Chip MacGregor .com

Defining a Packager

Hope everyone is having a great holiday weekend. For today's post, we have a question from Gladys. She asked, "Are compilers (Allison Bottke, Chicken Soup, etc.) considered packagers?"

Nope. Let's define terms. Somebody who requests stories from you in order to create a compiled book on a theme (God Allows U Turns, Chicken Soup, etc), which they then sell as a manuscript to a publisher, are compilers.

A packager is somebody who creates the entire book for the publisher. They come up with the concept, hire the writers, get the work done, design the interiors, create the cover, and complete the entire book for the publisher. Normally at the end of the process, the packager turns over a disk that has the entire book on it -- not just the text, as an author would do, but the entire book, complete with page spreads. All the publisher has to do is hand the disk to their printer and push a button. (And sometimes the packager will even have the books printed, so the publisher is simply purchasing pre-printed books.)

Some of us have done packaged books before. I have done it with more than one magic book (that is, books of card tricks for magicians -- PLEASE don't write to me with your concerns about card tricks being the tool of Satan). I concepted the book, wrote it, solicited tricks from other magicians, created the interior, hired the artist and approved the interior drawings, worked with a cover designer to create the cover, edited the whole mess, got bids from printers, and got the books printed and shipped. I then sent a couple sample copies to distributors and sold the entire print run to a magic distributor, who got them into retail stores. In a way, I was my own publisher (but I didn't actually sell them, so really I was just the packager).

Most publishers do packaged books at some point. The benefit is that they get a completed book that requires almost no editing effort, very little creative energy from the team, no time from the art department, etc. All the publisher has to do is to slap the cover of the book into their catalog and sell it.

Packaged books in CBA have basically focused on themed gift books, devotionals, and general inspirational titles. Usually packaged books are high design (that is, they have a lot of interior design elements), and they often are high concept (a line of books around a theme; books aimed at very specific audiences; a one-event type of gift book).

The downside of packaged books has been that they often have a sameness to them, and they sometimes have less than stellar writing. They are not generally author driven, but concept driven, so the publishing house isn't building an author platform with these books. Because they are not driving a particular author, there can be a bit of a flatness to the voice (in my opinion). I suppose one could argue they rarely have great depth, but they exist to inspire or encourage a reader, not to educate readers on systematic theology -- in other words, you get what you pay for, and readers aren't paying $9.99 for "Hugs for Moms" and expecting Brennan Manning.

We've all seen a million little packaged projects: God's Little Instruction Books,Sunshine for Grandma, God's Roadmap for Grads, etc. Each book follows one concept and is intended for a specific audience. We're starting to see some new directions from packagers, particularly with things like Bible studies and books aimed at the teen market. There is also a trend toward books aimed at business professionals.

Does that make sense?

The Hidden Costs of Social Networking

Today we're having a guest blog from marketing specialist Rob Eager, President of Wildfire Marketing...

Facebook is great because Facebook is free, right? Same idea with Twitter, YouTube, and a host of other social networks popping up all over the Internet.  There’s no cost to join, and you get the ability to communicate with thousands of people all over the world. No wonder so many authors and publishers have jumped onto the social media bandwagon. But, are social networks really “free”? Instead, could using them cost you big-time?

There’s a basic economic principle that affects us everyday called “opportunity cost,” which is the cost of passing up another choice when making a decision. Put another way, it’s the benefits you could have received by choosing a different action. What does this have to do with selling books via social networks?

I’ve watched a lot of authors and publishers become avid social networkers who spend considerable amounts of time reading and maintaining their blogs, FaceBook pages, Twitter feeds, YouTube channels, etc. When you conservatively add up the hours that these people spend surfing and contributing to social sites, the total amount of time can easily reach over 10 hours a week! That’s over one-fourth of an author’s weekly time devoted to social networking activities. (Some people claim they spend only 15 minutes a day. But, they’re shocked when they actually track their hours.) My point is that if you’re going to spend 25% of a 40-hour work week on a specific marketing activity, then that activity ought to contribute at least 25% of your total book sales. Yet, I don’t see that happening.

