PR

How Martha Rhodes Sold Over 20,000 Books (and Ebooks), Mostly Through Bulk Book Sales

November 6, 2019 by Lisa Tener

Martha rhodes author after publishing a book — Martha Rhodes at Emory University

Talking About Bulk Book Sales

When Stephanie Chandler asked me to speak at this week’s 2019 Nonfiction Writers Conference about Bulk Book Sales, I immediately turned to Martha Rhodes, author of 3,000 Pulses Later to get a feel for how an author I worked with is using that strategy.

I knew much of Martha’s success had been through bulk sales and her relationship with the company that has bought the bulk of her books, leading to:

3,000 Pulses Later being featured in the New York Times
16,000 print books sold and over 5,000 ebooks
A speaking tour during Great Britain’s rollout of TMS technology (trans magnetic cranial stimulation, a drug-free treatment for depression).

During the Nonfiction Writer’s Conference, I’m going to share strategies I’ve learned from authors, literary agents and a former publishing professional who was in charge of bulk sales (or special sales) for a major publishing house.

In today’s interview, Martha Rhodes shares the amazing experiences that opened up for her after approaching Neuronetics about bulk book sales. Martha also shares how she nurtured the relationship from the start.

Martha Rhodes’ Experience with Bulk Book Sales

Lisa: What were your goals in writing 3,000 Pulses Later?

Martha: Since Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation (TMS) was only FDA cleared and brought to market in
2008, and since there was absolutely nothing available for me to learn about it when I searched for an
alternative therapy to ineffective medications, I wanted to spread the word about it for other patients
who were also suffering with treatment resistant depression.

I suppose another originally unintended subconscious goal was to create a cathartic writing experience
for myself by incorporating helpful information about TMS into my personal memoir and give credit
to what brought me through one of the darkest periods of my life after surviving a suicide attempt.

Lisa: It was powerful to witness that healing journey you took, as you went deeper during each draft of the book. It’s also been amazing to see you reach so many people with your message. How did your first corporate book sale come about?

Martha Rhodes knew she wanted to self publish. She got quoted in the NY Times and other great publicity for her book.

Martha: I was introduced to Neuronetics, Inc., the company that created the Neurostar TMS Therapy System, shortly after I had published the book. It was basically my “calling card” at that time. The President and several others at the company found it to be a compelling story they wanted to share with other TMS practicing physicians and their patients because they felt having a TMS patient’s success story would resonate with the then grossly uninformed public.

Lisa: Since selling bulk copies to Neuronetics, they have re-ordered multiple times. How many books have they bought?

Martha: Neuronetics has bought over 14,000 books as of today, and I’m told they’ve projected the need for another 1,000 before this year’s end. The marketing department has also informed me that they have included ongoing purchases of 3,000 Pulses Later in their 2020 budget. (I keep my fingers crossed on this.)

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Lisa: What have you done to nurture that relationship?

Martha: I’ve visited the corporate headquarters in Malvern PA several times for various events, e.g. new corporate office grand opening and a summer BBQ employee event. I was asked to give an employee “lunch and learn” slide presentation supporting the HR department’s internal values initiative and I’m now a member of the Neurostar Patient Advocate Advisory Council that meets quarterly.

Lisa: Neuronetics has also helped you with publicity and opened up other doors. Can you share the
exciting things that came out of this relationship?

Martha: Wow – I’ve almost lost count there have been so many wonderful opportunities thanks to my
relationship with Neuronetics. They’ve given me access to both of their PR firms in Philadelphia who
have connected me with several media outlets such as US News & World Report, The NY Times,
Sirius XM Radio, The Daily BUZZ TV, and several online media channels.

ELITE award winning author Martha Rhodes — Martha receiving the award

Also, Neuronetics nominated me for and I was subsequently awarded the 2016 PM360 ELITE Award (Exceptional Leaders, Innovators, Transformers and Entrepreneurs representing the most influential people in the healthcare industry) in the Patient Advocacy category.

One of the founding investors in Neuronetics’ introduced me to Emory University’s Office of Technology Transfer whose doctors and scientists developed the original Neurostar. I spent two days in Atlanta make a series of informative videos for a program they produced called, “Put A Face On
It.” I wrote an article about it and if you scroll down to the bottom you’ll find several links to the individual videos.

Multiple Channels for Special Sales

Lisa: You’ve done other bulk sales to doctor’s practices. How have those come about? Did you initiate or did they? How did they initially find you?

Martha: All of my bulk sales have come to me thanks to my website, the Internet, word-of-mouth and public awareness that the book exists as a compelling depression/suicide story with a happy ending thanks to
TMS. Nevertheless, I’m now considering doing a marketing solicitation via email and direct USPS
mail to all the TMS practices throughout the United States who may not realize I offer bulk rates to
their practices so they can either loan or give a book to existing/ prospective patients, or sell them
directly to patients from their offices.

Lisa: What advice do you have for authors interested in bulk sales?

Martha: Find a market niche and industry for your topic, and more important, make sure your content is
cogent, user-friendly, and a direct “value add” to their customers’ needs.

