Successful Blog

12 Hands-on How-tos for Repurposing Blog Content into a Book

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Bookcraft 2.0 – The Series

Now that more of my blogger friends have several years of experience, they’re getting serious about the idea of turning the body of work they’ve focused into a book.

Though writing a book can seem a great way to establish proof of expertise, it’s easy to overlook the work we’re taking on while we consider the positive recognition we’re sure it will bring. A solid business person needs to be aware of the process of thinking through a great book and finding a publisher or deciding to self-publish it.

Even repurposing the content on an existing blog to share as an eBook takes more work than we might think.

Then there’s the year of marketing the book that comes after …

What follows are some articles on the subject that you may missed (if you recently tuned in to my blog.) Bookcraft 2.0 was a project that Phil Gerbyshak and I shared in 2006 — a look at how to make a book from an existing blog.

Depending on your plan of action, the quality and kind of content you start with, and your final goal, some posts will be of more interest than others. I include those that have the most relevant information to the process of repurposing content to prepare for a publisher.

Be sure to read the Post 1 and Post 12.

  1. Write a Book? Assemble the One in Your Archives!

    2. Have you looked at your archives lately? If you’ve got a blog with 200+ posts, I’m betting you have at least one book’s worth of content. Go look. Here are the basic of what to look for and what to do.

  2. How to Make Sure Real People Will Want to Read Your Book

    3. I’ll bet you’ve looked at a book and wondered why someone wrote that. Maybe the book is a hit with readers — just not for you — or maybe it had an audience of one. Now you face the same challenge.

  3. Archive Mining: How to Get From Working Book Title to Rough Cut Content

    4. With the working title in my head, I wrote a subtitle — the 25 words or less definition/premise of what the book would be about. That definition would be my tool for deciding what content to keep. Some folks call that statement the “elevator pitch.”

  4. How to Make Sure Real People Will Want to Read Your Book

    5. I’ll bet you’ve looked at a book and wondered why someone wrote that. Maybe the book is a hit with readers — just not for you — or maybe it had an audience of one. Now you face the same challenge.

  5. How Many Words Does It Take to Make a Book?

    6. Editors and agents often quote a word count to writers in order to establish basic parameters. “Casting off” pages also once was a common practice in which the word count was used to determine how much paper a book would require.

  6. Why No Bound Book Has 666 Pages and Get Your Free Blank Bookmap

    7. Books are made from large rolls or large sheets of paper that get folded in a certain way. When they are folded, they are called “signatures.”

    Most books are made of 16-page or 32-page signatures. This picture of how a 16-page signature looks unfolded.

  7. The 90% Rule of Repurposing Content

    8. When my job was finding product to repurpose for the U.S. market, what I realized was that people could repurpose anything. I had to curb my enthusiasm for finding the cool product inside everything that came my way. So I made the 90% rule.

  8. Book Research at Amazon, the Data Giant

    9. Amazon is not just a place to buy things. It’s an incredible source of information about what is selling in the book world right now — updated every hour. So let’s explore some of the informationa that Amazon can offer to help with Phil’s upcoming book.

  9. Even the Best Shoes Don’t Belong in a Bookstore

    10. To me, that advice seem counter-intuitive. Why would a publisher want another book about writing if they already had a list full of them? Shouldn’t I go to where a publisher didn’t have any?

  10. Why Consistency Makes Authors Look More Intelligent

    11. Consistency is a value, a benchmark of quality, and a support for readers. It also makes authors look smart.

  11. Writer, Book Editor, Copyeditor — What Do They Do?

    12. You have to build the book, before you can see the commas.

    This diagram shows the part of the writing process that Phil and I are currently working on.

  12. 12 Cold Truths about Publishing and The 2 Proofs Every Publisher Wants

    13. Well, we think the relationship is with the book, but really it’s with the content. That’s where the misconceptions start. Here are some cold truths publishers wish every author realized.

The traditional book making process hasn’t changed much, but the options for self-publishing have.

What do you find the best way to promote your business?

–ME “Liz” Strauss
Check out the Work with Liz!! page in the sidebar.

Social Media Book List: Happy About the Career Alphabet & Socialnomics

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A Weekly Series by Teresa Morrow

I’m Teresa Morrow, Founder of Key Business Partners, LLC and I work with authors and writers by managing their online promotion. As part of my job I read a lot of books (and I love to read anyway!). I am here to offer a weekly post about one book author I am working with and one book I have put on my reading list. This week I will be highlighting ‘Happy about the Career Alphabet’. and ‘Socialnomics’ by Eric Qualman. The books will cover topics such as social media (Facebook and Twitter), organization, career building, networking, writing, self development and inspiration.

