“Your Book Is Your Hook” Show – HARO, Social Media, Customer Service & Peter Shankman
January 29th, 2011
By Jennifer S. Wilkov, host of the “Your Book Is Your Hook!” Show on WomensRadio
Peter Shankman, the founder and creator of Help A Reporter Out (HARO), the founder & CEO of The Geek Factory Inc., and the author of two books, will appear as a guest on the Your Book Is Your Hook! Show on WomensRadio.com. Mr. Shankman will talk about how authors can leverage the Help A Reporter Out service for writing their next book and for connecting more quickly with journalists and the media. He’ll also discuss why he wrote his latest book, Customer Service: New Rules for a Social Media World.
NEW YORK, NY (January 25th – January 31st, 2011): Peter Shankman, the founder and creator of Help A Reporter Out (HARO), the founder and CEO of The Geek Factory Inc., and the author of two books, will talk with radio personality and host Jennifer S. Wilkov about how authors can connect more quickly and easily with the media.
Mr. Shankman will discuss how authors can leverage the Help A Reporter Out (HARO) service for both writing their next book and finding interviewees as well as for answering direct inquiries from journalists and the media seeking expert interviewees for their own assignments. He’ll also share examples of some outrageous PR stunts that authors can do to attract the attention of the media and he’ll reveal his perspective on how writers can be using social media more effectively.
Peter Shankman is also the author of two books including his latest book, Customer Service: New Rules for a Social Media World, and he will discuss with radio personality and host Jennifer S. Wilkov why he wrote this book and how he’s using it as his hook to help authors and companies better understand how they can use social media to provide great customer service.
Mr. Shankman will also talk about the importance of tapping into the conversation online and listening to what your customers, advisors and markets are really saying. He’ll also reveal how to avoid wasting time with platforms that won’t help you and how to make sure everyone hears your customers when they compliment you.
Host Jennifer S. Wilkov will discuss how authors can provide great customer service during her Education Corner segment on the show.
Click Here to Listen Now: http://bit.ly/e120m6
If you have questions about any of these interviews or the education corner topic included in the show, please put them here in this discussion thread and I’d be happy to answer them.
Customer Service You Provide As An Author
January 29th, 2011
By Jennifer S. Wilkov, host of the “Your Book Is Your Hook!” Show on WomensRadio
www.yourbookisyourhook.com
As authors and writers, we’re always learning about resources and industry tools that we can use to improve our book project performance and the enjoyment of our writing and marketing experiences. Today let’s talk about the customer service provided by you as an author.
“Customer service” is an anomaly for authors. It is usually associated with products, services and companies. However, as an author, your books are your business and so customer service must therefore be a part of your overall platform.
Wondering what “customer service” means for you as an author?
Let’s take a few moments to better understand the nature of what customer service is. By definition and simply stated, a customer is one who purchases a commodity or service according to the Merriam-Webster dictionary definition. The word service means the work performed by one who serves – i.e.; a contribution to the welfare of others (Merriam-Webster).
Your book is a commodity purchased by others, namely your readers. You wrote it in service to and as a contribution to the welfare of them, whether you entertainment, educate or enlighten them with your book.
Therefore, there is a responsibility you have as an author to provide good “customer service” to the audience and following you’ve cultivated.
There are easy ways to provide this so no need to feel this is a daunting task. Much of it can be accomplished via a simple website with a few specific sections that make you more accessible to the reader – oh and the media.
In service to readers:
1) Make it easy for them to find your website by using your name and separately the name of your book. Own both domains and make sure that each one leads to the other.
2) Include a calendar of appearances so readers who want to meet you in person and hear you speak can find you.
3) On this same calendar, be sure to list media appearances. This is not only so readers can watch and listen, it also informs other journalists and media reps that you’re available for interviews and guest spots on their shows.
4) Provide a blog where you share your thoughts on writing, ideas for your next book and a place where readers and fans can communicate with you through comments. This requires less of your time and at the same time provides interaction opportunities for your audience.
