Over the course of the last 29 days of Write Nonfiction in November (WNFIN) blog posts, one thing struck me over and over again: The publishing world changes almost daily.
I know most writers know this. They just don’t always get what it means to them and to their ability to succeed as authors. And if they get it, they don’t want to change with the changing times so they can, in fact, succeed. By success I mean becoming a published author with a book that sells well.
This year I finally landed a traditional publishing deal. I’ve self-published nine short books and workbooks, but my blog, How to Blog a Book will be released as How to Blog a Book: Write, Publish and Promote Your Work One Post at a Time in late April or early May by Writer’s Digest Books and is now available for presale on Amazon. I managed to land this contract in large part by embracing all the changes in the publishing world over the last 10 years or so—and by transforming myself into more than just a writer.
I can remember the first proposal I sent out. Despite the fact that I was a newbie to book publishing, it received high marks. Agents and publishers alike commended me on the actual proposal, idea, title, and writing. However, after all the positive feedback came the dreaded word: but. “But you don’t have a platform.”
In those days—about 10 years ago—platform was the new buzz word. I’d never heard it before. And it took me about two years before I really began to embrace it wholeheartedly, before I really began to do what it takes to build platform. I put on my speaker’s hat and began to speaking to groups.
As the Internet took hold, I had someone create a website for me. Later I became my own webmaster, and now many days I wear a webmaster’s hat. Then came Facebook followed closely by the other social networks. I put on a social networker’s and marketer’s hat, and I wear it much of every day. And blogging fell into step. I am a blogger writing, managing and publishing five blogs. That also makes me a self-publisher, and as self-publishing print books and ebooks become more popular, I became a publisher of these as well wearing my self-publisher’s hat for these roles and tasks. Then came YouTube, podcasts, ezine marketing, teleseminars, webinars…I wear some of the hats associated with these, too.
I admit I haven’t been able to keep pace with all the changes. I’m just learning how to post a podcast. My too-fancy video camera keeps me from posting video to YouTube, my lousy Internet connection precludes doing webinars, but I have done as much as I felt able—more than many writers.
I don’t say this with any sense of ego. I say this from experience. Because I meet these writers at conferences where I speak and at workshops I teach. They call me or email me every day. They tell me they haven’t put on these hats—nor do they want to in most cases.
Here’s the deal. A new publishing world requires a new type of writer—a writer who is more than just a writer. It takes more than just a good idea and good writing to get a book published today. You must also be a good business person and wear a business person’s hat. Along with that hat comes a promoter’s hat, and under that a social networker’s hat, a speaker’s hat, a press release writer’s hat, etc. You may also need to wear those other hat’s I mentioned, such as a blogger’s hat or a webmaster’s hat. Or else you will need to hire someone to do these things for you—but some of these hats you will simply need to wear. Period.
You must transform yourself to meet the demands of the publishing industry—if you want to succeed, if you want to land a traditional publishing deal or sell a lot of self-published books. That requires wearing more than a writer’s hat. That requires embracing all the jobs and all the technology of the new world in which publishing—and your potential readers—operate.
As agent Michael Larsen, author of How to Get an Agent, says, “Now is the best time to be a writer.” But for some writers it feels like the worst time. The constantly changing technology of this era offers numerous opportunities for aspiring (and published) authors—or obstacles depending upon your perspective. You must decide to be more than a writer or to achieve your goals of becoming not just an aspiring author but a published author. And you have to be more than an author to become a successful author—one that sells more than the average 300 books per year. (Yes, that’s the average number.)
Like me, you must embrace the changes in the publishing world and transform yourself into more than just a writer. Are you ready to do this? How badly do you want to succeed? Badly enough to do what it takes—no matter what? Ask yourself those questions. The answers are important.
Here are the five things I suggest you do if you want to transform yourself into a new writer for the new publishing age:
- Be a good business partner. Remember that publishing is a business. Gone are the days when a publisher would take a chance on a new writer, offer a huge advance and put a ton of promotional time and money into making that first book a success. In addition to great ideas and great writing, publishers want great business partners—ones that can help sell books.