I also recommend offering the option of printing a personalized edition for the corporate sponsor so
that their own branding and marketing goals are enhanced, thus enhancing the author’s branding and
marketing goals. It’s wise to remember — you’re not monetizing the book, you’re monetizing the
book’s CONTENT!

Lisa: What percentage of your sales are special sales or bulk sales (and how many books)?

Martha: Eighty-three percent of my book sales are through bulk orders. As of today the total number is
14,000 books (out of close to 16,000 books sold all together). And I’m planning another print run in December for 3,000 books! That’s doesn’t include the 5,000 plus ebooks I’ve sold.

Book Customization

Lisa: Holy cow—that brings you up to 21,000 with the ebooks and 24,000 when you sell the books in the new print run! Have you ever produced any customized books where the company or institution adds a letter at the beginning or something on the cover and gives it away? How has that worked?

Martha: Neuronetics sends a book to anyone who visits the Neurostar website and provides their contact information.
They also give three books to every medical practice that purchases a Neurostar Therapy System. Neuronetics places a disclaimer on the inside front cover of every book they give away.

Lisa: What if a corporate sponsor doesn’t need your entire book and only wants a part of it, or a
condensed version of it, or even wants you to customize interior sections for their industry?

Martha: One of the benefits of self-publishing, especially with Print On Demand (POD), is that this can easily
be accomplished. The other option (but only if the bulk order is large enough) is to do a special print
run for that customer, although bulk pricing will definitely depend on the quantities requested.

Lisa: What else is in the works?

Martha: My audiobook will be published in early 2020. It’s a daunting process but I’ve decided to narrate it myself after listening to several audition voices that just don’t sound like what I had in my heart when I wrote the book. Sean Pratt is my narrator coach and I’ll be recording in a professional studio in Boston.

Lisa: How exciting! Good luck and let us know how it’s going!

Nonfiction Writers Conference: Join Me!

Readers, join me for my talk on Bulk Book Sales Opportunities at the Nonfiction Writers Conference on Nov. 8 (and sign up for all the great talks that week starting on Nov. 7.

The theme is “Promote and Profit.” Stephanie Chandler will be speaking on Tribe Building for Authors; Barbara Winter on Make a Living Without a Job; Matthew Bennett (who’s sold over 5 Million Books) will talk about Outselling Booksellers. Discover all the speakers and topics here.

Get Thyself on Podcasts: Reach Readers & Sell More Books!

November 1, 2018 by Lisa Tener

Earlier this year, I asked Rusty Shelton about the PR activities that most often resulted in book sales and learned that being interviewed on podcasts is one of the top things you can do to sell more books.

Why? Because podcasts tend to be very targeted, you can reach the exact audience who is the core market for your book—the people who most want and need what you have to offer.

What are Podcasts?

Writers block Podcast — The Writer’s Block Podcast NH Logo says it all–it’s about community!

If you know what podcasts are, just skip this brief paragraph. A podcast is a regularly produced “program” by audio or video that people can subscribe to and/or download on places like itunes, Podbean, Stitcher or even Facebook and YouTube.

To get a feel for podcasts, listen and/or watch several, especially those in your field and of course, on writing, so you’ll pick up some good writing and publishing tips in the process.

What Got Me on the Topic of Podcasts?

Debby Monk came to a “Writing in the Zone” workshop at All That Matters in Wakefield, Rhode Island years ago and stayed in touch via my newsletters. She reached out a couple of weeks ago to invite me to be a guest on her podcast, along with her co-hosts Shelly Devlin and Mandra Biscornet.

Tuesday morning, I had the joy to be interviewed on The Writer’s Block Podcast and so enjoyed our conversation about writing in the zone, book coaching, how to find the right editor for your work and how to reach your readers and sell more books.

Watch or listen to the podcast and you’ll learn:

5 key elements to consistently write from a space of inspiration
How to clear your mind and open yourself to write
What to do so you don’t come to the writing burned out
What to look for in a book coach, writing coach or editor.
What’s a muse?
What a good podcast looks and sounds like (these ladies know how to engage their guests and their audience).

What Makes for a Great Podcast Guest

Here’s what Mandra Biscornet says about what makes for an engaging podcast guest: “We enjoy having guests on our podcast that bring a level of expertise, new ways of thinking about writing concepts, and PERSONALITY! Most of our guests we have met in person, or heard speak in the past…we have a sense that they will not only help educate our audience but be enjoyable and inspiring to listen to.”

Shelly Devlin says she values “good back and forth interaction and throwing in some humor!” I would say that good back and forth interaction means not hogging the microphone. Answer the host’s questions in some depth but be sensitive that you don’t lecture. And give your host time to share their response!

I asked the ladies about how The Writer’s Block Podcast NH started and here’s what Mandra said:

“Writing can be a solitary process…our podcast was born from the idea that other writers could benefit from the information & support we were sharing in our bi-weekly writers group. In addition to critiquing each other’s pages, we were researching the various ways to find an editor, get published, and market books,etc. Plus we inspired each other on the not-so-great-writing days, and to be honest, thought we were pretty darn funny in the process.

“We started videoing ourselves in the garage of Shelly’s hair salon and the plan was to post on YouTube.”

