Becky Robinson's Blog, page 14

Episode 69: Implementing a Partnership Strategy

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Welcome to Season 2 of The Book Marketing Action Podcast with Becky Robinson, where we give you information that you can immediately implement to increase your influence and market your books more successfully. In this episode, we are joined by Cynthia Shannon ‒ Food and Lifestyle Marketing Manager at Chronicle Books.

Today’s episode is all about authors and partnerships. According to Cynthia, partnerships provide a more organic placement for a book, which creates an authentic feeling for customers. There are a wide range of partnerships in book marketing, and Cynthia guides us through the most important ones, setting authors up for a natural and successful marketing strategy.

Key Points From This Episode:

[00:43] For those who may not have heard of promotional partnerships, Cynthia provides a definition.

[00:43] Discover why authors should pursue partnership strategies to promote their books. 

[00:43] Cynthia elaborates on what the goals of a partnership might look like.

[05:21] How many different types of partnerships are there? Cynthia shares some of the most common examples. 

[05:21] Find out what Cynthia looks for in a great partnership. 

[09:41] Cynthia reveals where her creative inspiration comes from when trying to put partnerships together.

[09:41] Learn what steps an author can take to create a successful partnership.

[09:41] Cynthia explains what authors need to be careful about when they are pursuing partnerships.

Action Steps:Be very clear about your goals for the partnership. Determine how it will benefit both partners.Think differently and creatively about what a partnership could look like. There are endless ways to make your partnership unique and exciting.Find partners who are a natural fit for your book. You want the partnership to feel authentic. Resources:Learn more about Cynthia and explore her website here.Connect with Cynthia on LinkedIn, and follow her on Twitter, Instagram, and Goodreads.Get in touch with Cynthia by filling out this contact form.Explore the Chronicle Books website and their wide selection of content.Follow Chronicle Books on Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest, and Instagram.Tweetables and quotes:

Promotional partners can be people, places, or brands that help you expand your platform beyond the people you already know and help drive serendipitous discovery of your book. – Cynthia Shannon

Partnerships allow you to build awareness without spending a lot on advertising, or dealing with the uncertainty of publicity. They can provide a natural placement for your book, which will feel much more authentic for the customer. – Cynthia Shannon

The hallmarks of a great partnership are audience affinity and reciprocity. – Cynthia Shannon

Each partnership is very unique. And you can play with all of the different assets in terms of what you’re able to do together. – Cynthia Shannon

Great agreements make great partnerships, and great agreements are in writing. – Cynthia Shannon

If you found value in today’s episode, we hope you’ll take a moment to share it with someone else who might benefit from it. If you have any questions or topics you’d like us to cover, please email Becky Robinson here.

Click here for our free resources. 

If you enjoyed this episode, please leave us a review. 

Click here to tweet about this episode!

The post Episode 69: Implementing a Partnership Strategy appeared first on Weaving Influence.

Episode 68: Chris Brogan’s Author Journey

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Welcome to Season 2 of The Book Marketing Action Podcast with Becky Robinson, where we give you information that you can immediately implement to increase your influence and market your books more successfully. In this episode, we are joined by Chris Brogan  — Writer and Strategic Advisor at Chris Brogan Media.

Today’s episode is continuing the “Author Journey” series, based on Becky’s book, which is scheduled for release from Berrett Koehler publishers in April 2022. The book is called Reach: Creating the Biggest Possible Audience for Your Message, Book, or Cause.

Key Points From This Episode:

[01:13] Chris gives some background about himself and his work in the world.

[02:49] Chris provides context for how long he’s been showing up online and working to establish an online presence.

[04:48] “You have to add value before you can extract value.” Find out if Chris actually said this popular quote.

[07:31] How can you understand if you’re offering value through your online presence or not?

[09:05] Chris explains the role consistency plays for him in building the reach of his work.

[11:32] Chris talks about his famous Sunday newsletter.

[12:59] Chris started blogging in ‘98 and podcasting in ‘05. What has this longevity done for him?

[15:31] Discover how the nine books that Chris has written have affected his career.

