You May Not Be Famous, But You ARE A Celebrity ;-)

Ever feel like a nobody because you're not on the New York Times Best Seller quite yet and your print runs are below 30,000? Take a deep breath. I have an announcement that just might surprise you.

You may not be "famous," but in your readers' eyes YOU ARE A CELEBRITY!

Stop belly aching that "you haven't made it big." Do you know how many people in the world would give their two front teeth to have readers who want to know about them? Do you know how wonderful it is that you wrote a book... that you FINISHED your book and it is published? A lot of people dream of what you have accomplished.

Don't waste time looking at who is ahead of you in line (i.e., the A-list authors published by big-name houses) and don't lose sight of who's looking at you with the same level of envy and admiration. By the way, let me point out envy is bad if that's all there is, but envy with admiration for one's accomplishment is always a healthy motivator. You envy an author because you also admire her work? Strive to achieve what she has achieved. Learn what she did to get to the level she's achieved. Use that envy and admiration soup to push yourself to the next level.

Let's do a little exercise that will quickly drive this point home. First, think of a celebrity you admire and would love to meet but know it would never be likely to happen. Next, imagine sending a note of appreciation (i.e., card, email, blog post, etc.) and admiration to that person (yes, celebrities are people, too) regarding that celebrity's work (i.e., performance, appearance, movie, book, etc.). Now, imagine receiving a personal thank you from your favorite star recognizing your gesture of appreciation. What would you do?

If you're like most people, you might call, email, tweet and blog everyone you know about the experience! That's real viral marketing – the sharing of a real personal experience with others via word of mouth.

Whether you have one fan or thousands the principles are the same. In the reader's eye you are a true celebrity. You're bigger than life. Why? You created something that enriched the reader's life, made that reader forget problems, and maybe you made that person smile.

Bottom line: As an author you touch people on an emotional level. That is an accomplishment to be proud of and you should pat yourself on the back. Enjoy your celebrity status. Just don't let it go to your head! ; )

I invite your comments and questions.

Book Candy Sandy
sandy@bookcandystudios.com
www.bookcandystudios.com
949.613.2099

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AUTHORS - Read Your T&Cs!

With all the recent media attention on the pending Healthcare Bill and whether our elected representatives are actually "reading the bill" before signing it into law, I thought I'd take a moment to emphasize the importance of reading (and understanding) all the paperwork we as authors must contend with in our daily lives.

As you know, earning a living in today's publishing arena is vastly different and greatly more complicated than the world our predecessors faced just 20 short years ago. Today's authors must track and wrangle agent agreements, publisher contracts, hosting agreements, domain registrations, marketing agency contracts, international publishing agreements, photographer copyrights, royalty-free licenses, social networking site terms and conditions, self-publishing contracts, and that's just to name a few. Whew!

Here's where a good (and contract-savvy) agent comes in handy. At least you're partially covered. Negotiating the finer points of your contract with your publisher definitely ranks as number one on your to-do list, and that can be handled by a smart agent – if you have one. But what about the mountain of clauses, declarations, restrictions, indemnifications and terms for termination you encounter from all the third-party services you've committed to with your signature to your bottom line?

Okay, fear not. I'm not here to scare you. Take a deep breath. It's not as overwhelming as you think.

Here is my advice to you. First make a list of all the contracts you've signed with an actual pen (i.e., publisher contracts, self-publishing agreements, literary agent contracts, marketing agency and PR contracts, etc.) and all the service agreements you've clicked the "I agree" box with your mouse (i.e., AOL, FaceBook, MySpace, your website hosting company, Internet service provider, Google AdWords, GMAIL, etc.).

Now, rank them on a "gotcha" scale (something I created for myself):

1) High risk (i.e., you don't get paid, you lose copyrights, you lose other rights, etc.)

2) Medium risk (i.e., a big headache to fix, such as losing your domain name, your website goes down, privacy has been breached, etc.)

3) Low risk (i.e., social networking site terms and conditions, software licenses, conferences you signed up for, etc.)

Now, look at your list. If you don't understand something or if your gut tells you to look into something further because it doesn't FEEL RIGHT or LOOK RIGHT, ask for help (the legal type is best, unless you are a business attorney or contracts negotiator).

