Giving Away Content
By Jerry D. Simmons | July 22nd, 2010 | No Comments » (Click to add yours!)

I’m in favor of an author offering free excerpts of their writing. This is especially important for eBooks and should be strongly considered with free chapters of their print book. Recently one of my newsletter readers asked the following.”Last month you convinced me that my self-published book should be available for Kindle. Now I’m wondering if I should make the first chapter available as a free download, in hopes of enticing people to read more. Is that the kind of question you might address in your newsletter? If so, I bet a lot of other writers would be interested in the answer as well! Not quite sure where the line falls between publishing and marketing.” 

This is a great question and the answer is yes, every author with an eBook should consider offering as much as 20% of the content free. This coupled with a low price point makes the content more enticing to readers. The bottom line is you want to sell more eBooks and the best way is a (1) offer a free download for a portion of your book, and (2) set a low price point for novels, a bit higher for non-fiction. 

In addition, marketing is always important. You are an author with a book and yet your audience doesn’t know you exist. How do you reach your audience? That is a question for the ages and there is no set formula. Successful marketing involves a number of components in the right combination based on the genre and distribution for each book. For independent authors it means lots of work via social networking and posting as much content free on the Internet as possible. Marketing is never easy nor quick; my suggestion is to always consult with a professional book marketer before you spend money and time. Let them help you establish a strategy and marketing plan. You save money by following their advice. It would be a wise investment.

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Global Market
By Jerry D. Simmons | July 6th, 2010 | No Comments » (Click to add yours!)

There are a variety of stories circulating the Internet about authors who have suddenly become “successful” with eBooks and in most cases were virtual unknowns. Luck plays a small part since we all know that being in the right place at the right time always helps, but each author was also tenacious and a pretty darn good writer. There are thousands of writers with as much talent as the ones we have read about but each possessed a strong desire to be successful, worked extremely hard and marketed their socks off.   

All of these success stories have been circulated by Amazon, where the majority has made their mark. However not everyone can depend on one web site for all their sales. The answer is a much wider, global distribution for your content, especially eBook. To improve your chances of success you must cast a wider net and reach a much larger audience, regardless of how much traffic one web site receives. Who can afford to ignore fifty percent of the market? 

Access to the market and reaching readers through global distribution is important to improving your chances of selling more copies and becoming a successful author.

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True Value of Products and Services
By Jerry D. Simmons | June 18th, 2010 | 1 Comment » (Click to add yours!)

My goal with every newsletter, article and blog is to inform my audience. Certainly I hope to educate writers about the business of publishing but invariably the wave of “scams, charlatans, snake oil salespeople and thieves” have become a tsunami and can sometimes drown out the honest voices simply because we refuse to take advantage or rip off our clients. 

Having served my entire adult life in publishing it still amazes me to this day how many companies operate under such outright deception and distortion of facts. The sad fact in the “independent or self-publishing” business is that too many people make a living off promoting, marketing and selling products and services that simply do not work or have value in the real world of book publishing, marketing, distributing and selling of books. Writers MUST protect themselves and their writing. 

Here are some key points to keep in mind when trying to determine whether a product or service has real value: (1)  Never commit to a long term agreement with anyone! (2)  Never pay for a product or service without knowing who is behind the product and service, what their background in publishing is and knowing whether they offer testimonials from satisfied customers that you can contact and objectively verify. (3)  Web sites or email blasts that sell and promote without offering a legitimate telephone number that someone can call and ask questions should be avoided. (4)  Companies that take days to respond to emails sent through their web sites are also to be avoided. (5)  If it sounds too good to be true or offers promises and guarantees, consider them companies to be avoided. 

There are never any guarantees in publishing, even for the biggest of the bestselling New York Times authors, there are no guarantees. Anyone making claims that sound too good, too easy, or too quick to possibly be true, run the other way, save your money and send me an email. I’ll be happy to offer you honest advice and feedback on whether or not the offer is legitimate.

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Marketing at a Minimum
By Jerry D. Simmons | June 11th, 2010 | 1 Comment » (Click to add yours!)

Selling books without a minimum marketing effort will result in poor sales. Here are the basics every author should follow when marketing their book: (1) seek book reviews prior to launch, (2) write a press release announcing the publication and availability of your book for sale distributed to all online outlets, and (3) pitch yourself and your book to local print, radio, television and online for publicity. 

Remember the local media is not interested in the fact that you wrote a book, they are interested in one of the following: (1) the story, (2) the author, or (3) the message. They must have an interesting angle in which to promote you as a guest. Figuring out the proper angle can be difficult; however this is the only way to give you the best opportunity for publicity which is what sells books. That angle may be the facts surrounding the writing of your book, or your background as a writer, or even the unique message from your book. The key is figuring out how to find and focus on that angle. 

