Ten Things Doctors Can Do To Get Speaking Engagements

By Scott Lorenz

Westwind Communications

As a doctor, it is important to gain speaking engagements to promote yourself and your practice to both your peers and to gain new patients. Here are the top ten things you can do to get more speaking dates.


1. You need a terrific website that is informative and grabs the viewer’s attention as soon as they click to your page. A website is one of the first things someone who is interested in you will check out. If they like it they’ll contact you, if not they won’t. Your website is the perfect place to post a video of you at a speaking engagement or feature an article you’ve written. One way to insure your website is as good or better than others is to benchmark it against websites of your competitors or practitioners in your same field. It is also important for your website to look professional. In order to achieve a clean, professional look hire a web designer who is familiar with medical marketing to design your website. The days of doing it yourself are over.

2. Patient testimonials are a useful marketing tool and can be easily added to your website. Testimonials can be acquired by asking your patients. Simply ask them questions and videotape their responses. Once you have a few testimonials, edit and compile the videos and upload them to your website and YouTube.

3. Doctors who publish articles get asked to speak. My clients are invited to speak on a regular basis because their articles are discovered online. How? A conference organizer who is looking for a speaker on a particular topic will search the Internet for someone demonstrating that expertise. If you have an article on that topic they can find you. It’s that simple. When writing articles, it is important to understand that you have two main audiences. First, you have patients. Second, you have your peers. Your patients are not going to understand the serious medical lingo that your peers might. One solution to this issue is to develop two different websites; one for patients and one for your fellow doctors. With a peer-friendly website, you can add the more technical articles and information. On your patient-friendly website, you can put things in layman’s terms which patients will understand and appreciate.

4. Position yourself as an expert in your particular medical field. One option is to add the word “expert” after the topic you are expert in. For example, one of my doctor clients is a “propofol expert.” If someone were to search a topic of interest online and add the word “expert” to their search, the experts in that area would show up in the search results. Go ahead try - it. Search on “propofol expert.” You’ll find Dr. Barry Friedberg. By finding your specific expertise and promoting it via articles and press releases, when people need an expert in your field, you will be sure to pop up in their Internet search. You can also get yourself listed as an expert by visiting http://www.expertclick.com/ or http://www.authorsandexperts.com/.

5. Writing a book is an excellent way to publicly demonstrate your expertise. The most common approach is to write a book proposal and then find an agent who will present your proposal to a publisher who will publish your work. A different approach is to compile past articles you’ve written and then self-publish your book. Visit http://www.book-marketing-expert.com/ for ideas on publishing and promoting your book. Whichever route you choose, your book will show the media that you are serious about the work you do.

6. Now that you have your book written and published, what do you do with it? The answer? Promote it! You can either promote the book yourself or hire a PR firm to get the word out and promote the book for you. The PR firm will create a press kit, which includes a press release, a bio of the author, sample media questions, as well as a fact sheet that covers some of the issues in your book along with excerpts and direct quotes from your book. You can also sell your book at the end of a speech or require the people who schedule your speech to buy “X” number of books to give to the participants. For more strategies on book promotion check out http://www.westwindcos.com/

7. While searching for speaking engagements, be sure to visit these useful websites. First is http://www.profnet.prnewswire.com/, which sends out media and speaking leads to PR executives and communications representatives at hospitals, associations and universities. A second website to utilize is The National Speakers Association (http://www.nsaspeaker.org/). Another website, http://www.doctorsreview.com/, has two thousand scheduled meetings readily available on their site. On the DoctorsReview.com page, you can narrow your results by searching for a specialty or travel destination. A final suggestion is to visit www.projectspropublica.org/docdollars to gain an idea of who is paying doctors to speak.

8. In order to be a successful speaker, I recommend presentation and media training. A good friend of mine, Jess Todtfeld, was Bill O’Reilly’s producer at Fox for many years, and also worked at NBC, ABC, and CBS. Jess’s website http://www.successinmedia.com/ offers media training in both New York and Los Angeles. On his site, you can also find advice on how to pitch to the media and how to create an effective speaking presentation. Media training will help you improve your speaking skills as you will learn to speak succinctly.

9. Another way to gain speaking arrangements is to reach out to the media directly. The Harrison Guide to Top National Media and Interview Shows is an effective way to gain access to the media. For example, each of the top shows from Good Morning America to Dateline list the dozens of producers’ contact information. Another resource is called Media Atlas; they offer an online database you can access. It is easy to go online through these options and hone in on a specific audience and get in touch with the media associated with them. Once you’ve identified a member of the media that covers your topic, send them a pitch letter and a press release.

10. Finally, there are free online services you can utilize to publicize yourself and your book. CraigsList http://www.craigslist.org/ is a great place to post a number of press releases and it does, in fact, work to your advantage. Depending upon your topic, people do search for all types of things on CraigsList. Two other websites are http://www.pravenue.com/ and http://www.pr-inside.com/ where you can also post releases along with photos and video at no charge. All three of these free websites are fine options for your press release to gain circulation online.

One more thing. Keep your Curriculum Vitae (CV) up to date with education, affiliations and articles as you may be asked to email it to a prospective customer on the spot. Furthermore have new headshots taken so your photos look like you and not your high school yearbook.

If you follow these steps you’ll be well on your way to obtaining more speaking engagements. For a more detailed strategy with tips and articles on these subjects visit http://www.westwindcos.com/.

