How should you price your eBook?

I’ve been attending the virtual Non-Fiction Writers Conference this week hosted by Stephanie Chandler.  As always (this is my 3rd year to participate) the conference is FULL of excellent information.  I’ll be blogging about several of the things I’ve learned in the coming weeks.

This morning we heard from Mark Coker of Smashwords.  He is one of the pioneers in opening up the world of eBook sales to the Indie Publisher community.  He had many things to share but I thought this was the most interesting.

In a recent study of results of Smashwords distributed eBooks had a very interesting finding when it looked at the optimal price point for eBooks.  On average, a book priced at $3.99 returned the same profit to the author as a book priced at $9.99.  The difference in the number of books sold at $3.99 vs. $9.99 was great enough to make the profit the same.  The big difference in the results is that $3.99 EQUALS MORE READERS.

Since the goal of most non-fiction authors is about getting their ideas out and using their book as a first step to drawing fans who will participate in their business in bigger ways $3.99 and more readers is a great strategic price point.

You can read the entire post on Smashwords Blog here:  http://blog.smashwords.com/2013/05/new-smashwords-survey-helps-authors.html

If you are a reader of digital books, what is your most attractive price point?  If you are an author, what will you choose for the price of your eBook?

The Ultimate Complete Social Media Sizing Cheat Sheet

Everybody knows the importance of having appealing graphics in your social media profiles — they make your page more interesting, more engaging for your readers and they go a long way toward establishing your brand.

But getting your existing graphics to conform to the requirements of each social media site can be tedious and frustrating.  And worst of all, the platforms are always changing their requirements.  If you aren’t particularly savvy in the graphic design department it can be extremely time consuming to guess at the size until you hit it right.

Well, Dan Wilkerson at LunaMetrics is here to save the day.  A few months ago, Dan put together a great infographic with all the size requirements for various elements of Facebook and Twitter.  It was quite popular on Pinterest and got passed around quite a bit — I pinned it myself and passed it on to several folks.  But that was an eon ago in social media time and many of those specifications have been changed.  So Dan has updated it and also includes measurements for Pinterest, YouTube, Google+ and Linked In for both pictures and video. And best of all, it is completely free **cue the angels — “ahhhh!!!”**

This is one of the most useful, most generous things I’ve seen out there on the internet in a while.  So go check this out and bookmark it (Dan promises to update it as things change) so you can always find it when you need it.

Here’s the link:  The Ultimate Complete Final Social Media Sizing Cheat Sheet

And while you are there, leave a comment for Dan and tell him how much you appreciate him being a generous guy.

What is YOUR best pathway to publishing?

It can be quite bewildering to be an author standing at the crossroads of choice in publishing paths.

Traditional or trade publishing is one way to go but you must first “sell” your idea to a publisher. If you are successful in landing a book contract it will likely be 18-24 months before your book actually hits the shelf. You must also give up control of your work to the publishing company’s editorial process and the title may or (more likely) may not be the one you had in mind. And although the publishing company takes on the expense of the publishing process, you will still be responsible for marketing expenses and your return on the book will likely be very small.  Traditional publishing can open doors to press on a larger stage and will be the best opportunity to see your book on the bookshelf at Barnes and Noble.  If those things are important to your goals, it may be worth the tradeoff.  That is, IF (and it is a big IF) you can get the attention of a traditional publisher.

Many authors are choosing to self-publish instead. In fact, some very successful traditionally published authors are choosing this pathway for future projects.  The opportunity to retain control, speed to market and larger royalties are some of the reasons to choose this path. There are some tradeoffs though. The author must create a publishing company and take on the expense of publishing. By choosing to take on publishing, the author is venturing into a new industry that they are most likely unfamiliar with. There are many small details that need to be taken care of and the author doesn’t know what they don’t know.

So what is an author to do?  There is a new category of publishing that I am proud to be a part of — we are calling it Assisted Self Publishing.  This model allows the author to maintain the control and speed of self-publishing without having to learn everything there is to know about the publishing business.  Using trained and experienced publishing assistants and Professional Virtual Author’s Assistants to guide you through the process and take on the many administrative details can allow you to produce a professional quality book at a reasonable price point without having to turn your attention away from your other business pursuits.

I am proud to be participating in a project that is an attempt to give you a “behind the curtain” view of what it is like to publish a book under this new publishing model.  We have a team of professionals who are all blogging about their process along with the author who is blogging about her experience in publishing in this way. Visit the blog here to watch the project unfold.

