Would you like to create a magnetic home page, one that magnetizes your visitors? Webster's Dictionary defines magnetic as 'powerfully attractive.' Best selling author and owner of the largest advertising agency in the 20s, Bruce Barton said, "The theme (any advertisement) ought to be based on two principles-first that a man is interested in himself, second, that he is interested in other people."

What will make your home page interesting? Good design plays an important part in your site's overall effectiveness. But it's not the flash that will interest your audience. It's not the jingles that will connect with your visitor. It's the benefits - the 'what's in it for me' list that create interest and even desire. Create a home page filled with benefits and it will pull your visitors in. What you say your product/service can do is much more attractive than a beautiful web page with weak copy.

Promote with benefits instead of your bio, your credentials and even the features of your product/service. Put them in their proper place on your site. But your audience will most want to know the value of your product to them.

You must answer questions like, "Will it solve my particular problem?" "What will I gain?" "What will I lose if I don't use your service?" Some universal benefits answer the how tos: getting more passion, more energy, less fatigue, more money, good relationships, more time, less trouble, less stress, less drama and trauma.  Here's a quick tutorial on magnetizing your home page:

1. Develop a list of 10-20 benefits of each product and service. For example, a client of mine realized her audience didn't just want to know how to get articles written, they wanted to know why should they write them?

So on the home page selling her article writing ebook, she started with a list of good reasons to write short articles to promote: For the serious marketer this ebook explains step by step how to promote your business, build a gigantic Opt-In List, increase your traffic, get qualified links, increase your page rank, grow your affiliate base, become a recognized expert, and collar more sales.

2. Be specific. List specific benefits. Describe how your customer will feel after buying your product. For example, after you buy my service of teeth whitening, you'll look and feel 10 years younger without plastic surgery. Then post a picture of what your client looks like before and after the teeth whitening service. Let them see how happier and more confident they look with whiter teeth. Make your page magnetic with specific benefits.

3. Let the passion for your topic show in your marketing copy. Which arouses your interest more? "A 9-Step Power Plan to decimate and dominate the Consultant's Marketplace" or "The 9-Step Plan to Become a Better Consultant." "How to Convert More Buyers Into Customers" or "How to use the 'FTP' factor to pull amazing clickthrough rates that most marketers will only dream about!" Magnetize your web page with passion that creates desire and sales with your audience.

4. Develop the skill of writing headlines. Provocative titles will stir interest. Provocative statements capture our attention like a fish on a hook. They throw out the baited hook and reel a captive audience in every time. The shocking statement 'Wives Who Don't Want Sex' even if they don't have this problem will get the attention of the curious.

Use the Command statement for an immediate effect, 'Become an Internet Millionaire!" Even if it's a well worn claim, it still captures a large share of attention. Don't forget the power of the simple 'How To" information title. It alerts your audience that the information that follows will be simple and easy to digest. Capture the attention of your audience with a home page filled with magnetic headlines.

5. Give your links the power of benefits. We have added magnetic pulling power to our bulleted list, headlines, and titles. It's all good. But there's one more area that will give your home page even more pulling power. I got this tip from Allen Says' "The War Report." Many unseasoned site owners create links that say things like, "Get your FREE ebook here!" or "Sign-up for our FREE ezine!"

 When first exposed to this tip, all I could say was, "Ouch!" I know my sites were filled with links like that. Perhaps we thought the magic word was FREE and people would automatically click on it and download. The truth is 'Free ezine" tells our audiences nothing. Impart life to all your links with benefits. Those left over benefits and titles you developed earlier in this article. Review each link and pretend you have to get every visitor to click on it.