[18:29] Chris reveals his favorite book that he has ever written. 

[22:59] Generosity has played a major role in Chris’ life and career. Find out why.

Action Steps: Write before you’re ready to write. Don’t wait around to be good at writing — you only get good at it by doing it. So write before you’re ready to write, and you’ll be a lot better off in the process.Write messy. It’s okay not to know how to say something and return to it later. You either have to be a great upfront writer or a great outback editor.Write something useful, always useful. Many people write books to please themselves that aren’t going to be useful to the world. You have to be helpful.Write something that you want people you love to read. Write as if you’re writing to someone that you really care about, and if they have this information, it might make things better.Resources:Check out Chris’ website to learn more about him, his work, and the services he offers.Sign up for Chris’ Sunday newsletter here.Get in touch with Chris by emailing him at chris@chrisbrogan.com. Watch Chris’ video about how it took him 10 years to become an overnight success. Tweetables and quotes:

I think the inbox is the most powerful social network in the world. And that’s where I put most of my energy to connect professionally. – Chris Brogan

I always say quit but never surrender. – Chris Brogan

If you kind of just go out and do your little marketing campaign and then vanish, you’re a bad person, because you’re not there. You’re not part of the community. – Chris Brogan

There’s a plus and a minus on longevity. The plus is that people go, “Man, that guy’s been around.” The minus is that people love shiny and new. – Chris Brogan

A lot of times people plant the seed in the ground, and the minute they see the green little tiny leaf pop up, they go, “Oh, here we go.” And then they pull everything out of the ground, and then it doesn’t really grow anymore. – Chris Brogan

This process is that people have to feel comfortable with you. They have to kind of feel into it a minute, you know, it’s not the length of a Tik Tok. It’s the length of a real old timey book with, like, 260 pages. – Chris Brogan

If you found value in today’s episode, we hope you’ll take a moment to share it with someone else who might benefit from it. If you have any questions or topics you’d like us to cover, please email Becky Robinson here.

Click here for our free resources. 

If you enjoyed this episode, please leave us a review. 

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The post Episode 68: Chris Brogan’s Author Journey appeared first on Weaving Influence.

Episode 67: Becoming an Evergreen Author

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Welcome to Season 2 of The Book Marketing Action Podcast with Becky Robinson, where we give you information that you can immediately implement to increase your influence and market your books more successfully. In this episode, we are joined by Roseanne Cheng  — Author and Co-Founder of Evergreen Authors.

Today’s episode focuses on why authors must stop trying to do everything when it comes to book marketing. According to Roseanne, it is far more productive to find one or two things that bring them joy and to capitalize on those things. This intentionality is what sells books and sustains an author’s success over time, making them “evergreen.”

Key Points From This Episode:

[01:23] Roseanne introduces herself and her work.

[03:32] Roseanne goes into detail about her online course and her book titled, The Evergreen Author.

[05:21] Learn more about what “evergreen author” really means.

[07:15] Roseanne explains why it is so difficult for authors to find joy in the process of marketing their books.

[09:57] Roseanne lists some common themes behind what she sees draining the joy of authors.

[09:57] Roseanne gives an in-depth explanation of the 80/20 rule and how it applies to book marketing.

[14:52] If you’re an independent author, Roseanne has some specific advice for you.

Action Steps:Be willing to let go of things that are draining your joy. Think about your current efforts around book marketing and choose one thing to stop doing. Send Becky an email at becky@weavinginfluence.com and let her know what you choose to stop doing as a result of listening to Roseanne’s wisdom. Authors, no matter where you are in your journey, think about how you can relaunch in this new reality. You have an opportunity in this world of the pandemic and post-pandemic to rethink, relaunch, and rebrand yourself and your book.Resources:Check out the Evergreen Authors website to learn more about the joy of getting your book into the world, and to explore the variety of resources they offer.Buy Roseanne’s book, The Evergreen Author, or download a free sample here.Sign up for Algorithm Alchemy , an Evergreen Authors masterclass all about growing your Amazon traffic in 30 days or less. OR learn more about how to run Amazon ads here.Listen to this episode of The Book Marketing Action Podcast that focuses on the importance of Amazon ads, how to effectively use them, and myths related to Amazon advertising.Follow Roseanne and Evergreen Authors on Facebook, Pinterest, and LinkedIn, and subscribe to their YouTube channel.Tweetables and quotes:

