Friday, May 25, 2012
Self-Publishing on a Dime
I keep forgetting to provide the information I promised on week one, so, to avoid forgetting again, I'll mention it here.
Getting published by a major publisher is difficult to say the least. In fact, you'd be lucky to get a response unless you have either established yourself as a writer or if you're dealing with a publisher that needs new writers. Fortunately, we are in the age of do-it-yourself.
The most profitable way to publish is electronically, an e-book. It is simply an upload of your manuscript for a nominal fee, choose a cover design (if needed), then posting it on a website such as Amazon.com. From start to finish, you can publish an e-book for less than $50. Sceptics have expressed a reluctance to publishing e-books. But, remember, electronic is the way of today and, moreso, of the future. If it weren't the case, the sales results of the iPad, Kindles and similar products wouldn't be so high. You can also self-publish a hard copy or traditional book. The process would be the same as the e-book and can be accomplished for less than $80.
Once publishers see that your book is desireable (aka selling) , they will be more likely to publish...that is, if you even need them after all of that. .
Getting published by a major publisher is difficult to say the least. In fact, you'd be lucky to get a response unless you have either established yourself as a writer or if you're dealing with a publisher that needs new writers. Fortunately, we are in the age of do-it-yourself.
The most profitable way to publish is electronically, an e-book. It is simply an upload of your manuscript for a nominal fee, choose a cover design (if needed), then posting it on a website such as Amazon.com. From start to finish, you can publish an e-book for less than $50. Sceptics have expressed a reluctance to publishing e-books. But, remember, electronic is the way of today and, moreso, of the future. If it weren't the case, the sales results of the iPad, Kindles and similar products wouldn't be so high. You can also self-publish a hard copy or traditional book. The process would be the same as the e-book and can be accomplished for less than $80.
Once publishers see that your book is desireable (aka selling) , they will be more likely to publish...that is, if you even need them after all of that. .
Friday, May 18, 2012
Perception is Reality
Reality has always been referred to as the "truth". But, if "perception" is reality and each of us has our own perception (in every situation), then how "real" is reality?
Special DNA?
Is it possible that certain people have it in their DNA to flourish (thrive under pressure) in high-stress careers? To those who are not of the same make up, they could appear to be workaholics but, to the person of this DNA, it would be their norm.
Thursday, May 10, 2012
Wake Up and Smell the Infomercial
From design to concept, I have always been fascinated by the art of marketing. Over the years, and as part of the industry, I have become more aware of how blindly we follow the guidance of strangers, especially those on television.
We know that nobody likes to be sold to...UNLESS, it is packaged with precision! If it is a telemarketer, we quickly say, "not interested" and hang up. But, if it's an infomercial in the early AM hours, we either buy or, for whatever reason, we pause and a seed is planted to buy. It is that pause that makes the product over a million dollars per broadcast in sales.
In recent years, companies have spent millions trying to capture the attention of a different market with their infomercials. The coveted market are those who spend freely based on the recommendations of "experts". How do you reach those who would "pause but not purchase"? You disguise it as a talk show and put it on prime-time TV!
Don't believe me? Let's test the strategy. We have a talk show with an audience of women over 30, the average viewer is overweight to obese, and they are lower-middle to upper-class. The "areas of expertise"vary but, each week, they dedicate an entire show to weight loss remedies and anti-aging. Every show mentions herbal supplements. Can you guess which daytime talk show this is? If you guessed "Dr. Oz", you are correct.
It's hard to believe, I know; but watch it; and by 'watch', I mean 'listen'. Once you know what you're looking at, it becomes obvious that he has sold his name to endorse commonly unknown supplements and, as a result, both he and the supplement industry are making millions. It is the same concept as an athlete selling his endorsement to Nike. His show is the leading undercover infomercial of daytime television, which I call "brilliant marketing"!
Let's do the math. His show has no less than 6 million viewers. An avid viewer will likely purchase several different supplements, based on his recommendation, at least once. Each supplement is no less than $6, prior to its mention on the show, and can then triple after the show. For this example, we'll say the average price is $10. If we assume that only half of his regular viewers will purchase and they purchase one supplement for $10, that would mean that the show would generate $30 million dollars in sales. With reruns and social media, that number is exponentially more. Like I said, brilliant marketing.
Don't get me wrong. Just because the Dr. Oz show appears to be an infomercial doesn't make the advice provided less valuable or reputable. He is a practicing cardiologist that is providing insight and answering questions that help many women. At the same time, we have to remember that the show is about sales. The bottom line is, don't be so quick to purchase.
Disclaimer: The content provided, which is based on opinion, is for informational purposes only. The author is not responsible for the interpretation of the opinions expressed or the comments posted by readers.
We know that nobody likes to be sold to...UNLESS, it is packaged with precision! If it is a telemarketer, we quickly say, "not interested" and hang up. But, if it's an infomercial in the early AM hours, we either buy or, for whatever reason, we pause and a seed is planted to buy. It is that pause that makes the product over a million dollars per broadcast in sales.
In recent years, companies have spent millions trying to capture the attention of a different market with their infomercials. The coveted market are those who spend freely based on the recommendations of "experts". How do you reach those who would "pause but not purchase"? You disguise it as a talk show and put it on prime-time TV!
Don't believe me? Let's test the strategy. We have a talk show with an audience of women over 30, the average viewer is overweight to obese, and they are lower-middle to upper-class. The "areas of expertise"vary but, each week, they dedicate an entire show to weight loss remedies and anti-aging. Every show mentions herbal supplements. Can you guess which daytime talk show this is? If you guessed "Dr. Oz", you are correct.
It's hard to believe, I know; but watch it; and by 'watch', I mean 'listen'. Once you know what you're looking at, it becomes obvious that he has sold his name to endorse commonly unknown supplements and, as a result, both he and the supplement industry are making millions. It is the same concept as an athlete selling his endorsement to Nike. His show is the leading undercover infomercial of daytime television, which I call "brilliant marketing"!
Let's do the math. His show has no less than 6 million viewers. An avid viewer will likely purchase several different supplements, based on his recommendation, at least once. Each supplement is no less than $6, prior to its mention on the show, and can then triple after the show. For this example, we'll say the average price is $10. If we assume that only half of his regular viewers will purchase and they purchase one supplement for $10, that would mean that the show would generate $30 million dollars in sales. With reruns and social media, that number is exponentially more. Like I said, brilliant marketing.
Don't get me wrong. Just because the Dr. Oz show appears to be an infomercial doesn't make the advice provided less valuable or reputable. He is a practicing cardiologist that is providing insight and answering questions that help many women. At the same time, we have to remember that the show is about sales. The bottom line is, don't be so quick to purchase.
Disclaimer: The content provided, which is based on opinion, is for informational purposes only. The author is not responsible for the interpretation of the opinions expressed or the comments posted by readers.
Thursday, May 3, 2012
Lessons From Tipsy
I’ve often watched my toy Yorkie Poo, Tipsy, prancing about the house relishing in the moment. She could be sprinting from the kitchen to the living room chasing her imaginary friend or squirming belly-up on her favorite bone; whatever she does, she enjoys it to the fullest.
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| Tipsy |
I understand that we obviously experience life on a different level; but, observing her made me evaluate whether I am truly enjoying life. How much am I slowing down to enjoy the little things, to do something for myself or to do something that isn’t mindless (i.e. watching TV, etc)? I think it's an evaluation we would all benefit from.
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