Breakthrough Author Magazine August 2022

Women Changing the

r o h t Au

Publisher’s Corner Juliet Clark is a six- time author, speaker and podcaster who has spent the last twenty years helping authors, coaches, speakers, and small businesses all over the world build expert audiences.

She started out as a mystery novelist and is best known or her books Gypsy, Granny Heist, and Dead by Dawn, and Pitchslapped. At age 46, she received a black belt in Tae Kwon Do and is an avid hiker and golfer.

If you don’t like something, change it. If you can’t change it, change your attitude.” ~Maya Angelou

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Summer is almost over. Time to get back to work.

This month, we take a look at how to repurpose your content. Authors frequently complain that content is hard to create, which is ironic because every single word they write is content. How we use content on social media and our email list is the difference between connecting with our audience and not connecting in a meaningful way.

Tracy Hazzard is back this month with more for podcasters. Podcasting is a great way to build trust and “feed your brand.”

Learn more about how to get more out of your podcasting.

Julie Lokun and Corinna Bellizzi have shared a great article on the Power of Presenting. Most speakers are in the reentry phase of in-person public speaking.

Live events are changing to a hybrid format. Find out how to maximize the presentations however they happen.

Love and Gratitude, Juliet

YOUR BUSINESS BOOK

LOSS LEADER OR LITERARY WORK?

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n the sales world, a loss leader is a product sold at a loss to attract customers.

Many neophyte business authors are told that giving away their book is a good vehicle for building their online community. They believe giving away their book on social media, in exchange for contact information and exposure is a sound strategy. It diminishes the value of your book as a literary work as you present it as your calling card.

If your intent to write the book is to market your services, it is highly likely you might not see your book as a work of art but rather a promotional vehicle. You might be told that you can write an e-book with a few thousand words and claim this as ‘your book’. Realistically if your e-book was a print book with only a few-thousand words, it could be considered a booklet.

The industry standard for traditionally published books is usually over 40,000 words. The book needs to be thick enough to read the title on the spine.

You want your paper book to be in the stacks in a library with a big enough spine that you can read the title of the book. Are you are thinking “my book in a library”? Well, isn’t that where books belong? Maybe it is time to change your mindset about your goal for writing your book.

Instead of writing a book that is basically information

with case studies, transform your thinking and turn the case study to compelling, emotionally engaging story telling. This will create a deeper rapport with the reader. Take the time and embellish the story telling with somatic writing. Writing that ignites the senses and touches the heart and soul of the reader. You may be scratching your head and saying to yourself, “But I am not a writer, I am just writing the book to give prospective clients my ideas to retain them.” My response would be, write the book as labor of love. Put your heart and soul into the writing process. See your book as a work as art.

AUTHOR BIO Jared Rosen is the founder Of DreamSculpt. As an innovator in digital media publishing, he has published over 50 media enhanced e-books for many best-selling authors and filmmakers and has published dozens of books in print. Jared is the author of three books including the groundbreaking book The Flip. As a thought leader he has presented in venues ranging from TED X Malibu, to McKinsey and Company, Sydney, Australia. In 2000, Jared co-created the Children’s Emotional Literacy Project endorsed by Mayor Richard Riordan and Norman Lear.

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The Power of Our Presence

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ur voices are meant to be heard. After lockdown, isolation, and the slow re-entry into “normalcy,” we, as authors, are being called on to network and connect in person again.

potential readers. We are certain that engaging with our audience is our biggest weapon in wrangling our way to the top of the charts.

For many, this may be anxietyinducing. Justifiably, the collective conditioning of the past two years has caused many to fear networking face-to-face.

There is nothing more energizing than being in front of a like-minded audience who is ready and eager to hear your message. The icing on the cake is when your presentation generates a line of new super-fans who clamor to have your book signed. This is a cornerstone of building a relationship with your audience.

Recently, we published our latest book, Audiocasters: The Ultimate Guide to Podcasting. This thoughtprovoking paperback is one part brand development and podcasting guide and one part reflection on the power of podcasting.The moral of this story celebrates the power of our voices (through podcasting) to change the world. With the birth of this love child, we knew it was time to hit the ground running. We packed up our bags and hit the stage at PodFest in Orlando. As authors, we know the power of a handshake and inhabiting the same space with

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The easy part is writing the book, the hard part is keeping it alive…

THE FORMULA: Quality Book + Eager Audience + Targeted Message = Exponential Growth The power of eyecontact, a simple handshake, and a smile garners a connection that is indescribable.

