Archive for new authors
Back when I started Spirit Authors 2 years ago, it was my intentions to create a site that could help mind-body-spirit/self-help authors– both aspiring and extablished–to learn how to establish themselves online, so they could learn how to spread the word about all the great work they do. 
It was my experience that a great many artist, holistic and spiritually-minded people didn’t like to do marketing; and as a result, they stuggled to survive financially. I found it sad to see so many people give up on their dreams, so I wanted to make sure Spirit Authors provided them with lots of (free) resources that could help them.
At the exact same time I was launching Spirit Authors, I began writing a new book of my own, which originally was intended to be a book for all those sensitive souls who didn’t like marketing, but needed to do it. I thought if I could help create a new paradigm for these kinds of people, it might be useful.
But after I started diving deeply into the subject of marketing, I discovered so many revealing (and sometimes shocking) things about its history, intention and practice, and so many serious issues arising from consumer culture, that I knew this book was going to be something altogether different from what I had originally intended.
And now, after 2 years of daily writing, researching and pulling it all together, TODAY–Tuesday December 13th, 2011–is the big Amazon launch for my new book The 7 Graces of Marketing: how to heal humanity and the planet by changing the way we sell. (Click the title to find buy the book and receive some great gifts).
The 7 Graces of Marketing is a bold, holistic and often spiritual examination not merely of the world of advertising, but also of our entire world view. It reveals how our relationships with Self, others, our businesses, our economy and the Earth impact our health, our economy and the delicate ecological balance of our natural world. As much for the conscious consumer as the business owner, this book shows why traditional ways of selling are ultimately doomed to fail, and how both business owners and consumers can begin to heal the world by embracing a new paradigm I call ‘The 7 Graces of Marketing.’
When you buy the book TODAY you can receive the complete set of 7 MP3s (over 10 hours of audio) from last week’s 7 Graces of Marketing Telesummit, with 24 internationally renowned speakers, such as Joe Vitale, Eric Pearl and 22 others, speaking about the ‘7 Deadly Sins’ of marketing and the ‘7 Graces’ of marketing. You’ll also receive dozens of other gifts offered by my friends and colleagues, to express our appreciation for your support.
To buy the book, and claim your MP3s from the 7 Graces Telesummit, and receive a fabulous selection of gifts from my friends and colleauges, here’s all you need to do:
- Sometime TODAY, go to http://the7gracesofmarketing.com/book-launch/pages/launch.html. This is the “launch” page.
- On that page, you will see links to buy the book on Amazon US, Canada or UK (yes, you may purchase the book from another Amazon site; we just didn’t have room for all the links)
- Click a link to buy the book on the Amazon of your choice. You may buy the book in either paperback or Kindle version
- After you have purchased the book, Amazon will give you a purchase code. The purchase code is a 17-digit number, and it looks like this: 123-1234567-1234567. Copy this number to your computer clipboard.
- Return to the “launch page” and enter your name, email AND your Amazon purchase code in the form.
- When you hit the button that says “Yes, Please!” you will be taken immediately to the “bonus” page. This page has all the links to take you to the bonus gifts.
- Just click the links of the gifts you would like to download.
That’s all there is to it!
I am extremely passionate about this subject (as you will have heard if you listened to last week’s telesummit), and I am dedicated to getting the dialogue started in the business sector so we can change the way we do marketing, and make a brighter, healthier, happier world for our children and children’s children. I do hope you’ll check out The 7 Graces of Marketing.
Click HERE to get the book, the MP3s and free gifts now
Please PAY NO ATTENTION if Amazon says, “Only 3 left in stock” or “Ships in 1-4 weeks”. We have test ordered the book, and it takes about a 7-10 days to ship, and it is IMPOSSIBLE to “be out of stock” because this is a “print on demand” book, which means the book will be printed and shipped to you whenever you place an order.
If you have any questions or experience any problems, please do not hesitate to contact me via the contact from on this site.
AND, I’d love to hear what you have to say about the book after you have read it, so be sure to subscribe to this blog so you can find your way back here. I’m also starting a 7 Graces of Marketing Community for everyone who has bought the book, and who would like to meet others of like mind who want to bring ethics and values back into our business and marketing. So please do stay in touch.