About the Author

Scott Lorenz is President of Westwind Communications, a public relations and marketing firm. Lorenz works with doctors, lawyers, inventors, authors, start-ups and entrepreneurs. As a seasoned publicist he is often called upon in the early stages of a company’s existence to get them “on the radar.” His clients have been featured by Good Morning America, FOX & Friends, CNN, ABC Nightly News, ESPN, New York Times, Nightline, TIME, PBS, NPR, USA Today, Washington Post, Woman's World, & Howard Stern to name a few. To learn more about Westwind Communications visit www.WestwindCos.Com or contact Lorenz at scottlorenz@westwindcos.com or by phone at 734-667-2090. Follow Lorenz on Twitter @aBookPublicist

Ten Ways to Sell Books On Amazon

By Carolyn Howard-Johnson

Award-winning author of the HowToDoItFrugally Series of books

You can use Amazon to improve your ratings and your ratings don't get better until you sell books.

So, telling you how to get better ratings on Amazon is tantamount to telling you how to sell books.

Many of you know that I rarely talk sales when I can talk more important things like cross promotion and branding. You may know that I believe if you network well, you won't have to sell anything, ever. Not in the traditional sense.

That is my disclaimer. I'm going to tell you how to let Amazon help you sell more books anyway! A promotional drop in the bucket can move Amazon ratings drastically! Especially if you keep dripping promotion into the pail. Use the perks that Amazon provides for you (see the list below), and you'll find your book selling. Especially if you don't give up. Just keep dribbling little bits of information into these Amazon tools. It's about frequency and longevity. Here they are. Pick one (or more) and keep at it:

1. Use Listmanias on Amazon and, along with your own book, sprinkle in the titles of your authorfriends. Let these authors know you did it. That's a way to make a new promotion friend. There is a chapter in The Frugal Book Promoter: How to Do What Your Publisher Won't that tells you how to use this free promotional perk along with a lot of other free tools on Amazon.

2. When you read a book by an author you know (or even one you don't) do yourself and them a favor by adding a review to Amazon. It takes but a minute and YOU and your book get exposed too, if you use a promotion-savvy signature. Simply type in a couple of dashes and then add "Reviewed by xxxxx and your book title." You can even make your title a link to the sales page of your book on Amazon.

3. Tell other people about what you're doing, how your book relates to current events and more by posting on your Amazon plog. Another name for it is AuthorConnect ™, and it's really a blog provided by Amazon. You do have one don't you? Spread the word about your fellow authors' books, too, and then ask them to pass on the word about your plog, complete with URL. This is known as viral marketing and it works.

4.. Check out my co-produced audio classes including the free one: A Do-It-Yourself Guide To Promoting Easy And Cheap! by Carolyn Howard-Johnson which includes other Amazon tips. They are at http://www.double-dragon-ebooks.com/search.asp.

5. Flesh out your book's page on Amazon. Use the Wiki (or Amapedia) to add information on your awards or other publishing you've done.

6. Ask your friends and professional associates to review your book on Amazon. See that word "ask?" They will be happy to do it. They just need a nudge!

7. If you have a book suited to it, you can add pictures to your book's page. Check out my "Promote or Perish" picture on The Frugal Book Promoter page. Here's the URL: http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/193299310X/.

8. Don't get caught up in the idea of trying to sell your book yourself to increase your profits per book. If you do, you'll find your overall promotion suffers. Read that word "promotion" as "readership." Read it as "exposure." Read it as "credibility." You and your book need to be seen more than you need a couple of extra dollars profit on any given book. Yes, you may make less per Amazon-sold book, but the Amazon publicity is invaluable.

9. Look into the So You'd Like Tos . . . on Amazon. They will allow you to rant or write essays to your hearts content and gather readers as you do it. They work similarly to Listmanias.

10. Make friends. When someone adds a review to your page, invite them to be an Amazon Friend. Include a thank you in the message. Nose around a bit. You'll find all kinds of ways to let Amazon Friends know about your next book . . . and your next. And keep in mind that when someone is your friend, your book or picture may show up on their profile page. Their friends buy books, too!

-----

The author is Carolyn Howard-Johnson, author THE FRUGAL BOOK PROMOTER: HOW TO DO WHAT YOUR PUBLISHER WON'T, winner of USA Book News' "Best Professional Book 2004", #1 Bestselling E-book at: http://starpublish.com/starbooks.htm and Book Publicists of Southern California's Irwin Award winner. its sister book, THE FRUGAL EDITOR: PUT YOUR BEST BOOK FORWARD TO AVOID HUMILIATION AND ENSURE SUCCESS.


Learn more at: http://www.howtodoitfrugally.com/.


Her complimentary newsletter Sharing with Writers is always full of promotion tips, craft and publishing news. Send an e-mail with "subscribe" in the subject line to HoJoNews@aol.com .

TODAY: The 7 Graces of Marketing by Lynn Serafinn New book asks: Can we heal humanity and the planet by changing the way we sell?

The 7 Graces of Marketing (paperback and Kindle) is available from Dec 13th at http://the7gracesofmarketing.com/book

Today is the official book launch of the brand new book The 7 Graces of Marketing: how to heal humanity and the planet by changing the way we sell by my friend and colleague, Lynn Serafinn. I wanted to share this news with you, because this book truly stands out as a title many are calling "ahead of its time". 

While Lynn is known as a leading online marketer, this book is definitely NOT a "how to" book on how to "do" marketing. Rather, it's a book about how we can "be" with marketing, both as business owners AND consumers.

