Writers On The Move

Marketing with Newsletters and Blogs: Your Own and Others

Contributed by Carolyn Howard-Johnson

I don't think using others' newsletters and blogs a panacea for easy promoting. Newsletters and blogs that belong to other people are a great way of promoting but they do lack some of the benefits that you have if you run your own. That would be:

1. The independence you have with your own.

2. Using your own as mini way to reward those who do something nice in terms of publicity for you. See the Thank You section in my SharingwithWriters newletter for examples of this.

3. Networking by offering guest features, guest posts, and other ways to link to people who—if they're savvy marketers—will reciprocate. If not today, then later.

4. The ability to drive traffic to your Web site, online bookstore page, of anywhere your little heart desires.

Having a newsletter and blog of your own is a lovely way to share what you know. And having one doesn't discourage doing that in others' newsletters and blogs, anyway!

Here's an example of a tip I submitted to Penny Sansevieri's "A Marketing Expert" newsletter.

Reader Tip: Include Action Shots on Your Website

When you're updating your website as suggested by this Book Marketing Expert newsletter, be sure to include at least one action shot of you doing something. Many bloggers and online folks like plain old generic headshots but print media still need a whole lot more than someone holding his or her book or accepting an award. And TV producers need to see some possibilities for action in the still photos or videos you offer. Use my media room as a very basic example (http://howtodoitfrugally.com/media_room.htm) and Penny's as an example of what you're aiming for: http://www.amarketingexpert.com/media.html. And read more on why you need to relate to the media and how to do it in The Frugal Book Promoter at http://budurl.com/FrugalBkPromo.

Tip offered by Carolyn Howard-Johnson, author of the multi award-winning HowToDoItFrugally series of how-to books for writers.

Here's an action shot like the one I suggested (see left). You just have to think of shot that is somehow associated with your book.

Having said that, any image is better than none at all. So a picture of you with your book at a book fair works, even though it may not qualify as a real action shot. Grab your book before the shutter snaps and take a picture anyway. But grab a fellow book fair participant to be in your shot with you because he or she may be willing to help you promote. Two marketers/publicists are better than one.

For more information on newsletters and blogging use the index of your Frugal Book Promoter (http://budurl.com/FrugalBkPromo) to find help, ideas, and tons more references.

Providing tips for others is a great way to extend your reach. But it's limited. You own blog and newsletter issn't. That's why I can include this additional tip in this blog post without considering word count (or just being a real pest to the newsletter editor!). Here it is:

Re-use your action photo. Repetition is good for sales. That's why you have a book cover. I use this one in the image feature of my marketing books on my Amazon buy pages (see the images I posted on my Buy Page on my Frugal Book Promoter page), on my Web site, and sometimes send it to feature editors after I've been interviewed. Especially if they don't mention sending a photographer to take a picture. It's part of our jobs to make it easy for editors to do their jobs easily and well.

If you'd like to be sure you see all my favorite marketing and writing tips subscribe to my SharingwithWriters newsletter at http://howtodoitfrugally.com. The subscribe button is in the right of almost every page. And you'll get a free little e-booklet on wordtrippers when you do it. And, yes. I encourage you to submit your own favorite tips to that newsletter and to include credit lines with links to your book's sales page.

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How to Create an eBook – 4 Simple Steps

By Karen Cioffi

There was so much interest in the benefits of creating an ebook I posted about on October 1st, that I want to include how to actually write it and convert it into a PDF. So, below are the four simple steps to do just that.

The 4 Simple Steps to Creating an eBook

1. Create content

The first step is to create your content; this can be done as a simple word document. The content can be anything you think your readers or target market will want or need. In addition, it can be any length you decide upon. You can create a simple 10 page e-book, or a 100+ page e-book.

The choice is yours, as long as it will provide your reader or target market with an informative product that they’ll find of value.

You can also create a compilation of articles you’ve already written on a particular topic and organize them into an easy to read product that includes a content page.

Note: It’s wise to include a disclaimer explaining that you, the author, strived for accuracy, but cannot guarantee it due to the ever-changing nature of the internet. And, it’s advisable to include an “All Rights Reserved” with a copyright reference.