If you want to go beyond the basics and aim a bit higher then consider: (1) sending a free sample of your writing in an email promotion, (2) alert genre specific web site to your book, or (3) create a social networking campaign. The best marketing approach is a combination of all of these parts taking into consideration the category, price, title, format and a variety of other components that go into creating a targeted marketing program. 

Marketing is the most difficult part of successful book publishing. A publisher can get everything right and fail due to a poor marketing campaign. It’s so easy to publish in today’s marketplace but extremely difficult to sell books. If you find yourself struggling then consider a professional marketer, someone with experience and publishing knowledge to give you the best chance at becoming a successful author.

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Finding the Best Web Designer by Jeniffer Thompson
By Jerry D. Simmons | May 31st, 2010 | No Comments » (Click to add yours!)

Why Are Web Designers Such Flakes?  A Reality Check.

Circling the drain of unresponsive or missing in action web designers is a common dilemma.  The Question is this:  As a self-respecting author with a plan and a purpose, how do you choose a designer you can afford and rely upon? 

As a small publisher, or self-published author, you are faced with the high-cost of publishing a book.  Your ever-growing budget includes editors, book cover and interior design, maybe a book coach or adviser, printing costs, fulfillment needs, marketing … my goodness, where does it end?  When does the author start making money?  Well, this is a question for another article all together. The point here is, how much should you allocate to the added expense of hiring a web designer?  Can you hire someone who can do it all and is affordable to boot?  

Ah, herein lies the problem.  The one-man show dilemma.  A newly graduated artist (or even an established one-person show) can be a very enticing option for someone with a small budget, especially when they are often a third of the price you would pay with a full-service design house.  They are typically hungry, excited, talented, reasonably priced, and they can do it all.  Yeah!!!  So what goes wrong?  Burnout.  A freelance artist often over promises and eventually under delivers.  They over commit because of the opportunity to build their portfolio; they chock it up to needed experience, and maybe even their desire to help another artist.  But at the end of the day this is the perfect recipe for disaster.  Why?  Because it’s truly hard to do it all yourself and when you finally reach that wall, you shut down and walk away, close the door, stop returning calls—you move on.  

This does not mean that because someone is reasonably priced that they are a bad choice for your needs. The question we seek to answer is: How do you protect yourself? 

As you search for a reliable, talented designer consider the fallout.  As you become overwhelmed with the production of your book, you tend to need a leaning post.  That is, someone you can consider a partner, someone who cares as much as you do and will be there till the bitter end, or God willing the glorious payout.  But let’s talk reality folks.  Few people care about your project as much as you do.  At the end of the day, people will do what is best for “me.”  If you lay something precious in someone else’s hands you have to know that they will cherish that precious thing and treat it with the same care that you would.  In the business world, this means you pay them to care—you appreciate them, you praise them, you create an environment that is rewarding, you pay them hard-earned cash.

What you are looking for is a long-lasting relationship, someone who delivers, who knows their stuff and someone who isn’t going to close up shop and leave you holding the bag. 

A Sad Tale of Trust and Where it All Went Wrong:

The Spark:  You have just written a book! You are ready to meet your public.  You are told you need a web site.  You look around, you ask a few people for references, you weigh the costs, you’re not quite sure how it will benefit you, you’re just about out of money, or worse your sinking further into debt.  And then you meet Bob at a community function.  Bob is great!  He is dynamic, he loves your book, he has great ideas, he is excited, talented, and he can help you build a site for a fraction of the cost—this you can afford. 

The Honeymoon:  You get started on the project and Bob really seems to listen, he’s working quickly, he answers your calls, he has something for you to see right away, and it’s pretty good, you like it, ok maybe it’s not great, but hey it was practically free and it’s something, it’s better than nothing.

The Fallout:  You have a big signing at the local bookstore, you’re excited, but your site needs to be updated and there’s that issue of those few spelling errors you haven’t gotten around to fixing.  You know you need to talk to Bob.  But Bob is out of town until next week.  You call some friends to see if they know of anyone who can help, yes, but do you have access to the web files?  Hmm, no Bob has that.  Bob doesn’t seem to be returning your calls, or emails—Bob is MIA.

The Reality:  So what if you do find someone who is so excited and hungry that they are willing to do it for very little, or even better, for free.  What happens when your designer needs a leaning post and you are pushing for more—you’ve started with this person, you need them to finish the job, your marketing success depends on it…they stop returning calls, they are less and less responsive…you go crazy with frustration, the process of getting a simple update to your site is maddening, you throw your hands up in exasperation, the love affair is over and you are left to pick up the pieces.

