I have the distinct pleasure to interview one of my favorite people and good friends, Heidi Richards Mooney to discuss her latest ebook, Quirky Marketing Calendar. As I am a huge fan of using holidays and special events to help promote books, products or services, I am aware of these special days, but I even learned a thing or two (really more than that) by reading Heidi’s newest book.
I asked Heidi to share with you more about her and her ebook, Quirky Marketing Calendar.
Please tell us a little bit about you.
I am what is popularly referred to these days as a serial entrepreneur. I have had several businesses over the years including a child care center, a bar, restaurants, a retail florist and most recently a coaching and consulting business ~ Redhead Marketing. I am also the author of 8 books (printed), and co- author of 2, and collaborator, creator of several dozen ebooks including my latest release “Quirky Marketing: 365 Ways to Promote Your Business Using Zany and Non-Traditional Holidays. In addition to sharing marketing and PR ideas with clients and my audiences, I am passionate about helping clients get their FACEBOOK, TWITTER and BLOG on…. I am also the founder of several organizations for women including the Women in Ecommerce and Inventing Women. For the past seven years I have been studying the Internet and Social Media particularly as it relates to growing a business online. I currently participate in more than a dozen social networking sites including Twitter, FaceBook, Linkedin, RYZE, MySpace, eCademy, Xing, Yahoo Groups to name a few.
What makes me an expert? In addition to interviewing hundreds of experts on the topic including bloggers, email experts, forum leaders and Internet celebrities in the top ten Social Networking Sites, I have personally developed my own skills and applied them to my businesses resulting in double digit growth over the past several years. Of course, when the economy took a nose-dive in 2008, it affected my retail business but with all the skills I had learned along the way, I have been able to bounce back quickly, unlike many of my peers. In 2003, I caught the attention of the International Virtual Women’s Chamber of Commerce and was named one of 50 women shaping the Internet. In March of 2009 because of my steady and strong presence on Twitter, I was fortunate enough to be listed by Only2Clicks.com as a Twitter Woman to Follow. And in April of last year my story appeared in the Book Twitter Success Stories featuring Internet Marketing guru Willie Crawford and 16 other social networking experts. In 2009, HER Mastermind Group ~ one of the top 20 networks on RYZE in the US ~ named me Networker of the Year. .
When did you start writing? It seems as though I have been writing for years, and in reality at least since I was 8 when I wrote my first poem. Since then I dabbled in poetry and nothing more until 1997 when I started writing articles for the floral industry. Like most association publications, they had a difficult time getting content. I don’t think it is quite the problem today because people are much more savvy and know that “content is king!” At any rate, I had written 9 articles when the publisher of the magazine called me and said “Maggie (he called me the Maggie Mitchell of Miramar ), these articles are really good. You ought to think about writing a book.” I said, “Walter I can’t write a book! I don’t know the first thing about writing!” to which he replied, “Nonsense! You already have 9 chapters.” I thought about it for a few days and said, well what the heck. I can try. I had just finished reading Chicken Soup for the Soul and one of the Stories in it was about “burying your cants.” So I figured it might be a good time to do just that. To make a long story short, 9 months later in early 1998, my first book “Rose Marketing on a Daisy Budget” was born.
For those whom are beginning writers (or those who wish to write but are apprehensive), what is your advice? The best advice I ever got was to pick up the pen and just start writing. I think it is still the best advice. Some people will say but what do I write about. Write about what you know, about your day, about your kids, pets, food, whatever turns you on. Get comfortable writing. Once you do, then the thing you really want to write will start flowing from you. Another thing I tell my clients is to carry either a pad of paper and pen or journal with them at all times or a small recorder so they can record those ideas as they come. Believe me, you don’t want to leave it to memory. Sometimes an idea is so fleeting you get it and almost instantly forget what it was. At least in my case. I have pads of paper by my nightstand, by my couch, in the kitchen and even in the bathroom. I drive with a little mini recorder next to me and can pick it up at any stop light or when stuck in traffic and can “jot down” or record some notes. It has helped me get clarity on articles, ideas for chapters of books and so much more. By the way, it took me more than a week to finish this interview which to me is the perfect example of “just doing it.” I kept putting it off for other things and when I got around to it, it just flowed. Took me less than an hour to complete.