I’m all about the real work that goes behind book marketing. And the good news is some of that work doesn’t have to be as hard as you think it is. In fact, it can be really fun and really joyful. – Roseanne Cheng

We feel very strongly that the most successful authors — the happiest authors — are the ones who are all about sustainability. They’re creating a writer career, an author career, that is something that they can do for the long haul, the long term. – Roseanne Cheng

What you need to be doing is finding one or two things that you enjoy doing when it comes to your book, or your brand, or your business, or whatever it is that you’re doing to put yourself out there, and do those one or two things really well. – Roseanne Cheng

Social media is something that drains people’s joy, just because there’s this weird misconception that they’re all the same, when they are not. And so you need to find one or two that you really enjoy. – Roseanne Cheng

In the marketing world in general, 80% of your results are going to come from 20% of your work. – Roseanne Cheng

If you found value in today’s episode, we hope you’ll take a moment to share it with someone else who might benefit from it. If you have any questions or topics you’d like us to cover, please email Becky Robinson here.

Click here for our free resources. 

If you enjoyed this episode, please leave us a review. 

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The post Episode 67: Becoming an Evergreen Author appeared first on Weaving Influence.

Episode 66: Justin Miller’s Author Journey

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Welcome to Season 2 of The Book Marketing Action Podcast with Becky Robinson, where we give you information that you can immediately implement to increase your influence and market your books more successfully. In this episode, we are joined by Justin Miller — Author and CEO of CARE for AIDS, Inc.

Today’s episode is continuing the “Author Journey” series, based on Becky’s book, which is scheduled for release from Berrett Koehler publishers in April 2022. The book is called Reach: Creating the Biggest Possible Audience for Your Message, Book, or Cause.

Key Points From This Episode:

[01:35] Justin discusses the journey, founding, and growing of his nonprofit, CARE for AIDS, and how his brother David inspired his journey.

[04:39] Justin shares some of the highlights, exciting accomplishments, and impacts of CARE for AIDS over the past 13 years.

[06:37] Justin explains what has helped him get more attention and contributions that have fueled his work over the years.

[08:28] It is important to steward relationships with partners, and Justin provides examples of how he mobilizes people who are invested in his message.

[08:28] Justin reflects on the setbacks that he has faced along his journey, and what he learned from them.

[12:14] Learn about how Beyond Blood, the book written by Justin and his co-founders, has helped share the message of CARE for AIDS in a wider way. 

[14:43] Justin explains how he will continue to incorporate Beyond Blood in his outreach about CARE for AIDS.

[16:05] Justin concludes by describing how he builds organic reach in the U.S. by consistently opening the conversation about AIDS in the places where he would like to see it represented. 

Action Steps:Consider ways that you might continue to keep your book in the conversation. One thing Justin mentioned is that his book is going to be a long-term asset in sharing the story of CARE for AIDS. Gift your book to people who might be interested in the work that you’re doing, or bring it with you everywhere you go in order to keep it circulating.Think about whether there’s a new book you may need to write in order to help share your work in the world. After hearing Justin’s story and the way his book has influenced the growth of people knowing about his nonprofit, is there a story tugging on your heart that you want to write?Donate to CARE for AIDS. It is through the support of donors that Justin is able to see the lives of families transformed and advance the work he is doing. Donte here in order to support the mission of CARE for AIDS.Resources:Learn more about Justin’s nonprofit organization, CARE for AIDS.Learn more about Beyond Blood, the book Justin and his co-founders wrote, here.Connect with CARE for AIDS on Twitter, Instagram, Facebook, and LinkedIn.Learn more about Justin and explore his website, here.Connect with Justin on Twitter, Instagram, Facebook, and LinkedIn.If you’re looking for additional support on your book marketing journey, join us for the Reach More Readers Workshop.Tweetables and quotes:

We’ve impacted about 25,000 clients who’ve come through the doors of our program, and they represent about 75,000 kids. And that was always part of our desire for the program, that these parents living with HIV would have the opportunity to live for 20 or 30 more years to see their kids grow up, and to help educate their kids. – Justin Miller

We are really trying to remind people and bring attention back to this issue that is societal and is really on the decline in terms of people’s interest. – Justin Miller

There are some themes that we’re really passionate about, and one of them is really talking about this idea of redemptive relationships. What does it mean to be in a relationship with people who look, who think, who believe differently than you do? And how does that help us grow? How does that change us? – Justin Miller

This kind of really organic reach that has been developed over time by being consistent and being excellent in our work has really been the key to our success. – Justin Miller

If you found value in today’s episode, we hope you’ll take a moment to share it with someone else who might benefit from it. If you have any questions or topics you’d like us to cover, please email Becky Robinson here.

Click here for our free resources. 

If you enjoyed this episode, please leave us a review. 

Click here to tweet about this episode!

The post Episode 66: Justin Miller’s Author Journey appeared first on Weaving Influence.

Episode 65: Building an Author Brand

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Welcome to Season 2 of The Book Marketing Action Podcast with Becky Robinson, where we give you information that you can immediately implement to increase your influence and market your books more successfully. In this episode, we are joined by Liz Charlotte Grant—Author and contributing editor at The Curator Magazine.

We are so happy to be recording another episode with the amazing Liz Charlotte Grant. She’s back by popular demand because her episode that we recorded about how to grow a following on Instagram is among our most listened to podcasts. In this episode, we are thrilled to talk with Liz about branding for authors.

Key Points From This Episode:

[01:46] What is author branding? Liz shares her definition. 

[03:00] Liz shares why it is so important for an author to understand branding.

[04:20] We hear about Liz’s brand and what she’s seeking to share through her author brand. 

[06:05] Liz shares some authors who she believes have memorable brands. 

[12:31] Liz shares her advice for someone who’s just starting out with building an author brand.

[13:25] For an author who may be a little farther along on their branding journey, Liz shares ways you can drill down and be even more effective in sharing your brand.

[17:00] There’s no wrong way to create your brand. 

Action Steps:Download Liz’s free branding resource. What do people think when they hear your name? If you are just starting out with your author brand, Liz recommends looking at the resource that she created that will help you really think through who you want to be through your online presence. Seek help from a graphic designer. If you are an author who’s a little bit farther along in your journey, the recommendation is to seek out professional assistance from a graphic designer who can really help you bring your brand to life through the visual look and feel of your brand. Resources:Learn more about Liz and the work she does in the world. Connect with Liz on Instagram, Facebook, and LinkedIn.Subscribe to Liz’s newsletter, The Empathy List. Liz’s FREE branding worksheet helps authors create a personal brand they can be proud of. Download here. Listen to Episode 43, How to grow a following on Instagram, here. Memorable authors liz mentions: David Sedaris, Cheryl Strayed, R.L. Stine, IBRAM X. KENDI, and Dav Pilkey.Tweetables and quotes:

I think the reality is that brands can really help us stand out in our category as an author. And it’s really about what is unique about you. – Liz Charlotte Grant

The reality is you have a brand, whether you have honed it or not. – Liz Charlotte Grant

Your audience attracts new folks, builds greater attachment, and then communicates that professionalism within publishing. – Liz Charlotte Grant

In all aspects of my branding, my goal is to be open and honest and warm. – Liz Charlotte Grant

There’s no wrong way to do a brand. – Liz Charlotte Grant

If you found value in today’s episode, we hope you’ll take a moment to share it with someone else who might benefit from it. If you have any questions or topics you’d like us to cover, please email Becky Robinson here.

Click here for our free resources. 

If you enjoyed this episode, please leave us a review. 

Click here to tweet about this episode!

The post Episode 65: Building an Author Brand appeared first on Weaving Influence.

