In a recent post, I wrote about how treating yourself as a business can positively impact the way you market your DIY book.  While changing your perspective, researching what works with other companies, and coming up with a plan that you can follow through with are all huge steps towards reaching more readers and selling more books – that’s only part of coming up with a successful marketing strategy.

By completing your book, you’ve done something remarkable.  You’ve put so much hard work and energy into, it can be difficult not to be emotionally attached to your work.  But the key now, is to take a step back and start setting realistic expectations to go along with each of above steps. Otherwise, you may become frustrated or disappointed if you don’t think your book is gaining a large enough readership as quickly as you’d like.

Build a Genre, Build a Brand

All successful writers had to start somewhere.  Authors like Stephen King and Dan Brown are continually at the top of The New York Times Bestseller list because after years of work, they have figured out the formula for attracting their readers.  Part of their formula is knowing what their genre is and sticking to it.  In that way, these authors have created a brand for themselves.  Everyone knows you read a Stephen King book if you want to be scared, you read Dan Brown if you want to figure out a mystery.  Obviously, some genres are going to sell better than others based on how reader-friendly they are.  It isn’t realistic to expect a niche-oriented book about nanotechnology to sell as much as a young adult title about sexy vampires, no matter how cutting edge and revolutionary it is.  You must determine what genre you’re trying to fit into and go after the readers that are interested in that genre.  Creating a solid personal brand will greatly help you gain momentum as you build your readership.

Find the Right Audience

Many of the books on Lulu are written with a very specific audience in mind.  And are great because they offer knowledge on topics that can’t be found anywhere else.  In fact, some of our bestsellers are books from these niche genres.  What makes these books bestsellers is that the authors took the time to zero-in on the right audience – the readers that their content matters to.  As much as you want your book to sell millions of copies, you must realize that you’re not writing for everyone – not yet at least.  At first, you’re writing for a very specific and small group of readers – maybe just family, friends, and colleagues. Building a loyal following is something that comes with a lot of time, patience, and research.  You must constantly be in the habit of self-promoting your work.  The good news is that with the internet, it is easier than ever to find your audience and promote your work. For example, if you write a book on photography, start spending time on all of the top photography blogs. Network and become a part of the conversations and prove to those communities that you are a reputable and reliable source of information, then begin to introduce you work.  Be sure to play by the rules too, no one likes a spammer that sends a link of their book out hundreds of time a day.

Publicize with Passion

If a bookstore sells a biology book that is a bestseller, but you have written a biology book that you want them to sell instead, even if you know its better, you’re going to find it pretty hard to convince them to stop selling that bestseller if you can’t stand by your product.  Who else understands the topic of your book better than you, the person that wrote it?  Even if you have an army of publicists, no one can represent and promote your content better than you can. When you’re starting out, your name and your book’s title should always be mentioned in the same sentence. You are the authority and you must show conviction in your work.  Do not expect to sell anything if you’re not willing to put in the effort, time, and energy required to convince readers that your book is the only one they need in their hands.  Your personality and passion play a large role in this, but you should always make sure to list your credentials, experience, or qualifications whenever you’re publicizing your work.  You must also be willing to attend book fairs, trade shows, signings, lectures, and publicity events.  Once you have determined how much time and money you are willing to invest the publicity of your book, you can begin to set realistic expectations for how successful your book will be.  The most important part however, is to always give it your best.

Born on the Fourth of July

By Ron Kovic

asdfasdf

This classic, New York Times Bestseller details the author’s life story (portrayed by Tom Cruise in the Oliver Stone film of the same name) from a patriotic soldier in Vietnam, to his severe battlefield injury, to his role as the country’s most outspoken anti-Vietnam War advocate, spreading his message from his wheelchair. Ron Kovic served two tours of duty during the Vietnam War. He was paralyzed from his chest down in combat in 1968 and has been in a wheelchair ever since. Kovic’s powerful and moving new introduction sets this classic antiwar story in a contemporary context.

asdfasdf

asdfasdf

100 American Flags

By Kit Hinrichs

This vibrant collection of 100 Stars and Stripes artifacts ranges from Civil War-era banners and Native American braided moccasins to an early 20th-century “friendship” kimono and original flag art by several of the world’s leading designers. Destined to captivate folk-art aficionados, history buffs, and collectors, this book provides a stunning visual history of America’s most treasured symbol. A timely, patriotic full-color book presenting 100 American flag artifacts from one of the world’s most eminent collectors, designer Kit Hinrichs.

