Category: Public Speaking
IPAC live workshop on marketing and publishing your book
This workshop is designed for self-published authors and shares innovative marketing ideas for promoting their books for 2017/2018. Participants will learn about a variety of marketing techniques, tools and strategies for selling more books.
The workshop will present a step-by-step system for positioning and marketing books to their intended audiences.
Each participant will receive a workbook in which they will create their own customizable blueprint. The blueprint is effective with any genre of book, including business, novel, poetry, self-help, education, or memoir.
By attending this interactive workshop:
• You will receive a workbook and develop a customized blueprint of your marketing plan of your book.
• You will learn and be able to practice your own customizable marketing techniques for your book.
• You will learn how to execute your marketing plan.
To prepare for this workshop:
• Bring a copy of your book, concept or idea for which you want to develop a customizable marketing plan.
• Bring a winning spirit and be ready to have fun.
If you would like to recieve the free workbook, please send email below
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10 Secrets to Selling from the Stage
I’ve had success, but definitely not luck in speaking and selling from the stage. My closing ratios usually come in between 37-and-82 percent. I think the real strategy is making it look like luck, but being strategic without ever making it appear strategic.
Be absolutely 100 percent authentic, while learning the craft of speaking, and studying that craft so you ultimately become a master of your content.
Here are the top 10 things I have found to greatly attribute to my success of selling from the stage:
- Be 100 percent authentic – This is an ethical requirement and an important key to successful speaking. If you are transparent, they can see it. You must be 100 percent truthful. The audience can sense lies immediately.
- Don’t be rehearsed but be practiced – A lot of speakers might disagree with me here, but I have done fantastic things by going off the cuff. It feels spontaneous; as if they have their own show. It comes across as if you are not selling them.
- Have a converting offer – I pride myself on my offer. It includes huge content and the tools to show everything I have done in my business. Some refer to it as the ‘pile on close.’ I call it good business. All of the forms I use in my business get updated every six months with who to call, and what deals are available. You are ultimately creating your business in a box – a package deal.
- Have amazing customer service (Your back-end is your best friend) – You traveled a long way to get new and dedicated clients/customers; treat them with respect and service. My staff calls customers within 24 hours of receiving the course to welcome them to the program. The promoters love this as it reduces refunds, and allows the promoter to stand behind you and the product, so they will recommend you whole-heartedly to their promoter friends!
- Everything said should have a purpose – Tangents and stories are key, but they must relate to your offer. Establish credibility right away. Know your content inside and out!
- Create camaraderie – Look everyone in the eye at least once. Do not avoid eye contact, it is your friend!
- Have passion – I believe that all of life should be lived with passion. If you are passionate about your topic and your customers/clients’ success, it will electrify the room and get everyone excited about the great business you are speaking about.
- Make it fun – Pick on yourself a bit; it adds humor and people really relate to it. My biggest selling strategy, and something I absolutely believe 100 percent is, ‘If I can do this business, you can, too!’
- Always take action and move ahead – You may make some mistakes along the way, but as long as you keep moving forward, you will learn by those mistakes and be even better at what you do. You won’t get anywhere without taking action.
- Find a mentor – Spend time with other successful speakers and promoters. You are whom you surround yourself with. I have found that in sports, it is better to play with someone who is better than you. Ski with a better skier, play tennis against a better tennis player. They will always push you to do your best; it is the same in the speaking business.
So take a moment and consider the keys to your speaking success. What is it that is holding you back? It is amazing how the same themes come up over and over again. Take out a pen and paper and write them down. Take action and learn from someone who is better at the business than you are, and always do what you say you are going to do. So get out and really do it.
Book Marketing Made Easy: If You Write it, They Will Come
Here’s a big fear we all have when it comes to writing a book: What if no one buys it?
While that is always possible, with a little planning and advanced buzz, it’s highly unlikely. The key is to get others excited about your book, and to get them talking and sharing the news with their friends.
Host a Launch Party. Weeks before your official publication date, it’s time to start revving up the launch engine. Offering bonuses for early purchases, incentives for a review, and free chapter downloads are all proven strategies for building the buzz for your upcoming book.
There’s a lot of moving parts in a successful book launch—landing pages, mailing lists, JV partners, social outreach, and more—so if you need help with the plan, The Complete Speaking Business Assessment
.
Make the Interview Rounds. Two to three months prior to your book release, have your virtual assistant begin researching podcasts, blogs and other media outlets for potential interviews. Create a press package to send out, including headshots, book cover art, blurbs and testimonials, and let everyone know that you’re looking for interviews and guest posting opportunities.
