This is the third of a three-part series. If you missed the first two, start here. We ended last week’s post talking about online ads as a method of bringing people into your funnel. The problem with online ads—once you have tweaked your message, determined the target audience to show the ad to, crafted the…
Details
Launch Problems and Fixes is Part 2 of a multi-part series. If you haven’t yet read Part 1 Launching to Crickets, I recommend you start there. Then come on back. You’ve looked over your numbers and it looks like you did everything right, but you didn’t make enough sales. What went wrong? Launch Problem:…
Details
What happens when you launch your book or your business, or even a new product, yet get no takers? What do you do? What’s the next step?(After eating a pint of Haagen-Dazs or having a good stiff drink. Or both.) Start by checking your numbers. The numbers will show you where the break down happened.…
Details
A little over a year ago I wrote a post about the benefits of having a writing accountability partner. I had a writing buddy and we would meet once a week at a coffee shop to work on our books and it worked out really well… until he got a new job AND got married…
Details
An oft-quoted study found that 81% of Americans want to write a book someday. (I think the other 19% are realists.) But what kind of book do you want to write? In the context of what I discuss here, we’re talking about a book for your business. When I first talk with someone about their…
Details
Many times when I write about something, I’m really clarifying my thoughts and giving advice to myself. The process of physically writing something out helps me to organize the information, sort through what is pertinent and what is not, and (hopefully) create a logical progression that leads to clear direction. This happens when you teach…
Details
Easy Read vs. Deep Content I was discussing a recently-released book with a friend the other day. We had both read the book…. Well, he had read it; I was on Chapter 4 and not eager to get back to it. Disclaimer (Not an excuse): I will flat out state that my buddy is a…
Details
“I always want to say to people who want to be rich and famous: ‘ try being rich first’. See if that doesn’t cover most of it.” – Bill Murray If you think you want to become famous, let’s talk about how NOT to become famous first. Bad Ideas: Being an asshole because you…
Details
Poach my clients? Not a good idea. Early on, I had someone in one of my networking groups poach one of my (small) clients. She represented a few hundred dollars a month to me. He charged a lot more and convinced her that more meant better. Maybe. Maybe not. All I know is that at…
Details
Getting free publicity for your book is not difficult if you’re willing to put in the time. Some people are fortunate enough to have the money to hire a publicist, but most independent authors do not have that luxury. Prepare to roll up your sleeves. I work, for the most part, with people who have…
Details