Here at Lulu, our goal is to get our authors’ works in front of as many readers as possible. And it sure is nice to have partners helping us out with that goal.

In case you haven’t heard, Apple has expanded the availability of its iBookstore. This is the bookstore application it released in April along with the iPad tablet, which the company has sold 3 million of in the past 80 days. The iBookstore is now available on newer iPhones — the 3G, 3GS, 4 — and the iPod touch with the release of the new ios 4 operating system that runs the devices.

What does this mean for you, the Lulu author?

You can reach more buyers.

Lulu is one of a handful of aggregators selected by Apple to get books directly into the iBookstore. In recent posts, we’ve shown you how to get your Lulu published eBook into the iBookstore and onto the iPad. Now that the iBookstore is available on other Apple devices, you have the potential to reach millions of additional readers. For free. We don’t charge anything to submit properly formatted files to Apple for inclusion in the iBookstore.

Keep in mind, too, that the iBookstore is just one channel that we can help you reach. We offer distribution to our own, expanded marketplace, to Amazon.com, Barnes&Noble.com and other retailers as well.

What does this mean for you, the Lulu reader?

You have more ways to read books from Lulu authors.

Lulu adds to the iBookstore catalog every day — new titles just waiting for you to digitally crack open on whichever “idevice” you prefer.  What’s more, you can now share your iBooks between devices.  If you bookmark a page or save a passage on your iPad, for instance, you can pick up right where you left off on your iPhone. That could come in handy this summer when you’re in the middle of a great beach read.

Change Your Perspective
The first step to getting a better hold on your marketability is to change your perspective of yourself as a writer, to an entrepreneur starting your own business. You’ve done the writing, but now you have a product to sell. Whenever you take the time to put yourself “out there,” your ultimate goal should be to make a good impression on people so they’ll want to read your work, keep coming back, and recommend your book to others. You’re building your reputation – your own personal brand, and you need people to trust that brand in order to grow a loyal fan base. This is something that takes a lot of time, planning, and strategizing. Any successful business, big or small, starts with a list of goals and then creates a plan to achieve those goals. A successful business also remains flexible and responsive to its customer’s needs and the current trends of the market. You can do this by having backup plans in place for whenever one of your plans doesn’t work or you need to change something on the fly.

Research What Works
Think about successful companies you know of and research the components that made them that way. You’ll find that many businesses share common fundamentals that aid in their success such as mission statements, budgets, and timelines. You can adopt and adjust these to build your own business model and better market your book and your brand. Remember, though, that a business is an investment. All new businesses spend money to move forward and it typically takes about 3-5 years for a startup to become profitable. You must be willing to invest both money and time on your entrepreneurial venture and have a solid plan(s) in place that will allow you to break even until you eventually turn a profit or move large volumes of your book.

Come Up with a Plan and Follow Through
Once you have some clearly defined goals (such as getting your book on a retail shelf, or selling X number of copies, etc.) and a plan(s) (attending X number of book fairs, or creating a Facebook fan page, etc.) the next thing you need to do is come up with a realistic timeline to achieve those goals. I think one of the best practices a new author can do to gain traction on his or her book is to create a timeline that lays those goals and plans out with feasible deadlines associated with each one. I almost never get anything done unless I know it is due soon. Moving towards a goal with a deadline can greatly help to keep you motivated. Otherwise, you might find yourself flying blind and quickly becoming demotivated because you don’t feel like you’ve accomplished anything. It is also crucial to be as realistic with your deadlines as you are with your goals. Don’t expect to hit the New York Times bestseller list overnight, start with selling 50 copies of your book, then 100 and check off when you’ve completed a goal. If done correctly, a timeline with realistically achievable goals can reinforce your sense of accomplishment and will excite you as you continue to reach more readers.

Running a business isn’t easy, but none of this is meant to be scary. It is just meant to make a new author think about his or her approach in the journey to become the next bestseller. Be sure to check back for part 2 of “Setting Realistic Goals” next week when I’ll discuss setting realistic expectations and how your mindset can make all the difference with how far your book goes.

Through Tiger’s Eyes

Written by Judy Kamilhor with Illustrations by Edward B. Snyder

Available in both hardcover and paperback, this  is hands down one of the most beautifully crafted I have ever come across on Lulu.