Please let us know your inspiration for the ebook, Quirky Marketing Calendar? I mentioned earlier that I am also a florist. Early in business I knew that in order to stand out from all the other shops we had to market differently from our competitors. I actually created a holiday called “Get out of the Doghouse” day and that was really the beginning of the journey. Seeing the power of marketing “quirky” unknown holidays gave me the idea to do research for more any holidays and so I did and started doing that on a regular basis. My customers, prospects and the media love it.
Tell the readers what makes this edition different from previous editions. This edition is 40+ pages longer. It has at least 70 additional holiday marketing ideas, an expanded resource section AND we also included fill-in-the-blank forms that I use in my own marketing strategies and projects.
Can you share a few tips from the ebook? Sure! Here are 3 of my favorite that have resulted in increased sales, media exposure and were just plain fun to do:
National Volunteer Blood Donor Month ~ Every year during January the local bloodmobile parked outside my retail shop and people in the community would show up and give blood. Everyone who does so, gets a free bouquet from my shop as a small thank you. The bloodmobile does all the promotion ahead of time, including sending media releases to the local newspapers and radio stations and postcards to past donor (approx. 5,000). They also create a flyer for us to pass out to our customers prior to the event and to those who stop by the clinic as well. We generally get at least a mention in the “what’s happening” calendar in the 3 local papers and have even had half page articles written about the event. It’s a media dream come true and we are doing good in the community. A win-win.
This one is from a friend of mine: January 23rd is National Pie Day ~ The American Pie Council created this day simply to celebrate the pie. National Pie Day is a special day that is set aside to bake and cook all of your favorite pies. On this day, you are also encouraged to bake a few new pie recipes. And most importantly, it’s a day to eat pies! So what could you do to celebrate National Pie Day? Here’s what one Savvy Marketer Did: Lenore Nolan-Ryan’s Cooking School & Catering Company created a “Let’s Bake Pies Together Day at her cooking school and invited her customers and prospects to Come bake with Lenore in her kitchen to honor those you love. In her marketing she wrote: “Pie”triotism … Whether it’s baking or buying a pie for a member of the military or their family, a local fireman, teacher or parent, the gift of the pie is the sincerest gesture of kindness. Give that certain someone, that hero in your life, a Pie! Join in! Come early or come late, but don’t miss out. Put on an apron and roll out the fun or call and place your order for a pie and we will roll it, fill it, bake it, wrap and ribbon it for delivery or pick-up! Whichever way you slice it, love is the main ingredient!” You can learn more about Lenore’s cooking school at www.LenoreNolanRyan.com.
As I mentioned earlier, July is National “Doghouse Repairs” Month ~ Dog treats are a hit with animal lovers, the people kind. Give away cookies in the shape of a dog bone… wrap them individually in cellophane with a little bow, add your business card and pass out at networking events or in your establishment. I purchased the dog bone shaped cookie cutter at a local craft store, took it to my local grocer/baker and they baked us 1,000 cookies for this promotion. We then took them on trays to local radio and TV stations delivered by a local actor in a “Scooby Doo” – like costume. We were a big hit, on the news and in one radio stations newsletter. Traffic to our website went up, a couple of the radio employees became customers and one station interviewed me about the holiday.
You launched your book in February and the book is an annual calendar. That being the case, why would someone want to buy the book say in June? The ideas in Quirky Marketing Calendar are TIMELESS! It does not matter when you buy it or where you start because these are holidays that occur every year! You can buy this calendar TODAY (or any day) and use it for the next 12 months, 2 years or the life of your business!
You decided to publish this as an ebook instead of a traditional print book? What were your reasons for this decision? Mainly the costs involved in printing it. Because of the size (it is an 11 by 8.5 inch book) and it has color pictures inside. To me Quirky is a very visual idea and so the graphics inside are in color. I will loose that when it is published in grayscale. The cost to produce in color would make the calendar about $50 each. While I think that is a good price for the type of information in Quirky Marketing, I also know that most small business owners are on limited budgets and this book really needs to be affordable for companies of all sizes. I am currently negotiating with some print on demand companies for a good price. We are likely going to offer a printed version for around $39.00. The other issue is timeliness. With a digital issue I can add ideas as they come to me keeping the book current. Right now, all new holiday marketing ideas are being posted to the Quirky Marketing blog. They are designated *NEW so people reading them will understand they are not yet in the current edition. It also gives the site fresh content without devaluing the purchase of the book because there are so many more ideas in the book than will be posted to the site.