A bold, holistic and often spiritual examination not merely of the world of advertising, but also of our entire worldview, The 7 Graces of Marketing reveals how our relationships with Self, others, our businesses, our economy and the Earth impact every aspect of our lives. Addressing both the conscious and unconscious mechanics of marketing, Lynn shows the impact consumer culture has upon our health, our economy and the delicate ecological balance of our natural world.

The book is intended to be a starting point for discussion, hopefully leading to global changes in the world of commerce. Here are Lynn's poignant opening words from the book:

This is a book of questions, not a manual of answers. And I shall make no apologies for the fact that you are quite likely to have many more questions after you have finished reading this book than when you began...Instead of needing to find all the answers, let us agree to engage in the free dialogue of ideas. Let us unlock any barriers that may lie between us. Let us see and respect each other for what we all are: sentient, intelligent beings, who are made of the same 'stuff' and who share the same planet. Let us see and hear each other. Let us allow ourselves to be seen and heard. And now, with that in mind, let us begin with the first question of this book, and the one that will underpin all the other questions to follow: 'Is marketing making us ill?'

From this point, Lynn invites us to dive into a fascinating dialogue spanning 400+ pages of extensive research, historical examples, a wide variety of philosophical and sociological perspectives, refreshing humour and masterful storytelling, as she takes us on a compelling exploration through "The 7 Key Relationships", "The 7 Deadly Sins of Marketing", and ultimately, "The 7 Graces of Marketing".

The book is already receiving a lot of critical acclaim from other authors and speakers from the world of business and marketing, who are earmarking it as "the new paradigm" for the future. Here are just a few samples of what others have said:

*  *  *  *  *

"At last--here's a brilliant reframe of marketing and selling. Lynn Serafinn offers a brave new world, where competition and scarcity give way to collaboration, abundance and greater connection among all humanity--and we still profit and prosper as we help each other. I love it!"
~ DR. JOE VITALE, author of The Attractor Factor, Buying Trances
"The world NEEDS this book! Lynn is ahead of the curve, and leading us toward how we will ALL look at marketing in the future."
~ RICHARD S. GALLAGHER, author of How to Tell Anyone Anything and What to Say to a Porcupine
"This is what the world has been waiting for! Finally a marketing book that guides us out of fear, lack and limitation into love, prosperity and abundance."
~ DR. ERIC PEARL, author of The Reconnection: Heal Others, Heal Yourself

"An amazing book…It's so ahead of the times, and is the kind of book that can set a new paradigm altogether."

~ WILLIAM GLADSTONE, Founder Waterside Productions Literary Agents, author of The Twelve, co-author of The Golden Motorcycle Gang

"Natural, fresh and original, The 7 Graces of Marketing is the defining organic approach to marketing…" ~ LIZ GOODGOLD, author of Red Fire Branding: How to Create a Hot Personal Brand to Have Customers for Life!

*  *  *  *  *

Buy The 7 Graces of Marketing from Dec 13th at

http://the7gracesofmarketing.com/book

I am pleased to be supporting Lynn in the launch of this book, which is taking place on Tuesday December 13th.

When you buy The 7 Graces of Marketing during the launch, you can receive dozens of personal and professional development gifts from Lynn's friends and colleagues, as well as the complete set of MP3s (over 10 hours of audio) from Lynn's 7-part "7 Graces of Marketing Telesummit", with 24 internationally renowned guest speakers discussing all of the "7 Deadly Sins" and "7 Graces" of marketing. Nearly 2000 people registered to attend this exceptional live event which took place last week, and now you can get the complete audio set as a gift, simply by buying the book, along with nearly 50 other free gifts.

To pick up your copy of the book (in paperback or Kindle)

 and claim your bonus gifts, go to:

http://the7gracesofmarketing.com/book

I hope you'll check out The 7 Graces of Marketing by Lynn Serafinn this week, so we can begin the dialogue for a more connected way of doing business and marketing that will serve both humanity and the Planet.

Tweet

Dreaming of Harvard?

How to Get Top Colleges to Stock Your Book

By Carolyn Howard-Johnson

Do all authors love campuses or is it just me?

I love walking at UCLA after teaching one of my classes with a pile of books in my arms. I like shuffling though fallen liquid amber leaves near the bell tower at USC when I go to buy my annual logo treat to myself. I even liked wending my way through the shabby back halls of Herzen University in St. Petersburg. I've often thought of finagling a way to attend a class at Harvard. Perhaps through a summer program? Do they have an extension program that would allow a Californian in?

Somehow I never got any further than dreaming. And then a subscriber to my newsletter "Sharing with Writers" let me know that I am already there. Or rather my book is. She found The Frugal Book Promoter: How to Do What Your Publisher Won't, on the Harvard.com bookstore Website and sent me the copy-and-paste from it. She said "Congratulations you are at Harvard!" and I have to admit my heart skipped a beat.

So, it's not quite the same thing as I had in mind! But my little promoter heart went pit-a-pat. I have to assume that part of my heart is fed by the campus-loving chamber of the same heart.

How can such a coup be turned into some fun promotion thing for my readers? First of all an author would have to check to see if his or her book was already on the site. If mine was, yours may be, too. Who knows how they pick and choose what they will post there. They may just electronically grab books down from Amazon using some kind of algorithm. I'd like to think they only choose examples of the very best writing, the very most informative books, and the very best sellers. Ahem!