You face the facts, you know you must find another web master, you search for people in your area, you are horrified by the high-prices, your benchmark, what you had come to rely on was so much less expensive.  How can this be?  Ok fine, you find someone you think you can trust and they tell you your previous web designer didn’t know what they were doing.  Salt. Wound. Pain. They tell you that you have to start over and it’s going to cost you. 

The Answer:

Finding the right Web designer can be like finding a grain of salt on a sandy beach. So what’s a savvy author to do?

  1. Get referrals. Qualified referrals will save you a lot of time, especially if they are from fellow authors. For this reason, consider joining your local authors’ guild and attending authors’ conferences where you can connect with other people in your industry.
  2. Industry Experts: Be sure to choose a designer who is familiar with your industry. A successful Web site goes way beyond the nuts and bolts of programming and coding. Your designer should have a firm understanding of what you are trying to accomplish and a definitive plan to reach that end. For instance, your navigation should lead your visitor in the direction of a sale—think of it like a funnel. You should implement an effective call-to-action that will guide your readers through the funnel and convert traffic into revenue.
  3. Ask for testimonials. Does he or she complete projects on deadline? A typical site should take from two to five weeks to design and build. Also, ask to see samples—including live sites. Test them for ease of use and loading time, as well as the general feeling you get from the sites you view. Chances are if you dislike everything someone has done, you will be unhappy with what they produce for you as well.
  4. Does he or she listen to your needs? A good way to tell if a company designs for the client or for themselves is to view their samples. If all of their samples are similar, this could be a red flag—unless, of course, that is exactly the style you want in your design. A good designer should be able to listen to your needs and translate them into a workable site that exceeds your expectations. Ultimately, your site should reflect your personality—not theirs.
  5. Communication: Make sure your design team is easy to communicate with. Do they understand your needs? Remember: this should be your vision, not theirs. Ego can often get in the way of your goals. When it comes down to it, they work for you. They should be able to set their artistry ego aside and follow your line of thinking, providing you with valuable insight and ideas that you hadn’t considered.

What You Can Expect From a Professional Web Designer

Most design firms will provide you with multiple design samples. This is the part of the project where you will have the most involvement. That’s not to say that you should be able to stare over their shoulders as they create for you—but you should be given ample opportunity to verbalize your needs. Make sure you approve the design before it goes to the programmer. Also, find out what their policy is on additional changes once you have approved the final design; you do not want to get stuck with hidden costs halfway through the project.

Always get a contract. Know exactly what to expect. A contract protects you as much as the design house. Read your contract thoroughly. Be sure that you own the rights to your site, the design, all the images, and your copy. When it’s all said and done, your designer should provide you with a disc that contains all of your design files and your Web files; keep this disc and all your passwords in a safe place—in fact, make backups. Should something happen to your design house, or they go out of business, you will need to seamlessly transfer everything to a new firm. And remember: this is a relationship, if you are not happy with your team, or you are not getting the results you expected, then don’t be afraid to find someone else.

Don’t rush it. Costly mistakes are made when people rush. Once your site is up and running, you can decide to change it, but it will likely mean starting all over and costing you twice what it should. Often, this can be the straw that breaks the marketing camel’s back. It is easy to get discouraged when you have invested so much of your heart and soul into a project only to find out you are back at square one. From the perspective of a coder, it is less costly to start over than to give your site a facelift—changing colors, navigation, and the overall look and feel of your site isn’t as easy as it may seem. Avoid costly mistakes in the beginning, even if it means stalling your project just a little longer.

How Much Should a Web Site Cost?

While industry standards are typically followed, prices vary wildly. The Graphic Artist’s Guild Handbook: Pricing and Ethical Guidelines is a sufficient reference guide for industry pricing standards when it comes to illustration and design; this will give you a firm place to start.

It’s possible to pay anywhere from $200 to $44,000 on a Web site; all of this depends on the size of your site and your programming needs (and who you hire). What you want to concentrate on is the relationship you have with your designer. Meet with this person, and see if you like him or her; after all, you will likely be working very closely with this person. You should be developing a relationship that will help make you and your book shine.

Keep in mind, just because your site looks great doesn’t mean it’s effective. Discuss these elements and see what kind of ideas your potential designer may have that can bring your project to a higher level. Use someone who understands books and the publishing industry. While one firm may be able to design and build an incredible site for real estate agents, they may not know the first thing about selling books.

