elizabeth speaks, in your corner, Uncategorized

In Your Corner : Want to win big at marketing? Unleash the wisdom of “Game of Thrones”!

Oh, I bet I could get myself into a lot of hot water for this kind of headline–from fans and the show’s detractors alike–but I can’t help it!  This paradigm shift of an HBO show (based, rather loosely at times, on George R.R. Martin’s bestselling book series) changed the way we watch television … for better or worse.  It ramped up the intensity of on-screen cruelties, particularly against women but sparing no one in the end, and has sparked some of the most interesting conversations about human nature and power that I’ve ever had the pleasure of listening in on–and yes, it has spawned its own raft of political memes during the current American presidential election season.

Game of Thrones isn’t the only pop culture machine to be churning out this kind of material … but it’s the show that everyone seems to be watching.  Or have an opinion about, as it were.  (A very very strong opinion, at that.)  So why do I love it–and what could Game of Thrones possibly offer a self-publishing author in respect to marketing acumen?

It’s all about consequences.

The similarities just about end there, but that’s plenty of food for thought.  Just about every five minutes, some character of other in the Game of Thrones universe makes a decision along the lines of:

game of thrones

Cersei Lannister (above) often serves as the show’s mouthpiece for raw human instinct: strive, dominate, circle the wagons, protect family, etc etc.  But the best part about her character’s storyline, and the narrative arc of the television series as a whole, is in the nature of action and consequence.  There’s no escaping the laws of physics: what goes up must come down, that sort of thing.  It might only take fifteen minutes of screen time for these actions-and-consequences scenarios to play out … but sometimes it takes five, or six, seasons to unwind the implications and effects of a decision some character made years back … and that George R.R. Martin probably made to write into the story over a decade ago

Which is … kind of like life.

And is kind of like … marketing!

Here’s the self-publishing parallel: it’s vitally important to consider how you plan on marketing your book, even before publication.  (Actions have consequences!)  You have an opportunity prior to publication to make decisions that can either help or hurt your marketing efforts after publication … sometimes long after.  And I guarantee you don’t want to be sitting in a room somewhere (in front of a roaring fire, with perfectly styled hair, and a mug of honeyed mead or whatever they drink in Pseudomedieval England With Bonus Dragons) thinking:

game of thrones

Which isn’t to say you should constantly battle to outpace regret.  There’s no such thing as a mistake-free life, just as there’s no such thing as a healthy parent-child dynamic in the Game of Thrones universe!  But you’re not a character in a niche television drama.  You’re an author, dangnabbit!  You’re not blind to the benefits of foresight … and you’re not trapped in the midst of a story you have no control over.  Every decision you make, from start to finish, drafting to publication, will have long-term consequences.  You can predict these consequences by being the most informed, educated, and responsible author you can be.  In a world of traditional publishing, this conversation wouldn’t be possible.  But in the world of indie, hybrid, and self publishing–it is.  You are in control of your book’s long-term success!  And …

 

You are not alone. ♣︎

ElizabethABOUT ELIZABETH JAVOR: With over 18 years of experience in sales and management, Elizabeth Javor works as the Manager of Author Services for Outskirts Press. The Author Services Department is composed of knowledgeable publishing consultants, pre-production specialists, customer service reps and book marketing specialists; together, they all focus on educating authors on the self-publishing process to help them publish the book of their dreams. Whether you are a professional looking to take your career to the next level with platform-driven non-fiction or a novelist seeking fame, fortune, and/or personal fulfillment, Elizabeth Javor can put you on the right path.

 

 

Book Marketing, Kelly Speaks, Marketing Your Self-Published Book, Uncategorized

Marketing Master Strokes Episode 1: What do ears, geysers, and self-publishing have in common?

Another Wednesday, another series!  For the last eleven weeks, we have been examining the missteps that can land a self-publishing author in hot water.  And hot water can be dangerous!

So:

You’re an indie author who’s recently published a new book, and you’re committed to marketing in the most serious way–doing what you can to ensure your book sales reflect the same hard work that you put into the crafting of your book itself.  What next?  Getting started is often the hardest part, in the same way that staring at a blank page is enough to give me writer’s block on the spot.  We’ve spent time examining the benefits and risks to a couple of false starts, and we’ve discussed the relief that comes with knowing you have permission to make mistakes … and in knowing that every writer, whether midlist or a blockbuster success, has made them.