With gratitude and appreciation,
Lynn Serafinn
Author, coach, author promotions
Be a Partner on Some Great Upcoming Book Launches
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Get seen & build your network by partnering on book promotions from Spirit Authors. Reach your target audience and gain valuble insight into how others market their books. Mind-body-spirit, self-help, health & wellness, ethical business & marketing.
As most of you know, I create and manage book launch campaigns for mind-body-spirit authors. Over the past 18 months or so, I’ve coordinated more than a dozen campaigns. All of my clients reached bestseller status. In fact, most were in the top 3, and five of these hit the coveted #1 bestseller spot.
Creating a book launch is a LOT of work, and cannot possibly happen without the help of many dozens of network partners. Being a partner on someone else’s book launch has great rewards, even if you are not an author. Among other things, it helps you expand your professional network, gives you more visibility, and can also help to grow your mailing list. A well-crafted book launch has the potential to reach millions of people by dint of our collaborative efforts. If you’ve never participated in a book launch before, read my article “7 Reasons to Partner on Someone Else’s Book Launch NOW”.
Below is a list of upcoming launches. If they tickle your fancy and you’d like to join us, send a note to me by the dates listed below at http://spiritauthors.com/contact
BOOK LAUNCH 1
Why Wait? The Baby Boomer’s Guide Preparing Emotionally, Financially and Legally for a Parent’s Death
AUTHOR: Carolyn A. Brent, M.B.A
LAUNCH DATE: November 15th, 2011
PROMOTIONS RUN: October 10th through November 15th
WHO SHOULD JOIN THIS CAMPAIGN?
Anyone whose work has to do with Baby Boomers, family relationships, end-of-life issues, death and dying, grieving and loss, life transitions, health care, advocacy groups, elderly care, human rights, financial or legal planning, etc.
TO JOIN THIS CAMPAIGN:
Express your interest by filling in the form at http://babyboomersguide.org/pages/book-launch/join-the-book-launch-for-why-wait.html no later than Friday September 16th, 2011.
Visit Carolyn’s “Baby Boomer’s Guide” blogsite: http://babyboomersguide.org
BOOK LAUNCH 2
The 7 Graces of Marketing: how to heal humanity and the planet by changing the way we sell.
AUTHOR: Lynn Serafinn
LAUNCH DATE: December 13th, 2011
PROMOTIONS RUN: November 7th through December 13th
WHO SHOULD JOIN THIS CAMPAIGN?
Anyone whose work has to do with marketing, business, entrepreneurship, new economy, healing, self awareness, environmentalism, consumer culture, social media, social responsibility, connection, transparency, abundance, ethics, communication, community, spirituality, connection the Earth
TO JOIN THIS CAMPAIGN:
Express your interest by filling in the form at http://the7gracesofmarketing.com/book-launch/pages/join-the-book-launch-for-7graces.html no later than Monday October 10th, 2011
Visit “The 7 Graces of Marketing” blogsite: http://the7GracesOfMarketing.com
I am also working on several other launches coming in the New Year, including:
- The Destiny Discovery: Find Your Soul’s Path to Success by Michelle L Casto (January 17th, 2012)
- Alpha Chick: 5 Steps for Moving from Pain to Power by Mal Duane (February 7th, 2012).
I will be sending you more information about these, including how you can join us for these uplifting campaigns, in the very near future.
I look forward to working with many of you on these great launches!
And, as always, don’t forget to subscribe to the Spirit Authors blog for regular tips for authors, both established and aspiring.
Lynn Serafinn is a transformation coach, book promotion coach, radio host and bestselling author of the book The Garden of the Soul: lessons from four flowers that unearth the Self, as well as the upcoming book The 7 Graces of Marketing: how to heal humanity and the planet by changing the way we sell. She also works as a campaign manager for mind-body-spirit authors and has produced several #1-selling book campaigns. She is the founder/creator of Spirit Authors, a virtual learning environment and community that offers training, coaching, business-building and inspiration for mind-body-spirit authors, whether established or aspiring. As part of her work with spiritual and self-help authors, she also regularly hosts large-scale online virtual events (usually free of charge) with world-class speakers on a range of mind-body-spirit topics. Subscribe to her Spirit Authors blog at http://spiritauthors.com/category/news/ so you can receive more useful tips and news about upcoming online events. While you are there, do check out the excellent and affordable online courses for authors available.If you are an author seeking 1-to-1 support or campaign managment for your upcoming book launch, you are also invited to request a free consultation by filling in a contact form at http://spiritauthors.com/contact. Please note that full service campaigns require a 6 to 8 month lead-in time, so be sure to contact Lynn well in advance of publishing your book.
