Marketing for Writers by Scott Francis

Hard Truths

2008-10-03T13:54:46.8390000-04:00

Hi Writers,

I wanted to share with you a few thoughts about some of the things I've been going through in my own job as Marketing Manager over the past few weeks. A lot of what I've written about before touches on this topic already, but I hope you'll bear with me, as I think this is something that is important for all writers to take stock of.

As the focus in publishing has shifts more and more online and we all suffer through the struggling economy, publishing companies are being forced to reassess the way they do business. This means changing the way their content (your writing) is sold--don't limit your thinking to books, magazines, and screenplays...think downloads, feature web articles, and video downloads as well. It also means changing the way publishing companies... actually, media companies (something you should get used to thinking about) market their content.

Working for a publisher I'm charged with reaching out directly to consumers to let them know about our products--be they books, magazines, downloads or whatever. Less and less of many publishing companies' resources are being dedicated to traditional publicity efforts such as book signings and PR mailings. More and more publishers are looking for authors who can generate that type of publicity for themselves.

That's why the advice author Christina Katz has been sharing about creating an author platform is so valuable. Getting published initially is becoming more and more difficult unless you have your own marketing plan, online presence, and general business savvy to convince publishers that your book will sell and that you will be working to help make the book a success.

I've been talking with an author, Bob Woodiwiss, who has lots of great ideas for generating book buzz. Unfortunately, I don't have the budget or resources to devote to some of his ideas. My advice to all authors is to go after your own book signings from the very beginning, reach out to bloggers who write about your subject area, and contact media that you might think would be interested in your story on your own. It can seem like a daunting task, but really the most important thing is taking the initiative and being persistent.

Good luck.

Check out Bob Woodiwiss's commentary on the extravagence of high society, The Serfitt & Cloye Gift Catalog.

2008-09-30T11:18:56.0100000-04:00

Hi Writers,

Here's the third installment of author Christina Katz's guest posts on author platforms. Christina's new book Get Known Before the Book Deal will be available next month.

Enjoy,

Scott

__________________________________________

20 Dual Questions About Your Author Platform

#3: When Does a Platform Make Sense? / When Do You Need a Platform?

By Christina Katz

Imagine this: you pull up to the drive through window at Platforms R Us. A voice comes over the intercom. “May I take your order?”

“Sure,” you say. You already know what you want. “I’ll take one blockbuster bestselling author platform, please.”

Unfortunately, platform development—how visible and influential you are in the world— doesn’t work this way. In fact, platform development is more similar to the slow food movement, than the fast food business model. I work with over a hundred writers a year, and if I’ve learned anything from paying close attention to their success rates, it’s this: scattered efforts yield scant results.

A lot of writers today feel pressured to get a platform and get one FAST. This attitude reveals a common misunderstanding about platform as something you “get” rather than something that you cultivate professionally over time.

You can’t go buy yourself a platform despite all the infomercials popping up online that say that they can provide you with all of the “insider secrets” so you can. The principle of slow and steady development applies to everything writers already do: selling previously written work, pitching ideas, and completing assignments. Why should platform development be any different?

Question #3: When Do You Need a Platform?

As soon as you decide you wish to write a book for traditional publication, you’ll want to get started building your platform. The bottom line is that platform development takes concentration, clarity and follow-through, abilities repeated by successful authors hundreds, if not thousands of times throughout the duration of their writing career.

Clearly there are certain skills that all writers need to succeed today. Developing a solid platform is one of them. But this is not an overnight occurrence, and therefore anyone pressuring you to hurry up and “get” one, might actually be doing you a disservice in the long run.

Don’t try to “get one:” build one instead.

My question for you: When will you need a platform? What are five small steps you can take in the direction of becoming more known in the next week? Why not take one step each day. This is the road to incremental platform development—the only sensible kind of platform development for busy writers.

Please share your experience by commenting to this post.

***

Christina Katz is author of Get Known Before the Book Deal, Use Your Personal Strengths to Build an Author Platform and Writer Mama, How to Raise a Writing Career Alongside Your Kids. She started her platform “for fun” seven years ago and ended up on Good Morning America. She works on incremental writing career development with one hundred students a year and is the publisher of the e-zine Writers on the Rise. Christina blogs at The Writer Mama Riffs, Get Known Before the Book Deal and Writers on the Rise.