- Get social. Despite the fact that many writers tend to be antisocial—or shy, reserved or introverted, to succeed you must be willing to get out and connect with other people—people who will one day buy your book. If you don’t like doing this in person, you are in luck. Today the Internet offers myriads of ways to connect with people by simply showing a picture of yourself and writing status updates, sharing links and your wisdom. You can write, write, write, which you know how to do, as a way to connect. And don’t balk at the people wanting to connect with you; that’s the point!
- Embrace technology. Move through your fear. Instead of hiding behind the thought that you can’t understand or manage Facebook or a blog or your website, get help, take a tutorial, hire an expert, or simply dive in for a week. Before you know it, you’ll be a techie, too!
- See every obstacle as an opportunity. It’s all about attitude. If you think it’s going to be hard, it will be. If you think you can’t do it, you won’t be able to. But if you see all the changes in the industry and the technological advances as opportunities to help you succeed, you’ll jump at them faster than a jack rabbit. And you’ll be a published author before you know it.
- Make choices. The changing world and industry have created tons of choices. You don’t have to do everything or be everywhere. You’ll drive yourself crazy if you think you do. Pick and choose what works best for you and your work. Start small and build up to some of the other options. Add things into your tool box after you’ve mastered others. Take your time; don’t feel rushed.
If I hadn’t taken my own advice I wouldn’t be where I am today, I wouldn’t have my traditional publishing deal. Because I embraced technology—blogging, took the opportunity I saw in the blog-to-book trend and blogged a book about how to make the most of this trend, and used everything I had learned about promoting myself (building platform) and my work (my blogs) on the Internet using social networking, ezine marketing, on-line press releases, teleseminars, etc., I became a more than just a writer. I became a good business partner for a publisher. I became a new writer for a new age.
Today marks the final day of the 2011 Write Nonfiction in November (WNFIN) challenge and blog. As the final event I’ll be interviewing agent and author Michael Larsen today at 5 p.m. PT/8 p.m. PT on a topic related to this blog post: “Content, Character & Connection: Becoming a Successful Writer in a Bottom-Up World.”
If you want to learn how to transform yourself, if you want to find out what you need to know to take advantages of the opportunities the new age of publishing hold for you (and to not see them as obstacles to success), register for this FREE WNFIN finale teleseminar. You can do so here.
During the teleseminar we’ll be asking some important questions you need to consider as you think about your own transformation—and your path to success as a writer. Whether you register for the teleseminar or not, ask yourself:
- What perspective do you need on writing, agents, technology, promotion, and publishing to succeed?
- Do you need to change your perspective in order to succeed in today’s publishing world?
- Do you know how to build the platform and communities you must have to sell your work?
- Do you know where to get the best editor, publisher, and deal for your books?
Also, beyond putting the right words down on paper in the right order, do you have the character it takes to become a successful writer in the new age of publishing? According to Michael, “Character is the set of qualities you need to be effective as a writer.” To be effective you must not only write well, you must get your write read—published. Do you have these characteristics? Do you know what they are?
And, do you know how to connect with and relate to all of the people you need or want in your professional life? Today there are so many ways to connect—and to connect with people who heretofore where unreachable.
Michael has been many things to me: agent, mentor, colleague, and friend. I’m so excited to interview him today. Join us on the call and get the information you need to move forward and achieve your goals. Register here.
After today you can find the same great information you’ve receive during WNFIN at its sister blog, Write Nonfiction NOW! I hope you’ll visit it Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays, when I post new content there. By continuing to read about how to write, publish and promote your nonfiction you can support your self in becoming the new writer for the new age and succeeding in reaching your writing goals.
I hope you met your November writing goals—and the challenge WNFIN offered you. I hope you learned something in these 30 days of blogs posts you can use to help you succeed as a writer. I also hope you were able to combine your passion and your purpose and get inspired to move on in December to edit your finished WNFIN project and get it published. Please let me know if you do.
Also, if you got something out of this month’s WNFIN blog posts, and if you are a Write Nonfiction NOW! reader, please take the time to vote for the blogs in two very important contests. Getting on either list would give my blogs much more recognition and exposure, which would help me get the information I offer on how to write, publish and promote nonfiction out to more people.
1. The 6th Annual Top 10 Blogs for Writers Contest
I’d love it if you would nominate my blog for the Top 10 Blogs for Writers Contest, the blogosphere’s biggest contest for writing blogs.
