Becky Robinson's Blog, page 9

Episode 109: Demystifying Amazon

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Click here to listen on your device and subscribe! 

Welcome to Season 4 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. 

This episode is about demystifying Amazon for authors. Becky is joined by Alexa Bigwarfe—USA Today Bestselling Author and the Founder/CEO of Write|Publish|Sell—who shares her vast knowledge of Amazon, why it’s an important platform for selling books, and how authors can navigate all of its complex features. 

Key Points From This Episode

[01:45] Alexa shares a little bit about herself and her work in the world. 

[03:29] Learn more about Alexa’s author journey and her books, Sunshine After the Storm and Lose the Cape.

[05:31] Alexa reveals how many books she has written over the last decade.

[06:59] Why is it important for authors to use Amazon? Alexa explains. 

[08:40] Alexa shares whether or not achieving number one in your category on Amazon is worth chasing.

[12:25] There are a number of promotional opportunities available through Amazon. Alexa outlines the benefits of those and how authors should use them. 

[16:13] Alexa discusses the number of Amazon reviews authors should aim for and how to get more of them.

[23:04] Why can’t someone closely associated with an author leave an Amazon review for their work? Alexa explains. 

[26:52] For people who are self-published: Is it advantageous to publish exclusively through Amazon, or is it more worthwhile to expand the distribution of a book? Discover the answer. 

[35:37] Alexa concludes by sharing some of the challenges authors are facing with Amazon and how to overcome them. 

Action Step:Find the places that will help you get in front of the right readers. Explore the organizations, Facebook groups, podcasts, live events, and more that your ideal audience is navigating to.Resources:Register for the Women in Publishing Summit, happening March 1-4, 2023.Watch Alexa’s tutorial for setting a book up on IngramSpark. Follow Write|Publish|Sell on Instagram and Facebook.Follow Women in Publishing Summit on Instagram, TikTok, Facebook, and LinkedIn. Explore the website for the Women in Publishing Summit and learn how you can be a part of the community.Tweetables and quotes:

If you choose to share on Twitter, don’t forget to tag @beckyrbnsn and @katbiggie so they know you enjoyed this episode!

Don’t focus on where you are in your Amazon category, focus on getting reviews and getting buyers. —Alexa Bigwarfe 

Amazon will decline reviews for seemingly no reason. —Alexa Bigwarfe 

Something magical happens around the 50 review point. That’s where Amazon recognizes your book as legit and starts actually recommending you and putting you in places for other people. —Alexa Bigwarfe 

There’s no exclusivity clause for print books on Amazon, so you can put your book in other places, it’s just a matter of learning what tools to use and how to get it out there. —Alexa Bigwarfe 

The best thing that you can continue to do is find new readers to get in front of. —Alexa Bigwarfe 

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.

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

Click here to download our new, free resource, Spend This First, and check out some of our blog posts about navigating Amazon: “If You Want to Play Amazon’s Games, You Need to Know the Rules,” “Learning the Importance of Amazon Reviews: A Look at Bestsellers,” and “Bestseller Status is (Not Only) About Ego.” 

Check out our website and follow us on Twitter, Instagram, LinkedIn, and Facebook. 

Buy a copy of Reach: Create the Biggest Possible Audience for Your Message, Book, or Cause, and don’t forget to leave an Amazon review.

Click here to tweet about this episode!

The post Episode 109: Demystifying Amazon appeared first on Weaving Influence.

Reward the hustle

Whenever clients tell me they want to make a big bestseller list, like the Wall Street Journal hardcover nonfiction bestseller list, or the New York Times list, I worry about how to respond. I want to strategize and support authors in achieving their biggest and most audacious goals, and yet I’ve watched many many authors hustle hard and fall short. 

Part of this is because of the nature of business book sales. Many of our authors who sell thousands of books in the pre-order phase are doing so with bulk orders from conferences and organizations. As a result, these books, which may technically meet the sales numbers to make the list, are ultimately excluded. 

Industry insider and publisher at Bard Press, Todd Sattersten, shared his experience with this challenge in his post, Book Launches Are Messy. Though Todd has seen his authors’ books make the list, he has seen others sell the right number of copies but still falls short of the list. 

As a book marketing strategist and publicist partnering with business book authors over the last decade (and as a traditionally published author myself), I am well aware of the near impossibility of making either of these lists without a large, established audience, a significant financial investment, and a carefully orchestrated campaign. I’m aware of companies that run campaigns for tens of thousands of dollars to help authors outsmart the algorithms, and I regularly talk with publishers about trends they’re seeing related to bestseller lists.

I’ve interviewed WSJ bestselling authors on my podcast (Laura Gassner Otting and Dorie Clark), and a few former clients have landed on big lists (Whitney Johnson and Marshall Goldsmith). 