What does Tiger see as he walks through the forest? In this delightful blend of dazzling color and gentle poetry, children learn how to observe the world around them. Artist Edward B. Snyder and poet Judy Kamilhor have created a captivating book filled with color, personality, and love.

_

_

-

Zombies Hate Stuff

By Greg Stones

I keep a copy of this book on my coffee table because it is funny, cute, original, and illustrated very well.

The product description for this book says it all:  “An illustrated list of things that zombies hate.”  Artist Greg Stones takes us on a page by page guide through all the things zombies apparently don’t care for.  Each page is accompanied by a humorous illustration that  will surprise and delight you as you think to yourself:  “yeah, I could see why they’d hate that.”  And just for the record, my favorite is “balloons.

Peter & Company

By Jon Ponikvar

A collection of strips and pages from the online comic strip by Jon Ponikvar. The book includes 75 strips in their original grayscale tones, 25 comic pages in full color, and a book-exclusive color comic detailing the events leading up to the online comic.

This collection is very well put together and is available in hardback, paperback, or as a download.  The illustrations are clean and sharp, and I particularly enjoy the illustrated introduction of the characters.  The strips follow the misadventures of Peter, a 12-year-old boy that faces daily issues, we can all relate to.

Many authors came with a sample of their book or had a handout with a little blurb and a photo of themselves. It was interesting to see how different each author’s photo was and how much some stood out in my mind – even after talking with so many people. I realized that many people new to the writing profession might not know how important a good photo of themselves is or how much it can help further their career.

An author should have a good photo on hand because it makes you look more professional. The people at BEA with great photos seemed better composed and more prepared. I understand that many authors have spent so much time working on their book and making it pristine, that when they’re done, the photo can be an after thought. You want to be measured by your skill of the written word and not what you look like. But think about the last time you went to the bookstore. Can you recall picking up a title with a blurry, washed-out photo of the author on the back cover or inside flap? Do you think you’d be as likely to spend your hard-earned cash on a book that had a photo like that on it? In the same way a bad cover can make you second guess the quality of a book, a bad photo can make you rethink the reliability of the author. It helps to think of your book as a business card, and a bad photo is like handing someone a card written in crayon.

A good author photo really helps with marketability. Almost always, when the media wants to highlight an author in a piece, they will ask for a hi-resolution image of the author and book cover. I have heard of instances where some reporters found a book that is perfect for a piece, but have to go with someone else because the photo they receive from the author is not very good and they can’t use it. It pays to have a quality headshot or even just a clear, straight-on picture of yourself in front of a nice background. It doesn’t have to be elaborate, it just shouldn’t be a picture from a bachelor party of the author hanging out on the couch.

For many readers, your photo is their first impression of you and it needs to be a good, memorable one. Your readers are investing time and money into your work and a great photo will give them a glimpse of who you are. Props can tell them a little bit about yourself – I remember reading a Stephen King book when I was 13 that had a picture of him and his dog on it. That was over a decade ago and it still stands out in my mind and gives King an aspect I could relate to. As an author, you are putting yourself and your work out there. Don’t be afraid to let people know who you are. You’ve done the hard part and have your thoughts on the page. Now all you have to do is smile and say “cheese.”

This year’s BEA already has close to 30,000 attendees and we’re hoping to reach out to each one of them to inspire them to publish and share their works in a whole new way with Lulu’s open publishing model.

In addition to BEA, we’re also making a splash at the DIY Author’s Conference that is held at the Javits Center today before BEA begins. Sherrie, our very own Sales and Services Rep, will be showing people just how easy it is to use Lulu to become a successfully published author. Sherrie is helping authors choose from Lulu’s robust service options, make content available in multiple formats, and find millions of new readers through our vast distribution channels that include Amazon.com and Apple’s iBookstore. It all adds up to maximize the rewards for authors and readers alike, no matter how they’re measured.

If you’re at BEA or DIY this week, please stop by and say “hi!” We’re at booth 2348 at BEA and table 4 at DIY. We’d love to meet you and help you get started on any projects you’ve got cooking.

Mother’s Day is this weekend and I’m sure you already have everything planned out and are completely ready to honor the special women in your lives come Sunday, right? No?!  Well, worry not, there’s still time to get mom an awesome gift from Lulu to show her some love.  And I’m here to help narrow down some of the choices.

