Successful Blog

The Hotel, the Airline, and the Restaurant are all Publishers. Are You?

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At SOBCon Portland last year, I had the honor of interviewing Chris Erickson from the Heathman Hotel for one of our sessions. His hotel was in the news at the time because it had been used as the setting for the Fifty Shades of Grey books.

Rosemary ONeill Chris Erickson interview SOBCon Portland

However, as we all discovered, the hotel already had a well-deserved reputation for being forward-thinking long before E.L. James decided to give them a different type of fame.

One thing Chris said during our interview was, “I consider myself a publisher.”

There was definitely a moment of silence in the room as we all took that in. Imagining how far content marketing, social media, and digital outreach have come. A hotelier says he’s a publisher.

Chris explained that he considers it part of his job to produce content (in many different forms) that will support the Heathman’s reputation and business strategy.

But doesn’t it all go back a lot farther? The airlines have had in-flight magazines for quite a while now.

Chipotle is spending millions on well-executed mini-movies to sell carnitas burritos.

Is it time for every business owner and entrepreneur to think of themselves as a publisher? And how does this mindset shift your process, your work product?

According to Google, a publisher is “a person or company that prepares and issues books, journals, music, or other works for sale.”

Characteristics of Being a Publisher

  • By definition, a publisher is not an amateur. He/she is presenting items for sale, not as a hobby.
  • A publisher both “prepares” and “issues” the materials offered. He/she takes care that the items are error-free and ready to be issued to the world. By issuing, the publisher stands behind what he/she has prepared.
  • Publishers take a risk when they present materials for sale. They invest in the content, not knowing for certain what the reward will be.
  • Publishers must know their market. Is there room for this work? Is it the right time? Is this work creative and different enough to inspire others?
  • A publisher makes hard decisions.

Do you consider yourself a publisher? Why or why not?

Don’t miss out on SOBCon Leverage 2014 yet? You’ll definitely want to be in the room.

Author’s Bio: Rosemary O’Neill is an insightful spirit who works for social strata — a top ten company to work for on the Internet . Check out the Social Strata blog. You can find Rosemary on Google+ and on Twitter as @rhogroupee

Why Would you NOT Self-Publish a Book?

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By Angela England

Self-publishing is all the rage. I’ve been writing eBooks since before they were cool (aka pre-Kindle) and can testify to their power to transform a blog or business for the better. However, in the last five years I’ve seen truly horrible books being produced that did the author, and their business, no good whatsoever.

You might think it’s odd that someone who just launched a course walking people through the process of how to produce a book would warn people away. But let’s be clear, shall we? Writing a book, like running a blog or owning a business, is not for everyone. Some people should not publish a book – especially self-publish a book.

1. You want to get rich quick.

Did you know, the average self-published author only sells between 200 and 250 copies of their book? And traditional print may not be the answer, either – only about 20% ever see any royalty payments, if indeed your contract has royalty structure in place instead of one of the ever-more-common work-for-hire contracts that gives you an upfront payment only with no long-term revenue potential. The bottom line is, whether you go the traditional print route or the self-publishing route, you cannot be average.

The average author doesn’t sell enough copies to make it worth their while. The average author pays next year’s bills with next year’s books, creating a cycle of constantly searching for the next project and next contract, because last year’s book isn’t producing any extra income yet.

Self-publishing is, like most things worth doing, a bigger gamble with a far bigger reward than the safe mediocrity of punching someone else’s time clock.

2. Your book is too broad and not well-focused.

Publishing houses tend to like books that will appeal to a general audience. Broader titles are easier to get into bookstores and easier to get off the shelves as well. But self-published titles that are too broad and have no focus won’t be picked up by bookstores and libraries right away (if at all), so who will buy them? Well, unless you have thousands of rabid fans ready to invest in anything you tell them to, no one. Or at least not many.

One of the biggest mistakes I see self-published authors make is a failure to think about the book creatively. A self-published title needs to stand out. It needs to capture someone’s attention at a glance.

A brilliant example of this is Small Army Strategy by Srinivas Rao. I love the promise and premise that’s built into the title, and it certainly is different from a typical marketing book. It has to be, because do we really need another, “How to Market Your Business” book?

Don’t be bland. The benefit of self-publishing is the ability to have creative control. So don’t mimic the generality of mass-produced when you don’t have to.

3. You aren’t willing to invest in your book like a publishing house would.

Some authors just want to write and forget about it, then open a magic box from the publishing house 6 months later with their book inside. Fine – then you should be pitching legacy publishing houses for any of your titles, because self-publishing means YOU are the publishing house.

That means producing professional, high-quality graphic designs for the cover art and book layout. That means professionally formatted manuscripts that render correctly in every format you plan to offer (Kindle, Nook, etc.), with reader-friendly features like an Active Table of Contents where possible. It means professional-level editing as well. All of those things are probably going to cost you money, and you should gladly pay it.