Debby’s husband, Jonathan, helped them “see the light.” When Debby told Jonathan about it, he said, “Deb, how many podcasts do you know are filmed in New England, in an un-heated garage that are successful?” and she said, “None.”

Last Thanksgiving Debby and Johnathan stopped by his work which had a new studio at Studio 21 Podcast Cafe. When Debby saw the set, she asked Jonathan to film her doing a little clip to send to their daughters. “It was thanksgiving, I believe, so I pretended to do a show all serious news-like, how we at the writer’s block didn’t even stop on Thanksgiving. Back in the car, Jonathan and I started brainstorming.”

What decisions did they make about the podcast? Mandra says, “Be Honest. We aren’t going to get any better at writing if we can’t take each other’s honest criticism, and we aren’t going to have a podcast worth listening to if there isn’t the some lively discussion! Another decision we made was to dress for the camera. Most podcasts are listened too, however, some are viewed so we make an effort to be ‘camera ready.’

“We also decided to be prepared with a given topic, but allow time for impromptu discussion. Jonathan advised us to keep the podcast to about 22 minutes, the average length of someone’s commute. Some weeks the time limit is difficult to stick to, but we try!”

By all accounts, the three agree their main schooling was seat of the pants learning.

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Thinking of having your own podcast?

Mandra sums up some of the benefits she’s seen in podcasting, from creating community in an otherwise solitary act (writing) to building her platform in advance of publishing her memoir to honing her speaking skills.

If you want to start your own podcast, Mandra suggests, “Listen to other podcasts! Pay attention to both the podcasts you enjoy, and the ones you have trouble even finishing. Not all podcasts are created equal.

“If possible, utilize a podcast studio, they have state of the art equipment, the expertise, and the resources to get your podcast heard. Be mindful of your time, the 20 – 25 minutes rule works well.”

One reason that listening to podcasts is growing is that it has some advantages over radio:

You choose the topic.
You can start at the beginning, rather than in the middle.
A good podcast will be consistent in length so you have some idea of whether you’ll have time to hear the whole thing during one commute.
Whether you listen in one sitting or two, you can be sure to catch the end, rather than miss it if you’re listening to radio.

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You don’t have to start a podcast of your own. In fact, being on other people’s podcasts can help put you and your book in front of multiple audiences.

Like anything on social media, the best way to start is to become a member of the community. Listen to podcasts that relate to the subject of your book, as well as other subjects that intrigue you.

Share the podcasts you enjoy on social media and interact with the hosts when possible. If you’ve already established yourself as a contributing member of their community, they’re more likely to consider you as a guest when your book comes out.

A Shout Out for Well-Behaved Woman Coming Undone

I can’t end this interview without sharing a little about Debby’s novel. Before my interview, Debby sent me a copy of this gem of a book. I’m not sure I’ve ever read a book where the magical realism is laugh out loud funny—a combination that’s inspiring, playful and entertaining. And the book had the perfect balance of laughter and occasional tears. I thoroughly enjoyed Well-Behaved Woman Coming Undone.

Hair design by podcaster Shelly Devlin — Hair Design by Podcaster and Writer Shelly Devlin

I look forward to reading the memoirs all three hosts are working on. Shelly, a salon owner and hair artist is writing As the Chair Turns. After visiting her website, I just have to include a couple of photos of her hair creations. I had no idea that hair art was a thing. How cool is this?!

Which leads me to another benefit of being a podcast guest—you meet interesting, creative people you may otherwise have never met and who open your world to new experiences!

Are You an Expert or an Authority? An Interview with Author Rusty Shelton

September 13, 2018 by Lisa Tener

Are You an Authority?

Last November, during a conversation over lunch during Harvard Medical School’s leadership course for women in healthcare, my long-time friend and colleague–and my publicist of over a dozen years–shared ideas with me about what it means to be an authority in one’s field. And why it matters.

This is the subject of his Rusty’s latest book, Authority Marketing, co-authored with Adam Witty and with a foreword by Steve Forbes. We continued the conversation over email that I might share his insights with readers of this blog, published and aspiring nonfiction authors.

Lisa: What’s the distinction between expert and authority? What does it mean to be an authority?

Rusty: It’s incredibly hard to become an expert, as those who have earned their M.D., financial advisory certification or other distinguished degree know. But the reality is that there are more than 400,000 doctors and more than 300,000 financial advisors in the United States. That degree puts you in rarified air but when I go to pick a doctor, dentist or financial advisor, I have a lot of choices and for those looking to drive impact, leads or both, it’s hard to stand out among such numbers.

Authority marketing is combining stand-out expertise with targeted, meaningful visibility that pulls someone out of that commoditized “expert” space and positions them as a visibility thought leader (what we call an authority).

Lisa: And how does one do that?

