Episode 324 – The Asset of Attention with Joe Solari

In this solo episode, Mark interviews Joe Solari about his new book May I Have a Moment of Your Attention?

Prior to the main content, Mark shares comments from recent episodes and then reflects on the reasons why he canceled a trip he was supposed to take to Florida to attend NINC (Novelist’s Inc.)

This episode is sponsored by the Patrons of the Stark Reflections Podcast.

In their conversation, Mark and Joe talk about:

Joe’s winding experience path, the long journey he has been on, and how there’s no way you could possibly train for the job that Joe doesThe daily roadblocks that Joe had to overcome as he was beginning to learn about the complex writing and publishing businessThe importance of not assuming that the person on stage actually knows what they’re talking aboutAlso not assuming that what you “need” is what you’re seeing presented on that “stage”Joe’s very first 20BooksVegas conference (which he has been to since the very beginning of it)How Joe feels that we’re still in the early stages of the entire self-publishing landscapeUnderstanding different formats, like audio, where the consumers aren’t necessarily readers, but do enjoy storyThe value of recognizing the assets in your business, which includes the asset of AUDIENCE and the related importance of DEMANDHow ads aren’t scalable, but that audiences are scalableJoe’s latest book MAY I HAVE A MOMENT OF YOUR ATTENTION and how it’s only available to buy direct from JoeHow the book was created, and how, in part of Joe building his brand is NOT just putting the book up everywhereThe audit statements in a survey that Joe asks readers of the book to completeThe way this survey and other assets help the reader get to “know, like, and trust” Joe and then be willing to purchase from himHow traffic to your Amazon page can be one of the worst things you do if that traffic doesn’t convert to salesThe value of a customer retention systemThe importance of feeling a special part of a brand’s communityFocusing on serving your ideal reader rather than trying to sell more booksHow author Chris Kennedy allows his fans to incorporate their own fan club about the worlds he has created and writtenThe way that people who spend hundreds or thousands of dollars on merchandise, cosplay, etc, are not even thinking about how much a book costsJoe telling authors to try out his author marketing audit survey and to pay attention to it and see how they can steal his ideas for their own branding and marketing effortsThe free 20 minute calls that Joe offersThe critical importance of focusing on your audience, and not on what other authors are doing

After the interview Mark reflects on a couple of the things Joe talked about, including the advice on assumptions made about the person “on stage” offering advice, and on the critical value of focusing on how you can serve your ideal reader rather than focusing on trying to sell more books.

Links of Interest:

Joe Solari’s WebsiteJoe’s Author Marketing AuditMay I Have A Moment of Your Attention? (Book)EP 323 – Rambling Reflections From the Road: This Old HouseEP 096 – Focusing on and Delivering to Your Audience with Dale L. Roberts EP 232 – From Script Writer to Novelist with David BoitoBuy Mark a CoffeePatreon for Stark ReflectionsBest Book Ever PodcastLovers Moon PodcastThe Relaxed AuthorBuy eBook DirectBuy Audiobook DirectPublishing Pitfalls for AuthorsAn Author’s Guide to Working with Libraries & BookstoresWide for the WinMark’s Canadian Werewolf BooksThis Time Around (Short Story)A Canadian Werewolf in New YorkStowe Away (Novella)Fear and Longing in Los AngelesFright Nights, Big CityLover’s MoonHex and the CityThe Canadian Mounted: A Trivia Guide to Planes, Trains and AutomobilesYippee Ki-Yay Motherf*cker: A Trivia Guide to Die Hard

Joe Solari helps authors build great businesses. He offers business coaching and back-office services for authors. When your business is aligned with your personal goals it can only go great places.

The introductory, end, and bumper music for this podcast (“Laser Groove”) was composed and produced by Kevin MacLeod of www.incompetech.com and is Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0