When I took my self-published book on-air for a news segment in December, I had both it, and my first traditionally published book, side-by-side. And you know what the difference was when it came to quality? Nothing. Unless you looked at the front matter and made note of the publisher’s name, you would never know that was one Penguin and one was me. Only self-publish if you are willing to do the same with your book.

There are so many brilliant ideas yet to be brought into the world. Every day, I’m talking with amazing people who have breath-taking stories and incredible voices, and I can’t wait until those books exist in the world. But no brilliant idea should be overlooked because of an awful book production given today’s technology. If you take the time to self-publish a book, do it right and make it as outstanding as you are.

Are you considering publishing something this year?

Author’s Bio: Angela England is a mother of five living in rural Oklahoma but more, she’s also a problogger, speaker, and author of several books including Backyard Farming on an Acre (More or Less) and Getting Prepared. Her most recent projects are helping people transform their blogs and business by publishing amazing books and producing multiple books this year under the Untrained Housewife brand.

To Publish or Not to Publish? That is the Question…

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By Tiffany Matthews

To be or not to be: that is the question…

One of the most well-known lines in literature, this phrase opens a young man’s soliloquy in Hamlet, the tragic play by William Shakespeare. The young man in question, who happens to be titular character, ponders on the meaning of life–whether it is worth it or not to stay alive when your life is filled with one hardship after another.

“To be or not to be” remains a timeless question that will drive you into introspection if you are still unsure of your writing path–to be or not to be a writer? If you’ve decided to follow your heart and become a wordsmith, you then ponder on the next big question, “To publish or not to publish?”

The Publishing Dream

For many writers, the dream of publishing their own book is an elusive one. Becoming an author doesn’t happen overnight. Just like when you become a writer, you need to read a lot and write a lot before you can become a competent writer. To be an author, it’s gonna take courage, tenacity, hard work, self-confidence and optimism. If you’re determined to get published, the next question to consider is which type would you choose–traditional publishing or self-publishing?

Traditional Publishing

The path to getting published is riddled with grammar, thousands of words, many rewrites, and brutal rejections, especially when you opt for the traditional route. It can take years before manuscripts are turned into books and some don’t even get to see the light of publishing day. You will have to send multiple pitches to not just one but to several publishing houses and even that isn’t a guarantee it will be picked up. If you can afford to wait a few years, use that time to work on your writing, hone your submissions and learn more about the publishing business.

Don’t be discouraged by rejections. Author Stephen King went through many rejection slips before he got published. But he didn’t let that stop him. He remained optimistic and continued writing. As time went by, the rejection letters became a little more encouraging, with one telling him he had talent and that he should submit again. A decade or so later, he finally published his first novel, Carrie, and the rest is history.

Self-Publishing

If your attempts at publishing traditionally take you to a dead end, you can consider your second option, self-publishing. While this choice can narrow the time it takes to get published, it means more work than when you publish traditionally. First of all, you need to have considerable knowledge of what publishing entails like designing the book, editing, illustrating and even the marketing, promotional and sales aspects. You’ll also need a good dose of self-confidence, hammered by years of experience in the writing industry. You should also set a reasonable time frame to accomplish everything, like one year.

One thing you should remember is that when you self-publish, you are considered to be the publisher of your book and thus, must embrace whatever legal responsibilities that come with it. If you are on a budget, you can get affordable prepaid legal services to help you whenever you encounter legal issues during publishing.

Books Don’t Appear By Magic…

Another thing you must keep in mind is that books aren’t made overnight. Your first manuscript will go through several edits, rewrites and fine-tuning before you can pitch it to traditional publishing houses. If you decide to self-publish, you will have to do the brunt of the work, including tirelessly promoting your book online and local bookstores in your area. But if your story is worth sharing, word-of-mouth recommendations and glowing book reviews might just land you a deal with traditional publishing house.

If you haven’t started writing that book you want to publish, today is a good day to start. Don’t let fear of failure stop you from accomplishing your publishing dream. You can make your dream come true if you try. Be empowered by what Stephen King said in his book, On Writing,

“You can, you should, and if you’re brave enough to start, you will.”

Author’s Bio: Based in San Diego, California, Tiffany Matthews writes about travel, fashion and anything under sun at wordbaristas.com. You can find her on Twitter as
@TiffyCat87.

How to Write and Get Your Work Published

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By Alisha Webb

Many people feel as though they have a story in them, or simply the innate ability to get an important message out there, but the majority don’t really know how to go about doing this. Here are some tips as to how.

getting published

The yearning

Writing is in your blood, at least it should be if you feel like you have something to say that you would like to get published. If it’s not in you, then it can be the hardest thing in the world to push and so perhaps you shouldn’t even begin to try. If you feel that it is there, however, but you don’t know how to let it out, then this might be the right place for you.

Writing cannot be learned in the same way that you used to read your textbooks at school in order to fill you in on the parts that you weren’t sure of in your English literature exams. It can, of course, be studied, but the dedication and need to get published goes a long way past any kind of formal training.

