Tag: publicity

 
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Make Big Money On Your Book – 10 H*O*T Tips

Wouldn’t it be nice to write a book, get paid handsomely for it and be considered a top expert all at once? It’s possible–if you know the rules.

1. Study the publishing industry.

Today celebrity books rule. Books that catch a quick trend come in second. Take chick lit, for example. Nobody cared about hip books for women ten, or even five years ago. But women buy the majority of books–and actually read them. It’s not to say that other book genres aren’t viable. Of course they are. The big categories of fiction and non- fiction will live on forever. But even self-help is on the wane according to some sources. And, as a literature savvy friend of mine said, *Plots are passe.* There’s much more to know about the industry. Like what agents look for and how publishers decide on what will be profitable.

2. Understand that publishers don’t buy books, they buy ideas.

Many new authors think they need to write a book to sell it. Not so. You develop an idea (fiction excluded) and give publishers a taste of what’s to come. They decide whether your idea has a large enough market for them to make money on it. You must prove, without a doubt that they can. Lots of it.

3. Think of your proposal as the business plan for your book.

Map out the life of your book in the marketplace for the next five years. Plan on devoting at least that much time to promoting it.

4. Have a huge platform.

A platform is simply YOUR ability to sell books to the audience that you have said will buy–from you. Are you already a *personality* people recognize and love? How many organizations, companies, groups do you speak to every month? Do you write regularly for newspapers, magazines or the Internet? Do you have prestigious clients who can sell your books in bulk to their corporations? You get the idea. You must *look* like a mover and shaker in your field.

5. Be a media star.

If you’re not already a familiar face on TV, a vivacious voice on the radio or a person who appears in print often, not to worry. If you can show you have the potential to become a star, that’s a start. Maybe you’ve been on local TV and had rave reviews. If so, mention that.

6. Speak.

A major publishing house hired me to media coach one of their rising star authors. Her book was getting major national press–but she was dull. And they were worried that her lackluster personality would effect her book sales. We worked until she got comfortable on camera while talking vividly in 15 second soundbites.

7. Get media coached.

With some media coaching you can morph into a mediagenic maven. But it does take practice and sincere commitment. You can work on your pizzazz factor by studying great interviewees and modeling the behaviors you liked. If you canít afford a media coach, get out that video camera and do mock interviews with friend. A lot can be revealed and ironed out just by seeing how you appear to others on the big screen.

8. Develop your platform.

When I interviewed editors at top New York publishing houses like Simon & Schuster & HarperCollins they told me repeatedly that the most important thing a writer can have today is a strong *platform.* A platform is a plan of how you are going to reach your audience to sell books.

Prove you have a following. Publishers want to know who has bought your books or products in the past– and they want to know how many. Can you show that you have a track record of selling your goods to people across the globe, or at least in your community? Maybe youíre not as far along in your career as one of my clients who is a $12,000 an hour speaker who put in his proposal the fact that his audiences range from 100-10,000 people, and he speaks 250 times per year.

His speaking bureau typically sells his video and audio tapes to those audiences in advance when they book his talk. What you want to show is how you can secure sales in large quantities to people you know will buy from you–because they have bought already. Or how audiences similar to the ones who have purchased are primed to buy your book.

9. Get high profile endorsements.

To instantly establish your stature put these accolades on page number one so theyíre the first thing an agent or editor sees. Endorsements need to be from celebrities, best- selling authors and well-known experts in your field.

Show that youíre respected in the world. Endorsements show that high-level people believe in you, that youíre a good bet. They also go on your book cover jacket and help sell your book–and in todayís competitive marketplace itís essential. Donít say youíre *actively seeking endorsements.* Leading with the endorsements makes sure an agent or editor gets that youíre a big shot–or soon will be.

One secret that many authors donít know is the best blurbs are written by the writers themselves. Donít expect famous people to read your tome. They donít have the time or the desire. And please donít send it to them unsolicited. Ask permission. Then do the work for them and ask them to sign off on that perfect gem–the one youíve written–touting the marvels of your work.

10. Your sample chapter.

Once youíve established that the author has some sort of a platform, that they have some voice in the world beyond their circle of friends, I go straight to the sample chapter.

Prove you can write. *I want to know if they are a good writer, because an agent can tinker away with the rest of the proposal and make it sound really good,* says Kelly Notaras, a Senior Editor at Hyperion.