Rusty: We’ve identified seven pillars of Authority Marketing and they include:

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Branding – Do you have a differentiated brand that positions you as an authority? This often starts with a home base website that showcases a mission-driven brand (what’s your cause?) and re-markets media coverage, speaking experience and even a book to build authority by association.
Lead Generation/Audience Creation – Once you have a differentiated brand in place, the next step is driving engagement with that brand. The best way to do this is by integrating earned media (PR, speaking, referrals, a book, etc.), rented media (social media, advertising, etc.) and owned media (your website, blog and email list) to give yourself leverage to spread your message and/or grow your business.
Content Marketing – In our book, Mastering the New Media Landscape: Embrace the Micromedia Mindset, we argue that we have entered the age of “Micromedia” in which every individual and brand is a media outlet – whether they know it or not. Success in today’s media landscape means thinking more like the media than a marketer, which is why smart understand they have the same power the media does – to build an audience that looks to them (via a blog, podcast, etc.) as the best source of entertaining and informative content in their topic area.
Publicity –This is the most sought-after form of earned media for a reason – it provides more immediate authority to you than just about anything available. At the same time, the limiting factor of PR is that someone else has to say “yes” for you to reach an audience, be that a producer, editor or blogger. But even though this category doesn’t give you long-term leverage, it’s an important component for any expert looking to make the jump to authority.
Speaking – Some argue that speaking is just as powerful an authority-builder as publicity and it’s incredibly important for experts who want to be viewed as thought leaders. To become a visible, successful speaker you must brand yourself as one (even before you may consider yourself “keynote” quality). Think about it – if I get to your website and can’t find a picture of you on stage or access comments from recent audiences, am I really going to think you’re a fit for my conference?
Events – There is some crossover between this category and speaking but it is a separate pillar because events also include those you own, from open houses to virtual events (webinars and beyond). Events provide significant authority and value to your audience.
Referral Marketing – Most experts rely only on this category to grow their influence, impact and business, believing that “if I do great work – opportunities will come my way.” There’s no question that you can’t be an authority unless you “have the goods” (meaning that you actually do great work) but the limiting factor of sitting back and waiting on referral is that you don’t have any control over lead generation or audience/impact growth – you have to wait on someone else to talk about you. So, while this is a very important piece of the puzzle – it’s just one of seven pillars.

Lisa: You’ve been in book PR a long time and over time your focus has shifted a bit from just books to this concept of full-service Authority Marketing. Can you say more about why it’s an important strategic perspective for you and your clients?

Rusty: We still do a lot of PR work at Zilker Media but the reality is that PR is just one (very important) piece of the puzzle in today’s media landscape. Our clients need us to have a plan in place to integrate earned, rented and owned media so that the media interview they do or the article they write drives people toward meaningful action that either grows their impact, markets their book or builds their business. Specifically, we have found that driving audiences toward a free quiz or assessment (interactive content) is the best way to provide value and engagement around a cause. Booking the interview is in fact just the first step and those who end the work there are leaving a lot of value untapped.

It’s All About the Book

Lisa: When we saw each other last year at the Harvard Medical School course for women in healthcare leadership, you mentioned that for women in healthcare, and leadership in general, you’ve seen books as the biggest way these women have “moved the dial” in terms of their authority in their field. Can you say more about why that is and what you mean?

Rusty: Right or wrong, in our culture we assign almost an irrational amount of authority to someone who has written and published a book. A book legitimizes ideas, establishes thought leadership, provides prestige and allows someone to communicate their message at scale. It also makes each of the seven pillars above much easier to do. Here’s a snapshot of that:

Brand – When I arrive at someone’s website I may not know who they are, but as soon as I see their name on the front of a book I immediately assign authority to them (authority by association)
Lead Generation/Audience Creation – A book is a great way to build an audience and drive lead flow.
Content Marketing – A book is perhaps the most tangible and iconic form of content marketing thanks to its staying power (no one discards a book).
Publicity – A book makes getting publicity much easier.
Speaking – A book legitimizes a speaker and provides a great takeaway for audience members.
Events – A book launch is a great reason to host an event, be it a book signing or webinar.
Referral Marketing – Giving away your book to your biggest fans provides them the easiest and most comfortable way to refer you.

Lisa: Yes, I can think of so many examples of all seven pillars working for my clients with their books. What are some of the changes you’ve seen in the PR landscape over the past year or two? Where should authors and experts be putting their energy?

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Rusty: Wow, where should I start? I think the biggest opportunity for authors and experts is the magic of using a quiz or assessment to drive engagement, education and growth of their email list. I call this quiz marketing and have been so convinced by the success of client quizzes in recent years that I joined with a few partners recently to build Catch Engine, which is a software platform for those who want to feature a quiz or assessment on their website.

When it comes to email growth, lead magnets typically fall into one of three categories:

Old faithful – “Click here to sign up for news and updates” (this converts at a horrific rate)
Gift marketing – “Click here to download my free e-book or whitepaper” (this converts well if you’re well known and poorly otherwise)
Interactive content – “Click here to see how confident you are – take the confidence quiz” (177,000 people have taken this quiz over the past three years – and counting)

Our system, Catch Engine, is great but whatever software system you use – there’s nothing I can say that will be more impactful for your audience than considering adding interactive content to their website – it will make an immediate impact.

Lisa: Now that Facebook and Twitter are tending to require payment for ads for most posts to show up, is it still beneficial to be on those platforms? What are the considerations? How much time and effort should one put into those platforms? What can one expect?