So:

Mistakes aren’t the end of the story!  This fact is an unassailable truth.  At the same time, it’s important to note that there’s a difference between an honest mistake or a misstep … and deliberately ignoring the reality of a situation.  Remember how I mentioned that hot water can be dangerous?  I’m writing this episode just hours after a man fell into a Yellowstone hot spring in the Norris Geyser Basin–neither the first nor the last fatality to take place in our National Parks this year.  Every year, several people slip over the edge of the Grand Canyon and fall from cliffs in Glacier National Park, despite clearly posted signs stating the dangers these areas have to offer.  What’s the connection to self-publishing?

Paying attention to the signs can save you from disaster.  

You’ll be able to spot the difference between a misstep and regular self-delusion by paying attention to your decision-making process.  Is there a pattern being established?

Today I begin a new series, a mirror image of our last: we’ve looked at ten of the most important marketing missteps to avoid in order to avoid disaster–working with the negative things in life–and now we will examine positive steps–master strokes–that can ensure your success.

The first master stroke?

Be all ears.

baby foxes

By which I mean: Cultivate an attitude of respect towards and listen with sincere interest to the stories of other authors, marketers, and industry professionals.  And most importantly, keep your mind open to what they have to say.  There’s a very real difference between appearing to listen, and actually allowing your own opinions to be modified by the shared experiences of others–and I promise you, your marketing will be MUCH more effective if you internalize the successes and failures that you haven’t encountered yet … but others have.

I think a lot of self-publishing authors are incredibly humble.  I have certainly met dozens upon hundreds upon thousands of authors throughout my decades working with them who are willing and eager to mentor new or struggling authors, and I know for a fact that you can access still more wisdom born from experience just by throwing a couple of keywords into a Google search engine or browsing the archives of any number of self-publishing-centered blogs.  There’s uncountable gigabytes of wisdom at your fingertips, and the first marker of master marketers is the metaphorical size of  their ears.

Get listening!

Thank you for reading!  If you have any questions, comments, suggestions, or contributions, please use the comment field below or drop us a line atselfpublishingadvice@gmail.com.  And remember to check back each Wednesday for your weekly dose of marketing musings from one indie, hybrid, and self-published author to another. ♠

KellyABOUT KELLY SCHUKNECHT: Kelly Schuknecht is the Executive Vice President of Outskirts Press. In addition to her contributions to the Outskirts Press blog at blog.outskirtspress.com, Kelly and a group of talented marketing experts offer book marketing services, support, and products to not only published Outskirts Press authors, but to all authors and professionals who are interested in marketing their books and/or careers. Learn more about Kelly on her blog, kellyschuknecht.com. 10:00 AM
from the archives, Kelly Speaks, Uncategorized

From the Archives: “Ask the Right Questions”

Welcome back to our Tuesday segment, where we’ll be revisiting some of our most popular posts from the last few years.  What’s stayed the same?  And what’s changed?  We’ll be updating you on the facts, and taking a new (and hopefully refreshing) angle on a few timeless classics of Self Publishing Advisor.

∗∗∗∗∗

[ Originally posted: March 6th, 2009 ]

Regardless of whether you are holding out for an old-fashioned publishing contract or taking matters into your own hands with custom self-publishing, here are 5 questions you should know the answers to when you decide to publish:

1 – What is the minimum number of books you have to purchase, and what does
each book cost you? Many require certain quantities to be purchased at highly marked up prices. That is how they ‘get you.’

2 – Who determines your retail price? How much is it? – Here’s another one
to look out for. You should have that control. Publishers that don’t allow that are often in the business to make money on your book. You’ve done the work. You should see the rewards.

3 – Who determines how much money you make from each book? Another good test.
Your publisher should pay 100% of the difference between the wholesale price and the
production price of the book. Most publishers pay anywhere from 5%-50%.

4 – Do you receive marketing support after publication? Free services like the Marketing COACH offered by Outskirts Press is an invaluable collection of proven tactics shared to help improve your book sales.

5 – Do you retain all the rights to your book? You definitely should. Check
the contract of wherever you publish.

Isn’t this fun!