If your book is not there, pitch them to see if it could be added to their online bookstore

And then, of course, make a fun promotion of it. It would, of course, be a matter of tying in your book's theme to Ta Da!!Harvard!In an invitation to readers to visit there. In a media release. On your Web site. How about in your e-mail autosignature?

From there you could check out your own alma mater's bookstore (if it doesn't happen to be Harvard). Then move to the brick and mortar stores associated with these online stores! If you book has sold well from a school's online store, the buyers may want to mass display it on a table by their front door. Well, you never know!

I thought it would be interesting for authors to see the clip (see below) and to also to see Harvard's bookstore bio (just below that). All part of the game!Now isn't this fun?

Harvard Book Store
www.harvard.com
Full Search Results

The Frugal Book Promoter: How to Do What Your Publisher Won't
by: Howard-Johnson, Carolyn
2004/07 ISBN:193299310X Trade Paper Print on Demand
$17.95 Special Order

Here is their little bookstore bio. Can you make the information in this work for your promotion somehow?

About Harvard Bookstore:

Harvard Book Store was founded in 1932 by Boston native Mark Kramer with $300 he borrowed from his parents. Then, as now, Harvard Square was a magnet for students, cultural enthusiasts and intellectuals. Mark chose to start his bookstore at the center of this vibrant community. Two years later, Pauline Kramer, Mark.s new wife, joined him in running the small bookstore offering used and remaindered books to the discriminating Cambridge community. In 1962, at the time of Mark's death, his son Frank Kramer took over the family business and he has actively directed the bookstore.s activities since that time.

The theme of quality bookselling expressed through a broad inventory and personal service was established early by the Kramers, and it remains the primary goal of the company. Today, our expanded bookstore is a Harvard Square landmark and a destination for visitors from all over the world. We provide a comprehensive and provocative selection of new, used and bargain books. As one of the few bookstores in the nation with an academic emphasis, we feature authoritative sections in philosophy, fiction, cultural and critical theory, cognitive science, politics, and African-American studies. We also feature the ability to special order books not available in our store.

This web site is our latest effort to make our selection and services available to book-lovers around the world.

In 2002, our seventieth year of business, Harvard Book Store's excellence in bookselling was recognized nationally when we were awarded Publishers Weekly's Bookseller of the Year.

------

Howard-Johnson is the author of the HowToDoItFrugally series of books for authors. Her newest in the series is The Frugal Editor:


Put Your Best Book Forward to Avoid Humiliation and Ensure Success and "The Frugal Editor: Put Your Best Book Forward to Avoid Humiliation and Ensure Success Cheryl Wright, editor of Writer2Writer, says "both books will become well-used references around the world." Howard Johnson's blog http://www.sharingwithwriters.blogspot.com/ was named to Writer's Digest 101 Best Websites. Learn more athttp://carolynhoward-johnson.com/ and http://howtodoitfrugally.com/

The 7 Graces of Marketing: how to heal humanity and the planet by changing the way we sell

Today I have the great pleasure of being the host on Day 11 of the Virtual Blog Tour of author Lynn Serafinn whose book The 7 Graces of Marketing: how to heal humanity and the planet by changing the way we sell launches on Amazon on Tuesday December 13, 2011.

Lynn Serafinn, MAED, CPCC is a certified, award-winning coach and teacher, marketer, social media expert, radio host, speaker and bestselling author. Her eclectic approach to marketing incorporates her vast professional experience in the music industry and the educational sector along with more than two decades of study and practice of the spirituality of India. In her work as a promotional manager she has produced a long list of bestselling mind-body-spirit authors. Passionate about re-establishing our connection with the Earth, she supports the work of the Transition Town network in her hometown of Bedford, England.

Yesterday, Lynn visited Gregory "Coach" Fernander at http://coachatgregory.blogspot.com , where they talked about the subject of responsibility in marketing & in life.

Today, I'd like to share with you a recent podcast interview I had with Lynn when she speaks about the 7 Graces of Marketing.    I hope you enjoy it.

-------

----------

I hope you enjoyed this interview with Lynn Serafinn and that you’ll check out her book The 7 Graces of Marketing: how to heal humanity and the planet by changing the way we sell at http://the7gracesofmarketing.com/book-launch/pages/pre-launch.html

Here's why:

The 7 Graces of Marketing Telesummit

A FREE 7-Part Online Happening!

December 6th-9th, 2011

Register at http://the7gracesofmarketing.com/free-telesummit

When you visit the page at the link above and request a "launch reminder", you will automatically receive a FREE pass to Lynn's 7-Part online happening “The 7 Graces of Marketing Telesummit” with an illustrious panel of 24 bestselling authors and world-renowned speakers and media experts on society, business and marketing coming together to discuss how we can bring ethics and values back our business and marketing practices, and restore balance to our health, our economy and our natural environment.

Here's the spectacular list of guests speakers for the event:

Dr. Joe Vitale * Greg S. Reid * Dr. Eric Pearl * Dan Hollings * Pamela Slim * Liz Goodgold * Allison Maslan * Suzanne Falter*Barnes * Tad Hargrave * Misa Hopkins * Richard S. Gallagher * Ward Vandorpe * Barbara Altemus * Andrea Conway * Renee Baribeau * Renee Duran * Michael Drew * Chris Arnold * Jeffrey Van Dyk * Tanya Paluso * Kate Osborne * Shelagh Jones * Paula Tarrant * Lynn Serafinn

You can listen to the telesummit online in the comfort of your own home, and even ask questions during the broadcast.

