for a free example of a solid marketing plan.

Poor Authors expect Income only from their Book.
Rich Authors expect Income mostly from Spin-off Products.
Poor authors try to pay their bills by writing as many books as possible. They live off of advances and dream of royalty checks. Yet, few writers can make it on a $1.00 royalty. Sadly, this one-dimensional mindset blinds them to other streams of income. Some authors even think the best way to sell a book is to quickly write another book.

Rich authors realize their book is a pathway to more lucrative opportunities called spin-off products. For example, I used content from my $10 book to create a $150 video study. Remember that people like to learn in varied ways. So, if you limit your message to just a book, then you will limit your income and influence. But, if you focus on meeting the needs of your audience, then the offshoot potential is endless. You could offer speaking seminars, videos, downloads, e-books, audio, coaching sessions, paid newsletters, etc. Ask yourself right now, what new spin-off products could you create from your book?

Poor Authors rely only on Publicity.
Rich Authors rely on Exposure they can Control.
Poor authors rely on publicity to promote their books, such as media interviews, book reviews, and book-signings. Yet, publicity is something you cannot control, because you can’t force someone interview you, review your book, or attend a signing. Worse, competition is fierce for bookstore shelf space and available media slots. In these situations, you’re just one among thousands.

Rich authors still use publicity, but they find ways to market their book as the only choice in front of the buyer. They get exposure that they can control. For instance, when someone reads your newsletter, you’re the only buying option at that time. Good exposure keeps customers focused on your book. You could submit articles to magazines, create an audience-focused website, setup tele-seminars, generate speaking engagements, do your own radio show, create a print or e-newsletter, etc.

Don’t let your book sit in the poor house. Think like a “rich” author and make it work for you.

How Do You Know if Your Speech is Good?

So, you’ve just come off stage to a standing ovation, and you’re feeling pretty good about your speech. Later, as you stand by your resource table shaking hands, several people mention how they think you’re a great speaker. But, are their comments an accurate indicator of your skill level?

The fact is that every speaker gets told they’re the best speaker ever. And, most audience members aren’t going to share negative feedback. So, do audience compliments really tell you if you’re any good? Let’s look at three ways to know if your speech is great:

1. The leader who booked you invites you back.
Most leaders are looking for effective, results-based speakers they can trust. If your speech is good, then leaders know they can count on you. This belief increases the desire to invite you back, because they know good things happen when you’re there. Giving a great presentation causes leaders to want you back. Sure, some leaders may want to skip a year to keep things fresh, but good speakers stay in a leaders mind on a consistent basis – which helps create consistent bookings.

2. The leader who booked you refers you to another leader.
You have a great speech if the person who booked you tells their influential friends how good you are. Leaders talk to their peers and swap stories about speakers. This referral process alone can fill up half of a great speaker’s calendar. Word starts to spread and the phone starts to ring with requests. Is your phone ringing?

3. Another leader in the audience approaches you.
You have a great speech if a different leader in the audience comes up and says, “Here’s my card, I’d like to book you for another event.” It’s one thing for someone to compliment your talk, but it’s different when someone offers to give you money to present your same talk to another group. When you can motivate someone to immediately want you, then you’ve got a great speech.

Great speakers never rest on their laurels. Instead, they invest the time and money to improve their presentations. A dud message can’t spread like wildfire. Ask yourself, what can I do to generate more repeat and referral business? If you feel stuck, give us a call at 1-800-267-2045 or email: Rob@StartaWildFire.com We love helping make good speakers great!

Help with the Southern California Wildfires

At WildFire Marketing, we enjoy helping authors, speakers, and companies spread their message like wildfire. It’s a good thing when beneficial ideas take over a cultural landscape.

However, we are saddened by the recent tragedy of real wildfires that destroyed lives and property in Southern California. Please join with us in prayer and financial assistance to help the victims recover and begin life anew. To make a donation, go to:

www.SamaritansPurse.org
www.RedCross.org

Help us spread the message of hope!

Inside Secrets from the Uber Agent

Chip MacGregor is one of the top Christian literary agents. I call him the "Uber-Agent," because he has such a wealth of CBA experience. He also writes a great blog and recently talked about the lousy marketing strategies employed by most Christian publishers. I couldn’t help but pass along his insightful comments:

More than half of the books released every year in CBA have zero marketing efforts planned for them. Look, the dirty little secret of CBA marketing is that there's really only ONE marketing plan. It's true -- they just keep changing the cover page and passing the document around between publishers and authors.

Here's their plan: "We're going to send a half-dozen copies to those Christian magazines you don't read. Then, we're going to send the other half-dozen to the Christian TV shows you don't watch -- the ones where the people all have big hair and cry a lot. Next, we're going to set you up to do talk shows during the early morning drive time slot in every city of less than 30,000 people. We may send out copies of entire chapters to magazines, so they've got something to fill up their recycling bins. And, then we'll create a cool press kit that has an actual color image of your book cover, as well as generic author questions any moron can parrot so that he doesn't have to actually read your book. Oh -- and we'll talk to you about the internet, though we're not sure it really exists, since we don't use it for much of anything. Then, we'll claim it cost us tens of thousands of dollars to market your book."

Therefore, what sort of marketing would I suggest to an author? First, I'd suggest taking control of marketing their own book. Put aside that old-fashioned notion that the publisher is going to market your book for you, and start learning what you can do to help get the word out. Second, I'd suggest some field research -- who is the audience for your book? What's the best way to reach them? Third, I'd start checking out the creative ideas people are using on the web. It's the place to buy books.