Don't wait. If you wait you could be starting the next year without the explosive sales and traffic your site deserves. You have invested time and perhaps money into making your site the best it can be. Now, create a magnetic home page by giving your bulleted lists, headlines and links the power of benefits. Magnetize your home page and prosper!br>
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Go into a bookstore and browse through the titles in the bestseller section. Book publishing companies hire high-priced people to come up with a title or “headline,” because book publishing is a big business; therefore a lot of contemplation goes into making their titles as commercially-viable as possible. Many well-known and highly successful books started out with other titles. According to Dan Poynter, the father of self-publishing:

• Tomorrow is Another Day became Gone With The Wind.
• Blossom and the Flower became Peyton Place.
• The Rainbow Book became Free Stuff For Kids.    
• The Squash Book became the Zucchini Book.
• John Thomas and Lady Jane became Lady Chatterly’s Lover.
• Trimalchio in West Egg became Fitzgerald’s The Great Gatsby.
• Something that Happened became Steinbeck’s Of Mice and Men.
• Catch 18 became Catch 22
     
While you are at the store, notice how the other browsers pick up a book, scan the front and back cover, and then put it down again before going on to another book. The whole process takes about two seconds each. That’s all of the time you have to make an impression on a potential reader. In those two seconds, you must appeal literally to three of the five senses that human beings have, sight, speech, and hearing, and figuratively to the last two, touch and smell.     
   
1) Sight: When someone first comes in contact with your book’s title, it is usually by seeing it on the front cover. So your title must  be aesthetically appealing.

2) Speech: If a person stumbles over the words, it will add to the difficult in marketing your book. Even if you are writing only for family members and friends, and you are giving away your book for free, there is still an element of marketing.

3) Sound: Business philosopher Jim Rhone says in order to have effective communication, you must “Have something good to say,  say it well and say it often.” Your title will be heard often, but will it be good and will it be said well?

4) Touch: Touch also means to “relate to” or “to have an influence on.” Figuratively, your title must allow itself to touch or be touched by being able to relate to your readers or have some type of influence on them.
    
5) Smell: Your title should figuratively give off an aroma. In other words it should project “a distinctive quality or atmosphere.” If     the aroma the title gives off suggests that very little thought or concern was given to it, people will assume that the rest of the     book is the same way.     

On a recent Publisher's Weekly Bestseller list, out of 20 books, one had a one-word title; five had two-word titles; four had three-word titles; five had four-word titles; three had five-word titles; one had a seven-word title and one had an eight-word title. The point is, most honchos at major publishing companies believe that the simpler/shorter the title, the better. None of the titles were complex.

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Have you been assigned a book report that is left to a bit confused and frustrated about how one where to begin? .  Perhaps seeing a book report example would be just the ticket to help you get up and running.  Well, instead of quitting and tossing the book, the notebook, the PC across the room, take a look at some examples, book report examples:

ASK PEOPLE

One tried-and-true method of learning is imitation.  I don’t mean COPYING (which is not too ethical and will usually get you get you in hot water…cause somebody always catches on). What I'm talking about is how someone else performed the task. The techniques and styles that worked best. Things such as length, first or third person narrative and other such distinctions.  Here's a few folks that I think if you go to for the help you need:

The first place to start is with the instructor that assigned the book report, or a teacher you consider a mentor.

Ask friends, parents, or your brothers and sisters who have already done the assignment and knows what it takes.  But remember, never, ever copy someone else's work.

Ask a librarian for book report examples, perhaps how-to books would be beneficial.  Be sure to distinguish between the report and the review for whomever you ask.

CONSULT HOW-TO BOOKS

These are some other pieces where book report examples can be had:

How to Write Terrific Book Reports, by Elizabeth James – A Student Survival Guide, this book spells out a clear definition/description of a book report, a chapter on how to decide which book to read, a chapter on using library resources, and many more chapters on how to get the most out of the book to the inland. Other discussions include how to get organized, writing drafts, and even doing oral reports.  This book also has four pages of sample book reports which are incredibly helpful because they give concrete example of effective book reports.

How to Write Book Reports, by Dawn B. Sova and Harry Teitelbaum – a step-by-step book on authoring reports, identifying the distinctions between reports and reviews, qualifications of reviewers, note-taking for reports, and many more easy to follow guidelines.  This book also contains several sample reports and reviews.

CONSULt QUALITY WEBSITES

The very same way you would for any type of school assignment you may have, when you are accessing book report examples on the internet, carefully review the sites to make sure that they're up to snuff, affective sites.  That is, avoid the wacko pages or sites that are hostile, that use illegal methods, or that are just weak, inferior, or useless to you.  (A number of guides on how to find credible sources online are available through your library, your school, and online.)  You know that went from a good one when you see them, but just the same here are some of the keepers:

TeensPoint.org – has a special section called “Reading Matters.”

