Are You Giving Away Too Much?

As authors, we often feel that in order to get people to read what we have written that we have to give away the whole cow. But haven't you heard the old saying, "why buy the cow when you can get the milk for free?" This doesn't just apply to relationships, it applies to your book and your business as well.

Yes, in this business you will find yourself giving away a few books in order to increase your readership. But there are other things that you can give to your readers that will be just as valuable, and will make them want to buy your book.

One thing you can give is advice. New authors are always seeking advice from those who have already published a book. You can give advice, but don't be taken advantage of. Just like you had to learn it, you should require some work to be done on behalf of the one seeking the advice. If they ask you for help, offer to give it with the stipulation that they do something in return. Have them email you their questions, or join you on facebook, or follow you on twitter. Don't just give, qualify everyone that comes to you to ensure that they are not just using you for your information. Truth be told, these people that come to you for free advice, will nine times out of ten, turn around and charge someone to give them this same advice. Be wise.

You can share your knowledge in classes and workshops that center around the subjects of writing and publishing, but charge a small fee, or investment as it is often called in the business world. Investments often separate the real from the fake. It will let you know who is serious and who is just out to waste your time.

If you are going to give away some books, be sure that it is for a good reason. For instance, if you contact a book club, offer to send the owner a free book. This way, you have only lost money on the one book should the club decide to decline on reading the book, versus trying to butter up the group by giving free copies to every member and have them decide not to read it. I have heard of authors that have done this and have been hurt in the end when the book was not even a chosen read for the club.

You can offer free gifts with purchase, which in turn will encourage people to purchase your book. Don't just give away books for the sake of doing so. You can't make money that way. Though you may be passionate about the craft, isn't it nice to earn money while doing something you love?

The bottom line is: be wise in the information that you share with others, especially when it comes to you and the product that you sell, be it books, Avon, whatever. You have to decide when to give of yourself, and how much to give. Being wise will keep you from getting burned in the end.

Until next time,

~Sandra~

Planning Your Book Promotion

 By L. Cross

With more than 1 million new books published each year, every book needs help to find its market. Part of your job as an author is to market and promote your book.

Book marketing involves:

* Defining your reader

What does your book offer readers? What distinguishes your book from others on the topic? Who would read your book?

* Reaching your potential reader

Where are your potential readers? What magazines and newspapers do they read, where do they shop, which blogs do they visit, what television programs do they watch, which radio programs and podcasts do they listen to, and what social media sites do they frequent?

* Developing a strategy to convince your potential readership to buy your book

The three main components of book marketing are advertising, promotions, and publicity. Advertising is expensive and not particularly effective for selling books. Promotions - such as discounts, promotional materials (postcards, bookmarks, etc.), and co-op funds offered to booksellers - are provided by your publisher if your book is traditionally published. If you are self-published, promotions are not essential for your marketing plan. Publicity is the most effective and least expensive form of book marketing.

Publicity - obtaining media coverage for your book - is like free advertising. It adds legitimacy by way of a third-party endorsing your book. Garnering the right media coverage can have a valuable impact on book sales. Here are seven ways to begin to effectively plan publicity for your book:

1. Stay aware of current events to determine how your topic may be relevant and think of ways to pitch print, television, radio, and online media
2. Watch talk shows and news programs to determine how your book may appeal to a show's producer
3. Research publications and newspapers you can approach to author articles or a column
4. Listen to radio programs (online and offline) and podcasts - to learn which hosts or shows may be interested in your subject or expertise
5. Locate blogs that are synergistic with your topic and begin to comment on posts and create a relationship with the blogger
6. Join LinkedIn, FaceBook, and Twitter groups that your potentials readers follow and begin to participate in the discussion and offer advice based on your expertise and subject matter
7. Make a list of print media that may be interested in excerpts (such as Top 10 lists or questionnaires) from your book

STRATEGY-IN-ACTION ASSIGNMENT

1. Develop your book publicity strategy
2. Select one item from your plan and implement it this week!

You may reprint this article as long as you include all of the following information:
Laura Cross is a business strategist, author, and professional ghostwriter. She provides business, publishing, and platform strategies to help entrepreneurs get known as the go-to experts in their field, become published authors, attract high-paying clients, garner major media, and earn more money with less effort by packaging their expertise. Grab a copy of the Free Audio CD "How to Establish Your Expertise, Become a Published Author, and Leverage Your Knowledge for More Profits, More Prospects, and Major Media" at http://www.RockYourExpertise.com.
Copyright © 2011 All Rights Reserved

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=L._Cross

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/5935766

Do This Before You Self Publish

There is one step in preparing to become a self-published author that if avoided can end up costing you book sales, fans and credibility in the publishing industry. In fact, failure to take this step led to one author sharing her book title with that of an Essence bestselling author—and losing tons of sales in the process. This one step takes less than five minutes to perform and can save you from heartache and pain: Make sure that your book does not share a title with anyone else.