7 Facts about Self-Publishing Royalties and Print-on-Demand
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Book promotion expert Lynn Serafinn from Spirit Authors shares her tips on what every first-time author should know about royalties, retail price and printing costs before they self-publish a book.
Recently, in one of my LinkedIn Groups, a new author asked, “Does anybody have experience with self-publishing companies and the way they pay royalty fees?” I thought the answer to this question was something many new authors would like to know, so I thought I would share my response with my Spirit Authors readers. Below is a copy of the post I made on December 15th, 2010.
Hi there LinkedIn,
Here’s a breakdown of how most self-publishing royalties work:
By self-publishing companies, I assume you mean “publishers” such as iUniverse (probably the most known, but really only one of many) who set up your book to be distributed via print-on-demand (POD). The company I used for my first book is a small company called Authors Online – http://authorsonline.co.uk. I chose them because they are a small friends-and-family run company who take good care of their clients.
The POD press most often used is a company called Lightning Source. There are 2 major Lightning Source plants (when I last checked), one in Kentucky and one over here in England in Milton Keynes.
These kinds of companies don’t generally get your books into shops, but rather focus on Amazon, B&N, etc. The self-publishing publisher sets up your ISBN and arranges for your book to appear on all these online retailers. But be SURE you read the fine print. I had a scenario not very long ago when one of my clients went with Create Space (Amazon’s own print-on-demand publishing company) and they did NOT place the book on all 6 (now 7) Amazon sites throughout the world, cutting down SIGNIFICANTLY on my client’s sales. So be sure you ask if the company GUARANTEES you will be on all Amazon sites… but (if your book is in English), most especially Amazon US, Canada and UK.
Ok, so here are 7 facts about self-publishing and typical royalty structures:
1) Amazon buys your book for 45% of the retail price. That means, if you book retails for $10, Amazon pays your publisher $4.50 (not you… unless you actually START a publishing company and are selling the books directly to Amazon).
2) From that $4.50, your publisher subtracts their printing costs. Not sure of what they are in the US, but here in the UK, the costs are typically 1p (let’s say 2 cents) per page, plus 70p (let’s say $1.25) for the cover. So a 100 page book would cost $3.25 to print (don’t quote me on the exact figures; these were current as of 18 months ago in the UK. DO ask your publisher these questions).
3) If the book costs $3.25 to print, and you have received $4.50 from Amazon, it means your NET is $1.25.
4) Most self-publishers do a 50/50 split of the net, or in that ball park. That would mean your royalty per book sold is a whopping $0.67. Most payouts are quarterly, starting 4-6 months after publication.
5) Of course, you could also set the retail price higher to ensure you get a higher royalty. The best thing to do is to go online and check out similar books in the same niche, and check out their page count, and see how much their retail price is. Bear in mind, that Amazon will normally sell you book for LESS than retail, but you will still receive 45% of retail unless you tell them you are willing to take less in order to drive up sales (not recommended for first-time author, frankly!).
6) If you go FULLY self-published (i.e., set up your own ISBN, deal with Lightning Press, etc), then your royalty is 45% of retail. Subtract your printing costs from that, and that is your net profit per book. That is what I am doing with my next book.
7) Last option: getting the books printed in bulk (most do this overseas) can drive the cost per book WAY down, but you have a massive front-loaded investment at high risk because the minimum run is usually 1000 books or more to get a good price. PLUS you have the set-up costs, as it is not the same as digital POD. Any time I have seen new authors do this, they end up with a house full of hundreds of unsold books, and feel very discouraged. I don’t recommend it unless you have a solid promotional platform and good distribution set up. ALSO, bear in mind that if you go this route, book distributors tend to take the books on consignment and they don’t pay anything if the books don’t sell. And who do you think is responsible for the marketing? You guessed it – you. Furthermore, they might take 300 books from you when they first come out, but they can RETURN every book that hasn’t sold (or worse–been returned to the retail shops!) after a certain period of time.
BTW, I help self-published mind-body-spirit authors via my site Spirit Authors at http://spiritauthors.com. I’m re-opening Module 3 on self-publishing in February 2011. The course for writing your book (Module 1) and building your online platform (Module 2) are already available. You can take a 7-day test drive of those courses for only $1.
