Dos, Don’ts and Whys of Article Writing

1. Pam Lontos Column: Dos, Don’ts and Whys of Article Writing

Have you ever noticed speakers with the same topics as yours getting higher fees? Have you ever noticed authors with books similar to yours selling more copies? Are there experts with the same expertise as yours getting more consulting jobs? Are you perplexed as to how they’re doing it?

One explanation is that they have leveraged the power of publicity through name recognition. When a meeting planner needs to book a speaker, they think of their name first, because they have seen it, read it, or heard it multiple times before. One of the best ways to achieve the same name recognition is through articles placed in business journals and trade magazines. Executives of companies read their trade and association journals cover to cover because it is aimed directly at them and their business. Meeting planners read the same types of publications looking for speakers/authors/experts who understand the issues of their industry.

How do you get your articles placed into business and trade publications? What types of articles are the editors looking for? Following are the dos and don’ts of writing articles to gain the name recognition you need:

1. Editors prefer a word count of 800 – 1,000 words. This is usually about 2 ½ typed pages. The word count does not include the headline, sub-head, or the resource box of the author’s information.

1. Don’t write in the first person. Don’t promote your business or product. Avoid using “I,” “me,” or “we.” The promotion of your expertise or product will come at the end of the article (see below).

1. Open with a story. Such as: “Jane was a great sales person but lately she has had trouble closing the sale.” Aim the story to managers, executives and owners. They will be the ones who will hire you when they like what they read.

1. Present the problem or current issue and have the body of the article address the solution to that problem. Tap into situations your current clients are facing, that way you know readers can relate to it.

1. The second paragraph should relate this dilemma to the readers. The key to getting sales is asking the right questions. When you find the client’s needs and focus your information on the benefits, you will sell more.

1. Give three to eight tips, strategies, or steps the reader can take to solve the problem. The tips should be able to stand alone, so that editors can change, shorten or cut the article to the necessary length.

1. The more ‘meat’ you have in your article, the more publication will want to print them. Don’t have too much fluff. The perfect balance contains useful information that can be put into action immediately, but not everything they need to know so they’ll want to hire you to get the rest.

1. Give a very brief, one paragraph summary with a call to action. “When you use these tips, you will…” Once again, this is not the place to promote your business or product. Simply let readers know all is well now that they have the knowledge you provided.

1. In the resource box at the end of the article is where you put your contact information and highlight the aspect of what you do that you want the readers to know about. It can be your book, your consulting business, hiring you as a speaker for their conferences, etc.

1. Be creative and innovative! The more unique, the better your chances of being published. If you aren’t a great writer, hire a ghostwriter.

Once an editor or publisher agrees to use your article in an upcoming issue, be sure to request copies. Use these to market your expertise to members of the trade or association the publication serves. It will give you credibility with CEOs and meeting planners when you tell them that you were just featured in a publication they read regularly.

By following the tips above you’ll be famous in no time and they will be calling you saying, “I see your name everywhere!”

For additional publicity tips and articles now, visit: www.prpr.net.

Pam Lontos is the president of PR/PR, a public relations firm that specializes in professional speakers, authors and experts. An author, speaker and former VP of Disney’s Shamrock Broadcasting, Pam knows the ropes of getting you good publicity and how to use it to boost your bookings or book sales. She is also author of the forthcoming book, “I See Your Name Everywhere!” Call for a free consultation: 407-299-6128 or visit: www.prpr.net.

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NEW PUBLICITY BOOK!

3. Calendar of Events/Publicity Opportunities

If your expertise fits any of these topics, take advantage by sending out a press release to newspaper, television and radio stations, or call up the media directly! For example, if you are consultant, author or speaker who specializes in stress, or let’s say you are a doctor or psychologist who studies the causes of stress, you’ll want to contact the media about August 15, which is National Relaxation Day. You can share your expertise on the common causes of stress, how to reduce it and creative ways to deal with stressful situations. By writing press releases on these topics, contacting radio stations in your area, or becoming a featured expert on television or in print, you’ll be able to boost your personal brand. Here are more publicity opportunities:

• August 25-31 is Be Kind to Human Kind Week – Take heart – most people are caring individuals. Show you care by being kind to others and yourself!

• August 7 is Professional Speakers Day – A day celebrating the consummate professionals who help people through their oratorical skills.

• August 8 is a Date to Create – A day to increase awareness of individual and organizational potential to solve problems and make things happen. All of us have this potential but may not realize it. Learn your innovative capacity and plan activities that increase it. Rediscover your spark.

• August 15 is National Relaxation Day – Hold the phones, call in sick, or just take a nap. This day is the perfect excuse to reduce stress and improve your lifestyle by relaxing.

• August 26 is Women’s Equality Day – Presidential Proclamation issued in 1973.

• August 29 is More Herbs and Less Salt Day – It’s healthier, zestier and lustier!

