One of the biggest jobs, I think, in preparing a book for self-publishing is the interior page layout. I can’t stand the look or feel of non-professional layout jobs, so I want to take whatever steps are necessary to avoid that and produce a high-quality book. And I think that’s going to require some pretty big steps. I found an informative Overview of Page Layout Programs by Pete Masterson that I just finished reading. It confirmed what I already anticipated: step one is to purchase the Adobe InDesign software.

I’ve been holding off for two reasons – 1. It’s very expensive, 2. From what I hear, it has a steep learning curve.

This goes right along with what I’m realizing more and more about self-publishing. It’s expensive. It’s hard. I’ve been tempted several times to just “throw in the towel” and try to find a publisher – surely that would be easier, right?! But then I’m reminded of what an incredible learning process this has been and will continue to be if I stick it out. The information and skills that I’m learning now will always be useful, so I consider it time and energy well spent. Even the thought of learning a new design software is somewhat exciting because I know it will open up a world of other opportunities and project ideas in the future.

It’s a risky business to be sure. But this self-publishing journey sure is an adventure!

You know that feeling when you have in mind what you’re trying to say, but you can’t find just the right word to say it? Usually I turn to a thesaurus, but my friend Olivia just alerted me to this very handy website that I think will be a great tool for such situations. Introducing…OneLook’s Reverse Dictionary. As stated on their website, “OneLook’s reverse dictionary lets you describe a concept and get back a list of words and phrases related to that concept. Your description can be a few words, a sentence, a question, or even just a single word.”

What a brilliant idea! I’m sure I’ll be a regular visitor!

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

Verses:
2 Kings 4:1-7 “Now there cried a certain woman of the wives of the sons of the prophets unto Elisha, saying, Thy servant my husband is dead; and thou knowest that thy servant did fear the LORD: and the creditor is come to take unto him my two sons to be bondmen. And Elisha said unto her, What shall I do for thee? tell me, what hast thou in the house? And she said, Thine handmaid hath not any thing in the house, save a pot of oil. Then he said, Go, borrow thee vessels abroad of all thy neighbours, even empty vessels; borrow not a few. And when thou art come in, thou shalt shut the door upon thee and upon thy sons, and shalt pour out into all those vessels, and thou shalt set aside that which is full. So she went from him, and shut the door upon her and upon her sons, who brought the vessels to her; and she poured out. And it came to pass, when the vessels were full, that she said unto her son, Bring me yet a vessel. And he said unto her, There is not a vessel more. And the oil stayed. Then she came and told the man of God. And he said, Go, sell the oil, and pay thy debt, and live thou and thy children of the rest.”

Insights for Meditation:
The debt left by the man who died caused a heavy burden to be placed on his widow and children.

Even though she had very limited resources, God multiplied them to provide a livelihood for the widow.

The widow involved her sons in the process of doing what Elisha instructed her to do.

The widow acted in obedience even though she didn’t know how what she was doing would solve her problem or bring her income.

The first priority for the income that was generated was to pay off the debt she owed.

There was no question that the oil would sell. It was a given.

The actual selling process didn’t require any further expenditure. Presumably the widow just went out into her community and sold the oil to friends and neighbors.

Principles for Application:
When establishing a business/marketing plan, don’t assume debt. Look for creative ways to use the available resources and give God the opportunity to multiply them and make the work successful.

Train children to be involved in the business operations. Even young children can play a role.

Accept godly, biblical counsel and have faith that God will bless obedience to His calling.

If there are outstanding debts, use the proceeds of the business venture to pay them off. Make this a priority.

Assume that there is a market for the product and do the work required to make it happen. “Go!” Marketing need not be complex and complicated.

Questions for Consideration:
How can I avoid going into debt and still produce and launch a professional-quality book?

What creative ways can I use the resources I have to generate income?

In what ways can I more effectively involve my family in my efforts?

Where should I go and what should I do to sell my book?

Steps for Implementation:
□ Keep track of all expenses related to the book project and carefully evaluate expenditures to determine if they are necessary.
□ Come up with two ways to generate income to fund the book project using resources that I already have available.
□ Set up a bank account for book-related income and expenses.
□ Make a list of places in the local area that I can approach to sell my book.