To do so, click here for instructions. The blog url you will need to include is www.writenonfictionow.com (Write Nonfiction in NOW!), and mention Write Nonfiction in November, its sister blog. Write Nonfiction NOW! functions 11 months out of the year and then dovetails with Write Nonfiction in November during one month of the year–November–while the challenge takes place.
2. Writer’s Digest‘s 101 Best Websites for Writers
I’d also be very appreciative if you would vote both www.writenonfictioninnovember.
Thank you so much for participating in WNFIN 2011! May you Achieve More Inspired Results in the final month of 2011 and in the New Year!
About the Author
Nina Amir, Your Inspiration-to-Creation Coach, inspires writers to create the results they desire—published products and careers as writers and authors. She the author of the forthcoming book, How to Blog a Book: Write, Publish and Promote Your Work One Post at a Time (Writer’s Digest Books, April 2012) and the popular workbook, How to Evaluate Your Book for Success. Additionally, she is a freelance editor, and writing, book, blogging, and author coach who blogs at Write Nonfiction NOW and How to Blog a Book and writes the National Jewish Issues and the National Self-Improvement columns for www.examiner.com. She is also the founder of Write Nonfiction in November, a challenge and blog, and the weekly writing and publishing expert on Michael Ray Dresser’s popular radio show Dresser After Dark. Find out more about her at ninaamir.com or at www.copywrightcommunications.com .
Posted in How to succedd as a writer the business of writing Writing Tips by .
Yesterday’s post showed us how savvy writers today can utilize the Internet to help them research, write and promote their books. Today we look at how the Internet has changed how readers find those books. In the quickly-changing publishing world—and the even-more-quickly-changing world of book readers—authors have to realize that sometimes the efforts they make to promote their books…well…simply don’t have the hoped for impact.
Why? Because these days readers spend most of their time in Cyberspace searching out information on their interests and seeking out the advice of experts and opinions of others. In the process, they may—or may not—discover you and your book.
My colleague Mark Coker, founder of Smashwords, an ebook distributor, wrote this final guest blog post of the 2011 Write Nonfiction in November (WNFIN) challenge. In it he explains why authors might need to stop focusing so much attention on marketing and rely more on discovery—a new term for a new publishing age. He also explains why it can take longer for a book to get discovered than typically is given to a print book.
I see, however, how employing many of the tools we have learned in previous WNFIN guest posts about promotion on the Internet can actually make authors more discoverable. So, after you read this post, you might want to go back and reread some of the previous ones on websites for authors, blogging, social networking, etc.
And don’t forget to register for Wednesday’s WNFIN finale teleseminar with author and agent Michael Larsen on How to Become a Successful Writer in a Bottom-Up World at 5 p.m. PT/8 p.m. PT.
Rethinking Book Marketing: Why Discovery Matters More
By Mark Coker
Marketing isn’t as important as people think it is. I know this statement might strike some as sacrilegious.
Here’s the problem: Great marketing will raise awareness about your book and motivate readers to buy it. But great marketing is expensive and extremely difficult to pull off. We all know authors who invested thousands of dollars in marketing, never to earn the money back in book sales.
In the old days of print publishing, the author and publisher would launch their marketing campaigns to coincide with the book’s arrival at brick and mortar retailers. Most conventional campaigns included advertising, radio interviews and book signings. If things went well, the book would start jumping off shelves, stores would order more books, publishers would print more books, and everyone was happy.
Unfortunately, most books flopped, and stores would ship their unsold inventory back to the publisher for a full refund. Many of these so-called flops were actually great books that simply weren’t given enough time to find their readers.
Marketing is merely a catalyst for sales. Like any true catalyst, catalysts help start the fire but they can’t sustain it. The word-of-mouth spawned by passionate readers is what propels books to go on to become best-sellers.
With the rise of online retailers and their unlimited shelf pace, and the corresponding decline of brick and mortar retailers, the rules are changing. With the advent of self-publishing and the democratized distribution to online bookstores enjoyed by self-published authors, books no longer need go out of print. This means books have more time to build fans and readership.
In this new age of the immortal book, marketing will take a back seat to discovery. What is discovery? Discovery is the method by which readers discover your book.
A couple months ago, I ran a survey over at MobileRead, the popular online community of ebook readers. I asked readers to name their single favorite method of discovering the ebooks they purchase. I presented them with 12 options, one of which was “other,” and they were allowed to select one answer only. The results were surprising, and the lessons gleaned from this survey paint an encouraging picture for authors, especially new, unknown authors.
