Sarah R. Yoffa's Blog: -sry's Goodreads Blogosphere, page 2
February 19, 2013
TUESDAY TIP Crafting a Book Sales Page Like the Pros #pubtip #selfpub #indie #mywana #howto #amwriting
I've been struggling with book descriptions or so-called "blurbage." I've seen some really great ones on books that don't really sell well, but more than 1-2 copies a week. Then I've seen mediocre blurbage on books that sell incredibly well--10-20 copies a day! I've been trying to figure out why one works and the other doesn't by analyzing the blurbages, themselves. I'm coming to the conclusion, it's not just the blurbage. But, of course, I already knew that.
Back in 2011 I wrote a 2-part post on 7 sales tools you have for selling your books. Make sure you're using them all! Then this past December, I went over 5 easy steps for writing a book's description. As I've said in both of these posts, there's more to your sales page than "just" the blurbage. You have to actually sell the book. Who knew? Click through the jump break to read more.
One of the things done for my favorite Romantic Suspense author, Suzanne Brockmann, by her publisher, Ballantine Books, now an imprint of Random House Publishing Group, is a standardization of the Amazon book pages for most of her 51 published titles. Suz is fairly prolific, as you can see, so there are a lot of examples to compare. Ballantine's publicists in their marketing department constructed book pages that almost exactly duplicate the book covers of the paper books (hard covers, paperbacks).
They have Publishers Weekly quotes, Booklist quotes, oh and don't forget about the blurbage. They use a standard format of blurbage for Suz's books--about 99% of the time. First paragraph describes the Hero and what will lead him into the Heroine's life; second paragraph describes the Heroine and why she'll allow the Hero into her life. It's a standard format for all romance novels, in fact.
The publishers for the world's most-prolific romance novelist, Nora Roberts, are several and varied but they also used the Hero-Heroine-conflict-attraction formula for crafting the blurbage. More to the point, the book pages look like a reproduction of the paper book covers, more so for Nora's hardcover releases than for Suz's actually.
So what do we Indie Authors just starting out do if we don't have covers from print books to copy/reproduce on a book page? Create one. It'll save you time and effort if you ever decide to release print versions of your eBooks. How to create it?
As I said in the 2-part post on the 7 sales tools you have, you really need to craft the page like sales pitch. Yes, your books' blurbage needs to describe your book but it needs to sell it, too! Yes, your book cover art should look nice and have some remote connection to your story but it needs to catch the eye and sell the book contents. Yes, your review quotes have to come from somewhere, but don't choose quotes from your friends and family; the quotes need to be believeable if they're going to (you guessed it) sell the book as a "gotta-have-it-buy-now" item!
What you need to do is start thinking in terms of the consumer. Remember, your Indie Author hat comes off when you stop writing your book and start selling it. That's when you become an Indie Publisher. It's not about how to make your story shine. It's about how to make your book product sell. You have to get into the salesman mindset.
It's hard, I know. I hate selling. We all do. However, if you don't want to learn how to sell, then let go of any hope that your books will make you money--and give them away free. You'll move way more copies and get higher rankings and reach more readers if you just give it away free indefinitely. You won't make any money. Guaranteed.
If you want to make money, you have to make your book appear to the consumer to fill some kind of critical need they never knew they had. You need to identify what it is they need and then convince them your book's the solution. Be sure to have a free sample they can download at no risk but be sure to suggest they buy the book Now! Create the sense of urgency by creating the desperate desire to know what happens in the story.
Your book doesn't have to be a mystery novel to use its "mysterious appeal." Like the people who populate the stories in them, books have personalities. Make yours irresistibly attractive. Give your book charisma. Get excited about your book and it will come through in your "sales speak." Hate having to write sales copy and your book will suffer as a result.
Oh yeah, one last tip: don't copy my book page at Amazon for Dicky's Story - it's terrible. If you look at it carefully, you'll see it's different from the book page at Smashwords (where I've sold nearly 10 times more units than I have at Amazon; the only difference being the layout of the page).
I haven't bothered to update the Amazon page. Why do I keep putting it off? I wanted to wait until I updated the cover art. Stupid rationale. You can tell from the ranking and utter dearth of reviews that my book has suffered from my lethargy. Learn from my lesson of failure. I know what to do to fix it. I'm not doing it. The result is my book's not selling. I'm okay with that (especially for Dicky's Story), but unless you want your book to fizzle and die a quiet death, do as I say, not as I do.
What's Next....
Next Monday is a followon post about executing a publicity campaign--and making it personal. I hope to see you then.
Thanks for stopping by!
-sry
@webbiegrrl
Back in 2011 I wrote a 2-part post on 7 sales tools you have for selling your books. Make sure you're using them all! Then this past December, I went over 5 easy steps for writing a book's description. As I've said in both of these posts, there's more to your sales page than "just" the blurbage. You have to actually sell the book. Who knew? Click through the jump break to read more.
One of the things done for my favorite Romantic Suspense author, Suzanne Brockmann, by her publisher, Ballantine Books, now an imprint of Random House Publishing Group, is a standardization of the Amazon book pages for most of her 51 published titles. Suz is fairly prolific, as you can see, so there are a lot of examples to compare. Ballantine's publicists in their marketing department constructed book pages that almost exactly duplicate the book covers of the paper books (hard covers, paperbacks).
They have Publishers Weekly quotes, Booklist quotes, oh and don't forget about the blurbage. They use a standard format of blurbage for Suz's books--about 99% of the time. First paragraph describes the Hero and what will lead him into the Heroine's life; second paragraph describes the Heroine and why she'll allow the Hero into her life. It's a standard format for all romance novels, in fact.
The publishers for the world's most-prolific romance novelist, Nora Roberts, are several and varied but they also used the Hero-Heroine-conflict-attraction formula for crafting the blurbage. More to the point, the book pages look like a reproduction of the paper book covers, more so for Nora's hardcover releases than for Suz's actually.
So what do we Indie Authors just starting out do if we don't have covers from print books to copy/reproduce on a book page? Create one. It'll save you time and effort if you ever decide to release print versions of your eBooks. How to create it?
As I said in the 2-part post on the 7 sales tools you have, you really need to craft the page like sales pitch. Yes, your books' blurbage needs to describe your book but it needs to sell it, too! Yes, your book cover art should look nice and have some remote connection to your story but it needs to catch the eye and sell the book contents. Yes, your review quotes have to come from somewhere, but don't choose quotes from your friends and family; the quotes need to be believeable if they're going to (you guessed it) sell the book as a "gotta-have-it-buy-now" item!
What you need to do is start thinking in terms of the consumer. Remember, your Indie Author hat comes off when you stop writing your book and start selling it. That's when you become an Indie Publisher. It's not about how to make your story shine. It's about how to make your book product sell. You have to get into the salesman mindset.
It's hard, I know. I hate selling. We all do. However, if you don't want to learn how to sell, then let go of any hope that your books will make you money--and give them away free. You'll move way more copies and get higher rankings and reach more readers if you just give it away free indefinitely. You won't make any money. Guaranteed.
If you want to make money, you have to make your book appear to the consumer to fill some kind of critical need they never knew they had. You need to identify what it is they need and then convince them your book's the solution. Be sure to have a free sample they can download at no risk but be sure to suggest they buy the book Now! Create the sense of urgency by creating the desperate desire to know what happens in the story.
Your book doesn't have to be a mystery novel to use its "mysterious appeal." Like the people who populate the stories in them, books have personalities. Make yours irresistibly attractive. Give your book charisma. Get excited about your book and it will come through in your "sales speak." Hate having to write sales copy and your book will suffer as a result.
Oh yeah, one last tip: don't copy my book page at Amazon for Dicky's Story - it's terrible. If you look at it carefully, you'll see it's different from the book page at Smashwords (where I've sold nearly 10 times more units than I have at Amazon; the only difference being the layout of the page).
I haven't bothered to update the Amazon page. Why do I keep putting it off? I wanted to wait until I updated the cover art. Stupid rationale. You can tell from the ranking and utter dearth of reviews that my book has suffered from my lethargy. Learn from my lesson of failure. I know what to do to fix it. I'm not doing it. The result is my book's not selling. I'm okay with that (especially for Dicky's Story), but unless you want your book to fizzle and die a quiet death, do as I say, not as I do.
What's Next....
Next Monday is a followon post about executing a publicity campaign--and making it personal. I hope to see you then.
Thanks for stopping by!
-sry
@webbiegrrl
February 18, 2013
MONDAY MARKETING The Good, The Bad, The Useless - Not All PR is Equal #pubtip #selfpub #indie #marketing #branding #pr #promotion #publicity #positioning
Back in this December 17th post, I was talking about divergence and how it relates to the marketing activity of branding. That is, how the Law of Division guarantees that a category will split off and how the Law of Category makes that happen. Then my discussion launched off into a divergence of its own, turning to how Publicity (or PR) can help launch a new brand. Because divergence is the way to go, today I'll focus once again on using PR to launch a new brand. Click through the jump break to begin.
Failure to Launch
I've been talking about launching a new brand but do Indie Authors launch brands or do we tend to launch books? For us, the product is the book or series of books. The brand is us, our Authorial Voice or our style of storytelling. I'll be half of you reading don't even know how to define your Author Brand, let alone having launched it at one point. I, myself, have still not launched my SciFi pen name's brand. I launched my Webbiegrrl brand years ago and could probably benefit from a relaunch, maybe when I get ready to start releasing my Romantic Suspense books. Why do so many of us fail to launch? I think it's fairly easy: the way to launch is with publicity, PR, and that times an enormous commitment of time and effort. It's worth it but it's something most of us Indie Authors neglect, as though self-promotion (rather than shelf-promotion) is unfathomable.
So how exactly do you launch a brand? First of all, you must have products available, so it's difficult to launch a brand before you've released any books--not impossible, difficult. Second, your product line must form a cohesive brand "position." If you aren't sure how to do that, please review my positioning series. Once you have a product line and a firm definition of your Author Brand clear in your mind, you need to launch a publicity campaign. This involves getting other people in other communities to talk about you. Authors talking about authors is all fine and well, but you need real press coverage--outside the book world where consumers actually exist.
The Good, The Bad, The Useless
In addition, it must be good press coverage, not just a passing mention.There's also a belief among some who are inexperienced in marketing that "any press is good press." This is a false statement. Period. No exceptions. There's good press, bad press and useless press. Each of the 3 kinds serves up a different result. They are definitely not all equal.
One single stroke of bad publicity can kill your brand. If you've had any good press at all to that point, the bad publicity can completely destroy any benefits you might've gleaned. The point of publicity is to establish or strengthen your position , so if the press you get undermines your branding efforts, it has hurt you. If your brand is going to be known for tabloid drama, flame wars and other activities with negative connotations, then yes, bad publicity is good for you. Otherwise, the only good press is ... good press.
What about that in-between kind, the "useless" publicity? What's that referring to exactly? I'll explain with an example from the category of energy drinks. Let's say a consumer magazine runs a story on energy drinks and either fails to mention Red Bull at all (as though it doesn't exist) or mentions it in passing--as one of many "equal" brands. Red Bull is the leading brand, the #1 brand in the category, and not just in the USA. Red Bull actually started out in Austria. It's now the #1 brand of energy drink in the world. The world.