Many book marketing experts suggest that social media is the cornerstone of building an author’s brand. While social media is critical

to building an online presence, ask yourself one question: When was the last time I bought a book because I saw it on Instagram?

Diving deeper into buyer behaviors, the critical thing to remember is that you are creating a connection with your audience. We must get into the mind and space of our potential readers and solidify trust that the pages of our book will deliver substantial value.

Buying behaviors can be categorized into four pillars: »» The buyer knows the author »» The book was recommended »» The book fulfills a need »» The book is purchased as a gift These four buyer behaviors are inextricably linked to building relationships. Building brand recognition in-person gives you, the author, a chance to leverage your expertise. If you are feeling a bit rusty, the gold-standard in perfecting the art of speaking is Toastmasters. Toastmasters

International is a nonprofit educational organization that teaches public speaking and leadership skills through a worldwide network of clubs.

Toastmasters chapters can be found throughout the country. They provide a safe space to polish your speaking skill set.

As the brand ambassador of your book, you need to get in front of the masses. In order to get in front of your audience avatar, you must know who your reader is. Next, you need to do the research. Where can you find these readers? Here are some of our favorite places to get in front of readers (in person and virtual): »» »» »» »» »»

Local Library Book Stores Book Clubs Coffee Shops Conferences (i.e. Writer’s Digest Annual Conference) »» Guest on Podcasts (Ask Us How)! »» Start A Meet-Up Group Finally: Take the initiative to pitch your book.

Create an unforgettable speaker one-sheet. Get in front of anyone who will listen. This may sound overwhelming, and truth be told it is a lot of hustle and grind. The investment in carving out a path to presenting and networking will pay back in dividends.

Corinna Bellizzi, MBA is a natural products industry executive who pioneered the growth of the omega-3 giant, Nordic Naturals, from less than $1 million in annual revenues to over $100 million. As a mom of two young boys, podcaster, and executive, and future author of “Audiocasters”, due out this spring. Her mission is to leave the world a little better than she found it, while inspiring others to do the same. Corinna began her broadcasting journey as a guest on many nationally syndicated radio shows and even acted as an MC for fashion shows in her spare time to improve her public speaking skills. As part of her lifelong education journey, she earned her MBA from Santa Clara University, graduating at the top of her class with a triple focus in Entrepreneurship, Leadership and Marketing in June 2021. Corinna launched her first podcast show, Care More Be Better, to share the stories of inspired individuals and conscious companies to show us all that one person with one idea can have a big impact. It now ranks in the top 2.5% of all podcasts globally.* Julie Lokun, JD. a legal eagle and facilitator of dreams, is changing the trajectory of underserved entrepreneurs who are using their voice to make an impact. As a mom of four (4) boys, Julie has learned to leverage her power to lead a bustling household while also serving as the head maven of Crown & Compass Life Coaching. She adeptly “anoints and points” -- directing the strategic growth of businesses and professionals around the globe. Julie has delivered presentations on the big stage, and in virtual events. With a background in law, she teases through complex information and gets to the root of issues, telling deep, compelling stories that resonate with audiences far and wide.

She is a celebrated best-selling author of the entrepreneurial series, Hustle Smart, the owner of The Mediacasters Publishing House which boasts several bestselling titles, and is a 5-star business coach. In the spring of 2021, Julie launched a swiftly growing podcast, Obsessed with Humans On The Verge of Change which is already in the top 3% of all podcasts globally.* In November 2021 these two business besties and podcasting partners (with 6 boys between them) co-founded Femcasters to elevate the voices of women through podcasting, branding and public speaking. In February 2022 they merged this effort with The Media Queens Publishing House to form The Mediacasters. The Mediacasters is a podcast, a community, a publishing house and a launch platform that elevates the voices of inspired people of all ages and identities with the power of “The 3 P’s:” Podcasting, Publishing and Presenting/Performing. *as reported by Listennotes.

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Interview

with

Sam of MindAbility Consulting

Q: What is the name of your forthcoming book?

A: The Trouble with Pink Wheelbarrows: Insight, Inspiration, and Ideas for Upcoming Entrepreneurs.

Q: How did you get the idea for the title?

A:I sold them as part of my online retail business. I had no idea how difficult it would be to wrap a ton of pink wheelbarrows for distribution.