                                        

If you are reading this after Dec 9th, 2011 you can still access the playback for a limited time when you register at http://the7gracesofmarketing.com/free-telesummit

This telesummit is a completely free
"no purchase necessary" gift from Lynn

FREE GIFTS

When you buy Lynn's book on Tuesday December 13, 2011, you can ALSO receive the MP3 download of all 10 hours of this historic telesummit, plus a complete library of beautiful personal development gifts from authors, speakers, coaches and other enlightened professionals from around the globe including one from me;

An audio book titled: Bliss in Divine Oneness

To claim your FREE pass to the 7 Graces of Marketing Telesummit

and read about the free gifts, go to:

http://the7gracesofmarketing.com/book-launch/pages/pre-launch.html

Thanks for reading! As usual, please feel free to share your comments and thoughts below. I love reading your feedback.

AND… be sure to follow Lynn tomorrow when the next stop on the Virtual Blog Tour is Tambra Harck, who will be interviewing Lynn on how can consumers help biz owners behave with more Grace? To visit that "stop" on the tour, go to http://theartofwellbeing.typepad.com/the_art_of_wellbeing/

Your Author Platform: It’s Not About You!

by Joel Friedlander

As some of you know I’ve been conducting book marketing mastermind sessions with some top book marketers recently.

Exposing myself (figuratively, of course) to the ideas and practices of these experts has changed my thinking on some topics.

One of these is the author platform, something I’ve written about often before.

And here’s what changed for me: I’ve always thought of the metaphoric platform as something we patiently and consciously build, board by board with our marketing and networking activities.

You write a blog, give talks to groups, establish your authority, authenticity and helpfulness, gathering fans and readers along the way. This foundation becomes your platform.

The Big Change

But what if you thought about it from the other side, so to speak? What I learned from talking to these marketing pros is this:

The platform isn’t about you at all. It’s about the unmet needs of your audience.

That’s the platform that already exists. It’s there for you if you can address those unmet needs, because then you’ll have the platform to sell from, to spread your message or your stories.

The audience creates the platform. What you do with all your activity is try to move yourself onto the platform so that you have a place to speak from.

What does this mean in reality?

For an example out of left field, look at the contest going on right now for the Republican presidential nomination here in the U.S.

For months there’s been a large percentage of Republicans who have been unhappy with the candidates in the race. This unmet need of the audience created a powerful platform for anyone who could legitimately get up there to make their case.

So when someone like the Governor of Texas, Rick Perry, got into the race by jumping up on the platform already created, he rocketed to the top of the polls.

Was it his marketing, speaking, or books that did that? Nope. It was the power of all those unmet needs—the power of the platform—that did it. Once people got a closer look at him, he fell right off, but that’s not the point.

Think about your own subject area. No matter how many books have been written about it, there are still lots of unmet needs.

At the Pitchapalooza I participated in a few months ago one of the big hits was a pitch for a book about tree pruning. It turned out the best book on this narrow subject was very old, and had never been modernized or replaced. The person pitching had the exact credentials and the ability to create the new version the market needed. Every one of us on the panel immediately recognized a winning proposition. Why?

The unmet needs of that niche market are what will propel that book to regular, healthy sales. The people who are just waiting for a book that’s been written recently on this topic make up the platform for the author.

I could go on, but I think you can see the meaning and importance of this idea.

Certainly you have to do all the marketing practices you are doing, without them you won’t be able to use the platform you identify.

But look around, it’s a different world. People in all niches and interest groups and genres have these unmet needs, whether they realize it or not.

It’s up to us to find them and fill those needs. Welcome to the new author platform—it’s not about you at all.

Article by Joel Friedlander

Joel Friedlander is a self-published author and book designer who blogs about book design, self-publishing and the indie publishing life at TheBookDesigner.com. He's also the proprietor of Marin Bookworks, where he helps publishers and authors who decide to publish get to market on time and on budget with books that are both properly constructed and beautiful to read.

What are the 7 Graces of Marketing and Life?

A sneak peek into author Lynn Serafinn's new paradigm

If you want to dive more deeply into the topic below, please join Lynn and 23 other guest speakers at "The 7 Graces of Marketing Telesummit" on December 6th-9th. Register FR*EE at http://the7gracesofmarketing.com/free-telesummit

My friend and colleague, Lynn Serafinn, has just published her new book The 7 Graces of Marketing: how to heal humanity and the planet by changing the way we sell. The ideas she presents in this 400+ page book are a call to action, not only to business owners and marketers, but to everyone one of us as a consumer. I'm very excited about her book, and about her new paradigm "The 7 Graces of Marketing". Today, I asked Lynn to give us a short overview of "The 7 Graces", and how they pertain not only to business and marketing, but also to life in general. This will be a whirlwind tour of these ideas (after all, the book is over 400 pages long), but I think you will get a taste for what they're about, and hopefully think of ways to apply them in your own business and life.

*  *  *  *  *

Lynn's sneak peek into the 7 Graces paradigm:

Grace #1: Connection

This is the "antidote" to the "Deadly Sin of Disconnection". Connection is at the foundation of everything in life—Connection to Self, Source, others, our businesses, and our audience—determine how effectively and authentically we communicate and conduct our lives. When business owners are disconnected from Self, their businesses cannot be genuine representations of who they are. And the problem is, as businesses get bigger and bigger, that Connection becomes increasingly difficult to maintain. When business owners are not connected to Source and others, it opens to door to exploitation of both natural resources and people. Connection is the first of the 7 Graces, because without it the other Graces cannot manifest.

