albertasoranzo[dot]com

7 Smart Marketing Links You Can Thank Me For Later …

Robert Bruce — Sat, 19 May 2012 11:00:00 +0000

This week on The Lede …

6 Reasons Why You Should Quit Blogging
The Secret Code for Cracking ‘Tough’ Books and Reading Above Your Level
The True Cost of Building and Managing a WordPress Website
The Bootstrapper’s Bible
Why the iPad Works for Writing
The “5 A” Framework for Content Marketing Success
A 5-Step Technique for Producing Ideas

If you want to grab even more useful links every week, follow @copyblogger on Twitter.

6 Reasons Why You Should Quit Blogging
Mr. Tynski thinks you should quit. Everybody’s doing it. Problem is, they’re doing it for the wrong reasons. Horribly, sadly wrong. Where did you ever get the idea that content production was easy? That overnight success was the norm? That a billion dollar IPO was something you should shoot for? Aw, just go ahead and quit. I’m sure there’s something new and shiny for you just around the corner …

The Secret Code for Cracking ‘Tough’ Books and Reading Above Your Level
Read less. Read better. A dirty little secret of human wisdom (and western publishing) is that, for any given subject you’d like to master, there are only a handful of books that need to be read. Everything else is filler or pale imitation. The catch is, you’ve got to pick the right books. It’s not necessarily difficult to determine what they are, what’s difficult is getting down to business with them. Mr. Holiday lays out a useful plan for doing just that — extracting the valuable lessons from “tough” reads.

The True Cost of Building and Managing a WordPress Website
Think you’re getting a deal from that cheap web host? Think again. The cost of hosting and maintaining a WordPress website is a bit more complex than “getting the cheapest price I can find”. From our newly unboxed Synthesis Managed WordPress Hosting blog, Mr. Morris analyzes these costs — the ones you know about, and the ones you might have missed — and explains what they mean for you, your site, and your business.

The Bootstrapper’s Bible
Mr. Godin wrote this impressive little manifesto in 2004 stating, “There’s never been a better time to start a business with no money.” Seven years later, that statement may be even more true. Mr. Clark has said that, in many ways, building Copyblogger would be much easier today, with the rise of the sharing economy, etc. So take the tools in this free PDF and run them into 2012 and beyond.

Why the iPad Works for Writing
Call me crazy, but if I wasn’t producing Internet Marketing for Smart People Radio, I’d run my entire working life from an iPad. No desktop, no laptop, just that gorgeous, single-tasking little solid-state tablet. Granted, not everyone can do this, but 90% of my work is done in a text editor and through email. Anyway, here’s a few good reasons why the iPad makes for a great writing environment. And, if you developers out there would make an all-in-one serious podcasting app for iOS, you got your first customer right here baby.

The “5 A” Framework for Content Marketing Success
Frameworks are cool. They drop in place, and allow you to get to work on the things that matter, keeping you on course as you go along. Frameworks that build businesses are even cooler. The reason why should be obvious. Mr. Clark drops a content framework into place for you here, one that he’s been working out since the 1990s. No reason to spend a decade or more sweating to figure it out for yourself, he’s got you covered.

A 5-Step Technique for Producing Ideas
Speaking of frameworks, how do you grab your ideas? Do you stare at a wall, or out the window, waiting, praying for a good one to come along? What if there were a systematic process for “producing” ideas? Turns out, there is. You can thank me later.

Did you miss anything on Copyblogger this week?

About the Author: Robert Bruce is Copyblogger Media's Copywriter and Resident Recluse. Get more from Robert on Twitter and Google+.

7 Smart Marketing Links You Can Thank Me For Later …

Robert Bruce — Sat, 19 May 2012 11:00:00 +0000

This week on The Lede …

6 Reasons Why You Should Quit Blogging
The Secret Code for Cracking ‘Tough’ Books and Reading Above Your Level
The True Cost of Building and Managing a WordPress Website
The Bootstrapper’s Bible
Why the iPad Works for Writing
The “5 A” Framework for Content Marketing Success
A 5-Step Technique for Producing Ideas

If you want to grab more useful links (than the seven we highlight here) every week, follow @copyblogger on Twitter.

Did you miss anything on Copyblogger this week?

About the Author: Robert Bruce is Copyblogger Media's Copywriter and Resident Recluse. Get more from Robert on Twitter and Google+.

Where’s the heat?

Seth Godin — Sat, 19 May 2012 09:03:00 +0000

Is that your goal? To find the next hot thing? Do you want to buy it, sell it, use it, eat it?