So, what is on the horizon for you and your business for the rest of 2010? I am working on another book which has been in the works for about 2 years. The subject is writing a book. I have found it to be more difficult to write a book about writing a book than about other subjects. I think it’s because it has been done so many times. So I am working on my own slant. We will see how it unfolds. Also working on publishing a book that includes works by my late daughter Alexis. She passed away in 2007 and left an incredible legacy of poetry which must be shared with the world. I plan to compile her poetry with mine and that of my mother. My father is also a poet and has written 2 books of poetry. So it’s in our genetic makeup. I don’t write much poetry these days simply because I am so busy running my internet businesses, writing articles and coaching clients.
I am also putting a proposal together to submit Quirky Marketing Calendar to major publishing houses. It is unique enough that I believe at least one visionary company will be interested in making it a mainstream business publication. This is the fourth edition and to my knowledge the original Holiday Marketing Calendar. There may be other “copycats” out there on a smaller scale, but they don’t have the same unique and little known marketing ideas this book includes.
Here is a question just for fun—what is your favorite food and why? I don’t have a favorite food. I love food of all cultural backgrounds especially Italian and Mexican. However I recently learned how to make Shepherd’s pie and gee, it’s hard to beat. That and quiche. My husband is Sicilian and a fantastic cook. I only cook when I am in the mood (not too often about once a week or so). Can’t compete with his cooking so I don’t even try!
How can others get in contact with you and purchase your ebook? The best way is email me at heidi@successandthensome.com or call me at 954-625-6606. You can also find me on Facebook at http://facebook.com/heidirichards.mooney and Twitter at http://twitter.com/heidirichards. You can purchase a copy of Quirky Marketing at www.QuirkyMarketingCalendar.com for $19.95. The book currently comes with more than $1,700 Bonus products and services generously provided by my colleagues. While you are there, be sure to sign up for the RSS feed so you can get all the new holiday marketing ideas as they are posted. I have posted 12 new marketing ideas in February alone.
I had the privilege to interview a lady whom I have been connected with for awhile online but haven’t yet had the pleasure to meet in person (one of these days though, I hope!).
Carolyn Howard-Johnson (follow her on twitter at @frugalbookpromo) is author of the How to do it Frugally series, with her first two books in the series out titled, “The Frugal Editor and “The Frugal Book Promoter” and a few more she will talk about in the interview below.
So enjoy getting to know these great lady and author, Carolyn Howard-Johnson.
When did you first start writing?
When I found out that the cute boys in high school were on the newspaper staff.
What inspires your writing?
Just about everything. It’s about connecting, spirit to spirit. Travel is especially good. But so is networking!
You write different genres- so you never picked a genre?
Yes, I’ve never picked one. I started out in journalism. Still love it. Moved to novels. Then short stories. Then poetry. I still do all of those things. Each informs the other, which goes back to what inspires my writing. (-:
[By the way, see my signature below for some of the places you can find my different genres. www.budurl.com/ShoppingPlaza gets you to my buy page on my Web site but it isn't even caught up yet.]
How long did it take you to write your books?
My novel took about 40 years. I am not kidding. It coalesced into an idea as a teen-ager and I didn’t start writing it until I was nearly 60. It fermented, changed, and grew in that time. But I’ve also written first drafts of nonfiction books in a week.
Do you have a your system for writing?
Oh, sure. But I don’t follow it. I tell my clients and students, do I say, not as I do.
What three tips would you offer beginning writers to help them?
The keywords are persistence, passion and education. With each new genre comes a new learning curve. With each new book. If we don’t do the homework, we only look unprofessional.
What were some writing books you read when you first started to help you with your writing?
I love John Gardner’s book on writing short stories. It helps with writing novels, too. I love Tom Chiarella’s Writing Dialogue and recommend it to my students. Go to www.storyfix.com for good advice on writing. But writers should also bone up on publicity and promotion way before they’re published. Thus, my multi award-winning series of HowToDoItFrugally books for writers including the one on editing. Editing, believe it or not, is a form of marketing yourself. One of the most important.
What else is in the works for you for the rest of 2009?
Oh! Oh! Brand new. Great Little Last-Minute Editing Tips for Writers: The Ultimate Frugal Booklet for Avoiding Word Trippers and Crafting Gatekeeper-Perfect Copy. It may not even be on Amazon by the time this goes to print. But the e-book is available here. I’m excited because it’s helpful in small, easy-to-take doses and frugal. Only 6.95. It was hard bringing it in at that price.
Where can people learn more about you and pick up copies your books?