Episode 64: Minal Bopaiah’s Author Journey

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Welcome to Season 2 of The Book Marketing Action Podcast with Becky Robinson, where we give you information that you can immediately implement to increase your influence and market your books more successfully. In this episode, we are joined by Minal Bopaiah—Author, Equity Strategist, and Founder of Brevity & Wit. 

Today’s episode is continuing the “Author Journey” series, based on Becky’s book, which is scheduled for release from Berrett Koehler publishers in April 2022. The book is called Reach: Creating the Biggest Possible Audience for Your Message, Book, or Cause.

Key Points From This Episode:

[00:54] Minal shares about what her experience has been like growing her influence online.

[02:09] Minal discusses building connections on LinkedIn, what’s worked well for her, and how she has expanded the reach of her work.

[04:16] Minal shares the challenges she faced on the journey to getting her book contract.

[05:16] A challenge for marginalized voices in the business books space, is that it seems you almost have to be making six figures in order to be able to get the book deal and afford the extra publicity and marketing around the book. Minal shares her experience that led her to that belief. 

[07:09] Minal discusses her perspective on difficulties that people from marginalized communities might face.

[11:59] We hear about what people from dominant identities might be missing about the challenges that people from marginalized identities face.

[14:31] For those who recognize that they are part of a dominant community, with the privileges associated with that, Minal shares what they can do to elevate marginalized voices.

[20:11] Minal shares her final thoughts as it relates to publishing and amplifying voices.

Action Steps:Mobilize your network. One of the things Minal mentioned was that she realized, in the publishing world, it’s more about relationships and networking, than it is about the quality of your work. So I would encourage you to think about your network and the ways in which you can mobilize them to help you. We do have a network mobilization resource available to help you think through this.Read outside your comfort zone. As it relates to equity and inclusion, Minal recommends getting a different perspective, having those difficult conversations, reading books from people that don’t look like you or from people who are outside of your comfort zone, just keep reading and read profusely.Bring awareness to the areas where you are dominant. Another thing mentioned in today’s episode was doing some research in order to become aware of the complexity of your identity among all of the dimensions. Minal mentions Theequitybook.com, which is her website for her book. On that page, you will be able to download the Group Identity Wheel and do the exercise to raise awareness of your own identity. Doing that exercise will help you understand the ways in which you have privilege and the ways in which you’ve been marginalized.Resources:

Learn more about Minal’s company, Brevity & Wit.

Learn more about Minal and her book, Equity: How to Design Organizations Where Everyone Thrives, here.

Connect with Brevity & Wit on Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn, and Instagram.

Connect with Minal on Twitter and LinkedIn.  

Tweetables and quotes:

As a marketer, I think it’s really important to make decisions that allow you to use your resources wisely. – Minal Bopaiah

I think a writer’s job is to tell the truth in the most authentic voice possible. And so even though you want to be cognizant of your audience, you also want to be true to yourself. – Minal Bopaiah

If we only read books from people who look like us, then it’s not going to be possible for us to amplify the work of someone who doesn’t look like us. – Becky Robinson 

It’s really a need to influx and to have more of these voices out there. Because there are so many stories we’re not hearing and so many perspectives that we’re missing. – Minal Bopaiah

If you found value in today’s episode, we hope you’ll take a moment to share it with someone else who might benefit from it. If you have any questions or topics you’d like us to cover, please email Becky Robinson here.

Click here for our free resources. 

If you enjoyed this episode, please leave us a review. 

Click here to tweet about this episode!

The post Episode 64: Minal Bopaiah’s Author Journey appeared first on Weaving Influence.

Episode 63: Bev Kaye’s Author Journey

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Welcome to Season 2 of The Book Marketing Action Podcast with Becky Robinson, where we give you information that you can immediately implement to increase your influence and market your books more successfully. In this episode, we are joined by Dr. Beverly Kaye—Author, Speaker, and Thought Leader.

Today’s episode is continuing the author journey series, based on Becky’s book, which is scheduled for release from Berrett Koehler publishers in April 2022. The book is called Reach: Creating the Biggest Possible Audience for Your Book, Message, or Cause.