Worldreader Books for All

Photo: Priscilla, a student at Kade SHS in Ghana, shows off her e-reader.

Don’t you just love it when you have a chance to do good by doing what you do best?

One of my favorite things about my work is the opportunity to advance the good work of my clients who are doing good in the world.  I’ve had the opportunity to work on projects that have spread important messages that are near and dear to the hearts of their authors.  And I learn something from every one of them.

One of my clients, Maria Ross, has shown me a new way to help spread important work to the world.  Maria donated her book Rebooting My Brain: How a Freak Aneurysm Reframed My Life to be a part of Worldreader Books for All.  Worldreader is an organization that is using the digital book publishing revolution as a way to promote literacy in developing countries.  They are literally using books as a way to open doors for kids all over the world.  They raise funds to buy Kindles and other eReaders and then fill them with books that have been donated by their authors.

If you are an author who can imagine your book being read by someone a world away and sparking something in them that could change their life I invite you to check out Worldreader.  If your mother read to you as a child consider honoring her on Mother’s Day with a gift to Worldreader in her name. It is an amazing opportunity to do good in the world.

7 Tips for Using Copyrighted Material in Your Book

“Can’t I quote someone if I just give them credit?”  This is an often-asked question from authors.  I think a lot of confusion comes from past experiences in academic writing.  When you write a research paper in school it is expected that you will quote other people’s ideas and the requirement is to give credit in either a footnote or bibliography.  It is completely different when you use those same quotes in a commercial endeavor. And if you intend to sell your book, it is most definitely a commercial endeavor.

I wish I could give you a clear checklist that would tell you whether or not any given material is protected by copyright and requires permission. Some things are more straightforward than others but, unfortunately, there is no clear black and white when it comes to copyright law.  I recently listened to a teleseminar presented by a couple of attorneys who specialize in Intellectual Property Law in the hopes of learning the magic formula.  My major take-away from the call was that you can expect to spend a great deal of money in attorney fees if you are challenged on copyright infringement and won’t really know what to expect until the verdict is rendered! Given that uncertainty, the best advice is to steer clear of including any materials that you don’t have specific permission to use.

There are several things you should do to assure you have taken all the necessary steps to obtain permission.

1. Start early.  Don’t wait until the end of your writing process to begin the request for permission.  As soon as you decide you would like to use material that is not originally yours you should start the process to obtain permission.  Sometimes the path to find the true owner of the copyright is not as simple as it may seem.  It is quite perilous to move into production if you haven’t acquired all the required permissions so waiting to hear back could stall the release of your book.
2. Consider a “Plan B” as backup. It is not a guarantee that you will be granted permission to use the material. Sometimes the answer is a flat no. Other times, permissions are offered for a fee and you may decide that the fee is outside your budget. It is good to start from the beginning with an idea of how you might convey the concept without the use of the copyrighted materials.
3. Don’t assume that you can just paraphrase to get around having permission.  If you change a word here and there or the order of a sentence or two won’t make it original material. If you take a long piece and summarize it in an original paragraph you won’t have to get permission.
4. Get it in writing. You may have a relationship with some of the people you need permission from, either colleagues or friends. The request for permission may be quite informal and the response could be a simple “Sure! I’d love to be included in your book.” It is important that you have documented permission from every copyright holder — you never know when a relationship could sour or the copyright could be passed on to another person via the sale of a business that includes intellectual property or inheritance.
5. Have a clear system in place.  This is an area that an Author’s Virtual Assistant can definitely help. We maintain a spreadsheet of all permissions needed and follow up with the owners until we have the documentation in hand. Just remember that having permission and having it documented will do you no good if you are unable to produce the documentation if needed.
6. Just because the original author is dead doesn’t mean you don’t need permission.  The copyright lasts until the author’s death + 70 years — that’s a long time!  Tracking down copyright owners can sometimes be an interesting venture into genealogy.
7. Don’t assume that something that is common is not copyrighted. My favorite example of this–the song “Happy Birthday” is still protected by copyright. The next time you hear it sung in a movie, watch for the credits and you’ll see the original authors, Mildred and Patty Hill credited and you can be assured the producer paid a royalty to use it. That’s why you will hear a different ditty usually sung at a restaurant when the waiters come out to embarrass the birthday honoree with cake and song. Technically, if they sing that traditional version they owe the copyright holder a royalty.