Unlike many authors, I love Amazon. Sure they can be a pain but they are also a powerhouse that sells books for you. Writers can find my blog and my published books on my profile page there, www.budurl.com/CarolynsAmazProfile. My Website is also full of resources for writers as well as information on my books. www.howtodoitfrugally.com.
Thanks so much Carolyn. I know my readers will enjoy reading your post.
Thank you, Teresa. By the way, your readers should know that you and I are a good example of what marketing and networking do. They make friends for you, friends who help one another. I do hope they will ALL read The Frugal Book Promoter (www.budurl.com/FrugalBkPromo) because I know it can make the difference between a book’s being successful or languishing.
I would like to introduce a lady I found out about while reading an issue of WE Magazine for Women, Selena Rezvani. She is the owner of NextGen Women, LLC and has recently wrote a book called The Next Generation of Women Leaders. I called her (during her current book tour) and she graciously agreed to do this interview with me. Enjoy finding out a bit more about her and her experience with writing and publishing her book.
Please share with the readers, a bit of your background?
I can tell you it hasn’t been linear. I graduated with bachelor’s and master’s degrees in social work and soon after, found that traditional social work was not my right career. I tried out a number of jobs and finally found a home in management consulting. The work allowed me to use psychology and problem-solving skills while applying it to the workplace. I loved it. I did it for the last several years, and then focused my consulting niche on my true passion: women and leadership.
For those whom are beginning writers (or those whom wish to write but are apprehensive, what is your advice?
Crowd out your doubts. Don’t let anyone discourage you. There are two kinds of people: the ones who you’ll share your book concept with and who will support you and encourage you to do it, and those who will think you’re aiming too high or being unrealistic. Don’t engage with the latter group. You really need to believe in your idea to the point that you’re the biggest advocate and champion of the idea. Know exactly what need your book will fill and trust your instincts.
What was your inspiration or motivation for your writing?
Practically speaking, writing a book represented a vehicle for sharing my message. One of my major motivations was that I saw a lack of business guidance directed at women of my generation. I was inspired to do something about it, and write the guidebook I’d always wanted.
What can you say about your writing experience? It can be tough! Particularly overwhelming is the period at the very beginning. You often have more information than you know what to do with? juxtaposed with days when nothing inspiring strikes you at all. It all comes together though. It helped to organize my thoughts into major buckets and to deduce what logically belonged in each. Those categories ended up becoming the chapters of my book.
It also helps to give yourself an incentive to complete each piece of the book…something that really excites you. Be creative: after you finish each chapter, have a party or get-together, get a massage, or go out to dinner. Writing does not have to be drudgery.
Please share with the readers a few tips from your book,The Next Generation of Women Leaders? 1) Re-evaluate How You See Risk: Women who want to move up must take professional risks before they feel “ready” for them. The day when you can say “Now I feel ready” is usually too late. Others have claimed the opportunity you wanted or the risk you’re taking isn’t really a stretch anymore.
2) Be Entrepreneurial – Companies everywhere need people who are willing to go for it, who are comfortable making decisions with limited information, and who can be decisive in spite of risks. Being entrepreneurial means that you don’t always have the perfect set-up to succeed, but you’ll still need to get the best from a group and deliver.
3) Make Your Needs & Aspirations Known – Those women who make it to the top are comfortable continually asking for what they want at work, rather than waiting to be rewarded/promoted/noticed.
You worked with a traditional publisher with his book. Can you share about your experience as a writer working with this publishing house?
Writing a book today is a self-directed process whether you use a publisher or not. Publishers simply don’t have the marketing budgets that they did in the past, so it’s important to be realistic as a writer about how much you will drive the process. Luckily, social media can help the “lone” author a great deal.
I also found it helpful to view my publisher with the lens that they would edit my manuscript and produce the book. All promotional activities would be up to me. Even if this is not the case, it helps you take ownership over marketing your book.
So, what is on the coming next in 2010 for you? Any more books in your future?
Right now, I’m having a great time on tour promoting the book. I’ll continue doing that through April. Beyond that, I’m excited to sink my teeth into doing more one-on-one coaching with women and consulting with organizations that want to better retain and engage their female workforce. Through these activities and others at my firm, NextGenWomen, LLC, I’m able to get the message out to many groups that we need more women at the top of companies. I’m looking forward to writing future books on this subject as well.
When you are not writing, what other things do you enjoy doing?
All things food-related. I love trying new recipes and restaurants. Lucky for me, I have quite an array of dining spots in the Philadelphia area. The only thing that makes these “foodie” adventures better is experiencing them with my husband, friends, and family.
