Journey

“You don’t make money writing your book, you make money explaining your book or from sales that come from the products and services you offer outside your book”

I just got back from Bob Proctor & Gerry Robert’s “Publish Your Way to Profits” seminar in Melbourne and I promised I would let people know how it went.

I can say that it was an absolutely amazing seminar, full of awesome content and I just wish that everyone I knew had come along with me so that they could’ve also learnt everything that I learned.

Life has changed for me now… I see possibilities I never imagined before.

If you ever get a chance to go to this seminar, all I can say is.. GO! Even if you have no idea what to write about in regards to a book (I certainly didn’t), you will realize that everyone has a book inside of them and the immense possibilities that are available to those who author in the “right way” a book that will lift up their credibility and open all sorts of doors.

Here are my “hand notes” from the seminar.. because you get a massive folder containing all the course details, I didn’t need to type many and.. um.. I’m “NOT” going to type up all those notes, it would take me months.. hehe.. all I can do is try to inspire you to attend yourself.

DAY ONE

“What you argue for, you get to keep”..

That was the beginning of the seminar, when Gerry made many points to open our minds to the fact that when we are always saying “I can’t write a book, I can’t make $100,000 a month, I can’t get the life that I want.. because”.. etc.. that if we are arguing about it, we get to keep it, we get to keep the life of never writing a book, never making more than we think possible, and never getting the life that we want.

Our first assignment: Tell someone that you don’t know, within the next 24 hours, that you’re an author. (You are an author the minute you decide to publish a book) and to see what other people’s reactions are.

Recommended reading: You Squared (You2)

Free Books
He talked about creating books that you just giveaway for free, using books like a business card per-say.

You can stand out in the local classifieds/newspapers/tv/magazines with:

FREE BOOK – Free Wedding Planner Guide
FREE BOOK – Free Life Coaching Guide
FREE BOOK – 7 Questions to ask the next time you buy a new car

If you or something you know was getting married, and organising the wedding, his point is, that your ad will stick out and that the “clients” would come directly to you.

His point is.. noone throws away a book, and it’s not the sales of the book that will make you rich, but the other things that come with people getting a hold of your book.

Even if you didn’t have anything yourself to write, you could “be a reporter” and “ask the Guru’s”.. and create a book that way… Just like the highly successful bestsellers “Chicken Soup of the Soul” books which were entirely made up of “other people’s stories”.
He even showed us how one guy grabbed “jokes from the internet” and created a book from that.

Gerry said not to write your own biography (unless you’re famous or have had a particular bizarre thing happen to you), to instead, concentrate on the “how-to” books.
He said that you could always weave your “life story” into the how-to books.

He said that your first book should be your “Fastest Book to Cash”.
What book is going to give you the most money now.. you can do your “passion” stuff later, when you have the $$$, but your first one, should bring in the money.

DAY TWO

“Go as far as you can with what you know”
“Move confidently in the direction of your dream”

Get it Down, THEN Get it Right
was the theme of today.

His point was that most authors tend to try and get their books “perfect” and then waste “years” writing the book when it could be out there already, he suggests just getting it all down, then paying an editor or ghostwriter to correct it.

He punched out the fact that “most people wont read your book anyway” hehe.
What he means is, that he doesnt expect people will read his book, and by the end of the seminar, you “get” what he means. You still have to put a quality book out, but it doesnt have to be “War and Peace”, and that most of the benefits for publishing your book come from actually having published a book, rather than the actual book itself.

Recommended reading: The Strangest Secret by Earl Nightingale

The “Blueprint” for writing a book in 6 steps..

1. Write 15 Chapter Topics
2. Get it down to 10 Chapter Topics & Put them in Sequence
3. Come up with 18 Chapter Ingredients
4. Cut down to 15 & Put in Sequence
5. Turn each of the ingredients into a significant statement
   (eg: You’ve got to believe in yourself to win in sales)
6. Turn each into a question (why? how?)
   (eg: Why do you have to believe in yourself to win in sales?)
7. Come up with 3 answers (keywords)
   1) to get others to believe in you
   2) to get referrals
   3) show belief in what you sell

And that’s basically it.. when you see the blueprint “laid out” in front of you, its so easy to write a book. I had the blueprint of my book & the first chapter written within 2 hours! It’s incredible how this technique can really focus you and get it “down”.

