Stepping into the Indie Publishing World - Ruth L. Snyder

I took a small step in 2009 into the world of social media, by learning how to use Twitter.  Using technology is something that comes easily to me. When I shared my excitement about the possibilities Twitter opened to me, many people started asking me to teach them what I was learning. I presented my first workshop on Twitter to a group of InScribe members at our fall conference in 2011. Shortly after that, I co-presented a workshop on Twitter to a group of school board trustees at the Alberta School Boards Association Spring Assembly.

These opportunities led to more people asking me to write step-by-step instructions on how to open an account, become familiar with Twitter, and use it as a networking tool. When I thought about how best to share my ideas, I decided an e-book format would work best because I could include screen shots and links to helpful articles, blog posts, and books. I wrote my first draft and sent it out to several beta readers. Their feedback was very helpful and direct: I needed to write more than one book - one for people who had no knowledge of Twitter to introduce them to the basics, and one for people who already had an account but really didn't understand what to do with it.

After several edits and more feedback, I published Learn Twitter: 10 Beginning Steps on Kindle. (In order to do this, I learned how to format a book for Kindle, how to link images in my book to images on my website, and how to design book covers.) A few months later, I published Learn Twitter: 10 Intermediate Steps, also on Kindle. People provided positive feedback, and I enjoyed learning more about marketing. Although readers appreciated the e-book format, many people requested a printed version of the material.

During this time, the InScribe executive decided to publish 7 Essential Habits of Christian Writers. I volunteered to oversee the project and learned from other team members who were more experienced at some of the pieces of the publishing process. I learned how to apply for ISBN numbers, and how to submit a file to CreateSpace. The team worked diligently and launched both a Kindle version and paperback edition in 2015.

Using the knowledge I gained, along with helpful information from our 2015 InScribe Fall Conference and from my membership with Author Audience Academy, I was able to put together a combined, updated print version of my Twitter books, called Twitter Decoded: Tips & Tools for Authors. Part of this process included starting my own publishing company, Creativity Press.
 (I am currently putting together a launch team. If you're interested in receiving a free pdf or e-book copy to review and/or are willing to help me promote my book, please e-mail me and put "launch team" in the subject. Thanks!)

I still have many things to learn in the Indie Publishing World. Currently I'm working on increasing my e-mail list and being more consistent with blogging and newsletters. (You can sign up at http://eepurl.com/Z9m7T.) I still want to explore how to publish on Kobo, Nook, iBooks, Draft2Digital, and Smashwords. Getting my books into libraries is also one of my goals. I'm exploring business concepts, including offering webinars, courses, coaching, and done-for-you content. Now I just need to figure out how to add more hours to my day. Not really! I'm thankful for fellow Indie authors like Tracy Krauss, Janice L. Dick, Janis Cox, Janet Sketchley, Shelley Hitz, and Valerie Comer who exchange information with me, cheer me on, and share their expertise.

What have you learned in the last year? What challenges are you facing?

How to Have a (Good) Marketing Attitude by Glynis Belec

     Writing is my heart passion. Business is my reality. 

I thought about comparing my career as a writer to a love/hate relationship. But then I got thinking how easily I can psyche myself into something. I definitely don't love marketing but I don’t actually hate it, either. I prefer not to do it but I don’t hate it even though I think I hate it.

All my life I have loved writing. Then once I learned writing for the serious scribe is actually 50 percent the written page and 50 percent business, I knew I had to expand my horizons and do it with a willing heart. Otherwise (I know me) I would be prone to whining and then I would convince myself how despicable marketing is and I wouldn't do it. 

I have learned that I choose my attitude - good or bad. I have discovered that if I pick good, only good will come out of it - even if things go bad. If I pick bad it ends up bad every time. I sought to have the 'somewhere in between' attitude. It never works. It always ends up bad, too. 

The more I thought about it, the more I realized that 'hate' isn't my issue, 'not knowing how' is more like it.

