Five Profit Making Techniques For Your First Book

Happy Easter, Authors!  It’s so exciting for a writer to finally finish a first book and put it out there for readership, rave reviews and purchase. I mean, I would love to see Unleash Your Pearls in the hands of women and men alike, getting all inspired and feeling the “ish” of just how deserving of God’s blessings they are.  Wouldn’t that be something?! Well, rest easy for now, my lucky readers, we’re still at the publishers, but  once we launch, you will get the memo:)

First time authors put in their dues, with the nail-biting that’s a nimble away from becoming a habit, the nighttime nightmares, sweating tears and negative fears, non-withstanding; it is the desire of first time authors to give readers the best extension of themselves through their art. Oftentimes, these authors find themselves in a quandary because at the end of the day, they know their validation and financial sustainability as authors come from their book sales.

Nowadays, more books are being published by first time authors than ever before and most authors realize that unless you are a celebrity or a bestselling Terry McMillan, the first  months of your book being out there, more than likely will result in few sales. This can be a daunting experience. As writers we have to get pro-creative to cultivate a satisfying book profit outcome. I don’t know about other authors on the scene with their first books, but I’m looking to land the bestseller list for my pearl and so can you.

Here are five profit-making techniques for your first book~

1. Book Blurb… If you know you have a great book to offer readers. You have to start grinding and get your book into the hands of the people. Use your blog to promote your book by offering brief excerpts from time to time. This technique is one used by many authors to bring awareness to their upcoming book launch. It stimulates the reader’s interest in your book, without making them feel pressured to buy and if your book just happens to be bestseller worthy, like my (Unleash your pearls), for example, then, all the better:)
2. Offer a free copy of your book to another blogger in exchange for an honest review on Amazon.com or on their blog…I’ve done this for many  bloggers turned authors. As an Amazon book reviewer, I know this works! Not only have authors benefited from my reviews, they have seen an increase in book readership, as a result.  Of the many reviews I’ve done over the years, only one author asked that I change the ratings authors depend on  4 or5 star ratings for their books to make a profit and I do understand this, but, I am honest in my reviews and therefore, my review are not coerced. I do book review at my writer’s blog still, when time permits.
3.  Use your social media to announce your book’s launch, links of purchase and any other information complimentary to purchase, for example, where reader can pre-order a copy before it launches.
4. Connect with colleagues on Linkedin… Of course, use all of your social media resources to talk about your book, but I love the connections I’ve made with like-minded professionals on Linkedin because I’ve gotten asked to participate in business ventures, joined esteemed group in my genres, appeared on blog-talk radio to promote my work and had work accepted that will bring awareness to my business brand from which my book is based. The stellar folks you meet on Linkedin can be your book’s game-changer!  You can’t always receive and not be willing to give in return and that’s why I  appreciate LinkedIn connections~ Good business practice.
5. Finally, as a new author, you just have to make your name known, by any lawful means necessary. Get out there and tell people who you are and what your book can do for them before it launches. Be pro-creatively active, y’all and take your book to colleagues, connections, readers, reviewers and critics alike. Bring the food to the influence table! Get to know your local librarian or bookstore owner, talk about your book and set up a reading.Be that ‘expert’ panelist or guest blogger on popular brand websites or blog talk radio spots. Join a twitter chat or host a webinar.

Whether your brand teaches, entertains, motivates , inspires or encourages another to aspire to be the best person s/he can be, in order to make your book a success, you can do what needs to be done to get your book in the hands of readers. There are many creative avenues from which to sell your great book and introduce your expertise and brand to the world. Get on the good foot, new authors, time’s-a-wasting because people all over the world are waiting to read your awesome book!

Did you find this post helpful?  Do you know of other savvy ways new authors can ensure their book sale? Please share in the comments. We’d appreciate your resourceful tips.

I want to give a special thanks to all of my new and seasoned followers for being a part of Clara54 Writers Blog. Y’all bring the Sunshine! I’m taking a brief spring break and will see all of you in a few weeks. In the meantime, keep on grinding and make those book sales, people. 🙂

A Reminder For Writers-ALL

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Social Media Mania!