Rusty: The decline in organic visibility (non-paid reach) across social media has been a wake up call to many and serves as an important reminder that your social media channels are “rented media.” In other words, when you build an audience on your Facebook page, LinkedIn profile, Twitter account, etc – you’re building an audience on real estate you don’t own, which means you can only reach that audience at the behest of the owner of that real estate (which gives them all the leverage).

Lisa: I agree wholeheartedly. It makes me nervous when I work with an aspiring author, and authority, and all their engagement is on facebook, for example, and not their website or blog.

Rusty: That doesn’t mean I don’t recommend actively using social media – it just means that you have to always be focused on doing two things:

Delivering great value with entertaining and/or informative content
Giving those you reach a reason to leave that social media channel and head to your website so you can “own” the connection to them once they join your email list.

I should also add that a smart, well-targeted Facebook advertising campaign is one of the best possible ways money can be spent in a marketing campaign…with one caveat – the call to action or lead magnet must actually give value (hint: a great quiz!).

Lisa: In our conversation over lunch you encouraged me to blog or write articles on LinkedIn. Can you say more about that strategy for our blog readers, to help them with their platform and authority?

Rusty: You’ve been doing a great job of extending your content over to LinkedIn – I always enjoy it! LinkedIn has recently opened up the ability for anyone to publish “long-form” content on their platform. That means you can have a blog within your LinkedIn profile and, once you start posting, LinkedIn opens up the ability for you to build a separate audience from your more formal connections – followers. One way LinkedIn is encouraging its members to post long-form content is by giving sizable organic reach to such posts. So, we have a window in time right now where your readers can get extra value by contributing content there.

Lisa: What are some visibility and authority strategies that are working especially well for your clients right now? (examples would be great and we can link).

Rusty: I have talked so much in this post about quiz-marketing – let me link to a few of our most successful quizzes:

book by writing coach lisa tener — My first book helped me be seen as an authority on book writing and publishing, not even the topic of the book itself (an unintended consequence as well!).

Lisa: Thanks, Rusty. It sounds to me like some of the biggest takeaways are, if you want to stand out as an authority (for all the benefits you mentioned earlier):

a) Write a book (my favorite, of course).

b) Offer something engaging and valuable to people, like a quiz.

c) Use rented media, like social media, to bring people to your website, where you can offer them both a) and b)!

And I love your list of the 7 pillars. While I wholeheartedly recommend writing a book to many experts or those who have a message to share, I also encourage readers to think about the 7 pillars you mention. These are ways to reach people and have impact before you even complete your book, and they will help your book be successful!

[bctt tweet=”Join Us at Harvard! ” username=”LisaTener”]

Readers, Rusty and I will both be teaching at Harvard Medical School’s Career Advancement and Leadership Skills for Women in Healthcare this November. There, you can learn more from Rusty about Authority Marketing. Also, I’ll be teaching a workshop on honing your expert bio, as well as offering an advanced class on How to Write and Publish a Book to Support Your Mission and Work. The course sells out every year, so be sure to register early if you are interested!

Brilliant Book Launch Tips for Savvy Authors

February 6, 2017 by Lisa Tener

Book Launch Tips, Working Today

In the past couple of weeks, two books by Bring Your Book to Life® Program graduates reported a successful book launch and a third graduate is re-launching his book, Cold Cures, on Amazon in anticipation of cold and flu season. Another editing client launched to all 5 star reviews on Amazon.

Light bulb moment.

I love a win-win-win. I can share their secrets with you to help you launch a book successfully, spread the word about their books (maybe you’ll find a book in here that will solve a current problem or challenge!) and help further their sales. Plus, I get to brag about my clients!

As I put this post together, I realized that some of my clients with a book launch in the past six months (as opposed to a couple of weeks) have had more time to reap the rewards of their book launch strategies, so I’ve asked a few of them to weigh in, as well. That includes a client who’s re-launching a book and can provide advice on both book launch timing and international markets (the Spanish language version of his book hit #2 in the largest bookstore in the Dominican Republic!).

I also asked a couple of colleagues to weigh in, because they are brilliant with book launches and one recently launched another book of her own.

Without further ado…

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More Than a Book Launch Party

The Miami Book Launch for “Cough Cures” Dr. Gus and behind him Nicole Ferrer

Gus Ferrer, MD and Burke Lennihan, RN, authors of Cough Cures, had great success with their Spanish language book launch, hitting #2 in the largest bookstore in the Dominican Republic. They share:

“In the Dominican Republic, we had much media coverage. Several TV interviews and multiple Radio Shows.

“The publicity really helped! About 70 people were invited to the launch party, but even more came from hearing about it from radio shows and TV interviews. Over 150 people showed up!”

Those 150 helped the book go viral in the largest bookstore in the Dominican Republic.

Their big Amazon launch in the US is just beginning. Dr. Ferrer’s wife Nicole and the team who worked hard on the launch, share these steps for a successful launch party:

Prior to The Book Launch Event

We selected about 40 people, gave them the book in PDF format and asked them to read it so that they would be ready to give a positive review on Amazon the day of the launch—staying ahead of the game.
We advertised through Southeastern University’s Newsletter.
We invited everyone, I mean everyone we know.
We did a huge social medial push and asked everyone to like and share the invitation to the event
We sent out an evite to get a head count, inviting 50 people, with a turn out around 90!—with lots of follow-up.

