Marketing for Writers by Scott Francis - Tuesday, April 29, 2008

Almost everyday I talk to book authors who have different ideas on how they think their book should be marketed. Everyone has a different approach to the way they think about "self promotion." A handful of authors are really interested in doing lots of lectures and workshops to promote their books... and that really works to their advantage. On the other hand, I find that many writers I talk with think of "self promotion" as an unsavory part of the business. I totally understand. For most people the act of writing is an art form. An act of creation. It's easy to understand the hesitance one might feel when it comes time to sell the work.

The good news is that Marketing doesn't necessarily mean the same thing as it did in the old days. The internet has changed the rules and forced marketers to rethink their old approach of "advertising to the masses."

I recently read a great book about new theories on Marketing titled The New Rules of Marketing and PR by David Meerman Scott. The book discusses using tools like blogs, podcasting and other online media to reach your audience. This book is full of great ideas about innovative ways to use the internet to market "content". Scott says, "people want authenticity, not spin . . . people want participation, not propaganda."

This message is a hopeful one for anyone who is worried about maintaining the integrity of what they are marketing. As writers, we should all take this message to heart. Marketing our writing and promoting our work should be considered an extension of the writing itself. It's another way of connecting with the reader. It's a way to inform and entertain. Marketing is no longer a "sales pitch". It's the sharing of information. Your audience wants to find out about new things and they want to be entertained. By sharing content with them (either through excerpts of your writing, information about events or related news topics) you are giving them what they want. And you are also getting your work and your name in front of them. Encourage feedback and find ways to make yourself accessible. Just like the act of writing, communication is what marketing your work is all about.

4/30/2008 9:53:34 AM (Eastern Daylight Time, UTC-04:00)

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Tuesday, April 29, 2008

Building Your Platform Through Public Speaking
Posted by Scott

In previous posts I've mentioned marketing yourself by building a "platform". Your platform is basically the things you do to publicize yourself, to get your message out there. Obviously, we can't expect to just write a book or article and expect publishers to come knocking at our door or snatch up the work we send them and go to press with it. Publishers want to know why we should be considered a voice of authority on the subject.

As mentioned in the article "Building a Writing Career" by Sean Murray (excerpted from The Craft & Business of Writing from the Editors of Writer's Digest Books), "Teaching or giving talks on your subject can be an invaluable way of broadening the platform for your writing career, sharpening your own craft, and building an audience." A great place to start is with community organizations, rotary clubs, churches, recreation centers and local media. If you've already had an article or book published, even better. As Murray points out, this makes you an "instant expert."

4/29/2008 10:39:10 AM (Eastern Daylight Time, UTC-04:00)

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Monday, April 28, 2008

Making Connections
Posted by Scott

Hi writers,

I hope everyone had a nice weekend. Mine was great. I enjoyed the nice weather and got to go to the Mad Anthony Writer's Conference on Saturday.

Writer's Conferences are great places to make contacts and market your writing. Attending them is a great way to connect with agents and editors as well as fellow writers. There are usually lots of great workshops and seminars about honing your writings skills and the business of writing.

I learned quite a bit talking to other writers at Saturdays event. Most people thought the workshops were great, but a few people I talked to mentioned that they were frustrated by the contradictory information they received at some of the seminars. I found this to be a very interesting observation. The publishing industry is somewhat unique in that the decision about what book will sell or won't sell can often be influenced by personal reactions to the content. Agents and editors are, of course, people after all and will obviously have unique personalities. So the experience one writer might have in getting their work published will of course be different than one someone else has. All of this contradictory advice can be very frustrating if you are trying to break in and are looking for advice. I think it's best to approach Writer's Conferences with an open mind, make as many contacts as you can, listen to all of the advice and at the end of the day decide what works best for you.

Reminder: the most important thing about attending a Writer's Conference is the connections you'll make.

Here's a great conference opportunity coming up: The Writer's Digest Books Writer's Conference in Los Angeles, CA, Wednesday May 28, 2008. It's a great conference with workshops and panels throughout the day and a 2 hour pitch-slam where you'll get the chance to pitch your book idea to agents.

4/28/2008 9:57:47 AM (Eastern Daylight Time, UTC-04:00)

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Friday, April 25, 2008

Mad Anthony Writer's Conference & Book Festival
Posted by Scott

Today is the start of the Mad Anthony Writer's Conference & Book Festival at the Harry T. Wilks Conference Center in Hamilton, OH. There are a few authors and speakers from Writer's Digest Books who will be attending including mystery writer Hallie Ephron, WD Books Editorial Director Jane Friedman, and myself.