4. This Month Our Clients Have Been Featured In…

Newsweek … Jon Stetson for “Intuitive Thinking in Business”

Working Mother … Dr. Nancy O’Reilly on “Working Moms”

Growing Wealth … Doug Charney on “Demystifying Hedge Funds”

Woman’s Day … Dr. Nancy O’Reilly on “Changing How You Respond to Stress”

HR Magazine … Contented Cow Partners for “Motivating Senior Employees”

SHRM … Francie Dalton for “Disengaged Senior Employees”

Investor’s Business Daily … Brenda Bence for “Personal Branding”

Boomer Nation Radio Show … Dr. Leslie Van Romer on “Boomer Health”

Boomer Nation Radio Show … Dr. O’Reilly on “Boomer Psychology”

Promotional Consultant … Paul Kowal on “Telecommuting Trends”

Promotional Consultant … Dan Burrus on “Telecommuting and Technology”

Pittsburgh Post Gazette … Patrick Astre for “Seniors Filing for Bankruptcy”

Natural Health Magazine … Dr. Shammah Womack-El for “Digestive Enzymes”

Univision … Dr. Maurice Ramirez for “How to Get Good Care in the ER”

Gannett News Service … Dan Burrus for “Gulf Oil Drilling”

Workwise Syndicated Column … Ken Whiting on “Entry-Level Hiring”

SellingPower.com … Kim Marcille for “Inverse Zeno Effect”

BabyZone.com … Dr. Nancy O’Reilly on “Stay Home vs. Go Back to Work”

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5. Guest Column: Brian Jud on Do You Want to Increase Your Sales?

Are you sure? It is difficult to plan your actions and focus your attention on such an indefinite objective as “increase sales.” Instead, specifically restate your objective to increase your gross revenue, build additional profits or perhaps deplete a large inventory of books.

The distinction is important because each objective requires a different strategy, particularly when you consider the element of time. While not mutually exclusive, the journey to achieving any of these goals is accomplished by manipulating certain tools over which you have complete control: the price, distribution network, promotion and even the physical characteristics of your books.

The way you combine and execute these variables will impact your revenue, profits and unit sales. A simple price reduction may reduce your inventory in the short term but have lingering, negative impact on your profitability. And a reduction in your promotional budget may increase short-term profitability but deny long-term revenue. Here are examples of strategies to reach each objective.

Objective One: Increase your gross revenue (GR). Gross revenue is the total dollar amount of your income before deducting expenses, returns or the cost of goods sold. There are several strategies that should build GR and infuse working capital. First, give yourself more items to sell by extending your product line. You can accomplish this by publishing more books (new titles, new authors, sequels) or producing other products (audio/video programs, booklets, CDs).

Next, increase the order size. It is usually more efficient to sell additional books to fewer, large customers than it is to a broad base of small customers. This might require more attention on major accounts (chains, wholesale clubs), or increased emphasis on special sales.

Third, increase your promotional spending. Additional publicity, advertising, direct marketing, sales promotion and personal selling will increase unit sales, and when combined with a price increase will further enhance GR. As you have already surmised, the price for greater GR is lower profitability in the short run.

If you focus on building long-term GR you can also build market share. In this case you would maintain a competitive price and advance the value of your titles through improved quality or design. Maintain a balance between traditional distribution and special sales and improve your promotion.

Objective Two: Increase profitability. Profit is the money left after deducting all your costs from your GR. The obvious ways to build profits are to increase GR, lower your costs or both. However, there is more you can do strategically, especially when you make the distinction between profit optimization (long term) and maximization (short term).

If your objective is long-term profit optimization there are additional tactics at your disposal. First, hold prices steady and invest in quality improvements. Instead of measuring the profit per title, assess the contribution of the total mix to long-term profits. For instance, use one title as a loss leader or bundle two or more titles. Also, maintain a balance of traditional and special sales and increase promotion to reduce returns. Short-term profits may decrease, but in the long run they will increase.

Conversely, if your objective is short-term profit maximization there are different actions to take. In this case you might want to increase selected prices and decrease quality. This does not mean that you should publish an inferior product, but you might publish a softcover instead of casebound edition. Furthermore, increase emphasis on special sales and decrease sales through the traditional distributor  wholesaler  bookstore channel where returns, discounts and 120-day payments wreak havoc on profits. A decrease in promotional expenditures will improve your short-term profitability, but probably at the expense of future net income.

Objective Three: Increase unit sales of a particular title. There is always an incentive to reduce a large inventory. But before you automatically think of remainders or extreme price reductions, evaluate the cause of the inventory glut. If seasonality is the culprit you may be best served by carrying the stock for a short period. However, if poor quality or obsolete information is the reason, then choose other tactics.

Lowering the price (or offering a price incentive) is an option, but generally will not resolve a problem caused by poor quality or if there is no need for the item (What would you pay for a ballpoint pen sharpener?). Stress traditional distribution and targeted promotion (i.e., direct marketing). Emphasize personal selling to increase the typical order size and to find new markets. You will find a decrease in profits, but this might be offset in lower carrying costs.