At the Book Launch Event

We had a prominent keynote speaker, Major General Loeffke, say a few words and introduce Dr. Gus.

We provided a DJ, an MC and good food.

We offered raffles.

Some takeaways:

a) Plan ahead.

b) Get everyone you know involved! Ask them to invite people, too.

c) Ask for reviews.

d) Use multiple ways of reaching people.

e) Use your launch party to kick off your Amazon sales.

And because Dr. Gus has asked for support from colleagues and friends, the relaunch email will go to approximately 160,000 people, right at the start of <ahem, ahem> cough season.

Dr. Stephanie O'Leary — Dr. Stephanie O’Leary

Secret Book Launch Weapon, Video

From Stephanie O’Leary, whose book, Parenting in the Real World, is getting rave reviews on Amazon:

“Lisa’s suggestion to introduce each chapter with a video (via QR code) and introducing me to Tamara Monosoff, an expert in that strategy, was brilliant. It makes my book stand out and has had a huge impact on readers. The first book reviewer loved them, saying, “It helps you to connect with the author and her voice and I think this really aids in grasping the message as well.”

“I have also received feedback that the videos make readers feel as if they are having a conversation with me. One reader said the videos made her feel like she was having a “much needed deep conversation” and she wanted “to keep talking.” My YouTube views are also up and it’s fun to see them climb in order of the chapters as new readers check them out.”

Add Pros to Your Community—And Ask for Book Launch Help.

From Diane Radford, MD, author of the just-released Bless Your Little Cotton Socks:

“Amass a network to spread the word about the book. I have found the faculty from the Harvard Writers Course, led by Julie Silver MD, to be most helpful.”

More Advice from Recent Successful Book Launches

Testimonials, Ebooks and Self-Care!

Linda Mercer, author of Rebuild Your Immune System in 10 Minutes a Day, makes these three suggestions:

1. “Include testimonials from your book readers in launch emails—one per day starting day 2 of a 5 day launch.”

2. “Make it really easy to purchase digital copies—charge 99 cents—and add the link to go directly to your amazon sales page. Buyers can even pay by one-click if they’ve given their credit card numbers to Amazon previously.”

And, given her passion for self-care, Linda offers this Self-Care tip while going through a book launch:

3. “My favorite all time self-care tip is to take just 10 minutes (or more if you like) for quiet time in the morning centering and grounding yourself before you get your day started. It not only relaxes and energizes you at the same time, but also sets the tone (and success) of your entire day. You can drink your favorite drink, pray, meditate, journal…something quiet and reflective or even—one of my favorites—just stare out the window.”

Blog!

Carol Lambert, author of Women with Controlling Partners says:

“Post blogs wherever you can.” Carol’s publisher, New Harbinger, has a platform on the Huffington Post. Carol tied her first post on the Huffington Post to proposing changes to our laws by pointing to the laws that the UK and France have passed in Outlawing Psychological Abuse: What the UK and France Can Teach Us.

How These Authors Got Big Results—More Book Launch Tips

Sage Advice from a Pro

When I asked Stuart for a photo of him & his book, he sent this shot of his first book signing. I’m at the end of the line wrapped up in a large scarf. It was a fabulous party and a fun memory! Two of our mutual clients who were present are now published authors themselves. WOOT!

My colleague, Stuart Horwitz, author of three excellent books on writing and revision shares this advice about choosing book launch strategies that work naturally for you:

“The number of things you can do is like a vast supermarket; you still have to figure out what you like to eat. I love my newsletter but I am never on Twitter, I have fans who will review the book on Amazon but I don’t have time for a lot of guest blogs. So I picked and chose my what came naturally to me… And cooked up something delicious.”

Like Stuart, I am a big advocate for not trying to do everything, but figuring out what excites you, what’s authentic for you, what you’ll enjoy and what stretches you—in a good way.

You may also be interested in these past articles on specific ways authors successfully launched their books:

How Chris Spurvey Sold 8,000 Books in 3 Weeks (and 10,000 in a month!)
A Big Leap in Author Platform for Victoria Dunckley, MD: this post focuses on several things Dr. Dunckley did before her book came out. These steps helped her get a book deal as well as helped grow her following to help book sales during her book launch.
The Ultimate Book Launch Party includes tips from one of the most fun and exciting book launches I’ve attended, that of my clients Drs. Carrie and Alton Barron for their book, The Creativity Cure.Have you launched a book or seen some successful strategies in action? Please share! Or ask your questions below. Thanks.

A Big Leap in Author Platform: Victoria Dunckley’s Big Breakthrough

January 10, 2017 by Lisa Tener

book writing coach — Your Book Writing Coach

How Dr. Dunckley’s Leap in Author Platform Came About

Note: This is an updated version of a post that originally appeared in April 2014. This new version includes the exciting growth of Dr. Dunckley’s platform after her book, Reset Your Child’s Brain, was published.

Have you been putting one foot in front of the other with your author platform – writing blog posts, showing up for social media, tweeting about colleague’s posts, and wondering when your platform might take off? Here’s a true life story to inspire you to keep doing what you’re doing. You never know where the next small step will take you.

