|
Speaker Services News, August 2004 http://www.speakerservices.com To leave list:see details below Content: In this issue: 1. A Note from the founder, Susan Levin 2. New & Renewing Speakers/Authors 3. Tips & Advice 4. Recommended Resources 5. Feature Article: Create a Powerful Author's Press Kit, Dawn Josephson NEW & RENEWING SPEAKERS/AUTHORS August 2004 See Entire List of Speakers/Authors http://speakerservices.com/categories/allspeak.html Wendy Barlin: S. California Certified Public Accountant offers tools and techniques to help you manage your money and make it work for you. Accounting, Business Solutions, Income Taxes, Time Management http://www.speakerservices.com/speakers/detail/21 Deborah Deras & Adoley Odunton, S. California Motivational coaches train you to tap the power of your subconscious mind and transform your life. Diversity, Professional Development, Time Management, Women's Issues http://www.speakerservices.com/speakers/detail/123 Scott Hunter, MCC, Author, S. California, Nationwide Organizational coach-trainer has proven track record of creating extraordinary business teams. Leadership, Relationships, Team Building http://www.speakerservices.com/speakers/detail/40 Dr. Philippa Kennealy, MD, MPH, Los Angeles County Accomplished family physician, hospital administrator and business executive reveals how to survive and thrive in today's challenging professional and business environment. Healthcare, Leadership, Professional Development http://www.speakerservices.com/speakers/detail/19 Naz Keynejad: S. California Marketing whiz's do's and don'ts maximize direct-mail results. Business, Management, Marketing http://www.speakerservices.com/speakers/detail/46 David F. Laughray, Ph.D., Author, S. California, Nationwide Expert praised by Donald Trump as “the most memorable career coaching experience of my life” shows how to create lasting success in your business and permanent joy in your relationships. Personal Development, Professional Development, Relationships http://www.speakerservices.com/speakers/detail/122 Gerry Owen: S. California Learn how to enrich your life by making better ethical choices from this dynamic college professor and marriage, family therapist. Communication, Ethics, Personal Development http://www.speakerservices.com/speakers/detail/60 Leland E. Pound , Author, S. California Break through blocks to achievement and propel your life and business to unimagined levels through inspiring stories and practical actions you can take today. Creativity, Inspirational, Personal Development http://speakerservices.com/speakers/detail/63 Jacqueline R. Robertson, CTM, S. California Entrepreneur who built five successful businesses with no money, but with a thought and an ideal, shows how you can make your dream a reality. Business, Inspirational, Motivational http://speakerservices.com/speakers/detail/66 John James Santangelo, C.Ht., S. California NLP specialist, Clinical Hypnotherapist, and success coach reveals secrets of successful communication. Communication, Sales, Success http://speakerservices.com/speakers/detail/69 Bronwyn Schweigerdt. Author, Sacramento, N. and S. California Motivational nutritionist shows how to lose weight permanently, defy aging and protect health -without dieting! Aging, Health/Nutrition, Wellness http://speakerservices.com/speakers/detail/71  From the founder,
Susan LevinHope you are enjoying your summer. I've been having fun walking on the beach, biking, going to outdoor concerts, theater and visiting with friends and family. My dear friend Laurie drove down from Oregon to spend 3 glorious days with me a few weeks ago and this week I'm hosting another friend & her family. My plum tree is producing an enormous amount of fruit and I have been up on the ladder filling up bags of plums to give away. When Laurie was here she made a plum cobbler! I also have had the pleasure and joy of being a surrogate mother to a delightful 18 year young man who moved to Los Angeles from Florida to go to school and live with his uncle. His uncle is Jack Barnard, my friend and master speaking coach. Jack has been in Sweden for the past 5 weeks (returning on Tuesday). I have been working too. This past week I taught a class with Rob Schultz on How to Organize and Market & Profitable Teleclasses. If you missed it you can order the CD http://speakerservices.com/teleclasses. Oshana Himot of To Go Beyond Coaching e-mailed this message to me, "This teleclass about how to do teleclasses is practical, creative and very useful for anyone who wishes to use this medium as a way of educating other people. Susan and Rob's know-how and network of those providing allied services makes it easy to start doing teleclasses right away." There is also a 23 page PDF Workbook that accompanies the CD. August Teleclasses include: August 9, How to Write a Book Proposal with Phil Goldberg. Phil says, “you can self-publish the book you've been working on and on the other hand, you can sell it to an established publishing house with built-in distribution and a publicity department.” Learn how in the teleclass, Phil is the author of 17 books. Continuing on the book theme on August 30, Dawn Josephson will talk about how to Write to Sell! Create Promotional Pieces that Sell Books. Dawn Josephson empowers leaders to master the printed word for enhanced credibility, positioning, and profits. Her best selling book will be included as an e-book. To learn more or to register for teleclasses