I first published the findings along with a pie chart at the Smashwords Blog. Here, I’ll summarize the key results:
- Readers trust their online communities more than immediate friends and family – 28 percent of survey respondents said they prefer to discover books by listening to the recommendations of their fellow online readers in message boards and blogs. This contrasts with only 7 percent who said they prefer to learn about new books from immediate friends and family. Why the disparity? In the online realm, it’s easy to find hyper-focused online communities that share your same passion for your favorite genre.
- The author is the brand, and brand matters – The #2 method of discovery, cited by 18 percent of respondents, was readers searching for books from their favorite authors. This speaks to the importance of author as brand. Once you earn the trust of readers and they know you’ll honor their time with a great read, they will search out your other books.
- Random browsing is big – The rest of the survey’s answers were distributed across the remaining answers, with none garnering more than 7 percent of the vote. However, if you look carefully, taken in the aggregate, you learn that 27 percent of reader answers relate to random discovery. Readers browse for books. They’re looking for something to grab them. The following are all random browsing methods: I browse book covers, and if it grabs me I investigate further (7 percent); I browse randomly then look at reviews (7 percent); I read free ebooks, and if I like the authors I buy their other titles (5 percent); I browse paper books at brick and mortar bookstores, then search for the ebook online (4 percent); I’ll sample anything, and if it grabs me I’ll download/buy it (4 percent). Most other answers involve some element of random browsing.
My survey is not without its flaws. As mentioned above, I posed the question in an online community, so their answers aren’t necessarily reflective of all readers. I limited the options to 12 answers, and I didn’t allow multiple choices. I didn’t give respondents the option to specify if their answers would change based on whether they’re searching for fiction or non-fiction.
My survey flaws aside, I think the results provide important lessons for authors. It’s clear, for example, that authors can utilize multiple touch points to reach readers. The results also indicate that much of book discovery is about the readers finding you, not you finding the readers (thus my argument that marketing is not as important as some think).
How you can put these survey findings to use:
- Your book is your most effective marketing tool. Write a book that touches the reader’s soul and the reader will market your book for you though online word-of-mouth and reviews
- Target the online communities. A large portion of readers look to their online communities – whether it be MobileRead, Goodreads, LibraryThing, Facebook, or a specialty community – for book recommendations
- Distribution is important. The majority of book discovery, for ebooks at least, is happening in the online stores. If your book isn’t available in all the major online stores, then readers cannot stumble across it when they’re randomly browsing.
- Book covers matter. Your cover image should be as good or better than the covers from large publishers. The cover image should represent your book, and appeal to your target audience.
- Leverage free. A small portion of readers read free books first, and if your book makes them happy, they will seek out your other titles to purchase. If you only have one title, consider making it free for a limited time, like 30-60 days, so you can build readership and reviews.
- The survey reveals the many triggers that cause a reader to download and sample your book, such as the cover image, the book description, etc. Think about how all these triggers work in unison. Each factor is an opportunity to draw the reader in. But also think about the opposite. There’s a warning here. In the comments over at MobileRead, readers made it clear that the same factors, poorly executed by you, can squander your potential success and cause the reader to click away. For example, an unprofessional book cover image is an instant turn-off. Typos in a book description are a turnoff. Books that are not well edited and proofed, another turnoff.
Bottom line: consider all the things you can do to make your book more available, more discoverable and more enticing to readers.
About the Author
Mark Coker is the founder of Smashwords, an ebook distributor serving the Apple iBookstore, Barnes & Noble, Sony, Kobo and the Diesel eBook Store. Mark is also the author of the Smashwords Style Guide (how to format and publish an ebook), the Smashwords Book Marketing Guide (how to market any book), The 10 Minute PR Checklist (PR strategy for entrepreneurs), and Boob Tube, a novel he co-wrote with his wife that explores the wild and wacky world of daytime television soap operas.
Like this blog? Vote it one of Writer’s Digest‘s 101 Best Websites for Writers. Learn how here.