In order to research your title, it is a good idea to start with amazon.com. Type in the title you are thinking of using and see what other books come up in your search with that same title. If your book will be sharing the name of another book, you may want to consider revising the title or changing it all together. You can also do a Google search, by typing in the title you are thinking of using.

It may be difficult to find a title that no one is using, but if you are so in love with a title and your book will be sharing its name with too many other books, you are playing Russian roulette with your book sales.

• If you are thinking of using a pen name, research that as well. You don’t want to be stealing someone else’s spotlight or find yourself having to share yours.

This step is referred to as an overlooked step because it is not one that you will hear about often. While it is important to research your titles and pen names, it is also imperative that you also research your character’s occupations and actual events that occur in your story to be sure that it is accurate. Otherwise, your book will not be believable and that will defeat the purpose of writing a book in the first place. The latter of the research may take a bit longer to do, but hey, isn’t your book and your good name as an author worth every minute?

The bottom line: research is the key to success not only in the publishing industry, but in any industry. Make sure that you are putting your best foot forward. You know what they say: you never get a second chance to make a first impression. Make sure you are doing everything right the first time around and there will be no need for a second.

Be sure to get your copy of 'Foolish', the ebook from Sandra Peoples for your Nook, Pc or other reading device. (Also available for Kindle)

 

Want more information about the self publishing process? Get your copy of 'The Truth About Self Publishing Manual' for your Nook, PC, Kindle or other reading device.

Four Free or Inexpensive Ways to Grow Your Business

Every entrepreneur wants to know how they can gain new customers in order to grow their business. This goes double for the author trying to get their books into the hands of their readers. Customers are key components to the success of any business. Without customers, which provide much needed finances to help your business to thrive, your business is destined for failure. So the burning question on any entrepreneur`s mind would be how to grow their business in order to continue to please their current clients while consistently gaining new ones. This article will show three tools you can successfully use to grow your business.
1. Create a Facebook business or fan page. Facebook can be a very valuable tool when it comes to growing your business. Your page will allow you to reach out to not only local people, but people from all over the world.
2. Put up a website. Creating a web presence for your business allows you to be global, which with the right marketing and promotion could spell big clients for your business.
3. Start a Twitter account. You can use twitter to announce specials and discounts exclusive to followers, which will encourage people to follow you.
4. Create a newsletter or e-zine. Creating a newsletter, whether online or off, can result in an increase of customer traffic. An e-zine, which is a magazine that is published an distributed online, usually via email , could also drive customers to your door or websites to purchase your product.
In order to grow your business, it is imperative that you be creative. It may mean taking advantage of tools you may have otherwise never thought of considering. You have to be willing to do some very big things in order to achieve some very big results.

No is Not the Final Answer

In the publishing industry, as with any industry, you have to have tough skin. Many authors write and publish books with the belief that everyone will read what they have written, and when they realize that not everyone is going to do that, they quit writing altogether, or develop a negative attitude towards those whose books are getting read. You have to understand that not everyone is going to like your work, and there are those who will eat you alive simply because of misconceptions they have about authors who self-publish. One common complaint from the self published author is that the bookstores won't carry their book. Well, look at it like this: there are more places where you can market and sell your book besides in bookstores. You just have to get creative, get out there, and keep working. No is not the final answer; and it most definitely is not a sign of defeat or failure. No is simply a roadblock to your yes. Your job is to find a way around that no. If one person won't buy your book, okay. If a bookclub turns your book down, okay. Keep pushing until you get to those book buyers and clubs that will welcome your book with open arms.

