If you’re an aspiring author, have ever wondered what happens to your book proposal after it arrives at the publishing house? Sometimes, I’m afraid, the acquisition process appears to be a sort of “black box.” Proposals are inserted into the black box and then disappear—for weeks. At some point they pop out. Most are sent back to the author with a rejection letter. A precious few actually become a book.

But what happens while the proposal is inside the box?

In this post I want to describe the internal proposal review process. If you have ever wondered how in the world publishing houses decide what to publish, this post is for you.

First, you need to understand the entire proposal review process is designed to do one thing: kill all but the most worthy projects. This may be hard to accept, but you have to understand the supply of hopeful authors is infinite while the supply of publishing resources is finite. Publishers can only publish a fraction of the proposals they receive.

Therefore, every publisher employs a screening process of some sort. You might think of it as a series of hurdles a proposal must jump before it crosses the finish line and becomes a book. These hurdles may vary in number from publishing house to publishing house. But in most publishing houses there are five.

1. The Acquisitions Editor. Acquisitions editors are the people inside the publishing house specifically charged with finding and developing authors and books that are congruent with the publisher’s mission. Over time, they have developed “noses” for the right projects. They usually see hundreds of proposals every year. Good editors can review a proposal and decide in sixty seconds or less whether it merits further consideration. If it doesn’t, then it gets tossed into the rejection pile.

   Typically, an acquisitions editor has unlimited authority to say “no.” They can reject a proposal without approval from anyone. Conversely, they don’t usually have the absolute authority to approve a proposal for publication. The most they can do is shepherd the proposal through the next step in the process.

   This is why your first objective as an author is to sell the acquisitions editor. He’s the “gatekeeper” to the publishing house. If you can’t do that, you’re dead in the water. This is the one place where you have the most control. You must develop a compelling book proposal that gets the acquisitions editor’s attention. You must demonstrate the content is compelling and there is a viable market for it.

   I recommend you start with one of my ebooks, How to Write a Winning Book Proposal. I have a version for non-fiction proposals and one for fiction. Either of these will help you clear the first hurdle.

2. The Editorial Committee. Once you’ve convinced the acquisitions editor, he or she has to convince an Editorial Committee. This is generally the specific imprint’s in-house staff. It may consist of the publisher, other acquisitions editors, managing editors, marketing people, etc.

   This is a cynical group. They have long memories, especially about projects that didn’t work. They are a little bit like accountants. Show them the donut and the first thing they see is the hole. (I’m speaking as someone who sat on one of these committees for years.)

   The committee’s meetings are a sort of Darwinian process where only the strongest proposals survive. The participants are not looking for reasons to publish a project as much as they are looking for reasons not to publish a project.

   “It’s not very well written.” “The premise isn’t very clear.” “Books on this topic never do well.” “The author doesn’t have the necessary credentials.” And the list goes on. Believe me, there are hundreds of reasons not to publish a particular proposal.

   This is why, to the extent you can, you have to make your proposal “bullet-proof.” You must learn to anticipate the objections and make sure they are addressed in the proposal. The good news is once you have sold this group, you have a team working to clear the remaining hurdles. The goal is to get them on-board.

3. The Publishing Board. When I was at Thomas Nelson, this was a once-a-month meeting between the editorial or publishing leaders and the sales channel leaders. The goal is for acquisitions editors to present their projects to the sales staff, so that they can get an initial reaction. The acquisitions editors are recommending these proposals, so there is an implied endorsement.

   The acquisitions editors focus on all the reasons why the book should be published. They are selling. And they are selling the most important audience to the success of your book. If the sale professionals are sold, they can sell their customers. If they can’t be sold, the book will not succeed. Period.

   Like the Editorial Committee, the sales people are also cynical but usually less so. They’ve seen it all before. The nature of publishing is that more projects fail than work, so they have lots of ready examples of why your project will fail too. But they also must have new products to sell, so they are also looking for the next big idea. They want to believe; they just have to be convinced.

   The acquisitions editor usually gets five or six minutes to pitch your project to the Publishing Board. He may have contacted you for supporting material to help him do the best job possible. It’s not unusual for the acquisitions editor to play a short video clip, pass out a press kit, or show a Web site on the projector.

   Regardless, if you get asked for additional material do everything in your power to get the editor what he needs. He will be representing you, and he only gets one shot at it. You need to help him cast your proposal in the best possible light.

   The project will then be discussed for another few minutes. Then each sales channel leader “votes” on the project by writing down how many books he thinks he can “lay down” (the initial shipment) and then sell in the first six months to a year. (It depends on the type of product. Some have shorter expected life cycles than others.) This is important, because the higher the sales forecast, the higher the probability of your book being published.

   This is not a long process, as you can see. The whole presentation and discussion rarely takes more than ten minutes. Then the proposal moves to the next hurdle.

4. The Financial Pro Forma. Today, no successful publisher can afford to make a decision to publish a book without considering the financial impact. The investment is just too significant.

   The publisher has to consider how much he will have to offer as a royalty advance, how much he will have to pay the author in royalties, and what he will have to spend on marketing and inventory. In addition, he must look at the sales forecasts by channel, since each channel has it’s own discount structure, return rates, and overhead structure.

   All of these variables get plugged into a very sophisticated financial pro forma. It usually takes a few iterations to get it right, but the publisher will quickly assess the investment required, the break-even point, and the profit he will make, given specific variables. Based on this, the publisher will know whether or not the project is financially (or commercially) viable. Assuming it is, the project still must clear one final hurdle.

5. The Publisher’s Sign-Off. Just because the project has cleared the first four hurdles, does not guarantee the book will be published. The publisher has to make the final call. He considers other, more subjective issues: Do I like this project? Do I like the author? Do I like his or her agent? Am I willing to risk this much capital, given the other things we have already committed to? How will my other authors react to this title? Do I really need this title?

   In addition, if the project is big enough, it may require the publisher’s boss to sign-off on the project or perhaps even the CEO. Most publishing houses have various approval levels. If the project exceeds a certain person’s approval level, then it must go up the chain-of-command.

   Once the project has been approved by the publisher, the acquisitions editor will then have the authority to make a formal offer to the author or (more likely) the author’s agent.

Once you understand this process, you can see why the decision to approve a project for publication takes four to six weeks. Yes, it can be fast-tracked when necessary. This often happens with bigger projects where several publishing houses are competing for the same project. But, by and large, it works better if it is not compressed. This process—long as it may seem—is necessary to get the internal buy-in necessary for the entire publishing house to get behind the project.