I also do full-service Amazon book launches at http://spiritauthorscoach.com. Drop me a line if you would like to chat.
Warm wishes,
Lynn Serafinn
About Lynn Serafinn, Creator of Spirit Authors
Lynn Serafinn is a transformation coach, book promotion coach, radio host and bestselling author of the book The Garden of the Soul: lessons from four flowers that unearth the Self.
Her upcoming book, The 7 Graces of Marketing, is coming in June 2011.
She also works as a campaign manager for mind-body-spirit authors and has produced several top-10 book campaigns, including FOUR #1-sellers, in 2010 alone. She created Spirit Authors to offer training, coaching, business-building and inspiration for mind-body-spirit authors, whether established or aspiring. Contact Lynn about YOUR book project at at http://spiritauthors.com/contact.
Be sure to subscribe to this blog for regular book writing and promotion tips (just fill in form at right of your screen).
Sign up for Lynn’s bi-monthly newsletter Creative Spirit (fill in form below) packed with inspirational articles, self-promotion tips, broadcast guide to her radio show, and news about upcoming spiritual author book releases.
Throughout the year, Lynn also hosts large-scale telesummits with world-class speakers on a range of mind-body-spirit topics. Your subscription to Creative Spirit will ensure you’ll be the first to know how to attend these free events.
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Target audience – knowing, finding and reaching your readers
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Lynn Serafinn, promotion manager for #1 seller mind-body-spirit authors, on how to understand your relationship with marketing, identify your target audience and find your potential readers.
Many authors come to me for marketing advice just as their books are getting ready for publication. You will, however, note that I have placed this module BEFORE the module on preparing for publication. That is because, quite frankly, if you do not start your marketing long before your book is even finished being written, then you are apt to have a book come out and be extremely disappointed in the sales results. You might ask, “How can I market a book that isn’t even written yet.” The answer is simple. You aren’t. You are marketing YOU. That is what this lesson is about. It will really get you thinking about your personal relationship with all those wonderful people in the world who will be reading your book in the not-so-distant future. It will give you some strategies to identify them, know them, find them and reach them in an authentic, spirit-based way. If you find yourself resisting any of the material in the lesson (and I have had many a client and colleague for whom some of these ideas pushed them to their “edge”), slow down and take as much time as you need to understand why you are resisting. To understand this resistance fully, we will be exploring what I consider to be the key factors that influence how we approach the subject of self-promotion and online marketing
- Our relationship with money/selling
- Our relationship with technology
- Our relationship with other people
- Our relationship with ourselves (and I mean our TRUE Selves)
And after that self-examination, you’ll be ready to embark on a journey exploring how these factors will impact the success of your book, as you take the first step towards building your promotional platform — identifying, finding and reaching your targeted readers.
The above introduction is from Lesson 1 of Spirit Authors Module 2:
Pre-Publication Marketing Musts (aka “100 Days to Build Your Online Promotional Platform).
In that lesson, you will:
- Explore your relationship with money, marketing and selling
- Learn how to identify your target audience and why this is important
- Learn the two key goals of early marketing
- Outline the infrastructure you need for finding your audience online
- Create a plan for reaching your audience
For more information about the complete 10-week course, which includes audio downloads, full transcripts, weekly workbooks, access to member forum and monthly members-only calls, see http://spiritauthors.com/module-2/mod-2-overview. You can take the course for a 7-day “test drive” for only $1, and get some great free bonus gifts just for checking us out.
About Lynn Serafinn, Creator of Spirit Authors
Lynn Serafinn is a transformation coach, book promotion coach, radio host and bestselling author of the book The Garden of the Soul: lessons from four flowers that unearth the Self. She also works as a campaign manager for mind-body-spirit authors and has produced several top-10 book campaigns, including FOUR #1-sellers, in 2010 alone. She created Spirit Authors to offer training, coaching, business-building and inspiration for mind-body-spirit authors, whether established or aspiring. Contact Lynn about YOUR book project at at http://spiritauthors.com/contact.
Be sure to subscribe to this blog for regular book writing and promotion tips (just fill in form at right of your screen).
Sign up for Lynn’s bi-monthly newsletter Creative Spirit (fill in form below) packed with inspirational articles, self-promotion tips, broadcast guide to her radio show, and news about upcoming spiritual author book releases.