So the effect of an omission to mention Red Bull's leadership in this hypothetical article? It will weaken Red Bull's leadership position. Without even having a bad thing said about them, the mere fact nothing was said will have a negative effect.
Why? The next time someone hears Red Bull's ads self-proclaming they're the #1 energy drink in the world--despite that being the truth--the consumer will think of the article or story that ranked them as "one of many" and wonder Are they really #1? Then why didn't that article mention them?
The kind of publicity that fails to endorse Red Bull's leadership position, that makes them "one of many," actually weakens Red Bull's deliberate efforts to establish itself as a "leader" in the category of energy drinks. That "useless" PR actually turns out to be "bad press" after all.
Publicity & The Indie Author
So how does that kind of situation translate to Digital Publishing? It's a fairly glaring and direct line, actually. Ever heard the term "bestselling author"? Yeah, of course, you have! In fact, you've probably heard it (or if you're an Indie Author, used it) so often, the term no longer holds real meaning for you.
Unless or until an author's "bestselling" status is proclaimed by an unbiased third party--not you, not your publisher, not the New York Times (grin) and not a reviewer you've paid to review your book, unless or until then, the term "bestseller" holds zero positive power nowadays. It can even become a negative if your potential readers think you've applied it to yourself -- unjustifiably -- or paid for the ranking. Remember, the definition of a brand is as follows:
It's all about the power to influence the consumer. If your brand does not influence the consumer's thoughts in a positive way, your brand has no power. You cannot name yourself the "best" without credentials to back up the claim. In a future blog, I'll talk more about building credentials but for now, let's just say that the trick is to get others to call you names ^)^ The real trick is to get the right others to do it.
Targetting Your Publicity
Instead of "targetting your marketing," you should be targetting your publicity. Direct your publicity efforts to where you can get press coverage that will count. Go to the consumers you want to reach and figure out what press they listen to--they all listen to someone at some point. Even people who "don't watch the news" have a "source" for learning about what's going on in their world. Find out what that is and target it for placement of your press release or request an interview there.
Here's an example from my own situation--the one and only trial I've done with publicity that worked. As you'll have heard me mention here before, I wrote a Jewish Inspirational Romantic Comedy called Coming Home (Dicky's Story) or as I like to call it, Dicky's Story, for short. I wrote this years ago and decided to use it as a vehicle for learning the Digital Publishing industry.
I've invested very little effort into actually selling Dicky's Story; however, in the first 18 months the book was out, it moved just over 3000 copies. Yes, there were some giveaways (when it was free or deeply discounted) but 3000+ downloads is still 3000+ downloads. The key for me is that I hardly promoted Dicky's Story. I didn't send out any press releases and for the first 12 months I didn't even tweet about it. I tweeted links to here, this blog, where I have the book mentioned, but that was it.
I keep meaning to write to Jewish community outlets but even with my neglecting taking an active role in publicizing Dicky's Story to the targetted media, I've used the existing Christian inspirational fiction audiences on Goodreads and other reader sites. In the last 6-8 months, I've started to make mention of Dicky's Story to Christian fiction audiences and voila copies move.
I really do need to get off my duff and write to the Jewish magazines and Jewish community networks. I think my fellow Jews would be even more interested in Dicky's Story than are the Bible-based Christians! There are 6.5 million Jews in the USA and another million or so in the predominantly English-language countries of Canada, the UK and Australia. If only 1% of them bought a copy of Dicky's Story, I'd have a 7-figure income from that one book. Just by targetting my publicity efforts more directly.
Free Giveaways Are Not Promotions
No matter what you say about it, giving books away for free is not "promotion," it's a giveaway. There's a distinct difference. Amazon has (mis)used the term "promotion" to make Indie Authors think that offering your book for free is a publicity activity. It's not. I know this from the experience I had with my SciFi books.
Since I had an opportunity to "launch" a new series under a new name, I decided to experiment with what Amazon was telling people to do and I scheduled giveaways, tweeted sales offers, posted on Goodreads, did all of the things people do to move books on Amazon via KDP Select--except enrolling in the Select program. I did it myself using the rest of the internet. I saw the same exact spikes KDP Select authors see--and the same falloff immediately after the free giveaway ended.
So how is it that Dicky's Story moved (both free and for pay, about a 50/50 split) whereas the SciFi books didn't? They all have great reviews so that's not it. I did build a bit of buzz for the initial launch of the first Phoenician Series book ( Conditioned Response ) and the launch of that book did exceedingly well, moving more copies in the first 30 days than in the year since but there was an other difference. Then when I was giving away When Minds Collide , it moved a few thousand copies in the first 3 months but stopped moving when I started charging a meager 99 cents for it.
In other words, the free stuff moved but did not drive sales. This is what a lot of KDP Select enrolled authors are finding out the hard way. I'm here to tell you, from my own experience, I know what the problem is and it's not the price or the freebie offers. It's the marketing strategy. The Phoenician Series is a brand and instead of launching it, I launched the books, just like Amazon advises its KDP Select authors to do. After all, Amazon sells books, not brands--or rather, they sell their own brand, not ours.
Launching a Brand, Relaunching a Book
Here's how using publicity works, even when you're using a previously-launched book. I'll give you an example from traditional publishing. Anita Diamant wrote The Red Tent which launched in paperback and fizzled overnight, selling only a fraction of the first print run and not even coming close to paying out her advance on it. She was a new, first-time author and it looked like she was going nowhere fast.
Her publisher was about to pulp the book and offered Diamant the chance to purchase her own books at a reduced price (which is what they did in the old days when a book failed to produce numbers; it was a method of an author paying off an advance they were unable to sell through). With a flash of insightful brilliance, Diamant suggested that instead of selling her the leftover books, they send copies to rabbis.
See, the topic of her story was the fictionalized life of Dinah, sister to Joseph of the many-colored coat fame. It was a story of Biblical fiction that would be immedidately popular in the religious Jewish community once Jewish leaders started endorsing it. They got the books--free giveaways--and then endorsed it to their congregants and the book--and Diamant--became a bestseller "overnight." Obviously, it wasn't overnight at all, it was after a terrible failure--a failure to launch. Her success came immediately following a correctly-applied bit of publicity as an author of Jewish Women's Fiction (that's a much-underused but pre-existing category and one in which new titles can succeed with ease if you're looking for a new category in which to write).
So what do you do if your subject matter is too general--or you write about zombies or vampires or some other topic that doesn't have a convenient real-life community spokesperson (like a rabbi) to whom you can send a free copy? The answer is to send a free copy of your book (or at least a press release about it) to a Keystone Placement and be sure your press describes your brand at least as much if not more than the book. You need to have blurbage on the book, sure, but you need to use the book as a vehicle for introducing your brand.
What's Next...
Next week, I'll look at the personal element of starting a publicity campaign and tomorrow, I'll have a new Tuesday Tip for you. I hope to see you then!
Thanks for stopping by!
-sry
@webbiegrrl
Failure to Launch
I've been talking about launching a new brand but do Indie Authors launch brands or do we tend to launch books? For us, the product is the book or series of books. The brand is us, our Authorial Voice or our style of storytelling. I'll be half of you reading don't even know how to define your Author Brand, let alone having launched it at one point. I, myself, have still not launched my SciFi pen name's brand. I launched my Webbiegrrl brand years ago and could probably benefit from a relaunch, maybe when I get ready to start releasing my Romantic Suspense books. Why do so many of us fail to launch? I think it's fairly easy: the way to launch is with publicity, PR, and that times an enormous commitment of time and effort. It's worth it but it's something most of us Indie Authors neglect, as though self-promotion (rather than shelf-promotion) is unfathomable.
So how exactly do you launch a brand? First of all, you must have products available, so it's difficult to launch a brand before you've released any books--not impossible, difficult. Second, your product line must form a cohesive brand "position." If you aren't sure how to do that, please review my positioning series. Once you have a product line and a firm definition of your Author Brand clear in your mind, you need to launch a publicity campaign. This involves getting other people in other communities to talk about you. Authors talking about authors is all fine and well, but you need real press coverage--outside the book world where consumers actually exist.
The Good, The Bad, The Useless
In addition, it must be good press coverage, not just a passing mention.There's also a belief among some who are inexperienced in marketing that "any press is good press." This is a false statement. Period. No exceptions. There's good press, bad press and useless press. Each of the 3 kinds serves up a different result. They are definitely not all equal.
One single stroke of bad publicity can kill your brand. If you've had any good press at all to that point, the bad publicity can completely destroy any benefits you might've gleaned. The point of publicity is to establish or strengthen your position , so if the press you get undermines your branding efforts, it has hurt you. If your brand is going to be known for tabloid drama, flame wars and other activities with negative connotations, then yes, bad publicity is good for you. Otherwise, the only good press is ... good press.
What about that in-between kind, the "useless" publicity? What's that referring to exactly? I'll explain with an example from the category of energy drinks. Let's say a consumer magazine runs a story on energy drinks and either fails to mention Red Bull at all (as though it doesn't exist) or mentions it in passing--as one of many "equal" brands. Red Bull is the leading brand, the #1 brand in the category, and not just in the USA. Red Bull actually started out in Austria. It's now the #1 brand of energy drink in the world. The world.
So the effect of an omission to mention Red Bull's leadership in this hypothetical article? It will weaken Red Bull's leadership position. Without even having a bad thing said about them, the mere fact nothing was said will have a negative effect.
Why? The next time someone hears Red Bull's ads self-proclaming they're the #1 energy drink in the world--despite that being the truth--the consumer will think of the article or story that ranked them as "one of many" and wonder Are they really #1? Then why didn't that article mention them?
The kind of publicity that fails to endorse Red Bull's leadership position, that makes them "one of many," actually weakens Red Bull's deliberate efforts to establish itself as a "leader" in the category of energy drinks. That "useless" PR actually turns out to be "bad press" after all.
Publicity & The Indie Author
So how does that kind of situation translate to Digital Publishing? It's a fairly glaring and direct line, actually. Ever heard the term "bestselling author"? Yeah, of course, you have! In fact, you've probably heard it (or if you're an Indie Author, used it) so often, the term no longer holds real meaning for you.
Unless or until an author's "bestselling" status is proclaimed by an unbiased third party--not you, not your publisher, not the New York Times (grin) and not a reviewer you've paid to review your book, unless or until then, the term "bestseller" holds zero positive power nowadays. It can even become a negative if your potential readers think you've applied it to yourself -- unjustifiably -- or paid for the ranking. Remember, the definition of a brand is as follows:
A brand is an idea in the mind of the consumer whose power lies in the ability to influence purchasing decisions.
It's all about the power to influence the consumer. If your brand does not influence the consumer's thoughts in a positive way, your brand has no power. You cannot name yourself the "best" without credentials to back up the claim. In a future blog, I'll talk more about building credentials but for now, let's just say that the trick is to get others to call you names ^)^ The real trick is to get the right others to do it.
Targetting Your Publicity
Instead of "targetting your marketing," you should be targetting your publicity. Direct your publicity efforts to where you can get press coverage that will count. Go to the consumers you want to reach and figure out what press they listen to--they all listen to someone at some point. Even people who "don't watch the news" have a "source" for learning about what's going on in their world. Find out what that is and target it for placement of your press release or request an interview there.