TeenInk.com –has a section with teen reviews (which as of this writing numbered 622 book reviews).

NancyMatson.com – offers a recommended book of the month (and rational for the recommendation), as well as a whole bevy of book reviews.

More than that, you can find a form for an Example Reading Report at http://www1.harenet.ne.jp/~waring/er/readreport.html -- which will give you a point by point checklist of things that should be included in your book report.

Whichever way you decide to go, remember to be your own reporter in the end shall go with something that you care about, the book that elicits passion… threw out the process of reading and writing.  That is, squeeze as much fun as you possibly can out of it since you have to do the assignment anyway.

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Too many new authors believe that once their book is written the sales will just come pouring in and they will make a bundle. Sadly, this disillusionment is shattered when they receive a royalty check. The honest to goodness truth of the matter is that the writer's work is only started when the book is released. Even the huge author names of today began by peddling their books out of the back of their car. Many big-name authors also began by self-publishing because no one recognized their talent. They did not start off their career with a huge bang. They did not have the money to afford publicists and big marketing firms when they started out and yet they are super successful now. Take heart from their examples.

Marketing, promoting and networking must be done every single day, for the life of the book, in balance with your other activities and obligations.

Many new authors feel their only way to success is through book signings and bookstores stocking their book. They are wrong. While in larger centers with good promotion a book signing event or book reading event may result in as much as a couple hundred one-time sales... most smaller venues can only expect less than 10 sales. Is this worth the 2 hours or more that you spend at the event? Not counting all the preperation, marketing the event, promotion materials, time taken from work and any displays that you have designed and possibly paid for ahead of time. These events do not pay authors to host an event so any sales they do have may not even cover the traveling costs, hotel cost, meals, parking or supplies - let alone the time they put into it. Nor do they usually result in long-term sales - sales are often only during the few days around the event.

Bookstores can only realistically stock less than 1% of the 3 million books available on the market. Their discount with the publisher/distributor is large. Authors are paid royalties only on what their publisher has recieved. So is all the time and effort going into attaining spots on bookstore shelves worth it?

While the markets above are valuable and important to any author - what authors need to do is think outside the box. Figure out where your efforts will bring the greatest results. Don't expect immediate and overwhelming acceptance by the media or your audience. Marketing, networking and promoting are long-term efforts that will reap greater rewards as efforts continue.

Many authors live in tiny towns and hold down jobs or have physical limitations that prevent out-of-town promotions; much like ourselves. This can be overcome. Again, think outside the box, use the Internet and your contacts - and be persistant. Newspapers, libraries, and bookstores are only the most obvious markets and also are the most difficult to gain the attention of without a strong image because everyone is vying for their attention. Work on your image and get strong promotion materials that help you stand out among the hundred thousand or more new books released annually.

So develop a long-term marketing plan and stick with it for the full term of your contract with the publisher. The market plan will grow and change as time goes on. And keep good records so you can determine how you will go about marketing the next book.

I just wanted to mention here that some authors get overwhelmed by the immense amount of effort it takes to market a book. If we take one day, one step at a time we will find it is not so overwhelming. I find it works best to figure out what you will concentrate on this week and then set a goal for today. I do this nearly every day. It helps me keep a steady pace going, without taking on too much or too little.

Remember too, that efforts you are making today may not reap immediate results. You may have to hit a market several times before they pick up your proposal. For instance, some contacts from nearly a year ago are now resulting in promotions in their publications. So be patient and professional in all that you do. Again, keep records so that you can follow up.

Newsletters can be small but effective markets for your work. On average, they can range in size from 1000-17,000 readers or more. E-zines typically reach an audience larger than 5000. Get a few of them in one month and you are reaching a wide audience! You don't need to be rich or famous or have a publicist if you are determined and able to committ effort every single day. (Do take some time for yourself, though!)

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As anyone who’s courageously ventured into the arena of self-publishing knows—or soon will—there’s much more involved in the process than simply sending your manuscript off to a printer, dropping off review copies at a handful of bookstores, and kicking back and waiting for the revenues to roll in.