Throughout the year, Lynn also hosts large-scale telesummits with world-class speakers on a range of mind-body-spirit topics. Your subscription to Creative Spirit will ensure you’ll be the first to know how to attend these free events.
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Module 2 Week 10
Posted by: | CommentsModule 2: Pre-Publication Marketing Musts
Week 10: Tricks for Staying Sane, Saving Time and Keeping it Real
Subtitle of this newly revamped module: “100 Days to Build Your Online Promotional Platform”
LESSON SUMMARY
This module has taken us into the realms of some very challenging learning, especially for those who are less familiar with technology, blogs and/or social networking. As a result, it’s easy to imagine that some people might feel overwhelmed and will experience a very sharp ‘learning curve’ as they begin to apply everything we’ve covered in this module. Surely some people might wonder how they will be able to achieve all that they need to achieve, what to speak of writing their book. They might even suffer from a fear of losing their identity in the process, feeling as though they have been swallowed up by the great soup of technology into which they have fallen.
Thus, I felt it was highly important to close this module with a lesson on how to stay sane, save time and BE YOURSELF during this process of building your online platform. How can we get everything done, maintain our chosen lifestyle, and feel like ourselves as we enter the arena of serious online promotion?
OBJECTIVES FOR THE WEEK
In this lesson, you will learn:
- Lynn’s top 5 tips for staying sane while managing all the things needed to get done
- Lynn’s top 5 tips for saving time and being efficient in your promotional platform building
- Lynn’s top 3 tips for “keeping it real” as you build your promotional platform
Click “READ MORE” to view lesson content for the week.
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Module 2 Week 9
Posted by: | CommentsModule 2: Pre-Publication Marketing Musts
Week 9: Choosing and Using Forums and Niche Networks to Expand Your Influence
Subtitle of this newly revamped module: “100 Days to Build Your Online Promotional Platform”
LESSON SUMMARY
So far, we’ve talked a lot about the “big” social media like Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn, YouTube, etc. But there are many other forms of social media that can help to build our online platform in ways the larger networks do not necessarily provide. The media we will be exploring in this lesson are forums and niche networks.
A forum is an online place where people who share a common interest or problem come together to discuss a special topic, share ideas and tips, and offer/ask for support, etc. A niche network is an online place where people who share a common interest come together to make friends, socialise, share personal and professional resources, etc. Typically every member would have their own profile, and the site might give people the opportunity to create blogs, post events, start or join special interest groups, send and receive private messages, and other features.
What do forums and niche networks offer us that may not be provided by larger social networks like Facebook, LinkedIn, etc? How do we choose the right forums/niche networks for our needs? How do we make the most of what they have to offer?
OBJECTIVES FOR THE WEEK
In this lesson, you will learn:
- The purpose of forums and niche networks within your promotional campaigns
- Considerations for choosing forums and networks
- Considerations for setting up your profile
- How to identify useful features
- Interaction and rules of engagement
- Using them for leads generation
- Staying current, weeding out the dead wood
Click “READ MORE” to view lesson content for the week.
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Module 2 Week 8
Posted by: | CommentsModule 2: Pre-Publication Marketing Musts
Week 8: Using Multi-Media Platforms (YouTube, BlogTalkRadio, etc)
Subtitle of this newly revamped module: “100 Days to Build Your Online Promotional Platform”
LESSON SUMMARY
Over the decades, I have learned both in my educational training and in my professional experience as a teacher that people learn best when their senses are fully engaged. And the same is true for reaching people in marketing. The more we can engage people’s senses through visual, auditory and kinesthetic experiences, the more engaged they will become with the subject matter which we are presenting to them.
And that is what this lesson is all about. It is an introduction to the world of online multimedia — video on YouTube, radio on BlogTalkRadio and podcasting/syndication. While this topic could be a complete course in its own right, this lesson will provide with the fundamental terminology and entry-level knowledge to help you get started in developing a multimedia presence as part of your online promotional platform
OBJECTIVES FOR THE WEEK
In this lesson, you will learn:
- The purpose of multimedia platforms within your promotional campaigns
- The mechanics of YouTube, BlogTalkRadio and podcasting
- Considerations for choosing which platforms are best for you
- Resources you will need to get started
- Technical tips for video, online radio and podcasting
- Considerations for setting up your channels/shows
- Integrating multimedia with your blog and other social media
- Syndicating and promoting your multimedia content
- Using YouTube and BTR as social media
Click “READ MORE” to view lesson content for the week.
