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BookPromo Guerrilla Style Ezine "The Ezine for Do-It-Yourself Successful Book Promotions" Past Issues Archives: http://archives.zinester.com/11698 Issue 18 Year 1 December 21, 2006 http://guerrilla.clarylopez.com *************************************************** On this issue: *************************************************** 1- From My Desk 2- How to Sell 200 Copies of Your Book in One Hour 3- Useful Resources 4- The Most Important Word in Any Author's Vocabulary 5- How to Make a Collective Blog Work 6- Letter to the Editor 7- Articles Submission *************************************************** From My Desk *************************************************** By the time you receive this issue you might be getting ready for your Christmas celebration. Perhaps you read it right away or leave it for after the holidays, whatever you do I hope you read it before the end of the year. I included on this issue three great articles that will help you think about your book marketing activities for the New Year. On Sell 200 Copies of Your Book in One Hour you will get inspired to make the most out of your presentations. No audience is too small to accomplish this task and get more books out the door, all you need is a little sense of humor. The Most Important Word in Any Author’s Vocabulary article will help you find the key ingredient to sell your books. And on How to Make a Collective Blog Work you’ll learn the power of leverage utilizing an authors’collective blog on your book marketing efforts. Feel free to forward this ezine to your friends and Associates. We are looking forward to serve the growing Community of writers around the world. Looking forward to help, inform and empower authors. Merry Christmas and Prosperous New Year, Clary Lopez Editor-in-Chief BookPromo Guerrilla Style Ezine Guerrilla Marketers’ Caf? http://guerrilla.clarylopez.com Blog http://guerrilla.clarylopez.com/blog/ You can contact us at: editor@clarylopez.com Subject: eZine *************************************************** How to Sell 200 Copies of Your Book in One Hour *************************************************** By Getrude Matshe How to sell 200 copies of their book to 20 people Last week I sold 200 copies of my book www.bornonthecontinent.com to 20 people. They were members of the Rotary club and the expected turnout for the event was poor due to poor weather. The organizer who invites guest speakers was so distressed because they expected at least 70 members to show up. I did my best to assured him it didn’t matter. I had of course, agreed to speak with the hope of generating sales so I had to think fast and came up with this plan to maximize my sales for the day. 20 people walked out of the room with 10 books each because I asked them to. Its so simple, just ask, all they can say is no. This is a simple 7 step approach to selling your books to a small audience and maximize on the experience. The size of an audience does not really matter when selling your book, remember that one person knows at least 250 people so if there are two people you are addressing, potentially you may just reach 500 people with your message. Networking is the key to successful book sales. Step 1 – Your introduction Great your audience and tell them you are a professional motivational speaker and that you give free presentations to social groups in order to boost book sales and to meet interesting people. Remember to be humble and thank the group, expressing how honored YOU are to receive their invitation to address them. Most social groups are grateful to have interesting speakers who give of their time freely and will support them with book sales at the end of the presentation. Step 2 – Look for a speaking engagement minimum 20 people Most social groups like Rotary, Lions club, book clubs etc are always looking for interesting speakers, approach them and offer your free speaking service for one hour. Step 3 – Deliver a 45 minute speech based on the contents of your book The 45 minute presentation must touch on the key topics or chapters of your book, just wetting the appetite of your readers and generating an interest. Keep the presentation brief, just giving enough to create curiosity. Have a 15 minute question and answer session, allowing your listeners to ask questions and here you can expand on topics not mentioned in full in your presentation. Potential readers love the opportunity to meet the author and get a deeper understanding of what motivated the author to write. Generate interest about the book by talking about other chapters not included in your presentation to wet the reader’s appetite. Step 4 – Sell, Sell, Sell Tell you readers the price of your book and explain what a fantastic read it is. Make sure you have at least three – five reviews or testimonials from your current readers and read these out to the audience. It is always good to have magazines or newspapers write-ups or reviews about the book on for potentials buyers to browse through while you are selling. Step 5 – Thank your listeners Remember to thank your listeners, reminding them that you need their help to sell your book. Ask them to tell their friends about your book invite them to pickup one of your business cards or have bookmarks before they leave, give these out at every presentation. Ask them to exchange cards with you if they have one, this way you can build a very fast database of potential buyers for the future. Recommend that the audience can buy more than one copy if they like,make a joke of this. Seriously, this does make buyers think of upcoming birthdays, mother’s or father’s days or Christmas presents. Step 6 – Signed copies Tell your listeners that you will personally sign any copies purchased today, that way people will pay and get their books immediately. It is an added reward to get a signed copy from the author immediately. It’s all about perceptions of value; you add value to the book by offering your signature. Always have an order form for those who have no money and want to place an order for the book. Step 7 – Sell multiples Ask your buyers if they wouldn’t like to take more than one copy to on sell to their relatives or friends who could not come that day. Everyone can always think of at least 10 friends who are keen readers and who would appreciate the favour. Good luck and remember to smile, joke and enjoy the selling experience!!!! Getrude is an African storyteller, a poet, an artist, a published author, an entrepreneur and the founding director of three successful companies and one charitable trust in New Zealand. Described as “a vibrant bundle of African energy, a human dynamo whose drive, zest and passion for life inspires everyone she meets.” Combining enthusiasm with an energetic speaking style, Getrude Matshe is a fascinating, motivational and inspirational speaker. Her extraordinary ability to manifest her dreams into reality can only be described as the way of the wizard Merlin; for she has the Midas touch and everything she touches turns to gold. Her presentations have drawn hundreds at recent engagements. She will share her amazing journey. Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Getrude_Matshe *************************************************** Uselful Resources *************************************************** Great sites for writers: WritesCafe- Online community of writers, mainly poets. http://writerscafe.org Gather – Online community of writers who share information, Publish articles and form interests groups. http://gather.com Writers Digest – the website for the best writer’s magazine available today. http://writersdigest.com Free Software Downloads – Excellent source for all kinds of software http://www.download.com/ ************************************************** The Most Important Word in Any Author's Vocabulary ************************************************** By Scott Ginsberg Nope, it isn't “marketing.” Wrong, it ain't “credibility.” And no, it’s not “Oprah.” The most important word in any author’s vocabulary is: PLATFORM. Here’s what that means: • A platform is what helps sell books • A platform is the way you reach readers • A platform is your expertise on your book’s topic(s) • A platform is a network of notoriety and exposure • A platform is how you communicate with your audience • A platform is that which gives you access to sales • A platform is what you stand for in the marketplace • A platform is where you speak your mind beyond what’s already been said in your books • A platform is where you inform your fans of future books, appearances, projects, news and the like • A platform is your place in the world •A platform is your accomplishments With that in mind, here are the three reasons every author needs a platform. To sell books. It’s tough to move 10,000 copies from the back of a cave. Too many authors – especially self-published ones work their butts off writing and producing their books, and then do nothing with them! Sadly, writing and producing the book is the EASY art.The key is, building your platform so you can move those darn boxes out of your garage! LET ME ASK YA THIS… What’s your 12-month platform plan? More media interviews. If media outlets see that you’ve got a platform, they will gladly book you for their shows. Why? Because they know you’ve got fans, customers and loyalists who will tune in. They know that viewers, readers and listeners will say, “Oh yeah,I’ve heard of this guy before!” And that’s what makes their producers (and advertisers) super happy. LET ME ASK YA THIS… How many interviews did you do this year? Credibility is king. Every time you try to make a deal that books you for a speaking engagement, sells copies, secures a TV movie about your life, etc., the potential client is going to ask the question, “Have people heard about you?” It’s EXACTLY like the scene in the recent movie Little Miss Sunshine, in which Greg Kinnear’s bookdeal goes kaput because the publisher exclaims, “But nobody’s heard of you!” LET ME ASK YA THIS… Have people heard of you? OK. Now that you understand the value of author platforms, let’s explore two well-known examples. First, think about the most obvious example in the world: Oprah. Personally, I’m not a diehard fan of The Big O, but you gotta admit, when she writes a book (or promotes someone else’s book, for that matter), BAM!! Millions of sales at the drop of a hat. Now, does that happen because these particular books are “good”? Maybe. But it probably has more to do with the power of her platform: TV show, magazine, radio show, reputation and Harpo Productions. Another great example is Rachel Ray. How many cookbooks, DVD’s, appliances and other ancillary items do you think she sells each year? According to a 2006 article in Business Week, about 40 gazillion bajillion. OK, I might have exaggerated that number a bit. (I think it’s actually higher) But why does she move so much product? Because her platform is strong. Really strong. Like, Schwarzenegger strong. Sure, she might be an annoying little troll, but you’ve to got to admit: she’s everywhere. TV shows, product endorsements, even her own magazine! BUT, HERE’S THE CATCH-22… In order to build a platform so you can get well known, you sort of have to BE well known already. So, that’s your challenge. How will you get better known and known better? Here’s a quick list of ways to start building your platform 2- day, 4-free: • Blog every single day for six months • Publish an ezine twice a month • Give one free speech every week • Publish articles regularly on www.ezinearticles.com • Walk around conferences and events (filled with attendees who are your target readers) and hand out hundreds of free copies of your book to EVERYONE (This one works. I’ve done it many times!) Look. I know you’re not Oprah. And I know you’re not Rachel Ray. But nobody is! Those two women reside in the 0.01 percentile of authors whose platforms are so impossibly strong that they can sell millions and millions of books in short periods of time. You and me, however, reside in that 99.9% of people who need work our butts creating, expanding and maintaining our platforms on a daily basis. After all, that’s the single most important word in any author’s vocabulary. © 2006 All Rights Reserved. Scott Ginsberg, aka "The Nametag Guy," is the author of three books and a professional speaker who helps people maximize approachability, become unforgettable and make a name for themselves. To book Scott for your next association meeting, conference or corporate event, contact Front Porch Productions at 314/256-1800 or email scott@hellomynameisscott.com Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Scott_Ginsberg ************************************************** Visit our Blog: Guerrilla Insight for Authors http://guerrilla.clarylopez.com/blog ************************************************** How to Make a Collective Blog Work *************************************************** By Clary Lopez A collective blog is a great tool to expose ones work and ideas to a specific group of people. The advantage of having a collective blog is that the postings don’t depend on one individual and provides variety. Once the theme of the blog is established and