At Book Expo 2009, John Sargent, the CEO of Macmillan Publishing stated, “Viral marketing doesn’t sell a ton of books.” He mentioned a video based on a Macmillan book that spent time in the # 1 spot on YouTube in the U.K. Yet it wound up only selling a whopping 200 extra copies 

One of my author clients has a blog with over 50,000 monthly readers. He spends a lot of time maintaining his huge social network. However, none of his new books have surpassed the sales of his older titles. Instead his book sales attributed to social networking activities represent a trickle, rather than a torrent of revenue. Ironically, this author is continually surprised by how many books he sells via more traditional activities, such as public speaking, sending newsletters, or national radio and TV interview. I remind him to stay balanced and keep the lion’s share of resources dedicated on tactics that truly work.

The time has come to get pragmatic over the return on investment in social networks. That’s because if online activity doesn’t create a lot of book sales or some form of significant revenue, then it’s time to re-focus on other marketing priorities. Notice that I didn’t say abandon social media altogether. I am not against social networks. Rather, don’t make them a prime area of marketing concentration. Social networks may help raise awareness, but if that awareness doesn’t create direct book sales then it shouldn’t be a top priority.

This may sound harsh, but it needs to be said. One reason why some authors and publishing marketing staff love social networking is because they lack the value, creativity, or people-skills to actively engage their target audience. Instead, they prefer to sit passively at their computer chatting on social networks thinking that they’re marketing their books. In reality, they’re spinning their wheels and making little progress capturing new readers. If you’re going to sell more books, you can’t preach to the choir. You’ve got to actively go out and make new converts.

For instance, let’s revisit the example of how many hours some authors or publisher marketing staff spent on social networking. If they re-allocated just 5 of the 10 hours spent online to conduct other marketing tactics, they could complete any one of the following activities listed in the table below during that week:

Authors: 1.   Write and send a newsletter to influential leaders. 2.   Develop a new keynote speech or workshop based on a book. 3.   Contact and follow up with 3 trade associations for speaking opportunities. 4.   Send out a press release that connects your book’s material to current events. 5.   Contact 3 - 5 organizations who could purchase bulk quantities of your book. 6.   Create 3 free resources for your author website. 7.   Write 1 - 2 chapters for your next book. 8.   Contact 3 - 5 well-known people who could endorse your books. 9.   Update your specific book pages on Amazon with tour dates, RSS blog feeds, videos, etc. 10. Attend a regional or national conference to build relationships with key leaders.

Publisher Marketing Staff: 1.   Send out 5 - 10 press releases for new titles. 2.   Develop a creative book trailer for a key author. 3.   Contact 3 - 5 authors to coordinate specific marketing plans with their schedules. 4.   Conduct research to identify new advertising opportunities. 5.   Prepare a media campaign for 1 - 2 frontlist titles. 6.   Notify purchasing contacts at key retailers about upcoming author appearances. 7.   Send galleys for 3 - 5 new titles to get reviewed in newspapers, blogs, or magazines. 8.   Engage in a half day of self-development to learn new marketing or management skills. 9.   Take time to actually read 2 - 3 upcoming frontlist titles to uncover powerful marketing hooks. 10.            Contact 2 - 3 large book clubs about carrying new titles.

After looking over this list, what makes more sense to you? Why spend excessive hours trawling the Internet for electronic “friends” when you can get your book in front of real people who can immediately buy it? The choice is yours. Social networking might be “free,” but there’s always a cost. Don’t miss the opportunity to maximize your time and book sales.