Grace #2: Inspiration

This is the "antidote" to the "Deadly Sin of Persuasion". The literal meaning of the word "Inspiration" means "to breathe life into". As business owners, we have a choice to be "life giving" to our audience or "life robbing". Persuasion, wherein we will do anything and everything to make a sale/profit, is life robbing. As business owners, it is our responsibility to "feed" society, and thus ensure not only that our products and services are life-giving, but also that our communications (marketing) is life-giving. For marketing to be filled with the "Grace of Inspiration", it should never incite fear, anxiety or feelings of inadequacy.

Grace #3: Invitation

This is the "antidote" to the "Deadly Sin of Invasion". Nearly every form of marketing we see today is invasive. Our attention span is continually interrupted, whether it is through television/radio adverts, pop up messages, uninvited email adverts, cold-calling or billboards. As business owners and marketers, we need to bring back the "Grace of Invitation" into our communications. This means that when visitors come into our "space" (our website, our office/shop), we treat them like respected guests, offering them hospitality and generosity. Conversely, when we come into our customers' space (as when we send out emails), we must do so with courtesy and care, ensuring we never become the dreaded "houseguest from hell".

Grace #4: Directness

This is the "antidote" to the "Deadly Sin of Distraction". So much modern advertising depends upon Distraction to seize and maintain our attention. Nearly every advert you see will utilise random brand identity triggers and humour to get us to pay attention. What is wrong with this is that people end up buying products simply because they remember the advert, and not necessarily because they have been given direct, clear information about the product or service. Directness is simple: we marketers need to get back to "telling it like it is" instead of hyping up our businesses. The public need to be informed and empowered. The Grace of Directness allows that to happen.

Grace #5: Transparency

This is the "antidote" to the "Deadly Sin of Deception". Deception in marketing is rife, but is sometimes extremely subtle. In the book, I give many examples of how language and imagery are often used in a deceptive way in marketing, where technically (and legally) the message is "true", but the unconscious message we perceive is untrue. Transparency literally means "to shine light through". When we are Transparent in marketing and in life, we are not merely being honest, but we are also allowing the true intention behind our thoughts, words and deeds to be seen and heard clearly. When we walk in Transparency, both in business and in life, we are walking in the Essence of who we really are.

Grace #6: Abundance

This is the "antidote" to the "Deadly Sin of Scarcity". The chapter on Scarcity in the book is one of the biggest, because it's simply such a massive topic. Scarcity marketing is all around us, and it appears in so many forms, from limited-time offers to the various kinds of "obsolescence" used to incite us to buy beyond our needs or means. Abundance, on the other hand, is the fundamental belief that there is enough for all—when we are living in rhythm with the planet. It is our natural state of being. If we operate our business from the fundamental belief in lack or Scarcity, we will always bring Scarcity strategies into our marketing. The irony is that Scarcity begets Scarcity. In other words, if we operate from a Scarcity mentality, we are likely to create the very Scarcity we most fear because the end result will be overconsumption. Overconsumption is destroying both our economy and the ecological balance of our natural world. But if we operate from a fundamental belief in Abundance, we will not bring such fear and anxiety into our marketing, and overconsumption will be a thing of the past.

Grace #7: Collaboration

This is the "antidote" to the "Deadly Sin of Competition". Many people have the false notion that competition is necessary to create healthy economies and stronger societies. But this is largely a myth and has no foundation in Nature whatsoever. While I believe in "free enterprise", this is not the same thing as Competition. In the book, I cite many studies that have proved how Competition diminishes creativity and innovation. When we conduct our businesses or our lives with a competitive mindset, we not only reduce our own performance, but we also reduce the support we receive from others. On the other hand, Collaboration always results in something greater than the sum of its parts. Every single marketing campaign I have produced is based upon Collaboration. The permaculture of the world is actually one giant, interdependent Collaboration. We've been brought up in a competitive world, but the more connected we become via technologies like social media, the more we see that Collaboration is the way we perform best.

*  *  *  *  *

I hope you enjoyed this overview of The 7 Graces of Marketing from author Lynn Serafinn. If you want to dive more deeply into this paradigm, I do invite you to join Lynn and 23 other world-class guest speakers at…

"The 7 Graces of Marketing Telesummit"

December 6th-9th, 2011

7 Dynamic Sessions with 24 Guest Speakers

Register FR*EE at

http://the7gracesofmarketing.com/free-telesummit

On this 7-part online event, Lynn and her guests will be exploring

the "7 Graces" and "7 Deadly Sins" in detail.

And then… do check out Lynn's book The 7 Graces of Marketing on December 13th. When you do, there are dozens of wonderful gifts for you, including the audio download of all 7 sessions from the telesummit, and many other goodies. Check out the gifts, and request a launch reminder so you don't forget to pick up your copy (in paperback or Kindle) at: http://the7gracesofmarketing.com/book-launch/pages/pre-launch.html

 

Tweet

Getting a Head Start on Holiday Sales

by Penny C. Sansevieri

You know I used to laugh at the “Christmas in July” ads until I promoted my first Christmas-related book. We actually started the promotion in July and it was the perfect time. Why? Well, maybe no one is buying or thinking about December in July, but the holiday buying season is tough. In order to make any kind of headway you must start early, not just to capture the December sales but also to get in front of any early shoppers. Once those Christmas in July ads start to hit radio and TV, consumers (those who like to shop early) start to gather ideas for their own shopping lists.

