E-Books Gaining Ground on Printed Books
Posted Monday, March 8, 2010 · CommentsIn his “Book Marketing Tip of the Week,” John Kremer writes that Amazon.com sold more digital books than printed books for the first time in its history, on Christmas Day 2009.
It’s a sign of the times, folks. E-books are now considered mainstream, and most royalty publishing houses are offering electronic, as well as print versions of the books they publish.
The thing I like best about e-books is their ease of delivery. At the Florida Christian Writers Conference last week, I brought three books I’ve written:
- The Adoption Decision
(royalty published)
- The Adoption Network
(custom published with WinePress Publishing)
- Blogophobia Conquered (self-published e-book)
Guess which book sold like hotcakes?
My e-book.
Granted, I was teaching workshops on branding and social media marketing, so conferees gravitated toward the how-to blog book. But I also made it easy for them to purchase Blogophobia Conquered.
- I saved a dozen copies of my e-book onto CDs (I discovered it helps make your e-book feel more “real” when people can purchase something tangible), and those sold out in the conference bookstore.
- I handed out fliers with a “conference special” price on my e-book, and some people paid me directly cash or checks. In return, I immediately e-mailed them their e-book.
- Others preferred to wait until after the conference and pay via PayPal.
Hauling CDs coast-to-coast definitely lightened the load of my checked-in suitcase (it was still 49.7 pounds!). And people can read e-books from their computer monitor, their electronic book reader, or they can print a hard copy.
Whether you’re a budding author or a multi-published author, you should seriously consider publishing in e-book form. E-books aren’t the wave of the future anymore; they’ve the wave of the present.
Let’s discuss this in more depth. Have you published an e-book? What has been your experience, both pro and con?
Am I a Motivator? A Weaver? Both or Neither?
Posted Monday, March 1, 2010 · Comments
This is a guest post by Johnnie Donley. Johnnie read my post about The Strong Life Test for Women and volunteered to review the book it was based on.
If you’d like to submit a guest post to Blogging Bistro, check out the guidelines.
Am I a Motivator? A Weaver? Both or neither?
The online Strong Life test tells me that these are the roles I was born to play. But I’m not convinced.
The explanatory blurbs kinda sorta fit. I’m naturally optimistic and love to delegate (Motivator). I’m genuinely curious and trust my friends (Weaver). But the blurbs, so gregarious and outgoing, conflict with my introspective introvertism. (Or should that be my introverted introspectivism?)
I must also confess to an out-of-joint nose. Why didn’t I get Creator. After all, I’m a writer. Writers create. So where did I go wrong in answering the quiz questions?
There was only one thing to do – read the book. Find Your Strongest Life: What the Happiest and Most Successful Women Do Differently, by Marcus Buckingham, presents nine Life Roles: Advisor, Caretaker, Creator, Equalizer, Influencer, Motivator, Pioneer, Teacher, and Weaver. The author, an expert on leveraging strengths, identified these roles from his analysis of two decades’ worth of personality test results. After describing each role, he lists suggestions for using it to create a meaningful, purposeful life.
Before getting to the roles, Buckingham writes about such topics as the female paradox (women, in general, become less satisfied with life as we get older) and the myth of multi-tasking. Using real-life examples, he demonstrates what a strong life looks like – and what it doesn’t.
After the chapter on the Life Roles, Buckingham advises women to “honor what is true about you” and to strive for imbalance, two keys for creating a strong life. His final chapters provide “Strong Life Tactics” for specific areas, such as career, relationships, and kids.
When I took the quiz, I answered the questions honestly – at least I thought I did. But after reading the Life Role descriptions, I can tell you, honestly and boldly, this gal ain’t no Weaver, someone described as “always planning whom you are going to introduce to whom” and “you often cold-call people you’ve heard or read about in order to connect them with someone you know.”
Nope. Not gonna happen.
Neither am I a Creator, though I do “read a lot of nonfiction” and love time by myself to read and write.
But enough about my roles.
Take the test. Read the book. Discover your God-given strengths and how best to use them. “Your strongest life lies so close to you,” reads the very last line, “familiar and startling, waiting to be found.”
Johnnie Alexander Donley shares her Novice Novelist Novel Notes at www.johnniedonley.com.
