Fall 2010 Lineup announced!

Posted on August 28, 2010 by Victor Volkman
date Guest Topic Podcast
Sep 2 Drew Gerber Catapult Your book With Media Coverage TBA
Sep 16 Valerie Bradley-Holiday, PhD Writing as a Working Mom TBA
Oct 7 Tom Wanek Currencies that Buy Credibility for Your Book TBA
Oct 21 Julie Ann Stricklin Things Your Need to Know Before You Hire a Graphic Artist TBA
Nov 4 Jim Bouchard Think Like a Blackbelt: Promoting Your Book by Being a Media Personality TBA
Nov 18 Diana Raab All About Writing Nonfiction: Getting Your Reader’s Attention TBA
Dec 2 Kristi Floyd and Lisa Charbonnet Getting Your Book into Libraries TBA
Dec 16 Dan Poynter Book writing, Publicity and Promotion TBA
Posted in Schedule | Leave a comment

James P. Studinger – Using Your Book as an Investment Tool

Posted on August 14, 2010 by Victor Volkman
On August 19th, 2010 Irene Watson and Victor R. Volkman spoke with financial adviser and author James P. Studinger. He is the author of Wealth Is a Choice, and owner of the JPStudinger Group, a wealth-management company. Studinger wrote this book to create a road map for his children to follow should anything happen to him. This passion blossomed into a book to educate readers and help them embrace, not fear, financial decisions. This evening he spoke about the critical role of understanding how an author can exploit their book to best financial advantage, including:

  • What is the secret to becoming wealthy?
  • Good assets vs. bad assets
  • Efficiency
  • Where is there profit in a book?
    • Sales of books
    • Ancillary services
  • What have other authors done in your field
  • Leverage your credentials
    • Where would you like this to take you in the future?
    • Keep aligning your efforts with your goals.

James P. Studinger

James P. Studinger
Studinger’s expertise was called upon by the State of Michigan where he was instrumental in the passing of a new 529 College Savings Plan. For his part, Studinger was happy to participate in a plan that helps Michigan families educate their children. In 2009 he became the Vice Chair for the Michigan JumpStart Coalition, a non-profit dedicated to raising the financial literacy bar for kids. He is frequently a guest on Fox News for their “Money Matter’s” segment.

When not writing and advising, James enjoys the outdoors: hiking, camping, and fishing. He likes being active by running, triathlons, and hockey.  He resides in Bloomfield Hills, Michigan, with his wife and their two sons. To learn more, please go to www.jpstudinger.com

Wealth Is A Choice

Wealth Is A Choice
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Posted in Business | Leave a comment

Mark Long – Getting Published by a University Press

Posted on August 10, 2010 by Victor Volkman
On August 4th, Irene Watson and Tyler R. Tichelaar spoke with university press publisher Mark Long. He has a BA from the University of Texas at Austin and an MA from the University of North Texas, both in English. In 2004, after teaching for ten years, he oversaw the formation of TSTC Publishing, the publishing arm of the Texas State Technical College System.  Mark Long shared his wisdom about:

  • Manuscript/project acquisition (what we look for in proposals): market analysis, author credentials, ease of marketing/sales efforts
  • The textbook sales cycle: summer (research), fall (pre-sell), spring (adoption season)
  • Printing considerations: offset vs. POD
  • Marketing/Sales: how we publicize and sell books: facebook, blogs, email newsletters, trade shows, direct mail pieces, inside sales/cold calling
  • How authors make money: royalties vs. work-for-hire agreements (plus, as well, what publishers pay for vs. authors
  • Future of college (textbook) publishing: ebooks, enhanced ebooks, and apps

Mark Long / TSTC Publishing

Mark Long / TSTC Publishing
With a list comprised of academic and technical textbooks, technical career guides, and technology forecasts, TSTC Publishing’s mission is to provide low-cost yet high-quality materials to institutions of higher education and private industry.

TSTC Publishing offers faculty throughout the USA the opportunity to initiate and participate in a variety of textbook development projects. Of course, in the 21st century a textbook is no longer ‘just’ a textbook, so TSTC Publishing projects now include such ancillary products as instructor guides, student workbooks, CD-ROMs, DVDs, e-books, and companion Web sites. In addition to offering editorial help and guidance to faculty, assistance is also available in the areas of materials production, distribution, and sales.