Here is a question just for fun—what is your favorite color and why?
Definitely purple…Plum actually. At the same time, it’s beautiful, regal, deep, and calming.
How can others get in contact with you and purchase your book, The Next Generation of Women Leaders?
Please visit my website at www.nextgenwomen.com and get in touch! You can also find my book for sale on Amazon or Barnes & Noble online.
I had been following this lady (author, speaker, consultant), Daphne Gray-Grant for over a year before I finally decided to contact her to allow me to interview her. She graciously accepted and I so appreciate it.
Here is my interview with a fellow author and writer who just loves to help writer and author to get to publication.
1) Daphne, please share with the readers how you help writers and authors? I help people in a number of different ways. For some clients I actually do the writing or editing for them. For others I coach them on how to work faster and better. I find that people have many preconceptions about writing and that these can lead them astray. Maybe I could just say I take the mystery out of writing?
2) What is your #1 piece of advice for beginning writers? My #1 piece of advice is to STOP outlining. There’s good evidence that outlining takes you into the linear and logical part of your brain — and when you write you want to be using the CREATIVE part. Instead of outlining, I strongly recommend mindmapping. This means that you write your topic in the middle of a piece of paper that’s been turned sideways and then draw a circle around it. Then you write down everything else that occurs to you — in random order — and link it to the other ideas on the page. It might sound a bit confusing but it’s really simple. I also offer a free booklet on mindmapping to anyone who signs up for my short weekly newsletter (which is also 100% free!) One client told me he was able to increase his writing speed by six times, simply by stopping outlining! And am I allowed to give a #2 piece of advice? YES!If so, I’d say that you should always write as quickly as possible and edit as slowly as you can stand. Also, be sure to do it in that order — write first, edit later.
3) What are some of your upcoming events, products and/or services? I have a workbook that’s really popular called 81/2 Steps to Writing Faster Better. I’ve sold that all around the world. I’m also looking to open a membership site in the new year so that would be writers have a good place to exchange tips and information.
4) As 2009 has ended and a new year has begun, what is one lesson you have learned from last year you will take into next year? That too many people think writing is a really big deal. It’s not. We seldom second-guess ourselves when we talk but we second-guess ourselves all the time when we write. This is not helpful! Get that first draft out as quickly as possible. Write a report by pretending you’re writing an email. Write a book by doing 300 words a day. (Did you know that will give you a full-length book by the end of a year?) Writing is easy. But we make it hard by being so tough on ourselves.
5) Please share at least 3 of your favorite books on writing, reference or instruction you would recommend. Hmmm, I LOVE books on writing so it’s hard to narrow down to three. But I guess I’d have to say (1) Sin and Syntax by Constance Hale. She makes grammar understandable and fun! (2) The Right to Write by Julia Cameron. She encourages EVERYONE to write and provides lots of great exercises. and (3) I hope this doesn’t sound immodest, but I also recommend my own book 8 1/2 Steps to Writing Faster, Better. It’s really designed to take the fear out of writing and help people become more competent and feel easier with writing.
6) Where can others gather more information about your services? Please come to my website! It’s www.publicationcoach.com You can subscribe to my newsletter there (there’s a link at the top right-hand of every page) and you’re also welcome to email me as well.
I would like to share with you about a website that helps authors and writers promote their work: BookBuzzr.
Below is an interview I did with them and I hope you enjoy learning more about their site.
1) Please tell my readers what is BookBuzzr?
BookBuzzr (www.bookbuzzr.com) is a new online book marketing technology that helps authors promote their books on their websites, blogs and social networks such as Facebook, Twitter, MySpace and LinkedIn. Even at its simplest, the BookBuzzr flippable book cover replaces the old, static, book cover images that authors use on their websites, with a dynamic,page-flipping book format that will pique the curiosity of readers. Further, readers can read an excerpt of the book right there and then. You can see a sample of BookBuzzr below.
As a bonus, when you sign-up, you also get listed on fReado.com where readers can interact with you and with other readers. Further, you can link from fReado to your own author-site or blog thus helping your search engine rankings. Because fReado.com is optimized for search engines and because fReado.com is regularly crawled all over by the major search engines, the information about your book will soon be noticed and your pages should be listed in response to web searches.
2) I like the idea of Book Buzzr as a great marketing additional tool for authors. How easy is BookBuzzr to use?
If you can manage your Facebook page or Twitter account, then you can easily use BookBuzzr. It’s really easy and intuitive. Most users are able to get started in about 15 minutes.
