How Not to Launch a New Book

This video is a funny take on the whole book promotion agony that many authors experience...enjoy!

Author Platform - More Important than Ever

If you’ve followed the headlines in the Christian publishing trade (CBA), then you know the industry is undergoing serious change. What does this change mean to you as an author? Growing your platform is more important than ever. Here’s why:

• More Christian bookstores are closing down.
• Most CBA publishers are experiencing sluggish book sales.
• Most CBA publishers are reducing the number of new titles they publish each year.
• Last month, Thomas Nelson (the largest CBA publisher) pulled out of the ICRS trade show, cut frontlist titles in half, and laid off 10% of it workforce.

This news has a lot of authors worried about their future. Some writers wonder if publishers will overlook the first-time or up-and-coming authors. Others worry that their books won’t get published if they can’t guarantee that over 50,000 copies will be sold. In other words, will sales trump craft? You can ponder this dilemma all day long. Instead, I suggest you take a deep breath and ask yourself this question, “What can I do to grow my author platform?”

Publishers no longer have the money or staff resources to market all of the books that they publish. More and more, they lean on the authors to help promote their books. Some authors complain that this treatment is unfair, because they’d rather stay in their writer's cave and churn out books. They think the publisher should do all of the marketing. Well, those days are long gone, and will probably never return. If you’re going to succeed as an author in this new age of publishing, then you must constantly improve your platform-building skills.

I know a lot of authors who think personal book marketing is ungodly or a waste of their time. But, here’s the irony…if you learn how to sell your books better, then you encourage more people with your message, plus you increase your income. In addition, you give your writing career a fighting chance, and you help your publisher succeed in a very competitive industry. So, what’s not to like about building a bigger platform? Yes, it’s hard work, but everybody wins.

Growing your author platform is no longer a luxury that you do in your spare time. Instead, it’s a necessity that every author needs to invest in with their time and money. Smart authors spend several hours each week focused solely on promoting their books.

At WildFire Marketing, I spend every day teaching authors how to build larger platforms. So, you’re probably thinking, “Okay, help me out…give me some tips to get started.” Here’s a few recent success stories from some of my clients that I hope inspire you:

Leslie Vernick, author of The Emotionally Destructive Relationship, flexed her platform-building muscles to help her new book go into a fifth printing in less than 8 months! Her efforts included activities, such as sending out audience-focused newsletters, revamping her website, using her expertise to garner regular exposure on national radio, speaking at churches and major conferences in front of influential leaders. Her publisher is ecstatic with strong frontlist sales that she’s helped create.

Mary Southerland, author of five books, re-energized her platform by capturing hundreds of new newsletter subscribers each month, revamping her website with free resources, creating a brand that separated her from the crowd, booking several new speaking engagements, and lining up six radio interviews by herself. All of these efforts helped her sell over 700 books on her own in less than 15 weeks! Her publisher was excited to see her backlist titles come back to life.

Johnny Parker, author of Blueprints for Marriage, sent out one newsletter geared to church leaders and never imagined what would happen. One church called and booked Johnny for a weekend event at his full fee. During his event, the audience responded to his message, and purchased over $3,000 worth of his books and resources. And, within a few weeks, the same church called and re-booked Johnny for another big event nine months later!

All of these authors realized that when you invest in building your platform, it produces a positive cycle with multiple benefits. You sell more books, strengthen your career as an author, and generate the income to keep growing.

So, what are you doing to build your platform?

Is Your Book in Family Christian Stores?

Last week, I blogged about how to find out if your book is in-stock at Barnes & Noble bookstores. Click here to read that post.

Today, I have good news that you can also determine if your book is on the shelf at Family Christian Stores, the largest retail chain of Christian books. They have over 300 U.S. stores in over 37 states.

Similar to the Barnes & Nobles online process, go to Family's website and type in your book's title in the "Search" box at the top of their webpage. If your book title appears, then click on the link that takes you to that's book information page. When you get there, you will see a small box on the right that says, "Enter your zip code to find it in a store near you." Type in a Zip Code, and click on the "Go" button. Then, you'll see a page that lists stores near you. Under each store location, it will either say, "In-stock" or "Out of stock".

As mentioned in my previous blog post, these kinds of inventory tracking tools are a great way to find out if your publisher got good distribution for your book. Keep in mind that America is a large place, and Family has over 300 stores. So, if your book is new, then it may take a few months for your title to appear.

If you’d like to check on the in-stock status of your book, I’ve provided a list of Zip Codes from some of the largest CBA markets in the U.S.

Atlanta – 30338
Chicago – 60610
Dallas – 75201
Denver – 80211
Houston – 77024
Nashville – 37234
Orlando – 32805
St. Louis – 63128
Washington D.C. – 22102

What if your book is listed everywhere as "Out of Stock"? First, don't get mad, and don't send your publisher a mean email. That won't solve anything, and there could be many reasons why your book isn't available. However, make a mental note that you need to kick up your personal author marketing a notch to build more awareness for your book. If you don't, then your book may have a very short life.