I have not written this post to discourage you from traditional publishing. Instead, I have written it to empower you. Now that you know what goes on inside the black box called publishing, you can take four specific steps to ensure you clear all five hurdles:

1. Write a killer proposal. This is the foundation of every successful project. You will need this to enlist the support of an agent. Your agent will need it to attract interest from acquisitions editors. It will be used to clear each hurdle in the process.
2. Listen to your agent. Remember, your agent doesn’t get paid until your project is sold. If he has survived for more than a few years, it is because he knows how to get from point A to point B. Therefore, treat him like a trusted guide.
3. Cooperate with your editor. Do everything you can to comply with the acquisition editor’s requests. Once he agrees to present the project to the Editorial Committee, he has become your representative inside the publishing house. You have to equip him to succeed.
4. Be patient. The process takes a while. Hopefully, this post has helped you understand why. There is more happening inside the publishing house than you may have initially thought.

Whatever you do, don’t act entitled. You’re not. No publisher has an obligation to publish your work. In essence, you are the seller; publishers are the buyers. You’re job is to convince them that taking a chance on your book is in their best economic interest.

Hopefully, this knowledge will help you clear the hurdles and get your book into print.

I admit, when I hear someone suggest that you can take your blog posts and turn them into a book, I am skeptical. But when I really thought about it, for all my skepticism, and as much as it pains me to admit it, my first book, To Love Is Christ, came about just that way. Let me explain.

On August 1, 2002 I made a vow to God. He and I weren’t on the best of terms at the time, and when I finally got fed up hearing myself complain, or filling my journal with more whine, I decided to do something dramatic. My strategy was both simple and logical. That morning I decided since the Scripture tells me that God is love, I would write every day for one year on that one subject, love. That was it. That was my strategy.

Having a successful marriage (a ridiculously wonderful wife), I knew I was good for a few months of self-generated text, all my pent up wisdom, all the ooze and rhapsody of a well-tuned lyric. But beyond that, beyond those first few months, my thought was that God himself would have to supply the details.

Being 2002, I could hardly call it a blog at the time, but I did vow to post one entry on my web site every day and to do so by 12 noon. I obligated myself to a deadline and to an audience. It wasn’t long before I began to add a benediction to each post, such as “May your Christ be a warm one. May your Christianity be a door and not a wall.”

Fifteen months from that first day in August, I had a manuscript that was eight inches deep. Somewhere during that time, Benita and I moved to Franklin, Tennessee.

I had been introduced to Jack Countryman by Gloria Gaither. Jack published beautiful devotional books for Thomas Nelson at the time, often with a CD in the back. I gave Jack a proposal with a copy of my recording In The Mourning: For Those Who Grieve in the hope of getting a book deal (I had put a booklet together to go with the music). Jack and his crew ultimately turned down the project, but his editor gave me a wonderful review of my writing. Jack told me if I had anything else, please bring it to him.

It was a start.

Once this huge manuscript had grown under my hand, I took the benedictions (there were one thousand of them) and put together what I then called The May Book because each benediction began with the word “may” and the metaphor of the month itself is so powerful with its suggestion of new life, I couldn’t resist. Nelson liked it, and wanted to publish it, but thought it might work better as a devotional. That was fortunate, I told them, because I had eight inches of devotional.

They asked me to compress each entry to two hundred words or less. After moaning a bit, I worked with their editor, Alice Sullivan, for months to compress this tall, wordy, over-the-top mess to a trim, readable, accessible devotional. During the editorial process, some days were as long as sixteen to eighteen hours. I hardly noticed.

Two things came out of the experience. Okay, maybe three. I will list them.

1.  The regularity, the discipline, the day to day obligation made a writer out of me.
2. Forcing myself to condense each entry to 200 words or less taught me the art of compression, of discovering what was necessary, what was excess, and what was not (what Williams Tyndale and Shakespeare called “pith”). To discover where the true music lay. I developed a kind of editorial savagery. Being a songwriter, I suppose I had a head start on the process.
3. I got a book deal. The advance was not huge by any standard, but who cared? I WAS PUBLISHED. And the little event did wonderful things to my thought life, to my confidence, and to my renewed perception of God, and life.

I am forever grateful to Thomas Nelson, who worked with me in my nativity as an author to awaken my instincts, to season and sharpen them for good use. I’ve written many books since then, for Nelson and other publishers. I am grateful to God as well, who proved himself as good as his description, as John defined him, and for putting the dare in me in the first place.

God is love. Of that I am certain.

To Love Is Christ, as I titled it, will always be special to me. It is deliciously tweetable. Certainly, its voice is more lyrical than my other books, but it was the logical step in my evolution as a writer, in my transition from music to books.

So, I have put a muzzle on my skepticism. Your blog content can, indeed, become a book. That is, with a few necessary conditions. And as much as writers writing about writing on the internet borders on downright creepy at times, here are five conditions, five necessary obligations, that must be satisfied if your blog is to be publishable.

1. Hard work. There is no way to circumnavigate this one.
2. Obligating yourself to write every day. No exceptions.
3. Developing an editorial savagery, or even better, a great ear. I have become somewhat lactose intolerant, that is, I am (hopefully) able to detect cheese when I am guilty of manufacturing it, or when I hear it. Ernest Hemingway called it by another, more colorful name, but to be able to detect it is critical. The ear is the primary organ for the writer.
4. Learn and develop the art of restraint.
5. Love language. Love it. Never stop learning the craft.

That’s it. Happy blogmaking. Of the list above, I’m particularly fond of #5. Content is great. It’s critical. But it is execution alone that will set you apart.

I have now been using the Kindle Fire for about a month. I thought I’d weigh with my impressions thus far. This isn’t intended to be a thorough, technical review. It is simply my view as a publishing professional and e-reader enthusiast.

I have been a fan of the Kindle since Amazon introduced it in 2007. I have bought every iteration since then and have been pleased with the evolution of the device. The simplicity, battery life, and integrated buying experience have been delightful.

However, when I first saw the announcement about the Kindle Fire, Amazon’s Android-based tablet with a color touch screen, I decided to opt out. I already have an iPad 2, so I didn’t see what the Kindle Fire had to offer.

However, after reading Chris Brogan’s review, I decided to go for it. As someone with a professional interest in e-publishing, I thought I should try it for myself.

I am currently using the Fire for reading books and casual browsing. I have not watched a movie on it yet nor really listened to music (though I have uploaded my music library to the Amazon cloud). I have not used the email app. I have watched movie trailers, and the device seems to work as-advertised.

Here’s the good, the bad, and the ugly.

