Writing Dreams for 2013

How many of you are planners?

Do you plan your menu? Your vacations? Your writing schedule?

Each of us are different. And we use what works best for us. 

But we can always change what we don't like, can't we?

I wish I were more organized and dedicated. I'm not. I'm a thinker and a dreamer, more than I am a planner. I enjoy the entire process of researching before I write way too much. In fact I have been researching the entire process of marketing eBooks for some time now. I've gathered information, checked facts and found one important thing in common. Marketing is key.

Marketing is key no matter what we do. You can have the best book in the world or the best blog post and if you don't let anyone know it will languish. Currently the trend is to use social media to blast it out to the world. I do this for so many other things -- I tend to forget about my own blog! So, one of the things I'll be doing is changing this by purposing to grow my blog presence as well as writing new content.

I write often, but in the last two years my writing has centered around my platform, as a speaker. I write seminars that teach. Some are for students and others are for adults. All are time consuming and feature presentation slides -- more writing. These types of events require huge media campaigns, parties such as the ones I host on Twitter, or on Facebook, as well as email blasts -- yes, more writing. However it isn't the same as blogging.

So, I've decided what I really need is a schedule. A set time to write -- a plan. You know, the thing I tend to shun like the plague. I am going to give it a heroic try -- to blog regularly. I'll write about marketing, and about marketing eBooks in particular and many things writing related. The marketing I'll discuss can apply to printed books as well.

Share with me your ideas, and your writing dreams for this year. I think we should make it happen, don't you?

Are You a Real Author?

A book is a book and an author is an author, right?

Well in the not so distant past an author would write a book or proposal, submit it to one or more publishing houses and wait for weeks or months to hear back. After a decent amount of time, around six months, said aspiring author would send out the manuscript, making copies and mailing the documents of course, to another round of publishers and the waiting process would happen all over again.

Flash-forward to the present.

Now, if someone wants to write a book... anyone, even a child, can. All you have to do is create the file and upload it on one of the many services, such as Amazon's "Create Space," and voila! An author is born. Or is an author really born?

What is the definition of an author?

A. One who writes?
B. One is is published by the traditional means...publisher with a print product.
C. One who is self published with a print product?
D. One who is self published with a print and/or digital product?

Confusing right?

To add to the confusion we can include the caveat the author needs to sell books to be considered a published author. By selling I don't mean to 100 of your best friends or manipulate the system, such as Amazon to spike sales at 3 PM in the morning, or offer the book for free on a slow day to become an Amazon best seller.

This is a hotly contested subject and I know many of my readers are self-published authors or those who aspire to be traditionally published at some point in their writing careers. I turned down a 4-book publishing contract in 1996 after I had successfully self-published said books and was happy not having to make 15% commission when I was making 100%. However, does that still make me a published author if I self-publish? I can't join many of the professional associations because I am self-published however several of my authors, Susan K. Marlow is one, is part of these associations because I publish one of her books!

And so we go round and round and I'm sure you have an opinion, so let's hear it!

Using a Tag Line

The importance of a tag line can not be underestimated. This was brought home recently at my son's Little League baseball game. These games can drag on. Only if you've sat on the sidelines do you understand. In order to keep the team spirit going, the kids tend to chant some type of encouragement to their buddies up at bat. Sometimes it makes me laugh, smile, and other times I would be very happy if they would sit in silence.

The game was going, and going, and going...as usual. The coach had decided to trade out the pitcher once again, and we were all waiting for the warm-up to end so the game could commence. Once the batter was up in the box, the team players began their chant. It went something like this... "When I say Hillshire, you say 'Farms'... Hillshire..." (The team yells) "Farms!" and then the entire team yelled, "Go Meat!"  This refrain continued . . . "When I say Hillshire, you say Farms, Hillshire!" "Farms!" "Go Meat!" Over, and over again the kids yelled. Sitting in the stands the parents looked at each other, smiled in recognition at the commercial tag-line.  My younger children began giggling at the silliness.

What does a cold-cut commercial have to do with Little League baseball? Apparently the kids thought "Go Team" is similar to "Go Meat." I guess. The point is kids are sponges. I'm sure most of us watching the commercial (if you watch television) remember things we wish we wouldn't. The commercial industry knows this about our psyche. They have spent thousands of dollars on research and while we may consider a commercial an irritation, these little kids proved the money was well spent.

Let's look at this commercial's effectiveness:
1. Use of a simple tag line.
2. A chant that was easy to remember.
3. A "cheer" for a company product, in this case, "meat."
4. Tag line doesn't make sense, therefore we tend to remember it.

When I first heard the commercial it bothered me, because "meat" can't "go." And, you cheer for people, not meat! In fact each time I heard it I would think of it as illogical. The entire tag-line was being embedded deeper into my mind. When the children chanted this everyone in the stands, on both sides of the team heard this, and whether or not they were familiar with the commercial they would be more aware of it the next time.

Tag lines are very important. 

"Can you hear me now?"

What do you think when you hear a tag line? If you think of the company or how it is different than the competitor, that is the key. How about this tag line? "Using Words to Enlighten, Uplift and Inspire."  No, it's not mine, it belongs to Stacy Hawkins Adams. She is a prolific author of fiction and non-fiction. Her tag line fits her mission. Her work. It is clear, strong and does what any good tag line should, nudges you to learn more. I have the privilege of interviewing Stacy on my Radio Show for Authors.

What is a  tag line? A tag line is also known as a slogan. The purpose is to convey a message. Whether it is about the company, a type of business or the individual. Many authors are known by their names which often appear in a larger font than even the title. A name tells you "who" but it doesn't tell you "what." If you are not as well known, what message do you want to convey? This is something you should give special consideration.

Good tag lines are:

1. Short
2. Catchy
3. Convey an idea
4. Implies more than it says
5. Will be repeated
6. Describes a value proposition
7. Includes key words
8. States your brand
9. Is clear
10. Is remembered

I think my mother had it right when she said, "Garbage in, garbage out." Think about it the next time you work on your tag line or when you are sitting at a Little League baseball game.