Many authors have resurrected bookstore distribution through their personal marketing efforts. The key question is are you willing to work hard to get your message out (speaking, newsletters, blogging, website improvements, trade shows, etc.) It takes a lot to make a book successful. Bookstore distribution is just part of the battle. Focus on the marketing tactics that you can control. And, let your passion for your book keep you moving forward.

Is Your Book in Barnes & Noble?

Half of the battle to good book sales is bookstore distribution. Since 70% of bookstore purchases are impulse buys, then it’s important for your book to be on the shelf. Customers don’t like to hear, “We don't have it, but we can order it for you in 5 – 10 days.”

But, how do you know if your book is on the shelves at Barnes & Noble, the largest book retailer in America? Fortunately, they offer a cool feature on their website (www.BarnesandNoble.com), called “Find It in Our Stores.” To use this feature, search for your book in the Barnes & Noble database. When it appears, go to your book’s individual webpage, and find the box that says “Enter a Zip Code.”

You can use this Zip Code search feature to find out where your book is in-stock at Barnes & Noble stores across the country. This tool is a good way to find out if your publisher successfully got good distribution for your book. Keep in mind that America is a large place, and B&N has almost 800 stores. So, if your book is new, then it may take a few months for your title to appear.

If you’d like to check on the in-stock status of your book, I’ve provided a list of Zip Codes from some of the largest CBA markets in the U.S.

Atlanta – 30338
Chicago – 60610
Dallas – 75201
Denver – 80211
Houston – 77024
Nashville – 37234
Orlando – 32805
St. Louis – 63128
Washington D.C. – 22102

Happy in-stock searching!

Client Success Story - Nancy McGuirk

Nancy McGuirk
Helping Women take God at His Word
Speaker and Author of Rest Assured
Founder of Women's Community Bible Study - Atlanta, GA
www.NancyMcGuirk.com

"I’ve been speaking and writing for over 18 years, but learned mostly by trial and error. After working with Rob Eagar, however, I learned more in a few months than I had learned in years. My confidence and professionalism quickly improved, and the feedback that I receive now is better than ever. Through Rob’s help, I discovered how to:

• Create keynote talks that fulfill leader’s goals and generate referrals.
• Cut my message preparation time in half and work more efficiently.
• Drive more traffic to my website.
• Network with other speakers to increase speaking engagements and product awareness.

Rob had answers to questions that I'd been wrestling with for a long time. He is a wealth of industry knowledge and advice. I recommend his services to speakers and writers at any level."

Lessons Learned at "The Shack"

Wow! I recently finished one of the best pieces of Christian fiction I've read in a long time..."The Shack" by William P. Young. I'm not a big fiction reader, but this book is one of those rare life-changing gems.

I guarantee that this book will give you a new perspective about God, your relationship with Him, and provide answers to that ever-gnawing question, "If God is so loving, then why do bad things still happen?" Here's a brief glimpse at a few other lessons "The Shack" brought home:

1. God loves you more than you think...way more than you think. If we can get this concept through our thick heads, then life takes on a whole new meaning. It's hard to think sometimes that God really loves a screwup like me, but it's true. This book gave me a picture of that truth like nothing I've ever seen.

2. Life is about relationship – period. As Americans, we tend to strive too much to achieve goals, find success, and accumulate wealth. But, without relationship, none of that stuff matters. I was challenged to examine everything I do in the context of relationship. And, not just people, but seeing God more in my everyday relationship with Him.

3. Any pain you’ve experienced can always be redeemed. No if's, and's, or but's about it. Even if you've been victimized, abused, or rejected, there is redemption and healing available to you - if you want it. Actually, I've watched this principle come true throughout my life, but it's still hard to remember sometimes.
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Alright, most of you know that this a marketing blog to help authors and speakers sell more books. So, besides the incredible spiritual lessons that I learned at "The Shack," let me also share some interesting publishing lessons as well:

1. Get your message out - even if other people (or publishers) reject it. Here's the amazing part - "The Shack" is self-published, and it's already sold over 300,000 copies in the first 9 months! (It's Amazon ranking is at #9 at the time of this blog post, and #44 on the CBA retail bestseller list!) Unbelievably, two Christian publishers turned this book down! Bet they're smacking their heads 'bout right now. So, what's the lesson? If you know you've written a message that makes people respond positively, don't let rejection stop you from moving forward.

I experienced this battle with my first book seven years ago. I knew I had something to say that would help people, but I was a "no-name." So, I had to do it myself and start by self-publishing. (I don't recommend self-publishing for everyone, but it's better than a dream dying.) Later on, I got picked up by a great publisher, and the rest is history. But, there were many days early on when I felt like quitting. When you hit those tough spots, don't let the passion for your message die out. God still makes miracles happen.