3) Please share one or two tips for beginning writers.
The author is as important as the book and it’s important for the author to spread the story behind the book. It’s also important for authors to remember that they are (in the words of Seth Godin) “idea-merchants” who are in the business of selling ideas and not books. The more authors can spread their ideas, the greater the chance of selling their books. People can get much of the information contained in books online for free. People buy books because they are “souvenirs” and they have formed an emotional bond with the author’s idea. Marketing is about having conversations and the more avenues that authors can find for these conversations (Twitter, Facebook, Blogs), the better.
4) Please share with us a few of the writers you have showcased on BookBuzzr? There are so many books uploaded onto BookBuzzr that it is very difficult to make a call. Some of my personal favorites include:
- Free to Eat by Fiber Girl – a diet book releasing in January 2010 but available for preview on BookBuzzr – http://www.freado.com/book/3771/Free-to-Eat-the-Proven-Recipe-for-Permanent-Weight-Loss
- Uncommon Sense – a controversial poetry book by Chad Lilly – http://www.freado.com/book/4196/uncommon-sense
- Something to Think About – an inspirational collection of short essays, quotations and poetry by Pat Ballard (the Queen of Rubenesque Romances) – http://www.freado.com/book/4429/Something-to-Think-About-Reflections-on-Life-Family-Body-Image-Other-Weighty-Matters-by-the-Queen-of-Rubenesque-Romances
- Cook from Your Heart – a beautiful, coffee-table book on intuitive cooking and eating – http://www.freado.com/book/1352/Cook-from-Your-Heart-Recipes-for-Transformation
- Alternative Poetry – an easy to read book of poetry from Michele Brent – http://www.freado.com/book/4041/Alternative-Poetry-Books-Yellow-edition-Lite
- America’s Dumbest Doctors – a hilarious book by a medical professional recounting acts of doctors doing crazy things – http://www.freado.com/book/4440/Americas-Dumbest-Doctors-Ever-Wonder-About-Yours
5) What is your favorite success story about bookbuzzr?
There are several success stories with authors mentioning higher visibility, more interest in their books and of course, higher book-sales. A few days ago, we received a message from Philip Nork – Author of ‘Sensitivity 101 for the Heterosexual Male’ in which he says, (after using BookBuzzr) “I have had many e-mails from people who have gotten an e-mail from me asking about
the product. I love it and I am sure it has helped me sell many copies of my book Sensitivity 101 for the Heterosexual Male. Thanks for helping us llittle guys get started.”
Another success story is of Chetan Dhruve (Author of “Why Your Boss is Programmed to Be a Dictator.”) Chetan has received several positive comments on his book from distinguished academics and business leaders after they discovered his work on BookBuzzr. His book has also been receiving a surge in sales on Amazon UK and Amazon US as a result of the interest created
by BookBuzzr.
And finally, we’ve had poet, author and publisher Chad Lilly who wrote in to say, “In just over a month of using BookBuzzr, my books, ‘A Day in the Mind’ and ‘uncommon sense’ both climbed to record sales rankings on Amazon”
6) What things are coming up for Book Buzzr for the end of 2009 and beginning of 2010?
We’re lucky since our first version of the BookBuzzr Flippable Book Cover has been so very well received. Now our focus is on refining it and making it even more attractive for end-readers.
We’ve recently introduced a “Related Books” feature that present other books to reader when they complete reading a particular book-extract. This has dramatically improved the potential for new authors to get discovered on BookBuzzr. We’re now working on improving this important feature.
We’re also adding the capability into BookBuzzr to have the text on the pages of the book sample get indexed by Google. This means that users searching on Google will find results from within the book. This can help in book discovery for people who are searching for information on search engines.
7) Do you have any thoughts on using Twitter effectively?
We see Twitter as an excellent place to initiate relationships and build goodwill. Towards this end, we focus on giving useful information related to book-marketing to our followers on Twitter. The strategy has proven successful. We have over 8,000 followers and Twitter is one of our biggest sources of traffic. My colleague – Freya (@bookbuzzr) – manages much of our activity on Twitter.
I have the distinct pleasure of sharing with you an interview with Author Christina Katz, author of Get Known before the Book Deal and Writer Mama.
When did you start writing?
I started writing in earnest when I entered graduate school at Columbia College Chicago in the fall of 1992. When you don’t write regularly, writing 1,000+ words a week is great habit to get into. In addition to a lot of other great lessons I learned in grad school, I started to find my writing rhythm. I’ve been writing pretty darn regularly ever since.
