#IWSG: Fear of Marketing & Diane Wolfe Book Announcement

Help Has Arrived!

     One of the most common fears or insecurities cited by authors or authors-to-be is that of marketing and promoting ones book.  For that matter, promoting anything can leave one feeling a bit insecure at times. Am I talking to the right person?  Will my message get to the right person?  Does anyone really care?

        Marketing and promotions can be a real guessing game sometimes and you never know for sure what is going to work.  I've always been fascinated by promoting.  I've done a fair share of blog posts on the topic.  It's nice to get the scoop from someone who's been involved in the whole marketing and promotion process.

         Thank goodness for authors like L. Diane Wolfe who lead us by the hand to make that which might be very difficult to do on our own an easier road to travel

         If you've got a book ready for publication or if your earlier attempts at book release didn't turn out as well as you would have liked them to, never fear!   Help is on the way.

         No need to feel insecure about publishing and promoting your book.   L. Diane Wolfe has just what you may have been looking for.

HOW TO PUBLISH AND PROMOTE YOUR BOOK NOW!

By L. Diane Wolfe

Publishing and promoting made simple!

Have you always dreamed of publishing a book but didn’t know where to begin? This book walks you through the steps of identifying markets, budgeting, building an online presence, and generating publicity. Get the whole story on:

·         Traditional publishing

·         Self-publishing

·         Print and e-book setup, formatting, and distribution

·         Finding your target audience

·         Generating reviews and media interest

·         Networking and developing an online presence

·         Promotional materials and appearances

Uncover your ideal publishing path and numerous marketing options before you begin. Writing is your dream. Give it the best chance for success!

Available February 5, 2012

Publishing/Marketing, 214 pages, Dancing Lemur Press LLC

$14.95 Trade paperback ISBN 978-0-9827139-5-2

$4.99 Ebook ISBN 978-0-9827139-9-0

Barnes and Noble - 

Amazon - 

Amazon Kindle - 

“She gives an unbiased take on the advantages and disadvantages of traditional publishing and self-publishing and publishing paths that combine the two… It's the perfect book for those who want an overview to begin the decision-making process.”

- Carolyn Howard-Johnson, author of the multi award-winning series of how-to books for writers http://howtodoitfrugally.com/

“A must-read for writers planning on self-publishing or any writer who wants the ultimate how-to on promoting. Tons of links, advice, and how-to, whether you're going for print or e-publication.”

- Helen Ginger, author of Angel Sometimes http://helenginger.com/

L. Diane Wolfe's sites-

Blog - Spunk On A Stick’s Tips - http://circleoffriendsbooks.blogspot.com/

Website - Spunk On A Stick - http://www.spunkonastick.net/

Twitter - https://twitter.com/SpunkOnAStick

Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/l.diane.wolfe

 Bio-

Known as “Spunk On A Stick,” Wolfe is a member of the National Speakers Association and a motivational speaker. She’s conducted seminars on book publishing and promoting for five years and assisted writers through several author services. Her other titles include “Overcoming Obstacles With SPUNK!” which ties her goal-setting and leadership seminar’s information together, and a YA series, “The Circle of Friends.” Wolfe travels extensively for media interviews and speaking engagements, maintains a dozen websites & blogs, and contributes to several other sites and newsletters.

What Is A Comment--exactly?

Comment is free . . . (Photo credit: Shakespearesmonkey)

Comments A to Z

     With another Blogging from A to Z April Challenge upon us, our thoughts may be turning to thoughts of networking.  Whether or not you use this particular term when it comes to blogging, when I think of "networking" I think of comments--the comments I leave on your blog and the comments you may or may not leave on my blog.  

       The comments are what keep a good many of us going with our blogging activity and the comments are what establishes the connections between us.  When we give and receive comments we are building a community or network.  This ongoing practice solidifies our relationships and provides mutual feedback about our ideas and writing abilities.  Bloggers should strive for good comment interactivity.

      In this post I will be touching upon not only what makes a good comment, but what a comment essentially is.  I will also express my thoughts on how you should comment and why.

What a Comment Isn't

       I can still recall feeling flattered in my earliest days of blogging when I would receive a comment telling me how brilliant my content was, how great my blog looked, or some other positive sounding review about what I was doing.  This was often accompanied by a commercial or ambiguous sounding link. Usually the sender was anonymous.  Before too long it became easy for me to recognize what we know as "spam".  

      Spam is not a comment and I wish all those spammers would go away.  

      Similar to spam is the invitation, "You are invited to follow my blog" with an accompanying URL or link.  They might throw in a shallow "Nice blog" but other than that there is no indication that they ever read anything you have written nor do they intend to.  But in their own egotistical thinking they somehow seem to believe what they have to say is so important that hordes of us will flock to their blogs to be entranced by every word they have to offer.  More than once when I've been hit in a mood I have gone over to their blog comment sections to reprimand them on their lack of blog etiquette, but mostly I ignore them as they should be ignored.  

      Egoistic invitations are not comments and they are rather rude.

What a Comment Is

      A sometimes borderline comment can be in the "Nice blog" vein.  I'll concede that sometimes, especially when it seems like there's already a gazillion comments to which you can add nothing new, a brief acknowledgement that you were there might be sufficient.  Even if the comment thread is long, if you've read the blog post then I encourage you to leave some kind of acknowledgement that you were there.  In my opinion that is better than just leaving without saying anything.

      A trite few words can be a comment.

      Also, I don't see anything wrong at all with the invite to visit your blog as long as you've said something pertaining to the blog post.  If you are trying to network and lure visitors, then you need to show a mutual interest with an element of sincerity. Try to find something to say that is meaningful to their conversation and then drop the invite bomb.  I wouldn't make this your sole commenting policy, but if the blog you are visiting is new to you or if their post relates to something you've also written, then by all means it might be appropriate to do a bit of relationship building with an invitation.

