What I Learned from Dan Poynter

And so I interviewed Dan Poynter, on my Blog Talk Radio show for aspiring authors, Information in a Nutshell.

Here is what I have to say about the interview,

It was fabulous!

Dan answered the questions very thoroughly, with great wisdom and with patience. Just think. He has done this for so many years and I'm sure been asked the same questions over and over again. Even though I tried to think outside of the box I still wanted to ask him some of the traditional questions that people often ask.


Dan had so many great things to say, but here are a few:

1. If you don't already have a blog, don't start one and try to get people to follow your blog.
2. Instead, do a keyword search or set a keyword alert with Google Alerts and visit blogs that already have a large subscription base and post on their blogs.
3. If you don't already have Google Alerts set for your name, do so immediately. In that way you can follow what is being said about you and respond as needed.
4. Dan talked about how writing and publishing has changed since he wrote his first book and the importance of keeping up with the times.
5. Dan shared the amazing resources found on his websites for authors who desire to self-publish

And, as an added bonus (for me as well) the show was chosen as one of the day's Top Picks!

 

http://www.WritingandPublishingRadio.com

And that is not all... it turns out that having Dan Poynter as a guest is cause for many people, including agents to email me, and ask if their clients can have a chance at an interview. That was an unexpected benefit, although I am booked through the coming year, it will help for next year's bookings. 

And there is more... The show was featured during the week end as a highlighted show. I was pleasantly surprised and realized this, when once again I began receiving emails via Blog Talk Radio in-Mail, from authors interested in having me interview them and talk about their books. Many marked my show as a "Favorite." 

The show's behind the scenes manual invites hosts to encourage their listeners to mark the show as a favorite or at the very least to "Follow" the show. I'm too shy (yes, shy with a capital "S") to self promote in this manner. In fact, I've had to overcome much of my shyness in order to host this show and promote my own books!

Really, one of the important factors that separates a veteran author and professional such as Dan Poynter and someone with no speaking and interview experience is that Dan is prepared for whatever questions might come his way. The focus of my show is on the writing and publishing process. Yes, we discuss the author, their life and their book. But, we really delve into one or two aspects that are their area of expertise. For example, if the author has a background that makes them an expert in their field and it took them twenty years to write the book. We explore the reasons why and hopefully this will help another aspiring author to overcome these same types of issues.

Dan's has a wide area of expertise, but I think his specialty is the niche market. He was able to sell his early books on Parachuting to specialty markets. Hence the name of his publishing company, ParaPublishing. Get it?

If you missed the interview, be sure to catch the archived version. And, it is thanks to my famous guest that the show was highlighted, and for that I say, "Thanks Dan Poynter for spending time with me and my listeners, we all benefited from your experience and wisdom."

Meeting Dan Poynter

As seminars go, this one topped my expectations. I was invited as a guest by the President of A&A Printing, Billy Ashby. A&A Printing  The seminar was filled with some aspiring authors, some new authors, and some veteran authors. The latter was filled by the very tall shoes of Dan Poynter. I know Dan very well, yet I just met Dan in person on Saturday.

The reason I know him is that I've studied his book, Self-Publishing Manual many years ago. It was one of my favorite resources when I began writing in earnest, and one I still reference. I wrote for a niche market and had an audience and buyers. I wanted to expand my readership and his book helped me to think outside of the box. He has suggestions for approaching the book market in an innovative way. My book is very dog-eared. I have purchased, used it, and highly recommend it. In fact it is cited and reference in my book, Information in a Nutshell: Writing and Publishing.

Dan lived up to my expectations and gave a very good presentation where he explained his life mission, aiding authors to get their manuscripts into print. That is now one of my goals, the reason for this blog, the podcast radio show every Monday, and the reason I wrote my book. In a busy world being an author takes time. It is difficult to make the time for something that is uncertain. After all there are so many unknowns for a new author approaching the book market. Dan's book is a detailed blue-print for an author wanting to take charge of the publishing experience.

One of the best things about the workshop is Dan's confidence that anyone with a decent book can make sales and that self-publishing is a very viable option. Many times you will read that self-publishers don't sell many books, that they give up too soon, and the entire experience, in general is dismal. Dan painted another picture. He shared his success in writing for a niche market and how he used his ideas to sell outside of the brick-and-mortar bookstore.

He has been traditionally published, a publisher himself, and self-publishes. He knows all sides of the publishing world, and still he encouraged those in the room that self-publishing, successfully is an option in today's rough economy. I have found that he is correct on many levels. For those of you considering self-publishing, take heart! Now may be one of the best times to do so. Are you ready to take the plunge?