*Gold Tip of the Day*
If there’s people (guru’s?) that you want to meet – write about them in your book, highlight it, and send them a copy.

Suggested Links: idictate.com

I had notes about the “stick person” theory of Bob Proctor’s, but my notes dont make sense to me at all, so no point putting it in here and possibly confusing a great concept with my lousy notes on it lol

DAY THREE

“Getting the book is easy, getting rid of it is the challenge”

Press Release – tool that will open the door for the media

• Start with local media
• Trade Journals
• Alumni Mags (university)
• Blogs

Create a 3-part Article to local magazines & newspapers around Christmas Time.

Why?

At Christmas time, they have a lot more ads so they need a lot more content. Sometimes their newspaper/mag gets 50% bigger so they need to fill it up with more content.
You sending them a 3-page article around November/December, and as long as its not a sales pitchy article, will stand a lot better chance at being published.

• should be a client-centred how-to article
• should be fast & easy to read – written @ grade 7 level (judged by the audience.. but if you make it too “hard to read”, it will not get published
• very practical
• 500-800 words
• humourous if possible (and if relevant)
• It needs to be INFORMATION BASED, not COMMERCIAL BASED.
• READER focused, not WRITER focused

Once published, you photocopy it / scan it, and “add it to your media kit”.

Write a book review for your own book.

• Should be impartial and honest
  “It really doesn’t go so far to help with “this” problem, but its really great at addressing “this” problem and “that” problem”

THE PRESS KIT

The key is.. BE SEEN… any media connection you’ve ever had.. gets added to the Media Kit, prepared in advance and available on your website – where you PHYSICALLY POST the envelope and personalize it for the Press you are sending it to.

Prepared Exclusively for…. <Name of Press Journalist/Editor, etc>

1. One-Page (a one-page description & photo of the book)
2. Your Photo
3. Mock Reviews
4. Book Cover (get extras printed out when you get book printed so you can “send” the cover out like a “business card” when you are wanting gigs, or writing to reporters, etc. Although he recommends actually sending the book, this is a “cheaper” and still effective way of standing out.
5. Testimonials
6. Order Form
7. Suggested “Questions & Answers” for the Media FAQ page
8. Interview Questions
9. Speaking Topics
10. DVD’s &/or MP3s of the interviews you’ve had so far on TV/Radio or even seminars
11. Snippets of seminars/speeches you’ve done (if you are into that)
12. Buy the “run-offs” of magazines you’ve appeared in and include those
13. Any media attention you’ve achieved .. PHOTOCOPY and add to your Media Kit – also send to clients, your mailing list, and post on your website & blog.
14. Promo Flyers of events you’ve spoken in, even if you weren’t the “main” speaker
15. Include Reprints of Articles you’ve written.

By the way, the above can all be done before you’ve even published your book..

* Tip of the Day *

One of the seminar participants brought up this great “youtube” trick that she used to “incidentally” get people to look at her videos.

There is a a by-pass going through her neighbourhood that none of the neighbours are happy about, she creates a youtube video about it, and writes a letter to the editor of their local community with the youtube url. Because it’s topical and related to the community, a lot of people logged on to check it out, and incidently found her profile which had her youtube videos of her artwork. She didn’t do it for that reason but found very interesting results that people wanted to “find out more” about her and therefore found her other stuff. She said it worked becasue its something that the local community was very passionate about, and that you could use it too if used in the right way..

You must own your “name” domain and the “name of the book” domain.
If the name of the book is unavailable, try “titlebook”, add “book” to the end of the domain.

When writing/speaking/getting interviewed, etc, always have a plan in mind of what you wish to get out of it.. do you want them to signup to your mailing list? Do you want them to get a free copy of your book? Do you want to build your database? etc. Then make sure you lead the interviewer (etc) back to what you are after. First 30 people to call you will get a free copy of your book.