Blog About It. You are your own best publicist; so don’t be afraid to toot your own horn on your blog, in your email newsletter, and on social media. Include images of the cover, blurbs from advance readers, and give your audience plenty of time to get excited about the upcoming launch, so when the buy button finally goes up they’re eager to get a copy.
Boosted Posts. Facebook is a terrific way to get new eyes on your book. Paid ads leading to your launch page are ideal, and can generate a lot of traffic for a very low cost.
Free Kindle Days. This technique alone can catapult your book to bestsellerdom in a matter of days. The key is to build up a buzz on your mailing list, share, share, share on social media, and ask your friends and colleagues to do the same.
Book marketing isn’t as easy as simply listing it on Amazon and becoming an instant bestseller. Anyone who tells you that is the exception to the rule. But that doesn’t mean selling your book is impossible either. With some strategic planning and a little effort, you can have a fantastic launch, whether it’s your first book or your fourteenth.
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More info’s and free registrations (restricted to pros), please join our live seminar
Four Publishing Options Worth Exploring
For many people, writing the book is the easy part. Whether you have a body of work ready to repurpose (such as a blog you’ve maintained for several years) or a ghostwriter at the ready, or you just really like to write, getting your book on paper is simple.
Publishing and selling it is another matter all together. You basically have four options when it comes to publishing your book, and each one has its pros and cons.
PDF Ebook. Probably the simplest method to publish a book, all that’s required with an ebook is to click “Save as…” in your Word document and choose “PDF.” Then you can sell the resulting file on your own website, list it on ClickBank or E-Junkie, or upload it to a number of other ebook marketplaces online.
Ebooks don’t quite have the authority that printed books carry, but if you’re on a budget and don’t have the skills to format your book for print, then this can be a viable option to get you off the ground. It’s also a great way to share your book with advance readers to get those all-important testimonials.
Kindle. The darling of the self-publishing world, Amazon’s Kindle marketplace makes it easy for you to publish your book. In fact, with just a few minutes of formatting, and another several minutes spent on their step-by-step uploading system, you can have your book on their virtual shelves in less than an hour.
With its incredible popularity and the ability to offer “free days” during which anyone can download your book at no cost, Kindle is a great way to build a buzz quickly.
Print on Demand. The best choice for self-published authors is a relatively new technology that allows for a single book to be printed on demand. Until just a few years ago, if you chose to self-publish your book you’d likely have to shell out for hundreds if not thousands of copies up front, leaving you with a garage full of books to sell on your own.
Print on demand is different. Buyers order your book from sellers such as Amazon (whose Create Space arm is itself a print on demand enterprise), and the book is printed and shipped the next day. This makes it easy and cost-effective for everyone to become a published author.
Traditional Publisher. The most difficult and time consuming option, getting your book published with a traditional print publisher will also get you the most audience and press. The drawbacks are many, though. To start, it’s extremely difficult to get a traditional publishing house to take on a new author. If you do manage to get the attention of a publisher, your royalties (the amount you earn from your book) will be very small—maybe as little as 8% of the net cost. Finally, the length of time it takes from manuscript submission to final publication can be years.
All that said, a book with a traditional publishing insignia on the spine does carry a bit more weight when it comes to press opportunities than does a self-published book.
Many new authors initially choose the ebook format, and then move to Kindle and print on demand. Given enough buzz and sales, traditional publication becomes easier to attain as well. The important thing is to get your book written, and then publish where you’re most comfortable. The rest will come naturally.
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Easy-Peasy Book Writing: 3 Ideas You Can Use to Write Your Book Today
You know that a book is a powerful tool for a coach. You know that it not only helps to establish your expertise in your market, but it can also exponentially expand your audience.
Not only that, but it’s the single best way to get the attention of main stream press outlets, influential bloggers and podcasters, and to land paid speaking engagements. There’s virtually no downside to writing a book.
Except the actual writing of it.
If you don’t consider yourself a writer, you may think that the benefits are out of your reach, but even self-avowed non-writers have options.
Repurpose. This easy and popular option makes use of the hundreds or even thousands of pages of content you’ve already created, so there is almost no writing involved. You may need to edit a bit for flow and to update ideas, but otherwise, you probably have a ready-made book sitting right on your blog.
And before you start thinking, “Why would anyone pay for a book that’s just pulled from my blog?” know this: People will pay for information that is organized in a way that makes their life easier, even if that same information is available for free elsewhere. In fact, Darren Rowse of ProBlogger.net used this technique to publish his wildly popular “31 Days to Build a Better Blog.”
