Author: Dan Blank

In a Crowded Marketplace, VOICE is Your Differentiator.

I spent this week with publishing folks in New York City at the Digital Book World conference. And I’m walking away with one big point: it’s not about the tech.

Yes, the technology enables. We need to know how to produce better ebooks; properly marked up XML files; new workflows for modern publishing; and provides smaller publishers new opportunities to scale.

But I want to talk about investment in PEOPLE. The employees within publishing houses – how are they being groomed and mentored to help build better companies and books that serve readers and writers?

And by natural extension, how are those in publishing supporting writers. And readers.

I ran a 3-hour workshop at Digital Book World titled “How to Create the Content Your Audience Desperate Wants, But Doesn’t Know to Ask For.” This was meant for anyone in the publishing process to leverage communication channels to find the right audience and engage with them in a meaningful way, not a promotional way. A key theme that kept coming up is this:

VOICE.

Voice is a uniquely human element of how we engage with ideas and form relationships. You can’t clone it and scale it, you can’t code it, you can’t mass produce it. The voice of an author can help readers not just understand a topic, but shape their identity.

How come we can have 1,000 books on a topic or type of story, yet only one will resonate with you?

More and more, I am looking for examples of voice that are engaging small audiences in deeply meaningful ways. In other words: how can we look beyond the example of Steve Jobs? How can we not judge the power of voice by revenue alone, but instead by effect – how one’s voice shapes the world for others. Too often, publishers and writers look at the point of sale of a book as the culmination of a relationship with writers & readers. But it is the effect of reading that book which builds the legacy they really hope for.

In my workshop, I provided lots of examples of voice. These were names and faces, and each represented larger ideals and identities. These people offered more than just a connection to one person, they represented a connection to an entire community. They are a gateway. For many this connection goes beyond the topic or content alone – they open up a whole new world.

In a crowded marketplace, voice is your differentiator. At the conference, a colleague said that sometimes they feel that with so many writers self-publishing and promoting their work, it is like standing in front of a massive wall of pay phones, and all of them ringing at once. Everyone is screaming for attention: “Buy my book!”

Which is why I focus on voice. Voice is not about HOW you scream for attention, it is about not needing to scream at all. It is about people preferring to sit down to a long conversation with you. Where they lean in when you whisper something because you no longer need to shout.

Voice aligns with Kevin Kelly’s idea of 1,000 true fans; that when you have an engaging voice that connects to the heart of the right audience, you no longer need a huge crowd to rally around you in order to succeed. You just need 1,000 of the RIGHT people, not 100,000 who don’t really engage with you.

How often have you gone to a concert at a massive stadium and felt an empty disconnect due to the distance, the size, the way your seat is sticky and uncomfortable because it was designed for faceless thousands, not for YOU. This is a commodity experience. Even if the band remembers that particular show, they certainly don’t remmeber you.

But at a small intimate show, you feel that you are a PART of a moment with the musicians. And they with you. You do contribute to aspects of the experience. Who you are and the way you effect the moment is aplified due to the scale. WHO is there matters more than how many.

Too often, people feel that online marketing and social media is about scale. About “going big.” About getting more followers. But the real value is the opposite. It is not broadening, but honing. It is about connecting more deeply with a smaller audience – exactly the RIGHT audience – not broadcasting your needs to a faceless crowd.

As I walk away from Digital Book World, I am reminded of the power of the individual to craft not only an amazing work – a book – but an amazing experience and connection to what matters, and to the community that supports these things.

One quote from Digital Book World presenter Peter Hildick-Smith was this: “Discovery without conversion has no impact.” He shared a ton of data about how readers interact with books. But I think we need to broaden what “conversion” means. Yes, it can include the sale of a book. But it can also mean access to a community, to ideas, and to crafting a meaningful identity as a READER.

If this type of thing is something that interests you, I am offering a free resource that talk more about how to develop an audience in a meaningful way, and it’s geared specifically to writers:

  1. My 72 page PDF ebook: Author Platform Starter Kit

You can grab it here for free.

