Comments on: Do You Have An Author’s Business Plan? http://tribalauthor.com/do-you-have-an-authors-business-plan/ Book marketing that puts authors in control Thu, 19 Jan 2012 21:20:08 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.3.1 By: QuinnCreative http://tribalauthor.com/do-you-have-an-authors-business-plan/comment-page-1/#comment-1736 QuinnCreative Thu, 05 Aug 2010 13:08:12 +0000 http://tribalauthor.com/?p=533#comment-1736 Thanks for this article, Johnathan. It's important to know that writing a book is not a stand-alone project, that the book is just part of a bigger picture of "now what?" that can include anything from flanker projects to well, the next book. It's not just writing the book, it's creating an interested audience. Thanks for this article, Johnathan. It’s important to know that writing a book is not a stand-alone project, that the book is just part of a bigger picture of “now what?” that can include anything from flanker projects to well, the next book. It’s not just writing the book, it’s creating an interested audience.

]]> By: Andrea Campbell http://tribalauthor.com/do-you-have-an-authors-business-plan/comment-page-1/#comment-418 Andrea Campbell Thu, 01 Apr 2010 04:51:11 +0000 http://tribalauthor.com/?p=533#comment-418 Ed, thanks for your note. Oh, I got the purpose of attracting people by using your book to sell merchandise, a series of tapes, classes, speaking engagements, etc. What I wanted to know was how you sell "lists"? Who buys them? Where would you connect for potential markets? If you list is made up of authors who write self-help books where would you be able to sell that kind of list? Ed, thanks for your note.
Oh, I got the purpose of attracting people by using your book to sell merchandise, a series of tapes, classes, speaking engagements, etc.

What I wanted to know was how you sell “lists”? Who buys them? Where would you connect for potential markets? If you list is made up of authors who write self-help books where would you be able to sell that kind of list?

]]> By: Cynthia Morris http://tribalauthor.com/do-you-have-an-authors-business-plan/comment-page-1/#comment-416 Cynthia Morris Wed, 31 Mar 2010 18:47:49 +0000 http://tribalauthor.com/?p=533#comment-416 I've been thinking about this a lot for my novel, so I'm glad that you wrote this and that it brought up the fiction issue. I've always seen my novel, Chasing Sylvia Beach (in the hands of editors now, deciding the fate of this book!) as a piece of my business. It's a book about unconventional women who live outside the box and the need for role models for living authentically. It's also about a young woman who wants to write. Not coincidentally, in my coaching practice I help inspire women who want to write and who want to live their own way. Did I write a novel to match my business goals? No. I wrote and work from my own deep quests. My writing, both fictional and non-fictional, reflects my values and the issues I grapple with. So I'm fortunate that when the book is published, I'll have lots of ways to share the message with readers that will also (hopefully) impact my business's bottom line. A couple years back I wrote up a description of how I'd promote my novel. Since it was for a contest, I got creative and stretched my thinking about what would be possible to promote it. I had a lot of fun and generated some good ideas. Joe, I'd look at themes or audiences that show up in your novel and look at ways to connect that to marketing venues. For example, my book is set in Paris, 1937. I got a grant from the Alliance Francaise. Now I have an entire global network of that organization to speak to once the book is published. Since it's about living abroad, it will hopefully resonate with that audience. What might be similar in your novel? What real-world connections can you make? I bet you can brainstorm at least 10 in 10 minutes. Jonathan , thanks for reminding us to be strategic in our thinking. I'm excited to promote my novel; just need to net a publisher. I’ve been thinking about this a lot for my novel, so I’m glad that you wrote this and that it brought up the fiction issue.
I’ve always seen my novel, Chasing Sylvia Beach (in the hands of editors now, deciding the fate of this book!) as a piece of my business. It’s a book about unconventional women who live outside the box and the need for role models for living authentically. It’s also about a young woman who wants to write.
Not coincidentally, in my coaching practice I help inspire women who want to write and who want to live their own way. Did I write a novel to match my business goals? No. I wrote and work from my own deep quests. My writing, both fictional and non-fictional, reflects my values and the issues I grapple with.
So I’m fortunate that when the book is published, I’ll have lots of ways to share the message with readers that will also (hopefully) impact my business’s bottom line.
A couple years back I wrote up a description of how I’d promote my novel. Since it was for a contest, I got creative and stretched my thinking about what would be possible to promote it. I had a lot of fun and generated some good ideas.
Joe, I’d look at themes or audiences that show up in your novel and look at ways to connect that to marketing venues. For example, my book is set in Paris, 1937. I got a grant from the Alliance Francaise. Now I have an entire global network of that organization to speak to once the book is published. Since it’s about living abroad, it will hopefully resonate with that audience.
What might be similar in your novel? What real-world connections can you make? I bet you can brainstorm at least 10 in 10 minutes.
Jonathan , thanks for reminding us to be strategic in our thinking. I’m excited to promote my novel; just need to net a publisher.