How long did it take you to write your “The Writer Mama” and “Get Known Before the Book Deal”?
I spent a year and a half on Writer Mama and one year on Get Known. Speaking of writing rhythms, I found my book-writing rhythm on Writer Mama, the hard way, but then was able to write Get Known quite a bit faster and with less energy wasted. Writing career success is all about finding your rhythm and then repeat, repeat, repeat.
Do you have a process for your writing? (ie. You write in the morning, you write for 2 hrs each day, you write 1000 words 3 times a week)
When I’m working on a book, I often get up very early in the morning to work. I love when everything is hushed and quiet. I can get a lot more done at this time of day than I can later when everyone’s up and about. But I don’t have a strict schedule because, as a nonfiction writer, deadlines typically dictate my writing schedule more than anything.
Both books are written with The Writer’s Digest, how did you become connected with them?
I pitched Writer Mama to Jane Friedman, then Acquisitions Editor, at the Willamette Writers Conference in August 2005. You can read the whole story here ( http://thewritermama.com/writermamastory.html). I think it’s always fun to hear how folks landed their first book deal. Over the years, Jane and I have become good friends.
Please share with the readers your top 3 tips for new writers just starting out?
Take classes from reputable teachers, find mentors who can work with you over time (because writing success takes time), and plan to work consistently hard for years if you want to see any kind of lasting results. My recommended order for writers to learn skills is: craft, pitching, professional development, then platform-building. But that’s just based on what I’ve seen work for writers I work with, everybody’s different and there is no fixed rule.
Do you have a few favorite books on writing you would recommend for writers?
Sure. The Beginning Writer’s Answer Book, edited by Jane Friedman will pretty much concisely any question you have about getting started as a writer. Then I suggest a book like Writer Mama that breaks the process of getting started as a publishing writer down into incremental steps. Then, once you are publishing with some regularity, I recommend, Kelly James Enger’s Ready, Aim, Specialize, and Wendy Burt Thomas’ The Writer Digest Guide to Query Letters. That’s just to get off to a good start.
What tips would you give to someone who has started to write a book, but is new to the internet regarding building a platform?
Well, I guess I would probably shock your readers by saying that I think that starting with a book when you haven’t been publishing regularly already is a mistake. I strongly recommend, regardless of what genre you write in, that you start by writing shorter pieces and submitting them for publication. This is part of platform-development and it also helps a writer build skills and confidence. When it’s time to handle a book deal and marketing a book, a writer is going to need both skills and confidence in abundance.
Besides your books, what other services (products) do you provide to writers?
I’ve been teaching writers for over eight years. Throughout that time, I have developed nonfiction writing classes that start with writing short pieces and extend all the way to landing a nonfiction book deal. I also have a few highly qualified teachers I recommend, who offer classes I don’t, like essay writing, poetry writing, and writing for the online markets.
Do you have plans to write any more books in the future? If so, please share a little bit about the your next book.
Oh, most definitely. I have a few ideas in the works right now but I purposely didn’t rush into my third book because writing books is can be physically, emotionally, and mentally exhausting. It makes good sense to pause once in awhile and refill the well and that’s what I’m doing this summer. Also because I’m not writing another book doesn’t mean I’m not working. I publish three e-zines, travel to speak around the country, host a local author series, create online events like The Writer Mama Back-to-School Giveaway and #platformchat on Twitter, and I participate in social networking. So, it’s not like there are many dull moments around here. I’m sure I’ll make a big announcement when I finally commit to a third book.
Please let the readers know where they can pick up your book(s)?
Both of my books, Writer Mama and Get Known, are available at booksellers everywhere. I’d love it if your readers would ask their local libraries to order copies because I’d love for them to be available to everyone.
Bio for Christina Katz
Author of Get Known Before the Book Deal, Use Your Personal Strengths to Grow an Author Platform & Writer Mama, How to Raise a Writing Career Alongside Your Kids
Christina Katz is the author of Get Known Before the Book Deal, Use Your Personal Strengths to Grow an Author Platform (Writer’s Digest Books). She started her platform “for fun” seven years ago and ended up on “Good Morning America.” Christina teaches e-courses on platform development and writing nonfiction for publication. Her students are published in national magazines and land agents and book deals. Christina has been encouraging reluctant platform builders via her e-zines for five years, has written hundreds of articles for national, regional, and online publications, and is a monthly columnist for the Willamette Writer. A popular speaker at writing conferences, writing programs, libraries, and bookstores, she hosts the Northwest Author Series in Wilsonville, Oregon. She is also the author of Writer Mama, How to Raise a Writing Career Alongside Your Kids (Writer’s Digest Books).