2. Write something unique that truly helps people. There seems to be too many books these days, especially fiction, that are just an outlet for someone's vain ego, or an attempt to heal their past pain by writing about it. I'm sorry, but that's selfish. If you don't have something to say that really makes people's lives better, then keep it to yourself.

There must be real value in your message in order for it to be marketable. Sure, entertainment provides value. But, go deeper than that, and show your readers redemption, wisdom, inspiration, or advice that improves the condition of their lives. This leads me to my next point...

3. Word-of-mouth is the Key. If you want to sell a lot of books someday, then you've got to create a message good enough to generate strong word-of-mouth. For example, I had two friends urge me to read "The Shack," and I've already bought 5 copies to give away to family and friends.

Word-of-mouth only happens if readers feel like you made their life better. What's a great way to determine if your message has word-of-mouth power? Create several focus groups of people who are willing to give you their honest feedback. I'm not talking about friends and relatives who will tickle your ears. I'm talking about people who've got nothing to lose if they tell you the hard truth. Find those kinds of folks, and give your message a real test.

According to the author, "The Shack" was never intended to be a book. He just wanted to create a good story for his kids. But, when he let a few people view the manuscript, they couldn't keep it to themselves.

If you can't generate serious "buzz" among your focus groups, then you've got to go back to the drawing board. However, if you can get people who barely know you to voluntarily express a desire to tell others about your message, then you're on to something good. Find out what makes your focus group readers excited, and really build on those points.

So, I'm back from "The Shack," and thankful for the lessons learned. I hope they encouraged you as much as me. If you need your own visit to "The Shack", click here.

Is Your Speaking Career Feeling Sickly?

If you’re a speaker, can you tell when your speeches are getting sick? By “sick,” I mean that your message is feeling flat, and you’re losing motivation for your presentations. Some speakers wait until it’s too late before they assess the health of their message. So, here’s a list of symptoms to help you discern if your speeches are losing vitality:

• You rarely get repeat bookings.
• You haven’t raised your speaking fees in the last 2 years.
• You get less than 2 new bookings per month.
• You’re calendar is rarely booked over a year out.
• You struggle to get endorsements from leaders.
• You haven’t developed a new speech in the last 12 months.
• Deep down, you feel mad at God.

Ask yourself is you’re avoiding the reality that your career could be in the doldrums. As a professional, you owe it to your audience to keep your message alive and growing. Don’t wallow in excuses and negativity, such as:

• It’s not my fault…the economy is bad.
• Churches and businesses are cutting their speaker budgets.
• I don’t need help…my message is fine.

Just because you’ve had speaker training doesn’t mean your work is over. You need to continually improve your speaking skills, or you’ll get stale – and your audience will notice. So, consider taking a refresher course, reading books on speaking, joining ToastMasters, or work with a professional speech coach.

Don’t judge the success of your speeches by superficial criteria, such as standing ovations or feedback from friends. Judge yourself by leader responses, booking dates, and your willingness to take on tougher speaking challenges.

If you’re not constantly growing, then you’re stagnant. And, society never stops changing. So, if your message stays idle, then you will get left behind by new styles, new speakers, or new audience formats. For instance, if you’re still relying on PowerPoint, then you're stuck in the dark ages. Modern speakers use powerful video clips, striking visual aids, and interaction to engage the audience.

As a side note: If you’re a Christian speaker, remember that the spread of the Gospel is at stake. You can’t afford to be flippant about your message. So, look yourself in the mirror and decide why you speak. Is it just for the money and attention? Or, is it to truly changes lives and point people to Jesus Christ?

Take this blog post as a friendly “wake-up call” to examine the health of your message. The desire to teach is a noble calling, and public speaking has the power to reach multitudes. But, your message can’t spread like wildfire if it’s become a dying ember.

What Makes a Bestseller?

Every writer dreams of becoming a best-selling author. But, as most of us know, that's a rare achievement that few ever attain. Fortunately, you don't have to be a best-seller to make a decent living as a writer.

Still, I ran across an interesting post from Joe Wickert, the Executive Publisher for Wiley & Sons. It's a few years old, but he gives a good summation of how best-sellers are created. These comments especially caught my attention:

"I feel (author platform is) the single most important ingredient for a bestseller. Sure, placement and promotional activity can boost sales of just about any book. But the sales difference between a book written by an author with a solid platform vs. one with a lesser or no platform is huge. Thanks to all the platform vehicles available these days, authors can help drive more sales than ever before."

Joe's blog is definitely worth reading. Check it out at:

http://jwikert.typepad.com/the_average_joe/2005/02/what_makes_a_be.html