Tonight a friend and I headed over to a new Barnes and Noble in town to browse the shelves. I had a few specific things I was looking for, but I was mostly interested in exploring for ideas. I also wanted to get a better feel for what is effective when it comes to titles and cover design. Here are some of the observations I made:

• Short titles are good. Short titles fit well on the spine of a book and allow the type size to be large enough to be easily read. Short titles tend to be easier to remember.
• Vague titles are not good. Vague titles don’t give enough information about the book. Vague titles don’t captivate you and make you want to pick the book up. Vague titles are not memorable.
• Script type on the spine is not good. It looks pretty, but it doesn’t do the job. I passed over lots of books just because I didn’t want to go to the extra effort to contort my neck and squint my eyes to figure out what the book was titled.
• Professionally designed book covers are good. There were two random books that I saw as I was browsing that made me wince and wonder if they were self-published. They were. Or at least they were published by very small publishing houses. The covers were bland and unappealing.
• Full color covers are good. Maybe it’s just my personality and personal taste, but the better the use of color, the more likely I am to pick up a book. A cover with just one drab background color thrown behind the title or cover art is very blah and looks unprofessional.

It’s time to finalize a title for my book so that I can move forward in some other areas – like acquiring a domain name, developing a website, deciding on a cover design, etc. The only problem is that I’m stuck, stuck, stuck. It became apparent last week, after getting some helpful advice from my cover designer, that the working title I’ve been using needs to be replaced with a more appropriate title. Here’s a great piece of advice she offered,

“…try imagining that you know nothing about your book at all. When you pick it up, what would the title and picture have to ‘say’ for you to know what it’s about and want to read it? Then start brainstorming with that as a base.”

So that’s what I’ve been trying to do. I’ve been praying a lot and also reflecting on some of the things Todd Hafer (the workshop presenter at last Friday’s Write it Right workshop) emphasized in his presentation. He is the one who created the book division of Hallmark and he said he receives 700 books/book proposals a month! The number one thing he looks for is a “hook.” He illustrated what he meant by explaining that since he deals a lot with gift books, what he looks for is a book that will cause someone to read the title and think, “This would be perfect for so-and-so!” Transferred to the book buyer looking at books for themselves, it might be along the lines of a title that would cause the potential buyer to think, “This is just what I need!”

The title must captivate while also accurately reflecting the tenor of the book. Somehow I feel like I’m expending more mental energy trying to come up with a title than I am writing the whole rest of the book!

A Biblical Approach to Marketing Series: Intro | Part One | Part Two | Part Three

Verse:
Leviticus 25:14-19 “And if thou sell ought unto thy neighbour, or buyest ought of thy neighbour’s hand, ye shall not oppress one another: According to the number of years after the jubile thou shalt buy of thy neighbour, and according unto the number of years of the fruits he shall sell unto thee: According to the multitude of years thou shalt increase the price thereof, and according to the fewness of years thou shalt diminish the price of it: for according to the number of the years of the fruits doth he sell unto thee. Ye shall not therefore oppress one another; but thou shalt fear thy God:for I am the LORD your God. Wherefore ye shall do my statutes, and keep my judgments, and do them; and ye shall dwell in the land in safety. And the land shall yield her fruit, and ye shall eat your fill, and dwell therein in safety.”

Insights for Meditation:
Neither buyer nor seller should oppress the other. Some research and cross-referencing led me to define oppress as follows: To impose upon other people for the sake of benefiting oneself. It is instructive to consider the opposite of a word to gain a greater understanding of it. There is nothing more antithetical to oppression than the “Golden Rule” found in Matthew 7:12 “Therefore all things whatsoever ye would that men should do to you, do ye even so to them: for this is the law and the prophets.”

Time invested in a product should be reflected in the price. More time=higher price; less time=lower price.

Fear of God should guide the buying and selling of goods, knowing that He will judge the oppressor.

Future productivity and success is a direct result of acting in obedience to and accordance with God’s Word.

Principles for Application:
Be careful not to inconvenience potential customers or use guilt tactics in order to entice them to purchase my book.

Consider how I would want to be treated if someone was marketing a book to me.

Don’t under or over-value the time invested in writing my book.

Continue studying to learn God’s way for dealing with people and avoiding oppressive strategies.

Questions for Consideration:
How can I avoid imposing on others in an attempt to market my book?

What marketing strategies have I experienced that convey respect and compel me to purchase something?

What marketing strategies have I experienced that turn me off and compel me not to purchase something?