It is safe to say that we've all been burned at one time or another during our writing adventures, and most writers are willing to help their peers avoid some painful and costly mistakes. What I'm saying here is that maybe all you need to do is reach out to more experienced authors before heading to the legal office down the street. Read blogs, read articles, shoot emails to authors you know and respect. You will probably find answers. If not, at that point you might consider a lawyer.

We know a bit about contracts. We field minor questions from time to time from worried authors. Sometimes the answers are plain as day. Sometimes we have to dig a bit. We also have experience as authors from which to draw. However, we are not a legal team. We don't know everything. We are here if you have a couple of questions though. We'll put our heads together for you.

Book Candy Sandy
sandy@bookcandystudios.com
www.bookcandystudios.com
(949) 613-2099

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How Much Does Luck Contribute to an Author's Success?

Luck Be Our Lady!
How much does luck contribute to an author's success?

When I think about luck and writing, one of the first word sets that comes to mind is Harry Potter. That is far more than a story of success for a down-and-out writer who was on social services sitting in a coffee shop every day with her infant at her feet writing her book. An ex-school teacher who was writing for no one but herself. That is truly a story of phenomenal luck with a capital "L."

As I've heard the story, J.K. Rowling's book was written in long hand. I've spoken to many editors in my day and the rule of thumb is that no manuscript that isn't typed, double-spaced, and that doesn't come in a typed envelope with an SASE isn't getting past the slush pile … if indeed it reaches that honored pile. In fact, just based on its untyped nature, it will be cast aside. But not in Rowling's case. It was luck that landed her manuscript in the hands of a decision-maker at the publishing house who supposedly was bored and having tea and needed something to read. It was luck that Rowling's manuscript was on the top of the heap. However, the rest of her story of success is due to her character development and talent as a writer.

Think I'm crazy? One thing I do day in and day out is talk to authors, well known and not so well known. You know what I hear from those who are selling tons of books? Authors who make a very good living from doing what they love to do in life? Yep. It was a stroke of luck that got them positioned thusly. One very accomplished writer extraordinaire actually suggested that I write a piece on luck because it was luck that got him going. It was luck, he pointed out, that came into a lot of well-known authors' lives. At first I disagreed, but the more I started asking the question of other authors, the more I realized he was absolutely right!

Don't believe me? Look at your own writing life. You have a great book. Your book is better than a lot of books on the book store shelves. So why isn't your book on the store shelves? Before you say that it is because these authors know people or that they have that certain magic that you don't, ask yourself:

What makes a best seller?
Does it really happen by design?
Or are publishers just rolling the dice with authors until they hit pay dirt?

Here's my opinion (it's a spoiler so don't read on if you don't want to know!) derived from over 20 years in the publishing business and working BOTH sides of the keyboard (i.e., writer and in publishing as an editor). Luck, my fellow writers, accounts for possibly 90% of a writer's success.

Surprised? Still doubtful? Okay, then I give you an assignment. Ask three best-selling authors how they made it and I'll bet you dollars to donuts that you'll hear a very humbled and common story of somehow being at the right time and right place, and getting the right response from readers of their book.

But here is the flip side to this coin. You cannot discount the importance of that other 10%. If you have a good story with a thorough and provocative plot line written well with excellent character development in place, you can be one of the lucky ones. These are all mandatory elements to the success equation in an author's life. Again, let's go back to Rowling's story. It started with a great bit of luck, but had her characters not been so highly developed and interesting, and had her writing not been exceedingly strong, her first book much less the rest of her books would not have been published. No one would know her beloved character Harry.

I do not want you to stop living the dream just because a lot of your success as an author boils down to luck. It has a lot to do with how many eyes you get your book in front of, too! Expose yourself!! (Okay, minds out of the gutter, folks.) Increase your luck by reaching out to people.

Focus your marketing efforts on the luck factor's source - the human factor. Human beings are mostly random creatures by nature. Sure, we have our daily routines, but how many times are those rhythms interrupted by the unexpected? We've all experienced the "randomness" of creativity, ideas and inspiration. Some of my best ideas, for example, come to me in the middle of the night. Or in the shower. Or driving. It doesn't get more random than that. I'm certainly not trying to form the ideas. They just randomly come to me. It's an intimate experience. And that's the key. But I digress.