 

Rob Eagar is the president of WildFire Marketing who helps authors and publishers sell books like wildfire. He has trained over 200 authors, including nationally-known names, Gary Thomas, Chip Ingram, Lysa TerKeurst, and Mary DeMuth. Rob has also consulted with major publishing houses, including Zondervan, Howard Books, and Harvest House Publishers. For a free consultation, call 1-800-267-2045 or visit: www.StartaWildFire.com

 

 

NEWSDAY TUESDAY ...

Even with me wasting brain cells trying to figure out who from Oceanic 815 might come back to life after "moving on" into into the great white light, and Chip and Patti welcoming their beautiful new granddaughter to the MacGregor clan, we've still got a bit of news to share this week...

NEW DEALS

Poppy Smith will be doing a book with Harvest House, which at this point is tentatively titled WHY CAN'T HE BE MORE LIKE ME.

Elizabeth Musser, author of THE SWAN HOUSE, has just signed to have three books release with Cook: TWO DESTINIES, TWO CROSSES, and TWO TESTAMENTS have already released in Europe, but now they're going to be available in the US.

Jim Rubart, whose novel ROOMS is getting a lot of attention, has just signed to do BOOK OF DAYS with B&H. It's the story of a professor who has lost his wife and is in search of the Book of Days referred to in Scripture -- a book he hopes will reveal the secrets of life and death. 

Janet Lee Barton has signed with Heartsong Presents to do I'D SOONER HAVE LOVE, the story of an Oklahoma couple, and Darlene Franklin has signed to do LOVE'S RAID with the same company. 

Continuing her series of books with Guideposts, Leslie Gould has agreed to do another in the STORIES OF HOPE HAVEN series, and Susan Page Davis is adding LOVE FINDS YOU IN PRINCE EDWARD ISLAND to Summerside's romance series. 

NEW RELEASES

Irene Hannon's IN HARM'S WAY is not only a new release, it's on the CBA Bestseller list, having made the ECPA's  "Top Fifty"list of Christian books. Congratulations Irene!

Shane Stanford's A POSITIVE LIFE released with Zondervan and has been getting endorsements from the likes of John Ortberg and Leonard Sweet. Shane, a United Methodist pastor, shares his story of being HIV positive.

Charles Foster's THE SACRED JOURNEY released with Thomas Nelson. A professor at Oxford University, Charles' book is part of the "Ancient Practices" series. 

Janice Thompson, one of the busiest writers in CBA, continues to entertain readers with IT HAD TO BE YOU, a romantic comedy just released by Revell. 

Alison Strobel has just released THE WEIGHT OF SHADOWS, her first novel with Zondervan. I just finished it and I LOVE this book. Really well done. 

And Susan Page Davis has released THE GUNSMITH'S GALLANTRY, a romance in the "Ladies Shooting Club" series with Barbour. 

REVIEWS

Claudia Mair Burney's upcoming GOD ALONE IS ENOUGH: A SPIRITED JOURNEY WITH THERESE OF AVILA received a thought-provoking review on Publisher's Weekly, calling her first nonfiction title "a fine introduction to the weighty realm of contemplative prayer. Releases in July from Paraclete.

Kit Wilkinson's new Harlequin release, SABOTAGE, has received Romantic Times coveted four-and-a-half star review. Nice job, Kit!

UPCOMING SEMINARS

I will be at the Write-to-Publish conference in Wheaton, June 9-12.

Chip will be co-teaching the "How to Write Bestselling Fiction" seminar in Denver, June 18-19. With him will be bestselling author Susan May Warren. There is still space available. You can find out more by going to www.themasterseminars.com. 

Chip will be at ICRS in St Louis, June 27-29.

We'll be hosting a writing retreat weekend in Lexington, July 23-24. It's called "Adding Depth to Your Fiction," and is taught by two award-winning novelists, Lisa Samson and Susan Meissner. This is a rare treat to get two days with authors like this in a small-group setting. If you'd like to be a part, you can email Tiffany Colter at tiffcolter (at) gmail.com for more information. 

