Author Interview Series – Cherry-Ann Carew, Author of Whisper of Lies

Many writers know that having a blog, or author/book blog is one tool that is essential to gaining exposure for their books. I had the pleasure of being interviewed by the lovely D’vorah Lansky, Marketing Wizard and author of the Amazon Bestseller – Book Marketing Made Easy: Simple Strategies for Selling Your Nonfiction Book Online and creator of Book Marketing Made Easy.com.

You can catch my interview here, where I talk about what I enjoy most about having a blog; how it serves my writing and marketing needs; my view on the importance for authors to have a book blog or author blog and how it has benefited me.

As always, please share your comments, and I’d love to hear if you have a blog and how it aids you.

 

8 Pillars of Book Publishing

Here’s a great post my friend, Jerry D Simmons of WritersReaders.com wrote that  précis main points about the book writing and the publishing world.

Book publishing involves several components working together to maximize the opportunities for selling copies. Success requires alignment of the 8 Pillars in a way that gives the title, author and publisher the best chance of achieving their goals. Coordination, timing and professional experience provides the very best opportunity for both initial and long term success. What follows are the 8 Pillars of Book Publishing.

[1] Writing – Anything is possible if the manuscript is marketable. If the author can keep readers engaged by telling a good story or sharing information in a manner that keeps pages turning, then consider the manuscript marketable. That does not mean the eventual publication will be successful but I can guarantee it will not be if the manuscript does not convey a story or message to the intended audience.

[2] Editing – Once the manuscript is finished a professional editor needs to read and offer feedback. If the cost of a complete content edit is not possible then at a minimum the writer needs an editorial critique. Where a professional editor reads, evaluates and offers a written critique on how the writer can improve the manuscript. Friends or family will not be sufficient and line editing for grammar, spelling and punctuation is not enough. Unless the writer has extensive experience an editorial critique is the very least that should be acceptable.

[3] Marketing – Starts early and continues for as long as the publication exists. Marketing runs parallel to the entire publishing process and never ends. With subsequent books the marketing overlaps to include the new and older titles. There are many forms of marketing but the point to make here is that marketing is as important as writing proficiently and publishing correctly. Never underestimate the power of sustained book marketing.

[4] Packaging – Getting the right cover design on a book matters. Consumers judge books by their cover and they will make a purchasing decision in a matter of seconds based on the package. If the cover does not make a statement instantly then a sale is lost. The jacket copy or sales blurb is important and considered part of the package as well as the title and subtitle. Do not underestimate or overlook the importance of proper packaging.

[5] Pricing – The single most important consideration on almost everything we buy is price. Readers shop by price and make most book purchases based on price. This is especially important for new unknown authors since infrequent buyers of books will most likely not take a chance on someone they are not familiar with. A single dollar or two below the price of an author the reader is familiar with will not typically make a difference since the cover price can be the deciding factor. Remember a price can almost always go up but rarely can it go down.

[6] Publishing – The demise of the print edition makes this a major factor in the success or failure of a publication. The production quality of the end product speaks volumes about the author, publisher and quality of the writing. The result of poor publishing decisions is invariably loss of credibility among readers, booksellers and the eventual loss of sales. Who publishes your writing and how is critically important to the perception of the reader.

[7]Distribution – The reference is to the booksellers that market and sell copies of your book. Whether your own website, online retailers or local bookstore, distribution is the means of how titles are offered to the public for sale. Every title needs distribution beyond their own website and the more outlets where your book is offered the more opportunities to sell copies. Don’t confuse distribution with the physical shipment of books to a retail location, distribution refers to how and where your publication is offered for sale.

[8] Sales – Roll all of the above together and hopefully you end up with sales. Anyone can publish a book today but not everyone can be successful at selling books. The market is crowded and difficult, authors and publishers who skip any of these 8 Pillars will greatly diminish their chances at being successful and selling copies of their book.

This list is not meant to be exhaustive nor detailed. The 8 Pillars are meant to provide an over view and insight into the basic requirements of publishing a product that has potential to sell copies. For further explanations or evaluation consult a professional with experience. That is the best way to avoid mistakes, save money and not waste time is to research and consult before making decisions.

5 Quick Tips That Will Help Make Your Book Salable

It’s one thing to write a book; entirely different to write one that’s saleable, viable and marketable. No one, even the large publishing houses, can guarantee that it will be a success. Varying circumstances, changing trends, world affairs, your market reach, all affect consumer preferences. Nevertheless, there are avenues that authors can take to leverage the sales-factor in their favor, and I will share 5 quick tips that will help make your book salable.