Key Points From This Episode:

[02:08] Bev started her business and thought leadership career before the rise of the Internet. Bev shares the different experiences that she’s had in building reach for her work, both before she had online tools, and now after.

[04:05] From fax newsletters and mail newsletters, Bev shares how that transitioned over once people began using email and other approaches, and what her marketing team did as she started to build reach for her training company in the 90s.

[05:19] Bev tells us about her entry into using online approaches to reach her audience.

[08:49] We hear about some of the ways that Bev’s continuing to invest in her thought leadership brands.

[11:19] Bev shares the principles she followed that helped her become successful and have impact with her ideas.

[15:04] We’re reminded by Bev that we need to be opportunity minded, not opportunity blinded.

[15:12] Bev shares her final thoughts. 

Action Steps:Make a list of what you can let go of. Bev mentioned that she could not do what she does without help from others. So what I would encourage you to do is make a list of what you feel energized about, what you might need help with, and what you can let go of. This is something that we talk about a lot as an organization, because you only have so much as it relates to time, energy and money. Make a list and decide what you can do, what you could have others do, and what activities may not align with your marketing goals. And those are the activities that you’ll let go of. Ask for help! Bev mentioned only her first book was with her alone, but from then on, she consistently involved others. Think of who you can involve in your work, whether that’s asking for endorsements, reaching out to your lists to help share your book or message on social media, or even sharing with others who might benefit from your work. You can even ask others to buy your book. Resources:

Learn more about Beverly Kaye and the work she does, here.

Connect with Beverly Kaye on Twitter and LinkedIn.  

Click here to download our ebook, Network Mobilization Cheat Sheet. This free resource will help outline everything that you need to do to get started with your asks, including a free template where you can start making your list of people and what you can specifically ask from them.

Tweetables and quotes:

We can teach as much through conversation with one another, or with an audience, as we could by using our wonderful slides.

You have to be opportunity minded, always. Too many are opportunity blinded.

Be an opportunity miner, mining for ideas. Not an opportunity whiner. 

If you found value in today’s episode, we hope you’ll take a moment to share it with someone else who might benefit from it. If you have any questions or topics you’d like us to cover, please email Becky Robinson here.

Click here for our free resources. 

If you enjoyed this episode, please leave us a review. 

Click here to tweet about this episode!

The post Episode 63: Bev Kaye’s Author Journey appeared first on Weaving Influence.

Episode 63: Bev Kaye’s Author Journey Copy

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Click here to listen on your device and subscribe! 

Welcome to Season 2 of The Book Marketing Action Podcast with Becky Robinson, where we give you information that you can immediately implement to increase your influence and market your books more successfully. In this episode, we are joined by Dr. Beverly Kaye—Author, Speaker, and Thought Leader.

Today’s episode is continuing the author journey series, based on Becky’s book, which is scheduled for release from Berrett Koehler publishers in April 2022. The book is called Reach: Creating the Biggest Possible Audience for Your Book, Message, or Cause.

Key Points From This Episode:

[02:08] Bev started her business and thought leadership career before the rise of the Internet. Bev shares the different experiences that she’s had in building reach for her work, both before she had online tools, and now after.

[04:05] From fax newsletters and mail newsletters, Bev shares how that transitioned over once people began using email and other approaches, and what her marketing team did as she started to build reach for her training company in the 90s.

[05:19] Bev tells us about her entry into using online approaches to reach her audience.

[08:49] We hear about some of the ways that Bev’s continuing to invest in her thought leadership brands.

[11:19] Bev shares the principles she followed that helped her become successful and have impact with her ideas.

[15:04] We’re reminded by Bev that we need to be opportunity minded, not opportunity blinded.

[15:12] Bev shares her final thoughts. 