Well,if someone had predicted three years ago, I’d be singing the praises of Social Media’s TWITTER, I would have told them to keep it moving…:) Today’s post is about the awesomeness of Twitter. Yep, those few 140 characters can equal up to some mighty hefty returns in the networking and influence arena. Three years ago, I didn’t Tweet, Facebook, or use LinkedIn. Now, I’m using them and investigating how to get on board with Pinterest! I’ve never kept a bulletin board on anything, but, when I came across one of my own guest posts “scooped” by a very prominent writer in the blogosphere, I decided Social Media was all good…

I use Twitter when I come across an awesome and informative post that serves to benefit all freelancers in some form or fashion in their businesses, I’ll retweet it. I retweet many posts. Some that make me laugh, think, or even become a sore spot for debate. Retweeting often causes other folks to jump on the bandwagon and retweet as well. That’s a great benefit to your blog or business promotion.Some websites have established a “retweet” day where every member get to promote their blogs, which, in turn will be retweeted by each member on their site, to their followers.- Sylvia Browder’s organization, The National Association for Women on The Rise offers “Retweet Tuesdays” for its members,

ForHarriet.com, a powerful women’s self improvement and motivational site often retweets response to questions asked on Twitter to their 5,000 plus followers! I’ve had my response retweeted to their member base on a few occasions. ForHarriet also promotes your site every Saturday on their Facebook page-awesome! BlogHer.com also retweet a featured member’s post to their thousands of Facebook followers. Once you land on their featured member site, you’ll be batting “a thousand” due to the fact your online presence is heightened.

There are, of course,blog friends whose posts I naturally retweet because their work is so often profound, educational, motivational and just downright retweetable:)

No matter what you might think of, or how you use Social Media, you have to admit, this ingenius communication tool just keeps getting better.

How many of you are already Pinterest users?

Book Advice From Lynne Klippel

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5 Ways to Pump Up the Progress on Your Book

 

Whether you are just beginning your first draft or you have a published book that’s been launched for a few years, your book progress relies on how much energy you put into it.

If you find your sales slumping or you just can’t seem to muster up the enthusiasm to write, it’s the ideal time to try something new and fresh. We get bored and bogged down by doing the same things repeatedly. When things feel a bit stagnant, try these ideas to recharge your enthusiasm and restart your forward motion:

1. Plan Before You Write.Instead of sitting down to write and waiting for inspiration or struggling to fill up the page, take a few moments before you begin writing and plan first. Jot down a brief outline of the key points you wish to make. Do all your creative thinkingabout the content before you start to write so you can focus on expressing that content with a smooth flow of words while you are writing.Just a few moments of planning before you write will make the process of writing so much easier.
2. Join in the Conversation.Nothing will renew your enthusiasm for your book like conversations with real people who are interested in your topic. Refresh your blog, start a conversation on social media, have a few friends over for lunch, or attenda networking meeting. Intend to have interesting conversations about your book topic so that you can experience the thrill of having someone ask you about your book or tell you that they are eager to read it.The more conversations you can have with people about your book, the more feedback you will gather and the clearer you will become about the importance of your topic. This feedback and clarity will inspire you and remind you that people are waiting for your message.
3. Build Your List.Building a strong opt-in list of interested future readers is a key skill for a successful author. In fact, your list is one of your most important assets. Learn more about the people on your existing list by conducting a survey or contest or calling a few of them on the phone. Learn more about what the people on your list need so that you can make sure you meet those needs in your book and your business.Spend some time attracting new people to join your list. Seek out internet radio shows which might like to interview you about your topic, post a press release, or write some articles and send them to article banks. Make it your goal to devote time to building your list each month and then nurture the people on that list by providing them with regular contact from you.
4. Explore New Avenues. Book marketing is changing rapidly. Do some research on ebooks, selling to book stores, group sales to corporations, or marketing to gifts stores. Aim to learn at least one new place where you can offer your book in addition to your website and Amazon.
5. Increase Your Service Line. Since you are building your business with a book, you need a line of products and services which enhance and deepen the material in your book. You may wish to provide an audio program, coaching, or teleclass series.Just for fun, create a new small product or service and launch it. Make this something easy, perhaps a single session teleclass, a short-term group coaching program, or a live workshop in your hometown. Enjoy teaching a portion of your book. Watch to see how the material transforms the lives of your participants.Not only will you enjoy the inspiration and results you see from your teaching, you’ll bring in some additional income, which is always empowering
6. Lynne Klippel is a best-selling author, publisher, and book coach who specializes in helping non-fiction authors with books that build their business and transform the world. For a free assessment that will help you see your author strengths and opportunities, visit http://businessbuildingbooks.com

