Tag Archives: publish

Technology / Office , Leave a comment

Publish or Perish

by

Today, Friends, I have for you the wild and wooly tale that will explain why I have not posted for the last four weeks,  after reaching out to you every single Tuesday since I opened this blog in June 2009.  Be advised that I was not in Sardinia living la dolce vita.  I’ll present the tale in chapters, since the action centers on writing.

Chapter  One opens on July 12.  I was ready to publish bright and early at 8:00 AM,  when I discovered that I could not access my account.  Wordpress had locked me out.  Neither could I reset my password, because it’s connected to an email account that has been overstuffed with messages for two years and frozen by the provider until I get ambitious and do some deleting.

A frantic search of the forums brought me to an email address wherein I could access a live person and learn why my blog was locked. I was told that in 2012 (!), LinkedIn had a data breach (I remember being asked to change that account password),  so four years later WordPress leaps into action and shuts down all WordPress members who have LinkedIn accounts (millions, I would imagine).

When I politely asked why WordPress members who affiliate with LinkedIn simply did not receive an email to advise us to adjust our passwords within, say, the next two logins to prevent being locked out, I received no answer.  Oh, and if I couldn’t access the appropriate email account, I could always refer back to the original URL link to this blog that is contained in an email that was sent to me by WordPress seven years ago.  Find a seven-year old email? Are they serious?

So there I was, with a post all ready for you, Friend, and no way to publish.  Apparently, the folks at WordPress felt it would be fun to lock the account on publishing day  (and I’m certain that was by design; now you know why I hate techies).  But maybe my blocked WordPress account was a blessing in disguise, because since early June, I’ve been immersed in a book editing project that has taken over my life and that opens Chapter Two.

The book is about a women’s club that is celebrating its 125th anniversary.  The author, a club member,  is an academic who’s written in the neighborhood of two dozen books. The book tells the history of the club against the backdrop of certain social, economic and political events that happened since its founding in 1890: the Gilded Age (think of today’s billionaires and income inequality); the Progressive Age (a reaction to the Gilded Age; think Bernie Sanders’ run for the presidency); the fight for women’s suffrage (a woman running for president); and the rise of women’s colleges and clubs (Lean In ). I was brought in to be the photo editor, but I was as well the de facto developmental editor and copy editor, because the book needed both and there was no one else to do it.  This is a self-publishing project.

In Chapter Three, I take on the role of publisher in addition to being three editors rolled into one.  The club is the official publisher in this venture,  but guess who’s done all the publishing house work? I even wore the hat of literary lawyer when on the fourth Saturday of July,  I sat at my computer reading up on intellectual property and copyright law and then ordered those two long sets of numbers that legally must appear on the copyright page of every book published, plus the bar code.  I also submitted the book to the Library of Congress (that is usually done before publication, so that you get to list the catalogue number on the title page) and two days later was so happy to learn that the title was accepted.

Chapter Four is the tale of my various editing functions.  I learned that developmental editing is surgery: get into those sentences and paragraphs and realign or remove until the story is a good one and flows smoothly.  Copy editing (and its little sister, proofreading) ensures that sentence structure is correct and spelling and punctuation are accurate.  Photo editing entails finding photos for the book that illustrate and support the story and then submitting them to the author for approval.

No, Friend, I was most definitely not sunning and swimming in Sardinia with the beautiful people.  Instead,  I was Googling the names of historical figures who were named in the book and filling in quick descriptions of who they were, so that readers could better understand the story the author wanted to tell because the author, a history writer, apparently didn’t feel that such explanations were necessary.

I also searched for the given names of some two dozen women mentioned in the book who were known only as Mrs. HIM (as the author puts it).  Why the author neglected to give proper credit to those amazing trailblazing women,  I’ll never understand. There were only two names that I could not find: Mrs. Clarence Burns,  a well-bred, high-achieving lady who once lived at 1 West 83rd Street in Manhattan and who in 1903 wrote a cheeky little article entitled Prominent Clubwomen Must be Good Housekeepers  that appeared in Collier’s Magazine.

The other unnamed woman was Madame (de) Sumichrast, one half of a social-climbing couple who were leaders of the Victorian Club of Boston (him) and the Victorian League in London (her).  The surname they shared was originally Sumichrast,  but they saw fit to add the  “de”  when he was named to the faculty of Harvard University’s French Department.

Madame de Sumichrast lectured in French literature at least once at Harvard, meaning that she was a highly educated woman,  but she must have felt it proper for a wife to subsume her identity in deference to her husband’s,  as did Mrs. Burns.  So frustrating, so sad.  Not even the magnificent Sophia Smith Library at Smith College, which has a comprehensive collection of information on women’s organizations, was able to uncover the identities of those two women.

