Big isn't always better

One of my favorite e-newsletters is Denny Hatch's Business Common Sense. Normally his newsletter is filled with great marketing ideas. However, his newsletter published this past week voiced his frustration with the self publisher he had recently signed with to publish his forthcoming book. He titled his article: Amazon.com: brilliant bookseller, lousy publisher. In his newsletter he shares his personal experience with BookSurge the self publishing unit of Amazon which is in the process of changing its name to CreateSpace. His frustration comes from the way Amazon.com handled the transition from BookSurge to CreateSpace in that his representative at BookSurge did not contact him personally to give him a head's up on the transition. Behind Denny's concern is the fact that the business of self publishing is huge and that the large players in the business (AuthorHouse, Lulu, iUniverse, etc.) are actually big impersonal companies who see authors as a commodity. While there is some merit to what these self publishing companies do many of their promises ring hollow.

In my opinion the reason so many authors are taken advantage of is that they expect their publisher to care as much about their work as they do. In reality most self publishing companies are only interested in selling their services and could care less about the quality of the author's work. Behind all their promises there is one driving force. It is greed, plain and simple. They lure an author with an unrealistic low price offer of some kind and then build a "relationship" over the phone and through email. They know exactly what the unsuspecting author is wanting to hear so they compliment the author on their work, tell the author how much money they are going to make and make the author believe that by publishing with them they will automatically sell their book to a waiting public. It reminds me of the old joke about the unsuspecting tourist buying the Brooklyn Bridge.

So what's an aspiring author to do?

From my experience there are many reasons to self publish a book. However, unfortunately, there are no short cuts to publishing success. A book has to be well written, expertly edited, wonderfully designed, perfectly printed and shamelessly promoted. To do this an author needs to partner with someone who can help them along the way to make good decisions based on facts not fiction.

Publishing a book is not rocket science. That said, publishing well is even more complicated in many ways. Using a formulaic program from a big self publishing corporation does not often end with good results. There is a reason for the "self" in self publishing. As a self published author you are the CEO of your own publishing venture. This means hiring the best for each aspect of the operation. You are not going to get what you intend by hiring amateurs to do the work of professionals.

Take away points:

• Self publishing can be a good thing if done well
• Never hire an amateur to do the work of a professional
• Don't believe what the salesperson at the self publishing company is telling you
• There are small niche custom publishers who can provide hands on professional help
• Always create a marketing plan before publishing so everyone involved understands your goals

Jerry Springer on the importance of personal branding and how his comments apply to book publishing

Today I read an interview with talk show host Jerry Springer in brand guru Dan Schawbel's blog, PersonalBrandingBlog.com. Love him or not, few would fault Jerry Springer on his ability to self promote. In this blog I will excerpt parts of that interview and comment on its importance as it relates to authors and publishers. To read the entire interview, which I recommend, follow this link http://www.personalbrandingblog.com/personal-branding-interview-jerry-springer/

Q Dan Schawbel: In a world where there are unlimited choices for media, such as TV, radio, blogs, newspapers, etc, how can you get your name out there? What’s the best way to do so?

A Jerry Springer: Well, it depends on what you’re trying to get your name out there for. The important thing is to recognize what your niche is and then that will in a sense define where you should go for your audience...

...Figuring out who your audience is the first thing you have to do and then you have to figure out how much you can afford. If you can’t afford much, then how can you make news with what you’re doing. Again, target the audience. That’s the most important thing and where most people waste most of their money.

Comment: In book publishing authors often think that putting their book on a bookstore shelf will automatically result in sales. Nothing could be further from the truth. You must first determine your niche then determine how to engage it. Many times the worst place to sell your book is in a bookstore. One of the most important things for an author or publisher to do is to have a book marketing plan. Your marketing plan will determine your market niche, establish goals and provide action steps for achieving the goals. If you lack the experience to write a marketing plan there are sample plans available on the Web or, if within budget, retain someone with book marketing expertise to help write the plan.