Resources are good when you want to learn how to do something. I've found a great Resource that never seems to fail. It sure has changed my marketing attitude. How about I share? 

1. Whatever you do, work heartily, as for the Lord and not for men.    Colossians 3:23

• remember that we are not out to please man with our brilliant marketing schemes. We are intent on glorifying God with how we go about sharing our words. I won't pay for reviews, I will earn them
• I will glean some information from all these people who tell me they know how I can sell a thousand books in one day (as long as I buy their product) but I won't fall prey to their 'get rich schemes' at all costs. 
• I will try my best to make a good, doable plan for promoting my work.

2.  Do nothing from rivalry or conceit, but in humility count others more significant          than yourselves. Philippians 2:3

• I won't mock others or think I have the upper hand when it comes to making contacts 
• I am grateful that God has blessed me with a passion to write, but I will also encourage others to grow in their craft

• I will help others market their books because I know that when we help others we benefit the most. And when I help others market their books, I won't do it for selfish motives but purely because God doesn't want us to be rivals, but sisters and brothers on the same path

3.  But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness,         

    faithfulness, gentleness, self-control; against such things there is no law. 

                                                                                                                                                                                                                Galatians 5:22-23

• It is much more fun to be nice. 
• I started a Facebook group a while ago and we now have close to 500 members. I LOVE talking to my Angels (I call them) about writing related topics. God has stirred a passion in my heart to help promote Canadian authors who write and engage readers who love to read quality work. I will admit, I started out with a little motive of building my 'tribe' and then using it as a marketing platform. It has become much more than that. God has used my wimpy idea to build some great relationships and allowed us to have some super conversations. I rarely plug my own books, but it feel so right what I am doing. 

4. Casting all your anxieties on him, because he cares for       you. 1 Peter 5:7

• One of the best ways - or maybe THE best way for me to sell my books is to speak
• When I first felt the nudge from God to speak I was dragged kicking and screaming, thinking what a lousy job I would do. Oh, I am a drama queen from way back and have graced the stage numerous times. The difference, though, was I always had a script - and the story was not mine to be told. I heed God's direction now and I love telling my story and sharing about so many things. God has blessed me with the gift of hope and laughter and I love to share that gift with whomever will give me the time of day. And often, blessings follow with the back of the room sales. 

5.  The Lord is not slow to fulfill his promise as some count      slowness, but is patient toward you, not wishing that          any should perish, but that all should reach     

     repentance.                                                                                          2 Peter 3:9                                                                                                                                                           

• My brain wants to rush the process and I sometimes feel that I am not doing it right because I don't have at least 100 reviews on each book or people battering down my door begging to buy my books. 
• Then I remember my timing usually always differs from God's. He's been pretty patient with me over the years so I try to do the same. 

I could go on and on. Each day I get inspired. No, I have not turned in to Suzie Q Brilliant Marketer. I never will. But I found that once I changed my attitude and looked at marketing and promotion and everything business related from an "I can do this with God at the helm" attitude, I found it a much more pleasant task. 

Marketing isn't easy. Nor is brain surgery or waiting on unruly customers or building houses. But changing my attitude is. 