Here's an example from my own situation--the one and only trial I've done with publicity that worked. As you'll have heard me mention here before, I wrote a Jewish Inspirational Romantic Comedy called Coming Home (Dicky's Story) or as I like to call it, Dicky's Story, for short. I wrote this years ago and decided to use it as a vehicle for learning the Digital Publishing industry.
I've invested very little effort into actually selling Dicky's Story; however, in the first 18 months the book was out, it moved just over 3000 copies. Yes, there were some giveaways (when it was free or deeply discounted) but 3000+ downloads is still 3000+ downloads. The key for me is that I hardly promoted Dicky's Story. I didn't send out any press releases and for the first 12 months I didn't even tweet about it. I tweeted links to here, this blog, where I have the book mentioned, but that was it.
I keep meaning to write to Jewish community outlets but even with my neglecting taking an active role in publicizing Dicky's Story to the targetted media, I've used the existing Christian inspirational fiction audiences on Goodreads and other reader sites. In the last 6-8 months, I've started to make mention of Dicky's Story to Christian fiction audiences and voila copies move.
I really do need to get off my duff and write to the Jewish magazines and Jewish community networks. I think my fellow Jews would be even more interested in Dicky's Story than are the Bible-based Christians! There are 6.5 million Jews in the USA and another million or so in the predominantly English-language countries of Canada, the UK and Australia. If only 1% of them bought a copy of Dicky's Story, I'd have a 7-figure income from that one book. Just by targetting my publicity efforts more directly.
Free Giveaways Are Not Promotions
No matter what you say about it, giving books away for free is not "promotion," it's a giveaway. There's a distinct difference. Amazon has (mis)used the term "promotion" to make Indie Authors think that offering your book for free is a publicity activity. It's not. I know this from the experience I had with my SciFi books.
Since I had an opportunity to "launch" a new series under a new name, I decided to experiment with what Amazon was telling people to do and I scheduled giveaways, tweeted sales offers, posted on Goodreads, did all of the things people do to move books on Amazon via KDP Select--except enrolling in the Select program. I did it myself using the rest of the internet. I saw the same exact spikes KDP Select authors see--and the same falloff immediately after the free giveaway ended.
So how is it that Dicky's Story moved (both free and for pay, about a 50/50 split) whereas the SciFi books didn't? They all have great reviews so that's not it. I did build a bit of buzz for the initial launch of the first Phoenician Series book ( Conditioned Response ) and the launch of that book did exceedingly well, moving more copies in the first 30 days than in the year since but there was an other difference. Then when I was giving away When Minds Collide , it moved a few thousand copies in the first 3 months but stopped moving when I started charging a meager 99 cents for it.
In other words, the free stuff moved but did not drive sales. This is what a lot of KDP Select enrolled authors are finding out the hard way. I'm here to tell you, from my own experience, I know what the problem is and it's not the price or the freebie offers. It's the marketing strategy. The Phoenician Series is a brand and instead of launching it, I launched the books, just like Amazon advises its KDP Select authors to do. After all, Amazon sells books, not brands--or rather, they sell their own brand, not ours.
Launching a Brand, Relaunching a Book
Here's how using publicity works, even when you're using a previously-launched book. I'll give you an example from traditional publishing. Anita Diamant wrote The Red Tent which launched in paperback and fizzled overnight, selling only a fraction of the first print run and not even coming close to paying out her advance on it. She was a new, first-time author and it looked like she was going nowhere fast.
Her publisher was about to pulp the book and offered Diamant the chance to purchase her own books at a reduced price (which is what they did in the old days when a book failed to produce numbers; it was a method of an author paying off an advance they were unable to sell through). With a flash of insightful brilliance, Diamant suggested that instead of selling her the leftover books, they send copies to rabbis.
See, the topic of her story was the fictionalized life of Dinah, sister to Joseph of the many-colored coat fame. It was a story of Biblical fiction that would be immedidately popular in the religious Jewish community once Jewish leaders started endorsing it. They got the books--free giveaways--and then endorsed it to their congregants and the book--and Diamant--became a bestseller "overnight." Obviously, it wasn't overnight at all, it was after a terrible failure--a failure to launch. Her success came immediately following a correctly-applied bit of publicity as an author of Jewish Women's Fiction (that's a much-underused but pre-existing category and one in which new titles can succeed with ease if you're looking for a new category in which to write).
So what do you do if your subject matter is too general--or you write about zombies or vampires or some other topic that doesn't have a convenient real-life community spokesperson (like a rabbi) to whom you can send a free copy? The answer is to send a free copy of your book (or at least a press release about it) to a Keystone Placement and be sure your press describes your brand at least as much if not more than the book. You need to have blurbage on the book, sure, but you need to use the book as a vehicle for introducing your brand.
What's Next...
Next week, I'll look at the personal element of starting a publicity campaign and tomorrow, I'll have a new Tuesday Tip for you. I hope to see you then!
Thanks for stopping by!
-sry
@webbiegrrl
February 12, 2013
TUESDAY TIP - Tool Review: @Wacom Bamboo Capture Tablet #cartooning #bookcovers #indie #selfpub #bamboo
Back with another Tuesday Tip tool review.
Last week I started this review with the Wacom Bamboo Solo Pen that I got for use with my iPad. This week, I'll look at the other Wacom products I bought at the same time, as part of my strategic solution for continuing work cartooning art for my book covers.
Specifically, today I'll look at the Wacom Bamboo Capture Tablet and its associated Wireless Accessory Kit. Click through the jump break to see what I think of it all.
Purchased Solution:
Wacom Bamboo Capture ($99 MSRP)
Wireless accessory kit ($39.95 MSRP)
Wacom Bamboo Solo Stylus for the iPad ($29.95)
Autodesk Sketchbook Pro 6 for my laptop ($59.00 MSRP)
I bought all of the components through Amazon.com at discounted prices and got the free shipping, so my total cost was a mere $173.72.
Pros
1) Ease of Installation.
This was totally plug n' play out of the box. I was pleased with the self-governed, fully-automated installation, though I suppose it would have been nice if it had been polite enough to ask me to review and confirm all of the settings before it wrote things into my Registry. Wacom used to be polite that way. I guess times have changed.
2) Wireless Accessory Kit.
Again, pretty much plug n' play out of the box. Also, as far as I could tell, there was zero impact on performance due to the using the wireless mode versus the tethered-via-USB-cable mode. I love that the wireless kit installed so quickly, easily and without any mysteries. Just one ergonomic mistake in the design. In order to grasp the tablet and install and/or turn on/off the wireless function, I have to hold the tablet at the same end/spot where the tablet's 4 buttons are located. It's a little annoying to "click" a button by accident--especially if I don't notice it and then run the battery down.
All in all, the wireless accessory kit was a 50/50 split. Awesome functionality, poor implementation. If they moved the location of all the little fobs and storage slots to either one of the sides or to the other end, we'd be all set. As it is, I found the design to be to the advantage of the engineers, not the end users.
Cons
1) Size.
I only have two major grips to mention and then two minor ones. First big issue for me is the size. Look at the image to the left. The Capture is the fairly small, just barely larger than an iPad, and the Wacom tablets I've typically used are about 25% larger with an active area the size of the edge-to-edge area of an iPad. I don't really mind the smaller size and could get to used to it, especially when I'm in the multitouch mode. Maybe it's a factor of my Android phone and iPad usage.
The size becomes an issue, however, in pen tablet mode, when working for long periods of time drawing and cartooning. After 20 years of using something larger, decreasing my screen by 25-30% is a hard adaptation.
2) Memory Management.
The second gripe is the memory management. This device has a serious issue with its ability to manage available memory and either hogs RAM or fails to use available RAM. Whether the issue is in the driver or the hardware, itself, I don't know but it's obvious that there is a problem. Without changing any of my settings in Photoshop or seeing any difference in my computer's ability to run efficiently, I simply switched from my old Wacom Intuos (USB tethered) tablet to the Wacom Bamboo Capture (in USB tethered mode) tablet and *bam* seconds-long delays whenever I move the pen.
After 20+ years of using "tethered" Wacom tablets that simply delivered an "instant" and 1:1 cause:effect response, I suppose I'm spoiled on the subject but I feel strongly that when the pen touches the surface of the tablet, the cursor on the screen should move. It should not take a second or two (or more); it should simply move "now." That's one of the most-fundamental concepts in the design of a digital pen tablet. The worst part is Wacom had mastered this; now they've ruined it.
I've actually switched back to my older, outdated Intuos and seen improved performance. Again, I'm not changing anything on my computer, simply unplugging one USB cable and plugging in the other and voila performance increase achieved. Very sad.
3) Installation.
Although I listed the ease of installation in the "pros" category, I have to list the installation of the control panel in the "cons" category. I don't find it easy to make the control panel stop installing and opening itself up. It's possible to do, but I shouldn't have to continually reset this any/every time I plug in or out the USB cable. Web sites can write cookies and the Wacom installation program wrote directly to my Windows 7 Registry. Why can't I just tick a box to say yes or no to "start the control panel when Windows starts"? Bad "usability" choice, Wacom! Not like you guys at all.
4) Wireless Accessory Kit.
My biggest gripe about this one is Why is it an add-on? I do think it's worth $40 but I don't see why it's not just automatically included. Having it be an additional expense is a negative psychological experience. I think Wacom missed the boat on marketing strategy here. They could/should just include this for the two higher-priced Bamboo models (the only two that take it anyway) and simply tack another $40 onto the base price. Making it a separate purchase just feels too negative--and atypical of Wacom's historical approach to customer-centered business. What happened to Wacom??
Bottom Line Rating: 5 out of 10
I'm evenly split on the rating for this tool simply because I know what Wacom is capable of delivering--and it is far better than this! In multitouch mode, I just love this tablet but it's a pen tablet, not a touch tablet so I'm not sure why the multitouch mode should be superior in manageability and functionality to the pen mode.
Additionally, I heartily dislike the memory-hog lagging of the pen use. If Wacom can figure out what they did "wrong" and fix it, I'd be interested in an updated driver but unfortunately, at this point, I'm 75% sure I'll just be returning the device and asking for my money back. After 20 years of using Wacom products, I know all too well that the Bamboo Capture falls short of Wacom's quality standards.
I'm not sure what kind of pen tablet to try instead. I've been a loyal Wacom customer all this time and simply never even considered another brand. Times change, and I guess I'll be learning who Wacom's competition is. Stay tuned for a future pen tablet review once I figure out what to try next!
Thanks for stopping by!
-sry
@webbiegrrl
Last week I started this review with the Wacom Bamboo Solo Pen that I got for use with my iPad. This week, I'll look at the other Wacom products I bought at the same time, as part of my strategic solution for continuing work cartooning art for my book covers.Specifically, today I'll look at the Wacom Bamboo Capture Tablet and its associated Wireless Accessory Kit. Click through the jump break to see what I think of it all.
Purchased Solution:
Wacom Bamboo Capture ($99 MSRP)
Wireless accessory kit ($39.95 MSRP)
Wacom Bamboo Solo Stylus for the iPad ($29.95)
Autodesk Sketchbook Pro 6 for my laptop ($59.00 MSRP)
I bought all of the components through Amazon.com at discounted prices and got the free shipping, so my total cost was a mere $173.72.