What can I learn from the example of Jesus about how to treat others?

Steps for Implementation:
□ Be aware of marketing strategies that I experience and compile a list of positive and negative elements.
□ Begin to develop relationships with people that I would like to help me market my book. Look for ways to help them be successful.
□ Include reciprocal links on website and be quick to recommend the resources and services of others.

John Kremer, author of 1001 Ways to Market Your Books, is known as a leading expert in the field of book marketing. He has a helpful list of Book Promotion Advice on his website.

1. 90% of marketing efforts are wasted.

2. Book marketing is all about creating relationships.

3. You can’t do everything.

4. Packaging is important.

5. Build a brand with your books.

6. We are in the business of creating and selling rights.

7. Remember that small presses can create bestsellers.

8. New standards are coming for submitting info to booksellers.

9. What was your strength can become your weakness.

10. Make no little plans, because they have no power to move the hearts of men and women.

Visit the Book Promotion Advice page to read Mr. Kremer’s elaboration on each of these points. You can also subscribe to his Book Marketing Tip of the Week e-newsletter for free by sending him an e-mail with Subscribe to Ezine in the subject line or by entering your e-mail address in the form field on this page.

A Biblical Approach to Marketing Series: Intro | Part One | Part Two

For Part Two of this study, I moved on to the next reference of the word, “sell” in Strong’s Exhaustive Concordance.

Verse:
Genesis 37:23-28 “And it came to pass, when Joseph was come unto his brethren, that they stript Joseph out of his coat, his coat of many colours that was on him; And they took him, and cast him into a pit: and the pit was empty, there was no water in it. And they sat down to eat bread: and they lifted up their eyes and looked, and, behold, a company of Ishmeelites came from Gilead with their camels bearing spicery and balm and myrrh, going to carry it down to Egypt. And Judah said unto his brethren, What profit is it if we slay our brother, and conceal his blood? Come, and let us sell him to the Ishmeelites, and let not our hand be upon him; for he is our brother and our flesh. And his brethren were content. Then there passed by Midianites merchantmen; and they drew and lifted up Joseph out of the pit, and sold Joseph to the Ishmeelites for twenty pieces of silver: and they brought Joseph into Egypt.”

Insights for Meditation:
Joseph’s brothers had no interest in the goods the merchants offered because they were wholly intent on carrying out their own agenda. The money they received was of secondary importance in light of their primary purpose of getting rid of Joseph.

God providentially orchestrated the events and circumstances to accomplish His purposes. God arranged the perfectly timed encounter between Joseph’s brothers and the traveling merchants to accomplish His plan.

The traveling merchants served as “middlemen” that transported Joseph from his brothers to the end customer, Potiphar.

A successful transaction is not an indicator of God’s blessing. Joseph’s brothers acted unjustly and even though God used their wrong means to bring about His purposes, they forfeited the blessing that comes from obedience and rather caused unnecessary grief to those whom God would have them honor, namely their father.

Principles for Application:
I must pray and trust God to orchestrate the events and contacts that will enable me to effectively market my book to those whom He wants to purchase it.

I must view all of life’s events and circumstances through the perspective of God’s providence and look for ways to make the most of the opportunities and contacts He provides.

I must never engage in a business transaction that will cause me to compromise God’s standards, especially in the areas of honesty and honoring parents/authorities.

Questions for Consideration:
What is the primary purpose and motivation for writing and selling my book?

What people has God has placed in my path that are potential customers and/or could serve as “middlemen” to aid me in reaching potential customers?

What marketing approaches and businesses practices will bring honor and joy to God and my parents/authorities?

Steps for Implementation:
□ Compile a list of people I could personally contact to enlist their help in letting others know about my book.
□ Maintain a database of people I can include in marketing campaigns (via e-mail or postal mail).
□ Develop a way for people to add themselves to my mailing list (via website, e-mail, postal response card, etc.)
□ Make business cards/postcards/flyers to give to people that I meet.

How to Make Money Publishing from Home by Lisa Shaw covers the broadest scope of self-publishing ideas of any of the books I’ve read thus far. Like several of the other books I’ve reviewed, this one is organized into three parts:

1. The Home-Based Publishing Industry – this section covers a lot of the preliminary considerations one should make before jumping into self-publishing. It discusses some of the pros and cons of running a home-based publishing businesses and helps the reader determine if they are really cut out for it or not.