Gifts for Authors (and Aspiring Authors)

If you are looking for some last minute gift ideas or stocking stuffers for aspiring writers and/or speakers I have a few ideas for you.

• Moleskine Ruled Notebooks — this is a great little all notebook with a beautiful look and feel. You can get them in several sizes but I recommend a smaller version that can easily be tucked into a purse or pocket. It’s a great way to capture ideas wherever you are when inspiration strikes.
• Post-it Notes Super Sticky Pads — this seems as if everyone has them but if you haven’t tried the super sticky pads you’ll love these. Writers can use these to put ideas and concepts or even entire phrases on a note and then rearrange them on a large wall to get ideas about how to structure a book.
• A selection of great pens in multi-color inks — nothing helps inspire me like an easy writing pen and some color for creativity.
• A subscription to The Writer Magazine — This is a magazine that is full of features to help improve writing, keep abreast of literary markets and lots of tips from famous authors.  I enjoy every issue! www.writermag.com
• Stephen King’s book On Writing – this is a great book about writing by a very successful writer.  The first half of the book is autobiographical and very inspirational as you learn that everything a writer goes through is useful to his writing. The second half is full of practical advice on writing.
• The Artist’s Way by Julia Cameron – This book is a step by step process for exploring, examining and unblocking creativity. Questions and exercises along with short essays on the journey of the artist will remind the reader of the creativity that is always available to them.
• The Elements of Style – Strunk & White — this is a quintessential reference book for writers, right up there with a thesaurus and a dictionary.  One of my favorite parts is an entire chapter of alphabetical listing of commonly misused words and expressions.
• Evernote – While the free version is certainly useful, a yearly premium subscription at $45 for the year is a great gift.  Writers can use this tool to organize and record thoughts as well as record business records and the premium version offers even more features and flexibility.
• Time away — If you really want to splurge, give a writer a gift of time and solitude. A gift certificate for a long weekend at a bed and breakfast or even a local hotel for a “writer’s retreat” where there are no interruptions would be an outstanding gift.

Making a List and Checking it Twice …

‘Tis the season!  The season of joy. The season of light. The season of giving. But for many people, it is also the season of overwhelm.

• Calendar — In addition to parties and other appointments I will be scheduling in time for the things that make the holidays special for me including making time to trim the tree with my husband, a visit to the Austin Zilker Christmas Tree with my grandkids, and an evening driving around to see the most spectacular light displays in town.
• Sizes List —  I keep an ongoing list of clothing and shoe sizes of all my family members.  It requires regular updating for my growing grandkids but it helps reduce returns. I can also send it to other family members who may need it.
• Gifts Ideas & Plan— This list will help keep me focused on my intention to make the holidays more family centered and less about things.  I will be emphasizing quality over quantity in my gift-giving this year.
• Purchased/Wrapped List —  I started keeping this list a few years ago after I forgot to give some of the gifts I purchased.  This list can also come in handy if a gift needs to be returned—I add a column for the store the gift was purchased and keep ALL my receipts in a single envelope.
• Personal TO DO List — Keeping an ongoing list will help me to be more efficient and more prepared to hand off tasks when my husband offers to help. I designate errands on this list with a star so I can group those together to save time and gas.
• NOT TO DO List — This is at least as important as the “To Do” list.  Sometimes I need to remind myself of the things I will be saying “no” to this year.
• My own Wish List — I seem to always find things I’d love to have when I am shopping. Adding them to this list makes Santa’s job much easier.

The Power of Expressing Appreciation

Since this is the week of Thanksgiving, I started to write this week’s blog about the things I am grateful for in my business. It was a pretty long list! I am blessed to have a thriving business at a time when many of my friends have lost their jobs. I love what I do and I love who I do it for. I have a strong sense that the work I do matters. In many ways I have achieved my ultimate “wish list” in my business.

I am very fortunate and very thankful to have clients who not only appreciate what I do for them but also make a point to tell me so often. I know that a word or gesture of thanks can lift my spirits on a day when I am feeling tired and always drives me to do more great work on their behalf. Appreciation really is the fuel in my tank.

My experience in receiving expressions of appreciation has made me acutely aware of the impact we all have on every person we come in contact with. The way we interact with each other truly matters. What a difference a kind word or a simple “thank you” can make.