The Good

• The price point is terrific. At $199.00 it’s pretty easy to justify, especially compared to the iPad. It offers one of the best value propositions out there.
• The 7” display is beautiful. The size of the Fire is also nice. It feels more “bookish” than the iPad. However, it is heavier than I anticipated.
• Book pages look terrific. Because it uses a touch screen, it is much easier to access everything: highlighting, notes, definitions, bookmarks, etc. I don’t miss the joystick from the last version.
• Highlighting passages is easier and more intuitive than any e-reader I have used. (I am a highlighting junkie.) However, you still can’t highlight across pages.
• The battery is great. Amazon advertises at least eight hours of continuous reading. I have gotten at least that. It has been a non-issue for me.
• Purchasing is truly one-click. Some users have complained that this makes it too easy for children and thieves, but I like the convenience. (I also use the password lock feature.)
• Synching across all Kindle devices continues to work flawlessly, whether they are on your desktop, your iPad, or your iPhone. I can pick up any device and continue reading right where I was on the last one.
• The 8GB internal storage will accommodate about 6,000 books—less if you want to also store movies and apps. That’s half as much as the Nook, but still more than adequate for most needs.

The Bad

• The virtual bookshelf, which is the primary way you access your content works as expected. The shelves use a carousel to let you swipe through your content in the order it as last accessed. However, it feels clumsy and it’s easy to flip past the book or app you want.
• Twitter is no longer integrated as it was with the last generation. This is curious. I think “social reading” is still a huge opportunity for the e-reader space. So far, only Rethink Books seems to have the vision for this.
• There is currently no 3G version, so if you are not connected to a Wi-Fi, you cannot purchase new books. This makes it less attractive for frequent travelers.
• The touch screen is sometimes unpredictable. On numerous occasions, I have found myself having to touch the screen more than once to activate a control or feature. In addition, the keys are just too small to access comfortably.
• The OS transitions are not as smooth or as impressive as the iPad. This is not a big deal, but it makes the Fire feel less polished.

The Ugly

• The Power Switch is located on the bottom of the device rather than the top. As a result, I have unintentionally turned it off on numerous occasions. (Yes, you can rotate it 180°, but this isn’t the intended orientation.)
• I have crashed on more that one occasion, and I have even had the tablet spontaneously reboot on me. Amazon is promising an update to the OS within the next few weeks. Hopefully, that will help.

Overall, the Kindle Fire is no iPad killer. If you can afford the iPad, I’d buy that instead. It is just much more polished and, with so many available apps, can do so much more.

However, if your primary goal is media consumption at an outstanding price, you won’t go wrong with a Kindle Fire. With Amazon’s backing, it will only improve with time.

Last week, FrugalDad published an amazing graphic about Amazon. Since 1994, Jeff Bezos, the CEO, has steadily grown the company. I knew it was big, but I had no idea how big.

This infographic is worth studying in detail. No author, retailer, or publisher can afford to ignore this behemoth. (Don’t miss the question at the end. Please leave a comment! I’d like to know what you think.)

I have yet to meet an author who thought his/her publisher did enough marketing or who was satisfied with the royalties received. Most have the fantasy of writing the book, submitting the manuscript, and then sitting in a lawn chair next to the mailbox, waiting on those big checks to show up. The reality of publishing and the source of real income is a quite different picture.

Several years ago Mark Victor Hansen, author of Chicken Soup for the Soul, told a small group of us author wannabes something that revolutionized my approach to writing. He said, “Everyone I meet wants to write a book. I tell them, ‘Write your book. Do a great job. Now you’re 10% finished. The remaining 90% consists of marketing, promoting, developing ancillary products, etc.’”

Jay Conrad Levinson is best known for popularizing the term “guerrilla marketing” in his many books. He comments, “Some people asked me how much I made from my first book. The answer I gave was $10 million. The book itself only paid $35,000 in royalties, but the speaking engagements, spin-off books, newsletters, columns, boot camps, consulting, and wide-open doors resulted in the remaining $9,965,000.”

How are you approaching your writing? Are you frustrated that in return for submitting a great article you are paid $70 and that the royalties from your book have covered the cost of your morning Starbucks but have done little to impact your mortgage?

Are you hoping for the unexpected success of The Shack or Heaven is for Real? What if you strategically developed products and services around your core concepts and saw the sales of your book as simply a promotional piece to draw people in to the more profitable part of your business?

The original movie Cars was released in 2006. Though it made a respectable $462 million in worldwide box office receipts, the real story is in ancillary sales. With the key demographic being boys from 2 to 8 years old, Pixar has had an estimated $8 billion in product sales and licensing and continues to haul in around $2 billion a year.

The first edition of my book 48 Days to the Work You Love was released in 2005. It continues to do very well and I am thankful for the royalty checks that come in. But as I have little control over those, I’ve never depended on that income for any real expenses, vacations, or retirement funds. My wife Joanne and I typically have fun guessing the amount before we open that twice-yearly envelope. And then we squeal with delight or groan in fake agony when the dollar amount appears.

However, since the original release I have:

• Developed the complete twelve-session 48 Days to the Work You Love seminar which is now being taught by facilitators around the world;
• Written multiple 48 Days to manifestos;
• Been deluged with career coaching requests;
• Licensed over 350 coaches to which we refer coaching requests;
• Conducted countless teleseminars on the concepts;
• Delivered speeches all over the country;
• Supplied related content for periodicals from Christianity Today to Success magazine; and
• Hosted Write to the Bank conferences three times a year for other writers.

Guess where I’ve made 95% of the money from the content in 48 Days to the Work You Love?

If you are writing a book—or thinking about it—you have no doubt considered self-publishing. Thanks to recent developments in technology, it has never been easier or less expensive.

A few years ago, we launched a self-publishing division at Thomas Nelson called WestBow Press. We did so in partnership with Author Solutions, the largest self-publishing company in the world. They have proven to be great partners.

A few weeks ago, I got to sit down with Kevin Weiss, President and CEO of Author Solutions. In this eight-minute video, I asked Kevin five questions about self-publishing:

1. What is self-publishing and how does it differ from vanity publishing?
2. What advantages does self-publishing have over traditional publishing?
3. What kind of authors can benefit the most from self-publishing?
4. Who are some examples of self-published authors who have succeeded?
5. What should an author expect to spend to self-publish a book?

While self-publishing might not be right for everyone, it is worth exploring. You can learn more on the WestBow Press website or read my previous post, “Should You Consider Self-Publishing?”

At the risk of wearing you out, I want to ask for your input on this cover one last time. More than 750 people voted on the four covers I posted earlier today. They left almost 300 comments. I read through every single one. They have helped me clarify my own thinking and will influence the outcome.

The top two choices were very close: The GPS Cover took 40 percent of the votes. The Sail Cover took 30 percent. I also polled people as to their gender and then cross-tabbed the results. The results were almost identical for the GPS Cover. Men and women voted the same. However, among women the Sail Cover and the Tree Cover tied for second place.