A Day in The Life...

2008-09-24T12:54:59.9190000-04:00

Ever wonder what it's like to work for a publisher? Well, some of the staff here at F+W media started a new blog about the life. You'll get some insights, maybe some good advice here and there, but mostly you'll get a look behind the scenes (which may prove inspirational or helpful in your own writerly pursuits).

Check out www.farmersandwriters.wordpress.com

Today's entry was posted by yours truly. Enjoy.

Illustration by Greg Nock

Media Kits

2008-09-19T12:36:41.2673155-04:00

A media kit can be a great tool for promoting your work and can be used to try to get mentions in publications or to try to get speaking engagements or spots on radio or TV.

A few do's and don'ts:

Do include your complete contact information as well as your website/blog address
Do include a personal biography and a photograph of yourself
Do include a business card
Do include any recent articles or endorsements
Do include a good cover sheet that summarizes the contents of your media kit
Do include a copy of your latest book
Don't over do it--these days everyone is busy and have short attention spans. Keep it relevant and to the point.
Don't include clippings of every press mention that you've ever gotten--go with either the most recent or the most impressive. Everything else can be summarized on your cover sheet (remember to be concise).

Christina Katz continues her author platforms advice

2008-09-16T09:49:56.7153924-04:00

20 Dual Questions About Your Author Platform

#2: Who Needs a Platform? / Do You Need a Platform?

By Christina Katz

Without a platform, your writing career is invisible. Since visibility for the right reasons is always good for your writing career, you really can’t afford to be an isolated, eccentric soul waiting for somebody else to make you famous. Those days are gone forever.

The opposite attitude is an attitude of responsibility. When you decide to launch a writing career, you won’t just be writing. That’s only part of the job description. You’ll also be responsible for coming up with saleable ideas, pitching your writing, and building a marketing platform that will promote your work. (And that’s putting the job description for “writer” in very simplistic terms. The multiple “hats” writers wear on a regular basis are described in more detail in Writer Mama.)

I’m sure we’ve all experienced our fair share of resistance, as writers, I’m sure. And thanks to the Internet, our job description gets lengthier every single day. But the upside of all of this is that the more responsibility you take for your career – including the willingness to develop your platform, the more ownership you’ll have, the more invested you’ll be, and the better you’ll be able to leverage what you’ve already accomplished.

Question #2: Who needs a platform?

All writers do.

Your platform is a way to assess and broadcast the success you’ve accomplished so far, which typically leads to even more success.

Long story short, the sooner you become willing to take 100% responsibility for your writing career, the more successful you will be in the short and the long runs. Once you’ve taken responsibility, you’ll come to realize that if a task isn’t on your to-do list, it won’t ever get done. And once you understand that all of the jobs that fall under the description “writing professional” are yours, you are ready for a lot more success than the writer who simply shrugs and says, “I’m not doing that.”

In the final analysis, platform development takes time and effort, but it leverages your worth. If you are a professional, it only makes sense to consistently and incrementally work on increasing your actual and perceived value.

Shrug at your professional peril.

My question for you: Do you need a platform? Do you want others to know about the value that you consistently offer? Please share your experience by commenting to this post.

***

Christina Katz is author of Get Known Before the Book Deal, Use Your Personal Strengths to Build an Author Platform and Writer Mama, How to Raise a Writing Career Alongside Your Kids. She started her platform “for fun” seven years ago and ended up on Good Morning America. She works on incremental writing career development with one hundred students a year and is the publisher of the e-zine Writers on the Rise. Christina blogs at The Writer Mama Riffs, Get Known Before the Book Deal and Writers on the Rise.

Guest Post from Author Christina Katz

2008-09-11T08:18:45.8244616-04:00

Hi Writers,

Apologies again for my failure to keep up with the blog as of late. We've been going through a marketing restructuring at F+W Media, the parent company of Writer's Digest, so I've been assigned some new duties and am figuring out my new work flow.

Since I've been so busy I've enlisted the help of one of our authors, Christina Katz, to help me out with a guest post. Christina is the author of Writer Mama, a great book for moms who are also cultivating writing careers, and the forthcoming Get Known Before the Book Deal (November 2008). She always has great advice for managing the business side of your writing career and in this post shares some about "author platforms". Enjoy.