Both of us will be at the Oregon Christian Writers Conference, August 2-5.

And, of course, we will both be heading to the annual ACFW conference in Indianapolis, September 17-20. If you're a novelist, we urge you to consider this one -- it's the best big Christian writing conference going. 

REALLY?

So, just today, while I was poking around our new local LIFEWAY store, doing some market research, I received an email from the VP of ACFW (American Christian Fiction Writers) that I'm one of three finalists for Agent of the Year alongside Terry Burns and Tamela Hancock Murray, both of Hartline Literary.  I'm still a bit stunned and just want to publicly say thank you to whomever nominated me.  I'm sincerely honored to have made the short list of candidates. Hey, if I'm chosen, does this mean I'll have to accept the responsibility of keeping an island afloat?

Hmmm....

Have a great week.

In case you need a better look at my new granddaughter Maelie...

A great response from a publisher regarding the self=publishing post from Jeff Gerke... This is from Dennis Hillaman, publisher at Kregel:

A publisher adding his two-cents worth here, hopefully without arrogance! Jeff is correct: a motivated author with a platform can get all the services a traditional publisher used to offer—editing, marketing, design, printing—on a fee-for-service basis and keep the profits. Of course that author is putting up his or her own money and time to make it happen. And for some, that will work for the market/audience they want to reach. But they are probably not authors who earn a living from writing. For them, it's an avocation, not a profession, or it's a secondary activity to their primary speaking or ministry activities. What needs to be factored into the discussion is the market the author wants to reach. Will self-publishing allow an author to move into the larger general market of stores and e-sellers or the more defined CBA Christian store market? Maybe, but most often not. The Shack began as a self-pubbed book. What happened when it began to take off? The author turned to a traditional, very, very large corporate publisher because the logistics of handling a best-seller are beyond the capabilities of 99% of authors. The broader the market, the more need there is for specific expertise. In the end it's not an either/or proposition. Some folks will do modestly well self-publishing. Some will be gratified to see their work in print and have appreciate readers. Other writers want to reach a very broad audience with their work. Publishers are going to to continue to serve authors, even though the nature of publishing is going to change radically. What constitutes a "book" and what constitutes "publishing" in a digital book era is up for redefinition. But nimble, tech-savy publishers will survive and continue to connect authors with an audience—because that's their business. One final thought: the real threat to traditional publishers is not the small, niche publisher or self-publishing. It's the disintermediation (I know—big word but an important one) that is taking place as two or three huge corporate entities replace the traditional chain of author-publisher-distributor-bookstore/online seller. What if the new world of publishing is author-online seller for commercially-viable books/ebooks? That's what keeps publishers like myself awake at night.

Random Notes on a Monday

So many things to share, so little time...

First, if you haven't seen this wonderful youtube ditty about booksignings, you should take a peek...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_ZoJ5OKmEJY&feature=email

Second, I want to suggest two websites to check out --

Publishing Perspectives offers a really interesting take on the industry [ www.publishingperspectives.com  ]

and the folks at www.absolutewrite.com/forums   solicit a lot of fascinating people to talk about the industry.

Third, take a look at what one excellent writer, novelist Mark Bertrand, has to say about the future of publishing at www.cardus.ca/comment/article/2010/

Fourth, if you haven't yet read Jon Acuff's Stuff Christians Life, you are missing not only a hilariously funny look at contemporary Christianity, but some really insightful stuff on how we live out our faith. Jon was just profiled on CNN.com this past weekend, so he's getting huge press. 