Happy About the Career Alphabet-An A-Z Primer for Job Seekers of All Ages *800+ Fast & Easy Tweet-Style Tips*

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Sucher’s newest book allows those searching for the next phase in their professional life to be filled with integrity and class, whether you are a recent college graduate or looking to transition your career to a new industry.
‘Happy About the Career Alphabet’ provides a quick read in a streamlined format giving those new to the professional world to even those seasoned executives with over eight hundred tips on such topics as resume writing, interviewing, job search and personal branding inspired by Sucher’s twenty five years of career coaching, consulting and counseling.

About the Author:
Billie Sucher is a nationally-known career transition expert, outplacement consultant, professional résumé writer, speaker, author, poet, and prolific blogger for Career Hub. For over two decades, she has provided professional career management services to organizations and individuals (entry-level to executive-level) throughout the country, doing so with an unwavering commitment to and passion for:

* Career Consulting, Counseling & Coaching
* Professional & Executive Résumé Writing
* Company-sponsored Outplacement & Career Transition Programs (Group/Individual)
* Personal Branding for Competitive Advantage
* Interview Coaching to Win the Offer
* Public Speaking & Seminars on Career Topics

Sucher holds a Master’s degree in Counseling from Drake University and numerous industry certifications including International Job and Career Transition Coach, Career Management Alliance Credentialed Career Manager Distinction and William Bridge’s Transition Management Certification. Her résumé/cover letter work is featured in twenty-eight national best-selling books. Earlier this year, Billie was named one of the 150+ Experts on Twitter ALL Job Seekers MUST Follow and one of the 50 Personal Branding Consultants Worth Working With.

You can purchase a copy of ‘Happy about the Career Alphabet’ online at ThinkAha books or at Amazon.

This blog post is part of a virtual book tour done by Key Business Partners and I have received a complimentary copy of ‘Happy about the Career Alphabet’ by the author.

Socialnomics

Now I would like to highlight a book on my “review” reading list–Socialnomics.

Here is some great information that Eric shared on Amazon about the book:

A fascinating, research-based look at the impact of social media on businesses and consumers around the world, and what’s in store for the future

Social Media. You’ve heard the term, even if you don’t use the tools. But just how big has social media become? Social media has officially surpassed pornography as the top activity on the Internet. People would rather give up their e-mail than their social network. It is so powerful that it is causing a macro shift in the way we live and conduct business. Socialnomics charts this shift from the forefront.

Brands can now be strengthened or destroyed by the use of social media. Online networking sites are being used as giant, free focus groups. Advertising is less effective at influencing consumers than the opinions of their peers. If you aren’t using social media in your business strategy, you are already behind your competition.

About Eric:
Erik Qualman is Global Vice President of Online Marketing for EF Education, the world’s largest private educator. Over his fifteen-year career, Qualman has also helped grow the online marketing and e-business functions of Cadillac, AT&T, Yahoo, EarthLink, and Travelzoo. He is a columnist for the Web site Search Engine Watch and SES Magazine. He has been featured on various national radio, television, and Internet outlets.
*courtesy of Amazon

You can purchase a copy of ‘Socialnomics’ on Amazon or in Liz’s Amazon Store.

I truly hope you will check out these books and please comment and let me know your thoughts on them.

Social Media Book List: Managing Sales People & Social Media 101

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A Weekly Series by Teresa Morrow

I’m Teresa Morrow, Founder of Key Business Partners, LLC and I work with authors and writers by managing their online promotion. As part of my job I read a lot of books (and I love to read anyway!). I am here to offer a weekly post about one book author I am working with and one book I have put on my reading list. This week I will be highlighting ‘A Business Owner’s Guide to Managing Sales People’. and ‘Social Media 101’ by Chris Brogan. The books will cover topics such as social media (Facebook and Twitter), organization, career building, networking, writing, self development and inspiration.

A Business Owner’s Guide to Managing Sales People

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This book is divided into 6 main chapters: hiring, training, managing, motivation, telemarketing and sales.

Here are few key points highlighted in the book:

~Just because a salesperson is likable, he or she does not necessarily meet the key criteria for success.
~Intangible sales are in the mind and tangible salesare in the hand.
~A service is always intangible, even if you make a presentation with a brochure or an agreement.
~Many scheduled appointments will be no-shows.
~Not hiring a salesperson is better than hiring a bad salesperson.