Related articles

• GUEST BLOG POST: The Journey (twowritingteachers.wordpress.com)
• 12 Ways to Turn Your Old, Dusty Blog Archive into Cold, Hard Cash (copyblogger.com)
• Wordsmith Wednesday – Ten Places to Look for Inspiration (liv2write2day.wordpress.com)

5 Take-Away Blogging Tactics Of 2010

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I don’t have an aversion to learning new things, or even implementing fresh ideas into a tried and true game plan when it comes to growing my writing business. I’m in total agreement with the adage “even old dogs can learn new tricks” in this arena; not that I’m calling myself old- mind you. Okay, maybe a tad seasoned:)

In 2010 there were definitely lessons of take away value I learned when it came to blogging. The information highway via the blogosphere is ablaze with something for every blogger, whether labeled newbie, or, seasoned . Here are 5 helpful & strategic tactics I took away from 2010 that will insure my blogging success in 2011 and beyond.

1. Establish relationships- bloggers know by now that networking and communicating with other bloggers and writers is a necessity for a blog’s survival. How you network is just as important as where. Most of us think of Social Media outlets: Twitter, Facebook and LinkedIn for starters. Those are the popular ways of connecting with people. Attending non profit organizations is another. I met quite a few people at one such meeting, networking and exchanging business cards keeps me in the loop about upcoming fundraisers, jobs and so forth.

2. Reopen communication with past clients- I’m finding myself biting the bullet these days by being proactive and contacting folks to ask how they’re doing; what projects they’re working on and is there anything they’d like to share with my readers. Most times, responses are positive. Reconnecting with past clients are popular with your blog readers because they’re familiar with that person’s prior work.

3.It’s about your clients- By being sincere in your work, you’re going to earn people’s trust. Blogging about what’s important to us is a good thing, but, if we’re trying to offer our services to others, we have to remember, it’s about them and not us. When we establish trust, the word quickly spreads that your product, or, brand can be trusted as well.

4. Inform Family/friends of your blogging venture – This can be a bit tricky because sometimes it’s your closest relationships that will ultimately disappoint you. They might wonder why you want to go that route, or shut you down as a dreamer. On the other hand, family and friends in business for themselves will understand and embrace your efforts. They might even connect you to friends of theirs in business as well…I landed a gig blogging for a realtor through family recommendation. 

5. Advertise- Yep, I said advertise, as in spend a little money on exposing your business to the masses. Local Premium Business Listings in your area promotes brand awareness by placing newspaper, banner ads, customer reviews and testimonials.

These take away lessons will surely aid your blogging success in 2011…Onward and upward!

What take away blogging tactics will you carry into 2011?

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• 10 Social Media Apps to Watch in 2011 (wchingya.com)
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Clara54’s “Whatcha Doing?!” Series With Marcie Hill

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Watcha Doing?Very interesting question.  One, I’ll be glad to answer. This year was my year to secure my space in the journalism and blogging worlds.  I think I did it.  I currently edit stories for True Elegance Magazine; I write profile stories for How They Living Ain’t No Joke (I love sharing the stories of others); and I contribute to the Chicago Independent Bulletin newspaper.  As for blogging, I targeted my blog topics so I would not be all over the place like I was last year.  The Write Design Company’s blog shares information on entrepreneurship, blogging, live blogging, social media and writing.  Readers of my community blog, Shorty: Your Chicago South Side Resource, can find resources and information on culture, education, employment, health and youth programs activities on the South Side of Chicago. Before the end of 2010, I will be adding author to my name with ABCs of Live Blogging and Blogging 101. Next year will be my year of great prosperity; this year was preparation.  In addition to more clients and blogging workshops for The Write Design Company, there is a third blogging book in the making as well as a completed draft of a roller skating book.  This is going to require A LOT of research but I expect a good draft by the end of the year. I plan to present at all of the known blogging conferences as well as some local conferences.  Also, I am going to have a summer multimedia program for young people ages 12-14. Lastly, I will start submitting query letters for magazines again.  I got discouraged after a couple rejections, but I’m so over it.  I plan to get published in at least five major magazines next year.  I’ll start local, though, to build my portfolio and credibility, but I will be published. Clara, thank you for allowing me to put my goals in the Universe.  Now, it’s time to get busy!! Marcie Hill Journalist – Professional Blogger – Live Blogger Vote for my Blogging While Brown Conference Submissions Be The Resource In Your Community Live Blogging 101