Attraction Marketing Device:

• FREE Special Report
• FREE Questionaire
• FREE Coaching Session
• FREE Teleseminar Series
• FREE 2nd Opinion
• FREE Survey
• FREE FREE FREE

FREE = The “Bait”
MAKE people come to YOU

The example used was “The 6 Steps to find 300-1500 prospects without spending a Penny” which was used as a free report which had phenomenal success. I can’t remember who he said wrote it.

Recommended Book: Influence the Psychology of Persuasion by Dr Robert Cialdin

*TIP*
Always add the word “Because” and people (72%) will comply.

Develop your Primary Objective
What do you want to get out of the interview?

• Website
• Build your database
• Offer something for free

After the interview..
Always include a Personal Handwritten Note..
“I was really happy to be interviewed by you. You are a great interviewer. Thank you, would love to come back again.”

Keep Pre-stamped postcards (your book is the “cover” of the postcard) on-hand to send your personal handwriten note, and drop it in the next mailbox you see. They will get it while it’s still “current” for them.

Recommended Newsletters for Authors:

• Master New Media by Robin Good
• Feed Blitz
• Zen Author
• Jeffrey Gitoner Sales Bible

RANDOM NOTES
These are the notes that I wrote in my little notepad over the 3 days

Raising Revenue

• Sell advertising space – $3,000 per page
  “You are the only “limosine” company in my Wedding Planner book”
• $3000, $2000, $500 – depends on industry / size of ad, benefits..
• Judge whatever you think you’re worth or what the market will pay
• Get 10-15 people (might have to talk to 100 people to get 15)
• Choose an advertiser that compliments but does not compete with you in your topic

Benefits to offer the Advertiser

• 1 Page ad placement (placement for 10k copies or “life”)
• Only one person in their industry
• A link from your website
• Inclusion in our official Book Launch & Media Campaign
• Inclusion in on-going marketing
• Exchange deals
• JV / Contra / Your services
• Inclusion in campaigns that promote the book

How to approach a sponsor

• Targetted 3rd party exposure
  “Resources we recomend”
• Noone ever throws away a book (those leads are for life for them)
• Pre-Qualified leads
• Author endorsement
• Prestige
• Exclusivity
• Cost

Offer them a remarkable offer to buy 100 copies of the book @ 50% off for their own promoting:

• To use as giveaways
• To Sell themselves to make profit
• To give as gifts

10 people who buy 186 copies @ $29.99 = $5,578 x 10 = $55,780

• You can offer payment options, but preferred method is “Get the Money Now”

20 people who buy 93 copies @ $29.99 = $2789 x 20 = $55,780

More ways to make money from your book:

Book => DVD => Speech => Workshop/Seminar
=> Home-Study Course “leather-binder, 6 x audio cds’, etc ($300)
=> Weekend Seminar $3,000
=> Advanced Course $17,000
=> Monthly Subscription fees..

Marketing for Infomercials technique

1. Identify customer pain
2. Adjetate customer pain
3. Solve customer pain

“Sell them what they want, but give them what they need” – Bob Proctor

COVER IS IMPORTANT

Customers spend:

• 8 seconds looking at the front cover
• 15 seconds looking at the back cover
• Then scan the table of the contents

1. The table of contents should be written as a sales technique.. choose your “Table of Contents” wording well..
2. They wont pick up the book if you dont have a great cover
3. Offer something FREE on the cover: free report, quiz, seminar..
4. Or: seminar tickets, cd, or dvd

Recommended websites for authors:

• BooksJustBooks.com for Book Publishing Prices
• Copyright in your country
• IP Protection
• ISBN (is required)

On Copyright..

• Find quotations to “pepper” throughout your book
• You can use 100 words without permission provided you quote the source

I might pretty up this blogpost someday but right now.. I have a book to write :)

Penny xx

marketing ideas, publish book, bob proctor, gerry robert