Pros
1) Ease of Installation.
This was totally plug n' play out of the box. I was pleased with the self-governed, fully-automated installation, though I suppose it would have been nice if it had been polite enough to ask me to review and confirm all of the settings before it wrote things into my Registry. Wacom used to be polite that way. I guess times have changed.
2) Wireless Accessory Kit.
Again, pretty much plug n' play out of the box. Also, as far as I could tell, there was zero impact on performance due to the using the wireless mode versus the tethered-via-USB-cable mode. I love that the wireless kit installed so quickly, easily and without any mysteries. Just one ergonomic mistake in the design. In order to grasp the tablet and install and/or turn on/off the wireless function, I have to hold the tablet at the same end/spot where the tablet's 4 buttons are located. It's a little annoying to "click" a button by accident--especially if I don't notice it and then run the battery down.
All in all, the wireless accessory kit was a 50/50 split. Awesome functionality, poor implementation. If they moved the location of all the little fobs and storage slots to either one of the sides or to the other end, we'd be all set. As it is, I found the design to be to the advantage of the engineers, not the end users.
Cons
1) Size.
I only have two major grips to mention and then two minor ones. First big issue for me is the size. Look at the image to the left. The Capture is the fairly small, just barely larger than an iPad, and the Wacom tablets I've typically used are about 25% larger with an active area the size of the edge-to-edge area of an iPad. I don't really mind the smaller size and could get to used to it, especially when I'm in the multitouch mode. Maybe it's a factor of my Android phone and iPad usage.The size becomes an issue, however, in pen tablet mode, when working for long periods of time drawing and cartooning. After 20 years of using something larger, decreasing my screen by 25-30% is a hard adaptation.
2) Memory Management.
The second gripe is the memory management. This device has a serious issue with its ability to manage available memory and either hogs RAM or fails to use available RAM. Whether the issue is in the driver or the hardware, itself, I don't know but it's obvious that there is a problem. Without changing any of my settings in Photoshop or seeing any difference in my computer's ability to run efficiently, I simply switched from my old Wacom Intuos (USB tethered) tablet to the Wacom Bamboo Capture (in USB tethered mode) tablet and *bam* seconds-long delays whenever I move the pen.
After 20+ years of using "tethered" Wacom tablets that simply delivered an "instant" and 1:1 cause:effect response, I suppose I'm spoiled on the subject but I feel strongly that when the pen touches the surface of the tablet, the cursor on the screen should move. It should not take a second or two (or more); it should simply move "now." That's one of the most-fundamental concepts in the design of a digital pen tablet. The worst part is Wacom had mastered this; now they've ruined it.
I've actually switched back to my older, outdated Intuos and seen improved performance. Again, I'm not changing anything on my computer, simply unplugging one USB cable and plugging in the other and voila performance increase achieved. Very sad.
3) Installation.
Although I listed the ease of installation in the "pros" category, I have to list the installation of the control panel in the "cons" category. I don't find it easy to make the control panel stop installing and opening itself up. It's possible to do, but I shouldn't have to continually reset this any/every time I plug in or out the USB cable. Web sites can write cookies and the Wacom installation program wrote directly to my Windows 7 Registry. Why can't I just tick a box to say yes or no to "start the control panel when Windows starts"? Bad "usability" choice, Wacom! Not like you guys at all.
4) Wireless Accessory Kit.
My biggest gripe about this one is Why is it an add-on? I do think it's worth $40 but I don't see why it's not just automatically included. Having it be an additional expense is a negative psychological experience. I think Wacom missed the boat on marketing strategy here. They could/should just include this for the two higher-priced Bamboo models (the only two that take it anyway) and simply tack another $40 onto the base price. Making it a separate purchase just feels too negative--and atypical of Wacom's historical approach to customer-centered business. What happened to Wacom??
Bottom Line Rating: 5 out of 10
I'm evenly split on the rating for this tool simply because I know what Wacom is capable of delivering--and it is far better than this! In multitouch mode, I just love this tablet but it's a pen tablet, not a touch tablet so I'm not sure why the multitouch mode should be superior in manageability and functionality to the pen mode.
Additionally, I heartily dislike the memory-hog lagging of the pen use. If Wacom can figure out what they did "wrong" and fix it, I'd be interested in an updated driver but unfortunately, at this point, I'm 75% sure I'll just be returning the device and asking for my money back. After 20 years of using Wacom products, I know all too well that the Bamboo Capture falls short of Wacom's quality standards.
I'm not sure what kind of pen tablet to try instead. I've been a loyal Wacom customer all this time and simply never even considered another brand. Times change, and I guess I'll be learning who Wacom's competition is. Stay tuned for a future pen tablet review once I figure out what to try next!
Thanks for stopping by!
-sry
@webbiegrrl
February 11, 2013
MONDAY MARKETING Building a Trend Called Trust #branding #marketing #pubtip #indie #selfpub
Welcome back to my Monday Marketing blog. I've previously discussed the difference between a "fad" and a "trend" (not to mention the recurring fad, which is called a "fashion"). You can learn more about it in Chapter 21 of my marketing handbook (get
The 22 Immutable Laws of Marketing (for Indie Authors)
from Smashwords). Basically, the difference is the speed at which the publicity builds. Hence, the name Law of Acceleration.
Today I want to discuss the effect on "trust" that a fad (versus a trend) can have on an Author Brand Name's success. Click through the jump break to learn more.
Consumers Buy Brands They Trust
Brands that take off quickly will quite likely die off just as quickly. They will be a flash in the pan or "fad." The last thing you want is to turn your brand into a fad. I am not alone in the belief that if it's popular, it should be avoided just on the basis of "not supporting a fad." It's a well-documented psychology in sales that some consumers (myself included) even go so far as to actively avoid fads.
Why do we do this? Part of it is a lack of trust. As a consumer, I want to be able to trust in a brand to be there in my future, rather than wondering if this brand will last long enough for me to really enjoy what they have to offer. There's nothing more aggravating for a consumer to give a brand two or three tries and then, just as they are "hooked" on the brand, it disappears. This makes consumers wary and is why fads are actively avoided by consumers like myself.
From breakfast cereals to cosmetics, brand loyalty takes years to build and fads never quite last long enough to achieve a level of trust. This is even more true in the Digital Publishing industry. A reader needs to try more than one book from any given author before they will consider that Author Brand a name they'll add to the much-coveted "buy anything this author writes" list.
Reverse Psychology Does Not Build Trust
With the KDP Select Program, restricting publication of eBooks to the Kindle Stores--and nowhere else online at all--Amazon has tried to apply a classical strategy based on the Law of Acceleration. The goal is to reduce availability and distribution points, to make the brand "unavailable" to the mass media with the idea that this will make the acquisition of the brand more desireable. The goal is to stretch out the adoption rate of the brand from a fad into a trend.
The problem with Amazon's approach of exclusivity is two-fold:
1) Not everyone in the world uses or is enamored of Amazon and their Kindle platform, despite what Amazon would like to think. Their hold on the Digital Publishing industry dropped from the 90% they originally held at the time they first released the Kindle hardware to a meager 55% and falling as of the 4Q12 reports by trackers such as Publishers Weekly and Bowker (who issues ISBN numbers to Digital Publishers). Amazon may still be the "#1 Retailer in the World" but they are no longer the top seller of eBooks--and the more they claim to be, the less trustworthy they are becoming.
2) The Digital Publishing industry still relies upon a hardware/software marriage for delivery of the brand to the consumer's hands. Not everyone wants to limit themselves to what's available in the Kindle Store--and only what's on Kindle. A Kindle device can read PDF files but not ePubs and that was on purpose. Additionally, Amazon has made it incredibly difficult to move eBooks a person OWNS from one device to another. I've experienced this myself, trying to move Kindle-format eBooks from one of my Kindle accounts to another. It's like Amazon thinks I'm stealing a book I already bought!
Even setting aside all of the hardware issues and format preferences, the fact that Amazon restricts access to the titles a brand has to offer means that readers cannot trust they'll be able to buy everything the author writes if they go with a Kindle format collection. Especially when it comes to series writing (which is my personal forte), it serves neither the author nor the consumer to restrict access. Decreasing supply by restricting access like Amazon is doing only increases demand when you're talking about widgets. It just doesn't work with books.
Author brands are not widgets and having "only 3 copies left! order now!" plastered on a page on top of it only being available at Amazon actually annoys a reader more than it does, say, someone who wants to buy a component audio/video cable or a dehumidifier for their room or some other household item that is not a book. A book is a personal purchase, since reading it allows the consumer to make a personal connection to another world, another reality. A consumer will not risk that experience simply because the store says "only 3 copies left! order now!"
Consumers Trust Only When They Care
Consumers don't really care about Amazon's DRM concerns or Nook's expansion into Europe or even Apple's dominance in the English-language reading world. All the consumers want is the brand. They know when they've enjoyed a book and when they have not. They know when they've enjoyed several books by the same author that they are likely to enjoy another and they will trust that author's Brand Name to deliver the same Satisfying Reader Experience the author has previously delivered.
Consumers don't really care, deep down, what device or delivery system they use to get their favorite brand into their hands. They care about price, ease of acquisition and consistency of the product's quality. They want to be able to trust that the brand will be there, be the same every time and deliver the same Satisfying Reader Experience every time.
When it comes to Digital Publishing, consumers care only about what they know and read. If they do not know how to acquire your books, they won't care about you and your books. If they do not know how to make your books work on their device, they won't care about the book because it is not designed to work for them on their chosen platform. They are unlikely to jump through hoops converting file formats just to get a copy of your book to work on their eReader device. There are simply too many other choices freely available without hassle for a consumer to "do battle" with Amazon's DRM or anyone else's for that matter.
Making your books as widely available as possible, in as many formats as are available and through as many distribution channels as you can find is what will make your books fall into the "trustworthy brand" category in a consumer's mind. They'll know they can trust you to be there when they go looking for a new book to buy.
Trusting Publicity's Motivating Factor
Then there's the issue of consumers not knowing about you. How can they trust you if they don't know you exist? When consumers hear about a new brand, there is usually some advertising slogan proclaiming why they should care about the brand. Best New Thing Since Sliced Bread! (or some similarly expansive claim). If the motivating factor is "trustworthy," the consumer will go on listening to the brand's message. If the motivating factor seems too ridiculous to be true, they will dismiss the entire message as though they never encountered it at all--and worse, categorize the brand as "not trustworthy" in their minds without even having first sampled your work!
You cannot lie and manipulate and deceive your away into a consumer's hands and then expect to be positioned in their minds as "trustworthy." Delivering a trustworthy message of your brand's value is how you "enter the mind" and establish your position. Publicity can help you establish your position before you try to further your branding message. Publicity is the way in. Publicity is the delivery system for your "one word." Make it a good one.
What's Next....
Tomorrow I'll wrap up the Tuesday Tool Tip review I started before the hiatus by telling you my feelings on the Wacom Bamboo Capture tablet now that I've had a chance to work with it a bit. I hope to see you then.
Thanks for stopping by!