Fifth, you might want to check out what Barnes & Noble is doing with PubIt -- B&N's own version of self-publishing, which lets you leverage the world's #1 bookstore by making your book available on the Nook. Lots of details online: www.fastcompany.com

Sixth, people have been asking me when I'm teaching a seminar next...  Bestselling novelist Susan May Warren and I are teaching "How to Create Bestselling Fiction" in Denver June 18 & 19. It's easy to get to, is on a Friday/Saturday, and we'd love to have you join us. Susan is simply the best writing instructor I know. You can find out all the details at www.themasterseminars.com

Seventh, you probably already know the names Lisa Samson and Susan Meissner. They are bestselling, award-winning novelists who are respected by everybody in the industry. The two of them have been teaming up to do a weekend retreat entitled "How to Add Depth to Your Fiction," and people are raving about it. They were going to do it in Detroit in July, but instead they have moved the workshop to Lexington, Kentucky, so that Lisa can host it at her new tea shop! A more relaxed, intimate setting, with lots of small group face-time with Lisa and Susan. Frankly, I don't know where else you'd get this type of access to someone like that. Anyway, it's coming up July 23-24 in Lexington. For more details write to Tiffany Colter at tiffcolter (at) gmail.com. 

Eighth, Anna Miller has put together something interesting -- 50 Literary Tours All Over the World. If you're into literary vacations, do yourself a favor and take a quick peek at her site:  http://www.onlinedegree.net/50-fascinating-literary-tours-all-over-the-world/ 

Ninth, remember that Book Expo America (BEA) starts in New York tomorrow. And the CBA version (ICRS) will take place in St Louis at the end of June.

Tenth, and perhaps most importantly, is the announcement of the birth of Maelie MacGregor, my very first grandchild. She was born on May 22nd, weighing 7lbs 8 oz. Maelie and mom are doing fine. Here they are:

 

Guest Blogger: Who needs a publisher?

 Today we're happy to have back with us Jeff Gerke, president of Marcher Lord Press (a tiny publishing house that just got a finalist in the Christy Awards, even though he's up against the Big Boys!). Jeff was at a conference recently, and sent this my way...

I wish you'd been at the Colorado Christian Writers' Conference with me last week. I was amazed at the change in attitude regarding self-publishing. The mood was sort of...who needs a publisher?

Traditionally, publishers have been a good thing to have because they'll pay the author and get the author's book into bookstores. But those things are changing. New authors are finding it almost impossible to get contracts. Advances have dropped (some to as little as $3,000). Brick-and-mortar bookstores are becoming a less-important part of the scenario, especially with one of the giant chains apparently 180 days late in paying their bills (as someone said in a panel). Who buys books at bookstores anymore anyway? It's all on Amazon. So as long as you're there, who needs to go to bookstores?

The other thing that kept coming up is the fact that publishers will keep whatever is earned by a book, since most books will never make back their advance. However, those few that do earn back their advance will make only $1 per book in royalties. Contrast that with self-publishing, where you keep everything beyond the cost of printing the book -- the payout is more like $8 per book or higher.

Most publishers aren't wanting to publish an author unless s/he's got a large "platform," sometimes even for novelists. If you can't guarantee 10,000 in sales, you may be told "don't bother." My question (which I asked over the microphone on at least one panel) is this: if you have 10,000 in guaranteed sales, what do you need a publisher for?

I even went so far as to predict that in 3-5 years these same publishers who have been saying that self-publishing is a bad career move for a writer will instead be pleading with people to come to them: "Please consider publishing with us. We have this, this, and this we can offer." I am saddened when I hear editors and authors talking about "real publishers" and books that are "actually published" (as opposed to self-published). Yes, I know what they mean... but I can't see how anything approaching arrogance pleases God. The climate has so changed that many people are realizing they don't need publishers. Publishers need authors! Most may be only 5-10 years from obsolescence anyway. Maybe 3-5 years. They're holding on to an old model, and it's a model that no longer works. 

The new model is for consumers to self-publish. Now, many of them will just post their Word documents to the web, sort of a YouTube approach. It will just be raw words, and though some may be good, most will be unpolished and weak. But many will eventually realize that a great edit, a professional-looking interior typeset, and a terrific cover design will help them sell more copies. 