I also know a lot of authors who have hustled hard, lining up several thousand sales, and not made a big list. 

Tim Grahl is among the truth-telling book marketers who has talked candidly about the lists, urging authors to ignore the lists, saying “The only answer to this debacle is to stop worrying about hitting the major bestseller lists.” See his 2013 article.

Earlier in my business journey, around 2013, The Wall Street Journal exposed the surge in authors (the article is gated) working to buy their way onto business bestseller lists in order to achieve credibility for their business offerings and expanded awareness of their work. While the organization named in the article is no longer operating these bestseller campaigns, other organizations now offer similar services, with fees out of reach of most authors I’ve known.

For the most part, I’ve made peace with advising authors to work to sell as many books as possible without hopes of landing a list. The hard work and hustle to get more books into the hands of readers through selling individual copies, selling bulk orders, or giving away books is likely to create results for the author beyond their expectations, even without the prestige of a list.

I have to admit: In recent years, especially seeing friends make the list, I’ve been lulled into the sense that with enough hustle, business book authors, even lesser-known ones, could make a big list. I imagine the benefit I might gain if I could tout our services as contributing to an author’s success in making a big list. I won’t lie, I’ve wanted the prestige of a client making the list, the bragging rights. 

I’ve worked with several authors as they’ve put together bulk order campaigns, working with events and organizations to buy 50, 100, or more copies of their books at once. I’ve done this to help authors expand awareness of their work and ideas, increase overall sales, and with a hope that loading up enough sales might give them more visibility through a bestseller list — if not the WSJ, perhaps a lesser-known, niche list.

But, I’m frustrated that virtually no one talks openly and authentically about what it takes to make a list or the impact of bulk orders. I’ve done this work for nearly 11 years and the only thing I’m confident about is that the New York Times is a curated list and they will exclude books with a high percentage of bulk sales. Basically, bulk orders don’t count.

The impression I’ve gotten about the Wall Street Journal list is that it’s friendlier to bulk orders and that an author may be able to make the list with enough sales, even if the sales include bulk orders. I’ve also observed that some publishers work with bulk retailers to somehow work the system so that the bulk orders are counted toward the list. 

I understand the rationale behind the seemingly fast-changing rules. When bulk orders count, it’s easier for authors to game the system, buying their own books to buy their way onto the list, which is why bulk orders don’t count toward most lists. 

But, selling books, whether individual or bulk, requires a lot of hard work, and I dream of a world where this hard work is rewarded. 

I’m ready for the industry to be disrupted so that real bulk sales to real organizations, made by authors who have significant value to offer to the world through their books and are willing to hustle, are rewarded by inclusion on real lists.

I’m frustrated that the only way to win is to spend money on companies that wrangle bulk sales behind the scenes to make them look like individual orders so the authors can make the list. 

I’m frustrated that authors who make the list by hiring these companies don’t talk about it authentically. 

Essentially, these bestselling authors become gatekeepers of secret knowledge that puts new and emerging authors and authors of limited resources or from marginalized communities at a disadvantage. Lacking full information, or working from misinformation, these industry outsiders begin to believe that hustling is enough.

I’m ready for the playing field to be leveled so that the difference between the authors who do make the list and those who don’t is more than the amount of money they’re willing to spend to get behind-the-scenes support. 

I’m ready for some new lists that reward the hustle.

The post Reward the hustle appeared first on Weaving Influence.

Episode 108: Writing a Book That Changes Lives

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Click here to listen on your device and subscribe! 

Welcome to Season 4 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. 

This episode is about the importance of putting your readers first and crafting the kind of books that will change lives. Becky is joined by AJ Harper—Editor, Publishing Strategist, and Author of Write a Must-Read: Craft a Book That Changes Lives–Including Your Own—who discusses her writing journey and why it is important for nonfiction authors to shift from focusing on what they are writing about, to who they are writing for. 

Key Points From This Episode

[01:57] AJ shares a little bit about herself and her work in the world.

[03:14] The approach called “Reader First” is something AJ teaches in her workshops and her book. Listen as she reveals more about it. 

[04:50] AJ expands on the concept of “Reader First” and why it’s so important to care about readers from the very beginning of the book to the end. 

[05:46] If you want to write a must-read book, it’s not fast or easy. AJ explains why. 

[07:24] AJ walks listeners through the steps of the Reader Transformation Sequence. 

[09:31] Learn how the Reader Transformation Sequence might be different if someone receives a book as a gift or as part of a sales cycle. 

[10:54] AJ reveals how she landed on the title and subtitle of her book and how she coaches authors through the process. 

