The Competition

Mike Reiss

Television Writer

Michael "Mike" L. Reiss is an American television comedy writer. He served as a show-runner, writer and producer for the animated series The Simpsons and co-created the animated series The Critic. Wikipedia

Born: September 15, 1959 (age 54), Bristol, CT

Spouse: Denise Reiss

Education: Harvard University

Movies and TV shows: The Simpsons Movie, The Critic, More

Awards: Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Animated Program (for Programming Less Than One Hour), More

 I'm amazed at how many authors join the ranks every single day.  Back when I started, I had a few loyal fans, but now even those fans are authors and I'm hoping other reader's have filled their slots. You could get a review from a legitimate site in just a few weeks instead of waiting for years, and people knew your name.

 If you read my blog often, you already know I love Reader's Digest, and today I'm quoting from an article that appeared, written my Mike Reiss and entitled, "I'm a Non-Celebrity--Buy My Book."

He starts out by stating he's written seventeen children's books and the toughest part is competing with all the "famous" people who've also written books for kids...people like Queen Latifah, Sarah Ferguson, Julie Andrews, Judy Collins, Kathie Lee Gifford and Jamie Lee Curtis.  Even John Travolta and Madonna.  He claims his book, listed alphabetically in stores, is 'sandwiched' between Carl Reiner and LeAnn Rimes.  *lol*

He asks a very valid question, but I'm sure I know the answer.  Why are celebrities writing kid's books?  Jay Leno, who earns millions a year, owns 460 cars and 89 motorcycles certainly doesn't do it for the money, nor does Jerry Seinfield, Neil Sedaka or Steve Martin.

The answer, I believe, lies within the soul of each of us who loves to write.  I certainly didn't start writing for the money, although I have to admit that getting a royalty amount that buys more than a McDonald's Happy Meal is a treat.   The Kindle has made a great big difference for those of us who write romantic fiction for the women of the world who still like to dream, but I still haven't figured out exactly how we compete.

If you name a way to promote myself, I'm pretty sure I've tried it, but with the growing number of authors who traditionally publish every day...and now those who self-publish, most of us continue to be lost in the ocean of new names and titles.

Any new ideas?  

5 QUESTIONS FOR THOSE WHO DON'T HAVE TIME TO MARKET/PROMOTE BY JANE FRIEDMAN

When I read an article that particularly strikes me as ‘good information,’ I save it in my articles file.  Then, like today, when I’m blogging, I will go to this file and find a gem or two for the month and share them with you.

Jane Friedman's August 17, 2009 article below on five questions for those who don’t have time to market/promote is a great read.  I hope it impacts you – as it did me.  Rita

(Pictured: Writer’s Digest and HOW editors/designers, promoting “Art of Manliness” project)

“The master in the art of living makes little distinction between his work and his play, his labor and his leisure, his mind and his body, his information and his recreation, his love and his religion. He hardly knows which is which. He simply pursues his vision of excellence at whatever he does, leaving others to decide whether he is working or playing. To him he’s always doing both.” —James A. Michener

Early in my career, I often read articles and heard people talk about the mystical “work-life balance.”

More recently, I’ve heard a term that makes a lot more sense: “work-life blend.”

It is hard to answer people when they ask what I do for fun or how I spend my spare time. Much of what I do off the clock is the same exact thing I do on the clock. I’m reading, writing, engaging online, talking about transformational issues that are confronting creative people, particularly in the publishing industry, and the interesting solopreneur-reject-the-cube-life phenomenon.

So it always brings me back to earth when I speak to writers about marketing/ promotion (especially when it comes to social media), and they say, “But how can I find the time for that!”

Here are five questions that occur to me when faced with this dilemma. I wish there were an easy answer, but everyone has to figure it out for themselves.

1. Why are you writing? If it’s just for validation, catharsis, family/friends, or money, then of course you’ll be worried about the time it takes to do everything required to be a successfully published author. It takes enormous time and energy—not to mention the patience of a saint—and only those prepared to devote everything will make it. And I can assure you the reward will NOT be monetary.

2. If you don’t like the idea of spending time online with social media or figuring out new technologies, then what other strengths do you bring to the table? Hands down, online tools are the fastest and easiest way for unknown writers to begin building an audience, get better at their craft, and network with others who can make a difference in their careers. You don’t want to spend time doing that? Then you’ll likely have to find another area of your life (another strength area) that can help give you an advantage in the publishing landscape. For instance, do you have a phenomenal network through churches or a wide-reaching organization? Do you have expertise in a media channel that will help you spread the message about you and your work? Do you have friends in high places? You need something other than
luck and a fool’s hope to help you in the publishing journey. (As the F+W CEO likes to say, “Hope is not a business strategy.”)

3. If you don’t have time to spread the message about you and your work, then who will? The best promoter of any book is its author. Period. And unless you are best friends with Oprah or TV/radio producers, the best tool you have to spread your message is through online channels.