When is it too late to start thinking about the holiday market? November is definitely much too late, October is iffy, but if you’re staring September in the face and haven’t done a lick of marketing towards holiday sales, that might be your last chance. Better to start early – mid to late summer is always great. Here are some tips to help you get a head start on the holiday buying season.

Events: start early. If you’d like to do events in December I suggest you start calling stores now. Many stores don’t do in-store events after Thanksgiving, but if you have local connections or some independent stores they might be open to this. Speaking at non-bookstore venues falls under the same category: start early.

Promos: start planning your promos in the fall. I recommend starting the promo roll-out right after Thanksgiving and planning a succession of promotional announcements all the way through late December. If you need to get special pricing on books, or if you’re going to bundle your book with some other items, this will give you plenty of time to plan for that.

Website: now is the time to make sure your website is ready for your holiday marketing. As you begin planning your promos make sure your web designer is ready to go to make any changes your site might need.

Targets: definitely define your target markets as soon as you can, the earlier the better. If you don’t have a good, solid idea of who you’re marketing to yet don’t use your holiday campaign to test this. Test market early. You’ll be glad you did. Don’t waste a holiday promo if you don’t have to. Knowing who you are going after will save you in costly marketing mistakes (and this goes for any time you are marketing).

Ebooks: I suspect with all the e-readers that have hit the market in the last 12 months - and with both Target and Best Buy carrying e-book readers - you’re going to see a lot of promotion for this over the holidays. Make sure your book is keyed into this market, what I mean is: if you had planned to get your book converted to an ebook, now is the time. Also, you might want to offer a special promo, if someone buys your e-book have them forward you the receipt for an additional special holiday bonus.

Social media: if you’re not on Facebook or Twitter yet, now is the time to join, and even if you are this is a great time to maximize your efforts and plan how you’ll use your social media to enhance your holiday promos. Will you offer specials to your social media “tribe” only? Will you have exclusives just for them? Consider early on what your social media strategy will be.

Exposure: if your exposure online is minimal, now is the time to ramp it up. Contacting blogs, websites, doing article syndication, participating in blogs, doing guest blogging… all of these things are great ways to gain exposure online. Remember, it’s not just about the holiday promos, it’s about making sure you are searchable online. That way, if someone searches on what you’re offering, you’ll come up in the search results. This will help you capture holiday shoppers who haven’t been exposed to you or your message yet.

The key to successful holiday promotion is planning and enough advanced marketing so that you’re not spinning your wheels in the Fall wondering why you’re not making any traction. If you’re ready to explode your holiday market start early, it’s the best way to make sure you have a spot waiting for you when the busiest shopping season of the year comes around again!


Penny C. Sansevieri, CEO and founder of Author Marketing Experts, Inc., is a best-selling author and internationally recognized book marketing and media relations expert and an Adjunct Instructor with NYU. Her company is one of the leaders in the publishing industry and has developed some of the most cutting-edge book marketing campaigns. She is the author of five books, including Book to Bestseller which has been called the “road map to publishing success.” AME is the first marketing and publicity firm to use Internet promotion to its full impact through The Virtual Author Tour, which strategically works with social networking sites, blogs, micro-blogs, ezines, video sites, and relevant sites to push an author’s message into the virtual community and connect with sites related to the book’s topic, positioning the author in his or her market. To learn more about Penny’s books or her promotional services, you can visit her website at http://www.amarketingexpert.com/. To subscribe to her free ezine, send a blank email to: subscribe@amarketingexpert.com Copyright © 2010 Penny C. Sansevieri

Calling for Submissions for WITS December Newsletter!

Writers in the Sky Newsletter is now accepting contributions of material from our readers. To share a book review, announcement, or article about writing, editing, or book marketing please email Katie@writersinthesky.com. Our next issue is due to send next week so please get these in as soon as possible.

Publish to Promote; Publish to Share

By Carolyn Howard-Johnson
This is the story of three women.

This is a story of their love of writing and publishing.

This is a story of the joy they get from helping other authors realize their potential.

This is the story of cross-promotion at it best.

Pat Avery, Joyce Faulkner and I had published writing-related books of one kind of another as well as other kinds of books, so we knew the writing and promoting challenges that all writers face. We wanted to publish something that would encourage emerging authors as well as seasoned ones. We wanted our project to be something that new authors with only one book could sell at book fairs and similar events to increase their profits--you know, so they could cover the expense of their booth. And we wanted it to be something that people would use so that participants in the effort would continue to be seen.

That is how the Complete Writer's Journal was born.

A journal would be something that everyone could use including artists, scribblers, writers, and journalers. It is also something consumable and any good capitalist knows the importance of that. Once conceived, we asked writers to contribute quotations from their writing or to make up new ones. The quotations could be inspirational, helpful, funny or serious. We used a true submission process. There was no charge to enter. We -- brilliant editors all three -- chose 100 quotations for publication and each of the 100, of course, wanted the journals for their own needs.

They wanted them:

 For their own use.

 To give to their relatives -- remember, for some this was the first time anything had ever been published! Many went into envelopes along with holiday cards.

 To sell as add-on sales (in addition to their own books) at book fairs, signings and other events.

(The publisher, Red Engine Press (www.RedEnginepress.com), gives a hefty discount in quantity to any author who wants to do utilize these journals this way, not only the participants. With discounts in large quantities they come out around $6. each and the retail price on the back is $14.95. A nice profit.