That's where people like me come in. Smaller, nimbler, working on a new model. I offer all those services, and others like BelieversPress and Winepress become attractive to potential authors. Something to think about when you consider the future of publishing. 

 

Okay, so you may not agree with Jeff. But we'd love to know what you think. Tell us in the "comments" section...

NEWSDAY TUESDAY ...

Been on the road a lot this month, and as much as I love going to conferences, I'm glad to be back at my desk. I had a dream in the wee hours this morning that I was in the shower, shouting packing instructions to my husband, wondering if I'd still make my flight (to where, I wonder?) which was due to leave in twenty minutes.

I was so relieved to wake up in my own bed, I can't even tell you!

Hey, lots of stuff going on around here...

HOT STUFF:

~ Irene Hannon's Romantic Suspense, IN HARM'S WAY is now #11 on the CBA June bestseller list.Second month in a row it's made the list, and it's currently also on ECPA Top Fifty list. Way to go, Irene!

~ Lisa Samson has been invited to be the speaker at the Christy Awards this year. It's the first time they've actually asked a CBA novelist to be the speaker (though earlier Christy speakers include noted authors Brett Lott and Walter Wangerin). We're thrilled, of course.

RADIO/TV/AND A LITTLE SHAMELESS PROMO:

~ Jenny B. Jones is going to be featured on Teen Talk Radio next week -- May 20th, hosted by Nicole O'Dell. Here's where to find it: www.choicesradio.com It's a fun, interactive show with Nicole giving guests a "scenario" with optional endings to discuss and vote on during the following week.

~ Theresa Flores just signed a deal with an actress who read her book THE SLAVE ACROSS THE STREET and who is seeking a backer to co-produce the television feature of her story. We often receive questions about dramatic rights, and do our best to exploit opportunities on behalf of our authors. But, it's extra exciting when an actress approaches us with this level of enthusiasm. Pray with us, if you will, about this coming together. Theresa's is an important message. If you'd like to take a moment to support Theresa's efforts to stop human trafficking, cast your vote for her here where she's been selected as one of three finalists for this year's International Soroptimist Ruby Award. The winner will be announced at the Live Your Dream Luncheon at the Soroptimist convention in San Francisco on July 8, 2010 and will receive a $5,000 donation from Soroptimist to her charity of choice.

~ I picked up Christina Katz's GETTING KNOWN BEFORE THE BOOK DEAL last week. No, we don't represent her, but yes, you need to read this book. Lots of practical, doable, right-now ways to build your platform and/or readership!

~ Father's Day is coming. Do yourselves a favor and check out Jay Payleitner's recent book 52 THINGS KIDS NEED FROM A DAD. Here. I'll make it easy for you: 52 THINGS. Jay's blog is fun, too.


NEW ON THE SHELVES:

~ Janice Elsheimer's book, GARDEN GRACES: THE WISDOM IN GROWING THINGS was released by Beacon Hill Press.


NEW DEALS:

~ Cathy Richmond, a debut author, has recently accepted a two book offer from Thomas Nelson.

~ Kate Lloyd has just agreed to write her second novel with David C. Cook

~ Julie Cannon, an award winning author who has written four novels in the general market, is working on her first CBA novel for Abingdon Press.

GOT NEWS? Send me an email with NEWSDAY in the headline and I'll be happy to share it.

A Bit About How I Got into Agenting

William wrote and asked, “Can you tell us why you became an agent?”

Okay...I got into agenting by accident. I was making my living as a freelance writer, collaborating on books with some great Christian speakers (David Jeremiah, Bruce Wilkinson, Howard Hendricks, Joe Stowell, etc). I had worked as an editor, and knew about writing books, so I felt confident about the "word" side. But something had always stuck in my craw—the fact that when I did my first book deal, I simply didn't know what I was doing. The editor called me on the phone, made me an offer, and...I was stumped. I had no context for deciding. Was this a good deal? A bad deal? Normal? Incredible? No idea. So I said yes, wrote the book, and started doing my research on the "business" side.