I had the opportunity to get a hold of Donna Cutting for a few moments in between her packed summer speaking schedule. This interview highlights a few neat things about her, her writing and speaking career, and her experience working with a major publishing house, Wiley & Sons.
Thanks Donna for taking time out of your SO busy schedule to answer these questions.
Please tell us a bit of background about yourself.
Here’s a few fun facts:
• Born and raised in Westport, Massachusetts
• Moved to Tampa Bay, Florida in 1991, met my husband, and never looked back
• My degree is in theater and communications, and I did some stage acting in summer stock, college and community theater.
• I worked in the senior living field for several years, planning creative programs for seniors, and learning and applying the principles of employee engagement.
• I’m married to my best friend, Jim, and we have a Maltese puppy named Snowball. How did you get started in speaking?
I had been working with my boss in the last position I held on improving employee morale and engagement. We had such great results that I began speaking about our process to groups. Someone asked me how much I charged to speak, and a new career was born! I also began attending my local chapter of the National Speaker Association, which I would recommend to everyone wanting to pursue a career as a professional speaker.
What persuaded you to write your book, The Celebrity Experience?
After a conversation with a friend of mine, I began to question what “red-carpet service” really meant. I spent a couple of years interviewing people in Hollywood whose customers are celebrities to find out what it really took to give that level of service, and realized that there is much we can take from Hollywood and apply to business to treat our every day customers as if they were celebrities.
Were there pleasant surprises in writing the book?
The surprises came in the form of companies who do NOT serve celebrities, and yet are getting incredible bottom line results by delivering extraordinary customer experiences. They are varied in type – there’s a university, a small department in a hotel, an assisted living organization, and even a plumbing company! Learning about their innovations in service was indeed a pleasant surprise!
How long did it take you to write the book?
The research and proposal took me over 2 years to write. Once I obtained a publisher, I had a deadline of 6 months to write the book. Over those six months, I guess it took about 8 full weeks to write the actual book.
Did you use an editor to help with the book?
I hired Denise McCabe of McCabe editing to proofread my book, and then my publisher (Wiley) assigned me an editor who worked with me extensively to ensure we were putting out the best book possible.
What advice would you give someone who wishes to write a book?
Write a book when you are so excited about your topic and idea that you can hardly sleep! As a professional speaker there is always pressure to write a book to grow your business. I waited until I had an idea that was so compelling to me that I couldn’t NOT write the book. That passion came through in my proposal and I was able to secure an agent and a publisher right away.
Also – consider how you are going to market the book. Unless you are a celebrity author, you will be responsible for marketing and promoting your own book. Begin building your database and strategic alliances now.
And you were signed with Wiley & Sons as your publisher—can you share the experience working with a major publisher?
I was fortunate to be offered a contract with Wiley immediately after sending them my proposal. They assigned me a wonderful editor who guided this first time author through the process, and pushed me to write a great book. Major publishers also have the means to distribute books through the stores, and do some marketing for you – handling distribution in both the United States and other countries. It was a great experience working with them and I hope to do it again!
What role did Wiley & Sons take on with the book?
See above.
Do you feel that you perhaps have more leverage with your book because it was published by a major publisher rather than self publishing? Why or Why not?
There are reasons to go with a major publisher and reasons to self publish. Yes, there is a level of credibility that comes with publishing through a house rather than self-publishing. For instance, it’s easier to get your book reviewed, schedule book signings, etc. And, as I said, they have distribution means not easily available to the self published author.
Do you have plans to write another book?
Yes – although not this year. Perhaps next. I’m not quite ready to go public with the concept, but I’ll let you know when I am!
What other things do you have planned for 2009?
We’ve (my team at Donna Cutting Presents, Inc.) have been developing training programs and tools around the concept of The Celebrity Experience and those will be available from our website soon. Also, I’ll be partnering with the Innisbrook Leadership Institute to work with companies and organizations who truly want to commit to red-carpet service culture change. We’ve developed an exciting consulting model and we’ll be rolling it out shortly!
Please share with the readers where they can purchase your book.
Thanks for that opportunity. The best price can be found on Amazon.com, or if you want to purchase many copies, at 800CEORead.com. However, the book is available everywhere books are sold. If it’s sold out at your bookstore, they can easily order you a copy!