Q Dan Schawbel: Once you get people’s attention, how do you get them to come back for more?

A Jerry Springer: Well you gotta be good. It has to be something they want. It’s not like the early days of mass advertising. By now, people are inundated with hundreds of messages a day. We’ve all become experts. We are so sophisticated in knowing when we’re being played, when we’re being tricked and when there is something of substance worth paying attention to. Very rarely can the public be fooled...

...The most powerful advertising is word-of-mouth because when you hear it from a friend or someone you’re passing by on the street or doing business with, they don’t have a hidden agenda in telling you that. So therefore you give their statement credibility. If you see something in a commercial, you know they are trying to sell you something so you put up your defenses right away...

Comment: Springer hits on two important points. First, being good. If your book is not well written, well edited and well designed there is almost no chance it will sell. While self-publishing companies stress that anybody can publish a book they fail to disclose they are primarily in the book printing business. Therefore anything that keeps their presses running is okay by them and the ultimate quality of the books they publish is not their concern. Publishing a top quality book requires a talented support team of great editors, compositors, proofers and designers. These are one time only costs which ultimately will determine how good the end product is. Authors and publishers who skimp on these costs will end up paying in the end with fewer sales, especially in the long term.

Second, word of mouth advertising. Jerry Springer is exactly right, there is nothing better than receiving good word of mouth. In book publishing it means getting people to read your book and then talk about it with their friends and associates. Part of getting good word of mouth is having a marketing strategy that focuses on engaging readers through blogs, social networking, aggressive Web promotion and opt in newsletters. Each of which should provide a "buy" button that allows the book to be purchased easily through an online retailer such as Amazon.com.

Q Dan Schawbel: Is all press good? Why or why not?

A Jerry Springer: Obviously not all press is good press, but it depends on what the product is. All press gets you recognized, but again, just being recognized means therefore that people are going to like what they hear or see. Momentary bad news can be overcome if it’s a good product or service. All press gets peoples attention but it doesn’t necessary make the sale.

Comment: One thing that is changing quickly is the importance of generating reviews from the traditional media. There was once a time when a favorable review in a good size publication immediately could be translated into sales. That is no longer true. While favorable reviews generate some activity they no longer result in a large number of sales. Part of reason is because fewer people are tuned into traditional media as demonstrated by the falling number of subscriptions to newspapers and magazines. Even radio and TV numbers are down. More importantly, people are relying more on blogs and reviews by individuals rather than paid reviewers. Many people upon hearing about a particular book will look it up on Amazon.com or other sites to see what others are saying. Others will Google a book or author to see what is being said by bloggers.

Bottom line, the world has changed and what worked at one time no longer works today. At the same time the quality of a book's content and the niche the author engages provide exciting new avenues for authors and publishers.

Take away points:

• Develop a book marketing plan prior to going to market and follow it
• Assemble a top notch team of editors, compositors, proofers and designers to help produce a high quality book
• Promote good word of mouth advertising through blogs, online reviews, and search engine optimization

Promoting my book is my publisher's job

When discussing the promotion of their book I've had several authors tell me that marketing is the responsibility of the publisher, not theirs. My response is that nothing could be further from the truth. Just look at what bestselling authors do to promote their books.

Mitch Albom author of the bestselling Tuesdays with Morrie, The 5 People You Meet in Heaven, For One More Day and the current New York Times Bestseller Have a Little Faith is a marketer's dream. Not only has he been a columnist for the past 24 years with The Detroit Free Press he also has his own syndicated radio program, is a regular contributor on ESPN and has founded three charities. Albom also has found time to launch his own website http://mitchalbom.com

Bestselling business advisor, Jim Collins author of Built to Last, Good to Great and the newly released How the Mighty Fall, started as a lecturer at the Stanford Graduate School of Business. He went on to found a management laboratory in Boulder, Colorado in order to conduct research and to train business executives. He uses his experience and connections from his management firm, articles he contributes to periodicals along with speaking engagements to promote his books. Collins maintains an active Web exposure at http://www.jimcollins.com

Novelist Nicholas Sparks was a pharmaceuticals rep writing in his spare time after being rejected from law school and a job working for a publisher. He was discovered by a literary agent who rescued his first novel from the slush pile. To promote his first book he traveled tirelessly around the country appearing at 56 events in 45 cities. The resulting word of mouth were instrumental in his novel moving up the bestseller list. Today he keeps his readers informed through his website and newsletter at http://www.nicholassparks.com

The truth is that behind the success of pretty much every successful author is an inspiring story of hard work, a bit of luck and tremendous talent.