Jane Friedman will be leading a couple of great workshops for writers: "Are You Sabotaging Your Writing Career?" and "Marketing is Not a Dirty Word." Jane's second workshop topic was part of the inspiration for this blog, so I definitely recommend checking this out if you're attending the conference. The whole conference itself is packed with lots of great workshops covering everything from career help for writers to writing workshops for fiction and non-fiction writers alike. Check out the schedule of events here.

The book festival portion of Mad Anthony begins tomorrow at 1:00 and is free to everyone. I'll be signing copies of my book Monster Spotter's Guide to North America.

Please stop by if you're in the area.

4/25/2008 8:44:38 AM (Eastern Daylight Time, UTC-04:00)

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Thursday, April 24, 2008

Who is this person, anyway?
Posted by Scott

You might be wondering, “who is the person writing this blog and why do I care what they have to say?” That’s a great question. In fact, as a writer trying to get your work out there it’s a question that publishers and agents will be asking about you.

Before I tell you a little more about who I am, I’d like to talk about “author platforms.” As a writer you’ve probably heard this term thrown around by now, but if you haven’t, it essentially means who you are and how you promote yourself. Before they take a chance on your work, publishers want to know how well known you are—what kind of media attention you’ve already gotten, what kind of connections you have, the readership for your blog or column (if you have one), how many hits your website gets (if you have one of those)… things of that nature. Basically they’re wondering if you are already perceived as a voice among the audience you are trying to reach. If you are, there’s a better chance of being published because you’re a safer bet. At the end of the day, publishers are trying to sell books and they’re looking for authors who are making themselves known—not just someone who locks themselves in a room and churns out page after page.

If you’re serious about getting published and building your career as a writer, you need to start thinking about your platform. Good ways to get started are to start a blog, join online communities that are interested in the kinds of things you are writing about, and submit your writing to every place you can think of. Many writers “save” their writing for the right publication, but to get your name known it’s important to try to get published as many places as you can, including local publications.

Remember: an author platform is more than a bio stating the things you’ve already done. Think of it more as a plan for the way you are promoting your writing career—it’s the steps you are taking to establish your voice as one of expertise in your subject of interest.

And now, for those who are curious, here’s a little bit of information about myself.

Scott Francis is the author of Monster Spotter’s Guide to North America and co-author of The Writer’s Book of Matches. He is also a founding editor for Fresh Boiled Peanuts, A Literary Journal. He currently works as Marketing Manager for F+W Publications (parent company for Writer’s Digest Books and other fine book imprints). In addition to creating the Living with the M-Word blog, he also blogs at:

www.monsterspotter.com

www.freshboiledpress.blogspot.com

4/24/2008 9:06:02 AM (Eastern Daylight Time, UTC-04:00)

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Wednesday, April 23, 2008

Embracing the M-Word
Posted by Scott

Hello fellow writer.

My name is Scott. Like you, I’m a writer. I’m also fortunate enough to have a job working for Writer’s Digest Books. While I always imagined myself working in writing and editing, I am not an editor. I’m a Marketing Manager.

Now… before you run away thinking I’m some sort of smarmy used-car salesman type of guy, please give me a chance. Let’s talk about what marketing really means. For many writers marketing is almost a dirty word—an ugly truth that must be dealt with in order to make money as a writer. I understand where you’re coming from.

In today’s world it’s difficult to go anywhere or do anything without being asked to buy something or sign up. It’s a fact of modern life. The result? Lots of people begin tuning out. They ignore most of the advertising that they see. So what does that mean for marketing? It means it doesn’t really work to push a product into someone’s face and ask him or her to “buy now!” Instead, successful marketing involves connecting with an audience by informing, educating and entertaining them. Now… doesn’t that sound like why you got into writing in the first place?

Writing is essentially a conversation with the reader, so think of marketing as striking up a conversation with someone you’ve only just met. Having that interaction with a stranger happen as naturally and genuinely as it might in a pub or on an airplane is the trick. If you can learn how to do that then you’ll not only be more successful, but you might actually enjoy promoting your work.

And, that’s what this blog is all about. Working for a publisher, I get to interact with editors and authors on a daily basis. I’ll pass along bits of advice I learn from them and also give you some ideas about how you can go about promoting your work.

Thanks for reading, and best of luck with your writing.

4/23/2008 3:53:18 PM (Eastern Daylight Time, UTC-04:00)

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