TSTC Publishing is based in Waco, TX

TSTC Publishing is based in Waco, TX
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Posted in Getting Published, Nonfiction | Leave a comment

Shel Horowitz – Green Marketing: Reaching the Environmentally Aware Customers

Posted on July 24, 2010 by Victor Volkman
On July 22nd, 2010 Irene Watson and Victor R. Volkman spoke with Shel Horowitz, author, marketing consultant and copywriter who works with authors and publishers. A veteran of the 1977 Seabrook occupation, his first book, written when he was only 22, was about why nuclear power makes no sense. He visited with us to share some secrets from his 8th book Guerrilla Marketing Goes Green: Winning Strategies to Improve Your Profits and Your Planet (John Wiley & Sons, 2010, co-authored with Mr. Guerrilla Marketing himself, Jay Conrad Levinson). Specifically, Shel informed us on:

  • How does ethical/green marketing differ from ordinary marketing?
  • How can an author put together a green book event?
  • What green options are physically available in terms of paper and book production?
  • Does green marketing cost more, if not, why not?
  • Where should I start and how can I get my customers to notice and to care?
  • How can cooperative marketing create green results?
  • How do I get started going green?
In 1972, at age 15, Shel Horowitz was involved in a community group that opposed a nuclear power plant proposed for two miles north of New York City (a proposal that the utility company quickly withdrew). Shel is also the author of the e-book, Painless Green: 111 Tips to Help the Environment, Lower Your Carbon Footprint, Cut Your Budget, and Improve Your Quality of Life-With No Negative Impact on Your Lifestyle. He is directly responsible for the first nonsmokers’ rights regulations in Northampton, Massachusetts, and for the defeat of a large and inappropriate mountaintop development in his current home town of Hadley, Mass. His Down to Business webzine was one of the first business publications to have a regular section on sustainability.Shel now offers not only copywriting and strategic marketing planning based in Green principles, but also helps unpublished writers become published authors. Five of his eight books have won awards and/or been republished in other countries, including his most recent, Guerrilla Marketing Goes Green: Winning Strategies to Improve Your Profits and Your Planet (John Wiley & Sons, 2010, co-authored with Mr. Guerrilla Marketing himself, Jay Conrad Levinson).

This new book states that honesty, integrity, and a commitment to environmental sustainability are important—but market share is often the wrong metric entirely…that long-term relationships are better than a one-time sale…and that competitors can be among your best allies. The book provides dozens of examples of companies large and small that have succeeded by putting people first: familiar names like Johnson & Johnson, IBM, Southwest Airlines as well as numerous entrepreneurs who are successful in their own niches, even if not widely known.

Guerilla Marketing Goes Green

Guerilla Marketing Goes Green
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Posted in Events, Marketing, Shel Horowitz | Leave a comment

Jim and Linda O’Connor – Developing Comprehensive Campaigns to Sell Your Books

Posted on July 10, 2010 by Victor Volkman
On July 7th, 2010 Irene Watson and Victor R. Volkman spoke with book marketing and publicity specialists James V. O’Connor and Linda O’Connor about how to develop a marketing campaign tailored to your personal skills and your book’s target market. O’Connor Communications, Inc is a public relations firm that has specialized in book publicity since 2000 when Jim and his wife won three national awards for the successful promotion of his first book, “CUSS CONTROL, The Complete Book on How to Curb Your Cursing.”  O’Connor Communications gets people into the news through radio and TV interviews, newspaper and magazine article placement, blog, social media and internet marketing, and media campaigns. In our wide-ranging discussion we covered the following points in detail:

  • Why do you need to promote your book and yourself?
  • Why every book is promotable
  • When and how to get started
  • Giving traditional media what they want
  • Mass mailings and target marketing
  • Social media and Internet Marketing
  • What a publicist can do for you

Jim and Linda OConnor

Jim and Linda O'Connor
Jim’s first-hand experience includes appearances on more than 312 TV programs (including Oprah), interviews on more than 750 radio stations, and features in over 400 newspapers and magazines. Jim and Lynda represent 23 authors, organizing national and regional book campaigns, book tours, media interviews, speaking engagements, and press materials. Authors Lynda has represented describe her as knowledgeable, professional, tireless, tenacious, creative, enthusiastic and dedicated.  She works closely with her clients and makes sure they get the attention that they deserve.

Together they have spoken in Richmond, VA at the James River Writers Conference, Clarksville, TN at the Clarksville Writers Conference, and Chicago at the Lawyers for Creative Arts book conference. 2010 will take them to Seeley Lake, MT to the Northwest Outdoor Writers Association Book Conference, The San Francisco Writers Conference, the University of Wisconsin Writers Conference where they will share their knowledge on how to get into the news

Cuss Control

Cuss Control
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Posted in Marketing, Publicists | 1 Comment