Wednesday 27 February 2013

Marketing, Marketing, Marketing




Great, I finally finish a couple of children's ebooks and now I have to create an advertising campaign. Anyone may have the creativity of a master artist, the diction of a wordsmith, the knowledge of a professor, the innovativity of an inventor, but if they can't market their wares they're doomed to non-sales. We are rarely made aware of business failures because to state the obvious they failed to market themselves.

Think of the legends in innovative marketing and follow their examples:
Bill Gates- he aggressively broadened his product and defended it just as ominously.
David Ogilvy- the father of advertising- his fundamental principal was 'know your audience'- research.
Richard Branson- I would take a punt and attribute some of his achievements to his no fear adventuristic attitude- sheer ballsiness.

 All legends of selling have brilliant ideas, all can sell that idea in the consumer world they operate in and all have exceptional people skills.

In the context of marketing my literary work I can be assured that the process of selling will be just as hard and probably more difficult than writing the darn thing. After finally producing a finished product consider my emotional state: relief, anguish, tentative pride, doubt. The next step is to sell the creation. A tiny amount of research tells me to ask myself some basic questions. Who am I selling to? What are my advertising strategies? How do I promote to my audience? When is the best time to campaign? Answer: the best time to advertise is before I even start the novel.

I know if I can't market myself then I must employ somebody that can. If I can't employ a professional then I must study the art of selling. Many writers spend hours a day towards spruiking their books. Social media is the largest, cheapest and most effective platform.

Here is my first unashamed sell: The legend of Dan'Qirk and Olympics Tale. Both children's e-books belong to The Tonight We Read series. Look out for my upcoming young adult novel Jenna's' Voice.



Now I know I have to practice what I've just preached and hit Facebook. Yuk. I hate Facebook but I'm going to swallow my pride and start posting. Grow a web site. Use Twitter, Pinterest...the platform is endless, the eworld is never-ending.


If you want to make money selling a product then resource everything into marketing, or, if you can't or simply wont, the consequences will be your creation of a non-profit hobby. Which is fine as there are massive benefits in having a hobby. I don't want to feel compelled to whore myself and sell, sell, sell, at the cost of self-worth. I want to be able to be proud of my work and its reputation. I know though that one thing to consider is how low will I go to afford something to eat.

Will he get it started?

You have to admire this mans bravery.




Wednesday 6 February 2013

Socket to 'em



Don’t you hate it when you’re asked, ‘what do you do for a career?’ It’s my cringe-worthy awkward question I’m continually asked at social gatherings. I always feel there is an underlying inference that can be presented in the form as, ‘I’m about to make a judgement regarding your socio-economic status and maybe allow myself to pass judgement on my apparent superiority over you.'
 Am I being paranoid? Is that why people ask that particular question or are they being genuinely friendly and curious? Your response will automatically inform the questioner of your financial status and your intelligence. Too much information.

Here is one of my stupido lists I continually post for no good reason.

List of answers I would like to respond to the question- 

‘So, what do you do for a living?’:

- CEO of an international eco friendly company
- Rodeo clown and part time rockstar
- Stay at home mum. (Yeah right. I see all the sniggering before I even answer. And yes that’s a sad reflection of where our society’s at. Stay at home mum is the best career I ever had)
- Farmer
- Surgeon- any type
- Marine biologist
- Model – Super type of course
- Zookeeper
- International spy and expert in espionage
- Artist

And wait for it... drum roll...

- Writer

Hahahahahahahaaha