-sry
@webbiegrrl
Today I want to discuss the effect on "trust" that a fad (versus a trend) can have on an Author Brand Name's success. Click through the jump break to learn more.
Consumers Buy Brands They Trust
Brands that take off quickly will quite likely die off just as quickly. They will be a flash in the pan or "fad." The last thing you want is to turn your brand into a fad. I am not alone in the belief that if it's popular, it should be avoided just on the basis of "not supporting a fad." It's a well-documented psychology in sales that some consumers (myself included) even go so far as to actively avoid fads.
Why do we do this? Part of it is a lack of trust. As a consumer, I want to be able to trust in a brand to be there in my future, rather than wondering if this brand will last long enough for me to really enjoy what they have to offer. There's nothing more aggravating for a consumer to give a brand two or three tries and then, just as they are "hooked" on the brand, it disappears. This makes consumers wary and is why fads are actively avoided by consumers like myself.
From breakfast cereals to cosmetics, brand loyalty takes years to build and fads never quite last long enough to achieve a level of trust. This is even more true in the Digital Publishing industry. A reader needs to try more than one book from any given author before they will consider that Author Brand a name they'll add to the much-coveted "buy anything this author writes" list.
Reverse Psychology Does Not Build Trust
With the KDP Select Program, restricting publication of eBooks to the Kindle Stores--and nowhere else online at all--Amazon has tried to apply a classical strategy based on the Law of Acceleration. The goal is to reduce availability and distribution points, to make the brand "unavailable" to the mass media with the idea that this will make the acquisition of the brand more desireable. The goal is to stretch out the adoption rate of the brand from a fad into a trend.
The problem with Amazon's approach of exclusivity is two-fold:
1) Not everyone in the world uses or is enamored of Amazon and their Kindle platform, despite what Amazon would like to think. Their hold on the Digital Publishing industry dropped from the 90% they originally held at the time they first released the Kindle hardware to a meager 55% and falling as of the 4Q12 reports by trackers such as Publishers Weekly and Bowker (who issues ISBN numbers to Digital Publishers). Amazon may still be the "#1 Retailer in the World" but they are no longer the top seller of eBooks--and the more they claim to be, the less trustworthy they are becoming.
2) The Digital Publishing industry still relies upon a hardware/software marriage for delivery of the brand to the consumer's hands. Not everyone wants to limit themselves to what's available in the Kindle Store--and only what's on Kindle. A Kindle device can read PDF files but not ePubs and that was on purpose. Additionally, Amazon has made it incredibly difficult to move eBooks a person OWNS from one device to another. I've experienced this myself, trying to move Kindle-format eBooks from one of my Kindle accounts to another. It's like Amazon thinks I'm stealing a book I already bought!
Even setting aside all of the hardware issues and format preferences, the fact that Amazon restricts access to the titles a brand has to offer means that readers cannot trust they'll be able to buy everything the author writes if they go with a Kindle format collection. Especially when it comes to series writing (which is my personal forte), it serves neither the author nor the consumer to restrict access. Decreasing supply by restricting access like Amazon is doing only increases demand when you're talking about widgets. It just doesn't work with books.
Author brands are not widgets and having "only 3 copies left! order now!" plastered on a page on top of it only being available at Amazon actually annoys a reader more than it does, say, someone who wants to buy a component audio/video cable or a dehumidifier for their room or some other household item that is not a book. A book is a personal purchase, since reading it allows the consumer to make a personal connection to another world, another reality. A consumer will not risk that experience simply because the store says "only 3 copies left! order now!"
Consumers Trust Only When They Care
Consumers don't really care about Amazon's DRM concerns or Nook's expansion into Europe or even Apple's dominance in the English-language reading world. All the consumers want is the brand. They know when they've enjoyed a book and when they have not. They know when they've enjoyed several books by the same author that they are likely to enjoy another and they will trust that author's Brand Name to deliver the same Satisfying Reader Experience the author has previously delivered.
Consumers don't really care, deep down, what device or delivery system they use to get their favorite brand into their hands. They care about price, ease of acquisition and consistency of the product's quality. They want to be able to trust that the brand will be there, be the same every time and deliver the same Satisfying Reader Experience every time.
When it comes to Digital Publishing, consumers care only about what they know and read. If they do not know how to acquire your books, they won't care about you and your books. If they do not know how to make your books work on their device, they won't care about the book because it is not designed to work for them on their chosen platform. They are unlikely to jump through hoops converting file formats just to get a copy of your book to work on their eReader device. There are simply too many other choices freely available without hassle for a consumer to "do battle" with Amazon's DRM or anyone else's for that matter.
Making your books as widely available as possible, in as many formats as are available and through as many distribution channels as you can find is what will make your books fall into the "trustworthy brand" category in a consumer's mind. They'll know they can trust you to be there when they go looking for a new book to buy.
Trusting Publicity's Motivating Factor
Then there's the issue of consumers not knowing about you. How can they trust you if they don't know you exist? When consumers hear about a new brand, there is usually some advertising slogan proclaiming why they should care about the brand. Best New Thing Since Sliced Bread! (or some similarly expansive claim). If the motivating factor is "trustworthy," the consumer will go on listening to the brand's message. If the motivating factor seems too ridiculous to be true, they will dismiss the entire message as though they never encountered it at all--and worse, categorize the brand as "not trustworthy" in their minds without even having first sampled your work!
You cannot lie and manipulate and deceive your away into a consumer's hands and then expect to be positioned in their minds as "trustworthy." Delivering a trustworthy message of your brand's value is how you "enter the mind" and establish your position. Publicity can help you establish your position before you try to further your branding message. Publicity is the way in. Publicity is the delivery system for your "one word." Make it a good one.
What's Next....
Tomorrow I'll wrap up the Tuesday Tool Tip review I started before the hiatus by telling you my feelings on the Wacom Bamboo Capture tablet now that I've had a chance to work with it a bit. I hope to see you then.
Thanks for stopping by!
-sry
@webbiegrrl
January 26, 2013
Webbiegrrl Blog Closed for 2 wks - Reopening Feb 11th
Update: Feb. 1, 2013: I've been home sick all week. I guess the 7-day-a-week pace burned me out after a mere 2 weeks *eep* I'll be back to regular blogging on Monday, February 11, 2013 but to tide you over, given this is SuperBowl Sunday weekend and you know that although I loathe sports, I loooooove SuperBowl ads, check out this review/discussion and slideshow from HuffPo. WELL worth clicking through.
I watched all 34 clips. As always, Doritos has the most entertaining and memorable ads. Also most-readily "relevant." Most of the ads taht were cute had nothing to do with the products. Sadly, the product is making the ad famous instead of the other way around (which I've discussed in my recent PR vs. advertising blog).
I'm not sure what the auto industry ad-makers are thinking these days but the car ads get further and further from having anything at all to do with cars. It's sad. The worst offender was the new VW ad which mixes and mashups the Rastafan Bob Marleyisms with (*choke*) The Partridge Family's song (C'mon Get Happy). Talk about getting it wrong!
Another ad that just got it wrong was the new Pepsi Next ad but Pepsi bought the halftime show for Beyonce so I suppose we shall see how much ROI they really get. I'm not, personally, a fan of Beyonce, but she's a fairly huge name and should blind plenty of fans to the idiocy of the Pepsi ads.
The only one worse than all of those was the direction of miO's new spokesperson: They chose one of the world's most offensive people who is not actually funny enough to make up for the offensiveness. He does have a role on a popular TV show, though, so I guess popular humor is on the offense now? Bummer, I had had high hops for the future of miO, the water additive for sports enthusiasts. They really wasted their Game Day dollars by going for offensive humor instead of say, the way Gatorade launched the "Is it in you?" campaign with theirs (years ago and still a strong branding campaign!)
I'm not going to bother recording the game this year to watch the ads afterwards. I'll catch the playlists on YouTube or AdAge and not waste the DVR space. Looking forward to the Twitter action though. I'll be in bed, phone a buzzin' ^)^ Where will you be on Game Day?
See you back here Feb. 11th, assuming I recover from this flu bug *cough cough*
-sry
@webbiegrrl
I watched all 34 clips. As always, Doritos has the most entertaining and memorable ads. Also most-readily "relevant." Most of the ads taht were cute had nothing to do with the products. Sadly, the product is making the ad famous instead of the other way around (which I've discussed in my recent PR vs. advertising blog).
I'm not sure what the auto industry ad-makers are thinking these days but the car ads get further and further from having anything at all to do with cars. It's sad. The worst offender was the new VW ad which mixes and mashups the Rastafan Bob Marleyisms with (*choke*) The Partridge Family's song (C'mon Get Happy). Talk about getting it wrong!
Another ad that just got it wrong was the new Pepsi Next ad but Pepsi bought the halftime show for Beyonce so I suppose we shall see how much ROI they really get. I'm not, personally, a fan of Beyonce, but she's a fairly huge name and should blind plenty of fans to the idiocy of the Pepsi ads.
The only one worse than all of those was the direction of miO's new spokesperson: They chose one of the world's most offensive people who is not actually funny enough to make up for the offensiveness. He does have a role on a popular TV show, though, so I guess popular humor is on the offense now? Bummer, I had had high hops for the future of miO, the water additive for sports enthusiasts. They really wasted their Game Day dollars by going for offensive humor instead of say, the way Gatorade launched the "Is it in you?" campaign with theirs (years ago and still a strong branding campaign!)
I'm not going to bother recording the game this year to watch the ads afterwards. I'll catch the playlists on YouTube or AdAge and not waste the DVR space. Looking forward to the Twitter action though. I'll be in bed, phone a buzzin' ^)^ Where will you be on Game Day?
See you back here Feb. 11th, assuming I recover from this flu bug *cough cough*
-sry
@webbiegrrl
Scheduling Conflicts: Webbiegrrl Blog Closed for 2 wks - Reopening Feb 11th
Hi everyone,
I should've done this earlier but time's been in short supply. I just finished working a 10-day stint (no breaks) at my 2 day jobs, had one day off (yesterday) and today begin another 8-day stint. I'll finally get a day off on Sunday February 3rd (which I'll spend in bed, methinks) then it's back to work on Monday Feb 4th with some changes to both jobs. Asuming it all works out as I believe it will, I'll be back to regular blogging on Monday, February 11, 2013 .
This 7-day-a-week pace is a killer!
Sorry for the late notice but I hope to see you in 2 weeks. I should have some more good branding and PR blogs thought up by then, and I still haven't even unpacked my new Wacom Bamboo Capture tablet. I'll definitely have to take it out of the box and let you know how it installs and works out. Of course, we also have Autodesk Sketchbook Pro 6 and its potential to help me with my cover art design to evaluate for you as well.
Thanks for stopping by!
-sry
@webbiegrrl
I should've done this earlier but time's been in short supply. I just finished working a 10-day stint (no breaks) at my 2 day jobs, had one day off (yesterday) and today begin another 8-day stint. I'll finally get a day off on Sunday February 3rd (which I'll spend in bed, methinks) then it's back to work on Monday Feb 4th with some changes to both jobs. Asuming it all works out as I believe it will, I'll be back to regular blogging on Monday, February 11, 2013 .
This 7-day-a-week pace is a killer!