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Module 2 Week 7
Posted by: | CommentsModule 2: Pre-Publication Marketing Musts
Week 7: Unlocking the Secret Powers of LinkedIn
Subtitle of this newly revamped module: “100 Days to Build Your Online Promotional Platform”
LESSON SUMMARY
LinkedIn is perhaps the most elusive online tools for many new social networkers. Many people first come to it and cannot understand how it can possible help them with business and network building, but that is simply because, on the surface, LinkedIn appears to be starkly formal with little opportunity for interaction compared to the colourful interface Facebook provides, and the face-paced exchanges found in Twitter.
But while LinkedIn is definitely more of a professional network than it is a social network, when you explore all it has to offer you will find it to be not only a place where you can thrive and establish your renown as a professional (including a professional author), but also where you can find a virtually endless supply of information and referrals, as well as have access to thousands of people in your target audience.
Much as in the previous lessons on Twitter and Facebook, LinkedIn also integrates the rest of your online platform, but the real keys to the secret powers of LinkedIn will like not only in mastering the rules of engagement, which a very different from other networks, and finding your way around some of the resources it has that no other networks offer.
OBJECTIVES FOR THE WEEK
In this lesson, you will learn:
- The purpose of LinkedInand how it is different from other social media
- Considerations for setting up your profile
- Integrating LinkedIn with your blog and other media
- LinkedIn Applications
- Interaction and rules of engagement
- Finding and utilising LinkedIn Groups
- How to use “Sharing” in LinkedIn
- Establishing yourself as an expert in LinkedIn Q&A
- LinkedIn Events
Click “READ MORE” to view lesson content for the week.
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Module 2 Week 6
Posted by: | CommentsModule 2: Pre-Publication Marketing Musts
Week 6: Unlocking the secret powers of Facebook
Subtitle of this newly revamped module: “100 Days to Build Your Online Promotional Platform”
To REGISTER for this Module, click HERE.
LESSON SUMMARY
Facebook has become a household word over the past few years. And small wonder. In a recent video for TED entitled “Pendulum”, marketing pro Michael Drew cited if Facebook were a nation, it would be the 4th largest on the planet.
There’s a lot to Facebook that is often misunderstood. Many people think it is a way to stay connected with personal friends and family. And that is surely something Facebook can provide. However, the value of Facebook as a means of locating and communicating directly with potentially millions of targeted clients and/or customers is something many people are now only just discovering. And while it is quite a different entity to Twitter, being more limited in some ways and more powerful than others, in terms of its ability to identify people in your target audience, it scores well above the potential by Twitter.
Much as in the previous lesson on Twitter, the key to unlock the secret powers of Facebook is not just in Facebook itself, but in how it integrates the rest of your online platform. And, of course, it is in knowing what, when and how to engage with others on Facebook.
OBJECTIVES FOR THE WEEK
In this lesson, you will learn:
- The purpose of Facebook and how it is different from other social media
- Considerations for setting up your profile
- Profile versus Fan page versus groups
- How to use Facebook for leads generation
- How to use “tagging” in Facebook and why you want to
- Finding, organising and communicating with Friends and Fans
- Interaction and rules of engagement – what not to do; how it is different from Twitter
- Strategies for driving traffic to your fan page
- Integration Facebook with your blog and other media
- Utilising contests and adverts for leads generation and interactivity
Click “READ MORE” to view lesson content for the week.
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Module 2 Week 5
Posted by: | CommentsModule 2: Pre-Publication Marketing Musts
Week 5: Unlocking the secret powers of Twitter
Subtitle of this newly revamped module: “100 Days to Build Your Online Promotional Platform”
To REGISTER for this Module, click HERE.
LESSON SUMMARY
Twitter is a phenomenon that has taken over our planet with such rapidity it almost leaves us breathless. And quite appropriately, too, because Twitter itself is arguably the most rapid format of social media we currently have (with the possible exception of Blip, which is a micro-blogging platform to share music and video).
Many people don’t “get” Twitter the first time they encounter it. They see endless streams of short “micro blogs” and don’t understand how this could be interesting our useful. Furthermore, they don’t understand how it could be very “social.” How do you make friends or useful business contacts on Twitter? How to do you gain followers? Who should YOU follow and why do you want to follow them? How in the world can this lead to business growth?