 

eclasses For The Smart Freelance Writer

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I’m loving this early midwest morning. A bit of a cloudy overcast coupled with the aftermath of an early morning rain…The simplicity of nature. Anyhow, good morning readers! In the spirit of Literacy and knowledge, I’m enthused about a new Fall beginning. While the children are back in school to get their learning on, adults have no excuse for not picking up some of this extra mind fill for themselves. Recently, I’ve been taking a few email courses. This route of educating myself and adding to my writing portfolio is the best way for me to go because I’m still in the workforce. Those days I do come home all beat up & trampled upon, I’m not looking to do any assigned homework.

E-classes/courses are gaining more momentum with the savvy writer, whether they’re teaching a class ,or taking one. Susan Jonhston wrote on her blog, The Urban Muse recently that she is taking a class with author Steph Auteri called “Five Weeks To Freelance Awesome.” Susan says she is confident in this author’s ability to carry the class and warns that it all starts with the instructor, because not everyone is who they say they are on their blogs and so forth . I’m confident in the e-classes I have signed on for as well and I’m enjoying & learning some new information from everyone of them. Well, the Copywriting class 101 is a lot of information to digest, but when it comes to copywriting, you gotta set the pace for learning about a fast paced industry. 

Srinivas Rao teaches from his personal development blog. His courses are timely, informative and filled with his personal journeys to achieving his writing  dreams. His course also includes guest posts from other writers. This course from Srinivas I sort of happened into, but once I read all of the inspiring posts for writers, and bloggers, I decided to stay with it. Srinivas is generous with his time, asking for feedback from participants and sending information of importance to aid your personal development.

My all time favorite e-class at the moment is “Think Like an Entrepreneur: Transforming Your Career and Taking Charge of Your Life”. The course is based upon the author’s book of the same title. I’ve just completed part 4 of Deborah Bailey’s e-class. I love the motivational approach and lessons she offer for writers on their journey to becoming solopreneurs! An actual coach who teaches many entrepreneur classes, Deborah shows you the strategy from start to finish on how to accomplish and grow your business.  Deborah can be reached at http://www.dbailycoach.com for info on her classes and her book of the same name.

Ok, in the spirit of full disclosure, I must tell you: There’s another e-class I’m curious about. It’s called ” Social Media Simplified for Small Business Owners and Solopreneurs” by Chrisitne Gallagher. Whew, got that off my chest:)

 Writers, don’t forget the short fiction contests! Zoetrope: All-story is open for business. Visit www.all-story.com/contests.cgi  and Writers Digest 6th Annual short story contests in Romance, Horror, Thriller/Suspense and Mystery/Crime Fiction.  Are you entering any contests?

Related Articles

• The Freelancer’s Guide to Professional Development (freelanceswitch.com)

How Savvy Women Think “Business”

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I know, it’s Christmas for christsakes & why am I thinking about “business‘ on this special day to celebrate the birth of our lord & savior? Because The Lord knew when he created woman, he created the essence that moves heaven & earth- that’s why! Actually, the turkey is in the oven and the veggies, fixings for savory dressing ,and sweets for the sweetest are making great progress. How’s that for a multi-tasking woman in business for herself? It’s a well known fact that women are savvy creatures. Not only can we can bring home the bacon, fry it up in a pan, we can serve it on a decorative platter as well! AND read a good book all in one setting… Well, we can also embelish upon the truth a bit too, but, that’s what makes us so special! The woman in business for herself becomes an attribute to men owned bussinesses and other women entrepreneurs– doing it for themselves…

As we celebrate the Holidays; Christmas and New Year, let’s also envision the new start to growing, creating, and visualizing our businesses. Women of authenticity read more good stuff clara54 wants you to know about women issues by visiting “authentic woman” @  http://wisewoman2.wordpress.com and spread the word! There’s a savvy business woman in all of us, don’t cha know? Now is the time to create your vision for your business and start the New Year off with a banging profit building enterprise!

Happy Holidays & think “business” in your future!