5) Consider a social media forum. Set up a Facebook page where you can easily be found posting and engaging in a short dialogue with readers. This is another place you can show up when you want to and interact through comments. For those who are bolder and more consistent, try Twitter, a 140-character forum where you will need to take some time to learn the lingo to have quick, snappy exchanges with readers and the press. You can also create a simple automatic stream of the posts you want to make on both Facebook and Twitter using social media scheduling tools like HootSuite and Social Oomph.
Most of all, keep writing. The best customer service you can provide in service to your readers is to write your next book. If they like the first one they read, they’ll certainly be on the lookout for more.
While your book is your hook to more readers and the media, it’s also your job to use it responsibly to continue to deliver great value while creating an ongoing conversation with those who consume it and come back asking for more.
Jennifer’s show can be heard every week on Tuesday mornings at 9am when it is broadcast on WomensRadio.com and syndicated on Google News and Live365.com. Each show is archived for replay listeners in different time zones and countries.
For more information on this Education Corner topic and others, please refer to www.YourBookIsYourHook.com/blog for more articles and resources to help you with your books.
“Your Book Is Your Hook” Show – Haiti & The Earthquake: A Nurse’s Story Plus Book Marketing Mistakes
January 18th, 2011
By Jennifer S. Wilkov, host of the “Your Book Is Your Hook!” Show on WomensRadio
www.yourbookisyourhook.com
Beth Kallman Werner, the founder and President of Author Connections, and Susan Magnuson Walsh, author of “Walking In Broken Shoes: A Nurse’s Story About Haiti and The Earthquake” & co-founder of the non-profit organization, Little By Little, will appear as guests on the Your Book Is Your Hook! Show on WomensRadio.com.
Ms. Werner will talk about some of the biggest mistakes authors are making with their book marketing and some strategies she wishes more authors would use.
Ms. Walsh will talk about what it took to write about her experience at the epicenter of the earthquake in Haiti, how she got her memoir published and how she’s using her book as her hook to let others know how they can help the people there with the aftermath and specifically with their access to much needed medical care.
NEW YORK, NY (January 18th – January 24th, 2011): Beth Kallman Werner will talk with radio personality and host Jennifer S. Wilkov about some of the biggest mistakes she’s seeing authors make with their book marketing.
Ms. Werner will also comment on some of the more popular marketing strategies that may or may not work for authors and other strategies that she wishes more authors would use. She’ll also share her perspective of the future of the book publishing industry and book marketing as a whole.
Susan Magnuson Walsh is a pediatric nurse practitioner, a clinical instructor of graduate nursing at the University of Illinois at Chicago and the co-founder of the non-profit organization, Little By Little, which ministers to those who need improved health and well-being, specifically in Haiti. She will discuss with radio personality and host Jennifer S. Wilkov why she wrote her new book and memoir, Walking In Broken Shoes: A Nurse’s Story about Haiti and the Earthquake, and how she was able to write about her experience of being at the epicenter of the earthquake in Haiti and its aftermath.
Ms. Walsh will also talk about how she got her story published and why it’s important for those who experience such unimaginable moments to write about them. She’ll also share how she’s using her book as her hook to let others know about her non-profit organization, Little By Little, and how they can help with the aftermath of the earthquake, the people of Haiti and their recovery from the devastating result, and specifically with their access to much-needed medical care.
Host Jennifer S. Wilkov will discuss how to put your memoir to good use during her Education Corner segment on the show.
Click Here to Listen Now: http://bit.ly/hmFsWJ
If you have questions about any of these interviews or the education corner topic included in the show, please put them here in this discussion thread and I’d be happy to answer them.
Book Marketing Mistakes and No One Single “Silver Bullet” Strategy
January 18th, 2011
By Guest Blogger, Beth Kallman Werner, Founder & President of Author Connections, LLC
www.authorconnections.com
One thing authors need to know and understand is that there is no panacea for book marketing. It would be wonderful to reveal one strategy that works every time, for every title, but no such ideal tactic exists. With more than 750,000 new titles expected this year, even the best books are challenged to rise above the rest.
Don’t let this discourage you! There are actually numerous ways to promote books effectively. The key is to carefully plan integration of the various tools available to authors, so that each book has its own custom path to reach targeted readers and achieve success. If there is one silver bullet to book marketing, it is the combination of careful planning and integration.
