In this interview we hear some inspiring words from Sandra Beckwith of BuildBookBuzz.com
I
have enjoyed receiving Sandra's newsletter for quite some time now and
it is an honour to be able to feature her here on this blog. For anyone
who does not yet know Sandra, she manages an inspiring website filled with tips, ideas, a blog and more to help authors to learn how to market, promote and publicize their books.
Without further delay, here is the interview:
1)
Hi Sandra, thank you for agreeing to be interviewed in a Q & A for my blog HealingOccupationalTherapy. Reading your "about" page is very inspiring. You have several books
successfully published. There are some who write books or are
self-employed who use their success to build on more success for
themselves. I love the fact that you are willing to share your knowledge
and help others to succeed too. Can you share with the reader what
inspired you to want to help others to be successful?
This
probably isn't the answer you expected but the truth is, it's just who I
am -- to a fault. It's one reason I became a writer in the first place.
Many of my assignments allow me to showcase how others do something
better, smarter, or faster. That, in turn, lets me help people learn
from the experiences of others who have gone before them.
2) One of the first things that attracted me to sign up to your newsletter is the name of your website. The more I learn about online marketing the more I appreciate the importance of the name of one's website. I love the name you have chosen. "Build Book Buzz" it has a melody and zing to it. Can you share with those who might be starting out, what should they consider in selecting a suitable title either for a book or website?
Great
question! You should think as much about your website name as you do
your book title (and if you didn't think too much about that, you might
want to go back and revisit it!). You want it to tell people what
they'll find on your site. Authors using the site only for their books,
rather than another part of their business, might want to use their
name. Others, though, might want the site name to reflect their area of
expertise -- like bestyogainstructor.com or locavorenews.com.
Some
people get hung up on being cute. That can work . . . but it can also
work against you. If nobody is ever going to do a Google search for that
clever turn of phrase, it's not going to help you.
Which
leads to a key point: Your site name should be part of your site SEO
strategy. In other words, it should be something that will come up in a
Google search for your topic, subject, expertise, etc.
3) Being self employed I very much appreciate how much time has to be devoted to mastering marketing. This really is the key. For someone who is not trained in PR or marketing, it can be quite daunting to consider how much one has to devote to marketing. I love the description that you use to help others to "get over, under or around the book marketing and sales road blocks and obstacles" For those who are worried about starting to write or to become self-employed because of these obstacles, what would you say are the chances of being successful if they follow the tips and advice that you offer?
My
tips are geared to authors, but some of the advice applies to
solopreneurs and others who are self-employed, too. I generally
recommend that you determine one tactic that will help you reach your
target audience, then master it. If you do it the wrong way, it won't
help, so it's important to learn how to do it properly. When you've
mastered it and feel like you've got it under control, identify another
tactic and learn how to do that well.
Also
take into account your natural skills and abilities, and select your
primary tactic according to that, too. For example, an introvert might
not want to do public speaking, even if that's a good fit -- guest
blogging might work better for that person.
4) Thanks Sandra. I love the fact that you recognize that each person is suited to something specific according to their unique personality and skills. It is so important to hear and I hope will help our readers to have the strength to follow what is right for them.
In today's time one often hears comments such as "no-one has money" or
"everyone is struggling". I very much appreciated reading that you put
yourself through college and have been "self-employed so long that you
are no longer employable". For me that is very inspiring. Some of my
work is aimed at empowering orphans who come from difficult financial
backgrounds with little to no support or who have health problems and
need to consider working from home. What words of encouragement can you
offer to someone from a difficult background to rise above this and
become successful?
Believe
in yourself. It's amazing what we can do when we put our minds to it --
and we have no choice. (Fear is a great motivator . . . .) I also think
it helps to find someone successful who overcame some of the same
obstacles you're facing. Learn more about how they did that, and use
them as role models. They will inspire you to keep going when you have
down days.
5) Over a period of time, I signed up for quite a few newsletters. Gradually I have sifted through which one's I will read and follow more regularly or in-depth. One fact that has definitely kept me reading your newsletters is the fact that I really like the way they are personable, respectful, polite and with a use of language that is easy to read. In a generation where use of social networking has often come down to a one line use of abbreviations and poor language, what can you share about email etiquette.
When it comes to email newsletters, never add anyone to your list without their permission.
In
general, keep your audience in mind. I receive emails from public
relations people trying to get me to interview their clients and every
once in a while one signs her message, "Love." Love? LOVE? It's
inappropriate, but really, it's kind of funny, too.
Also,
don't presume that the recipient knows who you are. I get emails from
strangers who sign off with just their first name. Add a signature, and
make sure it includes some kind of call to action -- a link to your
newsletter sign up page, a link to your book online -- even just a link
to your website for more information.
6) Lastly, with all you are doing for others, do you have another book in the writing yourself?
I have an idea for a series of how-to book marketing e-books. So far, though, it's just an idea. Thank you for asking!
Thank
you Sandra for your valuable and inspiring answers. It has been a
pleasure getting to know you and I have learned a lot from signing up to
your newsletter. For any readers who might be reading this Q & A
post with Sandra Beckwith, if you would like to write a book or to learn
how to market your books or eBooks, I highly recommend signing up for
her newsletter which you can do via the front page of her website.
Shoshanah Shear
Occupational Therapist, Healing Facilitator
Certified Kallah Teacher
Certified Infant Massage Instructor
Artist and Author
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