the contributors are in place, it is just a matter of organizing the posting schedule. As an administrator of the collective blog you are in charge of developing categories in which you think the blog entries will refer to regularly. By having categories the blog readers will find easily what they are looking for in your blog. You are also in charge of inviting authors dedicated to promote their books and willing to make a commitment to contribute on the blog regularly. You need to be a creative individual willing to inspire and motive others to succeed. In addition your job will be to promote the collective blog to reach its audience. As a contributor you are responsible to post entries related to the categories established on the blog. If you think there is another good category that needs to be implemented you should contact the administrator with your suggestion. Write your post in a casual conversational manner to attract your audience. Blog readers are people who like to get the information they are interested in but in a personal way. If you manage to have the reader identified with your writing topic and style, it will make a big difference on your self- promotion efforts. If you have information that you think your readers would be interested in reading more about, link keywords in your post that will direct them to other sites. Don’t be afraid that your reader will go somewhere else, if they like what you write about and you know the latest sources for your expertise they will come back for more. You want to establish yourself as an expert. Readers don’t like shameless self-promotion pieces in which they get nothing out of, instead try to expand on a topic your book covers and at the end of the post make a note to that effect. By getting an idea of what your book is about and by reading your writing they might be interested enough to check your book. Always provide at the end of your posting your name, website or book URL. e.g. John Doe, Author http://johndoe.com When you have book signings, workshops and presentations tell your readers about it. Offer them something special if they show up and mention that they are readers of the collective blog. You might want to post a secret code on the blog before your event so only real readers will ask for the gift. You can have custom shirts, calendars, pencils, or something related to your book and give it to them in a small pretty bag. If you have a big fan base you might want to limit the gift offer to the first 5 or 10 readers who show up at the event. I remember reading about an author who wrote a novel with a beach setting that offered their readers a small bag with sample sunscreen, sunglasses, a bookmark and a gift certificate from a local beachwear merchant. The best way to go about this gift giving idea is by finding merchants that relate to your book them and ask them to sponsor your event with some special gift for your readers. Any merchant would love to have new clients at their store even if they have to offer them a small discount on their products or services. The sky is the limit with these kinds of gift giveaways. You can also offer freebies to those who sign up on your mailing list. Have a sheet made up with your mailing list information and a place for them to include their name and e- mail address. If you write an ezine or newsletter have one print out for them to see, you can place it in a clear picture frame and display it next to the sign up sheet. Make sure you have an extra package for a special drawing before the end of the event. Remember to have someone taking pictures as you do the giveaway, sign books or have your readers holding your book to be signed to post on your blog. If your readers want they can submit their names and blogs addresses to be included on your entry that will trigger links back to your blog. By participating on a collective blog you not only get to meet other authors in the same or different genres but you can also partake of the traffic other authors bring to the blog. It is a win-win situation to all those involved and a great networking tool. If at least 30 authors participate you will have to do only one entry a month plus any other special entries you might want to do in order to let your readers know about new book releases, tours, presentations or contests. Clary Lopez is the CEO/Founder of Guerrilla Marketers’ Caf?, free book promotion site. She is the editor of BookPromo Guerrilla Style, an ezine for the Do-It-Yourself Successful Book Promotions. She is also an author and the moderator of various authors and readers forums. To find out more about collective blogs visit her author’s collective blog at http://booksden.wordpress.com or her websites at http://guerrilla.clarylopez.com and http://clarylopez.com e-mail prdept@clarylopez.com *************************************************** Letter to the Editor *************************************************** Let us know how we are doing and what you would like to read about, so send us your comments and suggestions to be included on this section. editor@clarylopez.com Subject: Letter to the Editor Do you have an idea for a topic on this eZine? Send it to ideas@clarylopez.com Subject: Ezine idea *************************************************** Articles Submission *************************************************** If you would like to write an article for this Ezine please send your request to: editor@clarylopez.com Subject: Article Submission *************************************************** BookPromo Guerrilla Style Ezine Copyright 2006, Clary Lopez All Rights Reserved Worldwide. Clary Lopez will not be held liable for any direct or indirect losses or damages originating from the use of any information listed on our website, newsletters or eZine. By using this site and ezine you agree to indemnify and hold all owners and representatives parties of Clary Lopez/Guerrilla Marketers' Cafe harmless from any claim or demand originating out of your use of Clary Lopez/Guerrilla Marketers' Cafe website and/ newsletters or eZine. Use of our website, Newsletter and eZine is and indication of your complete understanding and acceptance of these Terms of Service. Articles can be reproduced on websites or ezines as long as the article and bylines are included without any alterations. No part of the website can't be reproduced in any form or by electronic or mechanical means including information storage or retrieval systems without the written permission from the publisher/owner. -------------------------------------------------------------- |
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