The upcoming holiday season brings great joy to many people but it can also be a time of stress or even profound sadness. One of my favorite quotes is from Plato ~ “Be kind, for everyone you meet is fighting a hard battle.” You just never know what someone may be dealing with and the impact you can have.  So I’m challenging myself to make a conscious effort to find things to appreciate about the people I encounter and to express that appreciation whenever possible. It may be the most powerful thing I can do to create the peace and joy I want to see in the world.

Fear of Diving In

Sometimes you have to do the thing that scares you and just jump into the deep end of the pool.

I remember being a kid and wanting to jump off the high diving board at the local pool — it looked like so much fun but I wondered if I would ever have the courage to do it.  Finally I got up the courage to give it a try.  The first step was to simply go stand in line.  The line got shorter and shorter and then it was my turn to climb the ladder.  That ladder seemed to go on and on, climbing higher and higher.  Funny, it didn’t look nearly as high from down on the ground.

Then I was standing on the end of the diving board and I was sure that everyone at the pool was looking at me.  I was petrified to jump … did I mention that I’m afraid of heights?  But it was even more scary to think about taking the “walk of shame” back down the ladder.  So I did the thing that scared me — I jumped.

And I didn’t die!  See, I grew up and am a grandmother now so I obviously didn’t die when my 10 year old self stepped off the edge of the board and jumped right into the deep end.  I didn’t die, but I remember that I wasn’t particularly graceful and the water stung a bit when I hit … but I DIDN’T DIE!

So I’ve been working with authors for a few years now.  It looks like so much fun when I see their pride in finishing up a manuscript or getting that first copy of their book in hand. I’ve been toying with the idea of writing a book myself and I feel like I’m a kid again standing in line to go off the high diving board.

I’ve recently been given the opportunity to participate in a book that is right up my alley — a book about using authorship to advance your business.  And I said yes.  So I’ve been climbing the ladder the last few days.  So now I’m standing on the edge of the diving board of authorship.  It took a lot of courage to climb that ladder as I’ve told some people I’m going to do it (and now I’m telling all of you!).  It may not be literary genius and I’ll be depending on a good editor like I depended on the lifeguards that day at the pool but I’m going to jump!

So wish me luck — I’m expecting that I won’t die.

Is there a project you want to undertake that scares you?  Feel free to use the comments to declare your intention and climb the ladder yourself.

Making it easy to schedule appointments

I used to spend a significant amount of time scheduling appointments.  It almost always required multiple emails resulting in what I recently heard referred to as “calendar battleship” — you know, the game that goes like this:  “How about Monday at 2:00 my time/3:00 your time.”  “MISS — How about Tuesday at 11:00 or Wednesday at 1:00”  “MISS — I could do Thursday at 8:30 or any time after 2:00 on Friday” Usually, about this time, one or both parties are ready to throw in the towel!

I am happy to report that I have all but eliminated that particular game from my work day by using an online scheduling service called TimeTrade.  Last year I tried a similar service called Tungle.me but found that many of my less computer savvy clients found it difficult to use — which pretty much defeated the purpose for me.

I first encountered TimeTrade from the side of someone who wanted to schedule an appointment. My favorite headshot photographer Korey Howell uses it to schedule photography sessions. It was an exceptionally easy system to use even as a first timer. Korey sent me a link for the type of appointment I needed. I first chose between several available days and then was given the available time slots to choose from. After I picked my time I got an email that made it easy to save to my calendar along with some helpful tips from Korey about how to prepare for my session and what to wear.

It was such a positive experience from the customer side I decided to check into using it myself. I was thrilled to discover that it was surprisingly affordable — just $49 a YEAR. And while I liked it as a customer trying to schedule an appointment, I liked it from the service provider side even more. It allows me to set blocks of time I want to be available for different types of appointments with a separate link for each. So I can make one link available for 1 hour blocks for existing client and another link for 30 minute blocks for the free consultation I make available to people who want to explore my services. I even have another link for scheduling lunches. TimeTrade automatically syncs to my calendar so it removes times I schedule directly from the available times list.

This has made it much easier and less time consuming for me and those who want to book time with me. No more back and forth emails to try to discover matching availability. I have made it simple to schedule a complimentary strategy session with me by posting a link on my website and in my email signature. And because TimeTrade automatically sends reminder emails, I have significantly decreased cancellations and missed appointments.  If you want to schedule a consultation with me you can see how it works — just click here.

If you are looking for some help with calendar management and appointment setting TimeTrade may be a good solution. It can free up more of your time or your assistant’s time to work on bigger projects.