The biggest complaint with the Tree Cover was that the imagery is over-used. People pointed to The Purpose Driven Life by Rick Warren as an example. The Ruler Cover received very few votes. Several noted that it looked more like grammar school imagery than architectural.

Personally, I could go with either of the top two finalists. Each has their advantages and disadvantages. So, I thought I would get your input one last time before making my decision.

We have not changed the GPS Cover at all in this last round. However, we did use input from my readers to change the Sail Cover. Specifically:

1. We changed the saturation of the sky to make it lighter blue.
2. We changed the title font from serif to sans serif.
3. We added a longer version of the Maxwell quote.
4. We adjusted the vertical spacing.

I have also added an “age group” question to the survey. This will allow me to see which option is popular among specific age groups.

On Thursday, I posted the first round of new cover designs for Creating Your Personal Life Plan. Some 750 people took the survey. Even better, sixty people left detailed comments, telling me what they liked and disliked.

I have taken all that input into consideration, and would like to get your vote on this second round of book cover comps. If you want to get straight to the survey, just scroll down this page and take it. It will take you less than 60 seconds.

in case you are interested in the process, I thought I’d also provide a little bit of the background. I am changing the format of my ebooks from a horizontal orientation to a vertical one. The reason for this is two-fold:

1. The horizontal layout didn’t work well on e-readers. The best you could do was convert the PDF and that usually produced ugly results. In some cases the ebook was not readable.
2. The horizontal layout didn’t work well when printed. The background images on the pages consumed a lot of ink. The design got in the way of usability.

So I am now converting everything from the horizontal format to a vertical one. I plan to do Creating Your Personal Life Plan first, then my Writing a Winning Book Proposal ebooks next.

Okay, so now for some specific comments about this round of cover comps. Here is my rationale for the design of today’s covers:

• The tree cover received the most votes yesterday. However, several people pointed out that the image was just too close to the Site Organic ad in my sidebar. (Oops!) I agreed. So we picked a different image and then revised the cover to make it a little more modern.
• The sail cover received the second most votes yesterday. The only thing we changed in this round was the subtitle in order to tie it into the sailing metaphor a little more.
• The idea for the new GPS cover came from “Dave” in a comment yesterday. He said that the sextant cover was cool, but younger people may not know what the nautical instrument is or what it does. He suggested we use a GPS. We also changed the subtitle to tie into this metaphor.
• Finally, a few people said that original subtitle—“How to Design the Life You’ve Always Wanted”—reminded them of a construction project. As a result, we tried a few images of blueprints, but, frankly, they seemed too predictable. Instead, we chose some architectural drawing instruments and used them as a metaphor.

In the last decade, we have witnessed the “free revolution.” Marketers are giving away everything from books and software to vacations and even cars. This has shaped consumer behavior to the point that people often expect free and resent having to pay.

I see this every week in the publishing industry with ebooks. Many consumers expect them to be free or sold for a nominal amount, because they incorrectly believe that they don’t cost anything to produce.

Unfortunately, authors won’t write for free. Editors and packagers won’t work for free. Online retailers and distributors also want to get paid, as do the publishers who find the books, curate them, and market them.

So free is certainly not a viable business model. However, it can be a brilliant marketing strategy. Many individuals and companies are using this strategy very effectively to:

• Build mailing lists. I have been offering a free copy of a my 94-page ebook, Creating Your Personal Life Plan, to everyone who signs up to receive my blog updates via email. In the first six months, I have generated 23,326 subscriptions. In the next few weeks, I will offer a new ebook to take my subscriptions to 50,000 by the end of the calendar year.
• Generate customer reviews. A few years ago Thomas Nelson launched BookSneeze, a website designed to get its books into the hands of bloggers (sneezers) who could “infect” their readers. We let bloggers chose which books they wanted to review in exchange for an honest review on their blog. We now have over 20,000 bloggers participating in this program. We have generated thousands of reviews for our books.
• Provide product samples. Assuming you have a great product—and this is a prerequisite!—the best thing you can do is “seed the market” with free samples. For example, last week on my blog, I gave away 100 free copies of Marcus Buckingham’s new book, StandOut. I generated 1,353 comments, 567 retweets, and 340 Facebook shares. More importantly for the publisher, it helped drive the book to #4 on Amazon.com’s overall sales ranking.

So how does this apply to you? Simple. You should use free to drive your marketing strategy. This can help you build your platform and launch your products. Here are ten quick idea-starters to make free work for you.

1. Offer free samples of your product to potential customers. This could the first two chapters of your book, the first two songs from your album, or a recording of you performing live.
2. Offer an ebook or special report in exchange for newsletter subscriptions. Hubspot is a master at this.
3. Offer a free copy of your product to bloggers in exchange for an honest review on their blog. Start with the bloggers you know and follow.
4. Offer free copies of your product to bigger bloggers to do a giveaway on their blog. You can offer fewer copies for smaller blogs and more copies for larger ones.
5. Offer your time for free to people who buy various quantities of your products. Gary Vaynerchuk did this here. Phil Cooke did it here. They did it to drive the bestseller lists.
6. Offer a free copy of the product in another format to customers who buy in your main format. (For example, offer a free copy of the audio book to everyone who buys the print book.)
7. Offer a free ticket to anyone who gets two of their friends to buy a ticket. You will make it up in terms of merchandise sales and additional visibility.
8. Offer free bonuses (e.g. workbook, group discussion guide, video course, etc.) to anyone who buys your main product.
9. Offer a free membership in your paid forum or club to anyone who buys your main product.
10. Offer a free seminar or performance and then sell your products at the event.

There are literally hundreds of other ways you can use free to drive your marketing strategy and create visibility and excitement for your products.

While people shouldn’t judge a book by its cover, they do. This is why it is so critical that you spend the time and money to get the packaging on your product right. It doesn’t matter if it’s a book, a CD collection, or a record album. People will never get to experience your brilliance unless the packaging gets them to pick it up and explore it.

This is especially important in today’s world. You have never had more competition. The market is increasingly crowded—and noisy. You need every advantage you can muster. Packaging is a key component in the selling process. This is often where the war for the consumer’s mind is won or lost.

I am not a designer, but I have worked with hundreds of them over the span of my career. I have been responsible for hiring them, evaluating their work, and picking the designs I believe will work. I have had tremendous successes—and abysmal failures. Regardless, I have learned along the way.

