Book Marks

First in a six-part series about books, ebooks and your business

I am a book junkie. I have written a few and read a few thousand. I still remember the first book I ever “read”—Richard Scarry’s "Nicky Goes to the Doctor". The first book I wrote was in second grade and was called "The Bear and The Fly"—complete with illustrations. (I still have it.)

My new favorite book is "Water for Elephants" by Sara Gruen. (Note: my favorites change weekly but this one will probably stay in my top ten for awhile.) And several years ago, I hated one particular book so passionately that I threw it out my 14th floor hotel window in Atlanta!

Books are an integral part of my life and not just because I am a writer. I even like ebooks—-sometimes. I still remember the first ebook I ever downloaded and read—Seth Godin’s "Unleashing the Idea Virus". It was the first time I had heard of ebooks and I was anxious to read his thoughts. And so I bought the ebook, (I forget the actual cost) I downloaded it and I printed it out! (I probably still have it.)

I buy ebooks by the fistful now, I have edited several and I have written a few. But I can count on one hand how many were worth the paper they weren’t printed on.

One advantage traditional publishing has on ebooks is the check and balance system. Publishers still occasionally print garbage but in general, many hands went into making that printed book a solid piece of work. The same can not be said of ebooks. Anyone who can make a PDF can make an ebook.

For the next six sessions, we are going to discuss HOW to write an ebook, WHY to write an ebook, WHERE to sell your ebook and WHY an ebook might NOT be a great idea.

Method to the Madness

I just love Target’s Method products. I always try to buy ecologically sound products but I also hate to overspend, especially on household cleaning products. (Or it just might be that I hate to clean my house…)

Either way, I love that Target carries all the Method products which are natural, safe, non-toxic and environmentally friendly. I also love Method’s voice. If you read their website, you can read their Method Humanifesto and information on their many products. But how often do we go to a company’s website just for random fun?

So I love that they sprinkle their voice and humor onto their packaging. On my Method Aroma Ring, the back of the package instructs me to “Tear off the foil cover. As tempting as it is, do not puncture disc. Fragrance will naturally diffuse through the protective membrane within a few hours. Trust us on this one.”

And at the top of the box, these product advantages are bullet pointed:

Natural Essential Oils

Kid and Pet Friendly

Never Tested on Reindeer

I am so glad to know that! But honestly, I will remember reading this packaging. It adds to my customer experience. And I will likely buy reindeer-friendly Method products again over my boring Pine-sol and Lysol products.

Practice What You Preach

As I’m writing a teleclass that’s being presented later this month, I’m feeling a bit convicted by some of the business sense I am passing along. My seminar is about creating a marketing calendar for 2008, filling it in with all the marketing duties and campaigns you are going to complete in the next year. I especially recommend this technique to my blogging clients so they can have three full months of topics to draw from, in case their business really takes off (their hope and my goal.)

Enter conviction.

My calendar has been full for months now—new and old clients, exciting assignments, editing my NaNo book and hiring some help. It’s been so full that I have neglected my own marketing duties. Just like I nag my clients, you never know when the pipeline will run dry. I spend my days writing other people’s text, web copy, eBooks and blogs that I’ve neglected to write my own.

So I am going to take my own advice. I am filling out my marketing calendar, complete with scheduled blog dates and a spreadsheet of potential topics. I’m going to treat my business like one of my clients’s and give it top priority.