Routine

From afar, writing might seem like some romantic pastime; a passionate, instinctive practice that soars through the writer and forces itself onto the page. In an ideal world this would be true and it would also be very easy. Unfortunately, this type of gift is a very rare one and the vast majority of all writers really have to force themselves to put the words on the page. The double misfortune is that those words often just do not want to come and instead you are left staring at an empty page.

Once you have accepted that the words do not always, or even often, flow like water, it is essential that you designate a part of your life to writing. You name the time, as this is preferably done daily, and then you eradicate everything else from your life during that time. This is not a magic trick that will unleash your natural powers, there still will be many hours sat alone and wordless, but this 100% commitment to your work on a daily basis is of paramount importance if you really hope to eventually succeed.

Admit your imperfections

A big predicament many writers find themselves in is that they are unable to ever finish the work they have started. It is very easy to fall into the trap of being incapable of letting your work go. You must admit that nothing will ever be perfect and know when is the right time to call it a day on a certain piece of work. If you don’t do this you run the risk of getting stuck in a rut which you can’t move on from. It is much better to have two or three “finished” pieces of work that you are not completely happy with rather than dwelling needlessly over one that will never get finished. Even the great novels that you read at school would be tweaked by their authors if they were able to go back to them now. Accept that yours is not everything you hoped for and move onto the next one that you promise will be better.

Read

You cannot operate in a vacuum. If you want to get published you need to be aware of the places where your finished work could find a home. Being aware of what is out there and sending these people your work often helps you make initial connections that will prove more fruitful in the future. This is an essential part of the process. Reading other people’s work can give you the confidence to see that there is a market for the material you yourself are looking to write.

Do not fear rejection

Sending out your first piece of work to an editor can be the most nerve wracking thing in the world. You have laboured over this piece of material for hours and now you have to let somebody tell you that it isn’t any good. You have to be ready for rejection. It is likely that you will be knocked back many more times than you are accepted, but this is all a part of the real learning process. Never take praise or criticism personally and be thankful for all and any of the comments that you get. The flutter you feel in your stomach when you see an email or a letter come back to you from an editor is one of the best feelings in the world. Remember that this feeling comes before you know whether the answer is a positive or negative. It really doesn’t matter all that much. If you are a true writer, you will carry on regardless, and one fine day they will be writing English literature textbooks that include your own work.

Good luck.

Author’s Bio: Alisha is a British writer working out of Barcelona and a content developer at York Notes; you can connect with her on Twitter.

Cool Tool Review: Docstoc

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Todd Hoskins chooses and uses tools, products, and practices that could belong in an entrepreneurial business toolkit. He’ll be checking out how useful they are to folks in a business environment.

Cool Tool Review: Docstoc
A Review by Todd Hoskins

Docstoc is a virtual flea market for small business.

Stepping into a flea market, you must sort through other people’s clutter, junk, and art to find what is useful or beautiful to you. In the same way, Docstoc offers thousands of free documents, but you’re going to need to be patient to find what you need.

Looking for a contract? Relevant presentation? Template? Background article? Chances are, there will be something of value within Docstoc’s archives. Think of it as a combination of LegalZoom (a content partner), eHow, and SlideShare. Scribd is very similar (and with a better interface), but puts more content behind the paywall.

As a small business, you can upload documents that others may find useful and share in the ad revenue. When registering, Docstoc links your account with AdSense. Through your profile, you also get the chance to highlight the capabilities of your business. Or, you can sell documents on your site – market reports, e-books, etc. You keep 100% of the upload revenue for the first 60 days, and 50% after that threshold has passed. Clicks on the ads earn you a bit of cash, uploads can earn you cash, and clicks on your profile give you potential leads.

There is the good, the bad, and the ugly of being a community-driven site. The good is the sheer amount of content. The bad is how much of the content is devoid of value. The ugly is that the ad-supported chaos is just that – ugly.

The document viewer, on the other hand, is clean, easily branded, and allows you to quickly embed PDF’s, presentations, and other document types within your site or blog.


Todd’s CV –

There is a premium service, which gives you access to more free professional documents, storage, and an ad-free experience from $17 per month up to $120 per year.

I would like to see support for Google docs, more levels of curation, and marketing help for e-book publishers. The site could use some U/X help as well, but for free, I’m not complaining.

Summing Up – Is it worth it?

Enterprise Value: 2/5 – If you have extensive bylaws, handbooks, and approval processes, Docstoc has limited value

Entrepreneur Value: 4/5 – Go premium if you have the budget

Personal Value: 2/5 – One of a multitude of ways to now publish your novel, guide, or collection of resources

Let me know what you think!

Todd Hoskins helps small and medium sized businesses plan for the future, and execute in the present. With a background in sales, marketing, leadership, psychology, coaching, and technology, he works with executives to help create thriving individuals and organizations through developing and clarifying values, strategies, and tactics. You can learn more at VisualCV, or contact him on Twitter.

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.