[16:24] Discover AJ’s advice for how authors can overcome the fatigue they might experience when it comes time to market their book. 

[18:03] AJ shares the marketing efforts that have been the most meaningful on her author journey. 

[20:24] AJ reveals her three favorite books of all time. 

Action Steps:

Ask two questions while preparing to write your book:

What’s the change you want to see in the world?Who can help you facilitate that change?Resources:Explore AJ’s personal website and her book website. Connect with AJ on LinkedIn and Facebook.Tweetables and quotes:

If you choose to share on Twitter, don’t forget to tag @beckyrbnsn and @AJHarperAuthors so they know you enjoyed this episode!

I say reader first, last, and always. —AJ Harper

People will read your book because they feel seen by you—they feel like you see them and you get them. That has to happen on page one, but it also needs to happen all the way through. —AJ Harper

I think giving away books for free in the beginning is important. —AJ Harper

When you write a book that changes lives, that leads to your life changing. —AJ Harper

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.

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

Click here to download our new, free resource, Spend This First.

Check out our website and follow us on Twitter, Instagram, LinkedIn, and Facebook. 

Buy a copy of Reach: Create the Biggest Possible Audience for Your Message, Book, or Cause, and don’t forget to leave an Amazon review.

Click here to tweet about this episode!

The post Episode 108: Writing a Book That Changes Lives appeared first on Weaving Influence.

Episode 107: Book Marketing & Platform Building

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Click here to listen on your device and subscribe! 

Welcome to Season 4 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. 

This episode is about the world of book marketing and how authors build their platforms. Becky is joined by Nancy Sheed—Social Media Marketing and Communications Consultant—who discusses her experience and career as a book marketer, what book marketing means to authors, and how to create sustainable, realistic book marketing approaches that lead to long-term success. 

Key Points From This Episode

[01:48] Nancy shares about herself and her work in the world. 

[03:36] Nancy talks about her experience working with bestselling author Laura Vanderkam. 

[06:13] How does Nancy define the work she does? She reveals the answer. 

[09:35] Listen as Nancy describes when she would ideally start working with authors to build their online presence.

[12:57] Nancy explains how she talks authors through the idea that marketing a book is harder than they expect. 

[16:09] Nancy outlines some ways that authors can prepare to promote their books.

[20:33] How has the world of book marketing changed over the last 10+ years? Nancy talks about the transformation she has seen. 

[24:47] Nancy shares what excites her the most about the book marketing industry. 

[27:11] Nancy reveals one of the most successful approaches to book marketing that she has seen in her career. 

Action Steps:Put together a list of people who know, love, and adore you and start sending them an email every now and then (with their permission). If you don’t have a plan for email, then it’s going to be really hard to build a community.Think about how you’re showing up online and Google yourself to see what you find. Make sure the story the online world is telling is the one you want to be told. Resources:Visit Nancy’s website to learn more about her and connect. Follow Nancy on LinkedIn and Instagram. Tweetables and quotes:

If you choose to share on Twitter, don’t forget to tag @beckyrbnsn and @sheesalt so they know you enjoyed this episode!

A lot of people who love writing books don’t like being extroverted marketers promoting themselves. It’s not a comfortable thing for them. —Nancy Sheed

Authors are the asset, they’re the content, they’re the things that people want to see—they want to hear from, they want the insight from—so they have to be involved in the marketing. —Nancy Sheed

Who is your book for? Who is going to buy it? Where are they? What do they want to hear from you? —Nancy Sheed

There are a lot of specialists now that can help you dive deep into a myriad of ways to promote your book, depending on what your goals are. —Nancy Sheed

Helping people who have important messages that can change people’s lives is really important.  —Nancy Sheed

People still use email. They’re never gonna leave email. —Nancy Sheed

Social media is great, but you don’t own it. —Nancy Sheed

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.

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

Click here to download our new, free resource, Spend This First, AND explore our ebook, Publishing & Marketing Timelines, about how the publishing process overlaps with marketing priorities.

Check out our website and follow us on Twitter, Instagram, LinkedIn, and Facebook. 

Buy a copy of Reach: Create the Biggest Possible Audience for Your Message, Book, or Cause, and don’t forget to leave an Amazon review.

Click here to tweet about this episode!

The post Episode 107: Book Marketing & Platform Building appeared first on Weaving Influence.

Episode 106: The Book Publishing Industry

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Click here to listen on your device and subscribe! 

Welcome to Season 4 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. 

This first episode of Season 4 is about the book publishing industry. Becky is joined by Jane Friedman—author and expert on all things publishing—who discusses some of the best and most surprising moments from the publishing industry in 2022, the biggest trends, the challenges that authors have been facing, the influence of Amazon, and what’s in store for the publishing industry in 2023. 

