It's impossible to be in two places at one time; but with help you can maximize yourself and your business. This weekend was a great example of me doing just that. If you follow me on Facebook you know that I had a schedule conflict; my son had a recruiting trip in Atchison, KS and I had registered to be a vendor at the Harlem Book Fair in Kansas City, KS. The book fair was a great way to showcase our author books, share who we are and what we do. But my husband and I had to take Zerryn on his very first recruiting trip. We didn't want him to have to miss the trip. What kind of parents would we be? So, I say again, it's impossible to be in two places at once. Then, it occurred to me that I have help that's only a phone call away. I enlisted the help of one of the business teams that support Purpose Publishing, Momentum Business Concierge Services and Katina Long. She made the event happen for me! I could not thank Katina enough for being willing and able to step in and pinch hit for me. It was not only a great way for me to NOT miss an opportunity to share, but also a great way for Momentum to demonstrate what they offer to other businesses and authors alike.

I would like to share with you the blog post Katina sent me yesterday regarding how she enjoyed the weekend too and that she planned to share with her business list. Earlier this year I shared a blog post entitled, if you want to go fast go alone, but if you want to go far get help! This is a perfect example of just how far you can go-together!

Amazing Weekend Adventure!
This past weekend, Momentum went to the Harlem Book Fair that was held at the Jack Reardon Center in Kansas City, KS.  One of our clients, Michelle Gines, the owner of Purpose Publishing sent an email about the event and I thought: Why not?  I’m not a publisher or author, but I LOVE Books!

The plan was to SHARE a table with her and get a feel for how an author, speaker and publisher would market products and services so I can help my clients (research you know).  One of PP’s newest clients Mr. Robert Stevenson sold almost half of his first shipment at the event. 

Right before the event, Michelle called and told me she had a scheduling conflict and asked if I would go and represent Purpose Publishing.  I agreed and we met to discuss what she needed me to do.
You will never guess what happened!  The event became a LAUNCH event for Momentum Business Concierge.  We got a chance to do two things at once:

• Represent Purpose Publishing, sell some books, introduce aspiring authors to her service and meet some great contacts for the future.
• Introduce MOMENTUM to the world!  I was able to visibly SHOW potential clients what Momentum can do for them while learning more about what authors are looking for. 

KEY TAKEAWAY: I learned that many authors don’t just want a printing service but they NEED a full-service publishing company that can advise, teach, coach, mentor and put them in contact with the right people to get their MASTERPIECE in front of the masses after it is done. 

What an Amazing Weekend! I look forward to working with Purpose Publishing and their authors more in the future.  We will also look into CUSTOMIZING Authors Only Packages.   Authors have to treat their books like a business and I have some ideas how to help them achieve their goal.  

Until next time,
​
#keepgainingmomentum
 
There may be others of you out there that have an idea for a book, own a small business or speak for a living. If so, I know that you to have found out that you cannot be in two places at one time or if you've come to understand that being a solopreneur is not as easy as it looks, get help. You'll be glad that you did.
 
To Your Success,
MG  

COACHING

There is no easy answer to this question, nor simple equation.  Marketing is an investment and that investment can be one of time (spent marketing on your own), money (having us or others do for you) or a combination of both.  In terms of the ROI or direct pay off of  ‘x’ marketing dollars/time spent equals ‘y’ books sold, well, we all wish we knew that answer or that it were that simple!

As to which marketing techniques produce the best results that depends too on the specifics of the book and what the goals are.  For the author who wishes to do book signings and events, a local outreach via a publicist service is likely the way to go.  For the author who wants to connect with the most readers possible, a social media campaign will help them find fans and create a base of followers.  For the author who wants reviews, creating a targeted database of likely reviewers, print and blog, is the way to go.

Fundamentally, marketing is not this one tactic or that one piece, it is much more an ongoing effort that will include multiple strategies to produce maximum results.  These days marketing online = exposure and the more exposure the bigger your potential sales — it is simply that the easier and more often readers come upon you the more interested and likely they will be to buy.  Exposure comes from third party content like press releases, reviews and awards; multi media content such as radio interviews and videos and book trailers; social media profiles (FB, LI, Twitter, Goodreads for example); and an author presence via an Author Website and Blog.

Each author needs to assess their personal goals and their available expenditure – be it time or money – for marketing and then work with us — or someone else — to develop the best possible marketing plan.
 
To your success, 
MG

CREATING

5 Good reasons to consider writing a book

 
Being a published author can do more for a career—and income—than many ever imagined. It has opened doors of opportunity some couldn’t have dreamed were possible. And, it can happen for you, too.

Here are five good reasons why you should consider writing a book:

1. It provides an opportunity to share your expertise. Whether you realize it or not, you are an expert. The problem is you take your knowledge, experience, or skill for granted. Because it is familiar, you assume everyone has it. They don’t. And people will pay to know what you know or learn how to do what you do.
2. It provides an opportunity to establish your authority. People work for years to land an important job or get a graduate degree. Both of these can be important steps in your career path, but neither provide the level of credibility that comes with having a book with your name on it. In our culture, this is still regarded as the ultimate proof of your mastery.
3. It provides an opportunity to differentiate yourself. Whatever your profession, you probably have lots of competition. But I’d be willing to bet only a handful of your competitors have a book to their credit. This is one way—perhaps the most important way—to set yourself apart and get noticed. It provides an unfair advantage in today’s dog-eat-dog world.
4. It provides an opportunity to expand your market. A book is the best marketing tool you could ever have. It makes an introduction. It opens doors. It prepares the market for the other products and services you offer. It goes where you can’t go and does what you can’t do. It positions you as someone with something important to offer.
5. It provides an opportunity to launch a business. A book is but one expression of your message. Once you have published it, you can introduce an assortment of ancillary products. For example, my 7 Keys of a Queen book led to an audio book, a coaching video series, and a teleconference.

 

Granted, writing a book is not easy. It takes a lot of hard work and, most of all, perseverance. But that’s where we can help.