      An invitation accompanied by actual personalized communication is a comment.

     Criticism of a blogger may not win you friends, but if you are being honest then I think this is another legitimate commenting tactic.  I wouldn't encourage doing it unless you have felt strongly about what was said or were deeply offended.  Personally I will tend to aim for humor or sarcasm in cases like these so as to show that I'm still open to a potential blogging relationship.  It's been fairly rare for me to visit a site and be left without words to say.   If I can tap into something positive I'll take that approach, but even harsh criticism is a comment in my opinion.   As for my blog, it would take something truly offensive for me to censor a comment with deletion and I welcome any dissension if presented with tact and intelligence.

       Appropriately delivered criticism is a comment.

       The very best comments are those that address specifics about the blog post that has been commented upon.   If you are telling the blogger they have a nice blog, then say why and perhaps give some examples.  Respond to what has been said in the text or the questions that have been posed by the blogger.  A good comment might also draw upon what others have said, thus engaging in a conversation if all parties are monitoring the comment thread.   The best comments provide interesting information, add to the comment conversation, and elicit further response.

       Anything that adds intelligently to the discussion or expands on what has been said is a comment.

 A Final Thought

        I have been fortunate to have many outstanding bloggers leave comments of substance on many of my blog posts.   These bloggers often not only leave great comments, but they will subscribe to the comments and come back to the conversation if they have something to add.  It is time consuming, but I think it can be more productive and provide a greater mental exercise for the participants.

       Speeding through blog posts and amassing followers is not something I will condemn.  I have been a big advocate for accumulating as many followers as you can and I encourage you to follow as many blogs as you can in order to get reciprocal following.   I have defended this in the past and continue to do so.

       However--please--if you visit a blog and actually read the post (or at least most of it or even merely skim through to get the gist of it), then leave some kind of a comment to let the blogger know you were there.  Even if you feel like you have nothing to say, be creative and think of something reasonable to say.  With practice you'll start getting good at it.  

         Do you try to comment on every blog you visit?   What causes you to avoid leaving a comment?   Do you try to engage in comment conversations?   When commenting do you strive most for speed or quality?

 Some other thoughts: 

Comments are great of course! but it's not everything. There are so many reasons people might not comment - too long, too serious or brain fade. I'll rarely comment if everything worth saying has been said, it seems pointless.
Sue at http://traverselife.blogspot.com/

http://www.imjustsharing.com/blog-posting-frequency-beating-a-dead-horse/

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Avoiding The Lawsuit Lottery

lawsuit lotto (Photo credit: Shira Golding)

The Great Subway Debate 

       For those of you who missed our lively debate of last Friday about the inch short Subway Footlongs, you missed a good one.  You might want to go back and read through the great comments that ensued.   As is frequently the case with the topics I toss out to you readers, I was met with views from both sides and some excellent comments that got my brain working.   As the discussion progressed, I was inspired with my idea of how the fast food restaurants might avoid future lawsuits and legal issues.

        Some of you upon hearing my suggestion might immediately think it absurd.  But even in the greatest absurdities can sometimes be found some basis of truth.  I think I make a good point no matter how nonsensical it may appear on the surface.  And even if the point is hidden somewhere in the twilight zone of fanciful imagination there might be that glimmer of something that works.  So let me explain my idea and you can give me your thoughts.

My Maybe-Not-Totally-Wacky Solution

      Fast food restaurants have had more than a few lawsuits over the past couple of decades.  We've seen people suing over hot coffee, mystery meat, and freaky additives.  The stories are sometimes horrifying and at other times outrageously absurd.  Sometimes they have been totally faked like the famous finger in the chili story.   Whatever the story has been, the desired and often attained outcome is lucrative monetary wins for the litigant and in a bigger way for the lawyers.

         I suggest that firstly all disclosures of product contents and potential liabilities that could be incurred by the customer in entering and patronizing an establishment be prominently displayed at each entrance so that each customer has been presented a legally binding warning whether or not they have chosen to read it.  This is actually done to some extent in most national chains, especially where it comes to telling customers about nutritional values and things like measurements such as precooked meat weights and such.  The difference in the presentation I'm suggesting is that it becomes so prominent that it's hard to miss by any customer entering through the doors of an establishment.

         Next, as part of the ordering process the customer is presented a legal document with all previous disclosures presented a second time with an accompanying statement releasing the business from any liabilities that have been described in said document, including such things as hot beverages, choking hazards, and foreign objects found in the food.  Before receiving the meal the customer would have to sign the document.  This exchange might also have to be witnessed and stamped by someone such as a notary public.

        The restaurant would be staffed by lawyers, paralegals, and law students.  Now not only would these establishments serve food, they could also contain storefront legal service operations so that diners could take care of other legal matters while there.    Businessmen could draw up contracts while lunching at Boston Market, divorce arrangements could be made as you eat your Big Mac Combo, or you could dine at Taco Bell while consulting with your immigration attorney.  The possibilities are limitless.  

        New law graduates, lawyers without a practice, and many others trained for the legal profession could be put to work in a situation that would provide rigorous and practical on the job training.  Excess legal stupidity could be mediated  in a surrounding of soup and salads and free up the court system to a greater degree.  New jobs for more attorneys and a restaurant environment free of the lawsuit lottery leeches.

        Sure, those leeches will move on, but so will the army of attorneys.  Pretty soon every establishment could have their own individual attorney and no one could ever sue again.  Oh, and besides the attorneys we can add armed guards.   A safer world awaits us all.

         Do you think my scheme will work?   If you were hungry, would you be willing to sign a release in order to get your food?  How much more would you be willing to pay for your favorite fast food item than you pay now?   How stupid exactly is my idea?

     

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