Michael Anderson

Book Marketing Services

There are two aspects to the marketing services I provide: planning promotional strategies and creating marketing materials in many media to achieve those strategies.

“Plan your work—Work your plan.
Learn as you go —Adapt as you learn.”
— A motto for good publishing practice

Marketing Strategy Consulting

I can help you think out and define plans for marketing your books and services based on your publishing objectives and your target audiences. There are many different markets for books and many distinct ways of reaching those markets. How you define your marketing plan should fit with your personal style and the goals you have set for your book.

There are two things that need to be marketed:

Your book (or book series)
You, the author (as an expert in the topic area described by your book)

From a business point of view, you are likely to gain greater return from promoting yourself as the author and expert on your chosen topic than you gain from selling books. Most authors make money by being known as the person who wrote the book.

You market your book partly to promote other products and services that may include: book series, speaking engagements, consulting services, seminars, workshops, coaching, trainings, media appearances, additional publications in various media, and other after-market products and services. Which of these components you choose to develop and promote will depend on your publishing objectives. Self-publishing can also be used as a route to attracting a major publisher by demonstrating author publicity skills, such as speaking and doing book signings.

I generally recommend developing a marketing plan as early as possible. This provides a baseline for your publishing and marketing process and a guide for making changes as you go forward. Based on my dialogue with you, the plans I write provide a vehicle for me to share knowledge and expertise customized to your unique publishing goals, objectives, and capabilities. By developing a plan, I can help simplify this process for you.

What your Marketing Plan should include:

Definition of your goals and objectives

Base on collaborative dialogue to clarify your publishing vision

Analysis and definition of your audience

Who is the book intended for? Through what media can they be reached? What value do you propose to give them ? What secondary audiences are important?

Author-Expert brand development and promotion planning

Author i mage planning through graphic style, colors, and imprint logo (how to get readers to remember you and seek out your books and services)
Author bio planning for various formats, lengths, and orientations (telling who you are and how you came to write your book)
Reader connection brand codes (how readers can benefit from interacting with your products and services, the role you give them to play, and how you can strengthen that connection)

Book Promotion Options & Media Planning

Where and how to promote your book
The use of free publicity and paid promotional placements
Planning which media and venues best reach your target audience
Planning guerrilla marketing and viral campaigns
Tips for getting great author/speaker and event photos
Identifying associations, conferences, and networks to build your community

Publication & Publicity Roll-out Planning

Creates a step-by-step baseline plan to define the order in which things need to be done.

After-Market Products & Services Planning

Conceptualizes the best ways for you to build your business as author-expert or fiction celebrity. Whether you write fiction or nonfiction, you will need to create processes, products, and services that build on your role as author. Doing this provides extra income streams and is also one of the best ways to sell books. The marketing plan provides a way to project what you will need to do to accomplish this goal.

Marketing Writing and Graphic Design

Once you have a clear Marketing Plan, you need to bring it into reality with various communication pieces. Regardless of which media you use— print, online, or personal presence— most communication is based on two components: Words and Pictures.

I help authors actualize their marketing plans by writing and designing marketing materials for a wide range of media formats. Depending on the requirements of each author, these may include:

Print Media

Cards, flyers, sell-sheets, book cover posters, pitch letters, press releases, author bios, workshop hand outs, articles, interview question sheets, brochures, and book descriptions

Online Media

Web sites, blogs, web ads, and blurbs for Amazon and social media sites

Personal Presence Media

Book-talk scripts, PowerPoint presentations, video scripts, elevator speeches, seminar training materials, and bookstore sales pitches

There are many channels and many formats for promoting books and authors. In this age of attention fatigue, the key is clarity and politeness. Today, no one wants to be “sold,” but many are eager to buy—if you make it easy and pleasant for them.

Writing & Design of Publicity & Promotional Materials (Print & Web)

Write/revise author bio for multiple formats and lengths
Write/revise book description/blurb for multiple formats and lengths
Write author/book promotional articles for multiple outlets (print and online)
Develop ads, catalog blurbs, book reviews, and related marketing materials
Develop Author Media & Press Kit: head shots for multiple formats, book descriptions, author story, press releases, clippings, event photos, audio/video interviews
Create collateral materials: cards, book marks, sell sheets, brochures, book fair and conference handouts
Write promotional copy, do overall graphic design, head shot enhancement and placement, book cover image, copy layout, design, and formatting
Create online presence: web site, online promotional ads, blogs, email publicity, social media applications, community building processes for reader engagement
Develop buzz campaigns to drive web traffic, book sales, and event attendance
Create reader contact information data-capture processes (e mail opt-in)

Conceptualization, Writing, & Design of After-Market Products

Create memorable PowerPoint presentations for author-speakers
Develop speaker support materials: scripts, hand outs, flyers, press releases
Write and design after-market products: seminar binders, training materials, booklets, CDs/DVDs, and specialty products for back-room sales and web sales
Develop and write workshop training materials
Collaborate with author to develop expertise-consulting opportunity strategies
Work with fiction authors to develop story line spin-offs and author image building
Provide on going author support mentoring/coaching service

Building Community

When you show your audience the value they can gain from your books, services, talks, and trainings, the right audience will begin to come to you. In time, you develop a following, a community of people who like what you have to say and want more of it.