With that perspective, I offer these ten tips for developing eye-popping packaging and thus increasing your chances of sales success:

1. Know your audience. A year ago, I had to speak to a group of college students. I hired a design firm to prepare my slides. When I got them back, I didn’t care for the design. However, I showed them to my two college-age daughters. They loved them. The slides were a big hit with my audience. The point is that it’s not about you. It’s about your audience. What would they find compelling?
2. Consider your brand. While the audience is important, so is your brand. You have to strike a balance between reaching your audience and representing who you are—or want to become. This means paying close attention to fonts, colors, and even textures and materials. All of them communicate subtle messages about your brand.
3. Review the bestseller lists. It is worth taking a look at the bestsellers in your product category. What current design trends do you see? What seems to be working? Review the top 100 products and take notes. For example, I am currently writing a marketing book on building your platform. I have reviewed the top business books and taken copious notes. This has expanded my design horizons and stimulated by thinking.
4. Make the investment necessary. You won’t get a second chance to make a first impression. If your packaging looks cheap, dated, or confusing, your prospective customers will assume that your actual product is cheap, dated, or confusing. Therefore, you need to invest in the best designer you can afford. Don’t try to do it yourself to save money (unless you are actually a designer). Remember: There is nothing more expensive than a cheap design that doesn’t work.
5. Don’t provide too much direction—at least initially. Don’t limit the imagination of your designers. If you do, you won’t get their best work. Instead, describe your product and the audience. (If you are publishing a book, give them a copy of your book proposal. This is a quick way to get them up-to-speed, since they likely won’t have time to read your manuscript.) Then, get out of the way and see what they come up with.
6. Insist on several comps. I tell designers up front that I want to see several comps (short for “comprehensive layouts”.) I want to be able to pick and choose from various alternatives. I often find that I like the type on one version, the illustration on another, and the color selection on yet another. If you and the designer limit yourself to one option, you will find that you often get stuck and have a tough time moving forward without friction.
7. Be careful with design metaphors. By this I mean the illustration or photo you use to represent your message or story. For example, sitting on my desk right now are books with illustrations of a chair, a chess game, a light bulb, a sunset, and an elephant trunk. Some of these are perfect. Others leave me scratching my head. If you use a design metaphor, make sure the connection to the title is obvious. Think about all the messages it communicates.
8. Don’t let the design get in the way. My favorite designs are those that are simple and elegant. They are kind of like the drum track on a great song. You’d miss it if it weren’t there, but you barely notice it when it is. Or to say it another way, the design doesn’t compete with the message for attention; instead, it facilitates it. Be especially wary of designs that require an explanation for you to “get it.” Your prospective customers won’t have the benefit of someone standing next to them in the store explaining what it means.
9. Evaluate the packaging in-context. Once you are close to a final design, you need to evaluate it in the various merchandising environments in which your product will appear. For example, will the cover “pop” on a shelf with similar titles. Is the type readable from five feet away? What about ten? What about the online context? If it’s a book, how will it look when it is reduced to 260 pixels high, as covers are in the Amazon store? Don’t get married to a design until you have seen the product in the appropriate environments.
10. Ask your fans. If you already have a blog, Twitter, or Facebook following, you can test various design options with your best prospects—the people who already want to hear what you have to say. You can use a service like SurveyMonkey to display cover options and then let your fans vote. It’s also helpful if they can comment, because they will offer other options or see things you may have missed. This is crowd-sourcing at its best!

Don’t under-estimate the importance of great design. When it comes to selling your product, it can make you or break you.

From my previous reader surveys, I know that approximately 61.4 percent of my readers have either written a book or want to write a book. That number still astonishes me. No wonder there were over one million books published last year just in the U.S.

Yet most aspiring authors will not get published—at least, not by a traditional publisher. Why? Because they don’t know how to get the attention of an agent. And without an agent, they don’t have a chance of getting a publisher.

Most publishers simply don’t have the resources to evaluate unsolicited proposals and manuscripts. Instead, they depend on literary agents to do their filtering, believing this is the best way to discover the best new authors.

So, as a hopeful author, the questions is this: “How do you get the attention of an agent?”

The answer is simple to articulate but difficult to execute. You must write a killer book proposal. In addition, if you are writing a novel, you will likely have to submit a completed manuscript.

But it all starts with the book proposal. Why? There are three reasons:

1. Agents don’t have time to evaluate manuscripts. Think about it. How long does it take you to read a book? Ten, twenty, or thirty hours? This is an enormous investment. Agents often receive hundreds of proposals a month.
2. Agents have a finite list of questions. They don’t re-invent the wheel every time they evaluate a proposal. The questions are predictable. Basically, they boil down to these: What’s the book about? Why are you qualified to write it? What will you do to help market it?
3. Agents need to be equipped to sell. Whatever else a literary agent is—and I was one for six years—he or she is a salesperson. Their job is to sell you and your proposal to prospective publishers. The easier you can make it for them, the more likely they will succeed in getting you a book contract

In addition, a proposal provides a blueprint for the writing itself. This is why even published authors (at least the smart ones) start with a proposal. They want to know where the book is going before they invest too much time or energy in writing it.

I realized the strategic significance of having a good book proposal early in my career. That is why I have written two ebooks, one for non-fiction authors and one for novelists. I want to give authors the competitive advantage they need to succeed. As you will see from the endorsements I have received from agents and authors, these books do exactly that.

Whether you are thinking about writing your first book (and from my reader survey I know that is highly likely) or are an established author, I invite you to check out my two ebooks, Writing a Winning Non-Fiction Book Proposal and Writing a Winning Fiction Book Proposal. Both will give you the edge you need to secure a book publishing contract.

Endorsements are used extensively in all forms of marketing. And for good reason. They provide third-party validation and social authority. They make it easier for potential gate-keepers and customers to say “yes.”

For example, I never order a book without reading the endorsements and some of the reviews. Gail and I never go to a movie without checking out its score on Rotten Tomatoes. We rarely try a new restaurant without a recommendation or two from someone we trust.

This has become common-place in almost every area of life. Why? Because with so many options, few of us have time to do the evaluation ourselves. Instead, we rely on the opinions of people we trust. This reduces the risk and helps us make a decision faster.

This is why if you are going to succeed as a creative, you can’t afford to ignore endorsements. You must try to get them for every product you create. While the process is sometimes difficult and time-consuming, it is absolutely crucial to getting the visibility and credibility you need.

Endorsements fall into two types:

• Celebrity Endorsements—These don’t have to be movie or television personalities. They may simply be the well-known experts in a narrow field. For example, if I wanted to buy a new pair of running shoes, and saw an endorsement from Christopher McDougall, that would mean something to me. Why? Because he is a leading authority on barefoot running.
• User Reviews—These are important, too. I want to know what kind of experience mere mortals have had with the product or service. The celebrity endorser may have all kinds of motives for endorsing a product or service, but individuals are more likely to be candid.