However, a librarian at the Sophia Smith Collection most generously found and sent to me a 1905 photo of the officers of the Association of Collegiate Alumnae, three of whose members were founders of the club that is the subject of the book.  What an excellent photo it is,  one of  nine superb vintage photos that I brought to the book in my role as photo editor.

Chapter Five, like the first chapter, holds frustration.  Wordpress is the villain of Chapter One and the book’s author is the antagonist in Chapter Five.  As I noted,  the book is a self-publishing project and that means all hands on deck.  The author,  unfortunately, did not see it that way.  When there was copy editing work to do, or when the request to register the book’s copyright was made, she simply refused to respond to emails.  When she did step in to do some work, she was controlling and obstructionist.  Too much time was spent needlessly rewriting the photo captions, for example.  A photo entitled Christmas greetings 1939, and captioned in that way by me, had to be rewritten to read Christmas 1939. The Notes page that I was asked to create, labeled Notes at the center top of an otherwise blank page, as is the custom,  was deemed insufficient and so the author spent precious time rewriting it to include her name and that of the book.

But, on the first Saturday of August at just after 7:00 PM,  I received from the book designer the PDF to upload to the self-publishing website. The book’s formatting was checked electronically and found to be fine and on Sunday, I ordered a physical proof. We’re on our way to printing enough copies to have ready for the September 18 book launch party. Hooray!

As Epilogue, I hope that this story is useful for those of you who’ve been thinking about self-publishing a book that will help you to promote your brand and services. Self-publishing houses will provide assistance with cover design.  Hire an independent copy editor.  To legally register your book, go first to the ISBN website and also buy your bar code there.  Separately register the book’s copyright at http://ipfilings.net.

Thanks for reading and I’m delighted to be back!

Kim

 

Marketing , , , , Leave a comment

10 Ways To Reboot Your Email Marketing List

by

E-newsletters,  webinars,  Slide Share info-graphics and other email marketing content can go as flat as an open bottle of champagne after a while.  Business in the 21st century is sort of like show business,  folks.  Gypsy Rose Lee said it best,  “You’ve gotta have a gimmick”.  You need to know how to hold your audience.  For that matter,   you’d better know your audience well enough to recognize when they stop paying attention.

Assuming that the content you provide is relevant to potential readers and not just a 3 page sales pitch about you,  wonderful you,  there may eventually be a drop-off in the email open rate.  Attention spans are short and email in-boxes are filled to the brim with all manner of messages.  But you can’t afford to lose control of your “room”,  your list members.  Presumably,  that list is populated with clients,  prospects and referral sources.  They are the life blood of your business.  How do you win them back? Try these tactics:

1.   Examine your stats and identify who is not opening your emails.  Studies show that 60% of email marketing communications are never opened.

2.   Prune the list.  Facing up to audience members who have fallen out of love with you takes courage but like any love affair that’s over,  it is best to move on.  Resolve to remove the non-readers.  Carol Tice, who founded the Freelance Writer’s Den and maintains a formidable email list,  sends her non-readers an email and asks if they would like to remain on the list.  The overwhelming majority do not respond and their names are removed.  A handful ask to continue.  You will feel better when you do the purge.  You’ll have an open rate that makes you smile.  You will know that the creative energy and hard work invested in your content marketing will be appreciated.

3.   Ask list members to update their email information.  Your open rate could improve just by allowing readers to have communications sent to an alternate email address.  Those who don’t respond after a second or third reminder to update their info are clearly not interested and can be removed from the list.

4.   To maintain the interest of readers who remain,  especially if your open rate is dropping,  take a look at your subject line.  A well-written subject line is a siren song to potential readers.  See  headline hooks that reel in readers

5.   Include a tempting call to action and name it in the subject line.   A Survey,  free webinar (hosted by you or someone whose expertise you trust),  or a white paper on a subject of interest to your readers re-establishes your relevance and will persuade a certain percentage of non-readers and infrequent readers to click and engage.

6.   Think mobile.  In July 2014,  Forrester Research reported that 42% of emails from B2C retailers are opened on smartphones and 17% are opened on tablets.  Customize your email communications for responsive design,  so that reading will be easy on mobile devices.  Make it convenient for all potential readers to open your communications.

7.   Send on a regular schedule.  Frequent readers of this blog know that Tuesday is publish day,  even if Christmas or the 4th of July fall on that day of the week.  You may prefer to publish on a given date.   Whatever you do,  establish and adhere to a predictable publishing schedule.  Readers appreciate it more than you may realize.  Make readers anticipate receiving and reading your communications.

