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When Old News is Good News

Sometimes when you’re pitching your topic or learning the art of the media pitch all you will hear is “your topic must be newsworthy, it must be trendy AND it must tie into a current/relevant topic.” So let’s say you have a great pitch, the only thing is it’s from last year. Is old news good news? Sometimes, yes it is. If your pitch ties into something current and relevant then it’s what we can an “evergreen.” In fact I have pitches that I’ve used several times over, they are seasonal pitches that become relevant when that particular season rolls around. Let me give you an example.

Let’s say you have a book on relationships and Valentine’s Day is looming on the horizon. Well, you might create a pitch or two for this holiday and strike media gold when it comes to their interest in your topic. But once the holiday is history you can still file away your pitch, providing it wasn’t pivotal to a news-topic that won’t be coming around again.

Several years ago I created a topic for Valentine’s Day called: “The one thing people DON’T do that screws up their marriages.” Now since divorce rates aren’t getting any better for the foreseeable future, this topic will continue to remain fresh year after year. Certainly I might tweak a sentence or two or offer a fresh set of tips or questions, but the pitch itself remains consistent.

So, how do you go about creating evergreen hooks for your book? Well, start this as you would any campaign and open a calendar to map out the next twelve months of your marketing efforts. During those twelve months you will no doubt find a pitch or two that you can recycle the next time this date comes around. Or, alternatively, you might find a topic that isn’t date sensitive meaning that it can be used over and over again with a few minor changes. Health, relationship, and diet issues all tend to have this “evergreen” component to them. We’re equally interested in this topic no matter what the season so for example when the holidays come around people are talking about family issues, dieting issues, etc. And while they might have a different twist to them, they pitch is essentially the same. This also holds true for a book you are promoting year after year. Let’s say you have a health book, and while you keep updating the book with current trends and relative information the content is essentially the same. Save for a few references to the low-carb craze your pitches might be quite similar year after year. Or better still a book on personal finance or relationships. These are the staples of our life and barring any new research, remain fairly static throughout our lives.




Creating evergreens for your topic will allow you the freedom and flexibility you need to keep the momentum going on your campaign without siphoning off an overwhelming amount of creativity every time an appropriate seasonal angle comes along. Knowing when to craft a fresh release and when to recycle an old one will go a long way to keeping your media campaign strong and perhaps a tad less time-consuming.

Winning The Name Game

How many of you have spent hours or days toiling over the title for your book? My first book, The Cliffhanger, was renamed probably six times before I stayed with the current title. Naming your book can be difficult, especially if the book will work as a sort of branding for everything else you do. Non-fiction books are often seen as a stepping stone to speaking engagements, product launches, and a variety of other business endeavors. In fact, the naming of a non-fiction or business book is so critical that a poorly chosen title can actually make or break a books success. If you're in the midst of picking a name, or planning future titles. There are some basic strategies you should consider before you finalize your book cover:

The name of your book must tell people what it's about. If you try to be clever and make them guess, your potential customer will just put it down and move on to a title they do understand.

Put the benefit right in the name - for example Chicken Soup for the Soul tells you right up front that much like a cup of chicken soup when you're sick, this book is going to make you feel better. If this leaves you feeling perplexed, take a moment to list five benefits of your book - once you have those benefits listed slowly but surely a book title will begin to emerge.

Think about all the different uses you might be able to derive from the name of your book. Is it going to be on your web site? Is it a stand alone book or part of a product line? Or is this book one of a series? Determining the exact uses of this title will help you define it further.

And finally, go see what the competition is doing. Spend an afternoon at the bookstore and see what titles have worked well for similar books in your genre.



Other Naming Tips
Did you know that some words are easier to remember than others? Sound odd? Not really. Language experts will tell us that we just react differently to certain sounds. The letters K and P for example are what language experts call "plosives." A plosive is a little bit of language that pops out of your mouth and draws attention to itself. A plosive is a "stopper" in language. A plosive makes us pause for emphasis when we say it. The letters B, C, D, K, P and T are all plosives.

What's especially interesting is that brand names beginning with plosives have higher recall scores than non-plosive names. Several studies of the top 200 brand names have made that point. Examples: Bic, Coca-Coca-Cola, Kellogg's, Kodak, Pontiac, etc.