4. Are you willing to make sacrifices for your writing and publishing career? I often tell writers that getting involved with marketing/promotion doesn’t take nearly as much time as they might be imagining. On the other hand: Yes, it will require an investment, and maybe your time is extremely limited and precious. In that case, decide what you’re willing to give up. Sleep? Exercise? TV shows? We’re all given the same amount of time in the day. You decide and control how you spend that time. (For advice on getting more stuff done, visit Zen Habits.)

5. Do you have discipline? This blog is no stranger to the words “persistence,” “passion,” even “chance.” These can all be essential for every writer. But the most boring secret of best-selling writers I know is discipline. Discipline to put in the time it takes, and discipline not to get sucked into time-wasting activities. (Discipline
means checking e-mail at predetermined times each day and keeping it a focused
activity. Same with Facebook, Twitter, and other online media.) Being able to focus on a task to the exclusion of all else is fast becoming a rare trait.

Finally, for me, there is an intangible element here of work as play. Authentic author marketing and promotion, the kind that builds on your strengths, should be a labor of love.

Your audience/readers shouldn’t feel like you are “working” when you are interacting and communicating with them. They should feel like you’re at play.

That’s what you’re shooting for. Or that’s what I shoot for.

WHY ISN’T MY BOOK SELLING? By Rita Karnopp

Have you ever asked; why isn’t my book selling better? My author friends and I discuss this question often. We’ve concluded there is no easy answer. We have figured out a few ways to recognize problem areas. Keep in mind, if your book isn’t selling well, don’t blame your readers. Millions of books are purchased every day so the market doesn’t lie. So let’s look at some issues that might cause your book to struggle selling:

1. What is my book’s demographic?  You could write a best-seller, but, if the subject-matter appeals to a narrow group, your sales will suffer.  Did you know agents and publishers use ‘market size’ as a primary sort to select which book projects they undertake?  They just can’t afford to take on a book with limited promise. A book must have the potential of selling at least 10,000 – 20,000 copies quickly.

Underestimating your market tends to happen to the first-time and self-published authors.  They are inexperienced and tend to overrate their potential. They are blinded by their excitement and passion for the subject or message.  This prevents them from an unbiased or open point of view.

Rule to follow is to check the sales history for other books that have a similar subject matter or view point.  Check bestseller lists, talk to local bookstore managers, or even track Amazon’s rankings of similar books. Audiences are usually smaller than one might think.

2. Why isn’t the market responding to my high-profile subject matter?

What if your audience for your book is huge, yet your book isn’t selling?  You might to see if the genre market is saturated.  Consider the economy.  Is your title catching attention or is it boring?  What about release timing, is it a seasonal subject matter?  Is the price a deterrent?   Check things like page count for the genre, inadequate marketing, and even the lack of word-of-mouth tools, etc.

If your book isn’t selling you have to face possible reasons with an open and be willing to make changes.  Sometimes you need to be willing to invest more time and money into your marketing efforts. You might consider dropping the price . . . some profit is better than no profit.  Also consider re-releasing the book under a new title or at a different time of year.

The bottom line – the market doesn’t lie. If your book isn’t selling you need to figure out why.  Talk with successful authors, agents, publicists, and even book managers, and learn what they are doing ‘right’ and compare it to your process. Again, be open-minded and don’t be defensive, you want to learn from them, not defend what is not working.   Most important, you need to be willing to make the necessary adjustments to turn those sales around.

3. Why doesn’t the market like my book?

Park your ego and consider the problem might be the manuscript itself. You have to face this might be a possibility.  You need to step back and take a hard look at your book.  Ask several people to read the book and give you a review.  If they don’t like something about the book, ask what the issues are.  Don’t keep telling yourself it’s not the book – it’s the market – because you just might be wrong. 

Today’s reader has a limited amount of time and money.  The blurb must convince readers that your book will provide them with certain paybacks, such as motivation, enjoyment, knowledge, or suspense that will take them away. If your book doesn’t offer tangible benefits, then your readers won’t buy it.

What will give your book a great chance for success?

a. Writer’s groups ~ There are many plusses and some minuses to writer’s groups.  But as a new/fresh writer, they can be a gold mine.  Never assume you know everything about writing and that your book is good.  Find several readers in your genre and ask them for a no-holding-back, honest feedback/review.  If you know of a published author that is willing to read your book – this could be a great learning experience.  Don’t be afraid to ask for reviews.  The suggested revisions and extra work could make all the difference between failure and success.

b. Is a professional editor for you?  Whether you’re a self-published author or send your books to a traditional house, you could choose to work with a professional editor – especially if you’re a beginner.  Yes, this will cost you money but it could very well be the best money you ever spent.  People will not take the time to read ill-written books. If they read poorly written excerpt or blurb they won’t buy it. Even worse, the word-of-mouth advertisement could kill your career before it ever gets started. Editing is one part of ‘writing’ process that you have complete control of. Don’t settle for a mediocre or even bad book.

Bottom line - take full responsibility for the sales of your book. Make sure you’ve done all you can to produce a professional, exciting, and marketable story.  Keep an open mind, learn from your mistakes, and make sure your next book is better than your last. Watch the market – it doesn’t lie. Write a great book, for a large audience, and success will be the reward.