– by Karl Schroeder

Karl was right back in 2009, and he’s still right today in 2016–when it comes to publishing your book, it’s better to ask the right questions ahead of time, so that you don’t end up locked into an unsatisfactory contract or stuck in a bad situation after the fact.  His five questions, too, were well-chosen, and if you’re just setting out to self-publish for the first time I recommend you start with his original list as a starting point; while the market and self-publishing process is always going to be something of a moving target, most of his fundamental assumptions  about the nature of self-publishing companies remain highly relevant.

And the most important assumption of all?

Self-publishing companies are out to make money.  

But of course they are!  If they weren’t, they’d operate as nonprofits–and I have actually worked alongside several nonprofits that publish as a part of their service mission, enough to know that they tend to be highly competitive as well as highly selective, and therefore look very much like a traditional publishing model.  Which brings us full circle, back to the self-publishing company as a wholly unique animal on the world stage.  If I were to add any question to Karl’s list, it would be:

How transparent is the company in question about how it makes its profit?

Because it’s one thing to partner with an ethical, reliable, and empowering company with sound business acumen which it places at your disposal as well as at the service of its shareholders–and it’s another thing altogether to sign on to a publishing venture which is out to pad its bottom line, no matter what the cost.

The takeaway?  It all comes down to research.  Talk with the company directly, and don’t hesitate to ask the tough questions.  Ask how they make their money, and what their internal corporate goals are.  Ask previous customers about their experiences, and specifically how well they felt they were treated.  Ask the company to treat you like an adult, which you are.  And if at any point you feel like the shareholders are the company’s priority and not the authors, take that as a sign and take your business elsewhere.  There’s no point in expecting a company to alter it’s corporate DNA for one customer–when it comes to self-publishing, you deserve to be at the heart of your own story.

Thanks for reading.  If you have any other ideas, I’d love to hear them.  Drop me a line in the comments section below and I’ll respond as quickly as I can.  ♠

Kelly Speaks, news from the self publishing world, self publishing news, Uncategorized

Self-Publishing News: 6.6.2016

This week in the world of self-publishing:

“Many authors who sell their work directly on platforms like Amazon are having their stories plagiarized, which can take an emotional and financial toll,” writes Joy Lanzendorfer in this June 5th article for the Atlantic.  Lanzendorfer recounts the story of self-publishing author Rachel Ann Nunes, whose work was plagiarized by one ‘Sam Taylor Mullens’ (an alias), who took her novel (A Bid for Love), repackaged it under a new title (The Auction Deal), and distributed it under his own name with only superficial changes.  This trend is becoming all too common, writes Lanzendorfer, who adds: “The offending books often stay up for weeks or even months at a time before they’re detected, usually by an astute reader.”  This is no joke for self-publishing authors, who operate without much of the safety net enjoyed by traditionally published authors, with the might and heft of corporate lawyers at their backs.  For other authors, like Opal Carew, “finding out their book has been plagiarized can be traumatic.”  And this is, quite literally, just the tip of the iceberg!  Lanzendorfer’s marathon of an article weighs the various factors at play, including Amazon’s various ranking logarithms.  To read more, follow the link!

Self-publishing has been around awhile, it would seem–far longer than most readers even know, according to this June 3rd piece for Publisher’s Weekly.  The article, which serves as a digital summary of a printed piece in the June 6th edition of the magazine, alleges: “Self-publishing is hardly a new idea, as evidenced by an editorial we published 100 years ago.”  The editorial in question went to print on June 3rd, 1916, and detailed the advantages and disadvantages of midlist authors finding alternative ways to market.  “‘The practice of allowing the author to pay in whole or in part for the publication of his manuscript is by no means confined to certain of the smaller and less-known publishing houses,'” the original 1916 article states: “‘These books are not of such a nature as to make a wide appeal, and consequently, however worthy they may be, we cannot afford to publish them without the author’s assistance.'”  Worthy, albeit niche works–this is indeed the heart and soul of indie publishing!  To catch a taste of 100 years of self-publishing progress, check up on the modern Publisher’s Weekly piece here.