20 Dual Questions About Your Author Platform

#1: What’s a Platform? / What’s Your Platform?

By Christina Katz

The toughest part about growing a platform that will eventually help you land a book deal is getting started. You probably know by now that you need a platform. You may have heard the buzz about it at a conference, online or even in writing publications like Writer’s Digest magazine.

But even with all of this information, it's still easy to be confused about where the heck to start. To simplify the process for both of us, I’ve divided platform development from start to finish into twenty questions. Each week, I’ll answer a question and then you will answer a question. By the time we’re done, you will have a solid understanding of platform-ese (the language of platform) and how to use words and more to construct your best possible platform at this time.

Question #1: What’s a platform?

The word platform simply describes all the ways you are visible and appealing to your future, potential, or actual readership. Platform development is important not only for already-published authors; it’s also crucial for aspiring and soon-to-be authors. Your platform includes your Web presence, any public speaking you do, the classes you teach, the media contacts you’ve established, the articles you’ve published, and any other means you currently have for making your name and your future books known to a viable readership.

Your platform communicates your expertise to others concisely, quickly and decisively with clarity, confidence and ease. How visible are you? How much influence do you have? How many people know and trust you? If others recognize your expertise on a given topic or for a specific audience or both, then that is the measure of your platform success.

My question for you: Do you already have or have you ever had a platform on a particular topic? Please share your experience by commenting to this post. I’ll give some examples later. Right now I would rather hear about you.

Christina Katz is author of Get Known Before the Book Deal, Use Your Personal Strengths to Build an Author Platform and Writer Mama, How to Raise a Writing Career Alongside Your Kids. She started her platform “for fun” seven years ago and ended up on Good Morning America. She works on incremental writing career development with one hundred students a year and is the publisher of the e-zine Writers on the Rise. Christina blogs at www.thewritermama.wordpress.com, http://getknownbeforethebookdeal.typepad.com and http://writersontherise.wordpress.com.

Thanks for the Great Comments

2008-08-27T15:41:50.9840000-04:00

Hi Writers,

Apologies for my lapse in postings. I've had a couple of busy weeks, but wanted to assure you haven't forgotten about the blog. I've been reading everyone's comments, which have been great... lot's of good things to think about.

I'm hoping soon to have a chance to post some answers to some of the great questions I've gotten soon. In the meantime, check out this interesting Business Weekarticle about Twilight, a vampire novel series that has become a huge success through online marketing and social networking.

Setting Realistic Goals

2008-08-13T12:12:28.7620000-04:00

One important thing to keep in mind as you market your work is to set realistic achievable goals for yourself. Having a "pie in the sky" dream is great, but make sure that you have a realistic plan for getting there.

I've worked with authors who when I first talk with them want to know when I'll get their book on Oprah. (Hmmmm. How do I respond to that?) I'm not saying that I don't think the book deserve's Oprah's attention. I'm not even saying that the book won't eventually get on Oprah. But, there is probably a better place to begin publicity efforts such as local TV and radio, blogs related to your topic, and relevant periodicals. By actively approaching these venues an author is more likely to gain the attention of national media.

Bottom line: start with realistic and achievable promotional ideas and build from there. Your efforts will help you gain more success and should lead to better and better opportunities.

Using Free Content to Promote Yourself Online

2008-08-11T13:41:38.0610000-04:00

Hi Writers,

Sorry for the lapse in posts. I've had a lot of catch up work to do at work after being out of the office for some travel, and for a few days of vacation. But, I'm getting back in the swing of things. I just finished some work on a promotion for a line of humor books that I promote where we are offering free downloads of some of the older titles. (Check out the TOW Books promotion here).

I thought it might make a good post for the M-Word to talk about posting a free download of a chapter or section of your book on a website or blog that covers your subject area (whether it's your own blog, or if you approach another blogger about posting it). By offering some good free content, your audience will get a nice sample of your work and may interested in buying more (make sure you have an obvious link to where your book may be purchased).

There are lots of ways you can offer this "teaser" content that make sense, so come up with a strategy that works well for you. Maybe you post a chapter at a time for a limited time (like a serialized novel) or maybe you create podcasts of certain chapters.