The key to unlock the secret powers of Twitter is not just in Twitter itself—it is in how it integrates with numerous other parts of your online platform, including your blog, your other social networks, and 3rd-party open source software that will make Twitter come ALIVE. And, of course, it is in knowing what, when and how to Tweet, and how to engage with others on Twitter.
OBJECTIVES FOR THE WEEK
In this lesson, you will learn:
- The purpose of Twitter and how it is different from other social media
- Considerations for setting up your profile
- How to set up auto follow and why you should
- How to use Twitter for leads generation
- Structuring Tweets
- Interaction and rules of engagement
- Finding followers and people to follow
- Integration Twitter with blog and other media
- Making the most of your material
- Overview a range of supplementary Twitter Applications (“Apps”)
Click “READ MORE” to view lesson content for the week.
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Module 2 Week 4
Posted by: | CommentsModule 2: Pre-Publication Marketing Musts
Week 4: Using autoresponders, newsletters and giveaways
Subtitle of this newly revamped module: “100 Days to Build Your Online Promotional Platform”
To REGISTER for this Module, click HERE.
LESSON SUMMARY
Building your list is a topic of all internet marketers. This is often referred to as “leads generation” or bringing people into your “marketing funnel”.
But spiritual marketers are not merely interested in building a list, but in building a tribe. Your goal in the practice of leads generation should always be to build strong, long-lasting and congruent connections with people, and to give them lots of opportunities not only to know your work and your ideas, but also to know who you are as a human being. The combination of “freebies” (giveaways) and autoresponders will be at the foundation of how you will invite people to see if they want to come into your tribe, and the combination of your blog and newsletters will give readers reasons to stay.
OBJECTIVES FOR THE WEEK
In this lesson, you will learn:
- An overview of the “marketing funnel” and the process of leads generation
- Considerations for creating your leads generating offer
- The purpose and functions of an auto-responder system
- Suggested auto responder systems
- How to present your offer
- Strategies for where to place your offer
- Ideas for planning, repurposing and recycling your promotional offers
- The value of a newsletter and considerations when planning one
Click “READ MORE” to view lesson content for the week.
Using and Integrating Blogs and RSS for Book Promotion
Posted by: | CommentsLynn Serafinn, promotion manager for #1 seller mind-body-spirit authors, on blogs vs websites for book promotion, setting up feeds and social networks, basics of leads generation, and online interaction.
To REGISTER for this Module, click HERE.
Module 2: Pre-Publication Marketing Musts
Week 3: Integrating and leveraging blogs and RSS
Subtitle of this newly revamped module: “100 Days to Build Your Online Promotional Platform”
LESSON SUMMARY
When designing a blogsite for your book, it is essential that you are mindful of your target audience, and that you design the blog in such a way as to be attractive to potential readers. This attractiveness must extend into the character of your theme and colour scheme as well as the content of your posts.
Most of all, remember that while the purpose of your book blog is to get people interested in your book, you will not achieve this simply by creating a site that does nothing else but talk about your book. To build your promotional platform, your primary objective in making a blog should be to create an environment where readers can really get to know:
- Who you are as a person
- What your message is
- How you write
AND… if you do it right, your blog will also become a platform where you can get to know your readers too—both collectively and (in some cases) individually.
OBJECTIVES FOR THE WEEK
In this lesson, you will learn:
- The importance of having a dedicated book domain
- Purpose of a blog as opposed to a website
- Considerations for setting up your blog
- How to set up your feeds
- Integrating your feed to social networks
- Installing a sign-up box on your blog
- WordPress enhancements: Plugins and Widgets
- Building interaction into your blog
- How often and what to blog
- How to make the most use of your material
Click “Read More” to begin your lesson for the week.
Target audience – knowing, finding and reaching your readers
Posted by: | CommentsLynn Serafinn, promotion manager for #1 seller mind-body-spirit authors, on how to understand your relationship with marketing, identify your target audience and find your potential readers.
Module 2: Pre-Publication Marketing Musts
Week 1: Your readers: knowing, finding and reaching them
Click to listen to an overview of this week’s lesson:
To REGISTER for this Module, click HERE.