Sorry for the late notice but I hope to see you in 2 weeks. I should have some more good branding and PR blogs thought up by then, and I still haven't even unpacked my new Wacom Bamboo Capture tablet. I'll definitely have to take it out of the box and let you know how it installs and works out. Of course, we also have Autodesk Sketchbook Pro 6 and its potential to help me with my cover art design to evaluate for you as well.
Thanks for stopping by!
-sry
@webbiegrrl
January 22, 2013
TUESDAY TIP Tool Review: @Wacom Bamboo Stylus for #iPad #digitizer #writing #cartooning #product #review
Today's Tuesday Tip is a tool review. I recently bought a collection of new tools with which I am (hopefully) going to be continuing my cartooning of book covers with more ease than I've been suffering by doing pixel-level work on my Windows laptop until now. I've been working in Photoshop using an older, pressure-sensitive Wacom Intuos tablet I've had for years. I've been a user and fan of Wacom tablets since they first came out. However, I wanted something wireless--and I wanted the option of working not only on my laptop but also on my iPad.
[image error] Since I already own the iPad app version of AutoDesk's Sketchbook Pro (but haven't used it much because working with my fingertips is not as easy as it sounds), I wanted a solution that would work on both my Window s laptop and on the iPad without having to switch mental gears for a different hardware environment.
Click through the jump break to read my review of the Solo Stylus for the iPad, which is the only thing I've had time so far to use enough to review for you.
My Solution:
Wacom Bamboo Capture ($99 MSRP)
Wireless accessory kit ($39.95 MSRP)
Wacom Bamboo Solo Stylus for the iPad ($29.95)
Autodesk Sketchbook Pro 6 for my laptop ($59.00 MSRP)
I bought all of the components through Amazon.com at discounted prices and got the free shipping, so my total cost was a mere $173.72.
This commits me to learning Sketchbook Pro in depth. We shall see. I'm doubtful I'll ever completely leave Photoshop. I've been using it since version 1 so I'm kind of stuck on the Adobe environment but then again, as a Mechanical Engineer, I also used AutoCAD for years.
The Autodesk software environs have usually been pretty good. So far, I'm not impressed with the iPad app but the older I get, the less patience I have for "cutesy" tools. I like my tools to just work. Of course, I have not yet tried to RTFM (haha) Yeah, I guess I should get to that before I disclaim Sketchbook's cutesy-ness.
If you'd like to check out Sketchbook Pro 6 for yourself, get a free trial from the Autodesk web site by clicking here.
Where to Buy
First of all, if you want to get one of your own, you can buy it directly from Wacom. They offered a discount code on the @Wacom Twitterstream (posted the following on January 8, 2013) to get $5 off the purchase price of a Solo
I replied, asking if the code were still valid (since it's now 2 weeks later) but no one has answered the @Wacom Twitterstream :-( It's also possible you can buy it from Amazon's marketplace for the same low $24.95 discounted price--or lower. Check daily for the lowest prices, as Amazon's Marketplace listings change all the time.
In the Box
All that came in the box was the stylus itself and a little pamphlet encouraging me to register my device, providing support contact details (a hallmark of Wacom is outstanding customer service) and an over-simplified illustration allegedly showing me how to "personalize" my stylus. Alas, I have not been able to perform the actions shown in the illustration at all. My phone took the following pic of the illustration. The clip does not move nor does the top of the pen twise or turn in any way whatsoever :-( Therefore, my stylus is "as is" out of the box.
Since I'm a Mechanical Engineer, I'll come at this review by discussing the product's design features from that perspective.
Pros
1) Size.
The stylus is nice and thin (for my small hand, it's a comfortable size) about the diameter of a normal #2 pencil. It's a little heavier than I'd have expected, the metal feeling like the source of the weight.
2) Weight.
I'd say it's about the same weight in my hand as a solid 10KT Gold Cross Pen (like the ones I got in the late 1970s as a gift and loved for years until I could no longer find the ink refills)
3) Form vs. Function.
There's really very little "functionality" to this stylus, so it's pretty easy to just use out of the box. That is, this is just going to replace a fingertip--no more, no less--and have a clip so that it can be "attached" somewhere (like to my flexible iPad travelling cover.
Cons
1) Normal Wear & Tear. The nib (the rubbery tip of the stylus which is the point of contact with the iPad) is really flimsy. It feels thin and "wobbles" around when I drag it over my iPad surface (unless I press down really hard) so the "touch" is going to take a little getting used to, which means it's not a "plug n' play" solution for me.
2) Form vs. Function.
This has to fall under both pros and cons. As mentioned, I had to press hard--or what seemed "harder" than I wanted to, given a choice. It feels as though there should be some support behind the nib if I'm to be required to press down so hard just to make a "tap" contact (not even talking about click-and-drag contacts, just a tap selection!) To me, this feels like a #FAIL on design of the form versus function, like there was a disconnect between conceptualization and implementation during the engineering process. Something did not make it "over the wall" as they say.
3) Design Against Failure. (#FAIL)
I anticipate that as I press (hard) and drag the stylus frequently in normal usage, the nib will wear out quickly. Many of the comments on the Wacom web site and Amazon reviews indicated that the original stylus nib will (does...has, soon after purchase) rip and tear requiring replacement. I suppose that's why Wacom sells replacement nib kits at $4.95 for 3 nibs, eh? :-(
That's unfortunate. I really dislike it when a company sets out to design a product to fail rather than against failure. Wacom products used to be designed against failure, so this is an unfortunate change of direction for the company--and I definitely see it as a method for Wacom to generate residual sales from existing customers.
4) Design for Usability.
This is not the antithesis of #3 above. Rather, it's a category of product design where an engineer considers how a customer is going to use the product "in real life," rather than in the manner the design engineers hoped and imagined. In manufacturing, the usability of a product is usually evaluated by the Quality Control Dept., with a focus on conformance to specification, rather than on what the specifications said and "Gee, does that make sense for real-world usage?"
Software engineers look at these two categories, calling them, "gotta have's" and "nice-to-have's" respectively. I think manufacturing engineers should do this kind of evaluation, too, since consumers certainly do! Wacom's engineers definitely did not. My gripe under this category is not, strictly, anything "wrong" with the product "as designed," but rather that Wacom's Design Engineering Dept. did not consider how real users would deploy the product in real-life situations.
Specifically, they gave us a clip on one end of the stylus so that it could be attached to, say, a shirt pocket. They did not, however, give us a cap to protect the flimsy and easily-worn nib at the end. Therefore, whether traveling in a shirt pocket or (more likely) clipped to the binder of an iPad case cover, the nib will be at risk for further damage beyond normal wear and tear. So why didn't they include a cap or cover?
I did notice (and seconded) another user making this comment and adding a request for a cap/cover to the wish list. Won't help those of us who already own one, though. Again, I guess I have to :-(
Bottom Line Rating: 6 out of 10
I started out with a rating of 10 out of 10 and took away one for each negative point I noticed, so we're at a rating of 6 out of 10. That seems about right (in my gut) given I like this well enough but am not overwhelmed by its wonders as I was the first time I used a Wacom digitizer tablet and the stylus feels pretty expensive at $24.95 given I'll have to pay to maintain it in good working order.
If the price were half that cost, I'd raise the rating but I feel like I'm not sure why I got this thing if I'm going to have to constantly pour money into maintaining it in good working condition. All in all, I'm not as excited about the Solo Stylus as I am about the Bamboo Capture tablet. I'll need time to install/setup the Capture and am working a 10-day-straight stint at my 2 day jobs right now so playing with the Capture on the laptop will have to wait a bit. Soon, my pretty, soon!
What's Next....
On Monday, of course, I'll be back with another Monday Marketing blog for you but I'll try to get a feel for the Bamboo Capture and its wireless kit usage by next Tuesday so I can do another tool review for you. I hope I'll see you then.
Thanks for stopping by!
-sry
@webbiegrrl
[image error] Since I already own the iPad app version of AutoDesk's Sketchbook Pro (but haven't used it much because working with my fingertips is not as easy as it sounds), I wanted a solution that would work on both my Window s laptop and on the iPad without having to switch mental gears for a different hardware environment.
Click through the jump break to read my review of the Solo Stylus for the iPad, which is the only thing I've had time so far to use enough to review for you.
My Solution:
Wacom Bamboo Capture ($99 MSRP)
Wireless accessory kit ($39.95 MSRP)
Wacom Bamboo Solo Stylus for the iPad ($29.95)
Autodesk Sketchbook Pro 6 for my laptop ($59.00 MSRP)
I bought all of the components through Amazon.com at discounted prices and got the free shipping, so my total cost was a mere $173.72.
This commits me to learning Sketchbook Pro in depth. We shall see. I'm doubtful I'll ever completely leave Photoshop. I've been using it since version 1 so I'm kind of stuck on the Adobe environment but then again, as a Mechanical Engineer, I also used AutoCAD for years.
The Autodesk software environs have usually been pretty good. So far, I'm not impressed with the iPad app but the older I get, the less patience I have for "cutesy" tools. I like my tools to just work. Of course, I have not yet tried to RTFM (haha) Yeah, I guess I should get to that before I disclaim Sketchbook's cutesy-ness.
If you'd like to check out Sketchbook Pro 6 for yourself, get a free trial from the Autodesk web site by clicking here.
Where to Buy
First of all, if you want to get one of your own, you can buy it directly from Wacom. They offered a discount code on the @Wacom Twitterstream (posted the following on January 8, 2013) to get $5 off the purchase price of a Solo
I replied, asking if the code were still valid (since it's now 2 weeks later) but no one has answered the @Wacom Twitterstream :-( It's also possible you can buy it from Amazon's marketplace for the same low $24.95 discounted price--or lower. Check daily for the lowest prices, as Amazon's Marketplace listings change all the time.
In the Box
All that came in the box was the stylus itself and a little pamphlet encouraging me to register my device, providing support contact details (a hallmark of Wacom is outstanding customer service) and an over-simplified illustration allegedly showing me how to "personalize" my stylus. Alas, I have not been able to perform the actions shown in the illustration at all. My phone took the following pic of the illustration. The clip does not move nor does the top of the pen twise or turn in any way whatsoever :-( Therefore, my stylus is "as is" out of the box.
Since I'm a Mechanical Engineer, I'll come at this review by discussing the product's design features from that perspective.
Pros
1) Size.
The stylus is nice and thin (for my small hand, it's a comfortable size) about the diameter of a normal #2 pencil. It's a little heavier than I'd have expected, the metal feeling like the source of the weight.
2) Weight. I'd say it's about the same weight in my hand as a solid 10KT Gold Cross Pen (like the ones I got in the late 1970s as a gift and loved for years until I could no longer find the ink refills)
3) Form vs. Function.
There's really very little "functionality" to this stylus, so it's pretty easy to just use out of the box. That is, this is just going to replace a fingertip--no more, no less--and have a clip so that it can be "attached" somewhere (like to my flexible iPad travelling cover.
Cons
1) Normal Wear & Tear. The nib (the rubbery tip of the stylus which is the point of contact with the iPad) is really flimsy. It feels thin and "wobbles" around when I drag it over my iPad surface (unless I press down really hard) so the "touch" is going to take a little getting used to, which means it's not a "plug n' play" solution for me.