In every industry where there's fashion (which is every industry), people spend an enormous amount of time looking for heat. It defines the cutting edge, determines what's in or out, what's hot or not.

Two things worth considering:

a. the hot thing isn't always the thing that's aligned with your goals. Sure, sometimes the most profitable item is also the hot item of the moment, but for many companies, market share or profitability or utility has not a lot to do with being on the cutting edge of fashion. And as a user, the hot item of the moment isn't necessarily the thing that will create value or even identify you as truly hip.

b. The cycle of hot keeps getting shorter.

You can chase this, but it's not free, and it might not get you where you want to go.

Seth Godin on When You Should Start Marketing Your Product, Service, or Idea

Robert Bruce — Fri, 18 May 2012 11:00:00 +0000

What is marketing?

Is it a process of gathering as much money as you can, throwing it to the “creative” winds, and hoping something will come back?

Is it a practice of interrupting as many people as possible with a message they don’t care about, and never asked to receive?

Is it a performance you frantically stage around your product, service, or idea, in the final moments before launching it into the world?

Or is it something else entirely? And if it is, how and when do we employ it?

Seth Godin has been asking, answering, and living out these questions for decades. In the process, he’s written thirteen best-selling books, built dozens of companies, and crafted one of the most influential blogs on the planet.

He’s on the show today, delivering a fast and elemental definition of marketing, and what it means to engage an audience in the post-industrial era. Don’t miss this …

In this episode we discuss:

Seth’s definition of marketing
When you should start marketing your product, service, or idea
Why running a ton of ads just doesn’t work anymore
The most important element of good marketing
The most dangerous element of bad marketing
How the Internet builds trust, and why you must get it
A stunning example of breaking out of the old marketing system

Hit the flash player below to listen now:

Other listening options:

The Show Notes:

About the Author: Robert Bruce is Copyblogger Media's Copywriter and Resident Recluse. Get more from Robert on Twitter and Google+.

Not everyone

Seth Godin — Fri, 18 May 2012 09:13:00 +0000

If you're marketing a bass guitar or an orchid or an electric SUV, why are you concerned with what everyone thinks about it?

It seems to me that you should only care about the opinion of those that are actually open to buying one.

Shun the non-believers.

Not everyone

Seth Godin — Fri, 18 May 2012 09:13:00 +0000

If you're marketing a bass guitar or an orchid or an electric SUV, why are you concerned with what everyone thinks about it?

It seems to me that you should only care about the opinion of those that are actually open to buying one.

Shun the non-believers.

3 Simple Ways to Turn Your Website Archive into Profitable Books and eBooks

Joel Friedlander — Thu, 17 May 2012 11:00:00 +0000

Attention Bloggers: I’ve seen the future, and you’re missing it.

Oh sure, we bloggers think we’re the most up-to-date, leading-edge, tech-savvy people on the planet.

But one of the biggest changes in the long history of content creation is taking place right under your feet, and I’m afraid it may be passing you by.

Yep, the ground is shifting, fortunes are being made, and some of the people who could best profit from this tectonic shift — content producers — are mostly sitting on the sidelines.

Okay, what am I talking about? The revolution in book publishing …

Maybe you’ve heard some of the success stories of the authors who’ve been selling a ton of paranormal romances, thrillers or other genre novels on Amazon’s Kindle platform, but that’s not what I’m talking about.

You may have also heard about big-time authors like Barry Eisler, Steven King, Seth Godin and others leading the way in self-publishing. That’s not it either.

What I’m talking about is something bloggers are already expert in: niche publishing.

Bloggers vs. authors

Let’s back up for a minute. Have you ever thought about the similarities between self-publishing and blogging? Probably not, why would you?

But as a blogger who writes about indie book publishing, I think about this stuff all the time. And here’s what I see at this amazing moment in publishing:

Self-publishers and bloggers each have only half the equation for success in the new world of book publishing.

Take authors for example. Most are really good at things like producing long content (long as in 80,000 words), staying with a project for months or years without losing focus, and planning a complex project using freelance contractors.

The problem is, many authors are notorious loners, are often non-technical, they can go years without any contact with their readers, and their mindset may be completely rooted in the 19th century. Not only that, the typical author has no idea of what marketing actually means in the real world.

That might make a blogger feel pretty good about herself.

It’s true that bloggers stay in constant touch with their readers, know how to publish on a schedule, get constant feedback from readers, love to experiment via agile content, and are highly networked with other bloggers in their niche.

But niche market bloggers have obstacles to overcome, too.