]]> By: Ed Gandia http://tribalauthor.com/do-you-have-an-authors-business-plan/comment-page-1/#comment-414 Ed Gandia Tue, 30 Mar 2010 20:41:37 +0000 http://tribalauthor.com/?p=533#comment-414 It used to amaze me how many authors write books without much of a plan behind them. After writing and publishing my first book, I now see why. Writing an awesome book is HARD work. You really have to pour your heart and soul into the work. This leaves many authors drained. So when they find out that they now have to spend even more time and energy promoting the book, they're not really up for that. As seasoned marketers, my co-authors (one of which has already published other books) and I approached it a bit differently. We knew it would be a LOT of work to promote it in a strategic and cost-effective fashion. But what's surprised me is how many moving parts there are to a promotional plan... and how easy it is to get scattered and try to do too many things. Andrea - What Jonathan was referring to was using your book as a front end to a broader business (a true product funnel). Your book attracts people to a website/blog where they can subscribe to receive free updates/info. Over time, some of them begin to like the other things you have to offer and begin to buy the products/services that make sense to them. It used to amaze me how many authors write books without much of a plan behind them. After writing and publishing my first book, I now see why. Writing an awesome book is HARD work. You really have to pour your heart and soul into the work. This leaves many authors drained. So when they find out that they now have to spend even more time and energy promoting the book, they’re not really up for that.

As seasoned marketers, my co-authors (one of which has already published other books) and I approached it a bit differently. We knew it would be a LOT of work to promote it in a strategic and cost-effective fashion. But what’s surprised me is how many moving parts there are to a promotional plan… and how easy it is to get scattered and try to do too many things.

Andrea – What Jonathan was referring to was using your book as a front end to a broader business (a true product funnel). Your book attracts people to a website/blog where they can subscribe to receive free updates/info. Over time, some of them begin to like the other things you have to offer and begin to buy the products/services that make sense to them.

]]> By: Jeanne http://tribalauthor.com/do-you-have-an-authors-business-plan/comment-page-1/#comment-407 Jeanne Mon, 29 Mar 2010 01:46:51 +0000 http://tribalauthor.com/?p=533#comment-407 Hey Jonathan! Yeah, you showed me the light! And it's so cool how what begins as one vision can morph and grow into another, far superior vision. The earlier (naive) vision was that I wanted to use the internet to put my story out into the world. Who knew there was already so much else already there? Uh, not me. Since then I have ~ through trials and errors galore ~ conceived of something so exciting to me that will go along with my story AND is now the *real* point: encouraging and supporting tween girls to be creative and philanthropic. Who knew this is where I was headed? Gotta love those trials and errors! The approach you describe... "...my take is that it’s mission critical to begin building your tribe, your relationships and your plan as far in advance as possible. Then, when the book comes out, you have a much deeper, more connected web to tap and turn into evangelists and readers." ...seemed beyond my tech-savvy-less abilities. But it had more to do with wanting to be further along than I was when I began. I see now that I'm right on time as I spend time forming for-real relationships online. I can't imagine doing without them as I look forward to launching the interactive part of my site this summer... and continue to post illustrated chapters of the story. So, thanks, Jonathan. My 1-2-1 time with you last summer keeps serving me... and I'm psyched with how it's going! :) Jeanne Hey Jonathan!

Yeah, you showed me the light!

And it’s so cool how what begins as one vision can morph and grow into another, far superior vision. The earlier (naive) vision was that I wanted to use the internet to put my story out into the world. Who knew there was already so much else already there? Uh, not me.

Since then I have ~ through trials and errors galore ~ conceived of something so exciting to me that will go along with my story AND is now the *real* point: encouraging and supporting tween girls to be creative and philanthropic. Who knew this is where I was headed? Gotta love those trials and errors!

The approach you describe…

“…my take is that it’s mission critical to begin building your tribe, your relationships and your plan as far in advance as possible. Then, when the book comes out, you have a much deeper, more connected web to tap and turn into evangelists and readers.”

…seemed beyond my tech-savvy-less abilities. But it had more to do with wanting to be further along than I was when I began. I see now that I’m right on time as I spend time forming for-real relationships online. I can’t imagine doing without them as I look forward to launching the interactive part of my site this summer… and continue to post illustrated chapters of the story.

So, thanks, Jonathan. My 1-2-1 time with you last summer keeps serving me… and I’m psyched with how it’s going!