Action Steps:Make a list of what you can let go of. Bev mentioned that she could not do what she does without help from others. So what I would encourage you to do is make a list of what you feel energized about, what you might need help with, and what you can let go of. This is something that we talk about a lot as an organization, because you only have so much as it relates to time, energy and money. Make a list and decide what you can do, what you could have others do, and what activities may not align with your marketing goals. And those are the activities that you’ll let go of. Ask for help! Bev mentioned only her first book was with her alone, but from then on, she consistently involved others. Think of who you can involve in your work, whether that’s asking for endorsements, reaching out to your lists to help share your book or message on social media, or even sharing with others who might benefit from your work. You can even ask others to buy your book. Resources:

Learn more about Beverly Kaye and the work she does, here.

Connect with Beverly Kaye on Twitter and LinkedIn.  

Click here to download our ebook, Network Mobilization Cheat Sheet. This free resource will help outline everything that you need to do to get started with your asks, including a free template where you can start making your list of people and what you can specifically ask from them.

Tweetables and quotes:

We can teach as much through conversation with one another, or with an audience, as we could by using our wonderful slides.

You have to be opportunity minded, always. Too many are opportunity blinded.

Be an opportunity miner, mining for ideas. Not an opportunity whiner. 

If you found value in today’s episode, we hope you’ll take a moment to share it with someone else who might benefit from it. If you have any questions or topics you’d like us to cover, please email Becky Robinson here.

Click here for our free resources. 

If you enjoyed this episode, please leave us a review. 

Click here to tweet about this episode!

The post Episode 63: Bev Kaye’s Author Journey Copy appeared first on Weaving Influence.

Episode 62: Karin Hurt’s Author Journey

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Welcome to Season 2 of The Book Marketing Action Podcast with Becky Robinson, where we give you information that you can immediately implement to increase your influence and market your books more successfully. In this episode, we are joined by Karin Hurt—CEO, Speaker, and Award-winning author.

Today’s episode is continuing the author journey series, based on Becky’s book, which is scheduled for release from Berrett Koehler publishers in April 2022. The book is called Reach: Creating the Biggest Possible Audience for Your Book, Message, or Cause.

Key Points From This Episode:

[00:44] Karin shares about her work in the world and her four books. 

[02:20] Karin shares about the beginning of her author journey and how and when she decided to begin growing influence and connections online.

[07:37] For people who are in the beginning of trying to grow a following, create reach, or build a platform, Karin shares when she started gaining traction and how she knew when that was all starting to come together.

[10:57] Karin shares surprising insights she’s gained along her journey.

[15:20] In addition to the principle of consistency, Karin shares other principles that she’s found to be critically important in growing her online influence and the building her business.

[17:55] Karin shares advice for those people who might be struggling to create this type of online presence.

Action Steps:Map out a schedule to show up consistently. Karin mentioned many times the value of showing up consistently and generously. We would encourage you to think about what a reasonable consistent cadence looks like for you and for your content marketing. That could be blogging, videos, webinars, social media, there are a number of different things that you could choose to focus your efforts on. But what we suggest is to take out a piece of paper or open a Google doc or an Excel sheet and map out what you realistically can commit to. We all have these really lofty dreams about these content marketing goals that we’d like to be able to hit, but we hear a lot from authors that time is a limiting factor. So map out a schedule to keep yourself on track and keep showing up with that consistent cadence.What does success look like for you? Karin talked about what success looks like and she touched on it a little bit when she was talking about her blog, and that maybe getting a bunch of views or comments on the blog wasn’t the right measure of success for her. What she really needed to look at was if her content was reaching the right people. So before you get started on your marketing journey, really think about what success looks like to you. And once you know that you can really pivot your marketing strategies and practices to align with those goals. If you’re setting out on your marketing journey without really having thought about what success looks like for you, it can be very confusing to know where to focus your efforts. But if you have clear goals outlined you’ll be able to focus your attention to the areas that can create an impact.Resources:

Learn more about the work Karin is doing in the world. 

Connect with Karin on Twitter and LinkedIn. 

Join Karin every Friday at 11:30 AM (ET) for Asking for a Friend, her weekly video blog.

Connect with Let’s Grow Leaders on Facebook, YouTube, and Instagram. 

Tweetables and quotes:

If you really want a platform, you have to show up consistently. 