The next time the urge to increase sales hits you, be more specific about what you really need. Evaluate not only the available strategic options but also the best combination of them. Implement those with the greatest likelihood of delivering what you truly want.

Brian Jud hosts Book Central Station where you can find rated lists of suppliers to help you write, publish and market your books. Post your own reviews and add your favorite suppliers. For a free trial, go to http://www.bookmarketingworks.com/judslist/trial.asp Contact Brian at P. O. Box 715, Avon, CT  06001; (800) 562-4357; brianjud@bookmarketing.com or go to http://www.bookmarketing.com

Need Help Marketing Your Book? Get free book-marketing tips every other week in Brian Jud’s Book Marketing Matters e-newsletter. Go to: www.bookmarketing.com to sign up!

6. Guest Column: Dan Poynter on Used Copies for Sale at Amazon

Many books sent to reviewers in NYC are ripped off in the mailroom and sold to the Strand bookstore. To the basement denizens of large buildings, packages with books are windfall occasions.

But the books offered at Amazon may not be ripped off, may not be review copies and may not even exist.

I sent out more than 100 copies of The Book Publishing Encyclopedia in PDF form via email ONLY. Within hours of the book being posted at Amazon.com, some resellers were offering it in the paper edition. The catch?–The paper edition did not exist.

It appears the resellers wait for a new title to be posted and then immediately post a used copy for sale. They must figure that if they get an order they will find a copy or order it from LSI/Ingram.

See http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/1568601271/ . You will note the book is available in softcover, LARGE print and eBook. All are supplied through LightningSource; the printed books are POD. We do not have an inventory. The books are not returnable. If a reseller receives an order, they will have to go to LSI for a copy.

This case is interesting because the used copy was offered immediately and the used copy did not exist. Not all the used books offered at Amazon are review copies.

7. Guest Column: You CAN Sell the Foreign Rights for Your Book

Are you missing opportunities to sell foreign rights for books because you think people in other cultures are different than North Americans? Elliott Katz thought his book, “Being the Strong Man a Woman Wants: Timeless Wisdom on Being a Man,” was for North American men who need to show more leadership in their relationships with women – a trait many women want in men today. (This may explain why many women won’t “settle” and why women give this book to men to help make them into Mr. Right.)

Katz thought men in other countries were different. Mexico and Latin America helped originate the machismo image of a strong, powerful male. Japan was the land of the Geisha. Eastern Europe had traditional gender roles. But after selling translation rights to publishers in Japan, Korea, Mexico, Brazil, Poland, Russia, Romania, Czech Republic, Slovenia, Serbia and Nigeria, Katz realized while cultures may be different, human nature is similar.

Here’s how you can sell foreign rights to your book:

1. Prepare an email that sells the book and include:

– Successes to date, including sales figures and other rights sales;

– A short summary of the book and the table of contents;

– Reviews and endorsements of the book;

– Links to the book’s Web site, its page on Amazon.com, and radio and TV coverage; Offer to send a copy of the book and ask for the agent’s mailing address.

2. Research foreign rights agents. Good literary agents know the publishers in their markets.

–  Display the book at international book fairs such as BookExpo America, Frankfurt, London and Beijing.

– Consult the list of foreign rights agents in International Literary Market Place, available in the reference section of many libraries.

– Google “foreign rights agents” and “foreign rights.” Results will include publishers’ Web pages with names and contact information for their foreign rights agents.

– To find agents who specialize in a certain genre, such as children’s books, go to Web sites of publishers of that genre and look at their list of foreign rights agents.

3. Send agents the email about your book. When you receive a positive response, send the book with hard copies of reviews and anything else agents can use to sell the book.  Most foreign rights agents charge 10 percent commission on the advance and royalties.

4. Support your agents’ efforts: Send updates on other rights sales, reviews and other media coverage for the agent to send to publishers.

5. When you get an offer: Negotiate the contract. Foreign rights contracts usually grant the publisher only the right to publish the book in its language. All other rights, such as serial rights, are usually retained. Ask your agent about withholding tax that is paid to that country’s government. It’s usually 10 to 15 percent.

Elliott Katz is the author of Being the Strong Man A Woman Wants: Timeless wisdom on being a man. If you have questions, you can contact him at: ElliottRKatz@aol.com and via www.AwardPress.com.

8. Have a Need for Publicity?

PR/PR can help you with all of your publicity needs, from magazines and newspapers to television, radio and online media. If you want to sell more books, get more speaking engagements and be hired for more consulting jobs, you need publicity.

To receive a free consultation, please contact Pam Lontos, President of PR/PR:

407-299-6128 or email: pam@prpr.net.

Pam Lontos is the president of PR/PR, a public relations firm that specializes in professional speakers, authors and experts. An author, speaker and former VP of Disney’s Shamrock Broadcasting, Pam knows the ropes of getting you good publicity and how to use it to boost your bookings or book sales. She is also author of the forthcoming book, “I See Your Name Everywhere!” Call for a free consultation: 407-299-6128 or visit: www.prpr.net.

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