By the way, some negative reviews from ordinary users can be helpful. If all the user reviews are positive, I get suspicious. When a few are negative, I assume they are all honest and put greater stock in the positive ones.

So how do you get endorsements? Here are the fives steps I recommend:

1. Create a great product. This is essential. People who matter are not going to endorse a mediocre product. They can’t afford to. Why? Because their brand will be hurt by the negative association. So you must be committed to excellence. (Note: I did not say perfection. You do the best you can, then launch.)
2. Make a prospect list. In an ideal world, who would you like as endorsers? Think big. (When I wrote my e-book, Creating Your Personal Life Plan, I started with a list of forty people. I ended up getting twenty-five.) Ask yourself, “Who are the recognized authorities in my field?” Don’t be too quick to rule out someone because you don’t think you have access. You may not know the prospective endorser, but you may know someone who does.
3. Leverage one endorsement for more. It’s always difficult to go first. Sometimes prospective endorsers need an endorsement themselves in order to get comfortable with your product. With my e-book, I looked over the list and said, “Who is the most likely to say, “yes,” because of my relationship with them?” I then asked this person for an endorsement. Sure enough, he gave it to me. I then included his endorsement in all my other requests. (It also gave me the courage to ask the others.) This made it easier for everyone else, because someone else had already gone first.
4. Ask for the endorsement. Don’t beat around the bush. Busy people—like the ones you want endorsements from—don’t have time to read long emails. Get to the point. Also, try to ask them when they most be the most receptive. For example, I always ask for speaking endorsements (and I always ask for them) right after the engagement, while it is fresh on their mind and before they get too distracted with everything else.
5. Provide guidance, samples, and a deadline. Include a brief description of your product and perhaps a sample. Then offer to send them the entire product. Tell them the kind of endorsement you are looking for. The more specific the better. I always tell them that I am just looking for 2–3 sentences. They might write more, but this sounds doable. I then provide a real endorsement or two and a deadline. I ask for it within a week. In my experience you are more likely to get an endorsement with a short deadline rather than a longer one.

When you get the endorsement, thank the endorser and then display the endorsements prominently on your product and in your marketing. (Here’s an example.) I have also started distilling the endorsements into soundbites, similar to what studios do with movies. Seth Godin did this on the back of his book, Poke the Box (see an example here).

For example, after I spoke at The Gathering, Ted Dekker, bestselling author and sponsor of the event said,

Younger crowds in their twenties and thirties are inundated with messages and entertainment, making them a hard crowd to please. Michael’s keynote at the 2009 Gathering cut through the clutter and beautifully illustrated the power of a superb storyteller. It was the kind of speech audiences hope for but rarely get.”

I included the full quote in the sidebar of my Speaking page. However, I used an excerpt in the body copy itself: “The kind of speech audiences hope for but rarely get.” If you string several of these together, you create the same effect movie studio create in their marketing. (See here for an example.)

Bottom line: endorsements can make a huge difference in whether or not your product gets noticed by the gate-keepers, trend-setters, and your target market. Take the time to get them. It is worth it.

As a creative—author, speaker, recording artist—you need a team. You can’t go it alone. The job is just too big. You may have to start small, but you have to enroll others to help you get to your destination.

Several years ago, my friend Robert Smith, Andy Andrews’ manager, shared with me his concept of “The Train.” This represents all the people on your team who are helping you get your career down the track faster than you could do on your own.

For example, here are some of the teammates you may need to recruit as you build your platform.

Administration

Administrative help frees you to focus on what you do best: create. At some point, you may need to hire one or more of the following:

• Assistant—Is it really a good use of your time to process email, make travel arrangements, and respond to meeting requests? This doesn’t have to be a full-time position. I hired a virtual assistant through Miles Advisory Group for 15 hours per week. I couldn’t be happier with my decision.
• Bookkeeper—Just because you can keep your own books doesn’t mean you should. Again, this is time away from creating. Also, like a virtual assistant, you can hire someone part-time. I have someone who does this a few hours a month. Like an assistant, it frees me up to do what only I can do.
• Attorney—The more successful you become, the more you will need a good, reliable attorney. However, not all attorneys are created equal. You need one that specializes in intellectual property. You don’t want the burden of paying a real estate attorney, for example, to get an education in publishing or entertainment law.

Management

“Management” is the term used to refer to the person or company who manages your overall career and helps develop your platform. There are basically two options:

• Self Management—This is what almost all creatives do. They are, in essence, their own “general contractor.” They hire the subs and manage them. At some point, this starts diffusing your focus and eating into your creative time. But in the meantime, you must take responsibility for this. This is not the role of your literary agent, booking agent, or some other professional.
• Personal Management—The most successful creatives hire a personal manager to oversee their career. The good news is that you typically pay a percentage of your income (or, better for you, gross profit), so the manager only makes more money if you make more money. The bad news is that it is difficult to find someone who has the necessary experience and is also competent and trustworthy.

Representation

Agents represent you to potential customers for your work. They are the linkage connecting you to the people you need to get the word out. In hiring an agent you need someone who will represent you well, since others will form their opinion of you based on their interactions with your agent(s).

• Literary Agent–This is a must-have for authors. You generally can’t get in the publishing door without one. Why? Because traditional publishers use agents as filters to separate “the wheat from the chaff.” It also provides the clout you need in the contract negotiation process. Publishers aren’t “out to get you,” but they are naturally focused on their own interests. (I have a list of agents here.)
• Booking Agent—This is also a must-have for speakers or other entertainers. A good booking agent can give you access to event planners that you wouldn’t have otherwise. He can generally get you a higher fee than you would on your own. (Most people aren’t good at negotiating for themselves.) He can also make sure your intellectual property rights are protected and that you have the production quality you need (e.g., sound, lights, etc.) to do your best.
• Publicity Agent—regardless of whether you are an author, comedian, speaker, or some other kind of creative, you will likely need a publicist at some point. This is especially true when you are launching a new product. Unlike literary agents and booking agents, most publicists work on a fee basis rather than on a commission. However, you can usually hire them on a per-project basis.

Content Creation

• Coaches—Wherever it is you want to go, someone has likely been there before. Some of these people have become skilled coaches as well. I have used them to help me get better in specific areas. For example, you might consider higher a writing coach, speech coach, or a voice coach. It doesn’t have to be expensive, and it can be temporary. You might just need someone to get you to the next level.
• Collaborators—these are people who help you get your content into marketable shape. This could be as simple as an editor but might include a ghost writer—or something in between. If you are producing audio or video, it might be a producer or video editor. The options are limitless. The point is that you don’t have to do it all yourself.