go tohttp://speakerservices.com/teleclasses. This month's feature article is by Dawn Josephson on How to Create a Powerful Press Kit. Dawn shares why it is crucial to have a press kit for effective book marketing. She says, "Without it, all your promotional efforts could be wasted. You may be able to talk a good game and get people excited about your book, but when they ask for your press kit and see a measly, uninformative packet with a few clippings and nothing more, your build-up will fall flat." How would you like to be in the audience on October 9th when are shooting Video Demos in Los Angeles? Learn what goes on behind the scenes and hear the speakers’ messages and it is FREE plus we'll give you and your guests lunch. Audience is essential for the video shoot. If you can make it please e-mail me at susan@speakerservices.com and I will put you on the list and send you the information. If you need a video demo I have three openings for our 3 camera shoot Video Demo Showcase, October 9 in Los Angeles. See details http://speakerservices.com/videoprod.html. Reminder too, if you would like to connect with audiences who want to hear your message you could be a candidate for our online directory: http://speakerservices.com. Next deadline is August 15th for copy to be listed for September. See http://speakerservices.com/adv_pkt.html for rates and marketing packet. Please feel free to call me 310-822-4922 PST if I can be of assistance to you. I almost always answer the phone. Susan Levin Speaker Services TIPS AND ADVISE Enjoy the Journey...Innovate your Imagination National Speakers Association/Greater Los Angeles Chapter (NSA/GLAC) 20th Anniversary Summer Symposium, September 10-12, Palm Springs Learn from a national caliber line-up of topics and speakers. I'll be there-come by and say hello. Register online www.nsaglac.org. _________________________ FRANKFURT CALLS. If you are dithering over sending a title to Frankfurt, dither no longer. It looks like it will be a very busy show. If the U.S. government has leading economic indicators to forecast the economy, so those of us who have done Frankfurt for more than 10 years have our own early warning systems. We compare the number of requests for meetings from foreign publishers, distributors, booksellers, agents, brokers, and reviewers against the number of communications concerning available hotel space, cell phone rentals, and local transportation options. With nearly three months to go before the show opens, our appointment schedule is already looking crowded and the solicitations are down to a trickle. We are already at more than 75% of our display capacity for the International Publishers Alliance stand and counting. For more information on how you can become part of the Frankfurt Book Fair, contact Godfrey Harris at hrmg@aol.com ___________ LIST OF 2,200 INDEPENDENT BOOKSTORES. See http://bookweb.org/bookstores/ ___________ Finding Income To Help Pay Speaker Fees Patricia Lorentz - Check with treasurer or finance director to see if another area of the budget has an allowance for speakers that could be shared. - See if any community organization might co-sponsor the event. - Charge an amount per person attending, guaranteeing a minimum to the speaker, with an agreed ceiling amount as well. - Publish the group's need months in advance and see if people in the group or organization will offer to pay part of the speaker's fee. - Look for a budget line item for travel or conferences that can be used in-house instead. - Incorporate a percentage of the fee into the banquet, luncheon, workshop or retreat fee. - Encourage members to make an additional donation on the reservation or sign-up form with a note that it will go toward helping to pay the speaker's fee. - Ask members at various meetings throughout the year to make special contributions to subsidize speaker costs. - Hold fund raisers as a promotion for the event. - Collect donations during the year at other events to help cover the speaker fees at bigger events. - Seek donations from business owners in the organization _____________ Great news from the Religious Market Vickie Sullivan: info@sullivanspeaker.com Great news from the religious market: religious meetings grew by 6.5 percent from 2002 to 2003, according to the 2003 RCMA (Religious Conference Management Association) member survey. Other important facts: - RCMA members conducted over 14,000 meetings, with seminars, conventions and conferences being the lion's share of events. - Over 14 million people attended these events last year. This is a huge increase since 1994, when only 4.4 million participated. Bottom line: this is a distribution system not to be ignored. Remember, this market segment is just like the association market. There are many different circuits here with different needs. Don't assume that all materials has to be biblically-based. (Vickie offered terrific information for us in a teleclass on High Paid Speaking Engagements, Trends in the Industry. CD is available, click on products tab above.) ________________ Discover A Hot New Technology that Instantly Makes Your Websites and Email Messages Talk!” AudioGenerator™ puts the power of the human voice on your Website without slow downloads, custom plug-ins, or annoying pop-ups. All you do is add one “PLAY BUTTON” for each audio message and you’re done! No matter how long your audio message is, AudioGenerator™ is designed to play the moment you click