Today’s authors bring a wide range of experience to support their books. Some are business executives with years of marketing and branding behind them. Others are creative writers who cringe at the thought of self-promotion. The essential piece of any book marketing plan that I often see authors overlook, is reader targeting. Very few books are for everyone; and while it’s a good idea to have more readers aware of your book vs. less, you will only see increased sales when those who become aware of your book are actually interested in it.
Avid book buyers tend to be loyalists. Science fiction lovers are not likely to purchase romance novels. Teens who have fallen for the exploding vampire genre are not going to quickly forward viral messages about a chick lit title or political thriller. When an author is not familiar with his/her target audience, they do themselves a great disservice. This is especially true for nonfiction, when readers seek experts on specific topics.
Lack of proper targeting can mean wasted effort and money. This is a significant risk that authors must try to avoid. Take time to consider and identify who your book is written for, and what channels will best reach those readers. Your options go far beyond the obvious social media networks, which are powerful and yet limiting in their own way.
Social media has become extremely hot, and yet because so many are all over it, it’s especially tough for an author, especially a new one, to stand out. One common mistake authors make is thinking they’ve become book marketers because they tweet and post for hours each day. This does NOT a marketer make! Yes, you can reach readers and even target certain groups, but you will not rise above 750,000 others no matter how many hours a day you are on Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn.
Another common (and costly) mistake authors make is skipping the all-important step of professional editing. Once you’ve cast your vulnerability aside and devoted the time and energy it takes to complete a book (good for YOU!), please don’t cheat yourself by thinking that your book is done when YOU are done with it. Frustrating or not, the author’s part is only the beginning.
Your book can only succeed when it is very close to, if not perfect. Word of mouth is the single most powerful tool for increased book sales, and readers are not likely to recommend a book that has errors, doesn’t flow well, or requires the reader to re-read certain passages before they sink in.
To avoid professional editing can be book suicide. Solid editing from an objective and trained professional is an essential pre-requisite, indeed the first step, to successful marketing. There is no good reason to promote ANY product (book or otherwise) that isn’t at its very best for consumers to embrace.
In summary:
1) Remember that there is no single winning strategy, but a combination of all will be your path to success.
2) Focus on careful planning and integration of the various promotion tools available to you.
3) Make sure to have your book professionally edited, so you offer only your very best work to readers. This makes them much more likely to recommend it to others.
Final message: While many authors and coaches today are chanting the mantra of DIY, don’t feel that you have to do everything alone. Not everyone is (or wants to be) a self-promoter. It’s a challenging hat to wear, and there is no shame in seeking help from professionals who can help you get it right. If you’d rather start working on your next book than spend months becoming a marketer for this one, hire a pro to handle marketing for you, so you can focus on being an author.
Write on.
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Beth Kallman Werner is Founder and President of Author Connections, LLC. Her mission is to showcase talents and titles that deserve to shine. For more information go to www.authorconnections.com, follow on Twitter @authorconns, or check out (and Like!) the Author Connections Facebook page at http://www.facebook.com/pages/Author-Connections-LLC/150685771638986. You can also reach Beth directly at beth@authorconnections.com or 570-686-1214.
The Blessing of Writing About “Walking In Broken Shoes”
January 18th, 2011
By Guest Blogger, Susan Magnuson Walsh, Author of “Walking In Broken Shoes”
Co-Founder of the non-profit organization, Little By Little
www.walkinginbrokenshoes.com
www.littlebylittlehaiti.org
I have been doing medical mission work in Haiti for 5 years. Over the years, our friends and family have been interested in our work. They were an attentive audience and it was easy to share our passions and stories in person. We were in Haiti in January 2010, on our regularly scheduled trip when the earthquake struck. This was an extremely profound experience on so many levels! Writing Walking in Broken Shoes was really in response to many inquiries that came from people who were beyond our personal circle.
Reporters were contacting me, not only to share our initial earthquake story, but also to follow our journey after our return trip to Haiti in June 2010. As I attempted to write responses, the depth and dimension of our stories were more than I could adequately articulate in just a short article or brief discussion; thus the penning of a 160-page manuscript.