To the uninitiated author journeying alone, the critical decisions that need to be made along the way can be overwhelming, frustrating, and even downright daunting.

Fortunately, a new breed of publication consultants has grown up right alongside the flourishing self-publishing population to serve as guidance counselors through each phase of the complicated process. Though self-publishing is largely considered a DIY endeavor—hence the designation self-publishing—there may be many advantages to using a professional book shepherd (as book consultants have been dubbed by self-publishing guru Dan Poynter) that makes hiring one well worthy of consideration.  

But, just what exactly is a book shepherd?  In practice, many of the professional services book shepherds provide include either direct assistance with or advice on cover and interior book design, manuscript editing, printer brokering, forms filing, production, distribution, marketing, and publicity. Some shepherds work within fully staffed one-stop firms that will ferry your book through production and beyond; others work autonomously and will often refer you to experts in the areas they don’t handle.  

The Benefits of Hiring a Book Shepherd

Collaborating with a good book shepherd can increase your chances for publishing success—in more ways than you might think. “There’s a bit of a misconception about what a book shepherd does,” says Ellen Reid of Smarketing-Infinite Possibilities, “that it’s all about book production. That’s a component of what we do, but it’s not the entire reason to hire a book shepherd.”

Reid likens her consulting approach to playing the role of a creative director at an ad agency or the producer of a film, and she revels in the creative aspect of her job. First, she assembles a creative team of resources for each of her clients—a copywriter, an editor, and a cover and interior designer—then she oversees every aspect of design, production, and distribution.   

Book shepherds can save authors time and keep them from making the major mistakes that self-publishing rookies are apt to make. “Self-publishing is not a simple business,” says Simon Warwick-Smith, president of Warwick Associates and former senior VP of marketing for a large U.S. book distributor, “and people can either spend a few years learning about it, or they can go to someone who’s been there who can tell them what to do.”

Cynthia Frank, book consultant and president of Cypress House, who has 20 years’ experience in the business, shares Warwick-Smith’s philosophy and uses a similar approach. Frank asks her clients to describe their definition of publishing success so that she can help them reach that level—whether it’s achieving a good sales ranking on Amazon.com or using their first book as a stepping stone to a traditional publishing contract. Next she asks her authors to perform a self-assessment, honestly representing their weaknesses and strengths regarding aspects of the business, so she can formulate a comprehensive plan that will align their definition of success with the concrete steps to making it happen.

“If my client is not good at marketing, for example, and all of his capital is tied up in inventory,” says Frank, “then there’s no money left over for marketing, and he’s heading for trouble.  I help my clients see where they’re coming up short in the planning stages.”

Book shepherds also help their clients get up to speed quickly on the ins and outs of self-publishing. “There’s so much jargon in our industry, and if somebody is just starting out, their eyes will be spinning in their head,” says Frank. “We explain the different registrations and distribution methods and help them decide whether their books should be sold in bookstores, specialty shops, or gift and stationery stores, for example."

Planning ahead, experts agree, is of the utmost importance. Self-publishing is, in effect, a small business, and it deserves to be treated as such right from the start. Most shepherds strongly advise authors to prepare a formal business plan for a self-publishing venture before they even begin writing the manuscript. “Oftentimes we see people go into self-publishing with no more forethought than they would use to order a meal at a fancy restaurant,” says Frank.

Sometimes, too, a book shepherd has connections and proven strategies that can benefit the aspiring author. “I’ve developed relationships with national distributors,” says book shepherd Gail Kearns of To Press and Beyond, “and if the product is great and the price is right, I can usually get the books into the hands of distributors. We also have some creative ideas for marketing that don’t cost a lot of money.”  

In essence, a good book shepherd can save an author time, money, headaches, and—one hopes—disappointment.

How to Get the Most from a Book Shepherding Session

But don’t plan on using a book shepherd to hold your hand every step of the way—unless of course, your pocketbook is bursting at the seams. With hourly rates ranging from approximately $50 to $150 and up, depending on the services you use, the fees can pile up quickly and eat up a good chunk of your budget.  