Until next time,

~Sandra~
Be sure to order your copy of 'Foolish' in Paperback or ebook

How to Obtain the Copyright for your Book

This question comes up in numerous forums across the web where aspiring authors and self-publishers gather: "How do I get the copyright for my book?" This post will explain what the copyright is and how to get it for your own book.

What is the copyright?

The Copyright is a law that gives you ownership over the things you create, whether it be a painting, a photograph, a poem or a novel, if you created it, you own it and it’s the copyright law itself that assures that ownership. The ownership that copyright law grants comes with several rights that you, as the owner, have exclusively. Those rights include:

• The right to reproduce the work
• to prepare derivative works
• to distribute copies
• to perform the work
• and to display the work publicly

These are your rights and your rights alone. Unless you willingly give them up (EX: A Creative Commons License), no one can violate them legally. This means that, unless you say otherwise, no one can perform a piece written by you or make copies of it, even with attribution, unless you give the OK.
Inversely, if you’re looking for material to use or reuse, you should not do any of these things without either asking permission or confirming that the work is in the public domain, which means that the copyright has expired and all of the above rights have been forfeited. Simply put, if the work isn’t in the public domain and you don’t have permission to use a piece, you put yourself in risk of legal action, regardless of your intentions.
Because, beyond fair use and parody (issues for later essays), the holder of a copyrighted piece has near carte blanche to do what they want with their work. It’s no different than owning a car, a house or a pen. One can lend it out to a friend, sell it, modify it or even destroy it. In short, if you own the copyright to something, you have the same rights that you do with anything else and, in some instances, even more. After all, you did create it. It only makes sense that you would own the fruits of your labor. That’s what copyright law is all about.
 The moment you create your work, it is protected by copyright law, and you don't have to register it with the Library of Congress. However, having your work copyrighted with the Library of Congress protects you should the question of ownership ever come up in court.
The poor man's copyright is not a legitimate copyright and holds no merit. Save the postage. If you can't invest the fee it costs ($35.00 online, $65.00 for print application) to file for your copyright then that says you don't believe in your work enough to protect it the right way.

 How Can I Get My Work Copyrighted?

You can either print and mail your from by going to http://www.copyright.gov and downloading the form there, or you can apply online. To get started on your application, click here.

Until next time,
~Sandra~

Sources:
http://www.plagiarismtoday.com/stopping-internet-plagiarism/your-copyrights-online/1-what-is-a-copyright/
http://www.copyright.gov

Did You Really Self-Publish?

Today's blog is a video I created which I hope will further spell out the truth about self-publishing. Did you really self-publish your book, or did you fall victim to a vanity publishing house? Click the photo to watch the video.

How to Self-Publish

'The Truth About Self-Publishing' By Sandra Peoples

Until next time,

~Sandra~

Five Keys for the Self-Published Author

I just wanted to share a quick post today on five keys that I think every self-published author should know. Even if you are still considering whether to try self-publishing, take these keys to heart. I know in this blog I may repeat some things, but the goal of this blog is to teach you information to help you succeed in this industry. I encourage you to print information from this blog and share it with your friends. And by all means, study the content of it.

My five keys for the self-published author are:

1. If your manuscript is not truly complete, finish it first. Take your time to finish it. Don't rush. If you rush to finish your book, you will find that you didn't take the time to fully develop your story and that could result in earning readers that are not satisfied with your work. Unhappy readers leads to returned books, and we don't want that.
2. Have your book professionally edited. I can't stress this enough. I know that even the best books may have errors in them, but when your manuscript is riddled with them, it will reflect poorly on you as an author.
3. Research companies that you plan to work with. Watch out for companies that charge you a fee to publish your book, then turn around and pay you a royalty from each book sold. Remember, when you self-publish, you don't get royalties. 
4. Always have your marketing plan in clear view as you print your book. Who will you be selling your book to and where can you find them? Knowing the answer to these two questions will help you decide on how you want your cover to look and the way you want your story to read.
5. Remember that self-publishing is starting a business. Make sure that you are ready for such a huge responsibility.

Until next time,
~Sandra~

The Five Rules of Self-Publishing

In this post I would like to share with you my five rules that I believe are most important for the self-published author. I am often asked by aspiring authors how they should approach self-publishing, and like I always say, it should be approached like a business. The five rule for self-publishing are:

1. Before your book goes to print, order your own ISBN (International Standard Book Number). You can either a strip of ten numbers or a single ISBN number if you only plan to publish one book. Make sure you purchase them yourself from www.isbn.org.