All of these things are crucial elements that you must consider before signing that contract. Always ask for a contract; no matter how much you trust this person, business is business—be professional. It’s okay and even necessary to build relationships and even friendships in this business, but never forget your end goal: You are an author with your own business, and only you will look out for you in the end.

Make a List—Check it Twice

Before you start shopping for a design house, jot down a list of your expectations; that way if it comes down to one or two firms / designers, you will make an educated decision based on all your needs.

Lastly, follow your gut feeling; listen to your instincts. If something doesn’t mesh, move on.

Finding a design team can be an emotionally overwhelming process. The following checklist will help you find the right team for your needs. And remember: just because the price is right doesn’t mean the fit is, and vice versa; an expensive team may be just that—expensive. You want to choose the best designer for you and your book. Believe me, you’ll be glad you did.

Key Questions to Ask Potential Web Designers:

1.   Do they listen?

2.   Are they responsive?

3.   Do they explain things in a way you can understand?

4.   Do you like the other sites they have designed?

5.   Are all of their design samples the same? Do they have the feel you are looking for?

6.   Are their sites easy to navigate?

7.   Do they have experience in your industry?

8.   Do their sample sites load quickly?

9.   Will they give you recent testimonials and references? Do they have happy clients?

10. What is their timeline?

11. Do they provide more than one design sample for you to choose from?

12. Are the designer and the programmer different people? Does the design firm have a specialized team?

13. Do they offer hosting services?

14. Do they offer E-commerce solutions?

15. Do they understand Internet marketing?

16. Do they have a company Web site?

17. Do they provide a contract that outlines your rights?

18. Do you get to keep the rights to every element of your site, including design and images?

19. How much do they charge for Web site maintenance?

20. Do they employ a solid back-up system? If so, do they keep back-ups offsite for added security?

21. Upon completion, will they provide you with all your files and passwords?

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Jeniffer Thompson is the author of the highly acclaimed Website WOW, Turn Your Web Site Into Your Most Powerful Marketing Tool.  She is an author, speaker, Internet Marketing strategist and a co-founder of Monkey C Media, a full service design house offering web and print design services. For more information, visit www.jenifferthompson.com

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New Formats, New Markets
By Jerry D. Simmons | May 17th, 2010 | No Comments » (Click to add yours!)

Publishers actively promote various formats for publishing content simply because it creates a new audience and more sales. Hardcover readers sometimes purchase paperbacks but paperback readers rarely purchase hardcover books. Older consumers prefer trade paper as opposed to mass market size where the print is small. Audiobook lovers sometimes read books in print but prefer audio because of their travel or workout schedule. Readers of eBooks also purchase print books but seem to enjoy the convenience of the eReader. 

If bestselling authors can sell on average—a million hardcover copies, two million trade paperbacks, two and a half million mass market paperbacks, one hundred and fifty-thousand audiobooks and another one hundred thousand eBooks, this clearly illustrates that each format for publication has a distinct market. That is why publishers make most of their titles available in as many formats as possible. This is also why independent print authors should have at a minimum an eBook for their writing. 

Any author serious about their audience and creating additional sales must have a quality produced eBook available for sale at all major online retailers as well as the major online catalogs, schools and libraries. The market is growing, don’t miss your opportunity.

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Utilize the Strengths of Amazon
By Jerry D. Simmons | May 12th, 2010 | No Comments » (Click to add yours!)

No one enjoys bashing Amazon any more than I do. But frankly they are now and will continue to be a major player in online sales of print titles and eBooks for the foreseeable future. Love them or hate them we cannot ignore their potential to sell product. Even though we don’t appreciate their attitude and feel they are taking advantage with unreasonable discounts, we need to work with them and use their web site to our advantage. 

If your print book is not listed on Amazon it should be! If you have an eBook and it’s not available for the Kindle, it should be! Do not cut off your nose to spite your face by refusing to do business with them. We have little choice, they are the biggest online retailers for printed books and they are not going away. So let’s all learn to play nice…..we can still enjoy bashing them once in awhile.

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Enhanced Applications for eBooks
By Jerry D. Simmons | May 11th, 2010 | 1 Comment » (Click to add yours!)

The big questions for everyone in New York publishing houses regarding eBooks have been: How to improve the value of an eBook over print? How to make the eBook special and worth the price? Apparently they have found answers with enhanced applications for eReading devices. 

Enhanced applications will include such things as video, audio, author interviews, insights into the writing and publication of the eBook, much the same as you see when you purchase a DVD and get the director’s cuts. The jury is still out but in the end if the quality and presentation of the material added to the eBook gives it an added value and enhance the reading experience, then consumers should be willing to pay the price.   

