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Home » Archives for Dan Balow » Page 36

Dan Balow

How to Be A Reader’s Favorite Author

By Dan Balowon March 18, 2014
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Woman with book

Last week in this space, I wrote about how you could become a publisher’s favorite author (other than selling millions of books).  Today, we’ll go a little different direction and talk about what you would need to do to become a favorite author to your readers.

A key difference between how you relate to a publisher and how you relate to a reader is that one is business and one is personal.  An average publisher will invest tens of thousands of dollars to get your book to market, while a reader might only need to pay $4.99 for an Amazon Kindle ebook.

Just like I wrote last week, regardless whether you are published or not, you should think now about what sort of relationship you want to have with your readers.

Last week I suggested that you should develop a publisher relations strategy for yourself. What I suggest this week goes a lot deeper. The closest thing I can think of for this discussion is to consider yourself as a “customer service” representative for your books. 

The Nordstrom retail company is legendary for their customer service.  They even have a manual, The Nordstrom Way.  To them, customer service is not a strategy, it is a “way of life”. 

So, among all the things you need to think about as an author…your platform, financial plan, professional growth and your relationships with your publisher and agent, I am suggesting you also need to decide on a way to treat your readers that becomes a way of life for you.

How would you become a “linchpin author” who inspires a reader to buy your next book and talk about it with friends?  I said last week that the obvious answer to that for the publisher is to write a best-selling book and making them a lot of money, but readers will be even more challenging.  Other than writing a great manuscript that will inspire wonderful comments from your readers, here are some thoughts on an effective “author way of life”.

  • Be a real person.  If a reader contacts you, write them back within 48 hours or less.
  • If you receive too many responses each day than you can handle, then have a friend, intern or even hire someone part-time to help you.  For most, the volume is not a problem. If it is, let someone else answer the questions about when your next book is available or if you plan on visiting Michigan any time soon.  A few “copy and paste” templates will suffice for those. For deeper issues, handle yourself.
  • Read a book by Gary Vaynerchuk…Crush It!, or The Thank You Economy or his newest, Jab, Jab, Jab, Right Hook.  Gary is a social media guru who is highly successful making money from his social media strategy, but his approach will surprise you.  I think you will actually feel comfortable with it. (He will urge you to be real!)
  • Follow through on commitments.  This is also in your publisher relationship, but important for readers as well.  If you say you will do something, then do it.  If you promise to answer all letters within 48 hours, then take your laptop on vacation and continue to do it.
  • Minister to the readers.  In your books, blogs, anything you do, show that you treat people with grace and with fruit of the spirit.
  • Be aware of other books or authors and recommend them.  Chances are you won’t write ten books each year, like a store recommending another store to simply serve a customer well. You don’t lose a thing, in fact you will actually grow in stature with readers because you helped them.
  • Pray for your readers without telling them.

Of course, write a powerful book that positively affects lives and you will go a long way to becoming a favorite author, but it takes more.  Be real.

What ideas do you have to make yourself a linchpin author to readers?  

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Category: Branding, Career, Communication, Craft, Creativity, Dan, Marketing, PlatformTag: Authors, Career, readers

How to Be A Publisher’s Favorite Author

By Dan Balowon March 11, 2014
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Three years ago, Seth Godin published his book Linchpin.  Since I follow Seth’s books and blog as a personal and professional challenge, I read it and was inspired by it’s concepts. In it, Godin speaks about some of the new realities in business relationships.  There used to be management and those who were managed.  But now, he says, there is a third group…linchpins.  These are people who make …

Read moreHow to Be A Publisher’s Favorite Author
Category: Book Business, Branding, Career, Dan, PlatformTag: Authors, Career, publishing

The Pessimist’s Guide to Things That Will Never Work

By Dan Balowon March 4, 2014
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This is the first in a three-part series on attitudes toward work, specifically for people in publishing.