They can fall into the trap of thinking 500 words at a time, with disjointed subjects littering their archives. After blogging for a while, they may lose sight of any overarching theme they started with.

Not only that, many bloggers treat their blogs as a “hobby”, or they’re focused on Adsense, affiliate sales and special promotions. Bloggers like to chase the “shiny new object,” fall into the social media time-sink very easily, and all too often rely exclusively on metrics as the measure of their success.

Why book publishing makes sense for bloggers

Here’s what you’ve been missing: you don’t have to be Amanda Hocking or Joe Konrath or John Locke (all of whom have sold a ton of ebook fiction) to get major, potentially life-changing results from book publishing.

This is the dirty little secret behind self-publishing that we’ve been hiding from the big publishers for years:

If you’re a writer with ready access to a niche audience, you’re probably much better off financially publishing your own book.

If you blog on a niche topic and know how to reach the people in that field, why give 85% of your profits to a big publisher in New York?

(If you’re Chris Brogan or Tim Ferriss writing for a mass consumer or mass business market, you might be better off with that big publisher. But if that’s not you, read on.)

The blogger’s unfair advantage

Okay, so you know how to meet deadlines, you publish on a schedule and you’re in touch with your readers. You’re already miles ahead of most self-published authors.

Is it really worth going through the trouble of learning how to publish books? Here are some outcomes that might stimulate you.

Authority — There’s a reason all those guests you see on TV are introduced as “author of …” There’s nothing that will supercharge the authority you have in your niche the way a book will, especially one with lots of testimonials from people your readers know and respect.
Passive income — It’s better than ads in your sidebars, better than pay-per-click, and once your book is for sale in either print or ebook versions, the whole process is completely automatic.
Status — Having a book to your name will spread your profile far beyond the circles you can reach with your blog.
More opportunities — You are likely to get more offers for speaking gigs, joint ventures and co-authoring opportunities once you’re a published author.
Stand out from the crowd — Is there another blogger in your niche who is also a published author? No? What’s stopping you?
Back of the room sales — Another underutilized way to make money from your blog is by selling your book at live appearances, workshops or other events.

But how do you make the leap from blogger to author? It can seem overwhelming when you compare the pile of posts in your archive to a neat and cohesive manuscript ready to publish.

Don’t despair; I’ve got three methods you can use, so read on to see which one appeals to you …

1. The site archive method

Lots of bloggers ignore their archives, which is a shame.

We’re so concerned with the next post that we forget all the value we’ve built up over the months or years we’ve been blogging.

In this method you explore your archives for themes that keep reappearing, or for posts you wrote to answer the most common and compelling questions people keep coming up with in your niche. Your “pillar” or “evergreen” or “foundation” posts are going to come into play here.

Gather the posts you find that meet your criteria into sections, each one for a separate subject. These will eventually become the chapters in your book.

This is the method I used last year when I published A Self-Publisher’s Companion. Then I wrote an introduction for the book, added an up-to-date resource section and the book was done. How cool is that?

2. The series method

This is the opposite of the Archive method, because it means you’ll be writing the book as a series of blog posts or, more likely, as several series.

You’ll outline the book first. This doesn’t have to be difficult, just pick the subjects you want to cover and then divide them into chapters.

For example, your book might have 12 chapters, and each chapter could be about 5,000 words.

Create a blog post that looks at each aspect of your chapter. You’re now looking at a series of five 1,000-word articles. And don’t forget, blog post series are a great way to keep readers involved and coming back for more, so you’ll win both ways, as a blogger and an author.

Just keep writing those series of blog posts, and pretty soon your manuscript will be finished and ready to go.

3. The big edit method

In this method you’ll treat all posts as potential first draft material.

Although this takes the greatest amount of work, it has the potential to produce the best book from the copy you’ve already written.

Look through the content you already have, selecting the parts that work within the scheme of your book. You’ll be doing a ton of cutting-and-pasting as you assemble the bits you want to use.

Undoubtedly, you’ll need to write new material to create an effective manuscript that flows well from one subject to another. To use this method, you’ll probably also need to hire an editor to help shape and smooth out the manuscript.

The truth is, in the book world, hiring an editor is always a good idea.

Your book editor can be a powerful ally when it comes to creating a book people really want to buy.

What’s next?

Now, you’ve got a real book manuscript.

When I did this last year it took about 40 blog posts and a new introduction to create a 222-page trade paperback that sells for $14.95 (print) or $4.99 (ebook).

What’s the profit look like from those books? On sales at Amazon.com — after all discounts and manufacturing costs — my profit is $8.00 per paperback and $3.75 per ebook.

