Tonight, I spent a good deal of time making adjustments to my Sibro Publishing website. You probably won’t see any of them, though, because they are all in the backend! I’m using the Open Source Joomla CMS for the website, and have installed the VirtueMart Shopping Cart component to handle the orders. I highly recommend both of these! They have a bit of a learning curve, but it can be done. It’s well worth it in the long run for a variety of reasons:

1. It is free!

2. It is a very customizable and flexible structure that allows for expansion if you decide to grow your self-publishing business.

3. Both of these have excellent support communities where you are almost guaranteed to find answers to your questions.

4. There are tons of additional components and plugins that can be installed. (I’m also using the free Acajoom mailing list component to manage subscribers, and send out a regular e-newsletter.)

I will say, this option is best suited for the more serious web developer. I’m a huge fan of Open Source (when it suits my purposes), so I don’t mind investing the time to work through some of the headaches involved with getting everything set up, customized, and ready for business. The real test will come, though, once the orders start pouring in! 🙂

(I have been trying to work through some cross-browser inconsistency issues, so if you see anything that doesn’t look quite right, please don’t hesitate to let me know!)

Today I’ve been digging a little more into what Press Kits are and what they should include. The SPAN website (Self Publishers Association of North America) has some very helpful information and resources for self-publishers pertaining to press releases and press kits. In particular, I just finished scanning this handy e-book called How to Write Trash-Proof Press Releases. It is chock-full of examples, lists of what works and what doesn’t, and advice from those in the media industry. A great resource!

From reading over the information on the SPAN website page, I also seem to be getting the idea that, “Always include the book title, author, ISBN, format (hardback or trade paperback) and price on every piece of correspondence.” Maybe because they include that statement no less than five times throughout the page!

I knew I needed to start working on putting together a press kit, but I feel much more clear now on what it should contain and how it should be presented.

Since my book is in the hands of editors right now, I haven’t been focusing at all on the writing aspect of the project. I finally sat down and made a list of the top things that I need to do right now business-wise in preparation for the launch of my book. These are things that will be necessary further down the road and I’ve been putting them off because, well, frankly because I didn’t want to do them. 🙂

But last night I assigned numbers to the list so that I had an order to work from and this morning I set about to tackle the first item on the list: Research and set up affiliate program. I used the open source Joomla CMS to develop my website and have installed VirtueMart as my e-commerce solution. There is supposedly a built-in functionality for an affiliate program in VirtueMart, but it doesn’t work. So I’ve been scouring the forums and extension offerings for the past couple of hours trying to figure out if there is a solution that has been developed to handle an affiliate program. It appears that there is a lot of demand for such a product, but only a couple in development or available and I’m a little leery of forking over the money before I know for sure that the company behind it is legitimate and the product works as advertised.

So, I’m still researching. Some of the more well-known affiliate programs are exclusive to downloadable content, so that’s no good. The search continues and hopefully I’ll have this figured out soon so I can move to the next item on my list. That’s my favorite part – crossing items off my list! 🙂

After many hours of writing, researching, praying, and collaborating with friends I am finally ready to announce the title of my upcoming book. Many of you have expressed your support and encouragement as I have tackled this endeavor and it is exciting to be at this point in the process! So, without further ado, may I introduce to you my book:

Pajama School – stories from the life of a homeschool graduate

Pajama School is currently in the final stages of editing. Once the edits have been implemented and the interior design completed, I will be doing a small print run and sending the book out for reviews and endorsements. If you or someone you know would be interested in receiving an Advance Review Copy for review and/or endorsement, please e-mail me for more information. Lord-willing, Pajama School will officially be released and available for purchase in March, 2009. In the meantime, you can find more information on the Pajama School website and stay up-to-date by checking back regularly for progress reports.

Thank you for your continued prayers and support!

BTW, you can also click here to become a fan on my Facebook page. 🙂

Authors on the Net is launching a series of posts to help authors/self-publishers better understand how to utilize the tools and resources available on Amazon.com. I am really looking forward to reading and learning everything I can from this series since I know that Amazon is one of the most-trafficked go-to sites for book sales.

The Business Opportunities Blog lists five basic points to consider when designing your website to be customer-friendly. Very helpful information for self-publishers who are designing their own websites. I’ve done quite a bit of web design over the years and can attest to the importance of these five points. I can’t tell you how often I have been turned away from purchasing something off a website because of poor design or navigation.

On that note, I’m hoping that my website will be ready to launch by the end of next week. Hooray!

A Biblical Approach to Marketing Series: Intro | Part One | Part Two | Part Three | Part Four | Part Five | Part Six | Part Seven | Part Eight

Verses:
Genesis 41:55-42:3 “And when all the land of Egypt was famished, the people cried to Pharaoh for bread: and Pharaoh said unto all the Egyptians, Go unto Joseph; what he saith to you, do. And the famine was over all the face of the earth: and Joseph opened all the storehouses, and sold unto the Egyptians; and the famine waxed sore in the land of Egypt. And all countries came into Egypt to Joseph for to buy corn; because that the famine was so sore in all lands. Now when Jacob saw that there was corn in Egypt, Jacob said unto his sons, Why do ye look one upon another? And he said, Behold, I have heard that there is corn in Egypt: get you down thither, and buy for us from thence; that we may live, and not die. And Joseph’s ten brethren went down to buy corn in Egypt.”