What if youíre not a great writer? Hire a ghost writer. Remember platform is non-replaceable. You, the personality, the presence, is what theyíre investing in. Good writing can be bought. Star quality canít

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Earn $100,000+ For Your Book

Every writer fantasizes about getting that big fat advance so they can take a little dream time, write, relax, or put their kids through college. But what most writers donít know is it takes a heck of a lot of work to get to the point of being worthy of a publisher handing you the equivalent of the golden egg. Whether youíre a doctor with the latest get thin quick diet or a mom who has a foolproof way to turn brats into angels, you must be willing to do the work-alot of it.

What separates the six-figure advance earners from the mid-list authors are two things.

1. They think of their book as a business.
2. They have a huge built in audience.

Think of your proposal as the business plan for your book. Your book is an integral part of your overall career which includes speaking, products, and more books. Authors are constantly in search of ways to expand their audience.

Agent David Hale Smith of DHS Literary, (he represented New York Times Best-selling author Cheryl Richardson) says he wants his authors to be financially independent people who see their book as part of a larger successful career. These are qualities he and other agents and publishers look for in their budding celebrities.

From my own experience media coaching and creating marketing plans for authors who get six figures Iíve found that they do three things right.

1. Six Figure Authors React Instantly.

When I asked Rich Fettke, author of *Extreme Success* to prepare the answers to the questions he thought heíd be asked by editors he was flying to New York to meet, he had them ready the next day. And yes, often editors want to meet you-if they think youíre going to be their next golden boy or girl.

This instant reaction reflex comes into play later when your publicity begins. When an authorís topic is hot, theyíre often asked to jump on a plane at a momentís notice to appear on TV, radio, take a print interview or speak at an event or charity function. If you hesitate, the opportunity vanishes.

Publishers who have invested the big bucks in you wonít stand for it. And rightly so. You have an obligation to them to earn back that hefty advance (which sadly, most authors donít).

2. Six Figure Authors Speak.

Gone are the days when writers can cozy up in their garrets and write. To be a successful author today you must become a public person, and more than that, an entertaining one.

A major publishing house hired me to media coach one of their rising star authors. Her book was getting major national press-but she was dull. And they were worried that her lackluster personality would effect her book sales. We worked until she got comfortable on camera while speaking vividly in 15 second soundbites.

3. Six Figure Authors Get Media Coached.

With some media coaching you can morph into a mediagenic maven. But it does take practice and sincere commitment. If you canít afford a media coach, get out that video camera and do mock interviews with friend. A lot can be revealed and ironed out just by seeing how you appear to others on the big screen.

That said there are 5 critical elements that determine the size of your advance.

1. Your platform.
2. Your endorsements.
3. Your publicity plan.
4. Your sample chapter.
5. Your audience.

1. Your platform.

When I interviewed editors at top New York publishing houses like Simon & Schuster & HarperCollins they told me repeatedly that the most important thing a writer can have today is a strong *platform.* A platform is a plan of how you are going to reach your audience to sell books.

Prove you have a following. Publishers want to know who has bought your books or products in the past–and they want to know how many. Can you show that you have a track record of selling your goods to people across the globe, or at least in your community? Maybe youíre not as far along in your career as one of my clients who is a $12,000 an hour speaker who put in his proposal the fact that his audiences range from 100-10,000 people, and he speaks 250 times per year.

His speaking bureau typically sells his video and audio tapes to those audiences in advance when they book his talk. What you want to show is how you can secure sales in large quantities to people you know will buy from you-because they have bought already. Or how audiences similar to the ones who have purchased are primed to buy your book.

2. Your endorsements.

To instantly establish your stature put these accolades on page number one so theyíre the first thing an agent or editor sees. Endorsements need to be from celebrities, best- selling authors and well-known experts in your field.

Show that youíre respected in the world. Endorsements show that high-level people believe in you, that youíre a good bet. They also go on your book cover jacket and help sell your book-and in todayís competitive marketplace itís essential. Donít say youíre *actively seeking endorsements.* Leading with the endorsements makes sure an agent or editor gets that youíre a big shot-or soon will be.

One secret that many authors donít know is the best blurbs are written by the writers themselves. Donít expect famous people to read your tome. They donít have the time or the desire. And please donít send your book to them unsolicited. Ask permission. Then do the work for them and ask them to sign off on that perfect gem-the one youíve written-touting the marvels of your work.

3. Your publicity plan.

Publishers are looking for people who know how to promote themselves and will take responsibility for doing it themselves.

Map out your strategy for selling books. Are you giving keynotes, seminars & workshops to hundreds of people every month? How many people subscribe to your online newsletter, visit your web site, buy your products? Do you have big name clients who will host seminars at their companies for you where youíre guaranteed to sell books?

4. Your sample chapter.

*Once youíve established that the author has some sort of a platform, that they have some voice in the world beyond their circle of friends, I go straight to the sample chapter,* says Kelly Notaras, a Senior Editor at Hyperion.