About the Author:
Philip Gerber talked the talk and walked the walk for over 40 years. The knowledge he acquired from selling to small organizations as well as to Fortune 500 companies has translated into his ability to train salespeople all over America. Phil has owned over a dozen small businesses ranging from one employee to over 75.

His company, Bottom Line Consultants, has successfully trained salespeople and sales managers for over 15 years.

You can purchase a copy of ‘Managing Sales People’ online at ThinkAha books or at Amazon.

This blog post is part of a virtual book tour done by Key Business Partners and I have received a complimentary copy of Managing Sales People by the author.

Social Media 101 by Chris Brogan

Now I would like to highlight a book on my “review” reading list–Social Media 101.

Here is some great information that Chris shared on Amazon about the book:

100 ways to tap into social media for a more profitable business

In Social Media 101, social media expert and blogger Chris Brogan presents the best practices for growing the value of your social media and social networking marketing efforts. Brogan has spent two years researching what the best businesses are doing with social media and how they’re doing it. Now, he presents his findings in a single, comprehensive business guide to social media.

You’ll learn how to cultivate profitable online relationships, develop your brand, and drive meaningful business. Brogan shows you how to build an effective blog or website for your business, monitor your online reputation and what people are saying about your business online, and create new content to share with your customers.

* Presents specific strategies, tactics, and tips to improve your business through improved social media and online marketing
* Looks at social media and the wider online universe from a strictly business perspective

About Chris:
Chris Brogan is President of New Marketing Labs, a new media marketing agency. He works with large and mid-sized companies to improve online business communications like marketing and PR through the use of social software, community platforms, and other emerging web and mobile technologies.
*courtesy of Chris Brogan.com

You can purchase a copy of ‘Social Media 101’ on Amazon.

I truly hope you will check out these books and please comment and let me know your thoughts on them.

Social Media Book List: #PARTNERtweet and Endless Referrals

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A Weekly Series by Teresa Morrow

I’m Teresa Morrow, Founder of Key Business Partners, LLC and I work with authors and writers by managing their online promotion. As part of my job I read a lot of books (and I love to read anyway!). I am here to offer a weekly post about one book author I am working with and one book I have put on my reading list. This week I will be highlighting ‘#PARTNERtweet: 140 Bite Sized Ideas for Succeeding in your Partnerships ‘. and ‘Endless Referrals’ by Bob Burg . The books will cover topics such as social media (Facebook and Twitter), organization, career building, networking, writing, self development and inspiration.

#PARTNERtweet

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#PARTNERtweet is written by Chaitra Vedullapalli.

Here are few of the tweets from #PARTNERtweet:

~Smart Partnering helps you to deliver functional solutions.
~Smart Partnering provides you access to valuable resources (technology, money, and education).
~Smart Partnering provides you the arsenal to compete on an ongoing basis.
~Smart Partnerships provide a gateway for international expansion.
~Your relationship to the customers does not end with the sale of your product. It begins there.
~The best way to know what your customers want from your products is to ask them.

About the Author:
Chaitra Vedullapalli is the Senior Director of WW Sales and Marketing Communications, where she oversees the information workplace for Microsoft Sales Force. Past work includes shaping the Microsoft Customer and Partner Self Service Experience which touched over 10M Customers & 1M Partners. She was also an integral part of creating the Service Culture at Microsoft and an architect of the Microsoft-IAMCP (International Association of Microsoft Certified Partners) innovation program. Chaitra has also served as Director of Licensing and PartnerNetwork at Oracle where her projects drove licensing simplification and enabled state of the art innovations in Partner Self Service Experience.

Chaitra holds a Patent in WebMethods and Bachelors of Electrical Engineering from RVCE, Bangalore, and is currently active in community efforts to help children in need.

You can purchase a copy of #PARTNERtweet online at ThinkAha books or at Amazon.

This blog post is part of a virtual book tour done by Key Business Partners and I have received a complimentary copy of #PARTNERtweet by the author.

Endless Referrals by Bob Burg

Now I would like to highlight a book on my “review” reading list–Endless Referrals.
I have to admit before I go any further. I have read some of this book and I enjoyed what I have read so far.

I would like to share a bit of this book that I feel has great points (and believe me there are many more in the pages of this book) about the six essential rules of networking etiquette.