It’s much more prudent to do a lot of homework up front, advises Barbara Denise Files, author of two self-published books including her latest, Ballet Secrets for Skaters: How to Hone Your Artistic Competitive Edge.

Files enjoyed a positive experience working with book shepherd Marilyn Ross, co-founder of Small Publishers Association of North America (SPAN), and she attributes much of the collaboration’s success to the fact that she did a lot of research before she even called Ross. “I didn’t just pick up the phone and say, ‘You know, I think I might want to write a book,’” Files says.

After formulating a business plan, Files did a background check on her prospective coach by monitoring her newsletters and submitting some questions to Ross via the internet. Satisfied that Ross really knew her stuff, Files gathered her materials—a mission statement, some demographic information she’d compiled on her target audience, and ideas for how to serve them—and developed some specific questions for Ross to answer during their consulting session: Should she write one book, or should she divide her information into a series? How could she best market her niche publication? How many copies should she have printed in the first run? And the all-important: What should the title be?

For Files, using a coach enabled her to make better-educated choices: “When you’re a self-publishing author, there are a lot of crucial decisions you have to make,” Files says. “A book shepherd acts like a sounding board and using one gives you access to professional feedback.”

In order to make your book shepherding experience cost-effective, Files recommends networking with other self-publishers on Internet forums, joining writers’ clubs, taking a class, and reading books on self-publishing so you can learn the rules of the road before hiring a consultant. “Make the call only after you have a specific plan and specific questions to ask,” says Files, “otherwise, you’re going to end up spending a lot of money and time asking basic questions without receiving much direction on your project.”

Working with a book shepherd is like most experiences in life, according to Files, who says, “The more you put into it ahead of time, the more you’ll get out of it.”  

Shepherds' Tips on Self-Publishing Success

1. “Self-publishing is an expensive business that has an all-or-nothing aspect to it. I don’t recommend trying to publish on a shoestring. If you can’t afford to do it right, just don’t do it.” (Simon Warwick-Smith)

2. “First I tell my authors that it’s critically important to plan ahead. There are 120,000 new books per year on the market, a market that is glutted with books, and one needs to know how to approach that. Don’t think about marketing, sales, and promotion after you’ve printed your book; get expert help on the cover, the content, and the page design.” (Simon Warwick-Smith)

3. “Hire a professional book cover designer. The cover is hugely important real estate—it has to scan well into black and white, it has to have integrity at 1½ inches tall, it has to be clear at 10 feet tall, and it has to fit into its genre and stand out in quality.” (Cynthia Frank)  

4. “Approach your book-publishing venture like you would a business plan: Plan out what you are going to do yourself and what you are going to hire others to do. I don’t think it’s a good idea to do everything yourself…or to hire everything out.” (Cynthia Frank)  

5. “The look and feel and the copywriting on the cover are the most critical components. They speak for the author and give the book its best chance for success.” (Ellen Reid)

6. “If you’re really going out there to play in this $2.2-billion industry, you’ve got to have the same level of product that the traditional publishing houses put out.” (Ellen Reid)

7. “If you do it all yourself, your book will look like you did it all yourself.” (Patty Weckbaugh of Casa Graphics)

This article orginally appeared in Between the Lines, a free writers' e-zine brought to you by The Editorial Department, a 26-year-old freelance editorial firm. Please see www.editorialdepartment.com for the e-zine.

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It's the dream of 81% of the population to write a book. No matter how many times people tell you how difficult it is to do, nearly everyone wants to do it. There hangs a certain romance around writers. I think it's a kind of nostalgia or grieving for some forgotten part of ourselves. We long to return to a place where magic and imagination are revered.

Others may just want the quick glory or fast buck they associate with being an author. But whatever you want, getting a 6-figure book advance is possible if you have the skill, drive and know-how. Here are five tips to get you started on achieving the dream of becoming a well-paid, respected author.

1. Know the Industry

Educate yourself on how the publishing industry works. Unlike the old days when publishers were looking to cultivate long-term relationships with authors who would be in their stable, today their top priority is just to sell books.