Prove you can write. *I want to know if they are a good writer, because an agent can tinker away with the rest of the proposal and make it sound really good,* Notaras says.

What if youíre not a great writer? Hire a ghost writer. Remember platform is non-replaceable. You, the personality, the presence, is what publishers are investing in. Good writing can be bought. Star quality canít.

5. Your audience.

Prove you have a media track record. Who knows you already? What magazines have your written for or appeared in? What TV and radio shows have you been a guest on? Are those producers aching to get you back on their shows as soon as possible? Do you have established relationships with them? You guarantee to a publisher that youíll reach your audience by showing who you have successfully reached in the past.

If you haven’t done much media and aren’t yet well-known in the public the quickest way to do so is to join PR Leads, (a service that reporters and producers use to send out queries (requests) to interview experts for stories theyíre working on.)

They are typically on tight deadlines so you need to respond as soon as the queries hit your email inbox. As founder Dan Janal says, *Reporters donít care if you work for a Fortune 500 company. If they need an expert and you can show them you are one, that is all they care about.* Using this service you can become an instant expert in a matter of weeks and build your platform in short order.

Once you can say you’ve done a lot of media and you plan to do more of the same type of media you’ve had success with in the past, you’ll be on your way to creating an impressive impression-one that says that you’ve got 6 figure author potential.

Please fill in the The Complete Speaking Business Assessment for free assessment

More info’s and free registrations (restricted to pros), please join our live seminar

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10 New Tips For Successfully Promoting Your Book On Talk Radio

For nearly two decades, weíve been telling you about the value of talk radio as a means for promoting your book to the masses. As one of the countryís top providers of radio shows around the country, we schedule anywhere from 50 to 100 interviews week in and week out. As a result of our close working relationship with the media, we know what works and what doesnít. Because we want you to succeed with talk radio, here are ten new ìinsideî tips to help you become the kind of guest every host wants to have on his or her show:

1. Be real. Present yourself the way that you really are. Donít put up a false or manufactured front. If an audience perceives you to be fake, your message will fail. Be REAL. Be who you really are.

2. Be sensitive about political views. If you are discussing a controversial political issue, always try to acknowledge that the other side has some good points. Remember that radio audiences are diverse. By ìgiving and taking,î you will win credibility points with your entire audience.

3. Familiarize yourself with the current news climate. Stay up to date on current events and present yourself as the ìexpertî on your topic. Donít be caught unaware about a current or breaking news story that pertains to your book. Projecting yourself as knowledgeable will help to build your credibility with listeners.

4. Tie-in a local angle if at all possible. Whether you are talking to a radio show out of St. Louis, Detroit, or Sacramento, be sure to tie the local area in to what you are saying. For example, if your book is about the economy or real estate, talk about the unemployment rate or real estate values in that particular city. By localizing the message as much as possible, you draw your listening audience in even further, and more importantly, you keep them tuned in and interested in your message.

5. Do NOT use a cell phone. Always make sure to use a secure landline for all of your interviews. Cell phones are unreliable for on-the-air interviews and you stand the chance of getting cut off in the middle of your interview. Obviously, this is a major pet peeve of talk radio hosts as they now have to fill the time originally set aside for your interview. No host likes to have the timing and pace of his show screwed up. If your interview is cut short due to cell phone problems, donít expect them to put you back on the air or reschedule you.

6. Donít forget to hit on your key points. Sometimes you can get so wrapped up in the conversation you are having with the host or from call-ins by listeners that you lose sight of your main message. Try to always remember your main focus and donít get too off-topic.

7. Match your interview pace with that of the radio host. If the host is a ìfast-talker,î pick up the pace. If the hostís style is slow and easy, do your best to adapt. By adapting to the hostís rhythm, youíll develop a better camaraderie with him. The positive rapport between you and the host will keep regular listeners interested in your message.

8. Limit numbers and statistics during your interview. If you have a particular statistic that you think applies very strongly to your message, use it and hammer it home. But be carefulÖif you throw too many numbers at the audience, you will lose their interest and they will tune out.

9. If you are in the dark about an issue, donít fake it! If you arenít familiar with an issue the host brings up or donít know the answer to a question, donít be afraid to admit it. You will lose immediate credibility by pretending to know something when you really donít. On the other hand, your credibility goes through the roof when you are perceived by listeners as being honest.

10. Try to give your interviews an intimate feel. Remember that radio is a one-on-one medium. Talk to the host in a personal and conversational manner, and if there are callers, do the same with them. This will help keep the audience interested and theyíll be more likely to relate to you.

Remember—your intention for every interview is to enlighten the listening audience about your book and interest them in purchasing it.