the “Play Button” … even if you’re on dial-up. AudioGenerator™ is audio recording and hosting service that often doubles the pulling-power of direct response Websites. All of your audio messages are automatically converted into a single of code that gets uploaded to any Website! This one-of-a-kind online marketing service is convenient and cost-efficient because they “host” your audio messages on their servers and give you 24-hour access to them, once you become a Member. To learn more: http://tinyurl.com/662a8 Speaker Services Recommended Resources My recommendations-check these folks out http://speakerservices.com/resources Need help organizing book tours, speaking engagements, targeted e-mail campaign? Check out a new resource Beth Iacullo listed under PR/Marketing. Need assistance in the following areas? Audio/Sound Recording, Book Design, Book Mentoring, Book Shepherding, Book Writing/Editing Branding, Business Image Consultant, Business/Intellectual Property, Copywriting/Text Editing, Credit Card Processing, Duplicating Services, E-Zine Newsletters, Editorial/Publishing, Photography, Presentation Skills, Public Relations/Marketing, Public Speaking Success. Radio Lists, Tip/Booklets, Video Production Services, Virtual Assistant, Web Design/Web Hosting, Web Programming/Consulting ARTICLE CREATE A POWERFUL PRESS KIT By Dawn Josephson A strong press kit is crucial for effective book marketing. Without it, all your promotional efforts could be wasted. You may be able to talk a good game and get people excited about your book, but when they ask for your press kit and see a measly, uninformative packet with a few clippings and nothing more, your build-up will fall flat. While kits vary in complexity, the overall goal of each one is to highlight what a book is about, why its message is important, who the author is, how it will help readers, and how you’re marketing it. Kits are important for three different kinds of recipients: media people (including magazine editors, book reviewers, and radio and television producers), book distributors (including wholesalers such as Baker & Taylor, Bookazine, and Ingram), and niche marketers (including selected bookstores, specialty shops, and organizations). You will probably need several versions of your press kits, each targeted to a specific audience. The Eight Ingredients Regardless of its slant, each press kit you create should have eight basic components. They are: 1. Cover Letter. This one-page letter should highlight why you’re contacting this particular person or organization, and explain why the contact is justified. It should not give details about the book—that’s the press kit’s job. A good cover letter will include: • A reason for the correspondence in the first paragraph, such as, “Because the author is an expert on a subject you cover so well, I am writing to propose an interview with …” • A brief overview of the book. In one paragraph, state what the book is about, who the audience is, and how the book will help them. Stick to the facts. Using words such as greatest, most informative, and revolutionary will raise red flags and signal that you’re exaggerating. • Information about the author. Again, facts sell. State the author’s name and explain why the author is qualified to write this book. Mention any career highlights or awards. • A compelling call to action. What do you want the person reading the letter to do? State it here: “I would like you to review the book in an upcoming issue...” 2. Press Release. Usually one page long, the press release describes the book and the angle you’re pitching in two or three paragraphs. It also includes the book’s price, page count, ISBN, and your contact information. Write a compelling headline for the press release, and use blurbs liberally, as well as short excerpts from the book. Ideally, you’ll rewrite your press releases every month, and update the other elements of the press kit as well. The typical press release cycle starts with the initial release, which announces the book’s publication; continues with a second release pointing out a current societal or industry problem and showing how the book addresses it; and then moves on to monthly releases relating the book to specific incidents in the news or in relevant industries or professions as they arise. 3. Mock Book Review. If you supply a publishable book review, many reviewers will pull material from it. A good book review gives all the pertinent details in a maximum of seven paragraphs—six paragraphs about the book plus one paragraph about the author. It also includes the book’s full title, publisher, price, and other pertinent details (for example, “Available online at www.www.yourwebsite.com”). 4. Author Biography. This one-page document introduces the author’s credentials for writing the book and provides relevant background material along with “nice to know” information such as names of groups or organizations the author is affiliated with. A good bio highlights the author’s accomplishments in an authoritative way without bragging or exaggerating. To make the author more real to readers, add a few personal details, such as favorite hobbies or types of pets—but don’t get too personal. You can include a photo if you’d like, as photos help build trust, but a photo is not an absolute necessity. If you do include a photo, be sure it’s professionally taken and tasteful (no snapshots from last year’s birthday bash). 