I had a house full of them. Honestly, I still have nightmares about pink wheelbarrows.

Q: What can we learn from reading your book?

A: My book is for budding entrepreneurs who are looking to learn from other business owners and leaders in the business world.

I wanted to create insight, inspiration, and ideas for people looking to run their own businesses.

It’s not easy but it is doable. It’s

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absolutely essential to surround yourself with great people and to have some fun along the way.

My book is for budding entrepreneurs who are looking to learn from other business owners and leaders in the business world.

I’ve used storytelling to help share knowledge mixed with a good dose of humor. There are too many analytic books out there, right?

The content simply doesn’t stick.

Entrepreneurship is a constant learning experience, and we learn better through humor and stories.

Also, there are several inspirational interviews from exceptional business owners, and even one really friendly bank manager. I wanted more than just my voice to be heard in this book, to give readers as much support as possible. After all, I am a coach with a healthy sense of humor!

Q: What was your biggest challenge with writing your book?

A: Well, I don’t think I’m different to many new authors in that I found it tough in the beginning, really tough.

My mind was spinning through so many ideas, and I didn’t know where to start.

from raw idea to ready-to-publish manuscript.

I spent quite a long time using Kristy’s great method of writing each chapter and the main points on cards. I did this religiously and had our entire kitchen table full of book cards for a couple of weeks. My husband was very patient.

Q: Do you think you will be writing more books?

A: Absolutely! Poor Kristy, she’s stuck with me now.

The leap from the planning to writing was my biggest challenge. However, once I got started, I just couldn’t stop, I loved it! The words just flowed. I completed my book in five months,

Q: How can people reach you?

A: I’d love to talk to people and the best way to connect is via email which is sam@mindabilityconsulting.org. You can also find me on LinkedIn.

Kristy Boyd Johnson is an award-winning children’s author, and has ghostwritten over 30 books for entrepreneurs over the years. She is a sought-after developmental editor and transformational book coach. She recently launched Starseed Journey Retreats because she can’t imagine anything better than being a beautiful location with beautiful people who want to reconnect with their deepest selves through writing.

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Learning How to Trust Your Words What it takes to succeed as a female author.

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nxiety, procrastination, a lack of self-trust, more than just buzzwords, these identifiers apply to women around the world. Haven’t we all felt not good enough? Haven’t we all felt entrepreneurial induced anxiety and fear? Haven’t we all struggled with worklife balance, and figuring out where we’re “supposed” to spend our time and energy?

When it comes to authors, I find that women often struggle with trusting their own voice more than my male clients. It is common for imposter syndrome to plague female authors, regardless of how successful or established they are.

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Born to Lead From the age of 12, Lesley Michaels knew she was born to be a feminist. As shocking as it sounds, imagine how she must have felt.

A child coming up in an age where women were waking up to their potential, Lesley felt called to the movement. The women in her life, including her audacious grandmother, had cleared space for Lesley to stand in and she took the task at hand seriously.

In her mind, Lesley would take the corporate world by storm, continuing the contributions of women before her. When she arrived at that doorstep, she was shocked to see how women were treated less-than, and overlooked

for opportunity. After the initial shock wore off, Lesley found her voice in showing women how they could overcome the barriers in the workforce, to have whatever success they wanted.

The message resonated with me because I have personally worked with hundreds of female authors who were the only thing standing in their way. Imposter syndrome wasn’t a conversation we were having 10-years ago but we are now, and to me that shows progress. Once we can acknowledge the barrier, it becomes much easier to dismantle it.

So how do we clear away the feelings of lack? And how do we learn to trust our words enough to put them on paper?

I’ve never been someone to preach the “fake it till you make it” mentality, but there is a certain degree of just going for it that is required for success.

Female entrepreneurs and authors seem to be unstoppable once they take those first few steps so getting to that point where you decide to set a few small goals and knock them out is really important.

Learning to Delegate Authors in general, but typically female clients, feel required to do every last little task themselves and this stops a large percentage of them from ever starting. If there are things on your to do list you cannot seem to get done, and procrastinate on repeatedly, it’s time to delegate those tasks. VA’s are so easy to hire now, incredibly affordable, and make it easy for you to free up some time and even head clutter so you can focus on your money making items.