Subtitle of this newly revamped module: “100 Days to Build Your Online Promotional Platform”
LESSON SUMMARY
Many authors come to me for marketing advice just as their books are getting ready for publication. You will, however, note that I have placed this module BEFORE the module on preparing for publication. That is because, quite frankly, if you do not start your marketing long before your book is even finished being written, then you are apt to have a book come out and be extremely disappointed in the sales results. You might ask, “How can I market a book that isn’t even written yet.” The answer is simple. You aren’t. You are marketing YOU. That is what this lesson is about. It will really get you thinking about your personal relationship with all those wonderful people in the world who will be reading your book in the not-so-distant future. It will give you some strategies to identify them, know them, find them and reach them in an authentic, spirit-based way. If you find yourself resisting any of the material in the lesson (and I have had many a client and colleague for whom some of these ideas pushed them to their “edge”), slow down and take as much time as you need to understand why you are resisting. To understand this resistance fully, we will be exploring what I consider to be the key factors that influence how we approach the subject of self-promotion and online marketing
- Our relationship with money/selling
- Our relationship with technology
- Our relationship with other people
- Our relationship with ourselves
Get ready for a journey exploring these factors and how they impact the success of your book.
OBJECTIVES FOR THE WEEK:
In this week’s lesson, you will:
- Examine your relationship with money and selling
- Learn how to identify your target audience and why this is important
- Learn the two key goals of early marketing
- Outline the infrastructure you need for finding your audience online
- Create a plan for reaching your audience
Click “Read More” to begin your lesson for the week.
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Pre-Publication Marketing Musts – 10 Week Course Overview
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Pre-Publication Marketing Musts (aka “100 Days to Build Your Online Promotional Platform”) – 10 Week Course from Lynn Serafinn, promotion manager for #1 seller mind-body-spirit authors, on how to build your social networking platform to promote your book.
In Module 1, I started by sharing my “Artist’s Manifesto” with you, which said that until we release our vision to the world, we are “not yet an artist, but a dreamer.” In Module 2 we begin to examine what it means to release our vision to the world, and the practical means by which we can do it. The material in this module will help you identify who your potential readers are, and give you a good working knowledge of how to use social networking, blogging and other Internet-based communication systems to identify and reach them.
NOTE: The work in this module is to be done well BEFORE your book is published—as much as a year before—depending upon how widely (and deeply) you are already known to your readers.
PRELIMINARY READING SUGGESTIONS
- Before we begin, to get an overview of the importance of early promotion, you might first wish to read this article I wrote called “Pre-Natal Care for Your Book” on Tony Eldridge’s “Marketing Tips for Authors”.
- To help dispel some of the myths you might have about going with a publisher versus self-publishing, read THIS article.
To REGISTER for this Module, click HERE.
To To download a PDF version of Module 2 Overview, click HERE.
Title Pre-Publication Marketing Musts
Who is it for? Anyone who has completed, or is nearing completion of their final draft, and has not yet developed a comprehensive strategy for using the Internet to reach their potential readers.
Duration: Training: 10 weeks
Access to site: 12 weeks
Aims To help you identify and understand your target audience, and help you develop a fan base of followers, long before your book is published using online promotion strategies.
Note If you are getting ready to publish but do not yet have your online promotional methods in place (see below), you SHOULD take this module now as you will not be able to move on to Module 4 without these things in place first.
Objectives By the end of this module, you will be able to:
Weekly Lesson Content
Download Content
Community
Calls* 1 live call per month (downloads available to members only)
Rewards* SPECIAL GIFT for those who demonstrate completion of all weekly challenges within 2 weeks of finishing the module.
Bonuses* Discounts and other unplanned special bonuses will be revealed as you go along.
Notes: Items marked with an asterisk (*) are NOT available during a Test Drive, but will be available if/when you register for the Module.
To REGISTER for this Module, click HERE.
To To download a PDF version of Module 2 Overview, click HERE.
I've known Lynn for a few years now, and recently had the opportunity to join her in the book launch campaign for Patrick Ryan's "Awakened Wisdom: A Guide To Reclaiming Your Brilliance".
Lynn is amazing! She makes it all seem easy and effortless, and I'm sure there are voluminous amounts of work necessary behind the scenes to bring all of the book launch elements into being.
And, Lynn makes it incredibly easy to join in the fun! She provides the marketing copy, pre-written tweets, blog posts, as well as setting up a network for launch participants. All you have to do is plug yourself in!
Building relationships through networking and marketing should be fun and enjoyable! If it's not, I suggest you try working with Lynn. It will open your eyes to new possibilities!