Over the next couple of years, I got a great education. I learned about printing and publishing. I studied contracts and read up on intellectual property rights. I did my doctoral work in Organizational Development, so I'm fairly well organized, and good at seeing the big picture. I began doing talks at writer conferences about "how to make a living writing" and "how to get your writer's business going." Pretty soon writers were asking me things like, "Would you take a look at this contract?" and "How would you handle this publishing situation?" In essence, I became an agent without realizing that's what I was doing. (And I was doing it for free!)

The thing is, I have always had a heart for mentoring/discipleship. It's sort of been my ministry, and since I've spent my life as a words guy, I was naturally drawn to helping writers with things like career decisions, contracts, and proposals. And I suppose if I have a strength (a topic that could be debated), it would be simply that I get along with people. So pretty soon I was putting people together, assisting authors and editor friends.

About that time Harvest House Publishers offered me the job of Senior Editor. I took it, not really knowing what that meant. Loved the company, generally enjoyed the role, but realized after a couple of years that what I really wanted to do was represent authors. (And I had three kids who were in school at the time – meaning, "How am I going to pay for my kids to attend college when I'm working for a Christian publisher?") So Patti and I began talking about what I should do, and voila! The folks at Alive Communications came to Eugene and took me to lunch. They asked the question, "Have you ever though about becoming an agent?" and I was quick to say, "Where do I sign up?" I just knew it was the right thing, and I felt "prepared" to do the job.

Spent several years at Alive, then made the mistake of leaving agenting in order to go be a publisher for Time-Warner. (Don't ask. It's a great company with good people -- but in many ways I wasn't a fit for it.) Now I'm happy being back at agenting, and I can't really see myself doing anything else. Started my own agency four years ago, and it's gone incredibly well. I love the mentoring side. LOVE working with authors. Love talking trends and "what sells/what doesn't." Love helping craft proposals. Love making friendships with editors and doing deals with them. Love mapping out author careers. (Folks have sometimes complained that I don't work with enough people, but I enjoy doing what I do, and feel called to it, and don't feel I could give my best to a huge group of folks.) I had the chance this past year to go work for a couple other publishers, but really felt my calling was to go back to working with authors full time. In my view, the best agents (and there are some really good agents) view their work as a calling, not a part-time career choice.

Some Tips on Marketing

Now, back into the swing of things and back to your questions...

Dana asked, "You’ve worn nearly every hat in the publishing kingdom and sat on both/all sides of the publishing desk (author, agent, in-house and—dare I say it—“outhouse” editor). How has your vast and varied experience helped you form a 'marketing paradigm' of your own? Can you sum up that paradigm for us?" 

Sure. My marketing paradigm looks like this: "YOU, as the author, are in charge of your marketing. You. Not the publisher, not the editor, not the sales team. You.”

This isn't a business where most of us can simply write a book, send it in, and expect others to take care of us (if in fact that world ever existed). It means an author is going to have to create a plan – an actual marketing plan, that dovetails with whatever your publisher is doing. I keep seeing authors talk about marketing, but my experience is that only one in ten actually does much. So be that one in ten – figure out what you can do in order to get the word out about yourself and your book.

To start, become knowledgeable about marketing -- how to promote yourself and your work. Read up on marketing. DO NOT settle for saying, "I'm going to say yes to interviews." Having a plan means knowing people, making contacts, staying in touch, looking for opportunities, and figuring out how to maximize yourself.

So when your publisher announces that they're going to take out ads in TCW and toss copies from the balcony of the convention center at CBA, smile and express your appreciation. Then go do your marketing, because anything your publisher does is a bonus.

Jana sent this: "We continually hear that Christian publishers want to be on the cutting edge and that we should 'think outside the box.' How true is that, and what exactly do they mean by that? How far outside the box and onto the cutting edge can we get without falling off and fatally offending the Christian publishing 'police'?" 