2) Form vs. Function.
This has to fall under both pros and cons. As mentioned, I had to press hard--or what seemed "harder" than I wanted to, given a choice. It feels as though there should be some support behind the nib if I'm to be required to press down so hard just to make a "tap" contact (not even talking about click-and-drag contacts, just a tap selection!) To me, this feels like a #FAIL on design of the form versus function, like there was a disconnect between conceptualization and implementation during the engineering process. Something did not make it "over the wall" as they say.
3) Design Against Failure. (#FAIL)
I anticipate that as I press (hard) and drag the stylus frequently in normal usage, the nib will wear out quickly. Many of the comments on the Wacom web site and Amazon reviews indicated that the original stylus nib will (does...has, soon after purchase) rip and tear requiring replacement. I suppose that's why Wacom sells replacement nib kits at $4.95 for 3 nibs, eh? :-(That's unfortunate. I really dislike it when a company sets out to design a product to fail rather than against failure. Wacom products used to be designed against failure, so this is an unfortunate change of direction for the company--and I definitely see it as a method for Wacom to generate residual sales from existing customers.
4) Design for Usability.
This is not the antithesis of #3 above. Rather, it's a category of product design where an engineer considers how a customer is going to use the product "in real life," rather than in the manner the design engineers hoped and imagined. In manufacturing, the usability of a product is usually evaluated by the Quality Control Dept., with a focus on conformance to specification, rather than on what the specifications said and "Gee, does that make sense for real-world usage?"
Software engineers look at these two categories, calling them, "gotta have's" and "nice-to-have's" respectively. I think manufacturing engineers should do this kind of evaluation, too, since consumers certainly do! Wacom's engineers definitely did not. My gripe under this category is not, strictly, anything "wrong" with the product "as designed," but rather that Wacom's Design Engineering Dept. did not consider how real users would deploy the product in real-life situations.
Specifically, they gave us a clip on one end of the stylus so that it could be attached to, say, a shirt pocket. They did not, however, give us a cap to protect the flimsy and easily-worn nib at the end. Therefore, whether traveling in a shirt pocket or (more likely) clipped to the binder of an iPad case cover, the nib will be at risk for further damage beyond normal wear and tear. So why didn't they include a cap or cover?
I did notice (and seconded) another user making this comment and adding a request for a cap/cover to the wish list. Won't help those of us who already own one, though. Again, I guess I have to :-(
Bottom Line Rating: 6 out of 10
I started out with a rating of 10 out of 10 and took away one for each negative point I noticed, so we're at a rating of 6 out of 10. That seems about right (in my gut) given I like this well enough but am not overwhelmed by its wonders as I was the first time I used a Wacom digitizer tablet and the stylus feels pretty expensive at $24.95 given I'll have to pay to maintain it in good working order.
If the price were half that cost, I'd raise the rating but I feel like I'm not sure why I got this thing if I'm going to have to constantly pour money into maintaining it in good working condition. All in all, I'm not as excited about the Solo Stylus as I am about the Bamboo Capture tablet. I'll need time to install/setup the Capture and am working a 10-day-straight stint at my 2 day jobs right now so playing with the Capture on the laptop will have to wait a bit. Soon, my pretty, soon!
What's Next....
On Monday, of course, I'll be back with another Monday Marketing blog for you but I'll try to get a feel for the Bamboo Capture and its wireless kit usage by next Tuesday so I can do another tool review for you. I hope I'll see you then.
Thanks for stopping by!
-sry
@webbiegrrl
January 21, 2013
MONDAY MARKETING Building a Brand w/PR #branding #marketing #pubtip #indie #selfpub
In last week's blog, we discussed using advertising as a hook for launching your PR campaign, making publicity the focus of your branding efforts, not an advertising "gimmick" the core of your brand definition. That is, the classical ad-centered paradigm was turned upsidedown (or right side up *wink*).
This week, I wanted to touch on how to use PR to actually build an unknown brand because most of us Indie Authors have a brand recognition problem to overcome with our readers--at least, at first. Click through the jump break to read more.
The Slow Burn
Advance promotion is a concept I've practiced for a while and it seems to work every time I do it. I don't know if I've heard or seen other Indie Authors doing this but the traditional publishers know this trick. They spend lots of money on advertisements to do advance promotion of a new release for their biggest names.
For an Indie Author, however, the "slow burn" might be more manageable. It's a situation where you "leak" information to the media in order to build interest about the forthcoming release in a suspenseful way--that is, build anticipation for the launch. This is more than simply blogging or advertising on blogs. This involves getting others to talk about it. If you simply get others to blog about it, they aren't talking about it, they're giving you (essentially) more ad space. You need there to be a "buzz" about the launch.
The way to create a "buzz" is to create an interest; the way to create an interest is to identify a motivating factor. A brand, without a motivating factor, is just another brand. Unless or until your brand is "unique" and "compelling" in its own right, there is absolutely no reason for any reader to buy your brand rather than someone else's.
The New Category
I keep returning to this concept of launching a new brand by launching a new category. There's a reason I do: the Law of Category (Immutable Law of Marketing Law 2 and Immutable Law of Branding Law 8). If you aren't familiar with the concept, try my handbook, The 22 Immutable Laws of Marketing (for Indie Authors) to see how classic marketing laws apply to our "unique" Digital Publishing industry challenges. It's available from Smashwords in all popular eBook formats (Kindle, Apple/iPad, Nook, Kobo, etc.)
I'm pushing you towards my handbook not merely for me to make a sale, but rather, because in it, I've collected together and summarized (in a more concise manner than I have here on the blog) all of the salient concepts you'll need to know to figure out how to (a) define your brand and (b) launch a new category for it. If you don't already have your brand defined, that's the place to start. Soon I hope to edit and polish my branding series into an easy-to-read handbook as well.
The new category step in the branding-launching process is critical. The media only want to talk about what is "new" and they don't really care about your claims to being "better." Give a clear understanding of what makes your brand new and different, and the media will want to talk about it.
What's Next....
Tomorrow I'll have a Tuesday Tip for you on new eToys you might like. I just got a few new tools for cartooning my book covers but haven't quite decided which one to feature first so I hope you'll come back tomorrow to find out.
Thanks for stopping by!
-sry
@webbiegrrl
This week, I wanted to touch on how to use PR to actually build an unknown brand because most of us Indie Authors have a brand recognition problem to overcome with our readers--at least, at first. Click through the jump break to read more.
The Slow Burn
Advance promotion is a concept I've practiced for a while and it seems to work every time I do it. I don't know if I've heard or seen other Indie Authors doing this but the traditional publishers know this trick. They spend lots of money on advertisements to do advance promotion of a new release for their biggest names.
For an Indie Author, however, the "slow burn" might be more manageable. It's a situation where you "leak" information to the media in order to build interest about the forthcoming release in a suspenseful way--that is, build anticipation for the launch. This is more than simply blogging or advertising on blogs. This involves getting others to talk about it. If you simply get others to blog about it, they aren't talking about it, they're giving you (essentially) more ad space. You need there to be a "buzz" about the launch.
The way to create a "buzz" is to create an interest; the way to create an interest is to identify a motivating factor. A brand, without a motivating factor, is just another brand. Unless or until your brand is "unique" and "compelling" in its own right, there is absolutely no reason for any reader to buy your brand rather than someone else's.
The New Category
I keep returning to this concept of launching a new brand by launching a new category. There's a reason I do: the Law of Category (Immutable Law of Marketing Law 2 and Immutable Law of Branding Law 8). If you aren't familiar with the concept, try my handbook, The 22 Immutable Laws of Marketing (for Indie Authors) to see how classic marketing laws apply to our "unique" Digital Publishing industry challenges. It's available from Smashwords in all popular eBook formats (Kindle, Apple/iPad, Nook, Kobo, etc.)
I'm pushing you towards my handbook not merely for me to make a sale, but rather, because in it, I've collected together and summarized (in a more concise manner than I have here on the blog) all of the salient concepts you'll need to know to figure out how to (a) define your brand and (b) launch a new category for it. If you don't already have your brand defined, that's the place to start. Soon I hope to edit and polish my branding series into an easy-to-read handbook as well.
The new category step in the branding-launching process is critical. The media only want to talk about what is "new" and they don't really care about your claims to being "better." Give a clear understanding of what makes your brand new and different, and the media will want to talk about it.
What's Next....
Tomorrow I'll have a Tuesday Tip for you on new eToys you might like. I just got a few new tools for cartooning my book covers but haven't quite decided which one to feature first so I hope you'll come back tomorrow to find out.
Thanks for stopping by!
-sry
@webbiegrrl
January 15, 2013
TUESDAY TIP A Creative "Common Understanding" for #Smashwords #eBooks in American Libraries #pubtip #indie #selfpub
If you're an Indie Author in the USA or at least familiar with the American reading culture, you'll know that for many readers, the first stop is not the Kindle Store or any eTailer. The first stop for a book they are uncertain about buying is to go the library and get a copy free of charge, to try before they buy. Most readers, when asked, report that they do actually buy a copy of the book if they enjoyed it enough to ever read it a second time. If they didn't, well, they might try another by that author but they won't spend money on an author's work unless or until they "know" they like it--by free lending from their local library system.
Why am I mentioning this? Because all the way back in 2011, Mark Coker, founder of Smashwords (my eBook distributor) started working on closing deals with various Library Consortium entities and individual Library Systems or Library Associations (e.g., American Library Association or ALA) and a new document was published late last week (on January 11, 2013). Click through to read more about Libraries and how they affect you as a Smashwords Author/Publisher.
Understanding Library Direct at Smashwords
Mark has provided to Smashwords authors the opportunity to be made available--at a price we authors set for ourselves--to any/all of the American libraries with whom Smashwords has closed a deal. These deals were closed under a "Common Understanding" document which is a simple, short and very openly-worded document specifying in clear and simple terms that libraries can choose to buy a copy of an ebook, lend it the way they've always done for paper books (one copy at a time), and the publisher still owns the copyrights. Gee, imagine that!
I really liked the article in Publishers Weekly discussing Mark's deal with the various Library Consortia across the USA. It gives a clear understanding of what's being offered to libraries and praises Mark for doing it. The article also gives a veiled disapproval of how the Overdrive system works--or rather, suffers a massive #FAIL for most of us who've tried to "borrow" a book from a library via Overdrive. Between the DRM and the lack of flexibility in the hardware support, the Overdrive system is stuck in low gear. They need to get it together and catch up because the rest of us are moving "at the speed of the internet" (a saying from the 1990s) not the speed of floppy disks (from the 1980s).
The deal Mark has closed with several Library Consortia is similar to a Creative Commons License for software or other Intellectual Property. Personally, I think it's enough. I don't think libraries are trying to steal books (scoff) and I don't care if library patrons try to steal a copy of MY book--if they want it that badly, I am actually flattered!