Key Points From This Episode

[02:01] Jane shares about herself and her work in the world.

[03:12] What were some of the highlights from the publishing industry in 2022? Jane reveals. 

[06:20] Jane discusses how nonfiction authors show up on BookTok. 

[08:09] Listen as Jane explains how TikTok and BookTok help authors who may be selling a lower volume of books expand awareness and reach for their work. 

[11:05] Jane reveals some of the surprises of the publishing industry in 2022. 

[12:14] Should audiences expect a lower price point on AI-driven audiobooks? Discover the answer. 

[13:51] Jane continues discussing some of the surprises of 2022 and if they had a positive or negative impact on authors. 

[18:32] Learn about some of the most significant challenges authors have faced in recent years.

[20:15] Looking ahead to 2023, Jane shares her advice for authors choosing between self-publishing, hybrid publishing, and traditional publishing. 

[24:35] Jane dives deep into what has been inspiring authors to engage more and market their work. 

[28:55] Jane shares her take on a controversial book marketing approach.

[31:28] Discover Jane’s advice about getting Amazon reviews. 

Action Steps:If you haven’t started an email newsletter, start today! Remember that you can keep it very simple. Set aside an hour to brainstorm 100 small tasks that would help increase the visibility of yourself and your book. These small tasks should be things that can be accomplished in 15-30 minutes. Resources:Explore Jane’s website to discover classes, newsletters, books, and more. Follow Jane on Twitter, Instagram, and LinkedIn. Tweetables and quotes:

If you choose to share on Twitter, don’t forget to tag @beckyrbnsn and @JaneFriedman so they know you enjoyed this episode!

BookTok is seen as a positive activity because these are enthusiastic, heartfelt recommendations from readers. It’s very organic. We’re not talking about stuff that’s paid for—it’s just coming. It’s arising out of the community serendipitously, and publishers can’t control it. —Jane Friedman

A lot of BookTok sales happen on their own accord. It’s really hard to force them. —Jane Friedman

I think we’re going to see more publishers and more authors take advantage of AI to produce audiobooks that are acceptable in the market and help reach new audiences. —Jane Friedman

If you’re a very new publisher and you don’t have a back list, you’re actually missing a big part of your financial engine for keeping the company afloat because you need the money coming in from those titles that you published years ago in order to fund the new ones. —Jane Friedman

I think people are struggling with the power and the weight of Amazon.  —Jane Friedman

On the self-publishing end, the people who are succeeding right now are the ones who have already reached their audience in some way. —Jane Friedman

Email, I think, is where a lot of authors are going. —Jane Friedman

You want to have some number of reviews very quickly to reassure the people who have no clue who you are that this book is a good bet, or that it’s for them. —Jane Friedman

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.

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

Click here to download our new, free resource, Spend This First, AND explore our Ebooks about publishing: Publishing Choices and Publishing & Marketing Timelines.

Check out our website and follow us on Twitter, Instagram, LinkedIn, and Facebook. 

Buy a copy of Reach: Create the Biggest Possible Audience for Your Message, Book, or Cause, and don’t forget to leave an Amazon review.

Click here to tweet about this episode!

The post Episode 106: The Book Publishing Industry appeared first on Weaving Influence.

January 2023 Leadership Development Carnival

Weaving Influence has the privilege of hosting the January 2023 Leadership Development Carnival! We’re excited to share posts from leadership experts from around the globe on the topics of communication, development, engagement, motivation, productivity, team building, and more.

Communication

Jennifer V. Miller writes 6 Phrases to Get a Derailed Conversation Back on Track. Jennifer summarizes: “Conversation gone off the rails? Communication snafus? Get back on track with one of these six statements.” Find Jennifer on Twitter at @JenniferVMiller.

Diana Peterson-More shared Communication Resolutions for 2023: Five Key Tips. Diana explains: “Each year, many of us make New Year’s Resolutions. Since communication is something, we do 24×7, whether we want to or not, and whether we intend to or not, why not take a quote from an admired historical figure that informs communication? Read four of my favorite quotes that inform five key communication tips.” Find Diana on Twitter at @DianaPMAuthor.

Robyn McLeod provided Eight Ways to Avoid Blowing Up at Work. Robyn summarizes: “Here are eight essential ways to productively and safely blow off steam and identify relief valves to get back on track and keep you moving in the right direction.” Find Robyn on Twitter at @ThoughtfulLdrs. 

Eileen McDargh contributed The Secret Leadership Skill: Connection. Eileen explains: “Research now concludes that most Americans report having fewer friends and colleagues with whom they feel close. There’s a sense of aloneness and disconnection despite the growth of instant messages and chat rooms. What is missing is REAL human interaction: conversation!” Connect with Eileen on Twitter at @macdarling.