Self-publishing authors who publish outside of a select number of companies and are not counted in traditional e-publishing surveys “exist in this near-invisible economy,” writes Russell Smith for The Globe & Mail, according to this June 1st article.  A pretty turn of phrase for a not-so-pleasant experience, as it turns out: says Smith, the challenge these authors face is most plain in the matter of promotion.  How to market a book that flies under the radar of the traditional bait-and-reward system?  “The answer,” he writes, “is in niches.”  But this type of approach is exhausting–or as Smith puts it: “Ah, engagement – a concept dreaded by writers of my generation. It means we have to have a personality that readers think they are interacting with; it means we have to seem like their friend.”  This kind of labor may be easier for some than others, he writes, but it’s still work–especially to those who do not have an easy niche market to identify, much less sell books to.  But the challenge is as much one of personality as it is substance, as Smith makes clear in his self-comparison to another indie author (Tudor Robins), whose boundless optimism leaves Smith questioning his own experience.  Could he do more?  Should he do more?  To find out his conclusions, tap into the original article at the link!

spa-news

As a self-publishing author, you may find it helpful to stay up-to-date on the trends and news related to the self-publishing industry.This will help you make informed decisions before, during and after the self-publishing process, which will lead to a greater self-publishing experience. To help you stay current on self-publishing topics, simply visit our blog every Monday to find out the hottest news. If you have other big news to share, please comment below.

KellyABOUT KELLY SCHUKNECHT: Kelly Schuknecht is the Executive Vice President of Outskirts Press. In addition to her contributions to the Outskirts Press blog at blog.outskirtspress.com, Kelly and a group of talented marketing experts offer book marketing services, support, and products to not only published Outskirts Press authors, but to all authors and professionals who are interested in marketing their books and/or careers. Learn more about Kelly on her blog, kellyschuknecht.com.

Book Reviews, Self-Publishing Book Review of the Week, Uncategorized, weekly self published book review

Saturday Book Review: “Soulful Transitions”

Book reviews are a great way for self-publishing authors to gain exposure. After all, how can someone buy your book if he or she doesn’t know it exists? Paired with other elements of your book promotion strategy, requesting reviews is a great way to get people talking about what you’ve written.

When we read good reviews, we definitely like to share them. It gives the author a few (permanent) moments of fame and allows us to let the community know about a great book. Here’s this week’s book review, courtesy of Goodreads reviewer Charles:

soulful transitions by lorena munoz

Soulful Transitions

by Lorena Muñoz

Publisher: Outskirts Press

ISBN: 978-1478759492

Synopsis:

Soulful Transitions is a collection of poems that chronicles one woman’s pilgrimage from pain and heartache to healing. Each expressive poem offers a glimpse into a soul struggling with various life lessons, and each is dated to document the evolution of growth and recovery. Full of faith and hope, Soulful Transitions offers reassurance that we, too, can survive the dark nights of our soul-and face the morning light stronger and wiser.

Critique:

This collection of poems consists largely of emotional anguish, describing what appears to be a love affair that has gone wrong. There is discussion of betrayal, addiction to him, perpetual deceit and other related aspects of break-ups. The prose appears stiff in the sense that there is not a smooth flow, it generally has the feeling of being forced. After a point, the reader hopes for a change of subject and a little more of a light-hearted manner.

There is a transition to a bit more of a positive tone later in the book, but it is not a great change. This is a book that one does not read in order to make an emotional change from the down to the up. For it never really gets that far up.

If you are someone that enjoys reading prose that is generally dark and brooding, then you might like this book. However, if you prefer the light and positive, then you will not find this book one that will bring the up crease of a smile to your face.

[ reviewed by Charles on Goodreads ]

Here’s what other reviewers are saying:

This book is amazing.
Such an inspirational read.
From all the ups and downs described in this book, the words are extremely touching.
The cover is also beautiful. Makes my book collection look extra pretty.
Definitely recommend this book to everyone.

– Amazon Reviewer Sakura22

Beautiful and inspiring! A brave journey and reminder that when we must be unafraid to examine our thoughts and emotions if we want to understand, learn and grow.

– Amazon reviewer Meghan Grosso

An awesome read. Truly brings you into the author’s world and illuminates pathways of promise and self-fulfillment.

– Amazon reviewer Michael Freeman

I felt every word and emotion spilled onto this book. The chronological form of how it was written was almost that of a re-birth or a metamorphosis. A must read for those in need of a soul filled similarity.

– Amazon Reviewer Amazon Customer

saturday self-published book review

Thanks for reading!  Keep up with the latest in the world of indie and self-published books by watching this space every Saturday!

Self Publishing Advisor

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