If you've picked a title for your book or a name for your business or product line that is "unusual" - you might want to check the meaning first. That goes for foreign translation as well. Here are a few examples of names that were chosen without the proper research:

In 1997 Reebok issued a mass recall of their new women's running shoe dubbed "Incubus" - a savvy news reporter brought their attention to the fact that incubus means: "an evil spirit believed to descend upon and have sex with women while they sleep."

Estee Lauder stopped short of exporting their line of Country Mist makeup to Germany when managers pointed out that "mist" in German is slang for manure."

Trying to be clever, the folks at Guess jeans placed the Japanese characters "ge" and "su" next to a model in Asian magazines, intending them to mean "Guess." But "gesu" translated in Japanese means "vulgar," "low" class" or "meanspirited."

Naming Tip!
Stumped for a name? Try heading over to The Naming Newsletter www.namingnewsletter.com. While this site is designed primarily for naming and/or branding companies, there's a lot of great information on titling strategies and tips that can translate easily to your book title.

Writers Conferences: The best thing you can do for your writ

Writers conferences come in all shapes and sizes. Virtually anytime of the year you can attend a conference anywhere around the country. But, why would you? Just when your manuscript is gaining momentum, why on earth would you put it down to go hang out with a bunch of writers you've never met? Because despite the notion that writing is all about isolating yourself, isolation is not a good thing. No one can live in a vacuum and these days, it takes a lot more than a good manuscript to hook an agent or publisher. It takes a savvy author and savvy authors are not born, they develop over time.

If you're so tired of hearing about the shrinking publishing market you want to scream, then you really need to leave the comfort of your office and hustle yourself down to a conference. There, you will begin to experience every facet of writing. You'll even get the opportunity to make an appointment or get "face time" with agents, publishers, publicists, and even a producer or two. But before you send in your registration form, there's a few things you should know about conferences.

First off, keep in mind that not all conferences are created equal. Some are more advanced than others. Some conferences are for published authors offering them unlimited promotional advice and classes, while other conferences focus only on the craft of writing. Determining what you want to get out of a conference will go a long way to helping you decide which one is right for you.

When selecting a conference, don't get caught up in the glitz of meeting your favorite author if none of the other speakers seem to suit your project. Face it, if the author you so adore goes on tour, chances are pretty likely he or she will be stopping by your city to do a signing anyway. But agents and publishers are a different story. Unless you make it a habit of "doing lunch" in New York City on a regular basis, the likelihood of an agent coming within pitching distance outside of a writers conference is minimal.




So, let's say you've decided on a conference and have your eyes set on several literary agents or producers you want to make appointments with. Before you schedule times with any of these folks, you'll want know a little bit about them. For example, nothing will end a meeting faster than sitting down with someone who doesn't handle your type of work. Doing your research can really benefit you. If you're meeting with an agent, peruse their web site for a list of current and future projects. If they don't list their projects, pick up a copy of the Writer's Digest Guide to Literary Agents which will give you this information as well. If you're targeting a producer you should be able to get a list of stories they've covered off of the show's archives (also on their web site). If your target is a publicist, their web sites usually indicate the type of projects they manage.

Once you have your appointment, be ready to pitch all of your work. If you have more than one project, be sure you have your "elevator pitch" ready (remember we discussed this in our April 10th issue). You'll want to keep your pitches quick, succinct and interesting! If the agent/producer or publicist doesn't look interested, move onto the next item and try to learn from the rejections you do get.

One of the things people don't often consider at these events is the networking factor. Done correctly, networking can bring about amazing results. You never know who knows someone who knows some who can help you further your project. Or perhaps you're looking for an editor or illustrator, I can almost guarantee you you'll find what you need by networking. Writers conferences are not a place to be shy. Walk up to people and start a conversation with them and don't be afraid to speak to a presenter if you catch them between talks. As a frequent presenter at conferences I can tell you, this is why we are there - to help you, the author. Our sole purpose for attending these events is to share what we know.

If you are attending a conference that lasts longer than a day, you'll quickly start making friends with other writers and want to 'hang out' with them. This is great for building relationships but terrible for networking. Mingle and talk with as many other attendees or presenters as you can. During lunch, make sure you sit at a table with people you don't know. Introduce yourself, ask your fellow conference attendees about their projects and then start talking about yours. Tell people what you need, if you're looking for a literary agent, say so. If you need a publicist, ask for referrals from other writers. Ask lots of questions, take your business cards (or bookmarks) and always keep a pad and pen handy.




With the right planning, a writers conference can be enormously successful and while they may not lead to immediate publishing contracts, they are certainly a step in the right direction!