Use Private Label Content. Not enough content to repurpose? No problem. There are companies such as CoachGlue.com that specialize in creating content you are allowed to license and use as your own. It’s called private label rights content, or PLR, and (depending on who you buy from) it’s high quality, well researched content that makes the perfect jumping off point for your next book.
Two things you need to know about PLR: First, because it’s sold to more than one person, it’s important that you edit the content to adapt it to your voice, your unique view of the industry, and to include your personality. Second, you cannot use PLR to publish a book on Kindle, as this is a violation of their terms of service.
Outsource. Want a book that’s all you without having to do the work? Hire a ghostwriter. These professionals will work with you to create a book that is uniquely yours, and in the end you’ll have a well-written book with your name on it, all without typing a word.
Having a published book on your coaching resume can work wonders for your business growth. It will bring you clients, expand your audience reach, and even attract some press. But it can’t do any of that if you don’t write the book in the first place. So take one of these ideas and get your book w
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5 Reasons Every Coach Needs a Book
Struggling to bring in new clients? Not sure what to do next in your marketing plan? There’s one simple answer you probably haven’t considered:
Write a book.
It’s true. This one thing—especially if it’s an actual printed book rather than a Kindle or eBook—has the power to grow your business beyond your expectations. You’ll experience a whole new world of opportunities simply by having your name on the cover of a book.
Authority
Imagine you’re at a conference or local networking group and you meet two coaches who both specialize in business branding—something you know you need help with.
One coach says all the right things. She’s been in business for years and worked with some top-notch business owners. She has great ideas for how she can help you solidify your branding.
The other has a similar history and story, with one added bonus: she’s just handed you a copy of her latest book. It’s a professionally printed, substantial publication that practically exudes confidence.
Which coach do you think shows more authority in her field? The one with the book, of course. There really is nothing better when it comes to establishing your authority in any niche than having a book with your name on it.
Expertise
So why does a book speak so highly of you and establish your authority so well? Because it gives you a platform to show off your expertise. It’s like being invited to present on any topic you choose on the world’s largest stage.
Not only that, but your readers are a captive audience. They’re listening—in that moment—only to you. That’s a powerful position to be in, and one that gives you an opportunity to really show off your stuff.
Market Reach
No matter how many readers Google sends your way, no matter how much traffic your YouTube channel receives, nothing will ever compare to the number of potential readers Amazon and other online booksellers can bring your way.
Positioned correctly, your book can reach millions of new readers, and thousands of potential clients. Combine that with the expertise and authority we know comes with being a published author, and that’s a recipe for success that can’t be beat.
Better Than a Business Card
If you’ve ever been to a conference, you’ve no doubt collected a stack of business cards. You get home and toss them in a drawer, and six months later you throw them out, without ever having contacted the people who gave them to you.
But if one of those people handed you a book instead, what happened? You’ve likely read it (or at least leafed through it). You almost certainly didn’t throw it away. And you remember it—and the person who wrote it.
Press Opportunities
Turn on your television to any interview show, browse through Huffington Post, or listen to any of a number of popular podcasts, and you’ll quickly see that most of the guest speakers and interviewees have written a book.
The fact is, interview shows depend on interesting, insightful guests to keep their audiences listening, and there’s no better applicant than an author. Writing a book will open up many, many opportunities for appearances that you may never have without your name on that cover.
Do you have to write a book to be successful? No. But there’s no denying the fact that a published author will find she has a much easier time growing her business than the coach who keeps putting it off until later.
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Overcoming Objections: Defeating Your Top Book-Writing Hurdles
You know you need to do it. You’ve had it on your to-do list for years. Your own coach has told you time and again that this is the year you must get your book in print.
And yet…nothing.
It’s not that you don’t recognize the benefits, or that you don’t want to have a published book on your resume. You just struggle with it, and probably for the same reasons many other coaches resist publication.
You don’t have time. Here’s a biggie. Everyone is busy. We all get that. But that’s not a good excuse when it comes to growing your business.
Rather than lamenting your lack of time, you should be prioritizing your day to accommodate the important things, like writing your book. Maybe that means getting up 30 minutes earlier for a focused (if short) writing stint every morning, or turning off the television after dinner so you can write, or even setting aside several hours each Sunday morning until your book is done.
The point is, you must make this a priority. Block out the time in your calendar, and treat that time as sacred. Pretend it’s an appointment with your most important client, and do not allow anything to get in the way of keeping it.
You can’t write. Many, many people claim they cannot write; yet when you look at their blogs, there are hundreds of posts. What it really means when someone says they can’t write is that they don’t like to.