8.   Build your list.  Organically and with permission,  build your email marketing list.  You should have met each person on your list at least once.   At the email campaign launch,  send to all business contacts along with an introductory message that announces the debut,  explains the benefits to readers,  reveals the frequency (weekly or monthly)  and provides an easy and effective opt-out.  Resist the temptation to add to your list the names of everyone who hands you a business card.  When speaking with people,  do mention your email marketing campaign,  give examples of the subjects covered and how often you send.  Ask if they would like to receive at least one and let them know that if they choose to opt out,  that can be easily and quickly done.

9.   Personalize.  Whatever service sends out your emails should include a greeting to the individual recipient.

10.  Sign me up!  On your website and social media,  allow interested parties to sign up to receive selected email marketing communications,  register for webinars or receive a copy of any white papers.

Content marketing is the new advertising and emailing your content is the best way to reach clients and prospects who no longer answer the phone.  Create a viable list by continually adding and purging members to enable your campaigns to deliver optimal ROI.  Draw in readers with relevant content and intriguing subject lines.  Format in responsive design to include those who prefer to read on mobile device.  Fulfill expectations by publishing on a regular schedule.

Thanks for reading,

Kim

Marketing , , , Leave a comment

Give Yourself a Book Deal

by

I’ll probably not do this for myself anytime soon, but since I’ve mentioned the topic several times in this column,  I decided to finally do some research and figure out how one goes about getting a book in print.  Note that I did not say “how to write a book”. You’ll have to figure that one out for yourself!  Hint: first,  have something relevant and compelling to say and second, money and sex are two very popular topics.

However in this post,  I will dare to assume that readers will produce a business-themed book on a subject in which they’ve acquired considerable expertise. Writing a book is a marketing tool that can carry a Freelancer for years.  A book gives its author gravitas. The author will definitely be  positioned as an expert,  considered a more attractive conference speaker or panelist,  a more credible source to quote by journalists.  You are an author,  an authority.

The original method of getting a book into print was to write up a book proposal and shop it around to publishing houses that specialize in books in your subject.  If the proposal looked strong enough to generate sales that would justify the time and money involved in editing,  printing  and distributing the book,  then the author would receive a letter inviting him/her to discuss the proposal.

That is still done,  but not nearly as often.  There are far fewer publishing houses now and competition by aspiring authors looking to get in the door is intense.  It would be almost impossible for the average Freelancer to publish a book conceived to be used for self-and business promotion to succeed in the traditional manner.

Self-publishing houses and similar operators have stepped into the breach and opened the doors wide for those who have a business to promote,  a story to tell,  or a family history they’d like to document in print and pass on to future generations.  Self-publishing is most suitable for authors who are unlikely to attract a traditional publisher and who will sell directly to  readers from the author’s website,  at seminars or at other gatherings.

So let’s get started on your book deal.  Begin by visiting the websites of self-publishers to compare services and prices.  Createspace and Lulu are two outfits to consider.  When evaluating services,  pay attention to exactly what it is you will pay for and watch out for hidden fees.  Look for non-template, customized cover design charges;  editing and copy editing (i.e., typos) charges;  and distribution and renewal fees.  Expect to pay $1500.00 – $4500.00 to edit, design and print your book.

Examine with great care (and perhaps with the assistance of an attorney who specializes in the field) the subject of author rights.  True self-publishing means that all rights to the book lie exclusively with its author.  Furthermore,  clarify whether you are able to terminate your publishing agreement at will and without penalty.

You’ll need to decide if you’d like your book to appear in print or as an e-book.  Maybe you can do both eventually?  In 2010,  e-book sales accounted for 9%  of the overall book market,  according to the Association of America Publishers.  The e-book trend is upward,  spurred on by Nook and Kindle.

How your book will look (print style, lay-out, etc.) and the design of the front and back covers are another big concern.  You may want to hire a graphic artist with experience in book production to do art and design work.  Chances are that your money will be well spent. Your book must look professional and represent your brand well.  Also,  be sure to use the appropriate paper stock.

Do yourself another favor and hire a copy editor and a proofreader.  In fact,  this will be among the most important investments in your book’s production.  It is absolutely crucial to ensure that your book has no errors.  Your professional reputation depends upon it.  Your publishing service may offer copy editing,  but they may not be especially diligent.

Becoming a published author is a much more attainable achievement today than ever before.  Your book will be a useful marketing tool,  a door opener and a confidence builder for both you and prospective clients.  A significant amount of work must be done to bring the book to life and it will be necessary to carefully research available options—just like any other major goal you plan to reach.  Additionally,  it will no doubt be useful to seek out the blogs of self-published authors for more information and the real inside scoop.

Good luck and thanks for reading,

Kim