For to this end we toil and strive, because we have our hope set on the living God, who is the Savior of all people, especially of those who believe. 1 Timothy 4:10

~~~~~~~~+~~~~~~~~

                                                  

Glynis

Scratch my back and I'll scratch yours! - Lynn Dove

Do you know the old adage, "If you scratch my back, I'll scratch yours"?

Book marketing is all about helping one another. Interesting that Jesus was all about that concept too. (John 15:12) If you've ever tried to create a "buzz" about your books, you will know that this is so true. You can't do it alone!

You will discover that the number one thing a new writer/author needs to do right away is connect with other writers and authors who share your common passion for the written word (and if you're a Christian author it's important to connect with other Christian writers who also share your passion for God.) There are numerous great groups to network with: John 3:16 Marketing Network, The Book Club Network, Edgy Christian Fiction, Crossreads and of course here in Canada The Word Guild and Inscribe!  There are numerous groups and websites like Goodreads, Shelfari, Twitter and Pinterest as well as a host of other Christian Author Facebook groups and pages, where you can join and connect with other writers.

Anyone who is a Christ-follower knows that "community" is essential for encouragement and support. We share our joys and we share our burdens. We're a tight-knit family and it is so wonderful to know that we're not alone on this journey but we have each other to help along the way. Unfortunately, I have also noticed that in every family (and in this case I'm going to talk exclusively to the writing community) there are those that seem to have no trouble accepting help from others to promote and market their books, but are not as willing to reciprocate when asked. Some even get downright rude and offensive about it.

Here are my thoughts on the matter.

1. If you are a writer/author and you want others to blog, tweet or promote your books on Twitter (or anywhere else), you should be willing to do the same for someone else.

2. If you want lots of followers on Twitter, follow lots of people on Twitter. My rule of thumb is I won't follow someone on Twitter even if they have 100,000,000 followers or more if they don't follow back. (Sorry @justinbieber) Sure there are those that are just spammy advertisers (be cautious about that), but if you want followers to "retweet" about your book promotion someday, it's not asking a lot to follow them back in return. Let me give a wonderful example here: Tricia Goyer! Tricia, Christian author of 30 books, award winning writer and prominent speaker, has 55,500 + followers on Twitter. She follows well over 56,000 people back. She takes time to connect with her followers too; she thanks followers who follow her back and she actually reads the tweets people send to her! If you want a great example of a "tweeter" follow Tricia! @triciagoyer

3. If you expect people to "like" your postings, pages etc. on Facebook, return the "likes" right back! Make an author's day and go on Amazon and see their book listing-"like" their book as well as their Amazon author page :)

4. If you expect people to read and review your books, read and review their books. Take it one step further: if you want authors to buy and/or read your books...BUY and/or read their books! I know it gets pricey to buy print books all the time but you could do a book exchange for instance, send a PDF of your manuscript to them and they do the same for you. I love doing author interviews on Word Salt. Most of the authors I've interviewed on my blog have reciprocated and hosted me on their blogs. We've done book exchanges and/or we've purchased one another's books. You can come up with unique (and inexpensive) ways to help with their promotional marketing efforts and they'll be happy to return the favour.

5. Taking it yet another step further - when you do a review of a book, a little "honey" goes a long, long way. There's a right way and a wrong way to review a book. Honesty is one thing, cutting a manuscript to pieces with your critical review on Goodreads or Amazon will just break an author's spirit. (Proverbs 15:1 "A soft answer turns away wrath, but a harsh word stirs up anger.") Give an honest review but ensure that you have listed more positives than negatives if possible. If that's not possible, perhaps the best thing to do is this: "If you have nothing nice to say, say nothing at all."

6. Last thing..."Don't get too big for your britches!" So you've published a bunch of books (all best sellers)...wonderful! Just remember that you were a "newbie" once. You didn't have a clue what you were doing when you started out in the business and you made lots of mistakes before you published your first book (traditionally or otherwise). Take time to share your expertise, as well as your failures with new writers who need encouragement. I wouldn't have published a word without the mentoring of a couple of friends and authors, Connie Cavanaugh and Kathy Howard. Both of them, prominent speakers and writers in their own right, when I ask them to help promote my books (even though I know they are extremely busy ladies with book and speaking tours themselves) they do not hesitate to say, "Count me in!" If you are an author and writer, determine to be the kind of friend you would want to have in this business. You'll be glad you did.


Lynn Dove calls herself a Christ-follower, a wife, a mom, a grandmother, a teacher and a writer (in that order). She is the author of award winning books: The Wounded Trilogy. Her blog, Journey Thoughts won a Canadian Christian Writing Award - 2011. She has also had essays published in "Mother of Pearl: Luminous Lessons and Iridescent Faith" and "Chicken Soup for the Soul - Parenthood" (March 2013). Readers may connect with Lynn on Facebook, Twitter and on her blog: Journey Thoughts