Another option, if you’re creating the e-book as a freebie on your site, is to allow it to be offered by others on their sites, emphasizing that all information must remain intact, including all links. This will help increase your visibility and lead readers back to your site/s.

2. Organize Your Content

Whether your product is a few pages or 100 pages, having it organized is important. The e-book needs to offer easy reading and clarity, along with value. If you are creating a longer product, divide the content or articles into sections or parts, and provide a Content Page.

Be sure to use a large and bold font for section headings and it’s advisable to include page breaks for each section.

Remember, you want to provide valuable information, including resources if possible, that will prompt the reader to view you as an expert in your field/genre. This will help motivate the reader to click on the links you provide, leading back to your site/s, products/services, or affiliate products.

Finally, be sure to add a brief bio, including your sites, books published, services, products, and links, on an About the Author page.

One last note about organizing your content – have plenty of white space. If you notice, this article has very short paragraphs, making it easy to read.

3. Include Images and Tweak Your Content

Once you have the content in place, add images. You can add an image at the beginning of each section, or where ever you see fit. This is another trick to make the e-book more interesting to read.

Using your word program’s clipart function is a free way to get images. Microsoft has clipart in the toolbar: Insert: Pictures: Clipart. You can also input free images from other sources. Again, the choice is yours.

The images will help break up the monotony of straight content. Another technique for this purpose is to use different color font for headings and subheading, or for “tips,” or other special information. Changing the font itself is yet another tool to make specific content stand out.

You will also want to include your own head shot on your About the Author page. Readers connect more with a face, rather than just a name.

4. Turning Your Word Doc into a PDF

Okay, you’ve created a great word document, now it’s time to magically turn it into an e-book. There are a number of free PDF creator software applications to do this.

For those wondering, PDF is an acronym for Portable Document Format. A PDF creator is an application that converts documents into PDFs by creating a virtual printer that prints to PDF files.

If you don’t already have a PDF converter, it’s time to do an online search for “free pdf creator.” Just be sure the one you choose is Adobe compatible.

My experience is with PDF995. They offer a free version which displays a sponsor page each time you run the software, but I opted for paying $9.95 for a version that doesn’t display promotion. You can check it out at: http://www.pdf995.com/

Two other free PDF convertors you might try are:

Primopdf
http://www.primopdf.com
Dopdf
http://www.dopdf.com

Install the software you chose, and you’re ready to go.

To use a PDF converter, choose Print while in the open Word document that you intend to turn into a PDF. In the Printer box, choose the PDF converter instead of your printer, and print.

NOTE: You would follow the same process for fiction writing also.

Creating an ebook is that simple!

And, to add more bang to this article, here is the link to an article by Carolyn Howard-Johnson on
Kindle Formatting Made Easy

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P.S. To keep up with writing and marketing information, along with Free webinars, join us in The Writing World (top right top sidebar).

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Karen Cioffi is an author-writer online platform instructor. To take your platform up a notch visit: http://www.karencioffi.com/author-online-platform-ecourse/

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Small Business Marketing – Meet Your Customers’ Wants

By Karen Cioffi

This is Part 1 of a 3 Part Series.

You just started your own business and you’re creating a small business marketing plan. You may already have created a great product. At least you think it’s a great product. But, is there a customer base for it? Or, is your product name effective? Do you know what your target market’s ‘wants’ are?

Marketing studies are showing that in order to sell effectively, you need to know what’s motivating your potential customer to make the choices he does. This means you need to know what your potential customer wants.

People buy what they need, want, or desire. But, ‘when push comes to shove,’ people buy what they want, rather than what they need.

So, you need to determine what it is your potential customer wants and craft your small business marketing strategy around that.

Suppose you’re selling a book on ‘alternative health.’

Many people may know they should look into alternative health options, maybe find an acupuncturist or naturopathic doctor, but if you don’t promote your product to their ‘want’ it won’t motivate the prospect to buy.

So, what does it mean to promote to a customer’s want, rather than his need.

Well, instead of promoting your alternative health book by explaining that Western medicine may not meet their health needs and that it’s important to address the underlying causes, rather than just the symptoms of illnesses, tell the potential customer that alternative options will allow him to regain his health and vitality. Tell him how this product will actually alleviate his problem.