Are there books that have achieved success without promotion on the part of the author? Yes, there are always exceptions to the rule. For example Walden by Henry David Thoreau which chronicles his two year experiment in living alone is an exception. So too, obviously, is The Diary of Anne Frank. But in most cases to be an exception to the rule requires an exceptional work coupled with exceptional circumstances.

Bottom line, if you are an author be prepared to tirelessly publicize your book. In fact, be prepared to take the lead role in the overall marketing of your book.

In future posts I'll discuss specific ways authors can market their books.

Takeaway points:

• Pretty much all bestselling authors take an active role in marketing their books

• It is essential to have your own book marketing plan

• Your marketing plan will determine whether you will maximize your income through traditional publishing, self-publishing or custom publishing

Sadly, authors are often the first to give up on their own book

Having signed many authors to their first book contract I am always sure to ask how committed they are to their own success. Without exception authors tell me they will work hard to establish themselves no matter how long it takes. Yet, a year or so later that same author has more often than not lost all enthusiasm for their own book. Why is that so? I feel it is due to several factors but mostly to impatience. We live in a world of immediate gratification and something that takes time to develop does not compute in today's society.

Eliminating bestsellers from New York publishers which are in a whole other category, if the truth be known many books take years to reach their sales potential. Why is that? One reason is because there are so many new books released each year (somewhere around 300,000). As a result, books that eventually get noticed have to find their own distinctive niche in the marketplace. How to find that niche is the trick. Some titles are adopted by groups or organizations, others are search engine friendly and still others spread by word of mouth.

The important take away point is that however a book eventually finds its audience will depend on the efforts of the author (perhaps with some assistance by the publisher, but don't count on it).

So how might an author go about finding a book's niche or audience?

• Start with a well thought out marketing plan written prior to the release of the book.

• Be prepared to change, rewrite or rethink your marketing plan if the initial plan isn't working.

• If you are not comfortable writing your own marketing plan consult with someone who can help.

• Give your plan the time and effort required to work its way into the consciousness of your intended audience.

You poured a lot of time and effort into the writing of your book. Getting the word out is a large part of the process. Be patient, it can take a year or more for a book to get noticed. If you believe in the content of your book don't give up, it generally takes time for a book to find its market.

So you want to publish a book?

This is something I face every day. An author or prospective author calls or emails me wanting to publish a book. While most would never admit it in their mind's eye they see themselves on Oprah's couch. Part of my job is to tamp down their expectations while still helping them to achieve their goals.

For first time authors I always ask what their goals are. It is important to have realistic goals or else they are setting themselves up for failure. If the goal is a bestselling book I recommend contacting one of the New York publishing houses because few self publishers or small independent publishers have the media connections to push a bestseller onto the marketplace. This is because virtually all large houses are a part of huge international multimedia companies. This allows them to influence big media companies, large retail chains and others who are required to drive mass market appeal for a book. Yes, there are cases where small publishers or self publishers have had bestsellers but to count on that possiblity is like buying a Power Ball ticket and expecting to win. It is a one in a million proposition.

A more realistic expectation is to find a particular market or niche in which to publish your book. Each year there are large numbers of so-called niche books that do very well. And one of the advantages of publishing to a market niche is that your book is apt to stay in print longer and sell copies year after year.

Do you have a book you are wanting to publish, or are you a published author wanting to share your experiences? This is an open forum for sharing collective experiences about the world of book publishing. I look forward to your comments.