Getting interested? Want to know how to get started turning your archives into books? Here are some tips:

The fastest way to get a book up for sale without the complications of formatting for print production is with an ebook.
These are ePub and Mobi ebooks, not PDF ebooks like the ones you give away on your blog.
You can convert your own files to ebooks with free software like Calibre or with a tool like Scrivener, used by many ebook authors. Apple’s Pages outputs to ePub, and more tools like this are coming online constantly.
Smashwords will convert your book for free if you follow their formatting guidelines.
BookBaby offers great deals on ebook conversion and distribution to all major retailers at very low fees.
Become part of the book scene by getting familiar with some of the big reader communities that are growing like crazy online. Goodreads, Shelfari, Wattpad, and Scribd are all new communities with millions of members that most bloggers have never even heard of.
Use your blogging schedule to plan out the article series that will become your book manuscript. For instance, you might want to have a special focus on your blog for the month, encouraging lots of discussion and interaction while you’re creating that specific part of your book.
Leverage your blogging network when it comes time to launch and promote your book. After all, you establish these connections to help market your blog. When your book comes out, it’s a great opportunity to “tour” the other blogs in your niche, exposing you to tons of new readers.

The time is now

Well, there you have it.

No group of people is better situated than bloggers RIGHT NOW to take advantage of the historic movement to digital books and the exploding popularity of self-publishing.

Will you join the revolution?

About the Author: Joel Friedlander (@JFBookman) is an award-winning book designer, a blogger, and the author of A Self-Publisher’s Companion: Expert Advice for Authors Who Want to Publish. He’s been launching the careers of self-publishers since 1994 and writes TheBookDesigner.com, a popular blog on book design, book marketing and the future of the book. Joel's also just about to launch a new online training course, The Self-Publishing Roadmap.

3 Simple Ways to Turn Your Website Archive into Profitable Books and eBooks

Joel Friedlander — Thu, 17 May 2012 11:00:00 +0000

Attention Bloggers: I’ve seen the future, and you’re missing it.

Oh sure, we bloggers think we’re the most up-to-date, leading-edge, tech-savvy people on the planet.

But one of the biggest changes in the long history of content creation is taking place right under your feet, and I’m afraid it may be passing you by.

Yep, the ground is shifting, fortunes are being made, and some of the people who could best profit from this tectonic shift — content producers — are mostly sitting on the sidelines.

Okay, what am I talking about? The revolution in book publishing …

You may have also heard about big-time authors like Barry Eisler, Steven King, Seth Godin and others leading the way in self-publishing. That’s not it either.

What I’m talking about is something bloggers are already expert in: niche publishing.

Bloggers vs. authors

Let’s back up for a minute. Have you ever thought about the similarities between self-publishing and blogging? Probably not, why would you?

But as a blogger who writes about indie book publishing, I think about this stuff all the time. And here’s what I see at this amazing moment in publishing:

Self-publishers and bloggers each have only half the equation for success in the new world of book publishing.

That might make a blogger feel pretty good about herself.

But niche market bloggers have obstacles to overcome, too.

Why book publishing makes sense for bloggers

This is the dirty little secret behind self-publishing that we’ve been hiding from the big publishers for years:

If you’re a writer with ready access to a niche audience, you’re probably much better off financially publishing your own book.

If you blog on a niche topic and know how to reach the people in that field, why give 85% of your profits to a big publisher in New York?

(If you’re Chris Brogan or Tim Ferriss writing for a mass consumer or mass business market, you might be better off with that big publisher. But if that’s not you, read on.)

The blogger’s unfair advantage

Okay, so you know how to meet deadlines, you publish on a schedule and you’re in touch with your readers. You’re already miles ahead of most self-published authors.

Is it really worth going through the trouble of learning how to publish books? Here are some outcomes that might stimulate you.

Authority — There’s a reason all those guests you see on TV are introduced as “author of …” There’s nothing that will supercharge the authority you have in your niche the way a book will, especially one with lots of testimonials from people your readers know and respect.
Passive income — It’s better than ads in your sidebars, better than pay-per-click, and once your book is for sale in either print or ebook versions, the whole process is completely automatic.
Status — Having a book to your name will spread your profile far beyond the circles you can reach with your blog.
More opportunities — You are likely to get more offers for speaking gigs, joint ventures and co-authoring opportunities once you’re a published author.
Stand out from the crowd — Is there another blogger in your niche who is also a published author? No? What’s stopping you?
Back of the room sales — Another underutilized way to make money from your blog is by selling your book at live appearances, workshops or other events.