Luckily, you have plenty of options for overcoming this particular hurdle. Hire a ghostwriter. Start with PLR. Repurpose your blog posts into a book.
And if all else fails, speak. Use software such as Dragon Naturally Speaking, or simply record using your favorite MP3 app and then have it transcribed.
You can’t organize a long project like a book. Ok, so you’re great with blog posts, and you don’t mind writing them, but the thought of writing an entire book makes you stare at your blank screen like a deer caught in the headlights of an oncoming car.
First, if you can write a blog post, you can write an entire series of books. The process is all the same, after all. It’s just putting words into sentences, sentences into paragraphs, and so on.
But if you really feel you can’t manage a long project, then an outline is going to be your best friend. Start with a broad overview of your project, and then break it down by sections, then chapters. Make notes about what you’ll cover in each, and then it’s just a matter of filling in the blanks.
There are dozens of reasons to write a book. It’s important for establishing your expertise, for growing your audience, and for solidifying your message. But none of that will happen if you don’t actually write it. So it’s time to get beyond your hurdles and get your book done.
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What If ?
What if, What if, What if. This question comes at us every day. What if I said this, What if 
I did that or what if I didnít. It comes down to decisions. We all have decisions to make every day of our lives. We all make good and bad decisions. Thatís life. When you look back on your life you can think of some really great decisions that you made, decisions that have altered the course of your life. You can also remember some really bad ones that have affected you in a negative way.
Life is never static, itís always changing and opportunities come and go. Doors open and we have to decide whether to step through and seize the opportunity or not. When you are standing in front of that open door of opportunity the question arises What if? do I or don’t I. We need to make a decision. How do we make decisions? This depends on our background, education, life experiences and sometimes advice from others.
We donít know each other, but I would like to give you some advice. Suppose I said that I knew something that could change your life forever for the better. Would you be interested? Suppose I said I knew someone that was showing other people how to acquire something like real estate for free. Suppose you could also learn how to build on your land something like a five star hotel. You would also learn how to market your hotel and collect rent from guests that pay to stay. Would you be interested?
What am I talking about? Itís called virtual real estate. Your own space on the World Wide Web or Internet if you prefer. If you own a space there it can turn out to be very valuable property.
The most expensive house in the world is a 12 bedroom mansion in London England for which an Indian steel tycoon paid $128 million.
The most valuable web page in history, to date, will probably be the six million dollar page by Alejandro Saavedra and Robert Kanaat. Now hereís the difference. The tycoon paid $128 million for the house. How much did these two guys pay for the page. Next to nothing. Maybe a couple hundred bucks at the most depending on how they went about it.
I am going to open a door for you that could literally change your life. The only cost is your time and effort. Now you must decide! Ask yourself the following question:-
What if I click on this link: The Complete Speaking Business Assessment
It could make all the difference.
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Writing The Knockout Query Letter: How To Catch A Book Editor's Attention
You’ve done it. You’ve achieved a lifelong dream and penned a book certain to be lauded through the ages as a literary masterpiece. Yet one last obstacle stands between you and publishing success ñ attracting the attention of someone who can get your book into print.
In reality, catching an editor’s attention is not difficult. All you have to do is follow the rules by sending what industry insiders refer to as a “query letter”. A query letter is one or two pages written in the format of a formal business letter. It should be brief, and it should pique the interest of any publishing executive who reads it. After all, if you can’t sell a single individual on the merits of your book, why should a publishing house believe you can sell to an audience of thousands or millions? If you want some inside secrets to crafting a perfect, attention-grabbing query letter, then you’ve come to the right place. Cover each of the following points, and I guarantee you’ll have an editor calling within one week of sending your query letter.
Point #1: Approach The Right Publisher: This seems obvious, but you wouldn’t believe the number of writers who make this mistake. Be certain that the publisher you choose to contact is in the business of publishing your genre. If you write fantasy novels, then don’t send a query letter to the editor of a computer manual publisher. It will be thrown in the trash without a second look. The best way to find the right publisher is to find books similar to your own and open them. Who is the publisher of each book? Does one particular publisher’s name keep turning up? If so, that’s the one you want to contact.
Point #2: Selling To The Right Person: Never mail a query letter addressed to “Editor” or “To Whom It May Concern”. Such a letter is destined for the “slush pile,” and eventually, the trashcan. Once you’ve identified your ideal publisher, consult a book such as the latest edition of Jeff Herman’s Writer’s Guide to Book Editors, Publishers, and Literary Agents (most libraries or large bookstores will have it). The book will provide a page or two of information on the publisher in question, including the name and contact information of the person to whom all queries should be directed. Usually, this is an executive or managing editor. Address the query letter to that specific person and make sure to use the correct gender and spelling when using their name.
