Great Expectations

by Gary Fearon, Creative Director, Southern Writers Magazine

So where were you during the 2017 eclipse? If you're like an estimated tens of millions of Americans, you went outside (or at least looked out the window) to try to catch your local version of the highly-publicized event.

After it was over, reviews were mixed, with reactions covering the gamut from "Spectacular" to "Was that it?" This range of opinions often came from folks who had observed from the very same vantage point.

As fate would have it, I was traveling through Kentucky yesterday and managed to be in the path of totality as it crossed the Bluegrass State. I pulled into a Dollar General parking lot off the interstate at the right time and joined a small group of travelers who had the same idea. One couple had come equipped with pricey black plastic eclipse goggles and a picnic lunch, enjoying their own little tailgate party. Another couple of women who just happened to be at the store paused outside just long enough to watch it get almost dark and then went inside.

Being a people watcher anyway, I was as entertained by the divergent levels of interest shown by those around me as I was the solar show going on in the sky. Some people booked their hotel rooms months in advance to ensure their place in the path of totality, while others just stopped to get a Pepsi. Apparently not everyone is blinded by science. (And hopefully nobody was.)

What makes this total eclipse a little more notable to any of us in the publicity game, is that this was the first eclipse where social media is to thank for really getting the word out. In the past, only the astronomers and devoted stargazers "saved the date" so far in advance. This time around, the buzz started very early via the Internet, and millions timed their vacations to be somewhere in the eclipse path on August 21st.

Social media is free advertising that works, but we already knew that. The real takeaway from this is that 1) the Internet buzz reached many who otherwise might not have cared and caused them to go to considerable effort in order to experience the event, and 2) the buzz began early enough that marketers, hoteliers, t-shirt manufacturers and commercial opportunists of all kinds could plan ahead and capitalize on it.

Publicity experts tell authors to start promoting their books months before they're actually available. One author we work with has been promoting her new August release since Christmas, with excellent results. To her fans, the book is a familiar friend that is nearly selling itself.

Posting progress reports on Facebook ("Just finished chapter 20!") or posting small samples online are simple ways to attract early attention. Some authors do contests, offering to name a character after the winner. Others ask readers to vote for their favorite of several proposed titles or covers. Getting fans involved makes them feel personally invested.

Generating buzz well in advance of your book's release and positioning it as an "event" is an easy but powerful strategy for attracting new readers and building their anticipation. Like a good solar eclipse, a successful book launch doesn't just happen. You planet.

Street Smarts

by Gary Fearon, Creative Director, Southern Writers Magazine

A few months ago, a new shopping mall opened a couple of cities away from me.  As new malls tend to do, it has attracted patrons from all over. Ironically, no one in my circle has been there yet, and they all give the same reason: they don't want to fight the traffic.  Indeed, the roads leading to and from the new mall which were busy already, are now said to be oppressively congested with frequent traffic jams.

One of the town planners for my own burg says it's a classic case of putting the cart before the horse. Instead of planning for the future and widening the streets in anticipation of heavier traffic, those particular developers simply built the mall at a popular location, leaving the rest of the details to sort themselves out.

A wise planner, explained my planner, leaves nothing to chance. An impact study would have dictated a more visionary sequence of events that would have accommodated both the mall's goals and its customers' convenience.  Instead, the mall is experiencing as much negative word of mouth as positive.

Writers can likewise benefit from strategic planning and implementation.  The many steps in between deciding to be a writer and vacationing in Nice to write your twentieth bestseller warrant an eye for detail and an ability to look down the road.

I'm not referring to the actual authoring of a book as much as what happens after that.  As writers often ask, "I've written a book. Now what?"  Here's a short list:

EDITING
We've all done it.  We rewrite and revise and tweak to death until we're certain every word is perfect, only to spot a grievous error the minute we hit the Send button.  Another set of eyes—preferably several sets—are absolutely vital for any serious writer.  Have at least one experienced editor review your manuscript and ensure nothing gets overlooked.  In the words of the prophet, check yourself before you wreck yourself.

PHOTOS
Admittedly, some authors prefer to maintain visual anonymity, so this step may not apply. For the rest, you will need at least one good photo for your website and press kit (next on the list).  I mention this as its own entity to emphasize the importance of having a high quality head shot versus a selfie (although some cellphones do take amazingly good pictures).  When you become the cover story of a fine upstanding writers magazine, one of the first things you'll be asked for is a high-res photo suitable for framing.

WEBSITE
When potential readers (and agents and publishers) want to know who you are, they're going to look for your website.  Not a Facebook page, but a website.  Yes, have a Facebook page too, but visitors want to see your photos, bio, book covers, and supporting materials all in one place on a website that bears your name. Don't wait until your book is on the market; the time to start publicizing yourself and your work is immediately, if not sooner.  Cash in on the free promotional tool that is the Internet.

PRESS KIT
Basically this is a tangible translation of your website that you can hand out. A well-done press kit says "pro" and is handy to have when you attend writers conferences or, of course, meet with anyone who can further your career.  On a related note, be sure and send a press release to your local newspaper whenever your latest book is available.

PROPOSAL
If you want to woo a publisher, don't skimp on your book proposal.  W. Terry Whalin offers lots of free tips on his websites at terrylinks.com/bookcheck and writeabookproposal.com. His Book Proposals That $ell: 21 Secrets to Speed Your Success is also sage advice, especially for nonfiction proposals.

BOOK TRAILER
Every month, a billion viewers watch videos on YouTube. If you've overlooked this enormous opportunity to get the word out, it's never too late to hop on the book trailer bandwagon.  Some authors commission a slick video presentation complete with music and sophisticated graphics, others very effectively get on camera and talk about or read an excerpt from their book.  It's a highly visible way to promote your latest release, and even an ideal means to generate new interest in an older title.