Insights for Meditation:
When the people expressed their need to Pharaoh, he directed them to Joseph. Pharaoh was not personally in the corn-selling business, but he carried a lot of influence among the people. Joseph had gained his confidence and was providing a valuable service on his behalf.

Joseph had a plan in place for meeting the needs of the people and could handle large volumes of business because of the advance preparation he did.

Even though the need was desperate, Joseph didn’t give away the food – he sold it and profited from the sales (see Proverbs 11:26).

Word quickly spread that Egypt had corn to sell and people from all countries traveled there to purchase it. Joseph’s “product” had cross-cultural appeal and people were willing to go to great lengths to purchase it.

Principles for Application:
Become the go-to person in my field. Develop contacts and working relationships with those in positions of leadership so that when someone expresses a particular need to them, they immediately direct them to me.

Devise an appropriate distribution plan so that all customers receive prompt, efficient service. Maintain sufficient inventory and shipping supplies so that all orders are filled quickly.

Refrain from giving away books to people just because they seem desperate or because I really want them to have it. It’s okay to make a profit.

Word-of-mouth advertising/publicity is very effective.

Don’t overlook the potential for my book to be of interest in other languages and countries.

Questions for Consideration:
How can I develop a broad-based network of people who will refer others to me as the go-to person in my field?

With what influential people in other fields (government, business, education, etc.) might I be able to develop a working relationship?

What further skills and understanding do I need to develop to be considered a go-to person in my field?

What essential elements need to be in place so that I can proves all orders promptly and efficiently?

What should my profit margin be? What special deals can I offer and still make a profit? Which people do deserve to receive a free book?

Does my book have cross-cultural appeal? Should I have it translated into other languages? Should I wait until I am approached by people of other languages to pursue this possibility?

Steps for Implementation:
□ Make a list of leaders in other fields whom I should contact about my book.
□ Establish an ordering and invoicing system. Make forms for on-line, mail, and phone ordering.
□ Establish a distribution plan. Make a list of specific supplies, costs and sources.
□ Determine a bulk pricing plan.
□ Write a return policy.

A Biblical Approach to Marketing Series: Intro | Part One | Part Two | Part Three | Part Four | Part Five | Part Six | Part Seven

Verses:
James 4:13-17 “Go to now, ye that say, To day or to morrow we will go into such a city, and continue there a year, and buy and sell, and get gain: Whereas ye know not what shall be on the morrow. For what is your life? It is even a vapour, that appeareth for a little time, and then vanisheth away. For that ye ought to say, If the Lord will, we shall live, and do this, or that. But now ye rejoice in your boastings: all such rejoicing is evil. Therefore to him that knoweth to do good, and doeth it not, to him it is sin.”

Insights for Meditation:
People have a tendency to presume upon the future for their business and financial success.

It is implied that both buying and selling are necessary in order to realize gain. The key, then, is in making purchases that will add value to what I am selling so that the result is a net gain.

We do not know what will happen tomorrow.

Life is fleeting.

The basic elements of the two plans James contrasts were the same. It was the attitude behind them that made the difference.

It is sinful to put off until a future date those good things which I can do today. Ultimately, this demonstrates a spirit of pride because I am presuming upon my future existence and availability when God has given me the time and ability to do them now.

Principles for Application:
Always look to God as the One who provides financial security, not to my business or marketing ventures.

Make calculated risks for the purpose of producing a quality product and providing greater value to my customers. Consider whether the expenditure will result in net gain or loss when the product is sold.

Write out a specific marketing plan and maintain a spirit of flexibility when God brings about unexpected changes.

Don’t put off until tomorrow the good things that I can do today. Don’t get caught up in making plans, but never taking action (see Proverbs 14:23). Plans should be specific and measurable so that I know how to flesh them out in real life.

Questions for Consideration:
How can I demonstrate that my plans are founded in awareness of God’s Sovereignty and not in presumption and dependence upon my future success?

What should be included in my marketing plan? How specific should it be?

What marketing approaches are an example of the wrong attitude that James warns against?

What marketing approaches are an example of the right attitude that James exhorts us to demonstrate?

How can I make the most of my time right now?

What criteria should I use to determine if a particular expenditure will add value to what I am selling?

Steps for Implementation:
□ Write out a marketing plan and timetable. Pray over it, acknowledging God’s Sovereignty over the plan.
□ Make a specific to-do list and do at least one thing each day, starting today.
□ Make a list of what elements of my finished book will make it most valuable. Project expenses that I will need to make in order to produce a quality product.

Doshdosh has an interesting, albeit unconventional angle, on What We Can Learn from E-Mail Spammers. There are several insights that self-publishers will find relevant and practical for their own marketing efforts. Several of the comments on the post are equally instructive.

This post on 30+ Ways to Create an Incredible Client Experience has some insightful ideas that I think could be applied to almost any field, including self-publishing.

Recently I’ve been contemplating various ways to ensure that when my book is ready to market that I deliver a quality product that is above and beyond my readers’ expectations. I have been trying to come up with creative ideas of how to make the whole experience memorable and positive and think there are some helpful thoughts to be gleaned from these ideas shared by others. If anyone has any other suggestions more specifically related to self-publishing, I’d love to hear them!

HT: Chris Foley