2. Your Publishing Choices – from booklets to greeting cards to software to books, this section addresses many of the possibilities for the self-publisher. Each of the different areas was further broken into these points:

• Description of Business
• Ease of Startup – rated easy, moderate or difficult, followed by a rationale for the rating
• Range of Initial Investment – specific dollar amounts to give the reader an idea of what they can expect to spend to start the business
• Time Commitment – Part-time or Full-time with a few extra details
• Success Potential – a realistic assessment of what the publisher can expect, what the competition is like and what direction the market is headed
• How to Market the Business – a list of the best approaches based on the business type
• The Pros – positive aspects to the particular business type
• The Cons – specific drawbacks to the particular business type
• Special Considerations – random useful notes to further educate the reader
• Profile – a section telling the true story (with the one being profiled writing their story in the first person) of someone who is a self-publisher in the particular business type and thoughts on what worked and what didn’t work for them

3. The Business of Running Your Home-Based Publishing Business – this section covered a lot of the basics for both a publishing business specifically, but also for home-based businesses in general. Since I already run a home-based business, I skimmed over a lot of this part, but for someone just starting into a home-based business for the first time, it provides a lot of important considerations.

This book is both realistic and practical while still opening up the reader’s mind to the varied possibilities available in the self-publishing world. Although I am focusing solely on my book right now, I found myself growing excited about the possibility of also publishing booklets in the future. I kept thinking of all sorts of topics that would be perfect for a booklet and had to remind myself not to get carried away and start yet another project!

A Biblical Approach to Marketing Series – Intro | Part One

To begin my study of A Biblical Approach to Marketing, I grabbed my Strong’s Exhaustive Concordance and looked up the first of the key words – “Sell.” As I read and studied the first passage, I was amazed at the wealth of insights and principles it contained! Here is an outline of what I discovered:

Verse:
Genesis 25:29-34 “And Jacob sod pottage: and Esau came from the field, and he was faint: And Esau said to Jacob, Feed me, I pray thee, with that same red pottage; for I am faint: therefore was his name called Edom. And Jacob said, Sell me this day thy birthright. And Esau said, Behold, I am at the point to die: and what profit shall this birthright do to me? And Jacob said, Swear to me this day; and he sware unto him: and he sold his birthright unto Jacob. Then Jacob gave Esau bread and pottage of lentils; and he did eat and drink, and rose up, and went his way: thus Esau despised his birthright.”

Insights for Meditation:
The basic premise of selling/buying is that each party is giving something of value in exchange for something which he perceives to be of greater value. Jacob viewed the birthright as being of greater value than the food he was cooking, whereas Esau viewed the food as being of greater value than his birthright.

Jacob didn’t have to convince Esau that he needed the food. Esau already felt the need for it quite desperately.

Jacob took advantage of Esau’s physical weakness. Once Esau had satisfied his hunger, he recognized the inequality of the exchange and knew that what he had parted with was of greater value than what he received.

Principles for Application:
It is most effective to target those who already have a felt need for the topic my book addresses.

I must effectively convey the belief that what I am offering my potential customer is of greater value than what I am asking them to part with in exchange for it, presumably money.

I must strive to ensure that the product I offer is of greater value to the recipient than what I ask of them in exchange for it. I want them to remain assured of its value even after they have “partaken” of it. In other words, I want them even after reading my book to be glad that they made the purchase.

Questions for Consideration:
What lasting value will my customers gain if they purchase my book?

What is a just price to charge for my book?

Should I offer a money-back guarantee?

Is there anything my potential customers could give me in exchange for my book that is of greater value to me than money? (i.e. an endorsement, a review, personal recommendation to other potential customers, etc.) – Consider Proverbs 22:1 “A good name is rather to be chosen than great riches, and loving favor rather than silver and gold.”

Should I implement an affiliate program?

What people already have a felt need for the topic my book addresses? What is the most effective way to target them and let them know about my book?

What sorts of approaches would pique the curiosity of my target audience and persuade them to purchase my book?

Steps for Implementation:
□ Identify my target market and the best outlets for conveying information to them.
□ Compile list of people to whom to send Advance Review Copies (ARC) for endorsements.
□ Develop a referral/recommendation/affiliate plan (possible idea: for every ___ people that purchase my book and indicate a particular individual as the one who referred them, I will send that referrer a free copy of my book).