The potential for a thoughtful and value added presentation of additional content that truly enhances the eBook is exciting and provides a unique opportunity for the independent author. The big publishers are hampered in many ways and never make quick decisions. The INDI author has a real chance of creating a market for their writing in the eBook format that is price aggressive, content rich and capable of creating buzz in a digital market. The eBook marketplace is only going to grow and provide a new market for reaching an audience.

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Hopes, Dreams & Reality
By Jerry D. Simmons | May 10th, 2010 | 1 Comment » (Click to add yours!)

Anything is possible in publishing, dream big but follow a few simple rules. First: write your own story and never worry about a potentially hot category or bestselling style of another writer. Second: seek professional editorial help, someone you are comfortable with who can challenge you to be a better writer. Third: follow your publishing dreams and find a way to make it happen. There are no secrets, it takes hard work, lots of time and don’t give up attitude.

If you dream of being a bestselling author then recognize the fact that talent is required. Believe in yourself and your writing but don’t spend foolishly, you cannot buy your way to a bestseller list, there are entirely too many people that will take advantage of you if you let them. There are never any guarantees in publishing so don’t listen to the sales pitch and never invest money in marketing unless you completely and totally understand how what you are getting makes a positive difference in the market. If all else fails seek professional guidance from someone with experience that can answer your questions.

Publishing is an extremely competitive business and selling books successfully is difficult. If you follow the rules, make smart decisions about how you publish and spend on marketing then you have as much a chance of realizing your dreams as anyone. Mistakes could ruin your chances as well as cause you to spend money unnecessarily. Consider investing in a publishing expert for guidance. You are only a first time author once and you only launch a new title one time. Make the most of your opportunity and who knows what might happen?

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Publishing & Marketing Dilemma
By Jerry D. Simmons | May 7th, 2010 | 1 Comment » (Click to add yours!)

The most common complaint I receive from independently published authors is that they paid several thousand dollars for a book which in the end has a bad cover, poor production quality and too high of a cover price. After this sad story is played out in an email they follow with a question: What do I do now? In every case their publisher offered to help market and sell books for a sizeable fee which is in addition to the amount already paid. It’s the same each time.

What I don’t understand is how writers continue to fall into this trap? It amazes me how so many are blinded by the promises only to be left with a few dozen copies of a badly published book.  Unfortunately there are no good answers and certainly very few solutions to this problem. If you build a bad house rather than try to repair it’s always less expensive to tear down and start over. Sorry but in most cases that is the best solution for a badly published book.

So-called print-on-demand companies that dominate the self-publishing business are not publishers. They are printers masqueraded as publishers with little or no actual marketplace experience. Their strength is in sales and marketing of their product and making promises that cannot be realized. They have a very slick promotion piece that is called a bait and switch. They make big promises, playing into the hopes and dreams of writers, offering a low introductory price. Once they get a signed contract then the writer realizes the additional add-on for services grows to an industry average $2,200 per title after the low start-up of $399.

Shortly after I decided to start my free informational web site WritersReaders.com it became apparent that the giants in the self-publishing business were not about to let a lone voice with twenty-five years of New York publishing experience hurt their business. As I began to write and speak about the truth in publishing and offer services that would counter what they had to offer, the heavy distorted promotion began and without the deep pockets on my part to advertise my message, it has been left to the readers of my blog, newsletter and those who have heard me speak to spread the news.

As I continue to battle the injustice of bad publishing and marketing scams, I’m asking that more independent writers and authors share my story with others. Now that the market for self-published titles has grown to more than 760,000 last year, this means more and more unsuspecting writers are being taken advantage of by these self-publishing elements whose motivation is only money and not the marketability of books.   

The marketplace for books is very crowded and extremely competitive. If an author has any hope of realizing dreams of becoming a legitimate, successful author then the rules of the market must be followed. I’ve written extensively about the dos and don’ts of publishing and I do my best to offer as much free advice as possible. The problem is that I need to make a living too and it’s impossible to answer every question for free. The services I offer are reasonable and the experts I have access to have unmatched New York publishing experience.

You can cut corners and save money but you must realize that it will negatively impact your book. It’s not inexpensive to publish professionally which adheres to Book Industry Standards. Writers must be willing to invest a bit more to have any chance of success which can be defined as a product with the potential to sell copies. Don’t make publishing mistakes that you can rarely overcome, seek professional guidance and be willing to invest in what’s important for your book.  

Why spend countless hours writing and then follow the crowd by publishing a bad book? It doesn’t make sense, spread the word, there is an alternative.

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