John Howe Interview

2008-08-01T16:07:14.6820000-04:00

Check out this interview with renowned fantasy artist John Howe, author of Fantasy Art Workshop from IMPACT Books. John is a widely recognized Tolkien artist and the conceptual designer for the Lord of the Rings movies. I had a chance to meet John at Comic-Con and talk to him about the blending of movies and comics in popular culture, as well as get some creative advice. Enjoy.

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Podcasting

2008-07-30T15:40:59.9230000-04:00

Hi Writers,

Podcasting is a great way to spread the word about the work that you do. Try finding a blogger who writes about the kind of stuff you write about and approach them about a possible interview. Bloggers are always looking for good material.

Another thing you can try is posting podcasts on your own blog. Perhaps create a series of podcasts covering a subject from your book, or post chapters from your book as podcasts.

I did a few interviews for the M-Word while at Comic Con. Check out this podcast with 100 Days of Monsters author Stefan Bucher. Stefan shares his thoughts on the con and talks about his own favorite comics. (*for these interviews I used a simple hand-held digital voice recorder that I picked up at Office Depot... totally guerilla style...)

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Peter David Interview

2008-07-29T14:16:46.4630000-04:00

Check out the following interview with renowned comics writer Peter David, author of Writing Comics with Peter Davidas well as numerous comic titles including The Hulk, The Dark Tower, X-Men and many others.

IMPACT Books and Writer's Digest Books Publicity Manager Greg Hatfield catches up with Peter at Comic-Con and talks about Peter's favorite comic characters, his work on the comic adaptation of Steven King's Dark Tower and the novelization of this summers blockbuster Iron Man film, as well as his advice for writers.

peterdavidinterview.wav (2.95 MB)

Peter also mentions IDW editor and ComicsExperience.com owner Andy Schmidt's forthcoming book from IMPACT, Insider's Guide to Creating Comics and Graphic Novels. Learn more here

Comic-Con Aftermath

2008-07-29T12:58:45.8812533-04:00

Hi Writers,

I'm back in the office after an awesome Comic Con. I've got lots of stuff to share with you, which I plan to do in bite sized chunks.

The show was great, both from the perspective of a writer and also as someone who just loves comics and popular culture. I attended some great panels, which I'll tell you more about in upcoming posts.

It's good to be back. More soon.

2008-07-26T23:18:12.8110000-04:00

Rough day at the Con.

2008-07-26T23:14:00.0510000-04:00

Peter David does his famous Stan Lee impression.

Comic Con Saturday

2008-07-26T10:50:12.4656686-04:00

It's Saturday morning and I'm getting ready to head to the Con. Yesterday was a whirlwind... lots of great stuff going on.

We kicked off the day with a signing from Peter David, author of Writing for Comics with Peter David, who was great fun. IMPACT Books Publicity Manager Greg Hatfield got a chance to interview Peter--an interview which I'll share with you once I get time to post it (I'm kind of in a rush this morning)

I also got a chance to chat with Zombie Haiku author Ryan Mecum, who is signing in our booth this morning--I'm planning to see if Ryan has any advice for creating book trailers, because he did such a cool one for his book.

Plus, I talked with academy-award winning film concept artist and designer Doug Chiang, author of Mechanika. Doug has worked on movies like Star Wars episodes I & II, Beowulf, Polar Express, War of the Worlds.

Finally, I interviewed John Howe, renowned Tolkien artist about his thoughts on Comic Con, and creative inspiration.

I look forward to sharing some of the great interviews I taped... sorry for the teaser... I hope to post them soon.

Comic Con Day 1

2008-07-25T12:15:17.3490000-04:00

Yesterday was the first actual day of Comic Con. I spent a lot of time selling books in the IMPACT books booth, and trying to interview authors.

I attended a panel by renowned comics editor Andy Schmidt who runs www.comicsexperience.com where aspiring comic writers and artists can take classes to learn the ropes and find out what it takes in the comic business.

I also met with 100 Days of Monsters author Stefan Bucher, who does a lot of great work to promote his book. Check out his website at www.dailymonster.com

Lots of cool stuff going on at the show. I had dinner with legendary Tolkien artist John Howe, conceptual designer for the Lord of the Rings movies who talked about designing the gates of Mordor, which on screen are big enough for an army to walk through. John talked about his creative approach to researching and conceiving the images he comes up with, which are amazing. Check out his book Fantasy Art Workshop: http://www.fwbookstore.com/product/1609/1

Here are some pics:

Andy Schmidt gives advice to aspiring comic creators.