I quickly became aware that timing is significant with a book release, so I planned to self-publish in order to have the book available prior to the anniversary of the earthquake in Haiti January 12, 2011. As I was working on self-editing with some literary buddies, I also sent in a prospectus to one publishing company, Grace Acres Press, while also praying for God to be my director. With great surprise and delight, Grace Acres Press liked my manuscript and decided to do a rushed process to have the books available in December. I have been so blessed by this partnership and process.
I love this line…”book as my hook”…
I founded a non-profit organization, Little by Little, several years ago. We raise money to purchase medications and supplies to sustain our medical work in a mountain village in the out skirts of Port-Au-Prince. Service learning opportunities are important to us as well.
When thinking about using my book as my hook, I get a strong visual of a double barbed fishing hook. One barb is that my words might help others hear about our work in Haiti and move people into compassionate action and empathetic prayer for Haiti. They might let go, but because of a brief heartache and their reflexive action, Haiti will get some help. The other barb is to hook them for good into thinking beyond themselves, beyond my work in Haiti and to find their own cause, their own pair of broken shoes to walk in for a while.
If my book could be a small step in helping others see that ordinary people can truly make a difference, little by little, then I will experience great joy! But more importantly, the recipients of another’s walk in service will be blessed.
Putting Your Memoir to Good Use
January 18th, 2011
By Jennifer S. Wilkov, host of the “Your Book Is Your Hook!” Show on WomensRadio
www.yourbookisyourhook.com
As authors and writers, we’re always learning about resources and industry tools that we can use to improve our book project performance and the enjoyment of our writing and marketing experiences. Today let’s talk about putting your memoir to good use.
During our lives, we either read about or in some cases experience a natural disaster, catastrophe or other real life situation that is of interest nationally or globally. We find ourselves in unimaginable circumstances that are often outside of our control. Earthquakes, mine collapses, terrorist attacks and other accidents that we witness become stories of interest to others who want to know how each individual survived the sudden onslaught of something so frightening and how they managed to move forward from the rubble.
Oftentimes, these stories occupy the news media for a week or so and then fade out as other news occurs and pushes the old news out of the spotlight. But the wake of the natural disaster continues and so does the human experience.
It is the books from those who are willing to share what they saw, heard and did that then memorialize and inspire us to do more to help the victims of the tragedy and make a difference in our world.
Whether it’s the aftermath of the Hurricane Katrina in New Orleans where they are still rebuilding, or the terrorist attack on 9/11 that brought down the Twin Towers in New York, or the “Miracle on the Hudson” when a U.S. Airways flight crashed into the Hudson River in New York City in 2009 nearly 2 years ago this past weekend after both engines blew, there are usually plenty of stories that can be collected from the survivors about the real human experience of each incident.
Books have been written about these unlikely situations including Miracle on the Hudson: The Extraordinary Real-Life Story Behind Flight 1549, by the Survivors by The Survivors of Flight 1549, William Prochnau, and Laura Parker, 102 Minutes: The Untold Story of the Fight to Survive Inside the Twin Towers by Jim Dwyer and Kevin Flynn, and The Great Deluge: Hurricane Katrina, New Orleans, and the Mississippi Gulf Coast by Douglas G. Brinkley.
It’s important to note that these books can’t be produced right away. Care and encouragement goes into collecting the stories from the survivors and then crafting the book and sending it off for publication and distribution. The “aftermath” goes on for awhile after the initial crisis situation hits. In fact, the book about 9/11/2001 wasn’t published until 2003; the book about Katrina wasn’t published until nearly 2 years after the hurricane hit New Orleans, and the book about the Miracle on the Hudson wasn’t published until the end of last year, nearly 2 years after the incident.
After the books have been published and the media interviews are completed, the books often fade in the consciousness of society, much like the crisis itself does in the media.
But memoirs like these don’t have to fade at all and can become a force for something good.
Susan Magnuson Walsh was present when the earthquake hit Haiti with force last year, just 1 year ago, on January 12, 2010. She is a pediatric nurse practitioner and a clinical instructor of graduate nursing at the University of Illinois in Chicago by day. She separately started a non-profit organization with her husband Brian called Little By Little which ministers to those who need improved health and well-being, specifically in Haiti, following the loss of her own son to a motor vehicle accident. Beginning in 2006, she and her team started traveling to Haiti on medical missions to make a difference in the health and lives of the Haitian people. Never could she have imagined that 4 years later, she would be right at the epicenter of the earthquake that devastated the very lives she was doing everything she could to support.