Here are a few upcoming writers conferences you might want to think about attending:

PMA Publishing University
http://www.pma-online.org/

Maui Writers Conference - Labor Day Weekend
http://www.mauiwriters.com/

Whidbey Island Writers Conference
http://www.whidbey.com/writers/conference/

Writing a Book's Marketing Plan for Maximum Profit

Much has been written about book proposals. But less has been written about book marketing plans. This is wrong!


What happens after your book is published has a great deal to do with whether you become published and profitable… or just published.


A book proposal is a direct-marketing document intended to persuade publishers to edit, print and distribute your book. It’s a sales piece intended to communicate the inevitability of your book’s success.


Your book’s marketing plan, however, is intended for an audience of one – You! It’s not intended for your publisher. Rather, it’s intended to identify the revenue streams that you will develop after your book is published.


Your marketing plan should describe profits you will earn above and beyond royalties from sales of your book. It should describe in detail your market and the steps you will take to earn this income.


The reason to prepare your marketing plan now, before you sign a publishing contract or write your book, is that the success of your marketing plan depends on the way your book publishing contract is negotiated.


Coaching and consulting


Let’s assume, for example, that you plan to use your book as a way of enhancing your visibility and credibility among your target market. At the simplest level, you will want to include your web site address at several points in the book. Knowing this goal, you can insist that the publisher agrees in writing to include your web site address in specific locations in your book.


Remember: promises don’t make it! Let’s take the worst case scenario. You and your acquisition editor agree that you can include five mentions of your web site address in the book. However, as often occurs, the acquisition editor, after signing the contract, fades out of the picture.


The new development editor then informs you that author’s URL’s can only appear in one place, in the author biography hidden toward the rear of the book. When this happens, what happens to your coaching and consulting plans?


Likewise, you may have planned to buy books in case lot quantities for resale and/or distribution to your prospects and clients. Understanding this before you sign the contract, you can include the right to purchase books for resale at trade discounts in your contract, ensuring your ‘book pipeline’ won’t get turned off.


If you know you want to offer telephone coaching at $75.00 a call, for example, you can negotiate written permission to promote this service within the body of your book.


Remember: promises are written on air. Only written agreements count!


Other back-end profit opportunities based on your book’s title include:



Articles, columns, newsletters

Yearly updates

Special Reports

Teleclasses and seminars

Speaking and training

Audio/video recordings

Choosing a web site address based on your book’s title

Free downloads of sample chapters from your web site

Fee-based web site services


The possibilities are endless, but nothing can happen if, after signing the contract, the publisher limits your ability to promote your business and your website in your book.


Thus, it’s imperative that you start by preparing a marketing plan that analyzes post-publication profit opportunities and describes the steps needed to make them happen. Only then are you in a position to decide if the publisher’s ‘boilerplate’ contract meets your needs.


The stronger your book proposal and the more experienced your agent, the more likely you’ll get what you want (need) in your contract.


Jay Conrad Levinson says the first volume of his Guerrilla Marketing series earned him thirty million dollars. But only about $35,000 came from the book itself. All the rest came from back-end profits.

Your Book is a Business

Think like a businessperson, not an author.

Once the final draft is written, you’re no longer an author. You’re an entrepreneur with a product to sell, and it’s critical that you start thinking that way. Instead of spending your time on editing and proofreading, you’ve got to invest your time in marketing activities. That means finding the answers to three critical questions:

a. Who is your audience?
b. What will compel them to buy your book?
c. What methods should you use to reach them?

At this stage, you need to think about capturing leads, producing sales material, getting testimonials and positive reviews, and arranging publicity events. Your focus should be on all the ways you can create awareness of your book.

The best way to get started in thinking like a businessperson is after your final draft is done but before you go to print, sit down and write out the answers to these questions:

• What is my marketing budget?
• What resources do I have in place already?
• What people do I know who can help me?
• What are my sales goals for the year?

Keep your expectations realistic.

The average self-published book sells only about 3,000 copies, and the average book issued by a publisher sells only a few thousand more. For every bestseller, there are hundreds of books that sell moderately and disappear. So you’ve got to keep your expectations realistic, or you’ll set yourself up to get discouraged and quit trying to market your book.