Thanks!
-Dan

How to Connect With People in a World Where the Extraordinary is Expected

The extraordinary is now expected. Kevin Kelly makes this timely observation, reflecting how digital media (especially YouTube) now delivers an endless stream of amazing things to us on a nearly minute by minute basis.

If you are someone trying to engage others online, your competition is now EVERYTHING EVERYWHERE. Your audience may appreciate your poem, your story, or your reflections on a topic; but they are also inundated with amazing images, videos, and stories being aggregated by blogs, colleagues and their friends on social media.

How do you compete? How do you compete with videos of people getting struck by lightning? With amazing highlight reels of human achievements? With amazing cake designs? With interview outtakes with your favorite celebrity? I dare not link to these things, out of fear you would click away.

This is how: voice.

Too often, we try to be “professional.” We try to prove we are the authority on something. But really, do you know what makes you unique? Special? It’s not just what you know; it’s who you are.

In a world of commodity information, your voice is unique.

This enables you to connect with others on a level of feeling, not just the rational. That you can reach people in ways that are unexpected, just by being you. I was recently interviewed for a Publishers Weekly article, and one of the quotes fits here:

“An author would be better off finding three people and having an extensive e-mail correspondence or even an in-person lunch with them, rather than adding 200 new fans on Goodreads or Facebook.”

I have worked with authors who have seen great “results” with Facebook ads, adding hundreds or thousands of “Likes” to their Page in a very short amount of time. But the problem is engagement: clicking a “Like” button did not mean people were making any kind of commitment to engage with you.

While I love Facebook and YouTube and Twitter and so many other social networks, I am constantly reminded that a relationship is not a button.

What I love about the opportunities we have today to reach others is that what worked 100 years ago still matters. A relationship. A conversation. Yes, social media can be a powerful part of it, but it does not REPLACE what is at the core: a human connection. If you feel the pressure to shout louder to get people’s attention, try the reverse in stead: whisper to a few select people.

If this type of thing is something that interests you, I am offering a free resource that talks more about how to develop an audience in a meaningful way, and it’s geared specifically to writers: My 72 page PDF ebook: Author Platform Starter Kit.

You can grab it here here for free.

Thanks!
-Dan

Free Webcast: How To Create An Engaging Author Platform

Do you want to develop your brand as an author and build an audience? You need an author platform. I am teaching a 6-week online course starting January 23, but to help you get started, I am offering two FREE resources:

  1. A 30 minute webcast video: How to Create An Engaging Author Platform
  2. A 72 page PDF ebook: Author Platform Starter Kit

To receive these two free resources, sign up here:

(Update: No longer available.)

You will receive a private link to the 35 minute webinar, plus the 70+ page ebook, all completely FREE.

This webcast is only available for a limited time, so if you are interested, grab it right now. At the end of the webcast, I provide a peek into the advanced strategies I teach via my 6-week online course BUILD YOUR AUTHOR PLATFORM. I’ll also send you updates on the author platform course. You can, of course, unsubscribe at anytime, and I NEVER share your email address with anyone.

Thanks!
-Dan

Fear and Writing: Do You Hide Your Writing From Friends & Family?

by Matthew Turner

Friends… Family… Colleagues… you have to love them, don’t you?

They’re always there for you, yet sometimes we feel more vulnerable around them than when we’re surrounded by strangers. I spent six years writing my first novel, and up until a few months ago, only a handful of people knew about it.

I’m not sure why, but the thought of telling my friends and family was terrifying. Strangers, sure, that’s the easy part.

Those you love… that’s a whole other realm.

A Frightening Journey
Writing a book takes many hours. It’s a journey on epic levels, especially if it’s your first. You are putting your heart and soul on the page and leaving yourself open to anything.

Hatred from strangers is one thing, but what if those you love hate it too? Or what if they are merely apathetic? What if they think less of me for it?

I suppose this is what was holding me back: fear. In the early days of writing, I was an amateur, so didn’t have to share my work with anyone. But once I decided to take it to the next level (as Mr Pressfield would say, Turn Pro) I had to get the confidence to share it with those special folks in my life.

And this involved confronting every fear I have about my writing, and even my identity to friends and family.