Point #3: Your Opening (Especially the First Sentence): The first paragraph of your query letter should get right to the point. Tell the editor why you are contacting him/her. Did someone they know refer you? Has someone famous praised your work? Either one will capture instant attention. But the most important thing you can do in your opening is to define the audience and market for your book and state why your book is unique or has sales potential in the marketplace. Be specific. Don’t say “all women will want to read my book”. Say “five million women between the ages of 40 and 55 who watch The Oprah Winfrey Show will want to read my book”. The editor will determine within the first sentence or two whether or not to continue reading the rest of your query, so it’s extremely important to spend time crafting the best opening possible. If you have any media contacts or a way to position your book so that it will be irresistible for the media to cover, then say so in the first sentence. Media attention sells books, and that’s what publishers are in business to do.
Point #4: Describe Your Product: In the second paragraph, provide a brief overview of your book. Give the editor a brief summary just as it might appear on the book’s jacket. If possible, reference bestselling books within the same genre and point out why your book is different. Present facts about your work, not opinions. “The potential market is 5.8 million single women” is a fact. “This is the greatest book ever written” is an opinion. Tell the editor why your book will fill an unmet need in the marketplace. Keep it brief, and don’t ramble. This is a case where less is more.
Point #5: About The Author: In the third paragraph, talk about yourself. Why are you writing this book? What are your credentials? Are you an expert in the field? Have you ever been published before? Do you have media experience or media contacts? If so, then let the editor know. If you have limited experience, say so. Be honest and straightforward. Experience helps, but lack of experience will not immediately disqualify you. Adding “fluff” to your resume will. Under no circumstances should you include information about your personal life unless such information is pertinent to selling the book.
Point #6: Leave Them Wanting More: Conclude your query letter by thanking the editor for his/her time and by offering to send your full book proposal (for non-fiction) or the first few chapters of your book (for fiction), and donít forget to provide your contact information. If your query letter sparks the interest of the editor, he/she will contact you and ask for more information. So don’t send a book proposal or sample chapters without being asked. Also, if you’re sending a query to more than one editor, let them know that you have sent simultaneous queries. Likewise, if you’re offering the editor a two week period of exclusivity (the method I recommend), then say so. Finally, don’t include a SASE with your query. A SASE is most often used to send a form rejection letter back to the author. Don’t leave the impression that you expect rejection. If interested, an editor will contact you immediately by phone or email. They wonít use snail mail.
Point #7: Proofread, Proofread, Proofread: A query letter is the first sample of a prospective author’s writing that an editor will see. It should be perfect. If you can’t produce a one-page letter professionally and free of error, why should anyone believe you can produce an entire book? Don’t rely on spell check programs to find your mistakes, and remember that solid writing is produced by rewriting, rewriting, and rewriting. Rework each individual sentence until it’s the best it can be. You’ve spent countless hours perfecting your manuscript. You can certainly spend a few hours perfecting your query letter.
Point #8: Presentation: You’ve spent the necessary time to create a knockout query letter. Now you have to present it to the editor in the correct fashion or else risk being dismissed as an amateur. It’s important to print your query letter in black ink on 8 1/2 x 11, high quality, plain white paper using a LaserJet printer (no dot-matrix). If you have a letterhead, use it. But don’t get too fancy. Don’t use border patterns. Anything that detracts from the substance of your letter could trigger a rejection. When it comes time to mail your letter, use FedEx. This serves two purposes. First, because of the expense involved, it signals that you are a professional who obviously isn’t sending mass queries to publishers all over the globe. Second, and most importantly, it gets opened. A FedEx envelope simply doesn’t get thrown into the “slush pile”. Other than concise, professional writing, using FedEx is the #1 way to differentiate yourself from the thousands of authors who query a publisher in any given year. Finally, don’t use “gimmicks” or send gifts along with your query letter. Bribery and clever stunts can not replace great writing or a unique product idea. If you compose your letter correctly, you should be confident it will merit the response it deserves.
Utilize each of the 8 points above while drafting your query letter, and I guarantee it will be better than 99.5% of the queries a publisher receives in any given year. In addition, if a market exists for your book, a query letter crafted to the specifications of this outline will almost always generate a request for a book proposal or sample chapters within one week. At that point, you’ve got an editor interested in your book, and you’re already halfway toward seeing it in print. So start working on your knockout query letter today!
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