Rather than worry about the overall number of copies sold, I recommend to people that they set their goals, especially for a first book, like this:

a. Monetary goals. For most authors, selling enough copies to break even is a very worthwhile goal. If you can do that, you’ve done great!
b. Career goals. Your book might give a big boost to your speaking career, medical practice or other endeavor.
c. Publicity goals. Your book could position you as an expert in your field, so that you get invited on radio programs, TV, speaking engagements, etc.
d. Publishing goals. Maybe your book is noticed by a publisher who wants to re-release it, or you are offered a chance to write future books.
e. Networking goals. You meet agents, designers, journalists and others who could be wonderful contacts for the future.

Your expectations for your book should not be centered on copies sold. Instead, focus on developing and executing a brilliant marketing and PR plan, making key contacts, and finding ways to create value for readers, for the media and for organizations who might make big bulk purchases. If you focus on those things, sales will take care of themselves.

Concentrate on meeting all 5 types of goals. That way, even if your sales are only moderate, but you do brilliantly in getting publicity and making contacts, you can consider your book a success.

Have a solid, long-term marketing plan.

Before you ever get close to even finishing your first draft, sit down and map out the basics of your marketing and promotional plan. The key questions you’ll need to answer:

• What is my marketing budget?
• When should my book be ready?
• Who is my audience and what need does this book meet?
• What will my price point be?
• How many copies do I need to sell to break even?
• How many copies do I want to sell?
• What marketing channels will I use to reach my readers?
• What relationships can I leverage to make bulk sales?
• What relationships can I leverage to get press coverage?
• Who will design my Website?
• Do I need a marketing staff?
• Will I do an e-newsletter?
• Will I hire a distributor or ship the books myself?
• Do I want to be in the bookstores?
• Will I do “guerilla” marketing?
• What ancillary products can I produce (tapes, CDs, etc.)
• How can my seminars/consulting/current business support this book?

That’s a lot of material, but it’s all important. Take a couple of months and figure it out. You can also cut some time off your learning curve by learning from others who have done it already.

Your Book and a Great Website

One of the most overlooked and easiest ways to get your book into the hands of the people you wrote it for, is having a great website.

Build a great Website. I can't state this often enough or strongly enough: you must have an attractive, easy to use Website that lets your visitors do four things:

1. Buy your book.
2. Register and download sample chapters or get your e-newsletter.
3. E-mail friends about your book.
4. Find out more about you.

Your Website should be ground zero for your book business, the place where everyone comes to buy copies, give you their contact information, communicate with you about media interviews or bulk orders, and just learn about your book and why they should buy it. It's the single most important aspect of your marketing plan.

Notice that I said, "great" Website. There are thousands of new books coming out every month, and many of them are amateurish at best. Having a sloppy, clunky, poorly written Website only makes your book look like one of those amateur-hour productions. Invest the money in a professional Web developer, someone who can design a classy, beautiful site, build your e-commerce system and give you the means to easily update your site's content at any time.

Good sites all make the books and their authors appear professional, legitimate, and smart. They're inviting information centers for people to come to and spend time getting to know both book and writer.

You should have your Website up and running before you begin any PR or sales activities, probably at least two months before your book hits the streets. Talk to several Web designers or get a referral from someone you trust. In any case, make sure your site has at least these features:

• E-commerce so people can buy your book. (a great place –- http://www.bazuji.com/shopping)
• A registration page that asks visitors to give you their contact information before they can download a sample chapter or get your e-newsletter.
• A media section where members of the press can download your press kit as a PDF, read other media coverage, and contact you for interviews.
• A contact page with all your contact information.
• A bio page with your personal story.
• A function that allows visitors to e-mail their friends from your site.

Sample your book in print and on the Internet.

If you have a Web site (and you should), it's simple. Just take a chapter from your book, paste it into its own file with the proper copyright information so it's a self-contained document, turn it into a PDF (Portable Document Format, a wonderful type of file created by Adobe), and place it on your Website for free downloading. Then send an e-mail to your entire list offering them an excerpt from your upcoming book free. A 10% or 20% response rate is not out of the question.

For print publications, it goes like this:

1. Pull together a list of target newspapers and magazines.
2. Contact the editors by e-mail asking if they would be interested in running your excerpt at no cost (editors love content they can get for free).
3. Send your chapter as a Word file to those who agree. Make sure it's completely clean and free of any typos or grammatical errors, and include an author bio at the end that lists your Web address.
4. Be sure to get reprints or a PDF of the printed article you can use for publicity purposes.

Start sending e-mails to editors several months before your book comes out. It usually takes a while to hear back, and even longer to actually get your sample in print.