Stefan Bucher talks with a fan.

Comic Con Preview Night

2008-07-24T09:07:56.9699721-04:00

Yesterday was the first day at Comic Con. Spent the day setting up the IMPACT Books booth.

Preview night at the con was insanely crowded. The show is sold out everyday and the floor is packed with people. I mostly worked at our booth last night. Comic writers Peter David and Marv Wolfman stopped by the IMPACT Booth and I also got some of my comics signed by Hellboy creator Mike Mignola. Here's some fun pics:

Ironman lords over everyone. Because he can.

F+W marketing coordinator Justin Combs puts finishing touches on the booth.

Skrulls invade the IMPACT Booth. Situation dire.

Today there are tons of author events lined up so I hope to get some cool stuff to share. Off to the show...

On a Plane Tomorrow

2008-07-22T14:56:14.8887334-04:00

Hi Writers,

Again, I must apologize for my lack of posting this week. I've had lots to do at work in preparation for my Comic-Con trip. I'm getting on plane tomorrow to head out to San Diego to commune with comic fans, artists, writers and... well, nerds (I can say it, because I am one).

Of course, right before my trip I ended up catching a raging cold, so I've been sniffling through the day at my computer here at work trying to get caught up enough on emails and the like so that I won't be snowed under too badly when I return.

I'm mostly packed and hope to get some nice pics, video clips and short podcasts that I can share with you.

Best,

Scott

Comic Con, Anyone?

2008-07-16T15:48:28.5320000-04:00

Hi writers,

Sorry I haven't posted yet this week. It's a pretty busy week for me because I'm getting ready to go to San Diego Comic Con next week. I'm really excited about it. I think everyone needs to pay attention to Comic Con. It's become more than just a comic convention... it's really a popular culture expo. Check out this article about why Comic Con is cool.

Artists and writers can make connections at the show whether your goal is to work for comics or for movies or television. It's a great place to try to rub elbows (of course, everyone else is doing that too...)

Nevertheless, I'll be at the show promoting books and plan on reporting on some cool things. Just a few teasers:

Ryan Mecum, author of Zombie Haiku will be there and his book is kickin' butt right out of the gate (I'll chat with Ryan about promotional ideas and maybe get some advice on making book trailers
The IMPACT UNIVERSITY panel from IMPACT Books will feature artists and comic writers giving advice on how to make it in the biz (writer Peter David, whose titles include a comic adaptation of Stephen King's Dark Tower, numerous comic titles and Writing For Comics With Peter David will speak; as well as Orson Scott Card, author of Ender's Game).

I'll also be cruising around the floor and will try to let you know about news I find out about cool movies, TV shows and other great stuff... not to mention posting cool photos from the show.

If you're coming to the show, there will be some great events sponsored by F+W... check out our schedule below:

F+W is proud to announce that worldwide fantasy artist John Howe, concept artist for the Lord of the Rings films, will be a Special Guest of the Con. John will be the subject of his own Spotlight Panel on Saturday, July 26, at 12:00 Noon, in Room 3. John's acclaimed artwork spanning his career will be featured, including never-before-seen concept art from LOTR. Immediately following his panel, John will be signing his Impact book, John Howe Fantasy Art Workshop at the IMPACT Books booth (#1415) at 2:00 p.m. Plus, find out how to get a signed copy of our limited edition John Howe Comic-Con exclusive poster (only 1,000 available)! Visit the booth for details.

Don’t forget to attend our popular IMPACT University: How to Write and Draw Comics and Graphic Novels panel (Saturday, July 26, at 6:00 p.m., in room 7AB)

Stop by the IMPACT Books booth (#1415) to check out signings by authors Peter David (Writing for Comics with Peter David), Doug Chiang (Mechanika), Colleen Doran (Girl to Grrrl Manga, Manga Pro Superstar Workshop), Brian and Kristy Miller (Hi-Fi Color for Comics), E.J. Su (Mechaforce), Stephan Bucher (100 Days of Monsters) and Ryan Mecum (Zombie Haiku).
>>
*Check booth for schedule of signings.>