5. Sell Sheet. Think of the sell sheet as a book’s birth announcement, giving all the particulars of the newest addition to your list of titles. This one-page piece should be attractively designed and it should include: • The book’s cover image (in color if possible). • A short author bio. • A brief overview of the book. Many times, the book’s back cover copy will suffice for this section. • Technical information, such as the book’s page count, dimensions, subject category, year released, price, ISBN, and distribution arrangements. • One or two key endorsements, preferably from well-known and respected leaders in the relevant industry or profession. • Information on ordering the book via phone, fax, mail, and/or the Internet. The sell sheet can pull double duty as an order form if you sell direct to readers at conferences and conventions. 6. Catalog Sheet. Don’t let this marketing piece’s name confuse you. A catalog sheet does not refer to sales material used for book catalogs. Rather, it’s the sheet that data entry people use to “catalog” information in their database. As such, the catalog sheet is the one piece of the press kit that is entirely information oriented, not sales oriented. Unlike the sell sheet, which is highly visual, the catalog sheet is not pretty. Restricted to one page, it’s entirely fact-driven. It includes a short description of the book (one paragraph max), technical specifications, marketing activities related to the book, unique selling points, target audiences, major endorsements, and any extra sales materials. Since this is what the data entry people at the distribution houses and book buying offices use to input your information into their system, you’ll want to keep the data formatted in simple bulleted column lists for easy scanning. . 7. Novelty Item. You can put various giveaway items in your press kit. The more popular items include: • A postcard that reproduces the book’s cover image on the front and provides a description of the book with ordering information on the back. • A book cover, dust jacket, or cover art sample to show off the book’s cover design. • A bookmark, again with the book’s cover image on the front and ordering information on the back. • Book reviews from outside sources. • A sample chapter to show the author’s writing style and the book’s interior layout. • An annotated table of contents that gives details about each chapter. 8. Article. Many magazines don’t have book review columns but do accept articles, so it’s wise to supply a bylined piece that runs between 1,000 and 1,500 words. Each article should, of course, be geared to a specific magazine’s style and readership. Some authors write overviews; some focus on themes from particular chapters or sections, and still others transform excerpts from their books into articles. Putting It Together Now you’ll need something to house all the pieces of the press kit. The best and most economical outer package is a standard two-pocket folder. Choose a color for the folder that complements the cover’s main color. And once you choose a certain color or style, stick with it; you want to convey a consistent image. Jazz up the folder with some identifying marks or an image. You might use stickers of the book cover or simply glue a postcard of the book cover to the folder. Or consider having custom folders made that resemble the book cover. The right pocket of the folder should contain (from front to back) the sell sheet, the catalog sheet, the press release, and the book review. In the left-hand pocket of the folder place (from front to back) the novelty item(s) and the bylined article, plus other articles that feature the author or book. Include no more than five articles and make sure they were published within the last four months. Anything beyond that is outdated news. The cover letter always goes outside the folder on top. In general, it’s not a good idea to send the book with the press kit. If magazine editors, meeting planners, or others are interested in the book, they’ll contact you and request a copy or ask for one when you make your follow-up calls. Remember: The book you’re promoting is in competition with hundreds of thousands of other titles, many of them also new, so you have to do more than sell the book’s idea to potential readers. You have to sell the fact that the book is worth readers’ precious time. A powerful press kit will help you make the point. Dawn Josephson is president of Cameo Publications, LLC, an editorial and publishing services firm based in Hilton Head Island, SC. You can reach her by phone at (866) 372-2636 or via e-mail at dawn@cameopublications.com. This article is excerpted with permission from Putting It on Paper: The Ground Rules for Creating Promotional Pieces that Sell Books |
UPCOMING EVENTS 8/3 & 8/10 or 10/4 & 10/11 Teleclass Business of Speaking: Creating a Marketing Strategy, Susan Levin learn more 8/9 Teleclass, Write & Sell A Book Proposl Phil Goldberg learn more 8/30 Teleclass, Write to Sell! Create Promotional Pieces that Sell Books, Dawn Josephson learn more 9/20 Teleclass, Publish an E-Zine-Promote Your Business-Get More Clients & Sales, Alexandria Brown learn more 9/28 in Los Angeles Market Yourself as a Speaker, Susan Levin learn more 10/9 Video Demo Showcase in Los Angeles, 3 Camera Shoot learn more 10/9 AUDIENCE REQUESTED Video Demo Showcase in Los Angeles, 3 Camera Shoot e-mail susan@speakerservices.com say video demo audience in subject line. |