Mommy Confidential:  Adventures from the Wonderbelly of Motherhood

by Melinda Roberts

For years, Melinda Roberts has chronicled her adventures in motherhood and life on her Mommy Blog that she adapted into this book.  She has gained a very loyal following of fans because she tells a story that any mom can relate to, but makes it wildly entertaining with her unique mix of brutal honesty, optimistic humor, and sarcastic wit.  Roberts shows readers what happens when you take a woman fresh out of college, plop her down in Silicon Valley, saddle her with a mortgage, let her ride the tech boom, give her three kids, disintegrate her marriage, end her career, and then hand her a computer.  Mommy Confidential is an endearing tale of family life beset by disaster on many fronts. And Roberts keeps her family together through it all.  Roberts has since appeared on Oprah and Mommy Confidential is one of Lulu’s top sellers.

Make Me Something Good to Eat
by Tamra Davis

If your mom is anything like mine, then she loves to cook, or more so, loves to feed you right.  This is the perfect cookbook for anyone looking to get their families on the right track with what they eat, but don’t have a lot of time to do it.  These recipes are quick and easy and things like “Hawaiian Pancakes” will keep kids entertained.  Davis finds a way to give any dish an interesting kick. I personally like the “Seared Tuna Burger with Ginger and Wasabi.”  Davis has her own internet cooking show and has appeared on Late Night with Jimmy Fallon.

Marriage and Other Acts of Charity

by Kate Braestrup

Did you know that Lulu has traditionally published titles like Kate Braestrup’s latest title Marriage and Other Acts of Charity too? With her inimitable voice and generous spirit, Braestrup turns her attention to the subjects of love and commitment in this New York Times Best Seller.  At 44, Braestrup has been married twice and widowed once, and has much to say about life after “the ceremony.” From helping a newlywed couple make amends after their first fight, to preparing herself for her second marriage, Braestrup offers her insights and experiences on what it truly means to share your life with someone, from the first kiss to the last straw, for better or for worse. Part memoir, part observation of modern marriage, and part meditation on the roles of God and love in our everyday lives, “Marriage and Other Acts of Charity” is a unique and unforgettable look into why, and how, we love each other.

]]> http://www.lulu.com/blog/2010/05/07/books-your-mom-will-love/feed/ 0 http://www.lulu.com/blog/2010/04/21/help-me-pick-the-perfect-mothers-day-gift-please/ http://www.lulu.com/blog/2010/04/21/help-me-pick-the-perfect-mothers-day-gift-please/#comments Wed, 21 Apr 2010 18:52:29 +0000 AJ http://lulublog.com/?p=3002 May is the month of mom — especially in my family.

Mom’s birthday is the day before Mother’s Day. She’s a real-life Wonder Woman who certainly deserves all the extra attention. But I feel pressure this year to make her gift extra special because this birthday is her big 5-0 (sorry to divulge that, mom!). I want a gift that’s both sentimental and memorable, something that no one else could give her. There’s no better place to look than Lulu, but I can’t decide what to make.

Growing up, mom wanted to be a photographer for National Geographic. So I’ve thought about making a Lulu photo book full of her best pictures mixed in with maps that show where she was when she took them.  I can completely customize it and make a nice, personalized, hard cover book that she’d be proud to display on her coffee table.

Then again, mom also likes to cook, and she has all these recipes that have been passed around our whole family. So another thought is to create a personalized Lulu cookbook full of our family’s favorite dishes.  That’d be great for preserving delicacies like my grandmother’s delicious sweet potato casserole and seven layer cookies.  I even have handwritten recipes and pictures of food I could upload. The cookbook could live on in our family, with regular updates as we collect new recipes.

My mom is also very busy and could always use help with her schedule.  So maybe a personalized Lulu calendar with photo birthday and anniversary reminders would do the trick.  I can pull in pictures of our family and her friends directly from Facebook so it should be pretty simple.  I know she’d use it every day, too.

What do you think? What Lulu creation has gotten the best reaction for you?

I’m hoping you can help me pick out the perfect gift, and get a few ideas of your own. Right now you can save 15% on all photo books and calendars (use code MOM15 at checkout) so it’s a great time to make mom a remarkable present.

Hurry though, Mother’s Day is only 2 weeks away.