When I was traveling in Mexico this year I met a woman whose husband has been a best-selling author for twenty years in England. He has had the same agent and publisher for those same twenty years. Every time he came out with a new book his publishers expected it to be "number one" on the English equivalent of the New York Times bestseller list. They worked with him to make it so. In America the bottom line is king. You must be able to substantiate your claim that your book will fly off the shelves, without any help from the publisher.

2. Prove There is a Market for Your Book

In today's world you need to show that your book will sell to one large audience, or many smaller niche audiences. Quantify each audience with statistics that show that they buy books on that subject. It's not enough to say that this audience would be interested in your topic. You must be able to prove beyond a doubt with your well-researched facts that your readers are a *book buying* audience.

3. Develop a Platform

This is the most important aspect of your proposal after you've proven that there is a pressing need for your book and that book buying audiences will scoop it up. A platform is simply YOUR ability to sell books to the audience that you have said will buy-from you.

It's all about the numbers. How many people are on your e-zine list? How many people do you speak to every month? How many people buy your products and services now? Do you have big name corporations or organizations that will buy your books in bulk? Do you have a regular column, or write for publications? Are you frequently seen in the media? If you don't have an impressive platform you don't get a 6-figure advance.

4. Map out a Marketing Plan to Promote Your Book.

Your plan should include everything from speaking engagements, online marketing, licensing, and media placements. It must be realistic and do-able. In other words you can't say that you'll speak to organizations of 1000 people or more if you've never done it.

What do publishers hate most?

When you say that you're right for Oprah. Unless you've already been a guest and taped the show please NEVER say this if you don't want your reputation instantly sullied.

Instead show how you will build on your past publicity. If hosts or producers say that they want you back for another segment because you did such a good job the first time, say it. But if you haven't done much media to date, don't fret.

You can begin today and get a substantial number of profiles, features, and comments in the media in a few months by joining PRLeads,a service which delivers reporters queries (the stories they need experts for) daily to your email box.

5. Get Endorsements

Big names sell products in a big way. Getting known names of celebrities, best-selling authors, actors, athletes, well- known experts in your field, media personalities, any famous name that has glitter gives you the kind of credibility that can't be bought.

One of my clients, who got a number of New York Times best-selling authors to write about him, accomplished three things with his endorsements. Each person who wrote about him told a different story about why he would be a winning author. The first one lauded him as a highly successful professional. The second stated that my client's book filled a gap that her book failed to address. The third demonstrated that the people my client was trying to reach were an avid book buying market hungry for his type of book- as they had bought hers.

These meaningful endorsements effectively helped him get his 6-figure advance. (And he got media coached by me before he met the editors at the big New York Publishing houses who then bid on his book at auction).

Don't just get endorsements saying you're terrific. Make your endorsements do double duty by helping you prove there is a market and that you're the one they want to buy from. This is the type of information that makes you stand out from the other 150,000 authors who are published every year, most of whom never earn back their advance. Don't be one of them. Instead, follow this advice and you'll be well on your way to earning a 6 figure book advance. Good luck!

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In one of my past magazine jobs my office was next to that of the book editor. He would get boxes and boxes of books daily. There was a separate room devoted to storing these books, but that still didn't keep them from piling up in his office. Whenever he returned from vacation he practically had to use a bulldozer to get his door open!

You see the problem, right? How do you get your book noticed, let alone reviewed, when it is just one among stacks of books in an editor's office? Here are a few tips to help you map out a winning strategy.

1. Determine which magazines are the best for reaching your target market.

As you plan to market your book, decide first who your ideal reader is. Is it a 35-year-old urban professional man? Is it a stay-at-home mom who lives in the Midwest? Is it female college graduates who also happen to be sports fanatics? Once you decide who you're targeting, ask yourself: What magazines does my ideal reader read? Those will be the magazines you'll focus on. That way, you won't waste time and money pursuing dozens of magazines which, even if they did review your book, wouldn't give you much in terms of gaining readership. With my novel we focused on magazines with large female audiences. Ideally you should be doing this a few months before your book comes out because the goal here is to either write a story for the magazine or get interviewed in the magazine, and have the article appear before or just as your book is published.