Book work is required to become an author. So if you need to delegate other content or social media so you can focus on completing a chapter - go for it! The best entrepreneurs and authors are so successful, and they will tell you this, because they have built up a great team that helps them get sh*t done.

Get Clear Speaking of bookwork, if you’re doing every other task on your to do list instead of your book work, you might need to delegate part of this out too. Not the actual content but the process. A book coach can help you break down exactly what you need to do to finish your book, with outlines, strategies and scheduling that actually works. If you are stuck, it is 1,000% okay to get help getting unstuck.

Lelsey’s coaching clients are seeking different clarity, but nonetheless, she has become a leader in the coaching industry because she offers clients the same thing - a clear path forward.

And admittedly worked with a book coach when the time came for her to get her words on paper as well.

Overcoming the pitfalls of womanhood and authorship read like one in the same - procrastination, anxiety, fear of failure. As Lesley put it, in her soon to be released book, On the Shoulders of Mighty Women, “Permission to walk away from tradition and follow my own insight, clarity, daring and to make my own choices finally belonged to me, and at long last I felt enough to claim it.” And it belongs to you too.

Lesley short bio Lesley Michaels was born to feminism. Her foundational ethos was shaped by her audacious paternal grandmother who was a 1st wave feminist and savvy businesswoman. She came of age just as 2nd wave feminism was becoming a significant American social movement. At age 16 she struck out on her own for NYC and the heart of the cultural transformation that was the zeitgeist of the late 1960’s and early 1970’s.

Lesley has mentored Fortune 500 C-Suite executives, individuals within the financially privileged sector, and celebrities.

On The Shoulders of Mighty Women is a tribute to the power and grace of those women who came before and the ones who will follow, the warriors and the fallen.

Lesley currently lives in Taos, NM where she hosts the weekly podcast; Women We Should Know.

Buy Lesley’s Book Here: On The Shoulders of Mighty Women: A Modern Feminist’s Guide to an Equitable, Diverse World - Kindle edition

by Michaels, Lesley. Politics & Social Sciences Kindle eBooks @ Amazon.com.

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Community with Email Why email?

Ninety nine percent of people who have email, check it every single day. That’s why when you want to promote your new book, one of the greatest ways the grow and nurture your community is with email marketing.

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• It keeps you top of mind with your fans.

• It’s more intimate than social media (you’re talking to one person and even using their name!)

• It’s also entirely under your control.

When you send an email, your email platform will let you know who opened it, when they opened it, if they clicked on your content, and even how many times they checked out that message.

Conversely, when you post on social media, you don’t know when or even if your followers will see your content.

The algorithm is not your friend. The truth is, we are all just parking our cars in the Meta-verse parking lot. If Facebook or Instagram decides to shut you down or the platform itself has trouble and stops working for a time (just like that fateful day in October 2021), you’ll have no way to reach your followers.

But with email marketing, you own your email subscriber list and no one can take that away from you. If someone happens to unsubscribe, then they weren’t your ideal reader anyway, so just bless and release them.

Ready to start nurturing your list?

Here are some helpful tips to ensure your audience gets engaged.

1. Banish the word newsletter from your vocabulary. Think instead about it as a nurture email so your subject line reflects something interesting from within and doesn’t say Monthly newsletter. Ugh. 2. Reach out to them by name. When you put their name in the subject line, they’re more likely to open your email because it’s personalized to them.

3. Create curiosity with the subject line. I get hundreds of emails overnight and lie in bed in the first thing I do when I wake up each morning is weed through them all. Any subject line that’s interesting to me, gets the email opened. With so much noise coming at

People will actually judge a book by its cover (both literally and figuratively) so it’s vital to be very deliberate with each subject line. us in the online world, you deserve (and need) to stand out.

If the subject line of your email doesn’t excite your subscribers, they probably won’t click to read it. You can write the most incredible email, but if your subscriber doesn’t open your emails, it won’t matter. People will actually judge a book by its cover (both literally and figuratively) so it’s vital to be very deliberate with each subject line.

One trick I use is to write the subject line at the end. That way, I already know the tone of the email and what’s inside so I can determine the best type of subject to use. Authenticity counts so don’t create a subject that has a click-bait feel. If you’re stuck, ask yourself, what does my audience need to hear from me today and then write it!

When you are ready to grow and nurture your community and so much more with book and brand marketing strategy, I would love to chat with you. Book a call with me at contentmarketingstrategy.com.