Another area is one that authors could work harder at: Articles. There are newspapers, magazines, and e-zines all over the world, and they're all looking for content. Yet, I don't see authors taking their work and reshaping it a dozen times, for a dozen different e-zines, in order to get the word out about their book. It's probably the most under-utilized marketing method out there. Why won't most authors do this? Because it means actual work, and let's face it...most writers are basically lazy.

Wow - great insights from the Uber-Agent! As I've mentioned before, the burden of book marketing falls on the author’s shoulders. That’s why WildFire Marketing exists – to help you spread your message in the best ways possible!

Don't Play Hide & Seek with Your Customers

While surfing the web this week, I visited several author/speaker websites and noticed an alarming problem. Whenever these individuals offered a free PDF resource to download from their website - the PDF documents were devoid of any contact information! That's right...nothing, nada, no website address, no phone number, no nuthin'. That's a big mistake.

Whenever you offer any kind of resource from your website, ALWAYS INCLUDE YOUR FULL CONTACT INFORMATION. And, if my shouting all-cap font isn't enough to convince you, then here's three reasons why:

1. Leaving off your contact information makes you look like a forgetful amateur. All the pros cover their marketing bases, which means they make sure anyone can always find them. You should, too.

2. If someone downloads a resource from your website to read later, but you didn't list your contact info - then they may forget where they got the information from - which means you just lost a potential sale.

3. Most important: Many people may download resources from your website to give to a friend (this is called "Word-of-Mouth" - the holy grail of marketing). But, if you don't include your contact information, then the new person can't find you - which means you just lost another potential sale.

Contact information, people! Put it on everything, and don't be stingy...include your website address, phone number (preferably a toll-free number), email address, and mailing address (or P.O. Box). Don't play hide-and-seek with your customers. People can't buy your stuff if they can't find you.

The Danger of Clichés

"Sought-after speaker"; "Award-winning author";
"Master Story-teller"; "Changing the World"

Nothing kills your marketing materials faster than using a bunch of cliches. Yet, most speakers and authors litter their promotional items with these types of nebulus phrases. Why? Because it's easier to use cliches to fill up space, rather than spend serious time thinking about your audience and their specific needs.

Clichés sound bad because they're statements with a lack of motivation attached to them...that's why they come across as vague or trite. Sometimes, we write vague marketing text because we don’t really believe in our own message. So, if we avoid offering tangible benefits or a guarantee, then we think it lets us off the hook. All it really does, however, is diminish our credibility.

Avoid cliches by answering these questions on behalf of your audience: "What is the benefit for them?" or "What specific life change do I want to make happen for them?" Employ marketing text that gives your audience the motivation to listen to your speeches and read your books.

Cliches = bad; Specific benefits = good!!

Are You a Selfish Speaker (or Writer)?

When was the last time you reviewed your bio, back book cover, or description of your keynote speeches? What did it say? If you’re like the average Christian speaker or writer, your marketing text may be working against you.

After reviewing the websites for over 100 Christian communicators, I’ve noticed a strange pattern. Most marketing text focuses on self-praise of the speaker or a self-centered look into the writer’s life. Granted, many of these people are just copying what they see others do. However, if you make this same mistake, you could turn off website visitors, influential leaders, and potential customers.

Here’s the point: Your audience doesn’t care about how great you are. They care about what great things you can do for them. If someone visits your website and never grasps the results you can provide, they might never visit again (or spread crucial word-of-mouth).

Telling people that you’re a certified speaker or an award-winning author can lend to your credibility. However, accolades by themselves are empty descriptions that make your audience say, “So what? Who cares?” Worse, filling your bio with words, such as “authentic, hilarious, and sought-after” is so cliché that it makes you look like an amateur.

All human beings are self-centered, but Christians should be more “others-focused” than secular communicators. If we’re indwelt by Jesus Christ (the most selfless individual ever), then our marketing should make it apparent that we think about our neighbor’s needs.

How do you transform your marketing from selfish to selfless? Explain up-front how your message benefits other people. Why? If someone pays money to buy your book or hear you speak, then you’re obligated to give something beneficial in return. The benefit could be new wisdom, new motivation, an emotional release, or specific answers to a problem.

Yet, most speakers come across as if the audience should feel privileged to sit in their midst. Don’t make this marketing blunder. Instead, describe the tangible benefits you offer people, and build that information into your bio, website, and media brochure.

To determine the benefits you offer people, consider why you started writing or speaking in the first place. Then, ask yourself these questions:

1. Has God truly given me something unique to say? What is it?
2. Have I experienced the benefit of my own message? Would a skeptic believe me?
3. Who stands to gain the most from what I have to say? Why?
4. If someone applies the message of my book, how will their life be different?
5. What result do I want people to experience after they hear me speak?

Don’t be a selfish Christian speaker or writer. Make yourself sought-after and award-winning by marketing yourself as someone who meets the needs of your audience.

Cool Web Resources

Authors: Is your book in libraries?
www.WorldCat.org offers a free search tool that lets you find all of the libraries where your book is available. This site won't help you grow your personal sales. But, it's a good way to see what kind of marketing exposure you're getting through libraries.

Speakers: Find cheap flights faster!
www.SideStep.com searches all of the travel websites for the best deals, then lets you book directly with the carrier. This website saves me time over Orbitz, Expedia, and Travelocity. I like how SideStep gives you up-front pricing, then lets you narrow your search by departure times...very helpful!