When Sue and her team returned from Haiti, recovered and then continued their efforts to support the Haitian people they cared so deeply for, she and her team set about writing down their experiences. It takes more than a moment to capture the essence of a literally earth-shattering experience like Sue’s.
One year later, her book entitled Walking In Broken Shoes: A Nurse’s Story about Haiti and the Earthquake shares what she and her team saw, heard and did in the wake of this intense natural disaster. Because she created Little By Little prior to this devastating occurrence, the book now helps to demonstrate even more why what Sue does makes a difference in the lives of so many who wouldn’t otherwise have access to medical care.
Sue’s book IS her hook to share her story with the world about what it’s really like to find yourself at the center of the storm with no means to anticipate it or fight it… but rather to survive it and make a contribution to the planet and its people in the wake of the devastation created.
Too often I hear people say, “Oh, a memoir is just all about the author and I only want to read about somebody famous.” Not every agent wants to work with this genre either.
But Susan Magnuson Walsh’s book, Walking in Broken Shoes, is more than a memoir or a story about her experience. It is a message and demonstration of what can be done beyond the book and the crisis itself to shed light on a part of the planet that really does need greater attention and support.
Together with Sue, her book is her hook to so much more for humanity.
So when you write your memoir, keep in mind that although the story may be about you and your experiences, there is a whole lot more that can shine through your story and inspire the human race to do and be more for each other.
Jennifer’s show can be heard every week on Tuesday mornings at 9am when it is broadcast on WomensRadio.com and syndicated on Google News and Live365.com. Each show is archived for replay listeners in different time zones and countries.
For more information on this Education Corner topic and others, please refer to www.YourBookIsYourHook.com/blog for more articles and resources to help you with your books.
“Your Book Is Your Hook” Show – Writer’s Digest & Bestseller Marci Shimoff Talks “Love For No Reason”
January 11th, 2011
By Jennifer S. Wilkov, host of the “Your Book Is Your Hook!” Show on WomensRadio
www.yourbookisyourhook.com
Phil Sexton, Publisher & Community Leader of Writer’s Digest, and NY Times bestselling author Marci Shimoff, will appear as guests on the Your Book Is Your Hook! Show on WomensRadio.com. Mr. Sexton will talk about why writer’s magazines are good resources for information and guidance. He’ll also discuss the upcoming Writer’s Digest Conference & PitchSlam. Ms. Shimoff with talk about her new book, “Love For No Reason: 7 Steps to Creating a Life of Unconditional Love,” the follow-up to her smash hit NY Times bestseller, “Happy For No Reason,” and how she became one of the bestselling nonfiction authors of all time.
Phil Sexton, Publisher & Community Leader of Writer’s Digest, will talk with radio personality and host Jennifer S. Wilkov about why it is important for writers to look to writing magazines as a resource for information and guidance.
Mr. Sexton will also discuss the upcoming Writer’s Digest Conference & PitchSlam scheduled for January 21st – 23rd in New York City, what a “PitchSlam” is and why it’s a great opportunity for authors and writers to get their book ideas in front of multiple literary agents during this unique event. He’ll also reveal how Writer’s Digest Books selects the books they choose to publish and his perspective on the future of the publishing industry.
Marci Shimoff is one of the bestselling nonfiction authors of all time and she will discuss with radio personality and host Jennifer S. Wilkov why she wrote her new book, Love For No Reason: 7 Steps to Creating a Life of Unconditional Love, the follow-up to her smash hit NY Times bestseller Happy For No Reason, and how she did the research for it.
Ms. Shimoff will also talk about how she originally got published as the first co-author of six of the Chicken Soup for the Soul® books, and how essential her relationship with her literary agent really is. She’ll also reveal how she uses her books as her hook for her platform, message and Esteem Group company mission.
Host Jennifer S. Wilkov will discuss how why 2011 is your year to write during her Education Corner segment on the show.
Click Here to Listen Now: http://bit.ly/fidJcd
If you have questions about any of these interviews or the education corner topic included in the show, please put them here in this discussion thread and I’d be happy to answer them.