Do Your Social Updates Beg Bad Guys to Rob Your Home?
Posted Wednesday, February 24, 2010 · Comments
I read about the popular site, Please Rob Me, on Joan Stewart’s (aka, The Publicity Hound) blog.
Please Rob Me publicizes “opportunities” for robbing “recent empty homes” of those who announce their whereabouts via the foursquare app on their cell phone.
If you set foursquare to automatically broadcast your location to your Facebook and Twitter friends, your update is routed to a scrolling list on PleaseRobMe.com’s home page.
“Dozens of new messages appear each minute,” writes Joan. [I checked; she's right.]
Please Rob Me is not intended to help bad guys break into your home while you’re away — the site’s goal is to raise awareness about online privacy issues. Hopefully, it’ll help rabid networkers make wise decisions about how much personal information they reveal in their updates.
What about you? Do you tell your peeps where you are 24/7? Or do you set firm boundaries around how much you reveal about your whereabouts?
On Brains, Marketing, and White Chicken Chili
Posted Monday, February 22, 2010 · Comments
In his wonderful book, Brain Rules
Our brains also pay more attention to information that’s surprising, unique, or presented in unexpected ways.
Did you see the GoDaddy commercials during the Super Bowl, for instance? The content of their commercials had nothing to do with domain names, but I suspect the sexy women enticed more than a few Super Bowl fans to check out their Web site, just to see what this company is all about (or more likely, in hopes of seeing even more images of scantily clad women).
Knowing this tidbit about how our brains work comes in handy when you’re planning a marketing campaign – or even writing a blog post.
Case in point:
My niece, Kelli Christianson, who graduated from college last spring, writes a personal blog called “Thirsty for Rain.” Kelli is a fun-loving woman with a great sense of humor, as you’ll soon discover. Last week on her blog, Kelli shared a favorite family recipe for White Chicken Chili, which she gave me permission to re-print. Be sure to read the entire recipe, especially the cooking instructions.
This is one recipe you won’t soon forget! As an added bonus, you’ve also got a yummy recipe you can whip up for dinner this week.
Over the weekend, Dave and I made this delicious recipe from my super special mommie’s recipe. There is nothing like sharing a wonderful home-made meal with many people you love. I want to do it again.
Hello, domestic soul whom I have been stifling and avoiding.
Three cans or 45 ounces of great northern beans
2lb of chicken breasts
2 cups of broth
1 TB olive oil
1 cup of chopped artichokes (but I always use more)
4 oz mild diced green chilies
12 oz of Monterey jack cheese
3 cloves garlic
2 med onions chopped
2 1/2 tsp. cumin
1 tsp oregano
1/4 tsp cloves
1/4 cayenne pepper
Cook your chicken breasts in 1/2 inch of boiling water. Flip juicy breasts as needed. Slice chicken into soupy-size bites. Use leftover water as chicken broth.
Grab large pot and add cans of beans with their water (do not drain) into the pot on medium heat. Simmer- not boil. Simmer means one bubble every second or two, anything more is boiling. Add freshly chopped artichokes and green chilies when you desire but drain these bad boys- their juices are too potent.
In another saucepan saute(e with accent)- your chopped onions and garlic in the olive oil. You can add a bit of the spices to this mix if it delights you.
Add spices at the end. All good cooks taste their food. Get a long tasty spoon and add more cayenne pepper for more spice. I usually add more cumin because it is my favorite.
Throw everything together while singing with a large glass of wine in hand.
Stir pot with a large wooden spoon while making up witchy chants. This is a very important step and should not be avoided or scoffed at.
Ladle into chubby bowls and top with cheese. The original recipe adds the cheese to the soup but less is more when it comes to diary and meat. Americans consume too much of this- plus it makes me feel bad.
Enjoy with crunchy tortilla chips or the soda bread recipe I will post later this week.
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Please Empty Bladder Before Boarding
Posted Friday, February 19, 2010 · CommentsAll Nippon Airways (ANA) ran a test to try and convince passengers on their plane use the toilet before boarding.
The theory:
The average human bladder holds about 16 ounces. If 150 passengers relieve themselves during the flight, this would add approximately 139 pounds of waste.