What I want to leave you with today is that you can never forget that the real end game to writing is touching the lives of readers (a.k.a., real people) with your story. You are not selling books. Book sales are the byproduct of touching lives. On that note, here is my recommendation. Focus your book marketing on an interpersonal approach (not a mass marketing approach). Mass marketing works for toothpaste but not for books, and the reality is that we're becoming increasingly numb to mass market advertising anyway.

For those of you who have been reading these Book Candy Sandy pieces for awhile, you might guess what's coming next. But I feel like I need to hammer this message home.

How do you create an interpersonal marketing approach for your book(s)? Social media networking!!!! "Social" media marketing is what? SOCIAL! It is not selling. It is getting to know other human beings on a personal level and sharing YOUR STORY with them. Not pushing your book in their faces. When you invest the time to get to know more people (a.k.a., book store owners, readers, editors, libraries, bloggers, etc.) you might just find that your luck improves! In fact, I'm willing to bet I'm right. I'm feeling pretty lucky today! but that's an announcement for another day.

Shoot me your questions and comments. I will respond personally.

Book Candy Sandy
sandy@bookcandystudios.com
949.613.2099
www.bookcandystudios.com

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Stop Spending Your Promo Dollars on Throw-Away Marketing!

This will be brief, as I've written about this topic before. I just want you to understand very clearly that if you are spending time, effort, and money on traditional book promotion (i.e., signings, mailers, print ads, brochures and fliers), you may well be tossing your hard-earned cash out the window.

The explosion and fragmentation of mainstream media outlets have made it extremely difficult to capture the reader’s attention. Just like an arms race, the arsenal of traditional book promotional tricks is ever expanding (i.e., fancy book marks, post cards, emailers, newsletters, blogs, trailers, virtual tours, author interviews, website templates, banner ads, print ads, book widgets, SEO, RSS feeds, press releases and the list goes on).

So, why do I categorize these familiar marketing tools as “throw-away marketing”? Simple. They all yield a very limited window of exposure for the money. You may get your “fifteen minutes of fame” (btw - webtime is about 4.5 seconds), but once that email blast, SEO campaign, or book signing is over, your advertising fame fades as quickly as a camera flash in a stadium full of flashes.

The days of “it’s a numbers game” are over (unless you’re an A-List author with GOBS of cash on hand). For the rest of us, start investing your marketing dollars into programs that yield long term residuals.

This is where social networking and viral marketing programs fit the bill. You see, regardless of which social networking site you prefer (i.e., MySpace, FaceBook, Gather, Ning, Twitter, etc.) here’s what they all have in common – no expiration date. These marketing platforms build over time (i.e., 5 friends, 25, 150, 600, 3000, and on and on) month after month and year after year as long as you tend to them.

Just like gardening, how you start and tend to your social networking site is key to achieving long-term residuals. So what are the magic ingredients? First, know this is not a numbers game (i.e., how many friends can you get). Here you need to take the time to find the right people. Second, keep it interactive and personal. If some one is kind enough to contact you respond in kind. Lastly, be prepared to invest the time, lots of time.

But don’t despair on the investment in time . What you get in return to switching to a residual approach vs. indirect is more direct control and transparency. Here you can actually see the results of your efforts and won’t be saying “what did I get for my money!”

Always remember that marketing and promoting yourself through social networking and viral marketing is a people-centric process and is the opposite of indirect mass marketing (hence the term throw-away marketing).

However, if you insist on marketing your book the old-fashioned way, then go ahead and send me a book mark or signed cover flat. I PROMISE I won't throw yours away. ;-)

I invite your questions: sandy@bookcandystudios.com or 949.613.2099.

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Think Baseball When Striving for Book Sales ;-)

Now that the boys of summer are back in play, perhaps we can all gain a few simple insights from America's favorite pastime when thinking about how to generate book sales.

Sure, we'd all like to hit the ball out of the park when our book hits the streets, but rather than spend your promotional dollars on "home runs" you'll get more value for your money if you strive for base hits and make your way around the diamond to home plate (book sales).