The 5 Fs
I want to share with you my thoughts on telling friends and family about my writing. I want to tell you because I know I’m not alone in this struggle. I hear stories all the time about people feeling more anxiety toward sharing their writing with those they know, than those they don’t. It sounds absurd, until it is your own writing, and your own family and friends. So let’s dig into this mindset:

  1. FEAR
    Imagine this scenario: a marketer who hadn’t taken a writing class since he was sixteen, releasing a novel. That’s me.

    Simply put: I was terrified about what those who knew me would think. I was scared of their judging eyes. I feared their pessimism, or even taunts. And it ate away at me inside. A writer needs thick skin, but they also need a support network that keeps you pushing onward. I feared I wouldn’t have this.

    The outcome: Once I did share my work with friends and family, I found that most people were very supportive, thought my novel was great, and weren’t all that surprised I had created it. It was an incredible feeling to realize that the support network I need is very much in full force. I’m a lucky boy.

  2. FEEDBACK
    All writers need feedback. Getting it from a stranger is one thing, receiving it from your best friend or family member, well, this can be hard to take. What if they hated it or couldn’t stand to finish? How would it affect our relationship?

    The outcome: I didn’t ask too many friends for early feedback, and those who I tend to speak to about it are great. They don’t always love what I write, but their honest feedback isn’t as difficult to take as I expected. Even though it feels safer to not share, I am learning to build that habit with those around me.

    

  3. FUTURE
    One aspect I feared was the future. I didn’t know if they would look at me the same. Would they assume I wouldn’t want to come and watch football, or were they worried about speaking honestly around me in the fear of it one day appearing in a book?

    The outcome: my mind was acting like a crazy fool. My friends are friends, and they wouldn’t treat me differently simply because they now know I am a writer.

  4. FORGIVENESS
    I was worried that my friends and family would be hurt about leaving them in the dark for so long, that I spent years writing this book in secret.

    I felt rather guilty about the whole process, especially around those who I’m very very close with. They lived under the assumption they knew me better than most, but here I was with a rather large secret. Is the life of a writer a double-life?

    The outcome: people were happy for me, that I had another creative outlet. Some were surprised with this identity I hand’t told them about, and some seemed unsure. They supported me though, and once they read my work they quickly saw that I’d taken the process seriously. This, I feel, eased any scepticism.

  5. FRIENDSHIP
    I was generally worried about what it would do to my social group. I have a rather tight-knit friendship with a few select folk, and I was anxious if this new direction would take me away from them.

    The outcome: Like I said earlier, friends are friends. It generally takes a lot to change this. I also think it helped a few people look at themselves and ask whether they were happy. I took a huge risk, and people respect this – although I won’t lie, I sense some people want me to fail. This is more down to insecurity than anything else, though.

My Irrational Mind
I hope you haven’t gone through the same worries, but I suspect some have. For one reason or another, telling those closest to you about something so special leaves you vulnerable and scared.

Will you lose a few friends? Maybe, but they probably weren’t that good a friend in the first place. Will things change? A little, sure, but your life is still your life. It’s for you to decide.

Overall I’m glad my friends and family know about my writing. It’s a weight off of my shoulders; one I didn’t know I had until it was lifted off of them.

If you suffer similar self-destruction please share them in the comments below. I’m not alone in this, that I’m sure of. It would be amazing to hear what other people have gone through, what they did to overcome it, and how they move forward with their chin held high.

Let’s crowd source some solutions and help people who have yet to make the jump.

– Matthew turner

Matthew Turner is a writer from Yorkshire, England. His debut novel, Beyond Parallel launches January 8th. He is offering a special promotion where you receive more than $50 of bonuses in the first three days. In the same mold as Sliding Doors, Beyond Parallel flips between two parallel tales.

Why In-Person Events Are SO Important (and where I will be this year)

One of my goals this year is to focus more on “being there.” On showing up, in person at physical locations with other human beings. For me, this means attending publishing and writing conferences, having coffee and lunch with writers, on opting to choose conversation over email.

With social media becoming such a useful tool to communicate, I find that we sometimes overlook the value of showing up to events, conferences or meetings. If you are someone trying to forge meaningful relationships, trying to differentiate yourself from an thousands of others screaming for attention, showing up in person may be the answer.