I received this e-mail from my client, Victoria Dunckley, MD, addressed to me and Vicki’s agent and publisher after I forwarded a link to her and suggested she post a comment. You won’t believe what happened next:
“A few weeks ago Lisa emailed me and suggested I comment on an article that appeared in Huffpo about banning handheld devices for children under 12. I did so, and my comment generated a thread of nearly 100 more comments! I posted a link to my latest PT article within the comment, and received nearly 20,000 hits to the article due to viral Facebook activity. The original Huffpo article received more than 1 million views, and over 300k likes on Facebook – it’s certainly becoming hot topic.

How That One Comment Impacted Dr. Dunckley’s Author Platform

“Since then, I’ve had three media interviews:

1. Scholastic News, a publication that goes out to over 3 million children ages 10-12, about screen-time effects on the brain

2. A PBS Magazine publication in New Mexico, on Electronic Screen Syndrome.

3. The Carlat Report, a child psychiatry newsletter, on childhood obesity – which I naturally tied into screen-time reduction. The Carlat was significant because it’s my first “professional” mention in psychiatry.

“In addition, the author of the Huffpo article contacted me, as did the owner of reSTART (one of the only tech addiction facilities in the country), and I’ve since joined their listserv which includes all the screen-time experts across the country. Normally my ideas gender resistance and defensiveness, so it’s been great to find this community, and of course it’ll help with the book too. They are already linking to my articles. And one of the experts is right here in Culver City, so he and I have been working together and may do some speaking together too.

“Also a woman from electromagnetichealth.org contacted me and said she might have speaking opportunities for me and also mentioned an upcoming film. So I’ll be talking to her in more depth in a couple of weeks. Incidentally, although addressing EMFs in the book is a little risky, there are numerous EMF awareness groups around the world with like-minded followers, so I’ve made a more concerted effort to connect with them on social media.

“Thank you, Lisa!! your email was like a gift from the universe! It’s really opened things up.”

Note, this was all in response to a COMMENT on a Huffington Post article (in which Dr. Dunckley linked to her Psychology Today post) – PR, speaking opportunities, connecting with like-minded colleagues – all this from one comment.

How You Can Grow Your Author Platform in 10 Minutes a Day

So, imagine taking 10 minutes a day to comment on a post and link to a post of your own when and if appropriate. Not a big time commitment, but a great opportunity to become part of important conversations in your field – and who knows what might come of it?!

Here are 3 ways to help find such opportunities:

1. Do a “google alert” for specific search terms that are in your area of expertise. Then, when articles address those terms, Google will let you know and you can comment and share.

2. Subscribe to specific columnists on Huffington Post, Psychology Today, Fast Company or other news sources after identifying whose posts may be most germane to your own work. Comment on and share at least one post per day.

3. Follow other thought leaders in your field on Twitter. Read their blog posts, comment and share.

2017 Update on Dr. Dunckley’s Author Platform

book photo author in bookstore — Victoria Dunckley finds her book on the shelf of her local bookstore.

Of course, now that Dr. Dunckley’s book, Reset Your Child’s Brain, has come out to great acclaim – and 55 5-star reviews on Amazon.com (as of July 2018 it is now 86 five star reviews!), the publicity continues.

That woman who contacted Dr. Dunckley after reading her Huffington Post comment then invited her to speak at a high profile forum at the Commonwealth Club in San Francisco. Dr. Dunckley has spoken at a variety of venues and online summits; been quoted on NPR, the Chicago Tribune, the San Francisco Chronicle; and interviewed on national TV, including the Today Show and the Hallmark Family Channel, as well as several news programs.

What could blogging and commenting do for your author platform? Feel free to share your favorite author-platform building strategies below. Or just ask a question.

How to Guest Blog Successfully: An Interview with Sara Pence

September 8, 2016 by Lisa Tener

In our third lesson of Social Media for Authors Week you’ll learn how to guest blog (pitching and writing one!)–and why guest blogging is such a valuable skill/strategy for an author.

Sara Pence, social media and guest blog strategist — Sara Pence

I first met Sara Pence when working with Shelton Interactive, now Advantage Media, on a campaign for platform building. I wanted to raise my visibility in the field and my media page looked outdated. It was time for some outreach. Sara helped me come up with terrific strategies and ideas for guest blog posts, which she successfully pitched. I even landed my dream post—with Writers Digest—12 Workplace Skills to Apply to Your Writing Career.

Guest blogging is such a terrific strategy for connecting specifically with your target audience and expanding your reach. I felt it deserved a place in our Social Media for Authors Week. And who better to discuss how to guest blog successfully than Sara Pence.

Why Guest Blog?

Lisa: What are some of the benefits of guest posting? Why would an author want to guest blog?

Sara: There are several benefits that come with writing guest posts for other bloggers and influencers. Here are a couple:

Guest blogging will help you tap into an audience other than your own, and draw other people to your own platform.
You’ll grow your online presence by having a link to your own website in your byline. This will help SEO (search engine optimization) for you AND the blogger who is hosting you.

Lisa: For what percentage of your authors do you suggest a guest blogging strategy? What are your criteria?

