So, 13 hours after posting my blog and Facebook about the Mormon Times article on my presentation to LDS Storymakers on writing for the Church magazines, I had 2 comments and no 'likes' on Facebook.
However, just minutes after the Ensign Facebook page posted the link, there were 26 'likes' in the status post, 25 'likes' in the second post with the actual link (Facebook doesn't seem to place posts with links as the main status message), and several comments. That's the power of 55,500 friends on one active site (Ensign) versus 466 friends (mine) on a moderately active site.
This teaches me an interesting lesson: social media can be a powerful tool to get the word out, but you have to create a fan base that opens up the possibilities. The magazines have that. For my novels--both middle grade and epic fantasy, I'll have to work hard to market myself to make a splash.
Monday, July 26, 2010
I'm in the News!
A few months back I gave a presentation at the LDS Storymakers conference on writing for the Church magazines. Michael De Groote interviewed me, and the article has gone live here!
It's a good article, and Michael was very generous in handling the piece. Hope it's helpful!
It's a good article, and Michael was very generous in handling the piece. Hope it's helpful!
Monday, July 19, 2010
Excellent writing telesminar
I participated in an excellent teleseminar last week about the publishing industry and changes in how authors need to view it. Although predominately leaning towards the nonfiction market, much of what was said and shared relates to fiction as well.
The seminar was hosted by Roger C. Parker (for more about him, check out his Web site), and his guest was Stephanie Guzikowski (you can read a summary of the conference she presented the ideas used as the basis for this seminar here).
They discussed "The 10 Awful Truths About Book Publishing," compiled by Steven Piersanti, president of Berrett-Koehler.
Very interesting. What it all boils down to is this: because publishers are doing less and less for marketing books, authors need to rise above the average rest and really shine in their efforts to produce excellent material and to market themselves, building a fan base and connecting with individuals. Very interesting stuff. For example, about 1 million books were published last year, more than ever before, but even as the number of books published go up, book sales are declining. Today the average published book has less than 1% chance of getting shelf space in the average bookstore.
However, authors can combine new media and old strategies to get recognized. They can even hire a publicist. Stephanie is a publicist, so she had a vested interest in promoting the concept. Still, it can be helpful. My sister published a book two years ago as part of my sisters' joint company ("The Venus Week": book my wife and many of her friends think is extraordinary about women's health). They hired a publicist who played a key role in helping them get promoted. Of course, one of my sisters is a marketing expert, so that didn't hurt, either!
The seminar was hosted by Roger C. Parker (for more about him, check out his Web site), and his guest was Stephanie Guzikowski (you can read a summary of the conference she presented the ideas used as the basis for this seminar here).
They discussed "The 10 Awful Truths About Book Publishing," compiled by Steven Piersanti, president of Berrett-Koehler.
Very interesting. What it all boils down to is this: because publishers are doing less and less for marketing books, authors need to rise above the average rest and really shine in their efforts to produce excellent material and to market themselves, building a fan base and connecting with individuals. Very interesting stuff. For example, about 1 million books were published last year, more than ever before, but even as the number of books published go up, book sales are declining. Today the average published book has less than 1% chance of getting shelf space in the average bookstore.
However, authors can combine new media and old strategies to get recognized. They can even hire a publicist. Stephanie is a publicist, so she had a vested interest in promoting the concept. Still, it can be helpful. My sister published a book two years ago as part of my sisters' joint company ("The Venus Week": book my wife and many of her friends think is extraordinary about women's health). They hired a publicist who played a key role in helping them get promoted. Of course, one of my sisters is a marketing expert, so that didn't hurt, either!
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