When chatting with someone in person, I am always pleasantly surprised where conversations go in between what we were “supposed” to be talking about. I always remember where I have been, but rarely remember a Tweet from 8 months ago. I love the serendipity of what happens when I commit to showing up somewhere.

Here is a series of posts that I have shared to help you get the most out of in-person events:

And here is my speaking schedule so far for 2013, some amazing events that I feel privileged to be a part of. All are in New York City. I provide details for my sessions below each:

MediaNext (formerly Folio: Show), Jan 8 – 10
Panel: The Two Paths of Social Monetization: Audience and Advertiser, Jan 8 4pm
Social media is the media of the future. It’s created great new opportunities for engagement and business development. Join our speakers for a look at hyper-successful initiatives in generating revenue from both advertiser and audience through social media.

Digital Book World, Jan 15 – 17
Workshop: How to Create the Content Your Audience Desperately Wants, But Doesn’t Know to Ask For, Jan 15 1:30pm
This workshop shows you specific ways to understand exactly what your audience wants, and how to translate that knowledge into compelling content. Whether you are creating books, a product strategy, or content for marketing campaigns, you will learn how to do deep research and analysis.

Authors Launch, Jan 18
9am: Communicating Your Purpose: Developing and Managing an Effective Author Brand
“Branding is… about communication. Effectively understanding your own purpose, that of your audience, and the ways to connect the two,” writes Dan Blank of WeGrowMedia. Dan has worked with hundreds of authors and leading book and journal publishers like Workman, Perseus Books Group, Library Journal, Springer, and F+W Media. In this presentation, he will cover the basics of establishing an author identity, building a brand, and connecting to an audience of readers.

3:30pm: Maximizing and Managing Your Brand
Dan Blank will follow up his main stage presentation with a deeper look at how to develop your author brand and create consistent messaging to better align with your target readership. Your audience has preexisting needs and a worldview long before they hear about or read your book. Dan will outline what you need to do to tap into what your audience might be looking for—information, inspiration, an escape, a solution, a good story—and how to make sure they know what value you represent to them as an author.

Book^2 Camp, Feb 10
I will be an attendee, and likely propose a session discussion. For a peek at what last year’s event looked like, here is my recap.

Tools of Change for Publishing Conference, Feb 12 – 14
Feb 12, 9am: Books at the Block Party: The Economics and Outcomes of a Local Literary Economy
Why does it make national news when Laredo, TX (pop. 250,000) loses their only bookstore and not their only flower shop or car wash? This discussion gets at why. Acknowledged out loud or not, we view books, authors and literature as emblems of a vital community. “Books at the Block Party” will explore the economic and cultural value of a thriving writing/book/publishing culture . Experts from urban planning, library, and nonprofit space will share data and case studies of what has worked, how and the benefits and challenges of making books part of a community’s lifeblood. The takeaway: An action plan and the supporting evidence for why books not only enrich a community but how that enrichment shapes the business and place of authors, publishers, booksellers and organizatons in the publishing ecosystem.

Author (R)evolution Day, Feb 12
I will be an attendee.

Columbia School of Journalism Social Media Weekend, Feb 15 – 17
I will be a “social media doctor” on Feb 16th, available to consult with any attendee on how to develop or rework their social media strategy.

Writers Digest Conference, April 5 – 7
April 6: How to Build An Audience For Your Books
How do you find and develop an audience for your book? In this session, Dan Blank of We Grow Media helps you understand the key steps to understand where your audience is, what engages them, and how you can connect with them in ways that are meaningful, not promotional. Whether you are already published or years away from sharing your work, the time to begin developing and growing your audience is always NOW. This session will review how you can make use of online resources, social media, events and other avenues, while protecting your time to write.

April 6: Marketing Panel (description to come)

Backspace Writers Conference, May 23 – 25
Details to come.

BookExpo America, May 29 – June 1
Details to come.

Thrillerfest, July 10 – 13
Details to come.

I will add more events to this list as the year progresses! I can’t wait to “be there” with writers and publishing folks this year.
Have a great day.
-Dan