Supposedly, heading to the loo before boarding would save fuel, reduce costs, and reduce greenhouse gas emissions.
No report yet on ANA’s findings regarding the e-flights (“e” stands for “ecology).
‘Blogophobia Conquered’ Gets Fantastic Review
Posted Thursday, February 18, 2010 · Comments
Blogger Alanna Klapp gave my e-book, Blogophobia Conquered, a big thumbs-up in her review.
She writes:
Not only did I enjoy this e-book, I learned a ton, and it’s now my go-to guide. I’ll read all 88 pages two, three, four, maybe five times. The advice is practical, concise, and not at all intimidating.
A beginning blogger, Alanna covers many facets of the book in her in-depth review. She says, “I’m grateful to have read this book at the beginning of my blogging endeavor to save me time in the future.”
Click here to read Alanna Klapp’s full review.
I’ll send a free copy of Blogophobia Conquered (a $19.99 value) to the first five people who comment on this post and agree to review my e-book on your own blog.
Tighten Your Writing: Dump ‘Illegal’ Words
Posted Wednesday, February 17, 2010 · CommentsYou’ve drafted a blog post, magazine article, non-fiction book, or novel. Now it’s time to weed out the “illegal” words – 
vague, filler words that clutter your story.
Here’s an exercise to help you cut the wordiness from your piece:
Choose an “illegal” word or phrase from the following list:
- very
- really
- rather
- just
- simply
- it
- that
- there was
- began to
- started to
- -ing words (when they’re the first word in a sentence)
Using your word processor’s “Find and Replace” function, change every instance of the “illegal” word to ALL CAPS.
Example:
Find “very” and replace it with VERY
When you change the word to ALL CAPS, it will jump out at you. If you prefer not to change the word to CAPS, do a “Find.” Each time your computer finds very, ask yourself, “Do I need to use very in this sentence? Ninety-nine percent of the time, you can axe very.
Four more words you can almost always chop:
- really
- rather
- just
- simply
They’re just filler. Did you notice my illegal use of just in the previous sentence? I can just delete just and the sentence will be stronger: They’re filler.
One of the most common illegal words is really. Experiment with this sentence:
The basketball player is really tall.
How tall is really tall? 5 feet? 6 feet? 7 feet?
Instead of the vague really tall, show us how tall the player is: The NBA player dunked the ball while standing flat-footed.
Now that’s tall! You can visualize the player in the revision, whereas in the original sentence, the player’s height is anyone’s guess.
The illegal word that plagues me is that. That mysteriously appears in far too many of my sentences. Of course, not every instance of that can be removed, but most of them can disappear and no one will be the wiser.
What illegal words and phrases invade your writing most often?
6 Guidelines for Great Customer Service
Posted Monday, February 15, 2010 · Comments
It’s easy to rant about poor customer service. But today, I want to shine the spotlight on several companies that have recently given me exceptional customer service:
My 17-year-old son and I got up early Saturday morning and headed to Dream Dinners’ Mill Creek, WA store to assemble 12 dinners for the upcoming month (you pop the uncooked dinners in your freezer and when you’re ready to eat one, you just thaw and cook).
When we walked in the door, we smelled a nauseating raw sewage odor. Their plumbing had backed up during the night, and while the store was sparkling clean, the lingering smell was stomach-churning. The staff told us they’d called us, but we had already left home.
They shooed us to the coffee shop across the street, saying, “We don’t want you to have to smell this horrible odor. We’ll assemble all your meals for you. Come back in half an hour and pick them up.”
True to their word, they did all our work for us while my son and I enjoyed bonding time over coffee and donuts. Plus, they threw in a free batch of cookie dough. Think we’ll be back next month? Definitely.
Mardini’s restaurant
My friend, Jenn, discovered a 2-year-old $50 gift certificate for a local restaurant and suggested we try to use it for our lunch date. We asked the owners if they would honor the ancient certificate, and without hesitation, they said, “Certainly.”
In this day of “Sorry, our gift certificate expired,” it was refreshing to meet people who are willing to honor their gift certificates, no matter how outdated they are.
One of my clients accidentally sent me an unsigned paycheck, which my business manager didn’t notice before depositing it in the automatic teller machine. The credit union didn’t cash the check and charged us $25 for insufficient funds. When we called BECU to report the mistake, they immediately reversed the charge (it “pays” to be a reliable, long-time customer).
