You Don't Have To Do Everything Yourself

Getting an editor, a ghost writer, a copy editor, even publishing your picture books on the digitals (which is more difficult than simply getting an unillustrated book up) is as easy as advertising on Craig’s List. In this economy there are many people looking for jobs in the field. A friend of mine advertised for a copy editor recently and got 57 replies. The important thing to know about writing is that you don’t need to do it all yourself. And you don’t have to let not being a writer stop you from writing about your area of expertise, particularly if having a book would help you with sales or clients.

How To Write A Book If You're Not A Writer

Writing a book if you’re not a writer. Most everyone in business knows enough about what they do to write a book, BUT not everyone is a writer. Most people who don’t write can talk. Simply get a recording device and talk into it. Or start explaining your business in paragraphs as I am doing with publishing on the digitals and at the end of a few months you’ll have a small book. The important part about writing a book is that you start with a point of view. What part of your business do you want to explain? I have a book on writing for speakers. I have a book on character development. I will soon have a book on how to get published on the digitals. Each of them is about a certain aspect of writing.

PR Tips For Writers And Others

The following advice is not specific to writers, it’s for everyone who is looking at generating a little more PR. I’ve gotten all kinds of coverage through subscribing to “Reporter Connection” and HARO “Help A Reporter Out.” Just Google and subscribe. Notices come to your email every day. On these sites reporters ask for experts of all kinds – for radio, TV, magazines, newspapers and blogs. If you fit what they are looking for, contact the reporter by filling out the form on the sites. In some cases it just gets your name out. In other cases it gets your business out. In still other cases it gets both. Some of the radio stations on HARO are weird, which is not a reason not to give them a shot. If you look on my URL Press Page you can see some of the interviews and reviews I’ve gotten in the past year many of them from these sources.

Bookmarks as Business Cards

If you are a writer bookmarks can serve as your business cards (your info on the back). That advice comes with a caveat. Business cards that are not the same size and shape as other business cards are annoying and apt to get thrown out really fast. That’s a note to people who aren’t writers as well. Get clever with design not with size, shape and material. A fancy card may look good but if I can’t staple it to my paperwork it’s useless.

Make Bookmarks for Book Signings

Another marketing tip. If you are doing book signings – book signing parties – or other such things, include a bookmark in your book with your contact information on it. Include a thumbnail picture of one of your books. Your website address (where you have other books you’ve written posted), another item you’re marketing. Bookmarks can be made (20 on a page – two sided color and cut) by laminating at most print shops.

Test Marketing On The Digitals

The best thing about posting on the digitals is that if you make a mistake with a title you can post it under another title (just mention that you did that somewhere in the manuscript) – experiment until you start selling. The same holds true with keywords and descriptions, with covers and with back of the book cross advertising. With paper books you can’t do that – so test market with the digitals and go paper once you’ve tested what you’re doing – that is of course if you feel you need to go paper – which most of us don’t need to do unless we need the books for back of the room sales. For the next two weeks I’m lowering the price on “The Initiative” on both Kindle and Nook to $.99 so you can save $4.00 on the purchase price. It’s a five star rated book which received rave reviews which is about the CDC uncovering a terrorist anthrax attack on NYC and Dr. Cassandra William’s fight to stop terrorists from using another anthrax bomb on the city which will kill millions.

Why The Digitals Are So Great

Why the digital sites are so great. The big publishers and the agents and bookstores that are aligned with them do not support developing writers. They really only support the writers who don’t need their support – low hanging fruit. The digitals give you a chance to write, publish, market, find out what sells and why and to grow as a writer. There is no charge for publishing on the digitals. You don’t need an agent or a publisher. If you are a writer you’ll write anyway, you might as well get immersed in the business of writing and learn how to market what you write so you can make money doing what you love.