Please fill in the The Complete Speaking Business Assessment for free assessment

More info’s and free registrations (restricted to pros), please join our live seminar

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The 5 Ws Of Ebooks

Anyone browsing the Internet for information quickly encounters ebooks. Sometimes those electronic books are clearly identified by name and intent but other ebooks are so cleverly disguised that a reader may not even realize they are actually a book and not a web site or some other electronic document.

What exactly is an ebook? An ebook is simply an electronic book. Many ebooks today are found in pdf (or portable document format) but you can also find various word processing documents being used as ebooks as well as programs and text files that serve as ebooks. There are also some unique programs that create ebooks in a format specific to that program.

Ebooks (just like their print relatives) are documents containing words in a convenient package. Ebooks do also have the ability to secure or protect access, which means sometimes you can’t print an ebook or copy it while others can be copied and shared easily.

While many professional publishing companies now create electronic as well as traditional books, many ebooks are now created by individuals or small organizations. The readers who use ebooks are just as varied as those who create them. You can find electronic books in physical and electronic libraries and bookstores as well as throughout the Internet.

Ebooks are used to share information, teach, entertain, and sell or promote — just as are their print counterparts.

Ebooks have many advantages over print books. They are much more inexpensive to produce and can move from idea to finished product much more quickly as well. This also makes ebooks much easier and more cost-effective to keep updated. In addition, ebooks allow greater interactivity with the reader and the Internet.

However print books still retain the advantage in some areas. Some ebook formats are restricted in use to specific types of computer programs, web browsers or operating systems. Also, while computers and electronic devices are pervasive in much of the modern world there are still areas where a print book is more convenient or feasible.

For Internet marketers, ebooks can serve a variety of purposes. Ebooks can be created and packaged as commodities to sell, but for many Internet marketers, ebooks that are given away are a much more powerful tool. Creating useful ebooks that share free information that is attractive to a specific target audience can be a powerful viral marketing tool.

Creating an useful free ebook can help provide valuable advertising for any Internet marketer by establishing credibility and expert status which may well lead the reader to then visit the author’s web site and/or sign up for a newsletter. Some ebooks are created with a “soft sell” approach to achieve that goal while others use a “hard sell” approach and go for a sale within the book itself. If you create an ebook that includes valuable information that can be freely exchanged with others then it can, and will be circulated around the Internet and continuously work to promote its creator’s web site and products.

Ebooks can be a very valuable Internet marketing tool.

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4 Steps to Unbeatable Advertising

1. Negotiate
Have you noticed that some people seem to always get the best deals? Yeah, you pay full price and think you did OK until they show up with the same thing, only they paid several hundred dollars less. It really get your goat! How do they do it? They’re not afraid to ask for an extra discount.

Yep, don’t sell yourself short because you didn’t ASK the next time your advertising rep makes an appearance! Even if you’re already getting a discount, ask for a bigger one. You have not…because you ask not.

2. Trim
Bigger is always better…or is it? When it comes to advertising, don’t be surprised if some of your short ads meet with more success than larger more expensive ads. Trimming down on the size and cost of advertising doesn’t mean you’ll be trimming the results!

3. Exploit the Freebies
What’s the difference between advertising and publicity? …who’s doing the talking. Yeah, when you sell yourself, it’s advertising. When someone else is selling you, it’s publicity…and it generates credibility and interest that you don’t want to miss out on.

Think about the different ways you can get your business in the spotlight. Do you have some newsÖ write a press release? Write some “how to” articles with a short byline at the end and release them to ezines, magazines, newspapers, and other publishers. Why not promote the product of a non-competitor in return for them promoting yours…think of the totally different market they affect!

Yep, there are a lot of ways out there to get free advertisement that will benefit your business. Of course you won’t be able to rely solely on the freebies, but hey, you can get a little extra for nothing!

4. Improve Your Offer
Is your deal too good to pass up? If not, you need to improve it. Hey, I’m not talking about cutting prices even more…you’ve still got to make a profit. You can make the deal sweeter just by increasing the readers knowledge of the value of the product, or adding bonuses that are perceived as valuable, but cost you little.

Motivate buyers with expirations. Yeah, an open ended offer encourages procrastination…which leads …yep, nowhere. When the customer knows he has until Saturday to purchase an item he’ll pay more for on Sunday, he’ll make it a priority to head for your shop.

Advertising doesn’t have to wipe out your bank account to be effective. When you learn to negotiate, know when smaller ads are as effective as large ads, ask for discounts, and create an irresistible offer, you’re on your way to skyrocketing profit margins!

More info’s and free registrations (restricted to pros), please join our live seminar

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