I love this greeting card service in which I create personalized cards online and they print them, address them, stamp them, and mail them for me. But during the holiday rush, their quality control people didn’t inspect my Christmas cards, and the family photo on the front of my cards was printed wrong. Really wrong. When I informed them of the error, they apologized and instantly refunded the entire cost of the cards – including postage.
The week before Christmas, I visited the outlet store at the Seattle Premium Outlets mall. Tried on a dozen items; purchased two items. I told them I’d asked for a gift card for Christmas, and that I’d be back to spend it. A week later, I returned, gift card in hand. When I walked in the door, a sales clerk greeted me and said, “You were in here a week or so ago, weren’t you?”
Amazed that she’d remembered me during the busy holiday shopping season, I said, “Yes, but you didn’t wait on me. How did you remember me?”
She just shrugged. “I’m not sure; I just make a point of remembering people.”
She not only remembered my face; she remembered what I had purchased AND what size I wear (yes, I purchased additional items).
Superior customer service isn’t rocket science. From my experiences alone, we can glean a few guidelines:
- Make your customers feel important. Remember their faces. Their names. Their preferences.
- Honor your promises.
- Respond quickly and pleasantly to customer concerns and complaints.
- When you make a mistake, apologize. A simple, “I’m sorry” carries a tremendous amount of weight.
- Deliver more than you have to. Even a little bit of extra effort can reap huge dividends.
- Practice saying “yes.” If a customer requests something reasonable, make it happen.
What about you? Share one positive customer experience you’ve had lately.
Branding Yourself for Maximum Impact
Posted Monday, February 15, 2010 · Comments
Photo by Keith Johnson, Deseret News
A Utah mother had the name of a casino tattooed on her forehead in inch-tall block letters to raise funds for her son to attend private school. The publicity stunt garnered her—and the casino—worldwide media attention.
While you won’t be auctioning off space on your forehead, you do need to understand why branding is the central first step in expanding your career.
Branding doesn’t have to be painful, either. At the Florida Christian Writers Conference (March 4-7) I’ll be teaching a 6-hour course called “Branding Yourself for Maximum Impact.”
If you attend my class, you’ll learn to CRAFT a Consistent, Relevant, Attractive, Frequent, Targeted brand message that sears itself into your audience’s memory.
Here’s an overview of the course:
Session 1
WHAT’S YOUR STORY?
Identifying your core values
A strong brand reflects the values you hold most dear. We’ll discuss what branding is—and isn’t—and you’ll pinpoint unique qualities about yourself that you can begin developing into a stellar brand.
Session 2
BULLSEYE
Aiming for your target audience
Your audience is finicky, fickle, and narcissistic at heart; before they “buy” your story, they want to know, “What’s in it for me?” You’ll learn how to identify your target audience and how to build a brand that meets their needs and desires.
Session 3
SATISFACTION GUARANTEED
Crafting your brand’s promise statement
Similar to a 30-second “elevator pitch,” your brand’s promise must engage your audience. You’ll learn how to avoid muddling your message and you’ll prepare a promise with pizzazz.
Session 4
GROUP HUG
Building brand loyalty
People bond with your brand when you promote it compellingly. You’ll learn how to guide and influence your brand so it makes a consistent emotional connection with your target audience.
Session 5
THE ESSENTIAL BRAND IDENTITY KIT, PART 1
Designing dynamic marketing materials
Your marketing materials must reflect and promote your brand. You’ll learn how to enhance your brand with a logo, business card, stationery package, sales brochures, and other print pieces.
Session 6
THE ESSENTIAL BRAND IDENTITY KIT, PART 2
Optimizing your brand on the Internet
Your Web site will likely serve as the hub for all your branding efforts. You’ll learn how to solidify your brand via a Web site, blog, and social media such as Twitter and Facebook.
To learn about all the workshops being taught at the Florida conference — the largest Christian writers’ conference on the East Coast, follow the Florida Christian Writers’ Conference blog, and follow them on Facebook and Twitter.
I’m available to teach this course (or individual workshops) at corporate events, small business training sessions, and other venues. Please contact me if you’re interested in booking me to teach at your event.