:)
Jeanne

]]> By: Joe Nassise http://tribalauthor.com/do-you-have-an-authors-business-plan/comment-page-1/#comment-403 Joe Nassise Sun, 28 Mar 2010 02:50:53 +0000 http://tribalauthor.com/?p=533#comment-403 Jonathan, Thanks for your thoughts on how a fiction writer might use this approach to expand their careers in a manner similar to that of a non-fiction writer. My personal opinion is that this is the kind of thing that would probably work better for those who produce series work, rather than stand alone novels. When you have a readership that is invested in the world that you have created, particularly over several novels, then their interest in that world and the creative process to bring it about seems to reach a new level. It's this phenomenon, I believe, that allows writers to spin off secondary characters from one successful series into an entirely new series of their own. (This presupposes, of course, that the writing is good - the first series never would have been successful if not.) -Joe Jonathan,

Thanks for your thoughts on how a fiction writer might use this approach to expand their careers in a manner similar to that of a non-fiction writer. My personal opinion is that this is the kind of thing that would probably work better for those who produce series work, rather than stand alone novels. When you have a readership that is invested in the world that you have created, particularly over several novels, then their interest in that world and the creative process to bring it about seems to reach a new level. It’s this phenomenon, I believe, that allows writers to spin off secondary characters from one successful series into an entirely new series of their own. (This presupposes, of course, that the writing is good – the first series never would have been successful if not.)

-Joe

]]> By: Amy Edelman http://tribalauthor.com/do-you-have-an-authors-business-plan/comment-page-1/#comment-401 Amy Edelman Fri, 26 Mar 2010 22:40:38 +0000 http://tribalauthor.com/?p=533#comment-401 Great advice, Jonathan! Great advice, Jonathan!

]]> By: Andrea Campbell http://tribalauthor.com/do-you-have-an-authors-business-plan/comment-page-1/#comment-400 Andrea Campbell Fri, 26 Mar 2010 21:43:19 +0000 http://tribalauthor.com/?p=533#comment-400 This is a great article and presents another perspective that most authors don't think about. (I know because I e-teach book proposal writing under the umbrella of WOW! Women on Writing and authors are always surprised when we do marketing.) I am interested in what you said here: "But, if that ad campaign drove people not only to buy the book, but inspired them to join a list that let you market other revenue-drivers, then ended up netting you an average of $5 to $10 per person from secondary sources of revenue," How exactly is that done? What does this mean? I would be very keen to know. Thanks. This is a great article and presents another perspective that most authors don’t think about. (I know because I e-teach book proposal writing under the umbrella of WOW! Women on Writing and authors are always surprised when we do marketing.)

I am interested in what you said here:
“But, if that ad campaign drove people not only to buy the book, but inspired them to join a list that let you market other revenue-drivers, then ended up netting you an average of $5 to $10 per person from secondary sources of revenue,”

How exactly is that done? What does this mean? I would be very keen to know.

Thanks.

]]> By: Tweets that mention Do You Have An Author’s Business Plan? -- Topsy.com http://tribalauthor.com/do-you-have-an-authors-business-plan/comment-page-1/#comment-399 Tweets that mention Do You Have An Author’s Business Plan? -- Topsy.com Fri, 26 Mar 2010 19:17:51 +0000 http://tribalauthor.com/?p=533#comment-399 [...] This post was mentioned on Twitter by Joe Nassise, Linda K. Wertheimer and hopeedelman, Krista Carnes. Krista Carnes said: Attn: #authors.The first step to help us help you RT @jonathanfields Do You Have An Author’s Business Plan? http://bit.ly/d7ZI35 [...] [...] This post was mentioned on Twitter by Joe Nassise, Linda K. Wertheimer and hopeedelman, Krista Carnes. Krista Carnes said: Attn: #authors.The first step to help us help you RT @jonathanfields Do You Have An Author’s Business Plan? http://bit.ly/d7ZI35 [...]

]]> By: Jonathan http://tribalauthor.com/do-you-have-an-authors-business-plan/comment-page-1/#comment-398 Jonathan Fri, 26 Mar 2010 18:13:00 +0000 http://tribalauthor.com/?p=533#comment-398 Hey Joe, Thanks for the comment. I approach it differently. In fact, my take is that it’s mission critical to begin building your tribe, your relationships and your plan as far in advance as possible. Then, when the book comes out, you have a much deeper, more connected web to tap and turn into evangelists and readers. I know a number of authors, me included, who’ve done this very effectively and ended up selling a nice quantity of books (a few even hit the NYT and WJS lists). I’d always rather be ahead of the ball, instead of chasing it. Also, like Joe’s question in the comment above, this is more of a challenge for fiction writers, but still very doable. You just have to approach it differently, more that way I described in my reply to that comment. Hey Joe,

Thanks for the comment. I approach it differently. In fact, my take is that it’s mission critical to begin building your tribe, your relationships and your plan as far in advance as possible. Then, when the book comes out, you have a much deeper, more connected web to tap and turn into evangelists and readers. I know a number of authors, me included, who’ve done this very effectively and ended up selling a nice quantity of books (a few even hit the NYT and WJS lists). I’d always rather be ahead of the ball, instead of chasing it.

Also, like Joe’s question in the comment above, this is more of a challenge for fiction writers, but still very doable. You just have to approach it differently, more that way I described in my reply to that comment.

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