Paula Kiger of Big Green Pen shared What to Do After Someone’s Dream Dies. Paula writes: “The people you lead may have either neglected to define or update their goals. As leaders, we can help them find alignment with what they want to do (and can do) again, even if that means making changes.” Connect with Paula on Twitter @biggreenpen.

Development

Frank Sonnenberg contributed Why Are People So Surprised When Someone’s Polite? Frank explains: “Are you surprised when folks have good manners? While common courtesy was expected years ago, courteous behavior is scarce today.” Follow Frank on Twitter at @fsonnenberg.

Lorrie Coffey of Horizon Point Consulting shared Leading with Emotional Intelligence. Lorrie writes: “Leading with emotional intelligence isn’t just for those times of crisis, it’s for those everyday moments. It’s knowing that an employee who made a mistake is beating themselves up enough and needs a leader who will use the opportunity as a teaching moment instead of as an opportunity to rake them over the coals.” Follow Lorrie on Twitter at @ohmyHR. 

Marcella Bremer of Positive Culture contributed Active Hope for Positive Organizations. Marcella considers: “Discouraged about global crises? The Active Hope process helps people and organizations unleash their strengths. Check the story, start from gratitude, acknowledge pain, see with new eyes and take action. Start here with 7 ‘sentence starters.'” Follow Marcella on Twitter at @MarcellaBremer.

Priscilla Archangel of Archangel & Associates provided Authentic Leadership: Will the Real You Please Stand Up? Priscilla writes: “Does your team know your core values and personality style? Is your behavior consistent in all your interactions with your colleagues? As a leader, if you’ve ever reflected on any of these questions, you’re thinking about how to behave authentically in the situations in which you find yourself. Learn more about how to be an authentic leader!” Follow Priscilla on Twitter at @PrisArchangel. 

Julie Winkle Giulioni shared Learn-gevity: The Top Skill You’ll Need in 2023 and Beyond. Julie explains: “Lifelong learning has long been understood to be a critical success factor. But today, it’s taken on even greater importance. Consider these actions to enhance your own learn-gevity in 2023.” Julie on Twitter at @julie_wg.

S. Chris Edmonds of The Purposeful Culture Group provided Culture Leadership Charge: Build a Culture of Respect. In this video post, Chris shares: “Most business leaders see their job as managing results. Results are important, but they’re only half the leaders’ job. The other half? Managing respect.” Follow Chris on Twitter at @scedmonds.

Jon Verbeck provided Great, Good, So-So, or Bad Year? Jon writes: “Great. Good. So-So. Bad. It’s been quite a year for all of us. As I look back on this year and think about my clients’ results – determining wins and losses with hard, comparable data on sales, margins, efficiency, and profitability – it is sometimes still hard to quantify a year as a great year, good year, so-so year, or bad year. Or perhaps a combination of all of these. Let’s look at a fictitious, but very possible scenario, for a business experiencing all four.” Follow Jon on Twitter at @jonverbeck1. 

Ken Byler of Higher Ground Consulting Group contributed Graciously Receiving. Ken writes: “In a world where work-life balance describes our over-stimulated lifestyles, it should come as no surprise that we try to give without learning how to receive. Gaining insights about the value of graciously receiving will likely require a willingness to slow our pace and open our spirits to something different.”

Dana Theus of InPower Coaching writes Year End: The Psychology of Closure. Dana explains: “This year, leverage the psychology of closure to declutter the year behind you and set yourself up for success in the year ahead. You’ll feel refreshed with an updated story to tell about who you are and where you’re going.” Find Dana on Twitter at @DanaTheus. 

Art Petty provided The Old Model of Manager is Broken—It’s Time to Start Fresh. Art shares: “It’s time to replace the tired, outdated model we have for identifying, developing, and tasking managers. Given the complexity of our environment today and the myriad existential issues facing organizations, industries, and even humanity, we need to find new ways to harness the creative and productive power of inspired people, not send them running out the door or leave them idling in place.” Follow Art on Twitter at @artpetty.

ENGAGEMENT

David Grossman of The Grossman Group provided The Top 10 Things Every Employee Wants From Their Leader. David shares: “What do employees really want from their managers? Big picture, it’s less BS and more humanity. From our research and decades of experience in this area, here are some of the most common employee wishes and those that come up most often as unmet.” Follow David on Twitter at @ThoughtPartner.