Today, I am writing about pessimism.  If there were a book glorifying its virtues, it would be the title above.  It would be a thousand pages long with an updated and expanded edition published annually.

Full disclosure…I became a baseball fan of the Chicago Cubs in 1966, a year when …

Read moreThe Pessimist’s Guide to Things That Will Never Work
Category: Career, Dan, The Publishing LifeTag: Career

Basketball and Writing

By Dan Balowon February 25, 2014
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Next week is March and that means basketball “March Madness” around the country.  From high school to college, teams will compete in tournaments where excitement is at its peak.  

One of my hobbies is to work as the official scorer for the Wheaton College (Illinois) men’s and women’s home basketball games.  I started doing this back in the late 70’s, took some time away from it when our kids …

Read moreBasketball and Writing
Category: Book Business, Career, Creativity, Dan, The Publishing Life, Writing CraftTag: Basketball, publishing, Writing Craft

Adopt a Bookstore

By Dan Balowon February 18, 2014
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Bookstores throughout the United States are going through the most challenging period in their history.  The combination of online purchase of printed books and the dawn of the eBook have combined to deliver a one-two punch to the business of book retailing.

For Christian bookstores, the challenges started over a decade ago when a substantial part of their business (in some cases over a third) …

Read moreAdopt a Bookstore
Category: Book Business, Book Sales, DanTag: Book Business, Book Sales, Bookstores

Wanted: More Choir Members

By Dan Balowon February 11, 2014
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Dan Balow

At some point in their writing career, many Christian authors express a desire to write a book that would reach the un-churched. That desire is a completely honorable and wonderful goal, just as any believer should desire to represent Christ in their lives in such a way that unbelievers would ask them questions about the hope that is in them. 

However, the inference by such …

Read moreWanted: More Choir Members
Category: Book Business, Creativity, Dan, Get Published, The Publishing Life, TrendsTag: Christian, publishing, Writers

And Another Thing, Your Baby is Ugly

By Dan Balowon February 4, 2014
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Have you noticed how much of public and private discourse so quickly moves from a simple disagreement to a personal attack?

I was attending a sporting event not long ago and the people sitting around me in the stands seamlessly moved from displeasure how their team was performing to calling the players, coaches and referees all sorts of names that had nothing to do with how they …

Read moreAnd Another Thing, Your Baby is Ugly
Category: Book Business, Craft, Dan, Get Published, Rejection, The Publishing LifeTag: Rejection

Is Christian Fiction Dying?

By Dan Balowon January 28, 2014
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Last year, a couple Christian publishers stopped publishing fiction.  Some publishers are nervous about it and in a wait-and-see mode. Others are excited about growth potential.  The answer to the title question is no, but it is certainly interesting to explore the reason behind such widely diverse opinions on the subject.

NOTE #1: For full disclosure, I am a member of the advisory board for …

Read moreIs Christian Fiction Dying?
Category: Awards, Book Business, Dan, E-Books, Get Published, TrendsTag: fiction, Trends

Embracing Change – Part Two

By Dan Balowon January 21, 2014
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Last week in my post "Embracing Change," I outlined the six phases that characterize the acceptance of change in our lives and world.  Today, I want to focus on some specifics that you need to consider to adapt to the future.

First, a recap of the six phases when confronted with something new:
Phase One - Dismissed as a fad by those who stand to lose the most or like the status quo.
Phase Two …

Read moreEmbracing Change – Part Two
Category: Book Business, Career, Dan, Get Published, TrendsTag: Book Business, Change

Embracing Change

By Dan Balowon January 14, 2014
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On September 3, 1967 the world changed. It was a day remembered for chaos and disillusionment, despair and confusion.  No, it wasn’t because the last episode of “What’s My Line?” aired on U.S. television.

The above picture is what happened in Sweden the day the country switched from driving on the left to the right side of the road.  Their neighbors, Norway and Finland had already changed, but …

Read moreEmbracing Change
Category: Book Business, Dan, E-Books, Get Published, The Publishing Life
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