1)       The idea for the book, How The Fierce Handle Fear – Secrets To Succeeding In Challenging Times that I co-authored, grew from the economic meltdown that sent shockwaves throughout the world. It became a bestseller. Keep apprised of what is currently going on in your industry and in the world at large for that matter. Gauge what is getting people’s interests. Bear in mind that traditional means is not the only way to garner information either, survey your target audience using free tools such as ‘Ask Question’ on Facebook, or conduct a survey on Survey Monkey among the many others. If you are a coach, do speaking engagements, consulting, facilitate seminars or workshops, or you’re in a group, listen to what people are talking about, and of course, ask more questions.

2)       What is the media currently focused on? Is there a trend in coverage? Are talk show hosts including a specific topic/event on their shows? If there is something that is getting buzz, put your creative hat on and think how you can incorporate it in your writing.

3)       Have other books been published on the topic of your choice? If so, familiarize yourself with as many of those books to find out how it’s being perceived in the marketplace. Is there a trend? Do you see any holes that your book can fill? This will help you to angle it differently if writing non-fiction. If fiction, include an evergreen topic. Get to know the market.

4)       Just like you need to know what is happening in the market place, you likewise need to target your readers. Outside the realm of whether they are male or female, find out their age range, if they are married, single, separated or divorced. Where they are demographically. What kinds of jobs do they have? What are their reading preferences (fiction, non-fiction)? Etc. It’s important to create an overall profile of your ideal readers so that you can target them before your book is published.

5)       Decide on your marketing and book launch date. Timing is important if you want to make sales. Map out when you plan to release your book and include if it will be around a holiday or occasion. If the latter, use it to your advantage and don’t forget to market like crazy weeks before your book launched.

Write It, Work It, Publish it!

© 2011 Cherry-Ann Carew

WOULD YOU LIKE TO USE THIS ARTICLE IN YOUR EZINE, NEWSLETTER, MAGAZINE, BLOG OR WEBSITE? Please do, but ensure you include this complete resource box:

Cherry-Ann Carew, aka The Power Writing Coach, Editor, Best-selling author and Founder of Writetastic Solutions is passionate about helping aspiring fiction and non-fiction writers bring out their creative expression to write their books. Learn how her coaching and editing services can help you at www.writetasticsolutions.com.

 

Is Promoting Your Book Causing You Grief?

Many of us writers tend to think that the only way to successfully sell our books is through a brick and mortar bookstore. I’ve since found this to be an illusion. Statistics show that bookstores stock less than one percent of the millions of books available on the market. No wonder promoting your book can cause a lot of grief. But while this is still a viable option, there are many other avenues besides traditional book stores where we can sell books.

Online bookstores such as Amazon, Barnes and Noble and Smashwords, to name three, spring to mind. However, there are other brick and mortar stores such as chemists/drugstores, the airport, and supermarkets – think Walmart, Target and Costco.

In the U.K., for instance, supermarkets sell one in five books according to market share data. The figures for volume share in 2009 that was provided by the three leading supermarket booksellers, Asda, Sainsbury’s and Tesco, and based on Nielsen BookScan data indicated that the supermarket sector has more than trebled its share of the book market in the past five years. Granted, it’s not easy to get them to agree to place your book on their shelves, there is a process, but it is doable.

We authors need to get creative to figure out where our efforts will bring the greatest results. We need to work on our brand to get strong promotion materials that can help us stand out among the thousands of new books published annually.

This is doable too. I know this because many successful authors today began by touting their books from the boot of their cars. They did not have the financial means to afford publicists and, or, marketing firms, yet they persevered and overcame the odds. So we can take heart that if we are determined and committed to research, market, promote and network like crazy every day without getting overwhelmed by the immense amount of effort it takes, we can do it.

Write It, Work It, Publish it!

© 2011 Cherry-Ann Carew

WOULD YOU LIKE TO USE THIS ARTICLE IN YOUR EZINE, NEWSLETTER, MAGAZINE, BLOG OR WEBSITE? Please do, but ensure you include this complete resource box:

Cherry-Ann Carew, aka The Power Writing Coach, Editor, Founder of Writetastic Solutions and best-selling author, helps fiction and non-fiction writers with their creative expression to add value to their books. Learn how her coaching and editing services can help you with your book at www.writetasticsolutions.com.