It’s a new world out there for nonfiction writers of all sorts who want to get published. If you’ve been reading the last week’s worth of posts here on this blog about promotion and marketing, you’ve gotten just an inkling of what it takes to succeed—and it’s not just a good idea and good writing. Successful writers today think outside the box, act outside the box…crush the box. They use all the new-fangled tools on the Internet available to them to ensure they and their work(s) succeed.
With just three days left to Write Nonfiction in November (WNFIN), I’d like to focus on helping writers take advantage of the changing publishing environment. That’s why on the last day of the challenge, Nov. 30, at 5 p.m. PT/8 p.m. ET, I’ll be interviewing agent and author Michael Larsen for the WNFIN finale teleseminar on How to Become a Successful Writer in a Bottom-Up World. Register for this teleseminar here.
With so many books being sold online, and ebooks sales continuing to rise, tomorrow Mark Coker, CEO and founder of Smashwords, an ebook publisher and distributor, will discuss the new ways in which readers are finding books online.
Today, however, we’re going to see how a savvy write can use social networking to help research, write and market a book. I’m so pleased to feature a guest post from my friend Philippa Gamse, whose book, 42 Rules for a Web Presence That Wins
LinkedIn: A Great Tool for Business Authors
By Philippa Gamse
There’s a lot of buzz about LinkedIn as a premier resource for recruiters and job-seekers.
But don’t overlook LinkedIn as an excellent tool for writing and promoting your business book. Here’s how LinkedIn helped me both pre- and post-publication of my recent book 42 Rules for a Web Presence That Wins: Essential Business Strategy for Website and Social Media Success
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Research and expert interviews: I follow several LinkedIn groups in my field of web strategy, including “Web Governance” and “Web Managers.” These groups are full of high-quality discussions, and, therefore, attract high-caliber members.
While I was writing my book, I monitored topics of interest to me. On several occasions I contacted the author of an especially pertinent post and requested further details for a quote, case study or full interview. I was never turned down.
As a result, I have examples in my book from companies, associations or experts that I didn’t previously know. I was able to expand my horizons and understanding, and, of course, these contributors are now in my network of connections.
Soliciting endorsements: In my experience, email sent via LinkedIn almost always receives a response and is very unlikely to be classified as spam. Since it’s a requirement of membership to provide a valid and working email address, using LinkedIn is a highly reliable method of contact. I always use it when approaching someone for the first time or when my communication is important and unexpected.
I was honored to receive some phenomenal endorsements for my book, including several from prominent figures in my field that I approached through LinkedIn. I used either InMail for an existing connection or sent an invitation to connect to someone new with a cover note explaining my purpose. Once we were connected, I could correspond with them further and obtain their agreement to proceed. (I’d never invite a new connection without a personal message).
Marketing and promotion: Now that the book has been published, I’m busy promoting it through all of my connections. This is where my strategy of not connecting with unknown people is paying off; I won’t accept an invitation from someone I’ve never heard of without a check-in. (“Thanks for contacting me. I don’t think we’ve met. Can you tell me your interest in connecting?”)
Since I know something about all of my connections, I’ve been able to identify people who can help me to spread the word about the book. In a number of cases, I’ve offered to send a complimentary copy in return for a review, blog posting, recommendations to clients and colleagues, etc. The ability to see the connections of people in my network allows me to judge who has the influence and reach that I need and to prioritize my approaches accordingly.
All in all, I believe my LinkedIn contacts are so valuable that I’ve started to review my Twitter followers and to invite those who look interesting to connect on LinkedIn as well. It takes a little time, but I think it’s worth it. I just landed an interview with a high-traffic Internet radio show after seeing the LinkedIn profile of a Twitter follower and making the connection.
If you’re working on a business book, make the most of all the opportunities that LinkedIn affords. It will pay off for you.
About the Author
A Web strategy pioneer, Philippa Gamse has been working with Internet applications since 1991. Originally from the UK, she formed her US-based consulting and speaking practice in 1995. Philippa drills deep into the visitor experience and creates actionable and specific recommendations for your Web presence. Clients report significant improvement in quality Web traffic, visitor engagement, costumer loyalty, and qualified sales leads within 30 days of implementing her recommendations. She was the sole featured expert for the cover story on effective Web strategies for UPS Compass Magazine Fall 2009, distributed to more than one million businesses. Philippa is a Certified Management Consultant—an ISO-accredited designation recognized in over 60 countries. Her book, 42 Rules for a Web Presence That Wins
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