Do you see the difference?

Please be aware though that the above example is just that, an example. In your small business marketing you must always be honest and never, ever make guarantees in regard to someone’s health. Your product or service must to be of value and it must fulfill your marketing claims.

As the example demonstrates, people buy based on feelings: Will the product or service make me feel, look, or smell better? Will it help me learn something, or earn more money? Will it get rid of my pain? Will it make me a better golfer? And, it’s your job to answer the relevant questions effectively.

Watch just about any TV commercial. The marketers are selling an image. They’re selling to the viewer’s wants. Think of clothing commercials. Some don’t even have words; you simple watch a beautiful or handsome model wearing the product. You want to look like the model in those clothes, whether consciously or subconsciously. This motivates you to buy those clothes. The ad is addressing a ‘want.’

Just as a chef prepares a meal for both the taste and visual appeal of a dish, so must a marketer present his product or service in a manner that will be appealing on all fronts to the target market.

Your small business marketing must address your potential customer’s ‘what’s in it for me’ (WIIFM) question appealingly and effectively.

What strategies do you use to find out what your customers' wants are and to meet them?

Stay tuned for Part 2 on November 1st!

Karen Cioffi is an award-winning children’s author and children’s ghostwriter/ rewriter. She is also the founder and editor-in-chief of Writers on the Move and author online platform instructor with WOW! Women on Writing.

If you need help with your author platform, check out Karen's e-classes through WOW:
http://www.articlewritingdoctor.com/content-marketing-tools/

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4 Benefits of Creating Your Own eBook

You know . . . an easy way to turn your knowledge into possible income is to create a booklet or ebook. And, with an ebook, if you use sources such as Kindle, it won’t cost a penny. It’s as easy as putting the pieces of a puzzle together.

But, on the flip side, if you’re thinking of doing B2B (business to business) work, businesses would prefer a booklet to hand out to prospects, clients, or employees.

While booklets have their place, today, I’m going to address ebooks because they're such an amazing product and they can be absolutely FREE to create!

What else can you create for free and SELL for whatever you think it’s worth? Okay, maybe not for ‘whatever you think it’s worth,’ you do have to consider the market when deciding on a price. But, as far as cost, the only cost is your time and some effort.

Simple steps to creating an ebook:

1. All you need to do is open a Word document and start typing away. Get all that expert knowledge you’ve accumulated over the year/s and create your content. Just be sure that your content will actually be of value to your readers and reliable.

Pretty easy so far, right?

2. Now that your content is set, you can add pictures. If you can believe it, this is also free or pretty close to it. Just use clip art or visit sites such as Freepixels.com, MorgueFile.com, or BigStock.com. Another easy way to do this is to take your own pictures. Download them onto your computer and then upload them into your ebook. You can use Microsoft Word to tweak the image or if you have a program such as Photoshop Elements or Logo Creator you can create all types of variations of one simple photo.

3. The next step is to design your own cover and/or interior images. It’s easier than you think.

4. That’s it! Now, it’s time to take your Word doc and cover and upload it to Kindle or other service.

5. You can also use a pdf creator and change your Word doc into a pdf file. Then you’ll have an ebook!

Easy Peasy. Done.

But, wait a minute, there’s more. What about the benefits of creating your own ebook?

5 Major Benefits of Creating Your Own eBook (added another major benefit)

Now that you have an ebook, what can you do with it? Well, just about anything!

1. Sell it.

You can sell it on your own website through Paypal or Google checkout, or use a shopping cart service; you can sell it through Kindle, Lulu, or Smashwords, or lots of other services.

2. Use it as an ethical bribe.

You can offer your ebook as a free gift to entice visitors to sign up for your newsletter.

3. Make it keep giving.

If you decide you’ll give it away as a free gift (ethical bribe) to subscribers as an incentive to opt in to your mailing list, and you should be doing this as part of your book marketing strategy, you can get even more ‘bang’ for your effort by making it ‘reprint allowable.’ This is a great way to increase your visibility, create backlinks, and bring traffic back to your site.

‘Reprint allowable’ simply means the recipient can pass it along to others, as a free gift, as long as he keeps it completely as is.