Other thought leaders are not your competitors. They actually might be your competitors, but there is space for everyone. Support their books, support their ideas, as much as you’re supporting your own, and it will come back.

I think sometimes people are generous to the people they think will be able to help them as opposed to just showing up generously to help people.

Don’t get discouraged and really be patient. And then make sure you’re writing for the right people, and that you really care about the quality.

Do we have work that we love to do? Do we have clients that we love to be with? Are we making an impact for those clients? And are we making the revenue that we need to grow? That’s how we measure success now.

If you found value in today’s episode, we hope you’ll take a moment to share it with someone else who might benefit from it. If you have any questions or topics you’d like us to cover, please email Becky Robinson here.

Click here for our free resources. 

If you enjoyed this episode, please leave us a review. 

Click here to tweet about this episode!

The post Episode 62: Karin Hurt’s Author Journey appeared first on Weaving Influence.

Episode 61: Selling vs. Marketing Your Book

Photo by Yulia Grigoryeva / 123rf.com

 Click here to listen on your device and subscribe! 

Welcome to Season 2 of The Book Marketing Action Podcast with Becky Robinson, where we give you information that you can immediately implement to increase your influence and market your books more successfully. In this episode, we are joined by Todd Sattersten—Publisher at Bard Press, “Producing One Best-Selling Business Book At A Time.”

Key Points From This Episode:

[0:00] Todd shares about his work in the world and his books. 

[0:00] What is required for an author to successfully market and sell their book?

[0:00] Todd talks about the idea that you have to get the problem right and how he thinks the book, The ONE Thing, demonstrates that principle. 

[0:00] What’s the difference between selling books and marketing books?

[0:00] Todd shares, as it relates to sales and marketing, tactics that he recommends that apply universally.

[0:00] Todd explained that a business book author who can sell 10,000 books in the first year is more likely to sell even more across the lifetime of the book. He talks a little bit about that data, how he gathered it, and why that number of 10,000 is so important.

[0:00] Todd believes that it’s critically important for authors to invest in a book over the long haul. Can you talk about why and how that relates to the 10,000 copies in the first year?

Action Steps:Take a look at your book description.  If your book is already out or if you’re in the process of preparing for a book proposal or a book, you can really think through your book with the three questions: 1. What? 2. So What? 3. Now What?Create a Sales Plan. If you have a marketing plan, it’s not enough. You also need a sales plan. Todd’s recommendation around a sales plan was to open a spreadsheet and start thinking about the people who can buy your book, and how many copies they might buy of your book, and to not only think about the people who need the answer to the problem that your book is solving, but also the people who just care about you personally and what you’re doing in the world. Resources:

Learn more about Todd Sattersten. 

Check out the book Todd Sattersten co-authored, The 100 Best Business Books of All Time.

Get a copy of the best-seller book, The ONE Thing: The Surprisingly Simple Truth Behind Extraordinary Results. 

Sign up for Todd’s free newsletter for detailed and unique riffs about what he sees going on in business book publishing.

Connect with Todd on Twitter and LinkedIn. 

Tweetables and quotes:

I think that if you don’t get the book right, it doesn’t matter how much advertising and marketing you do. The book is not going to be successful. So make sure that you get the book right.

I think your ability to pull the message from the book into the marketing and selling, if you do it right, ends up becoming, I’m not gonna say easy, I’m gonna say easier.

Marketing can do lots of things for the author, it can raise profile, it can create other business opportunities, but just remember, when we’re launching the book, we want to connect it as much as possible to the actual selling of the book and the selling of the product.

The combination of the book, the author, and the audience, they’re so context specific, that we need to build a marketing and sales plan that matches that.

If you found value in today’s episode, we hope you’ll take a moment to share it with someone else who might benefit from it. If you have any questions or topics you’d like us to cover, please email Becky Robinson here.

Click here for our free resources. 

If you enjoyed this episode, please leave us a review. 

Click here to tweet about this episode!

The post Episode 61: Selling vs. Marketing Your Book appeared first on Weaving Influence.