 To give as thank you gifts. I sent out hand-embroidered tea towels to editors and producers after they had run a feature or done some other nice thing for me. This handmade idea fit in with the sewing imagery in This Is the Place. I bought them wholesale and each gift cost about $12. In gross quantities. I thought this was perfect but if I had access to this journal at the time, I could have afforded to send out many more gifts and I am certain the editors would have found journals more practical than tea towels

• To use as promotion gifts rather than pencils or magnets. Those tend to get tossed into people's junk drawers. The journals are a little pricey but work well in instances when authors need only a few, say to gift the crew for a radio show.

 To encourage people at signings and events to buy more than one book. All that takes is a sign that says, "Buy Two Books: Get This Journal at No Cost" or maybe at half price. Whatever the author thinks he or she can do.

We also added a couple of pages of advertising in the back matter. If you choose to produce something of this sort your ads can be for your books or may be sponsoring ads from other authors. More and more publishers of all kinds (yep! traditional) are beginning to do that. I haven't quite figured out how this would work for literary novelists but I can see real potential there for genre-types. Help me keep thinking! If an author spearheaded a promotion of this sort, the participants' purchases might cover the cost of the publication.

Now, every single time one of our authors sells or gives a journal, they put their names and those of all the other ninety-nine authors out there for others to see. Editors, writers, and, yes, readers. And we all know that is the best part of the project.

A similar collaborative effort might work for groups of authors. Organizations. PEN fellows. Critique groups. A project like this could just as easily be a calendar or a lovely chapbook of poetry or a little how-to book or even a book of humor.

Be sure to read the section in my book The Frugal Book Promoter: How to Do What Your Publisher Won't on how I used an e-book (since then I've done several others) to promote. There is nearly no real cost involved but they, like this venture, come loaded with goodwill.

And that, like all good stories about promotion, is a story with a happy ending.

-------

Carolyn Howard-Johnson is the author of THE FRUGAL BOOK PROMOTER: HOW TO DO WHAT YOUR PUBLISHER WON’T. For a little over 2 cents a day THE FRUGAL BOOK PROMOTER assures your book the best possible start in life. This book is full of nitty-gritty how-tos for getting nearly free publicity. Carolyn Howard-Johnson shares her professional experience as well as practical tips gleaned from the successes of her own book campaigns.


Howard-Johnson is an award-winning author of both fiction and nonfiction and former publicist for a New York PR firm and a marketing instructor for UCLA's Writers' Program. THE FRUGAL BOOK PROMOTER tells authors how to do what their publishers can’t or won’t and why authors can do their own promotion better than a PR professional. Purchase it on Amazon or many university bookstores. Learn more about the author at http://howtodoitfrugally.com/

10 Marketing Strategies for New Writers

In business, success hinges on a successful marketing campaign. This also applies to new writers who want to take their talent of writing and make a profitable business with it. To help new writers who may know nothing about marketing and business, here are 10 marketing strategies for new writers.

1. Make your site reflect your writing style

This is a unique marketing strategy for writers. When people search for writers, they often judge the content on their website. The potential clients are looking for a certain style that matches their vision. Therefore, always use your own style of writing when creating content to promote your business; do not simply rewrite other writer's content.

2. Create an eBook

Create a free downloadable eBook that potential clients can read. The main goal of your eBook should be to provide writing samples and help your clients understand your full abilities. You may write short fiction stories, or you may write in-depth technical articles. It mostly depends on the type of clients you wish to attract.

3. Use agency sites

Starting out, not many people are going to know you are a talented writer. You should greatly consider joining an agency site that acts as a middle man, connecting writers with clients. Once you build a client list, focus on your own site, and ask your clients to promote you to their friends who need writers.

4. Create a full bio

Before people do business with other people, they want to know with whom they are doing business. Create a full bio on your website; make sure you include pictures, location, contact information, reviews and other important information.

5. Create business cards

Do not limit yourself to the Internet. There are plenty of brick and mortar business owners than can use the help of a writer. Many writers construct public relations articles to help their client's image. You should give everyone you meet a business card, and let them know what type of writer you are and how you can help them achieve their goals.

6. Promote yourself on social media sites

Social media marketing is unarguably one of the best marketing methods. Every social media site has pros and cons, so be sure to create an account on each major site, such as Facebook, Twitter, Google+ and even YouTube. Experiment to see how each site can benefit your business.

7. Use articles

Write and place articles on high-quality article directories. High-quality article directories are usually directories that do not compensate their contributors in any way; this cuts down on the amount of low-quality or spam articles. Make sure you link back to your site in the articles you submit.

8. Network

Do not be afraid to meet new people. You never know who will come along and greatly help your business succeed. By constantly meeting new people, you can exponentially increase your customer base. Your business depends on the relationships you make with people.

9. Post ads

Take advantage of free ad sites, such as Craigslist. You may even want to post ads in the local paper. Many people still search classified ads to find services.

10. Create a Google business listing

If you want to take your writing to the next level, create a free business listing on Google. Make sure to include important information that can help your listing reach the top result for your industry in your area. People who search for freelance writers in your area can come across your business listing and contact you for your services.

Take advantage of these 10 marketing strategies, and eventually, you will grow your business and won't need to do so much marketing.

Bill Smith is a contributing writer at http://privatestudentloan.org/.

Reprinted from "The Book Marketing Expert newsletter," a free ezine offering book promotion and publicity tips and techniques. http://www.amarketingexpert.com