4. Create a combo package.

You can also offer it as a combo with other works you have for sale. And, you will be establishing and promoting your expertise and authority . . . you get the idea.

I recently did this with an affiliate product I promoted. To sweeten the pot (take it up a notch), I offered one of my own products as a bonus.

There you have it, four simple ebook strategies that can make you money, build your list, and generate visibility.

5. Build your authority,

If you're a business owner, small or home, nothing says authority like a relevant to your industry/niche book.

Think of it.

You have a potential client or customer who you want to impress - give him your book. Give her your book that's full of information about your industry and about your company. And,you can include what your business can do for the reader.

Gigantic Tip: Know what's even more impressive than an ebook? A physical book. Check out CreateSpace to get your ebook turned into an 'in your hand' book.

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NEED HELP CREATING YOUR EBOOK?

I can help. Visit The Article Writing Doctor today!

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Patti Lee Gauch's Concluding Thoughts: Have Your Own Standard of Excellence

During Patti Lee Gauch’s talk at the Highlights Foundation workshop, “Books that Rise Above,” Patti reminds us that we’re educating children’s taste. To be successful, we must first develop our own.

Read the Most Excellent Works

To illustrate her point, Patti scattered on a big, round table some of her favorite books. That is, as many as she could carry from her home, to her car, to the workshop. Mind you, these aren’t brand new books. They are dog-eared and worn from being cherished and loved. She doesn’t bring all of her favorites. That would take up a library. But what she does do is name as many of the books that rise above all others as she could squeeze in during our short time together. The other presenters listed as many of their favorites as they could, too. I jotted down most of the titles and/or authors that they mentioned. The list holds few surprises. The authors who are listed are indeed treasured and some of the best loved. And of course, not every “book that rises above” could be mentioned in the space of one week end. So many of our favorites are left out; perhaps because they are givens, such as Dr. Seuss books or books by Lois Lowry, two of my personal favorites. In the book list that I compiled, I have cross-checked the proper spellings, titles, and author’s names, mostly through Amazon.com; and I included small tidbits of information the presenters mentioned about the books. For a copy of the book list, please leave a comment and I will look up your contact information and send it to you.

Our Taste Makes Us

Patti explains that taste grows exponentially from everything we touch, see, read and hear. We draw from our taste:

© Scenes that take reader to an emotional place

A peek inside Patti's heart, which she so openly shared with us, reveals a deep-seated love of literature and what it has done for her. Patti's emotions are confirmed by great literature. Who isn't blown away by the splendid characters in Dickens' Great Expectations, who are wrought with feeling.

Patti believes in the discovery of wisdom in a book. In learning something new. Why write if our work doesn’t contain wisdom? Killer Angels by Ken Sherer is a good book to read with problem kids. Splendid characterization. Action goes right to a battle in the beginning. A book with this kind of power can make kids readers. A book that has a great deal of meaning for her, Robert Cormier's The Chocolate War, was the first book from the list that I read when I got home from the workshop. Patti summarized that Chocolate War is about a school with a wicked undercurrent; the power of the book is that it unleashes shock. Reader is left with Jerry's sick feeling that he knew what he had become. That he allowed Archie to influence him enough to lower his standards. Another life-changer is Ursala Gwinan's The Wizard of Earthsea. It helped give Patti permission to see her shadow. A book must go far enough; the example Patti gives is The Nigger of the 'Narcissus': A Tale of the Sea (1897) by Joseph Conrad. Author must go to the well and write from the inside out, not the outside in. Author must be all you are. Author must be transcendent.

Patti's final thoughts to take to heart: Dare to disturb the universe. Don't be a writer who leaves the genuine idea behind.

For past posts in this series, please visit:

Part One: Two Ways to Hook and Keep Your Reader
Part Two: Nouns Need to be Concrete and Appear More than Once
Part Three: Tent Pole Structure
Part Four: Leonard Marcus: Maurice Sendak, Storyteller and Artist
Part Five: Leonard Marcus: Let the Wild Rumpus Start
Part Six: Behind the Scenes with Deborah Heiligman
Part Seven: Deborah Heiligman's Casual Scream
Part Eight: On the Same Page with Betsy Bird

Thanks for reading this series.