Publishers

These are the individual or companies who help you get your product to market. The word publish means “to make known.” It might be a book publisher, a video distributor, or an online retailer. You might even do it yourself (e.g., self-publishing). Regardless, you have to consider publishers as part of your team.

To summarize, if you are serious about getting your work out, you need to begin building a support team. Why? Because a support team provides three benefits.

1. It provides access to contacts you don’t have.
2. It gives you leverage that maximizes your impact.
3. It allows you to focus on what you do best.

You may have to start small (everyone does), but hopefully this will give you the big picture so you can build the team you need now to accomplish the results you want.

I have worked with authors for more than three decades. I have also worked with speakers, recording artists, and other creatives. I have had the privilege of working with the best—and the challenge of enduring the worst. Ninety percent fall somewhere in the middle.

What separates them is not talent. Surely, this plays a role. But it doesn’t fully explain why some creatives with marginal talent become successful and others with extraordinary talent never really make it. (I could name names, but I would get myself in trouble on both counts!)

Instead, I think the determining factor is to be found in how they think. Successful creatives think differently than unsuccessful ones. This is evident in seven ways.

1. Successful creatives think big. The best creatives think, “Go big or go home.” If they are going to go to the trouble of writing a book, preparing a speech, or recording an album, they might as well make the biggest impact they can. They aren’t naive about the amount of work it will take, but they still dream big. They are always asking, “What could we do that would exceed everyone’s expectations?”
2. Successful creatives take responsibility. The best creatives take responsibility for the outcome. They don’t expect someone else to make them famous or successful, though they realize they can’t succeed without others. They own their work and accept responsibility for how it is received by the market.
3. Successful creatives listen well. The best creatives are not know-it-alls. They understand that being good at one thing (e.g., writing, speaking, or singing) doesn’t mean they are good at everything (e.g., packaging or marketing). As a result, they listen to those who have more experience. Ultimately, this raises their probability for success.
4. Successful creatives seek help. While the best creatives accept ultimate responsibility for the outcome, they enroll everyone they can to help them succeed. They understand they can’t do it alone. As a result, they build a world-class team around them. They are constantly asking, “Who else can I enroll to help get me where I want to go.”
5. Successful creatives work hard. The best creatives are not lazy. They don’t assume that their work is done once the book is written, the speech prepared, or the album recorded. In a real sense, their work has only just begun. They don’t display a spirit of entitlement. Instead, they roll up their sleeves and do the work that lesser creatives are unwilling to do.
6. Successful creatives remain humble. The best creatives know that success is illusive and fragile. They know that they didn’t attain it on their own, nor will they preserve it on their own. This makes them grateful and humble. Though they face the same temptations to become arrogant, they understand the dangers and comport themselves accordingly.
7. Successful creatives give praise. The best creatives take all the responsibility and little of the credit. They are quick to give that away to the numerous people who helped them get where they are. These creatives are especially good at praising in public and shining the spotlight on others.

The bottom line is that you have more control over your success than you may think. However, you must develop a winning mindset and cultivate the habits of successful thinking. This is what separates the best creatives from all others.

In this brief, 12-minute video, I interview Jane Friedman, professor of e-media and writing at the University of Cincinnati. She also serves as a contributing editor at Writer’s Digest, where she once served as publisher and strategic leader. She is the author of The Future of Publishing: Enigma Variations, as well as the Beginning Writer’s Answer Book.

I first discovered Jane via her blog at Writer’s Digest, “There Are No Rules.” (Her main publishing and writing blog is now at JaneFriedman.com.) I immediately fell in love with her no-nonsense advice, practical wisdom, and insight into contemporary writing and publishing. If you are an author—or aspire to be—her blog is a must-read. You can also follow her on Twitter.

In this video, I asked Jane the following questions:

• Do you see the demand for books going up or down in the future?
• How important is an author’s “platform” to their success in the publishing world?
• Do you think there is still a role for traditional publishers in the future?
• What are the best practices of really successful writers?
• What is the role of consistency in writing and publishing?
• What was the inflection point for you as a blogger?
• What do writers sometimes do to sabotage their careers?
• What parting words of wisdom would you give to authors?

Again, if you want to get more of Jane’s wisdom, subscribe to her blog. Her content is always fresh, relevant, and useful.

Fiction marketing in the current publishing environment is an evolving art. Some have described it as the “Wild West,” where anyone can win big. Others have hailed it as the “end of publishing” as we know it.

But for those willing to take a chance—and responsibility—it’s an environment that is full of opportunity. The question for authors is this: How can you best leverage your stories and your brand for the long haul in a quickly evolving market?

If you are a novelist (or want to be), you need to consider three critical areas:

1. Identity: Definition, Message, and Consistency. Think you know who you are? Try defining it in a sentence or two. Okay, maybe give it a paragraph. It’s not easy, and it’s not a trite exercise. If you don’t do it, someone must do it for you. While you and your stories may be complicated, marketing requires a message—preferably a simple, concise one.

   Most novelists aspire to develop several series or stand-alone novels. As a result, it’s important to identify a central focus with your brand so you can determine what to write next for your growing fan base. You may evolve and branch out from that, but typically that is a privilege to be earned through consistency.

   Recently, we asked one of our authors to list all the words that she would like to be associated with her work. We then narrowed it down to five and defined them more. It insured that the marketing team, editorial staff, and the author were all on the same page. By her own account, this exercise made her next book much easier to write.

2. Assets: Access, Connection, and Baselines. Online assets are what give your fans access to you—and you, connection with them. These assets could include Twitter followers, Facebook fans, or a well-read blog or newsletter. You might engage in all of the above or just focus on one to start if it seems overwhelming to do more. Regardless, it’s important for fans to have a place to make a connection with you—and to feel a sense of “insider status” for doing so.

   As a novelist, you’re an expert at creating worlds within your books. So apply that to your online presence. What should it feel like for your readers to live in the world you create there? The more you draw people in for the long haul, the more you will grow your brand and sell your books.

3. Community: Engagement, Development, and Consistency. Perhaps you are thinking, Wait a minute. Isn’t this the same as assets? No. Assets are simply that, assets. Community is what you do with them.

   In other words, you can keep the treasure safe by burying it and then running from your responsibility to your readers. Or you can leverage the treasure for an even greater return by being involved and responsive to your online audience.

   The key is authenticity. This comes from committing to a brand definition and message you believe in. Michael Hyatt gives provides several strategies for balancing of personal, professional, and promotional messages in social media interactions in his post about 12 Reasons to Start Twittering.

Your goal should be to develop a long-term, consistent brand and marketing strategy. By consistently meeting—and exceeding—your followers expectations, you develop trust. This includes trust in who you are, the community you are inviting them into, and your long-term commitment to create the best experience for everyone involved. Because fiction readers have so many options, keeping your fans depends heavily on delivering what you promise.