Feedback

"I found Michael to be incredibly knowledgeable and skillful in his innumerable publishing talents which include, but are not limited to, book design, layout, formatting, cover creation and logo creation. He brought my book to life with his professionalism, artistry and insight. It is my pleasure to highly recommend his services."
Published Acknowledgement: "Michael -- for invaluable expertise in everything including book design, formatting, cover creation, and for helping me set up PranaCreations. I absolutely would not have been able to do this without you."
– Judy Myers, Author, Managing the Mommy Years

"I’ve worked with Michael for over 12 years and found him to be an intelligent analyst, an effective project manager, and a remarkably good writer."
– James Sherry, VP Sales, Devon Consulting

"I highly recommend Michael for his strategic planning, organizational development, project management, business analysis, and writing abilities. He has consistently delivered high quality results."
– Michael Toomey, Former National IT Director, The Devereux Foundation

"I would highly recommend Michael. His work was well received, on schedule, within budget, and facilitated rewriting our business practice standards. He melded well into our team while maintaining a leadership role."
– Rosemary Myers, Director of Information Systems, The Franklin Mint

"Mike, we have gotten praise from Technical Operations on the quality of your work. It’s great to have a project so well managed. Thanks."
– Tom Cole, Director of Systems Integration, The Vanguard Group

"After observing his effectiveness on other projects, I asked Michael to help us with our High-Performance Computing Environment. I have been more than satisfied with the quality of his results and would whole-heartedly recommend him."
– Simon Kearsley, PhD., Director of Molecular Systems, Merck & Co.

"Michael listened to our needs and wrote a clear, focused, and practical Strategy Plan that was perfectly suited to our objectives. It was well-written and logical, delivered on time and within budget. We would whole-heartedly recommend him to his future clients for any business writing or strategy development project."
– Siti Crook, CEO, EcoBuilt Efficient Buildings

Submission

Cut and paste the questions and answers into an e-mail:

EditMyBook@Gmail.com

Alternates
2012@Book-Editing.com
Help2012@Airmail.net
Contact@Editing-Writing.com

You may send your initial submission to all addresses to make sure it's received.

Required:
Submit the first 50 pages of your manuscript (Word/DOC or RTF attachment preferred). Large files should be zipped. Attachment not required if writing has not started (e.g., because you're looking for a ghostwriter).

A sample is required to receive an estimate
for editing services

Along with a sample, the following information is required. Ignore questions that do not apply to your project (e.g., footnotes).

(01) Word count of complete project (under "Tools" in MS Word):

(02) Put your 100-word (approx) synopsis/description here (or attach):

(03) Describe your genre and topic (e.g., nonfiction/self-help, science fiction, horror, romance, mystery, Western, young adult, children, poetry, Christian, creative nonfiction, literary):

(04) Deadline date, if any, for return of complete project. (Please be realistic. Remember that professional editors usually have a project in process.):

(05) If you have no immediate deadline, when do you want to start the editing process?: (For instance: within 30 days, within 60 days, within 90 days, 4-12 months)

(06) Level of editing desired/expected --

Copyediting / Proofreading / Line Editing (e.g., English corrections, typos, paragraph and sentence structure, word use)
Developmental (e.g., help with the big picture, such as flow/pacing, telling the story, characterization, structure, style)
Rewriting / Ghostwriting
Critique / Evaluation

(07) Number of charts/tables/pictures (if any):

(08) Writing style/format manual (e.g., Chicago Manual, APA, MLA), if applicable:

(09) Number of footnotes/references:

(10) Do you have a contract with an agent or publisher?:

(11) Do you plan to self-publish?:

(12) What is your budget for the entire project?
$ ________________
(Note: The editors will quote their regular rates, but having an idea of your budget allows the editors to tell you what services they can provide to stay within that budget.)

(13) Your name:

(14) E-mail addresses:

(15) Day/evening phone numbers (required -- in case the response to your e-mail bounces or the editors need clarification regarding the scope of service needed, deadline, etc.):

(16) City, State, Country (or time zone):

(17) The name(s) of the editor(s)/writer(s) you'd like to contact.
(If no names are selected, your e-mail will be sent to several consultants chosen by the coordinator):

(18) Do you want the coordinator to reroute your submission if you requested editors/writers who (a) are not available by your deadline date, (b) do not handle the type of material you submitted, and/or (c) do not perform the service(s) you want?

(19) How did you learn about our service?:

(20) Attach the first 50 pages of your manuscript (include prologue/preface, proposal, query)

Notes:

No hidden charges
We won't quote you one price and charge you another. When possible, we'll provide you with a per-word or per-page rate so you'll know up front exactly how much your project will cost. (Of course, we ask that you fairly represent the scope of your project.)

To learn more about the rates charged by professional editors, please see: Editorial Freelancers Association

It is a mistaken notion that freelance editors work "on spec" (speculation) with no payment to the editor. It is basically asking the editor to work for free. There's no guarantee that a book will see a profit (or even be published). The editors posted here do not work on spec.

LIVE AGENT

Note: Questions about price and turnaround times cannot be given over the phone or via chat.
To obtain a price quote please follow the procedures listed on our quotes page.

Contact live support if you do not receive a response within three hours (M-F, 9a-7p central). Expect longer response times if you submitted after U.S. business hours or on weekends.

You may also send your submission to our alternate e-mail addresses if you do not receive a response within three hours M-F:

Help2012 at Airmail.net
editingnetwork at gmail.com
contact at editing-writing.com

You may also leave voice mail for the network coordinator: 469-789-3030. This number is for verification of e-mail submissions only.

Please be as complete as possible in representing your project's scope and size so you will receive the most accurate estimate.

Disclaimer: Your agreement, whether oral or written, is with your editor or publishing consultant, not with the editing network as a whole or its coordinator.