2. Find out what the editors need.

When you have chosen the magazines, buy them and read them. Do they have a certain writing style? What kinds of articles appear in the magazine again and again? If you can, write, email or call the features editor and find out what kinds of stories the magazine is looking for. You'll have more success if you can fill the editorial holes the magazine is already working on.

3. Let an editor know what you have to offer.

Start sending query letters to get article assignments. If you have a particular expertise, you can let an editor know that you're available for interviews if they ever need an expert on a particular subject. Often an editor will assign a story to a writer and give them a few possible interviewees to help them get started. I contacted editors at Essence a full year before my book came out to let them know that I was working as a personal and career coach. Within a few weeks I began getting calls from reporters to interview me for working mom stories for Essence.

4. Mention your book or get it mentioned.

When your article gets published, make sure you get the little italicized blurb at the end that says that you are "a writer whose next book, The Best Book in the World, will be published this month by Big Press, Inc." You get the idea. If you are being interviewed for an article, chances are they won't have room to mention your book but you should still tell the reporter about it anyway. You can even ask them to put it in their notes. As the story gets discussed in meetings, someone might say "Did you know she also wrote a book?" This builds awareness.

5. Check in with your contacts, but don't pester them.

Once your book is sent out for review, you can call or email to make sure that the editor got the book, but leave it at that. You've done all you can. I've never met the book editor at Essence, but when I heard that he was aware of my novel I was totally psyched. I kept my fingers crossed after that. You can see the review here. One last note: Some magazines and newspapers don't review self published books. Find out beforehand so you can make your efforts elsewhere if that's necessary.


© 2005 Sophfronia Scott

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In October 2004 when my book "Your Retirement Masterplan" (How To Books ISBN 1857039874) was published I participated in eleven 15-minute live interviews on local radio over a period of just five days.

The results were highly encouraging; the book leapt from nowhere on Amazon.co.uk to position 194 out of 3123 competing titles and eventually grabbed the No.1 spot for its core keyword (retirement) where it remained for nine months.

I am shortly to repeat the broadcast exercise for my newly published tome "How to Earn Money in Retirement" (How To Books ISBN 1845281128) but before doing so I am already off to a head start…

Although this title does not hit the bookstores until Monday 8 May 2006 it already ranks at No.47 out of 3453 competing titles on Amazon.co.uk – which means of course that the book is already selling in big numbers online – thanks largely to the success of its predecessor and the initial boost it got from radio promotion.

These promotional interviews are arranged by my publisher's media consultancy and I do not require to visit a single studio to take part; they are all conducted over the telephone, sitting at my desk at home.

So what if you self-publish your output and you don't have a publicist to arrange radio interviews?

Does that mean you are excluded?

No way; I have self-published several books in the past and managed my own promotion.

Wherever you live in the world you'll find that the majority of local radio stations are banded together into a single network for cost-effectiveness.

Here is what you do…

1. Identify the controlling network;
2. Visit the corporate website containing links to all subsidiaries;
3. Pick out those stations within a 500/1000 mile orbit;
4. Visit each local station website individually;
5. Scan the daily programming schedules;
6. Highlight those programs that might identify with the topic of your book;
7. Note the presenter's name;
8. Email him/her with a well-couched request for a live interview;
9. Follow that up with an identical snail mail request;
10. Follow that up with a telephone call (you'll get to speak to someone in authority).

You know your topic inside out; speak up with confidence and you'll get your interview; maybe not straightaway but, if you sell yourself and your project professionally, you'll be logged into and up-and-coming slot in the station scheduling.

Go for it…it's free!

I will be reporting in a subsequent article on the outcome of my latest batch of broadcasts.

In truth though there is more to creating bestselling books than spieling about them on radio and if you'd like to learn how I manage to produce bestsellers consistently, visit the website featured in the resource box below.

Jim Green is a bestselling author with an ever-growing string of niche non-fiction titles to his credit. http://1st-creative-writing-course.com

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Wouldn't it be nice to write a book, get paid handsomely for it and be considered a top expert all at once? It's possible--if you know the rules.