Sara: We work this strategy into every publicity campaign we work on. It’s important to remember that all media outlets are constantly searching for fresh content. Our job is to work with our Members to come up with the right angle for the outlet we want to pitch.

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Lisa: How do you identify blogs that are a good fit?

Sara: Each project we work on is different, which requires us to constantly be on the lookout for new outlets that cover a wide variety of topics.

We do a lot of organic research through Google, in addition to looking for new outlets listed in Cision – a media relations database. With this resource we are able to find influencers, build media lists and track necessary analytics from a publicity standpoint.

We also keep track of our Member’s social media interactions and reach out to writers, bloggers and journalists who are already engaging with them online.

Lisa: Can you give an example of a recent pitch you made and the result?

Sara: We recently started working with first-time author Jane Wyker and her book, Soul Selfish. While monitoring her Twitter interactions we were able to identify a news outlet that engaged with her on a regular basis, and I reached out to the site’s editor with a few guest blog post ideas. Referencing Jane and their Twitter interaction(s) in the beginning of my pitch was key. The editor requested a guest blog post from Jane, and you can read the final product here.

This is an example that illustrates how social media management and active publicity outreach can complement each other well.

Lisa: Let’s talk for a minute about original content vs. duplicate content. When we worked together on a guest blogging strategy, you helped me brainstorm overall ideas. Then we focused on a specific pitch for each blogger or website. I imagine pitching guest blog posts is more involved since you can’t pitch the same article for every blog. Each blogger wants original content. Is that right?

Sara: Correct. We generally pitch guest blog posts that are made up of original content, because that’s what the majority of news outlets and blogs require.

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Lisa: How do you approach your pitches to bloggers? Do you tend to pitch a variety of topics for one author, or variations on a theme?

Sara: Each pitch we send is different and tailored to who we’re reaching out to – which is why research is such a huge part of this process. We’ll sometimes offer a variety of topics, or if we feel very confident that one specific story idea will be a hit, we’ll offer just one.

Lisa: What are some tips to keep in mind when approaching a blogger about a guest blog post?

Sara: Be personal. Make sure what you’re offering is truly a fit for the blogger, and tell them early on in your pitch why.

Lisa: I noticed some statistics on the blogs you approached for me. What are those numbers and what do they mean?

Sara: One number we keep an eye on while pitching bloggers is unique monthly visitors (UMVs). This is the number of unique visitors a website has each month. For example, I’ve visited Writer’s Digest online before, so that site won’t register me as a new visitor in the future. The bigger the UMV, the better.

Lisa: What suggestions do you have for writing a great guest blog post?

Sara: One word: Lists.

Think about how many times you see articles that start with, “Five ways to…,” “10 reasons why…,” “Three common ways…,” etc., every day. This is because people (and the media) love lists.

As explained in this Fast Company article, we gravitate towards easily-digestible information. For this reason, we always suggest writing guest posts with valuable takeaways in a list format.

Lisa: Good point, we brainstormed quite a few list-based guest blog posts together. The guest blog post on Live, Write, Thrive that provides tips to land that 5- or 6- figure book deal comes to mind. We actually came up with several lists: writing advice, the tried and true tips (what hasn’t changed in publishing), the list of what’s changed in publishing and three rules to go by. So, if you offer lots of tips or items in a list, sometimes it’s a good idea to break them up into categories, each with its own headline.

Guest Blog Success Stories

Lisa: Can you share some examples of clients of yours and the experiences they’ve had with guest posting? Any exciting opportunities that have come out of the experience?

Sara: We have had several Members write guest blog posts for top news sites, like Entrepreneur.com or Huffington Post, and be offered the opportunity to become a regular contributor. You can look at Denise Nagel’s HuffPost column or Michelle Reina’s Entrepreneur.com posts as a couple of examples of how this turns out. There isn’t really a set-in-stone process to make this happen, so it’s really exciting when those invitations come through!

Lisa: What are some things that would cause a blogger or website to have you back as a guest blogger?

Sara: Providing a blogger with really solid and valuable content that proved to resonate really well with his or her audience is key. For example, offer a completely different opinion on a popular news story, list tips that only you as the expert in your field can explain, or regularly check in on your guest post and engage with those who comment on it.

Lisa: Any parting advice for our readers?

Sara: When writing for someone else’s blog or platform, always keep the term, “news you can use” in mind. At the end of the day, it can’t be all about promoting your brand. You have to provide valuable tips, advice and a call to action for THEIR audience in order to grow yours.Be patient because this strategy takes a lot of time, but you’ll find it worthwhile in the long-run.

Lisa: How can people get in touch with you?

Sara: You can learn more and contact me here.

Sara Pence is a senior publicist at Advantage Media Group. She has successfully developed and implemented publicity strategies by securing hundreds of media hits for bestselling authors, health professionals, nonprofit organizations and much more. For more information, please visit www.advantagefamily.com.

Ask your questions about guest blogging below–or share your experiences and tips for pitching a guest blog–or writing one!

And here are the other two blog posts in the Social Media for Authors series:

Frances’ Caballo shares why Goodreads is so important for authors, along with tips and success stories on Goodreads for Authors.
Rusty Shelton shares his favorite strategies on Twitter for Authors, along with several inspiring examples.

PR