But how do you make the leap from blogger to author? It can seem overwhelming when you compare the pile of posts in your archive to a neat and cohesive manuscript ready to publish.

Don’t despair; I’ve got three methods you can use, so read on to see which one appeals to you …

1. The site archive method

Lots of bloggers ignore their archives, which is a shame.

We’re so concerned with the next post that we forget all the value we’ve built up over the months or years we’ve been blogging.

Gather the posts you find that meet your criteria into sections, each one for a separate subject. These will eventually become the chapters in your book.

2. The series method

This is the opposite of the Archive method, because it means you’ll be writing the book as a series of blog posts or, more likely, as several series.

You’ll outline the book first. This doesn’t have to be difficult, just pick the subjects you want to cover and then divide them into chapters.

For example, your book might have 12 chapters, and each chapter could be about 5,000 words.

Just keep writing those series of blog posts, and pretty soon your manuscript will be finished and ready to go.

3. The big edit method

In this method you’ll treat all posts as potential first draft material.

Although this takes the greatest amount of work, it has the potential to produce the best book from the copy you’ve already written.

Look through the content you already have, selecting the parts that work within the scheme of your book. You’ll be doing a ton of cutting-and-pasting as you assemble the bits you want to use.

The truth is, in the book world, hiring an editor is always a good idea.

Your book editor can be a powerful ally when it comes to creating a book people really want to buy.

What’s next?

Now, you’ve got a real book manuscript.

When I did this last year it took about 40 blog posts and a new introduction to create a 222-page trade paperback that sells for $14.95 (print) or $4.99 (ebook).

What’s the profit look like from those books? On sales at Amazon.com — after all discounts and manufacturing costs — my profit is $8.00 per paperback and $3.75 per ebook.

Getting interested? Want to know how to get started turning your archives into books? Here are some tips:

The fastest way to get a book up for sale without the complications of formatting for print production is with an ebook.
These are ePub and Mobi ebooks, not PDF ebooks like the ones you give away on your blog.
You can convert your own files to ebooks with free software like Calibre or with a tool like Scrivener, used by many ebook authors. Apple’s Pages outputs to ePub, and more tools like this are coming online constantly.
Smashwords will convert your book for free if you follow their formatting guidelines.
BookBaby offers great deals on ebook conversion and distribution to all major retailers at very low fees.
Become part of the book scene by getting familiar with some of the big reader communities that are growing like crazy online. Goodreads, Shelfari, Wattpad, and Scribd are all new communities with millions of members that most bloggers have never even heard of.
Use your blogging schedule to plan out the article series that will become your book manuscript. For instance, you might want to have a special focus on your blog for the month, encouraging lots of discussion and interaction while you’re creating that specific part of your book.
Leverage your blogging network when it comes time to launch and promote your book. After all, you establish these connections to help market your blog. When your book comes out, it’s a great opportunity to “tour” the other blogs in your niche, exposing you to tons of new readers.

The time is now

Well, there you have it.

No group of people is better situated than bloggers RIGHT NOW to take advantage of the historic movement to digital books and the exploding popularity of self-publishing.

Will you join the revolution?

The quickest way to get things done and make change

Seth Godin — Thu, 17 May 2012 09:33:56 +0000

Not the easiest, but the quickest:

Don't demand authority.

Eagerly take responsibility.

Relentlessly give credit.

The quickest way to get things done and make change

Seth Godin — Thu, 17 May 2012 09:33:56 +0000

Not the easiest, but the quickest:

Don't demand authority.

Eagerly take responsibility.

Relentlessly give credit.

albertasoranzo[dot]com

7 Smart Marketing Links You Can Thank Me For Later …

Did you miss anything on Copyblogger this week?

Related Stories

7 Smart Marketing Links You Can Thank Me For Later …

Did you miss anything on Copyblogger this week?

Related Stories

Where’s the heat?

Seth Godin on When You Should Start Marketing Your Product, Service, or Idea

Related Stories

Not everyone

Not everyone

3 Simple Ways to Turn Your Website Archive into Profitable Books and eBooks

Bloggers vs. authors

Why book publishing makes sense for bloggers

The blogger’s unfair advantage

1. The site archive method

2. The series method

3. The big edit method

What’s next?

The time is now

Related Stories

3 Simple Ways to Turn Your Website Archive into Profitable Books and eBooks

Bloggers vs. authors

Why book publishing makes sense for bloggers

The blogger’s unfair advantage

1. The site archive method

2. The series method

3. The big edit method

What’s next?

The time is now

Related Stories

The quickest way to get things done and make change

The quickest way to get things done and make change