Blogging, Writing, and Publishing

Commitment | Military Writers Society of America MWSA Review I was hesitant when I picked up Commitment to read and to do this review as I usually don't care for Romances, but boy was I surprised! The author did a great job in putting adventure and a little suspense into this story. Bennett selected a fascinating setting with Indonesia and then enhanced the plot by throwing in some bush pilots that worked there with the Christian missionaries. Since I consider myself a grizzled old military vet rather than a romantic, it didn't matter to me whether John, the male lead, committed himself to Marta or to a future career with the airlines. However, once a bunch of unscrupulous miners were tossed in the mix, and Marta's life was in danger, I had to keep reading! I recommend this book to anyone who loves a good romance, to those who have an interest in the life of Christian ministries abroad, and of course to those who want to know if John chose Marta or the airlines! Revie...

A few weeks ago, I spoke at a security conference as a subject matter expert. While there, I was able to sell books and provide advice and assistance. If you are a niche expert, chances are that’s someone will also contact you to present; especially if you have a book, blog, or other product identifying you as the go to person.  In fact, you might receive a letter with wording similar to the one that I received last April. “Dear __(fill in your name)___, we are contacting you to see if you are available to present at __(name of upcoming event)_____ conference. We thought it would be a good idea to present some information from your book _(your book title)____. Please let us know if you are available and how much you would charge as compensation…” Congratulations, you just made it to the big leagues. The two critical steps are to negotiate the payment and knock the ball out of the park with a grand slam presentation. The last sentence “please let us know…how mu...

A few weeks ago, I spoke at a security conference as a subject matter expert. While there, I was able to sell books and provide advice and assistance. This article provides a way for me to share what I did at the conference and hopefully give you ideas on how to do it as well.  and how you can to. Last week a major magazine contacted me asking to provide an article for their publication. Regularly I receive emails request security advice. Why? Because I am recognized as a security expert. How? Recognition of quality preparation (for more information on the how,  view the 5 year plan to become an expert in your niche . One of the excellent benefits of self publishing is the professional credibility that you can enjoy. Whether writing fiction, reference or self help, you’ve got a message. The research you’ve conducted as you’ve developed your message makes you a subject matter expert. Perhaps you’re like me and have always desired to write articles, teach and...

Writing a book isn’t easy and shouldn’t be something an author rushes through, no matter what pop publishing culture tells us. What goes on paper is a result of tireless effort. Depending on your motivation and personality, it may seem easier to put together a course or write an article or two for a newsletter, blog or other publication. Here are four proven ways to help you write and publish in a specialized market and establish yourself as a niche expert. 1.   Writing takes time Writing a book length manuscript is difficult; but we make it look easy. Despite advice given in self-publishing books, writing is a commitment. It takes time, devotion and some solitude; much of which a full time professional does not have a lot of to begin with. This endeavor is not a sprint, but an endurance race. The difficulty of formatting a book may not be as tough as setting aside time and committing to writing words on paper. As an author/publisher, you have already identified niches...

Which works better, paid advertising or free internet opportunities? I still think (and have the numbers to back it up) that informative and attractive blogs provide the best marketing for your book. After all, you are the expert on your book and who else better to talk about your book than you. I recently ran an experiment with LinkedIn and Facebook. If you’ve read Get Rich in a Niche , you might remember that I loathe advertising. Against my better judgment I reluctantly decided to once again pay to advertise my books and publishing company. Using Facebook, I created four ads; three for books and one for Red Bike Publishing. Each ad is a pay per click ad and I set my limit to $10.00 a day. I gave each ad a max of a $100 limit before pausing it. I also limited my ads’ exposure to demographics likely to buy my book. For example, for my security clearance books, I set the ads to be visible for 22-55 years old and/or small business owners and/or professionals with technical backg...

Can your books get you noticed at work? My boss recently called me into his office. "Shut the door," he said. "I need to have a quiet discussion." I quickly shut the door with anticipation. "Congratulations, you've been assigned the supervisor position you applied for. We boarded your resume and out of all the candidates, you were best qualified. The leadership trait you excelled in was writing communication; especially your impressive publications. Your resume and books really set you above the others." No kidding, there I was getting kudos at work for the publishing company I ran at home. Unfortunately, I hear to many comments from authors who claim not to be motivated by money or any other gain other than the pride of publishing. Personally, I find payment as a reward for good writing to be very motivating. I also find the prestige of being recognized by readers and invited to speak on niche topics rejuvenating.  Why else d...

One reason authors and independent or publish on demand (POD) publishers should not spend money on advertising is distribution channel limitations. Since POD and many non-traditionally published books are documented differently with the Library of Congress, they are excluded from the same channels as traditionally published books, thus creative marketing effort are necessary. Librarians and bookstores receive a book’s information from the Library of Congress and distributors. If your book is not in the CIP process as described in   Get Rich in a Niche , chances are great that it will not be picked up by librarians and traditional books stores. More distribution channel opportunities are becoming available with Lightning Source and Createspace, however, without the CIP, books may be excluded. Some predators and aggressive book marketing agencies try to persuade authors to pay for their connections and inroads with major buyers. In reality, all they do is add you...