The above list isn't all-inclusive, but successful writers consider these items among the must-haves for a writer's to-do list.

There will be over 300,000 new books published this year.  Before yours hits the streets, avoid congestion and stand out in the crowd by creating a platform with a solid infrastructure.  It will get you on the road less traveled.

Who's at the door?

by Gary Fearon, Creative Director, Southern Writers Magazine


Monday night my doorbell rang around 6:00 PM.  Looking out through my office blinds and seeing that it wasn't a creditor, I went downstairs and opened the front door to find a little boy of seven, holding a pen and a colorful signup sheet.

"Would you like to buy some popcorn?" he asked timidly.

I'm nice to everyone who comes to my door, from JWs to neighbors asking if the cat they found belongs to me. But when it's a child making his first foray into sales, I make a special effort to be sociable.

I asked what he was raising money for, and I think he said Cub Scouts, although he spoke so softly I couldn't really hear him. "Let's see what you have," I encouraged.

As I looked over his brochure full of various popcorn offerings, I was taken back many years to my own personal experience as a miniature marketer.  In those days we were wooed by comic book ads that promised prizes and cash if we sold boxes of greeting cards door to door.

One in particular featured a superhero and urged you to call now because "Dawn"—who was obviously a superhero operator princess because she had a space suit and wore a crown on her cartoon head—was waiting for my call. She "or another operator" were standing by 24 hours a day. The ad stated more than once that operators CANNOT answer any questions, so I'm guessing Dawn's superpowers were actually fairly limited.

Today, the kids on our doorsteps are less propelled by a comic book incentive than they are sent on a mission from their school or organization to raise funds for a school program or charity. But if they feel like I did as a kid, peddling their wares to strangers is not a fun way to spend the day.

Many authors I talk to express the same displeasure at the thought of marketing their books. Even with the success of their hard-fought words as a motivation, the concept feels too much like going door-to-door selling greeting cards to unwitting strangers.

Which, of course, isn't the case at all. Through the World Wide Web, we can connect with myriads of potential readers without leaving the house. Instead of knocking on doors, we can follow or friend others who share our interest in reading and writing. Many are as interested in learning about your book as you are to tell them.

A good website and blog complete the picture, giving anyone who's curious a place they can come to find out everything about your book. One of the first things many do when they encounter you on Twitter is check out your website. Others will find you by Googling your genre, or by following a link on the blog of someone who's recommended you. At that point, your customers become the ones knocking on your door.

Read other writers' blogs and leave comments, which increase your own internet ranking. Concentrate less on sales quotas and more on being a contributing participant in the community of writers. For expert guidance, I recommend Edie Melson's inspiring and easy-to-implement guide to social media for writers called Connections.

You'll be transformed in your thinking if you no longer confuse marketing with selling.  Selling is the ultimate goal, of course, but the savvy self-promoter never has to say "buy my book". The top salespeople know that building relationships is key to building business. And it has never been easier to do that from our desks. 

So enjoy the process of promoting yourself and your books.  And when you need a break, have some popcorn with me.  I have $25 worth of it coming.

How to Make People Want to Read Your Book

by Gary Fearon, Creative Director, Southern Writers Magazine


Perhaps the most valuable lesson in advertising and sales is the realization that nobody wants to spend money. However, they can be persuaded to spend it in a number of ways. And the most time-tested way to do that is to make them believe that your product will change their life.

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That sounds like a daunting challenge, if not an impossible task altogether, but in truth, it isn't necessary to change their entire existence, you merely have to suggest that you will improve it in some way. The principle behind this is called "Don't sell soap, sell hope."

Let's go right to the source and see how they do it. Dove Soap knows better than to simply tell you their product will get you clean. They enhance the appeal with phrases like, "It's a refreshing, uplifting sensation for your skin." Irish Spring tells guys they'll get "healthy feelng skin the lasses can't keep their hands off" (which, appropriately, even slides a little Irish lingo into the suggestion).

Simply put, the buyer merely needs assurance that your product will enhance their life somehow. So how can you convince someone that reading your book or subscribing to your blog will change their life for the better? Ask yourself what the reader really wants.

If you write fiction, it would be easy to write off this analysis by declaring that they just want a good read, and since you've written a good read, end of story. On the surface, there's truth in that, but go deeper into the reader's dreams if you want to stand out from the quarter of a million other books that will be published this year.

Show them that your love story will transport them to an exotic locale where they'll experience the greatest romance they've ever known.  Convince them that they'll share great adventures with your master detective and unlock the mysteries of life.  Let them know there's a refreshing escape from the hum-drum of daily life ahead for them if they'll just indulge in your book. 

Hope floats.  Sometimes just barely.

Do you write nonfiction? You'll find it even easier to target your reader's desires. They don't want to just learn how to use Excel, they want to become the recognized sultan of spreadsheets in their circle. Rather than merely learning the basics of home repair, they want to know they'll save hundreds of dollars and gain the confidence of their adoring spouse next time the toilet backs up.

It isn't hard to communicate the implied promises of your book. A cover that conveys the right atmosphere can pull a reader in before the title even registers. Then the right title (and perhaps subtitle, if nonfiction) should reel them in. Beyond that, make sure your back cover and Amazon description convinces a potential reader that your book will provide an experience they cannot live without. Do that, and you've made a sale.

There are lots of reasons why people will want to buy your book.  Hone in on those motivations by selling them hope—not soap—and you just might clean up.