1. Study the publishing industry.

Today celebrity books rule. Books that catch a quick trend come in second. Take chick lit, for example. Nobody cared about hip books for women ten, or even five years ago. But women buy the majority of books--and actually read them. It's not to say that other book genres aren't viable. Of course they are. The big categories of fiction and non- fiction will live on forever. But even self-help is on the wane according to some sources. And, as a literature savvy friend of mine said, *Plots are passe.* There's much more to know about the industry. Like what agents look for and how publishers decide on what will be profitable.

2. Understand that publishers don't buy books, they buy ideas.

Many new authors think they need to write a book to sell it. Not so. You develop an idea (fiction excluded) and give publishers a taste of what's to come. They decide whether your idea has a large enough market for them to make money on it. You must prove, without a doubt that they can. Lots of it.

3. Think of your proposal as the business plan for your book.

Map out the life of your book in the marketplace for the next five years. Plan on devoting at least that much time to promoting it.

4. Have a huge platform.

A platform is simply YOUR ability to sell books to the audience that you have said will buy--from you. Are you already a *personality* people recognize and love? How many organizations, companies, groups do you speak to every month? Do you write regularly for newspapers, magazines or the Internet? Do you have prestigious clients who can sell your books in bulk to their corporations? You get the idea. You must *look* like a mover and shaker in your field.

5. Be a media star.

If you're not already a familiar face on TV, a vivacious voice on the radio or a person who appears in print often, not to worry. If you can show you have the potential to become a star, that's a start. Maybe you've been on local TV and had rave reviews. If so, mention that.

6. Speak.

A major publishing house hired me to media coach one of their rising star authors. Her book was getting major national press--but she was dull. And they were worried that her lackluster personality would effect her book sales. We worked until she got comfortable on camera while talking vividly in 15 second soundbites.

7. Get media coached.

With some media coaching you can morph into a mediagenic maven. But it does take practice and sincere commitment. You can work on your pizzazz factor by studying great interviewees and modeling the behaviors you liked. If you can't afford a media coach, get out that video camera and do mock interviews with friend. A lot can be revealed and ironed out just by seeing how you appear to others on the big screen.

8. Develop your platform.

When I interviewed editors at top New York publishing houses like Simon & Schuster & HarperCollins they told me repeatedly that the most important thing a writer can have today is a strong *platform.* A platform is a plan of how you are going to reach your audience to sell books.

Prove you have a following. Publishers want to know who has bought your books or products in the past-- and they want to know how many. Can you show that you have a track record of selling your goods to people across the globe, or at least in your community? Maybe you're not as far along in your career as one of my clients who is a $12,000 an hour speaker who put in his proposal the fact that his audiences range from 100-10,000 people, and he speaks 250 times per year.

His speaking bureau typically sells his video and audio tapes to those audiences in advance when they book his talk. What you want to show is how you can secure sales in large quantities to people you know will buy from you--because they have bought already. Or how audiences similar to the ones who have purchased are primed to buy your book.

9. Get high profile endorsements.

To instantly establish your stature put these accolades on page number one so they're the first thing an agent or editor sees. Endorsements need to be from celebrities, best- selling authors and well-known experts in your field.

Show that you're respected in the world. Endorsements show that high-level people believe in you, that you're a good bet. They also go on your book cover jacket and help sell your book--and in today's competitive marketplace it's essential. Don't say you're *actively seeking endorsements.* Leading with the endorsements makes sure an agent or editor gets that you're a big shot--or soon will be.

One secret that many authors don't know is the best blurbs are written by the writers themselves. Don't expect famous people to read your tome. They don't have the time or the desire. And please don't send it to them unsolicited. Ask permission. Then do the work for them and ask them to sign off on that perfect gem--the one you've written--touting the marvels of your work.

10. Your sample chapter.

Once you've established that the author has some sort of a platform, that they have some voice in the world beyond their circle of friends, I go straight to the sample chapter.

Prove you can write. *I want to know if they are a good writer, because an agent can tinker away with the rest of the proposal and make it sound really good,* says Kelly Notaras, a Senior Editor at Hyperion.

What if you're not a great writer? Hire a ghost writer. Remember platform is non-replaceable. You, the personality, the presence, is what they're investing in. Good writing can be bought. Star quality can't

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