2. As soon as your manuscript is complete, begin to look for:

• Printer: A book printer is the person that is going to take your manuscript and convert it into a book. Standard industry book sizes for paperback books are 5x8 or 6x9.
• Typesetter: This is the person that is going to format your book according to your chosen book printer's requirements. They do what is called 'designing the interior of your book', since they will put page numbers where they should be, and they will set up the book with the proper headers, footers, table of contents (if applicable) and more. Once they have finished, your manuscript will look like a book once it is printed.
• Proofreader/Editor: These people serve as your other set of eyes to make sure that you don't have too many misspelled words (even the best books can have a few of these) or sentences that   look      like     this.
• Graphic Designer/Illustrator or Professional Cover Designer: This is the person that is going to design your book according to your specifications. When choosing someone to design your cover, be sure to select one that has experience designing books for book printers. They will know what type of software to use to create your cover, such as Adobe In Design and Adobe Photoshop among others.
• Distribution Method: How will you deliver the books that people have ordered?

3. As soon as your manuscript is complete, and even while you are writing, you must think about marketing. How are you going to sell this wonderful book that you have written and what are you going to do to get the word out about your book.

4.Define your target audience. Who are you trying to reach with your book? Narrow this down. You can't give a broad statement such as 'My book is written for everybody' because it is not. Your book is written for a specific group of people. Your job is to find them and get them to purchase and read your book.

5. Be sure self-publishing is the method you want to embrace. It may not be for you. This should have been rule number one.

Until next time,
~Sandra~

Ten ways to succeed as an author

When you publish a book, especially on your own, your ultimate goal is to be a success at it. You don't want to invest a ton of money into producing your product, only to fail at it. Here are ten tips that I have compiled that I think are the keys to help you succeed in this cut throat industry:

1. Educate yourself. Take the time to learn all you can about the industry of publishing. Like any industry and profession, those who are armed with knowledge are the ones that stand to reap the greatest financial rewards. Take to time to attend seminars, classes and workshops to ensure that you are getting the most current information to help you stay on top of the game.
2. Study the competition. This may seem a bit mean, but it's true. As with any industry, you have to be aware of what the other guy is doing that is working for them in order to get their books moving. You study them and model them, but by all means, do not copy them.
3. Think marketing from the very beginning---before you write the book. Before you even think about printers, graphic artists and all of the technicalities that come with book publishing, you have to think about the most important piece to your puzzle: who is going to read your book? How are you going to reach them? If you don't know who the book is intended to be read by, how do you expect to sell it?
4. Get professional editing. I can't preach this enough. I have learned from experience how lack of professional editing can hurt your career as a writer. I was one who figured that since I could easily spot errors in the works of other, obviously I would be able to catch them in my own work. Little did I know, you don't use the true 'editing' eyes on your own manuscript. If you read my previous post on how to find an editor for your book, I offer some advice on how you can possibly avoid spending thousands of dollars and possibly get your book edited for free.
5. Create a snappy title--and then research it. When I published my first book, I had no idea that my book shared the same title as a best selling author's book. I didn't know you were supposed to research your title first by doing a simple amazon search. You simply go to amazon.com and enter the title you would like to use to see how many other books will share the same title as yours.
6. Include all the necessary components. Be sure your book has an ISBN number and barcode, a cover,everything that is needed to make a book look like a book.
7. Have an eye-catching cover. Even if you may have crafted a New York Times bestselling novel, if the cover screams 'blah!', you may never see that status anywhere except in your dreams.
8. Make the interior worth reading. Don't throw your book together just for the sake of being able to say you have a book out. Be sure that your book is typeset by someone who knows the publishing industry and what book printers expect. And by all means, tell a good story.
9. Use a real book manufacturer for printing. I hate to say it, but if you plan to publish a quality paperback or hardback book, you have to use a book printer. You can't go down to your local print shop and expect them to produce that type of book.
10. Promote! Promote! Promote! This cannot be stressed enough. If you want people to read what you have written, you have got to get out and really pound the pavement. It's your book. If you don't believe in it enough to talk about and preach its message why should anyone else?

As always, I love you for reading my blog.

Until next time,

~Sandra~