AUTHOR BIO Melanie Herschorn wants to make your book and brand sparkle online.

As a content marketing strategist for coaches, consultants, and speakers worldwide, she’s on a mission to support and empower her clients to create clear messaging and content that shines a light on their individual experience, skillset, and books. With her unique combination of entrepreneurship, awardwinning journalism and PR experience, Melanie guides her clients to attract and nurture leads and position themselves as industry experts. She also loves to provide book marketing tips on her show, AUTHORity Marketing LIVE!

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uthors need content and many don’t think about social media until their book is ready to be published. Content should be on every author’s checklist to begin messaging before the book is written. Every publishing client we take on is queried about their social media engagement. The phrase we hear most is, “I don’t have time to produce content.”

Content is not difficult to produce. My company produces one main piece of content a week. It takes about forty-five minutes to record and upload my podcast.

That’s it! You are probably thinking that one post a week isn’t enough and you are right. You need to consistently post about three to five times a week. So how do you take and audio or video production and repurpose it?

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Transcribe into a Blog Having your podcast transcribed is a great way to present information to an audience who absorbs information from reading.

There are many transcription programs that make it easy to do. All you have to do is read through and edit some of the language to make the podcast into and interesting blog. Even better? Make sure it goes on a page on your website. A typical twenty-minute podcast transcribes into over 6,000 words. This kind of new word count each week on your site helps website SEO. Cut Out Key Quotes Take the podcast and create social media posts from them.

This is especially effective if you create graphics to support the post. If you have a podcast with guests, this also gives them promotional materials so they can bring their listeners in with social media posting.

Write Articles Once you have a transcribed podcast, it is easy to write a condensed article that can be used for a newsletter, email, or a LinkedIn article. Every week, we take our podcast and send it out to our list, post on LinkedIn as a post, and post on LinkedIn as an article.

Use Snippets to Promote Many platforms don’t like you to load a large video. Edit the podcast video into small sound bites and use them as teasers.

These can be used on multiple platforms.

Make Sure you Utilize Video in More than One Place Our video version of the podcast is uploaded to our YouTube channel. It takes about five minutes. We also upload to Rumble.com. Each of

Take the podcast and create social media posts from them. This is especially effective if you create graphics to support the post.

these has different audiences and algorithms so we can maximize exposure.

The key to repurposing is to be consistent with posting.

Using a content calendar every month helps. Being able to sit down for an hour and make a calendar of posts that you already have content for. As you podcast more, you should be able to share older podcasts again, share any media that you have been a port of, and selected quotes. When we work with our book clients, we start with three posts a week.

After about a month, we review the analytics to see which posts had the most engagement. This is a great way to start creating more posts that are connecting to your audience.

The other advantage of having a content calendar is being able to pass it on to a virtual assistant for posting. When you are an expert, your goal is to stay in your zone of genius. A good virtual assistant for social media should be less than $25 and hour and posting three times a week should only be at the most, two hours of posting.

Your first consideration is what do I feel comfortable producing that I can commit to creating consistently. Like anything new we begin, the first couple of months may be challenging.

Once you are in the groove, it all becomes easy.

Juliet Clark is a six- time author, speaker and podcaster who has spent the last twenty years helping authors, coaches, speakers, and small businesses all over the world build expert audiences.

She started out as a mystery novelist and is best known for her books Gypsy, Granny Heist, and Dead by Dawn, and Pitchslapped. At age 46, she received a black belt in Tae Kwon Do and is an avid hiker and golfer.

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Learn How to Measure Your Performance on Instagram Unsure how your content is reaching a larger audience on

Social Media?

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o you ever feel like no matter how good your posts are, you’re failing to gain new followers or more likes? Or that no matter how much time and effort you put into the content you’re sharing, it’s just not generating interest?

Content Expert Sara Burke walks us through how to fully realize Instagram features to better discern how people are engaging with your work.

The content you put out is an extension of your work and the knowledge you want to share with the world.

Social media is a great way to engage with people you’d otherwise never come in contact with. But whether it is echo chambers or a disconnection with the wider online community, it can be hard to engage with those outside of your close circles.

The key is to be able to measure what works, and what does not. This is why it is necessary to learn some important features of Instagram for account performance. You need to be able to identify what content your audience prefers over the rest. This means, learning if your audience likes caption heavy posts with aesthetically pleasing photos, or if they prefer simple mantras on the image of the post without a lengthy caption.