Next month: Cluttered Desk Leads Writer Astray

Linda Wilson, a former elementary teacher and ICL graduate, has published over 40 articles for children and adults, six short stories for children, and is in the final editing stages of her first book, a mystery story for 7-9 year olds. Publishing credits include seven biosketches for the library journal, Biography Today, which include Troy Aikman, Stephen King, and William Shatner; Pockets; Hopscotch; and true stories told to her by police officers about children in distress receiving teddy bears, which she fictionalized for her column, "Teddy Bear Corner," for the Montgomery County Sheriff's Office Crime Prevention Newsletter, Dayton, Ohio. Follow Linda on Facebook.

Labels: Highlights Foundation, children's writing workshop

Writing Scents

The Northeast is gearing up for a spectacular show of rich, autumn colors. The morning chill, picking fresh apples, and the wonderful earthy smell of fallen leaves gives me the second wind I need to finish my writing goals for this year. Autumn energizes me!

Kathleen Moulton

Writers are observant and very in tune to their surroundings - positively and negatively. Sights, sounds, and smells spark creativity and find expression in the written word. But sometimes, we have to create an environment to spur us on.

One valuable tip that has worked for me is aromatherapy. Essential oils are extracted from the roots, seeds, leaves, or blossoms of plants. While I have not delved into all their uses, I have been pleased with using them for their aroma.

According to the article "9 Aromatherapy Health Cures" (Sarah Mahoney, Prevention Magazine, December 2012):

In a study at Wheeling Jesuit University, peppermint vapors gave college basketball players more motivation, energy, speed, and confidence.

Additionally:

In an Austrian study, researchers wafted the smell of oranges before some participants and lavender before others. The two groups felt less anxious, more positive, and calmer, compared with participants who were exposed to no fragrance at all.

S I G U R / Foter / CC BY-NC-SA

There is lots of information on the internet about aromatherapy and what scents produce. Here are a few I've used:

lavender - calming and relaxing
citrus (oranges, lemons, grapefruit) - energizes, promotes alertness and concentration
peppermint - invigorating, energy booster
eucalyptus - mental exhaustion, lethargy, stress
tea tree - stimulates the brain and provides blood flow
rosemary - headaches, fatigue, tired eyes, focus, memory
basil - wakes up the mind

Are you feeling stressed with deadlines? Do you need some fresh energy or soothing tranquility? Try aromatherapy. A diffuser on your desk or in your living space may help give you the boost you need!

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Kathy Moulton is a published freelance writer. You can find her passion to bring encouragement and hope to people of all ages at When It Hurts -http://kathleenmoulton.com

Do You Use Readers?

It used to be that an author created and wrote his story and then sent it to his editor, after which he did his rewrites and published his book. But there is one tool I use to help give me input about my story. This tool is my readers. They have become an important part of my editing and rewriting process.

More and more authors are turning to readers to give their thoughts and opinions on the authors’ stories. This is a good idea since most people who buy and read books are ordinary everyday people and are not writers or editors.

Editors are looking at the structure of your plot, character development, and yes, grammar and spelling among other things. But readers are looking at it for its intrest and appeal. To use both readers and an editor gives you a more rounded viewpoint of your story.

Readers give you a perspective from a different angle. Now don’t go firing your editor. On the contrary. I prefer to get my readers’ input before I send my book to my editor. Readers view your story from a reader’s viewpoint where your editor look at your story from a writer’s viewpoint, and it is my opinion that a writer needs both.

I do ask my readers to look for spelling/grammar errors and typos. They do a grand job of finding them, too. But I also like to get their opinion on specific parts/chapters of my story. Because they are not as picky as editors are, they can really give you a fresh and honest opinion. Once you get your readers input, then you can concentrate on the things your editor finds.

How many readers should you have? As many as you want but definitely more than one. The difference in opinion from one reader to another can create a dilemma. A third reader’s opinion can give you the solution to that dilemma.

So do you have a reader/s? If not, you’re missing out on a more well-rounded editing information.

Faye M. Tollison

Author of: To Tell the Truth

Upcoming books: The Bible Murders

Sarah’s Secret

Member of: Sisters in Crime

Writers on the Move

www.fayemtollison

www.fayetollison.blogspot.com

www.fmtoll.wordpress.com