Using Library Direct at Smashwords
The Library Direct option is a fantastic way for some of us who aren't all that huge (yet) to get the potential exposure, should a library choose to purchase our book. Even better, with the Smashwords Pricing Manager, we can even choose to make our books free to libraries (and still charge readers). You'll need to be logged into your Publisher/Author account at Smashwords to see the Pricing Manager screen as it is linked off your Dashboard. If you go to the Pricing Manager and scroll down to the bottom of the page, you'll see your books listed and can set the prices as you please. Here's how I have mine set:
As you can see, I've left the price at full price for retail but made the books available free to libraries. If they want to purchase it, they get to own a copy free of charge. It's kind of like giving libraries a coupon code for a free copy that has no expiration date on it. I've done this for both my lone romance novel, Dicky's Story, my Webbiegrrl Writer marketing book and for both of the books under my SciFi Publisher Account. I can't imagine not offering my books for free to the Great American Library System(s).
I hope you found today's Tuesday Tip helpful and informative. To get more tips, subscribe to the blog via Networked Blogs (to see it in your Facebook Newsfeed) or via Google or of course, you can purchase a subscription via KindleBlogs to get it delivered for 99c a month to your Kindle's home screen.
Thanks for stopping by!
-sry
@webbiegrrl
Why am I mentioning this? Because all the way back in 2011, Mark Coker, founder of Smashwords (my eBook distributor) started working on closing deals with various Library Consortium entities and individual Library Systems or Library Associations (e.g., American Library Association or ALA) and a new document was published late last week (on January 11, 2013). Click through to read more about Libraries and how they affect you as a Smashwords Author/Publisher.
Understanding Library Direct at Smashwords
Mark has provided to Smashwords authors the opportunity to be made available--at a price we authors set for ourselves--to any/all of the American libraries with whom Smashwords has closed a deal. These deals were closed under a "Common Understanding" document which is a simple, short and very openly-worded document specifying in clear and simple terms that libraries can choose to buy a copy of an ebook, lend it the way they've always done for paper books (one copy at a time), and the publisher still owns the copyrights. Gee, imagine that!
I really liked the article in Publishers Weekly discussing Mark's deal with the various Library Consortia across the USA. It gives a clear understanding of what's being offered to libraries and praises Mark for doing it. The article also gives a veiled disapproval of how the Overdrive system works--or rather, suffers a massive #FAIL for most of us who've tried to "borrow" a book from a library via Overdrive. Between the DRM and the lack of flexibility in the hardware support, the Overdrive system is stuck in low gear. They need to get it together and catch up because the rest of us are moving "at the speed of the internet" (a saying from the 1990s) not the speed of floppy disks (from the 1980s).
The deal Mark has closed with several Library Consortia is similar to a Creative Commons License for software or other Intellectual Property. Personally, I think it's enough. I don't think libraries are trying to steal books (scoff) and I don't care if library patrons try to steal a copy of MY book--if they want it that badly, I am actually flattered!
Using Library Direct at Smashwords
The Library Direct option is a fantastic way for some of us who aren't all that huge (yet) to get the potential exposure, should a library choose to purchase our book. Even better, with the Smashwords Pricing Manager, we can even choose to make our books free to libraries (and still charge readers). You'll need to be logged into your Publisher/Author account at Smashwords to see the Pricing Manager screen as it is linked off your Dashboard. If you go to the Pricing Manager and scroll down to the bottom of the page, you'll see your books listed and can set the prices as you please. Here's how I have mine set:
As you can see, I've left the price at full price for retail but made the books available free to libraries. If they want to purchase it, they get to own a copy free of charge. It's kind of like giving libraries a coupon code for a free copy that has no expiration date on it. I've done this for both my lone romance novel, Dicky's Story, my Webbiegrrl Writer marketing book and for both of the books under my SciFi Publisher Account. I can't imagine not offering my books for free to the Great American Library System(s).
I hope you found today's Tuesday Tip helpful and informative. To get more tips, subscribe to the blog via Networked Blogs (to see it in your Facebook Newsfeed) or via Google or of course, you can purchase a subscription via KindleBlogs to get it delivered for 99c a month to your Kindle's home screen.
Thanks for stopping by!
-sry
@webbiegrrl
January 14, 2013
MONDAY MARKETING Advertising: The Hook for Your Publicity #marketing #branding #pubtip #indie #selfpub
Over the last several weeks, I've talked about launching a new category (Marketing Law of Leadership, see also Chapter 1 of my marketing handbook) but I've only just touched on
how
to do this. It's not that I'm avoiding the question, but it's not a clear 1-2-3 step process, and of course, the approach necessarily varies for each unique brand. All of these various journeys, however, will arrive at the same place if they are to succeed: generating publicity for the brand. Click through to read more about how to launch a brand and how PR picks up where advertising fails.
The Launch Process
Here's an example, albeit not from the book industry. In the USA, Altoids mints wanted to launch and compete with Tic Tac brand of mints. Tic Tac were "futuristic" looking with their capsule shape and plastic shaker container--so Altoids wisely used the Law of the Opposite and made their container "old fashioned" looking and kept the focus on their name and their unique attributes. They launched with the slogan "curiously strong mints" to contrast with Tic Tac's campaign of fruity flavors and "mild, won't overpower you" taste.
Altoids gave the consumer more than a contrast. They gave the consumer the two requirements needed to influence a purchasing a decision and choose Brand B rather than Brand A.
a new category (strong mints) and a motivating reason (curiously strong) to try themAltoids focused their message on the contrast by using the "curiously strong mints" slogan against Tic Tac's "mild, won't overpower you" campaign. Eventually, people started talking about the "curiously strong mints" slogan and the mints in the metal box. They even tried that ad-line for a while (Mints so strong they come in a metal box). It worked. Altoids took and today still holds a large share of the breath mint market--the share they took away from Tic Tac.
Editorial SalesWhen launching a new category, you must have those two critical pieces: there needs to be something new about it and there needs to be some motivating reason why consumers should try it. Unless there is a motivation, there is no way consumers will change from Brand A to Brand B. That is even more true in book-buying habits. Readers know, without a doubt, what their "Favorite Author A" is going to deliver. Unless you have that and more--or better, the opposite of that same old, same old--you cannot lure them away from purchasing more of what they already love. You must tell them--in one or two words--why Brand B is a better purchase at this time.
Selling to them is not the way to tell them this, however. Publicity is. Due to the years of drowning in advertising messages about the best this and the better that and the "new and improved" same old thing, consumers have learned (been trained) to simply reject advertising messages as false. We automatically assume an advertisement contains lies. At the same time, we still assume, to some extent anyway, that the media is delivering the truth. Therefore, an advertisement that is disguised to look like an editorial article might contain some truth.
In the last ten or so years, media falsification of documents has grown to the point of coining new terms (fauxtoshop anything lately?) It is becoming increasingly more difficult to maintain a level of credibility in the media and to distinguish between the "community-fed" social media versus "fact-checked" news media. In fact, all a fact-checker does is ask people (often via social media ) to confirm what the news media already knows. There's not much evaluation going on and consumers know this. Add to that the entertainment industry's practice of selling spots of so-called "product placement" and the media has nearly lost all of its credibility.
Publicity, Not Advertising
The bad news, of course, is that leaves very few outlets available for the placement of advertising where it might be believed by consumers. The good news, however, is that publicity, not advertising, is what you want to generate anyway. Advertising should be regarded merely as a hook on which to hang your publicity campaign, not as the end game.
It's very much like writing the opening sentence (or chapter) of your book. You want to catch the reader's attention right away and hold them there, inviting them into your world. With advertising you hook their attention and shine a light on your Author Brand. Then publicity holds the light steady by creating buzz and discussion--about the advertisement or your product, so long as your Brand is involved in the conversation.
Publicity about the advertisement is not your goal, but it can make your Brand a water-cooler talking point, at which stage, your products must deliver to maintain the buzz. Having a great book that people love to read and recommend to their friends still has to be your #1 selling strategy ^)^ Sorry but there's no avoiding that one!
What's Next....
Next Monday I'll delve further into building the Brand recognition using publicity. I hope to see you then!
The Launch Process
Here's an example, albeit not from the book industry. In the USA, Altoids mints wanted to launch and compete with Tic Tac brand of mints. Tic Tac were "futuristic" looking with their capsule shape and plastic shaker container--so Altoids wisely used the Law of the Opposite and made their container "old fashioned" looking and kept the focus on their name and their unique attributes. They launched with the slogan "curiously strong mints" to contrast with Tic Tac's campaign of fruity flavors and "mild, won't overpower you" taste.
Altoids gave the consumer more than a contrast. They gave the consumer the two requirements needed to influence a purchasing a decision and choose Brand B rather than Brand A.
a new category (strong mints) and a motivating reason (curiously strong) to try themAltoids focused their message on the contrast by using the "curiously strong mints" slogan against Tic Tac's "mild, won't overpower you" campaign. Eventually, people started talking about the "curiously strong mints" slogan and the mints in the metal box. They even tried that ad-line for a while (Mints so strong they come in a metal box). It worked. Altoids took and today still holds a large share of the breath mint market--the share they took away from Tic Tac.
Editorial SalesWhen launching a new category, you must have those two critical pieces: there needs to be something new about it and there needs to be some motivating reason why consumers should try it. Unless there is a motivation, there is no way consumers will change from Brand A to Brand B. That is even more true in book-buying habits. Readers know, without a doubt, what their "Favorite Author A" is going to deliver. Unless you have that and more--or better, the opposite of that same old, same old--you cannot lure them away from purchasing more of what they already love. You must tell them--in one or two words--why Brand B is a better purchase at this time.
Selling to them is not the way to tell them this, however. Publicity is. Due to the years of drowning in advertising messages about the best this and the better that and the "new and improved" same old thing, consumers have learned (been trained) to simply reject advertising messages as false. We automatically assume an advertisement contains lies. At the same time, we still assume, to some extent anyway, that the media is delivering the truth. Therefore, an advertisement that is disguised to look like an editorial article might contain some truth.
In the last ten or so years, media falsification of documents has grown to the point of coining new terms (fauxtoshop anything lately?) It is becoming increasingly more difficult to maintain a level of credibility in the media and to distinguish between the "community-fed" social media versus "fact-checked" news media. In fact, all a fact-checker does is ask people (often via social media ) to confirm what the news media already knows. There's not much evaluation going on and consumers know this. Add to that the entertainment industry's practice of selling spots of so-called "product placement" and the media has nearly lost all of its credibility.
Publicity, Not Advertising
The bad news, of course, is that leaves very few outlets available for the placement of advertising where it might be believed by consumers. The good news, however, is that publicity, not advertising, is what you want to generate anyway. Advertising should be regarded merely as a hook on which to hang your publicity campaign, not as the end game.
Advertising should be regarded as a hook upon which to hang your publicity campaign.
It's very much like writing the opening sentence (or chapter) of your book. You want to catch the reader's attention right away and hold them there, inviting them into your world. With advertising you hook their attention and shine a light on your Author Brand. Then publicity holds the light steady by creating buzz and discussion--about the advertisement or your product, so long as your Brand is involved in the conversation.
Publicity about the advertisement is not your goal, but it can make your Brand a water-cooler talking point, at which stage, your products must deliver to maintain the buzz. Having a great book that people love to read and recommend to their friends still has to be your #1 selling strategy ^)^ Sorry but there's no avoiding that one!
What's Next....
Next Monday I'll delve further into building the Brand recognition using publicity. I hope to see you then!
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