Think Beyond Your Book
When you send in your novel to an agent or publisher, s/he is likely to ask you about your marketing plan and whether you have a sequel in the works. Makes sense from a marketing perspective.
But how far should we go? While passing along this idea from publicity expert Joan Stewart, I wonder how many Pulitzer Prize winning authors are pushing their publishers to turn their novels into board games and convention goody bag trinkets!
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Thinking of writing a book? Or already working on your next one? Don't write another word until you do this assignment. Sit down with a pen and paper and start making a list of all the ways you can monetize the book, other than the cover price of the book. Think board game, calendar, workbook, subscription newsletter, audio book, being a media spokesperson, boot camp, CD or DVD, keynote presentations, consulting, mentor program, corporate training, teleseminars, special reports and White Papers, reference guide and home study course. And those are just for starters. I hear from too many authors who write a book, fail to follow up with some of the ideas above, and then gripe that the book isn't making money. Unless you don't care about multiple streams of revenue, the book should be a springboard for spin-off products and services. Many of the ideas I mentioned work equally well for fiction authors. You sometimes have to think a little more creatively. My good friend Adam Witty is hosting a marketing conference for authors Oct. 3-4 in Charleston, South Carolina. As Adam says, the whole point of the conference is to teach authors how to "unlock the invisible income streams surrounding their book." Full disclosure: Adam invited me to speak at the conference. Adhering to the promise I made to myself to stop traveling to speak, I kindly passed. But if the lineup of speakers is any indication, this one isn't to be missed. My mentor, Tom Antion, will be a keynote speaker, presenting "How Authors Make Money on the Internet....for REAL." Also, Publicity Hound Wayne Kelly, a Canadian talk show host, will be speaking on "Media Training 101" for authors. Eight marketing experts for two full days. Authors, don't miss this one:
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Reprinted from "The Publicity Hound's Tips of the Week," an ezine featuring tips, tricks and tools for generating free publicity. Subscribe at
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