A Key Decision for Every Writer

For more than 20 years, I've devoted my energies toward learning to tell good stories and capturing those stories in print. I've learned how to write query letters or pitch letters to magazines in a way which garners a go-ahead assignment from an editor. I've learned the skill of crafting a book proposal which the editor reads, decides to champion, then issues a book contract. Also I've been training other writers on these insider insights through my teleseminars like Secrets About Proposals. I continue to work with many different writers through my work as a publisher at Intermedia Publishing Group. My commitment has not dimmed to the printed page and the power of magazine articles and books to change people and propel them into new directions.

Almost daily I speak with writers who struggle to pay their bills and provide for their family yet they remain passionate about getting published and each have dreams and ambitions which are haven't come true--yet.

I decided to write about a key decision for every writer. What is your passion? How can you get that passion out to the greatest number of people? Is it getting your words into a publication like The Upper Room which reaches millions of people each issue? My photo is on the back cover of the November/ December issue of The Upper Room and people have been writing and saying they spotted my photo. My devotion appears on December 20th this year and it was a thrill to be in this publication. Yet being in The Upper Room isn't the key decision that I'm talking about.

I'm suggesting every writer needs to make a key decision to have part of their business as a stand alone enterprise. Why? While there is value in writing for publications or writing books, when you are taking these steps you are dependent on others to issue pay checks. Many traditional book publishers only pay royalties once a year or four times a year (quarterly) is the best payment schedule for a royalty publisher. As the author, it is outside of your control and whatever system a publisher has, then you are stuck in that system if you want them to publish your book. The same issue is true in the magazine world. Some publications pay on acceptance of the article while many publications pay on publication (or a difference of months or years between when you write the article and when you receive payment). This payment system is neither good or bad but simply what exists in the marketplace.

In today's market with the Internet, every writer has the ability to sell directly to their readers--if they make this decision. Possibly you have no idea where to begin or you are floundering in your search for a beginning. My friend, Bob Bly (Robert W. Bly) has written an Ebook, Start Or Jump-Start Your Internet Marketing Business, How to Take Your Online Marketing to the Next Level of Profitability and Success. I've read this book several times and highlighted different sections of it. Each time I pick up on a different detail to apply to my own independent writing business.

I mentioned the payment from writing for magazines and books. How does payment work if you have your own business? When you sell a product, that money goes directly into your paypal account. You don't have to wait around for someone else because you've taken action. As Bob writes in his book, "When is the best time to start your new internet marketing bsiness? Quite simply, it's today. And here's how...First, decide to work on your new business venture at least five days a week, at least an hour a day. Second, make a list of 10 things you need to do to get the business off the ground."

If you work through the list of 10 things, your life as a writer will take off--provided you make this one key decision and take action on it.

For Internet Book Marketing Insight

How can you level the playing field for your book to get any attention (and garner sales) in a crowded book market?

An answer you should think about--no matter where you are in the process is through the Internet and more than half of the books are sold outside of the bookstore. Recently I found a terrific resource to help in this area: Red Hot Internet Publicity. This book includes great quotations which are highlighted throughout the book for inspiration like "Eight-seven percent of blog readers are book buyers." (Page 95)

Penny Sansevieri covers the gamut of Internet marketing tools like websites, keywords, search engines, e-commerce blogs, podcasts, Internet Press Releases, virtual book events, autoresponders, email newsletters, Ebooks and cultivating your relationship with Amazon. Each chapter is loaded with ready-to-apply URLs and insight. She writes with experience and authority about a topic where she has intimate familiarity.

In fact, Sansevieri lays out her goal on page 169 saying, "I want Red Hot Internet Publicity to be different. I want you to put down this book with not only a mountain of inspiration, but a plan as well. Book marketing isn't an easy task. It takes time, effort, and lots of sweat equity and most of all, it takes a plan."

Get this book--and let the planning (and success) for your Internet marketing of your book begin.

Even experienced Internet marketer will gain value from a book like Red Hot Internet Publicity. I consider these types of books a success if I only learn a few insights--and with this book I found a number of new tricks to try in the days ahead.

Help For Audience Building

I'm involved with a couple of online group discussions. Recently several authors mentioned they had been spending a lot of effort on their marketing over the last few years yet now they had decided to cut back on that marketing activity and instead pouring the energy into their writing. I can appreciate these author's desire to improve their storytelling and writing craft. Every book will have to have good writing as the basic foundation. Yet at the same time, there are great books which never make any traction in the marketplace in terms of book sales because the author has not committed the effort and energy into building their audience. In my view this audience building doesn't have to be all consuming--but it does have to continually be a part of the process.

This process of building an audience involves a consistent effort and vision. No matter where you are in the process of publishing a book, are you writing a newsletter and adding to your list of subscribers. I've mentioned in the past the free 150-page Ebook which gives lots of advice about how to get content and build your list. Also I've mentioned that New York Times bestselling author Debbie Macomber has over 75,000 readers on her electronic newsletter list. She understands the power of this information to influence readers. You can follow this link to one of my older posts (then follow the links inside the post) for more information.

If you have no idea how to promote--or even if you do and need some fresh ideas, check out Joan Stewart's Publicity Hound materials. On this link, you can download four free ebooks with a wealth of ideas and information. Just click on each book cover to go to the download page. You will discover a wealth of material and ideas.

Finally I want to encourage you to sign up for a valuable FREE email course that I got from Jimmy D. Brown. Jimmy has created a number of courses online that he sells but this one is free. Just follow the link, go to the bottom of the page and add your first name and email address. Then for the next 21 days you will receive an email each day with Jimmy's insight. I set it up at this location and hope it helps you build your own audience.

Free Internet Marketing Training

Where do you get sound advice about marketing on the Internet? One of the best venues in my view is to learn from experienced and successful Internet marketing experts. I want to learn from people who have been successful in this area of Internet marketing and their success is evident from their results.

Armand Morin is one of these people who have learned the insider information about how to get attention on the Internet. For the tenth year, he has organized the Big Seminar in Atlanta, Georgia. If you can, I recommend you go to the Big Seminar--no matter whether you have published no books or have published many books or if you work for a publishing company. If you attend with an open mind and listen carefully, you will learn a tremendous amount of information.

Free Internet marketing training is provided before the Big Seminar through the free preview calls with the various speakers. These calls will be filled with content, information and insight. To use this resource, you have to register with your email address, then read the emails for the preview calls and listen to them. I recommend it as a way to learn more about the Internet marketing area.

You may be thinking, "I just want to get a book published or write for a few magazines?" These speakers will be giving innovations which are outside the normal sales channels for publishing. They will give you insight about how to build your platform and gain visibility in the marketplace. My advice is not to be so focused on the publishing goals that you cut yourself off from another route to get there. These preview calls are building up to the event next month so the sooner you register for the better.