Marketing, marketing, marketing!

Marketing. Have I mentioned that term before? Publishing a book is a lot like real estate, which has three simple rules: location, location, location. Publishing is no different: marketing, marketing, marketing. I forgot about the content a while ago. What's my book about? I forget. Something about leadership. Let me tell you about myself and who I am. That's the world of publishing. Today, thanks to the many advances in technology over the past several decades, I can be my own marketing agent. All it takes is a computer, a little (very little) technical savvy, my unofficial partner, Google, and the abundance of information available on the Internet (thanks, Al Gore) to become a marketing agent.

When confronted with the idea of becoming my own marketing agent, I considered abandoning my quest to publish my book. It served its purpose as a doctoral project requirement, and I really wanted to get back to writing fiction. I started a novel a lifetime ago, or so it seems, prior to my academic endeavors. I've been yearning to finish it because real writers write fiction (say that three times fast), or so I thought. Real writers write good material, fiction or non. Two hundred pages, 1.5 spaced, was nothing to sneeze at, so why shelf the manuscript prematurely? So far, I was the only one who rejected it, and that I did out of convenience to suit my own needs.

The more I thought about it, the more I realized that when I did finish my novel, I was going to go through the same process - marketing. Even if my novel had bestseller written all over it, I was going to need a literary agent or a publisher, who would undoubtedly ask for a marketing plan. So, rather than postpone the inevitable, I decided to pursue publishing my doctoral manuscript. I sought independent reviewers who would comprise my targeted audience, and I learned everything I could about marketing. In fact, I'm still learning. It's a seemingly never-ending rabbit hole. There's always a different approach or outlet for marketing. The key, though, in my amateur opinion, is to create as many venues as possible - blogs, Twitter, Facebook, podcasts, Youtube, etc. Much of the information I've read indicates most people don't purchase books in a bookstore because they happened to see it. Most people purchase books due to savvy marketing!

Publishing: On My Way to Base Camp

Well, I've begun the trek to base camp. That is, I've started to receive notifications from publishers and literary agents. Mostly I have received courteous rejection letters that indicate my manuscript is not something that is a good "fit" for them. They wished me well in my endeavors. One publisher here in Virginia has placed my manuscript in their queue. In the meantime, they requested a detailed marketing plan (there's that word again). I'll admit, I don't know a whole lot about marketing, but it seems to me the main goal of marketing extends beyond simply putting a product in someone's hand. It involves creating a brand and establishing worth and value in order to  maintain relevance and significance. No easy feat to be sure.

Marketing is all about having a plan - and a backup plan, and a backup to the backup plan. It's an undertaking not suited for the timid, shy, or those lacking in self-confidence. Rejection will become your nemesis with whom you will become all too familiar. A successful marketing plan requires passion, unbridled enthusiasm, and the belief that you actually have something to offer. Sure, that sounds easy, but just wait until the rejection notices start flooding your inbox. Then it's a different story because what you're essentially marketing is YOU! You begin thinking about marketing your book, which, of course, you are attached to because you wrote it. However, it will quickly become abundantly clear that you aren't going to get much mileage out of just your book. People become interested in your book only after they become interested in you.

Do you have a story to tell? What's the story behind the story? What prompted you to write a book, and why did you choose that particular topic? This is what sells YOU and ultimately sells books. Readers want to hear a success story, a story about achievement and overcoming adversity. People like winners because everyone wants to be a winner, and one of the best ways to feel like a winner is to associate with winners. Winners are successful. They've overcome adversity and survived; they've scaled insurmountable obstacles and lived to tell the tale; they've achieved the impossible and now personify human endurance and determination. Their stories are rife with ups and downs, laughter and tears, joy and sorrow. But they end in victory, success, and accomplishment, which is what makes them worth hearing. And it's these endings that make them marketable. As an author, it's important to remember you are not marketing your book. You are marketing yourself! Your book is merely an extension of your story.

The Return to 26.2

Over the weekend I watched a documentary titled My Run. It's the story of Terry Hitchcock, a man who decided to run from Minnesota to Georgia to create awareness for single parents. He came up with this idea after his wife died from breast cancer. At 56 years old, he wasn't exactly in shape to run let alone run the equivalent of a marathon a day (26.2 miles) for 75 days. Undeterred, he began training. Shortly into his training, he suffered a heart attack. The doctors urged him to abandon his quest and insisted continuation could result in a more severe heart attack and possibly death. He remained undaunted and continued to train. When the morning finally arrived for him to begin his incredible journey, he started out like most runners do - one step at a time. Well, 75 days later he arrived in Georgia on the day prior to the start of the 1996 Olympics.

Ten years ago, I ran my first marathon, the Shamrock. I always enjoyed running, but I was sidelined a number of years ago due to plantar fasciitis and later by herniated discs in my lower back. I've gradually been working my way back. Just this past weekend my daughter, Brooke, and I completed a local 5K. At seven years old, she out-paced me. Nevertheless we both had fun and shared a memory that we will both carry with us for the rest of our lives. Prior to this event, I had started running again in order to train and prepare for it. Now that I had finished my doctoral program, I had time to run and wasn't confined to using the Versa Climber in the garage (although I still use it as a means of cross training). With the goal of obtaining a doctorate behind me, it was time to focus on a new challenge. So I decided to embrace running and set my sights on the March 2015 Shamrock Marathon. I knew what was required to train and prepare, and I knew the mistakes I had made previously.

As I thought about the goal I set for myself and committed to doing (I already registered so there was no turning back), I realized the importance goals have in regard to leadership. Leaders set the example for others to follow; they motivate, inspire, and dare others to overcome challenge and adversity against seemingly insurmountable odds. They are not special, nor are they extraordinary. Rather, they view adversity as a challenge, a throw-down. To them, it's not a dare to attempt; it's a dare to finish. And they embrace the challenge and face it head-on. Many will say, "It can't be done." But that's only because no one has ever tried. A leader must challenge him or herself and face adversity if he or she is going to challenge others and  help them achieve success. Success usually involves a story filled with adversity - adversity that in the end was overcome by will and sheer determination. The starting line is filled with followers, but the finish line is where the leaders gather to celebrate victory!