Randy Conley of Leading with Trust shared The #1 Strategy for Improving the Employee Experience in 2023. Randy shares: “To attract and keep top talent, organizations are taking a close look at how their employee experience can set them apart from the crowd. In a recent survey, over 700 leadership, learning, and talent development professionals shared their top strategies for improving the employee experience and there was one that stood out from the others. Can you guess what it is?” Connect with Randy on Twitter at @RandyConley.

team building

Ken Downer of Rapid Start Leadership provided The Law of Slow Leaks – Why Important Things Fail and What We Can Do About It. Ken shares: “The law of slow leaks governs everything from team building to goals to relationships. If we ignore its impact on our lives, we can expect that things that are important to us may not work as we expect when we need them. Here’s what the law is, and how to counteract its effect.” Follow Ken on Twitter @RapidStartLdr.

Creativity/Inspiration

Marcia Reynolds of Covisioning Transformational Leadership provided Stepping Into a New You in the New Year. Marcia shares: “Your brain doesn’t discern between what you don’t want and what you envision is possible. Get clear on what you want the next year to be for you to keep your brain forward-focused.” Connect with Marcia on Twitter at @marciareynolds.

Brenda Yoho writes One Little Spark and Curiosity. Brenda explains: “It takes one little spark and a little curiosity to discover solutions and celebrate accomplishments. How many attributes do you or your organization have that compare to the checklist created to spark the start for 2023?” Find Brenda on Twitter at @BrendaYoho. 

Productivity

Neal Burgis of Successful Solutions contributed Reflections as You Welcome 2023. Neal explains: “Challenge yourself in 2023 to think differently, be open to opportunities, and move forward with your ideas even during a possible upcoming recession. Don’t stop due to economic climate changes. You will succeed after it’s gone.” Follow Neal on Twitter at @exec_solutions.

Bill Treasurer of Giant Leap Consulting contributed Taking a Moment to Pause. Bill explains: “During this time of year, we are often overwhelmed. Schedules are full and there are never enough hours in the day. But while you are busy rushing from one thing to the next, I offer this reminder from my book Leadership to Words at a Time, to pause, breathe and reflect.” Follow Bill on Twitter at @btreasurer.

Sean Glaze of Great Results Team Building shared How to Set More Effective Collaboration Expectations on Remote or Hybrid Teams. Sean writes: “Ensuring that people share information is a key element of effective leadership. But the reality is that, according to many of the coaching conversations I’ve had with executives and managers, even in-person collaboration has been imperfect at best. So, how do you improve collaboration across departments and within teams for hybrid and remote workers? Well, it starts with recognizing what exactly collaboration is…” Find Sean on Twitter at @leadyourteam.

Thank you to everyone who submitted articles for this month’s carnival! If you would like to be added to the distribution list for submission calls, please fill out this form and we’ll be happy to add you to the list.

The post January 2023 Leadership Development Carnival appeared first on Weaving Influence.

Episode 105: Best of Season 3

Click here to listen on your device and subscribe! 

Welcome to Season 3 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. 

This episode is a culmination of some of the best moments from Season 3, featuring a few of the guests who made it so impactful. 

Featured Episodes

#76: How Authors Can Use Cross-Promotion to Reach More Readers https://weavinginfluence.com/podcast/episode-76-how-authors-can-use-cross-promotion-to-reach-more-readers/ 

#78: Showing Up As Your Authentic Self https://weavinginfluence.com/podcast/episode-78-showing-up-as-your-authentic-self/ 

#81: Exploring Book Trailers https://weavinginfluence.com/podcast/episode-81-exploring-book-trailers/ 

#83: The Four Commitments of Reach https://weavinginfluence.com/podcast/episode-83-the-four-commitments-of-reach/ 

#90: Giving to Others Through Your Online Presence with Bob Burg https://weavinginfluence.com/podcast/episode-90-giving-to-others-through-your-online-presence-with-bob-burg/ 

#92: Current Social Trends and TikTok with Christy Kirk https://weavinginfluence.com/podcast/episode-92-current-social-trends-and-tiktok-with-christy-kirk/ 

#94: Longevity with Dorie Clark https://weavinginfluence.com/podcast/episode-94-longevity-with-dorie-clark/ 

#96 Sponsorships for Authors with Stephanie Chandler https://weavinginfluence.com/podcast/episode-96-sponsorships-with-stephanie-chandler/ 

#98: The Power of Storytelling with Steven James https://weavinginfluence.com/podcast/episode-98-the-power-of-storytelling/ 

#100: Something Special https://weavinginfluence.com/podcast/episode-100-something-special/ 

#103: Fiction Book Marketing Strategies for Nonfiction Authors: https://weavinginfluence.com/podcast/episode-103-fiction-book-marketing-strategies/ 

Stay tuned for Season 4, coming in the new year.

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.

Buy a copy of Reach: Create the Biggest Possible Audience for Your Message, Book, or Cause, and don’t forget to leave an Amazon review.

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 105: Best of Season 3 appeared first on Weaving Influence.