No matter what you do, you're going to offend some Christians. (And I don't say that tongue-in-cheek. I'm serious. Somebody is going to point out the problems with your theology, your word choice, and the color of your sweater. Get used to it.) But here's the issue: In my experience, many of the folks working in marketing don't actually know what "the box" is. So they say things like "think outside the box" because they're asking for marketing help and ideas.

In this digital age, things you can do to move toward becoming that outside-the-box-thinker, include getting on the web. Creating your own viral video. Finding some niche markets and pursuing them. The bottom line here, is DO SOMETHING. Remember that YOU are responsible for your marketing. The publisher wants you to succeed, but you have more invested in this project than anyone else.

Maurice asked, "Is there such a thing as 'one-size-fits-all' marketing info that you can give to both new and seasoned writers? At what point does marketing advice need to be tailored to suit the individual writer/author’s needs?" 

Sure there is, and I've seen it used a million times. It goes like this: "Hello, Author. We're going to send out a press kit that has your photo, a one-sheet, and sample questions to ask you about your book. We're then going to fax everyone in North America who still owns a fax machine and suggest they have you on their program. Oh, and we're putting your cover in our catalog! Won't that be unique?!" Then they will sit and wait for the phone to ring. Exciting, isn't it? (I get chills just sitting here.) If that's what your publisher is doing, smile and say, "Thanks! That sounds great!" Then allow them to locate some high school grad who will put the packets together. Meanwhile, look for something else you can do.

TJ wrote to ask, "What do you consider the best resources for authors when it comes to developing that much-needed and talked-about marketing plan? What, if any, marketing resources would you consider a waste of time/money?"

Check out Randy Ingermanson's work. He's one of the few people thinking creatively about Christian fiction. (And no, I don't represent him or get a kickback on this...but he really OUGHT to buy my lunch when I see him next, don't you think?). Go to Andy Andrew's web site and order a copy of the tape series "Become a Bestselling Author" -- one of the really overlooked resources in CBA. [NOTE: Sorry! That is now available at www.bestsellingauthor.com.]  Amazon produces some helpful marketing books -- if you don't own them, you're missing out on some basic information. Join a writer's group like ACFW or the WritersView and ask questions about marketing from experienced people, to see what works and what doesn't. Go to your local community college or even a regular college with a marketing degree program and ask for help. I know some authors who have hired grad students to help them create marketing tools (the student got paid, got credit for it, and it saved the author money over hiring a professional). As for a total waste of time and money...well, you can continue reading interviews with me. Or you could buy my Y2K Survival Guide, which is a complete waste of money (even though it clearly SAVED WESTERN CIVILIZATION AS WE KNOW IT).

Any other sage advice you’d like to impart to us? Yeah -- I've told this story before, but several years ago, I did a book with a CBA house. As it was going into production, the marketing director called me to tell me what they were going to do. "Good news," she chirped. "We have a three-stage marketing plan for your book. The first thing we're going to do is to give your book a great title and cover!" This pleased me to no end, since I've noticed that books without titles and covers simply don't sell in today's market. "Second, we're going to put your book into our catalog!" I was overjoyed. My book would be right there, in 6-point type, just waiting to be seen by the CBA booksellers, who were going to ignore the catalog and buy from the sales rep like always. Nobody else would see it, since the average consumer doesn't ever actually see a publisher's catalog "And third, we're going to give it to our crack sales team!" Yippee. I tried not to wet my pants with excitement. In other words, they were going to do nothing. When I pressed the woman on that, she eventually got mad and admitted, yeah, they weren't going to do anything, since they didn't have a budget to promote every book. Fine with me -- I just wanted to know. That book has sold more than 20,000 copies, and continues to sell in at least three other languages. And none of it had anything to do with Ms Bonehead.

An author can make marketing work. Really.