1) Don’t Ask for Immediate Repayment – Yes, so true. Don’t go into a networking event with expectations of getting (or asking) for something in return.
2) Treat a mentor like a mentor – When I see this, it reminds me of “do to others, what you would like done to you”.
3) Keep an eye on the clock – Don’t overstay your bounds…with the people you are getting to know. Be sure to allow yourself to meet people within the event you are attending.
4) Follow through on your promises – If you offer to send an email or offer to someone, do it.
5) Be extra careful not to offend a referred prospect – Don’t offer to refer someone to someone else without knowing it is a good fit.
6) Say (and write) a Thank You – still one of the greatest and simplest ways to create lasting connections.

About the Author:
Bob Burg shares information on topics vital to the success of today’s business person. He speaks for corporations and associations internationally, including fortune 500 companies, franchises, and numerous direct sales organizations.

Sharing the principles contained in his bestselling books, Bob has addressed audiences ranging in size from 50 to 16,000, sharing the platform with notables including today’s top thought leaders, broadcast personalities, athletes, and political leaders including cabinet secretaries and a former United States President.
*courtesy of Amazon.com

You can purchase a copy of ‘Endless Referrals’ on Amazon.

I truly hope you will check out these books and please comment and let me know your thoughts on them.

Social Media Book List: Book Outlook on Seth Godin

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A Weekly Series by Teresa Morrow

I’m Teresa Morrow, Founder of Key Business Partners, LLC and I work with authors and writers to manage their online promotion efforts. As part of my job I read a lot of books (and I love to read anyway!).
I decided to change things up a little this week and do a book “outlook” on two of Seth Godin’s books: ‘Linchpin’ (his latest) and ‘Meatball Sundae’ from 2007.

Lately the buzz around Seth Godin has been surrounding his latest book ‘Linchin’. As you can see here is an example: one where he was Skyped in to a university classroom to talk about the elements of this book. In the video, the highlight I caught was how Seth was talking about people wanting to be around you (or tweet with you, or befriend you on Facebook) because of “how you make them feel”.

That is one thing I have always admired about Seth, is his ability to make people stop and think. And most of the time the concept is very simple. Because most of the time he is right on point.

Think for just a moment, why do you listen to certain music? Because of the words and the voice of the person singing, right? Why do you read certain books? Because of the emotions the words on the page touch your heart, right?

Well, that is what Seth is talking about here—-you can become a “want” to other people because they can’t (or don’t) wish to be without you and your services.

And while ‘Linchin’ has been all the buzz lately, I have picked up one of Seth’s earlier works, ‘Meatball Sundae’, to take a look and share some ideas I found interesting in this book about marketing and how it has changed over the last decade. Because the subtitle to this book is “Is your Marketing Out of Sync?

Meatball Sundae

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Here are few concepts I would like to explore with you:

The first concept I would like to discuss is the difference between “old marketing” and “new marketing” and driving innovation deep. On pages 22-23 Seth talks about how some companies found “new” ways to market their products and did so successfully.

Did you know that Cafepress.com (they sell promotional products) sell millions of dollars of imprinted items each month? I figured they were doing pretty good, but I didn’t realize they were that popular. They took a concept (personal promotional products) and found a way to do it on a bigger scale by allowing the individual person customize their promotional products. Then they took it one step further and allowed people to set their prices for their own products. And to top that, it is all done over the web and the person doesn’t have to have inventory. What a great concept, right?

Also, did you know Audible.com carries more books on tape than any store or library….all on the web without needing to set up a physical location.

My point here is (well, really Seth’s point is) the way you are able to set up your business and get it to other people has changed drastically and you can thrive with it.

Next concept is realizing how the technology has changed the environment but human nature hasn’t. Seth offers this—(page 48)
“Marketing has always been about discovering what people want and need and telling the story about how they can get it (from you). It’s easy to jump to the conclusion that the list represents a change in what people want and need. Human nature hasn’t changed a bit. What has changed is the environment we live in. The combination of technology and competition has lead to a world where many people can get what they want, when they need it…what we’ve wanted all along is to be treated with respect and to be connect to other people.”

Again, he made me stop and think. Because when I first read this I thought, “No, Seth human nature has changed!” But we have just adjusted as a result of the environment around us.

Another concept he talks about his offering your clients a way to receive what they want (from you) in a way that allows you not to break the bank either. One example he used was Lulu.com. You can work with Lulu to get your manuscript turned into a book. They will offer you a online storefront to sell it from and will give you an ISBN to allow you to sell your book from any bookstore in the word. Of course, now their are more than just Lulu.com to do this, however, the concept is the same.

There are many more great concepts in this book and you can pick up a copy for yourself at Amazon and from his website.