Bestseller Status Is (not only) About Ego

I had an email from a potential client overnight. In response to an article I sent him about Amazon and bestseller status, he replied that working to get bestseller status on Amazon seems like an ego play. While there is certainly some element of ego involved when people set a goal to make their books a bestseller, there are other, less obvious reasons you may want to work to become a bestseller, on Amazon or elsewhere. 

Discoverability. When your book is new, Amazon’s algorithms have not yet fully incorporated it into their search engines. I’ve noticed this with authors whose books are on Amazon long before their launch dates. In those early weeks, before they’ve announced their books to their networks and sent direct traffic to their books, searching for the book with the title may not be sufficient to find the page. We teach Amazon’s algorithms, by activity on our book pages, that our books are interesting and sought after. A campaign to send lots of activity to your page in a short amount of time can make it easier for people searching for your book (or a book like yours) to find it. 

There’s an added discoverability factor: ranking as a hot new release in a category means that your book is also cataloged with those other hot new releases in your category. That hot new release page is another place people can discover your book. The more categories you select and rank in, the more places people may discover your book. Momentum. Launching a book successfully is challenging. Selling books is harder than anyone anticipates. If you are able to rank as a bestseller, on Amazon or elsewhere, that early success builds momentum. Success creates more success. People may want to be a New York Times bestseller for the bragging rights, but it is also about the exposure afforded books once they land on that list. Credibility. While you may think bestseller status is about ego, I would argue that the real desire for most authors is to create credibility for their books. By ranking as a bestseller, you send a signal that your book is worthwhile and important. When you tell others that your book is a bestseller, they confer status on your book and your ideas. Conversation. Gaining bestseller status gives you something to talk about as you continue to share your book with the world during your launch week and beyond. It gives you something to share when people ask you how it’s going with your launch. You can capture screenshots of your book as a bestseller in its category to share across your social channels. If you’ve asked people for support, your ranking as a bestseller is an obvious indicator that the help they’ve given you has been worthwhile. 

I’m curious, what other reasons do you see for seeking bestseller status on Amazon or elsewhere? Which of the above reasons are most important to you?

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Episode 104: Building a Thriving Community with Dennis Pitocco

Photo by Somsak Sudthangtum / 123rf.com

Click here to listen on your device and subscribe! 

Welcome to Season 3 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. 

This episode is about building thriving communities, both online and in person. Becky is joined by Dennis Pitocco—Chief Reimaginator at 360° Nation. He and his wife have built an incredible community of writers and nonprofit leaders and generously share their time, energy, and passion to make the world a better place. 

Key Points From This Episode

[00:41] Dennis introduces himself and talks about his work in the world.

[04:08] Dennis also has a website called GoodWorks 360 where he helps nonprofits for free. He reveals what kind of help he is giving to those nonprofits. 

[08:22] 360° Nation has a massive audience and an ever-growing community. Dennis shares the story of how he started building that online presence with his wife. 

[16:40] Dennis shares how authors can connect with him and start writing for 360° Nation.

[17:49] What article topics is 360° Nation known for? Dennis reveals the answer.

[21:34] Dennis discusses the secrets of success to build a thriving online community. 

[24:03] Discover more of Dennis’ secrets to success.

[28:24] Dennis shares which of the four commitments of Reach has been most critical to 360° Nation’s success. 

[30:47] All of the value that Dennis offers to writers is completely free, and there’s no catch. Dennis elaborates on the generosity of 360° Nation.

[32:58] Dennis shares what inspired this amazing generosity. 

Action Steps:If you’re a nonfiction author who’s looking for new audiences for your book or your writing, connect with Dennis on LinkedIn. Find out how you can join 360° Nation.Think about if there is someone in your local area that you could collaborate with to share value, build community, and make a bigger difference. Overcome the inertia of sitting at home or being on Zoom calls and schedule an in-person coffee, walk in the park, or lunch outing.Resources:Participate in The Friendship Bench, a weekly Zoom call to bring people together and build community. Connect with Dennis on LinkedIn, especially if you’re interested in joining the 360° Nation community. Explore the 360° Nation website. Tweetables and quotes:

If you choose to share on Twitter, don’t forget to tag @beckyrbnsn and @bizcatalyst360 so they know you enjoyed this episode!

We do everything we do for good.  —Dennis Pitocco

I cannot tell you how much work we did with nonprofits when the pandemic hit because, unlike a number of businesses, they didn’t really have a crisis management team or a plan, or a backup. —Dennis Pitocco

We didn’t want somebody else to build our website because it would look like what everybody else was doing. —Dennis Pitocco

What happened is we kept reacting to our audience because we didn’t have a model. We just kept going where the audience was going. —Dennis Pitocco

You don’t build a community just by sharing articles or liking something. —Dennis Pitocco

Take advantage of the work you’ve already done and all the hours that you put into writing your book and give it new life. —Dennis Pitocco

We are purposely meeting with our writers to rediscover that magic that we kind of lost through isolation. —Dennis Pitocco

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.