We have engaged fans with something as simple as voting on covers to something as complex as geo-caching games. More recently, we identified a rabid group of fans, sent them the first thirty pages of a new manuscript, and with minimal instructions asked them to see if they could figure out who the author was and then mobilize.

We thought it would take weeks to build momentum. Instead, fans communicated with each other, set up a Flickr page on their own, hounded those who hadn’t posted to their Facebook pages, and had it done in less than a week! The feedback was that they loved it.

As I said, in this environment, novelists have more opportunity than ever. The question is, how will you leverage your identity, your assets, and your community for the maximum impact and results?

If you are serious about book publishing, you have no doubt found Rachelle Gardner’s blog. That’s how I first discovered her. I immediately subscribed and have been reading her posts ever since. I also follow her on Twitter.

Rachelle is a literary agent. She is part of the WordServe Literary Group based in Denver, Colorado. Prior to becoming an agent, she served in a variety of publishing roles.

She has been an editor and ghost writer with eight published books to her credit. She has also worked in licensing, international sales, and marketing.

In this fourteen-minute interview, we discussed:

1. The advice she would give to new authors who are looking for an agent
2. The most common mistakes new authors make in approaching agents
3. Why it is important for authors to go through the process of preparing a formal book proposal
4. Whether or not building a platform is critical for fiction authors
5. Why authors should still consider publishing with a traditional publisher when so many self-publishing options are available

We only scratched the surface. If you are an author—or would like to be one—her blog is must-reading. She daily discusses publishing topics from the author’s perspective.

In this brief, seven-minute video, I interview Allen Arnold, Senior Vice President and Publisher of Thomas Nelson’s fiction division. I have known Allen for almost 20 years. When I first met him, he was in marketing at Word, Inc., a company that Thomas Nelson eventually acquired.

Allen is one of the most creative people I know. He is truly a great publisher. He has that rare combination of being unwavering in his core values along with the ability to spot projects that have commercial potential. In his eight-year tenure as Nelson’s fiction publisher, he has built one of the company’s fastest-growing divisions and become an industry thought-leader at the same time.

In this video, Allen talks about:

• Why fiction is so important and the role stories have played in his life
• How he came to be the publisher of Thomas Nelson’s fiction division (the untold story)
• What makes fiction “Christian” and the role of the storyteller
• How an unpublished novelist can get published
• Why agents are so important in the publishing process (and how to find one)
• How much of your novel must be finished before you begin shopping
• What you should do if your proposal or manuscript is initially rejected
• Why he has now started blogging and what he plans to write about

I loved talking to Allen, but I’m afraid I only scratched the surface. There is much more to explore.

I hear the following from authors all the time, “All I want to do is write. I hate promoting myself. I’m no good at it.” The result is they don’t work on their platform, hoping somehow that the whole notion will somehow just go away.

Putting your head in the sand is not the answer. It’s no longer a question of if an author needs a program, it’s now part of the writing business and can mean the difference between success and failure.

But fear not, I’m here to tell you that it’s not only easier than you think, but you should know that someone with your attitude is actually well-equipped to do well.

I’m going to let you in on the most important, and most often overlooked aspect of social networking: It’s not about selling. It’s about participation. It’s about being a member of a community. It’s about connecting with people who share your interests.

Those that use social networking merely as a venue for saying, “Buy my book, buy my book,” are missing out. Nobody likes to be sold to. What people gravitate to is those who give of themselves.

Here’s what you need to know about getting started in social media.

1. Observe. Start out by joining and watching. Pick a venue to get yourself started. It could be twitter, an online forum, or a site dedicated to books like GoodReads, Shelfari, or LibraryThing. You don’t have to do anything at this point other than watch and learn. Be a sponge and absorb what is going on around you. Get a feel for the place. Wait until you are comfortable.
2. Participate. When someone makes a comment that you agree with, support their position. Expand on it. Give an example from your own life that illustrates the point. If you disagree, do so respectfully, offer supporting information for your opinion.
3. Contribute. Once you are comfortable talking with others, it’s time to go to the next level. Start contributing. If you read an article that people in your group might find helpful, post a link to it. If you read a book by someone in the group and liked it, tell others. Be supportive. Be helpful.
4. Form Relationships. This is what social networking is all about. Make this your “end game.” You’re not participating to sell your books. You’re here to make connections. If a fan writes a nice review, thank them. Most don’t expect to hear from authors. But after hearing from you, they’ll remember you even more. They might even share with their friends “how nice you are.”
5. Provide Information. Let the people in your group know about what’s going on in your life. Do you have a signing coming up? Is a new book being released? Have you posted a sample chapter for free? Did a magazine publish one of your short stories? This isn’t selling; it is informing. You aren’t telling them to buy; you are letting them know what you have and leaving the decision to them.

Notice that I never once asked you to sell. That’s what’s so great about social media, you don’t have to. Become a person that others like, be one that is helpful, let others know that you have products (books) and the sales will come.

Now I know what you’re likely to say next, “But Robin, that’s a LOT of work. I don’t have time for all this. I want to write.” I understand, but is writing ALL you do? Of course not. What if you cut out some TV? Is having your dream of being a writer worth your spouse helping a bit more? Can they do the grocery shopping or get the kids bathed and ready for bed?

By trading off on non-writing tasks you can make time to devote to this. The only thing that will hold you back is your belief that it will be a chore. If approached differently, this would be so, but if you follow my steps you’ll find you actually look forward to your time online.

When you receive a great review, tell your network, and they’ll celebrate with you. If you are struggling with a chapter, talk about it and you’ll get words of encouragement. You may just find the opposite is true, that spending time online can be very addictive. Does that sound like such so terrible?

A few weeks ago, I had the privilege of interviewing my dear friend and neighbor, Ian Cron, about his new book Jesus, My Father, The CIA, and Me: A Memoir. . . of Sorts (Thomas Nelson). He is one of the best writers I know. I savored every word in the book.

Ian’s new book is about “the unfinished business of grace.” He had a very troubled relationship with his extremely talented but very disturbed father, who was an alcoholic and CIA operative. The book is beautifully written—poignant, sad, and funny. It touched me deeply.

Ian and I hooked up at the Thomas Nelson sales conference for this interview. During our time together, I asked him:

• What is your new book about?
• How did your relationship with your father affect your own parenting?
• How important is it to ask forgiveness of our children?
• What does your writing schedule look like?
• When you sit down to write, are you usually inspired?
• How do you balance writing vs. editing?
• What are your favorite books on writing?
• What is the single most important thing you can do to be a successful writer?

You might also want to subscribe to Ian’s blog and follow him on Twitter.