Here's the formula:

First base -- Build a core audience. Social media sites (i.e., Myspace, Facebook, Goodreads and others) are ideal for audience building. Here you can readily find bookstores, libraries, and fans of your genre who will easily (and politely) accept your friendship requests to learn more about you.

Second base -- Line up your book reviews. Most readers will not buy a book based on the cover alone. They like to see what other readers think. But here you need a little advance planning to get to second base. Get your ARCS (advance reading copies) out three to six months in advance to the right people, bloggers and media sites to review your book. If you book is listed on Amazon, you can use your investment in getting to first base (i.e., your audience) to write up some fair book reviews to your listing. But only ask for real and sincere reviews. We can ALL smell a self-promoting book review from a mile away -- GEESH!

Third base -- Now that you have a core audience of followers and a base of book reviews, it's time to throw in some sizzle (i.e., excerpt contests, watch-the-trailer contests, etc.). When you have people actively participate in what you are doing, when you ask their opinion, you get them more excited and stir a bigger buzz.

Home Plate -- Book sales! If you follow the simple formula as laid out here you should see healthier book sales. Think of yourself as a key player in your marketing efforts. You can't just sit back and wait for the end score. Get in there and bat! Devote time to your audience building through creating relationships with readers and others who are helpful to book sales. Don't waste your time on those who are not helpful to sales. Choose three social media platforms and really work 'em. With practice, you'll become one of the best hitters … er, I mean marketers of your work … ever.

As always, I invite your questions and comments. ; )

Book Candy Sandy
sandy@bookcandystudios.com
949.613.2099

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Funny Tip: Before You Advertise Your Books Online, Do the math!
originally posted: April 14, 2009

Sure it sounds easy. Create a little banner or text ad for your book and drop it into a PPC (pay per click) internet marketing engine (i.e., Google AdWords) and sit back and count your royalties!

Before you whip out your credit card, consider the following story:

Once upon a time, there was a tiny house who told an author that she could sell her books online for as little as $50! "Your ad will be seen around the world by thousands if not millions of people," the little house said.

"How is that possible?" asked the author.

"When readers search the Internet for your type of book, your ad will appear on their computer screen!" exclaimed the house.

"And then they can buy my book!," said the excited author, with great delight.

"Yes, but only after I collect a small fee in return," said the little house. "It's nothing much, just pennies or just a few dollars. You won't even notice it after you've sold all your books!" he added with a smile.

"Perfect, let's go for it!"

So the little house created the ad and cast it out like a finely meshed net on the Internet. Within a few hours the author looked at her computer screen and was amazed. "Wow, my ad got 732,000 . . . uh, impressions? Does that mean I've sold that many books?"

"Exciting isn't it?" the little house said. "Unfortunately, no, those are all the people who may have seen your ad. Wait for the clicks!" Upon saying the word click, the little house smiled widely.

When the author looked again she jumped for joy! The computer screen now said 866,232 impressions AND 148 clicks! "Wow, I've sold 148 books in one day!"

"Well, not exactly," said the little house. "Those were most likely 148 people that clicked on your ad to see your book."

The author was becoming frustrated. "But how can I tell if I've sold any books?"

"Call your publisher," replied the little house.

"Hmmmm, okay. Well, I guess this was good first day. What about tomorrow?" asked the author.

The little house replied, "I'd like to help, but unfortunately you're $50 is all spent."

"Spent! Already? How?" asked the author.

"I collected 25 cents per click for the first 47 people, and then 35 cents from the next 20."

"Wait! Why did you raise your fee on those people… uh… clicks?" asked the author.

"Well, some people clicked on different key words, and some cost more than others," answered the little house.

The little house explained further, "So then I collected $1 per click from the next 7, $5 per click from the next 3 clicks, and $10 for the last."

"Oh," is all the author could say.

"I'm sorry I made a mistake," said the little house.

"Really?" said the author hoping for a glimmer of good news.

"I miscalculated my fees. You still owe me 75 cents," said the little house.

MORAL OF THE STORY - "With a few notable exceptions, the house always wins!"

Questions or comments? Send them to me: sandy@bookcandystudios.com

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