Buy a copy of Reach: Create the Biggest Possible Audience for Your Message, Book, or Cause, and don’t forget to leave an Amazon review.

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 104: Building a Thriving Community with Dennis Pitocco appeared first on Weaving Influence.

Learning the importance of Amazon Reviews: A Look at Bestsellers

On any given day, when you visit the bestselling books on Amazon, you’ll observe a few trends: 

Many of the top 20 bestselling books are fiction. As I am writing this, 6 of the top 20 are fiction. TikTok sensation Colleen Hoover holds three of those bestsellers including #1. Also often in the top 20: cookbooks and childrens’ books. While the top 20 also contains a high percentage of nonfiction titles, most of those are celebrity-driven biographies. On most any day over the last several months, only one business book is listed among the top 20 bestsellers: Atomic Habits by James Clear. This book has nearly 87,000 reviews. Of the books on the top 20 listing that are not in pre-order status or recent releases, all have a minimum of 1,200 Amazon reviews with most having reviews numbering in the 10s of thousands. 

Even though business books rarely rise to the level of commercial success enjoyed by Clear for Atomic Habits, what is obvious to me is that the number of reviews is an important barometer of a book’s success. If enough copies of your book are in the world, and if your book is well-received, Amazon reviews amass organically. An author’s work early on provides a foundation upon which those later organic reviews can be added. Those of us who are fortunate enough to expand our work to growing audiences will see our review count grow, but it takes time. 

Of the books I’ve been watching this year, Whitney Johnson’s January release of Smart Growth, a Wall Street Journal and USA Today bestseller, has 220 reviews. Dorie Clark’s The Long Game, released a few months earlier in September 2021, also a WSJ bestseller, has over 600 reviews. Michael Bungay Stanier’s January release, How to Begin, has over 300 reviews, compared to his earlier book, The Coaching Habit, a perennial bestseller, which has a whopping 8,500 — but over 8 years.

I have been watching The Coaching Habit since it launched in 2016, when someone on the team of the author Michael Bungay Stanier offered me a free review copy. I accepted! Six years later, it has an astounding number of reviews. Every author— at the beginning —must proactively fight for every Amazon review.

It’s overwhelming to worry about reaching the huge number of reviews that bestsellers amass over years. If you’re just getting started, it can be helpful to set and work toward modest goals. Aim for 25, then 50. Once you get to 50, you can work toward 75, and then 100 and beyond. 

When I launched my book in April, it took 73 days to get to 100 reviews. I am nearly to 120. My next goal is to reach 150. I know that the more books I sell and give away, the more potential reviewers I will have. 

Getting reviews from the beginning is critical — and harder than any author imagines. 

Amazon reviews provide social proof about a title. That’s why seeking early Amazon reviews is very important for any author. The first reviews added on a book almost always come at the request of the author, who is strategically sharing advance copies of their books in order to obtain those early reviews.

Informed buyers notice and read a book’s reviews before purchasing. Many times, they will see the reviews as more important than your book’s description and will look at the reviews to find out if the book sounds like it is for them. So, getting a respectable number of reviews in the early months after your book is released is helpful for increasing the sales of your book. 

If you want to be a perennial seller, you will eventually have hundreds, if not thousands of reviews, but the hard work for the initial reviews is something you can influence and lead.

A critical mass of early reviews can lead to more buzz for your book. More buzz leads to more sales, and as your book sells more, the number of reviews will increase as well. 

To receive a review, you need to ask for a review. 

Asking for Amazon reviews can feel uncomfortable for some authors, but few people will remember to leave a review unless you ask.

If people give you feedback about your book, verbally or in an email, it’s the perfect time to follow up to ask for a review. Try this: 

Thank you so much for that feedback. Would you be willing to share those thoughts with a brief review on Amazon? 

If you know someone has read your book and hasn’t left a review, it may be helpful to share why reviews matter: 

Would you be willing to leave an Amazon review to help other readers know about the value my book offers? A few simple sentences will help others learn what’s helpful in my book.

For additional learning on the topic of Amazon reviews:

Read Why Amazon Reviews Matter, How to Get 100 Amazon Reviews in One Day

Listen to “Why Are Amazon Reviews Important?  On The Book Marketing Action Podcast. 

Watch “The Most Important Book Marketing Investment” 

The post Learning the importance of Amazon Reviews: A Look at Bestsellers appeared first on Weaving Influence.