This can also help you realize if they prefer Instagram story posts with features that allow them to engage more directly with you, such as the Questions or Polls feature.

The answers to how to best use your content lies in making Instagram create stats for you. To do this, you can set your page as a Professional Account. To do this, click Edit Profile and under bio will be blue text which says “Switch to Professional Account.”

Doing this will allow you access to Instagram Insights about activity by both your followers and people who have yet to follow you. It will ask you to pick a category your account falls into so

people can better find your content. Once you make the change, you will be able to display much more information on your profile, and better learn about your viewers.

Clear information on your profile is significant to reaching the audience you want. A new feature you gain access to is to create a contact button on your profile to make it easier for people to reach you. You are also able to display how you categorize yourself, such as Writer, and your profile will be able to have more information displayed to better communicate your intentions to your audience.

You also gain insight into how many people click various contact buttons and how many profile visits you get from various content.

Beyond this, you will have access to various stats surrounding your content to better maximize your account performance.

Having access to how posts are performing is a major step towards directing your energy more effectively towards reaching your target audience. You will be able to see how many profile visits a story post generates or how many accounts are reached on individual posts.

This will allow you to learn which posts perform best with existing followers and which ones reach the most non-followers. You’ll gain access to learn where people found you post from, whether that is their Explore page or your Profile.

While there are features that extend this that can be paid for, you can access

a wide variety of stats for free just by switching your page to the Professional Account. Making this simple shift is a significant step in learning how to better optimize your content sharing on Instagram.

This is how you can take productive steps towards better knowing your audience and how to present your content in a more effective way.

AUTHOR BIO International Content Expert Sara Burke is the Founder of HLCC, a content creation firm dedicated to boosting small businesses around the world. Sara has authored three books, and ghostwritten over 100 books, ebooks and workbooks. Sara recently launched The New American Dream, a podcast dedicated to helping business owners understand how our changing business ecosystem can support their success.

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How to Craft and Distribute a Press Release for More Book Sales

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ne of the most powerful marketing tools for authors to increase book sales is through a press release. A press release is a statement or story prepared and distributed to the press by a public relations firm, governmental agency, authors, etc. A press release can reach a

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larger audience while generating excitement and buzz for a book.

They help build relationships with key media contacts and attract speaking opportunities.

The structure of a press release is essential to consider and has key components necessary for optimal success. A press release

should include the following elements: -Headline: Make sure the headline is attention-grabbing and includes keywords that will help the press release be found online.

-Subhead: The subhead is an optional element that can be

Distributing your press release is important in getting the word out about your book and selling more copies used to provide additional information about your book.

-The dateline: It should include the city and state where the story originates.

-The lead paragraph: It will be three sentences long or less and provides critical information about your book and the news story.

When distributing your press release, you will want to target a few key media outlets: newspapers, radio stations, television stations, trade magazines, online news sites, blogs that focus on books or writing, etc.

-Media Contact Information: This is important so journalists can contact you with any questions about your book or book an interview.

Now that the foundation of how to write a press release is established, the final step is to distribute it to key media outlets. There are several ways to do this; moreover, a successful route uses a press release syndication service. This is a paid service that will distribute your press release to media outlets for you, usually in volumes.

These services have existing connections with media outlets and will help the press release to have ideal traction. A preferred service is through Media Magic, which guarantees your press release to be picked up by AP News, Fox, ABC, NBC, and more at www.ShannonProcise.com/Superbrand.

Keep it short and to the point. Ideally, one page and double spaced stands out from the rest of the submissions. Avoid having it appear to be advertising, and do not use your logo unless it is a global brand. Be sure to include the author’s name, book title, and publication date.

Distributing a press release can be done without using a company or provider. A person can submit their press release to specific journalists or news organizations.

Social media is another excellent way to get a press release before potential readers. Be sure to use hashtags and tag key influencers.

A press release can be a great route to sell more books and bring traffic to your website.

If you have a new website, mention it in the press release. If you are doing a virtual book tour or will be interviewed on a podcast or radio show, say it! Be creative and think outside the box when marketing your book.

Distributing your press release is important in getting the word out about your book and selling more copies. Following these tips can ensure that a press release reaches the right people and helps sell more books!

-The body: It should be informative and well written. It should also include quotes from the author, experts, or others involved.

-Boilerplate: A brief description of the author or organization that wrote the press release.