You have more possibilities and opportunities for marketing and to get out to those who will want and need your services and products more than you have before. And it is your ability to find your own UNIQUE way to be authentic that will get you connect with those who will want to network, buy and share with others about you.

I hope you have enjoyed this “outlook” on Seth Godin and two of his books.

How do you keep you marketing in sync with the ever changing technology?

I truly hope you will check out these books and please comment and let me know your thoughts on them.

Social Media Book List: Social Media for Nonprofits and is Talent really overated?

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A Weekly Series by Teresa Morrow

I’m Teresa Morrow, Founder of Key Business Partners, LLC and I work with authors and writers by managing their online promotion. As part of my job I read a lot of books (and I love to read anyway!). I am here to offer a weekly post about one book author I am working with and one book I have put on my reading list. This week I will be highlighting ‘#SOCIALMEDIANONPROFIT: 140 Bite Sized for Nonprofit Social Media Engagement’. and ‘Talent is Overrated’ by Geoff Colvin. The books will cover topics such as social media (Facebook and Twitter), organization, career building, networking, writing, self development and inspiration.

#SOCIALMEDIANONPROFITtweet

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#SOCIALMEDIANONPROFITtweet is written by Janet Fouts & Beth Kanter.

Social Media has taken the world by storm, however, some non profit organizations have not figured out how to use social media to there best benefit. This book shares with those who work with and in these organizations, the ideas, tools and resources available to them through social media.

Here are few of the tweets from #SOCIALMEDIANONPROFIT:

~You already communicate, campaign, fund raise, serve, and build community locally. With social media, you can do that with the world!

~Is there another way to connect with thousands of people instantly and regularly for free?

~Social media IS the next business revolution—if an organization is not engaged they will look dated and out
of touch in no time.

~What do you measure now? Measure that before and after using socialmedia. See if it improves. If not,
change how you use it. Repeat.

~People WANT to become engaged in your venture. LET THEM! Help others become invested in
your mission.

~The most important part of social media is the “social.” Personalize everything—your beaming face is
better than any logo!

About the Authors:

Janet Fouts, is a social media coach, teacher and speaker. She helps individuals and corporations understand how to use social media tools and work efficiently in this emerging field, and conducts in house and virtual training sessions on social media tools and strategy.

Janet has been working with small businesses to develop their on-line presence and working with online community for 13 years. She is partner in the award winning web design and development firm Tatu Digital Media. She freely shares her knowledge on several social media platforms including her blog at JanetFouts.com

Beth Kanter, is the author of Beth’s Blog: How Nonprofits Can Use Social Media, one of the longest running and most popular blogs for nonprofits. She is co-author of the forthcoming book, ‘The Networked Nonprofit,’ to be published by J. Wiley in 2010.

Beth is the CEO of Zoetica, a company that serves nonprofits and socially conscious companies with top-tier, online marketing services. In 2009, she was named by Fast Company Magazine as one of the most influential women in technology and one of Business Week’s ‘Voices of Innovation for Social Media.’ She is the 2009 Visiting Scholar for Social Media and Nonprofits for the Packard Foundation.

You can purchase a copy of #SOCIALMEDIANONPROFITtweet online at ThinkAha books or at Amazon.

This blog post is part of a virtual book tour by Key Business Partners and I have received a complimentary copy of #SOCIALMEDIANONPROFITtweet by the author.

Talent is Overrated

Now I would like to highlight a book on my reading list–Talent is Overrated.
I have to admit before I go any further. I have read some of this book and I enjoyed what I have read so far.

In this book, the author brings up a very interesting point about what talent really is and how we in the world define it.

He starts out the book with this quote,”Great performance is more valuable than ever–but where does it really come from?”

Colvin brings up those who are perceived to have “natural talent” and is it really natural and are you born with these talents OR is it that because Venus and Serena Williams, or Michael Jordan, or Tiger Woods practiced the skills in their chosen profession more than anyone else may have is that the reason they are as good as they are playing their sport.

About the Author:

Geoff Colvin, is Fortune’s senior editor-at-large and has written hundred of articles for the magazine including its popular column Value Driven. He lectures widely and is the regular lead moderator for the Fortune Global Forum. Colvin graduated Harvard cum laude with a B.A. in economics, and received his M.B.A. from New York University’s Stern School. His first book, Talent Is Overrated, earned global acclaim and was a Wall Street Journal, BusinessWeek, and New York Times business bestseller. www.GeoffColvin.com *courtesy of Amazon.com

You can purchase a copy of Talent is Overrated on Amazon.

I truly hope you will check out these books and please comment and let me know your thoughts on them.