AUTHOR BIO Shannon Procise has successfully attained over $3.2M in FREE publicity and is notorious for being the owner of the “Million Dollar Rolodex” and teaching others how to do the same. She has trained and coached thousands of individuals in marketing, event production, business development, and personal growth. Shannon is the creator of a magnetic community, the Business Acceleration Network, where she guides businesses to build a successful enterprise while having fun and making lots of money.

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The Right and Wrong Way to Use A Podcast for Platform Building If part of your author strategy is to launch a podcast, read this first.

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ess than 2% of podcasts qualify for advertising. I am sharing that, right out of the gate, because I have talked to so many authors who believe they will launch a show, get paid advertisers and then sell a million books.

Is this possible? Yes. Is it likely to happen to you as quickly as you want or need it to, to be an effective marketing strategy? Most likely not.

And in a marketplace where everyone is constantly trying to sell you something, transparency is the best thing I can offer.

Tracy Hazzard, truly the queen of podcasting, Founder of Podetize and Feed Your Brand, had no problem airing all the dirty laundry about podcast marketing. Tracy is a seasoned media

expert with over 2600 interviews from articles in Authority Magazine, BuzzFeed, and her Inc. Magazine column; and from her multiple top-ranked video casts and podcasts like The Binge Factor, The Next Little Thing and Feed Your Brand – one of CIO’s Top 26 Entrepreneur Podcasts. Let’s get into it.

If you’re considering starting a podcast as part of your author platform strategy, here are a few things to keep in mind: »» Content, Content, Content When done right, launching a podcast can be an excellent way to build your author platform and connect with new readers.

Just like everything else you create, a good podcast puts out good content, which in turn brings your audience to trust you. Just like any other marketing strategy - trust is the key. And the way you earn trust is by consistently sharing good content that is true to who you are. This gets easier the more you do it, promise. »» Know Your Audience Just like a book - niche is key.

Choose an interest area over demographics. If you’re into finance, choose an area of specific interest rather than

say women over 50 who are into finance. You need more of a topic and keyword strategy in our digital marketplace today.

Define yourself, target your audience with that precise definition (keyword/topic) and don’t be afraid to revisit this as you grow, learn and pivot. »» Clarity Is King Be clearly focused on your audience and clearly serve them. If your show is selfservice focused, and you’re constantly pushing sales with little to no value for the listener, your strategy will fall as flat as your show. Free value always brings monetization somewhere else, and those people who buy will tell others to buy too. I hear the 80/20 split everywhere but I really think it should be more 70/30, with 70% of everything you share being YOU connecting to your audience in a meaningful way, and 30% sales. The only time this doesn’t apply is when you’re just starting out, building your platform. Your time spent on sales should be 0% - yes zero - and your entire focus should be relationship marketing - developing meaningful relationships with people who will eventually buy from you.

Let’s Recap First, make sure you have something unique to offer. There are already a ton of podcasts out there, so you need to make sure you have something special to offer listeners. What can you talk about that no one else is talking about? What perspective can you share that will add value for listeners?

Second, don’t try to sell too much.

Yes, your ultimate goal is to sell books, but it’s important to focus on providing value rather than making a direct pitch. Instead of just talking about your book, try sharing advice, tips, and other helpful information that will engage listeners without feeling too “salesy.”

Third, be consistent in your content and delivery. Your podcast should have its own unique style, tone, and format so that listeners can easily identify and tune into it. But whatever you do, make sure to stick with it! Creating a regular schedule for releasing new episodes will help build a loyal audience over time.

If you keep these key considerations in mind as you launch your podcast, you’ll be well on your way to building an author platform that attracts new readers and helps grow your business.

Tracy Hazzard Tracy@Podetize.com Tracy Hazzard is a seasoned media expert with over 2600 interviews from articles in Authority Magazine, BuzzFeed, and her Inc. Magazine column; and from her multiple top-ranked videocasts and podcasts like The Binge Factor and Feed Your Brand – one of CIO’s Top 26 Entrepreneur Podcasts. Tracy brings diverse views from what works and what doesn’t work in marketing, branding and media from thought leaders and industry icons redefining success around the globe. Tracy’s unique gift to the podcasting, marketing, and branding world is being able to identify that unique binge-able factor – the thing that makes people come back again and again, listen actively, share as raving fans, and buy everything you have to sell.

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