The Neo Com Group

Schaffner Press News: Special Announcement: LEE MARVIN: Point Blank is an IPPY Award Winner!

Wed, 08 May 2013 21:13:42 -0700

Schaffner Press News: Special Announcement: LEE MARVIN: Point Blank is an IPPY Award Winner!:

Congrats to Dwayne Epstein, author of “Lee Marvin: Point Blank”

Congratulations to Dwayne Epstein on winning the Bronze Medal in the the 2013 IPPY (Independent Publishers Award) for biography with LEE MARVIN: Point Blank! As publisher it is a tremendous honor to have been selected for this prestigious award which highlights the year’s best of the independent…

Book Marketing Meetup w/Erik Wecks

Mon, 06 May 2013 21:57:57 -0700

Tomorrow we’re having another book marketing meetup, this time our special guest is Erik Wecks. He’ll be talking about his experience self-publishing his Amazon bestselling personal finance book, “How To Manage Your Money When You Don’t Have Any.”

Erik will be discussing the business reasoning behind his decision to self-publish this book. He will also share his thoughts on book marketing. As more and more publishers cut back on their marketing budgets, both self-published and traditionally published authors need to understand how to market their own material.

Click on the image for more information.

I forgot to share this photo I took while at the Tucson Festival...

Fri, 26 Apr 2013 11:30:40 -0700

I forgot to share this photo I took while at the Tucson Festival of Books, where I was helping the publisher of Schaffner Press. While the sign was there to discourage loitering, obvious the cactus didn’t get the memo.

janethannah: Vale nga Korca Here’s some sweet dancing to...

Fri, 26 Apr 2013 11:27:25 -0700

janethannah:

Vale nga Korca

Here’s some sweet dancing to take you into the weekend!

Bill Carter: The Human Dimension of Copper Extraction—Pebble Mine & Beyond

Wed, 24 Apr 2013 10:44:00 -0700

Bill Carter: The Human Dimension of Copper Extraction—Pebble Mine & Beyond:

Wednesday, April 24, 2013, 7:30 – 9:00pm

Downstairs at Town Hall; enter on Seneca Street. $5.

Just as fishing fleets prepare to leave Seattle for Alaska’s Bristol Bay, one of the world’s most-productive and -sustainable salmon strongholds and site of the controversial proposed Pebble Mine, filmmaker and activist Bill Carter, author of Boom, Bust, Boom, explores the very human dimension of copper extraction and the colossal implications the industry has for each of us. Copper is a miraculous and contradictory metal, essential to nearly every human enterprise through most of recorded history: Today, it’s found in every house, car, airplane, cellphone, computer, and home appliance the world over. Yet the history of copper extraction and our relationship with the metal are fraught with difficulties, Carter says: Copper’s necessity to civilization costs the environment—and the people who mine it—dearly. Presented by Town Hall and University Book Store as part of The Seattle Science Lectures, sponsored by Microsoft. Series media sponsorship provided by KPLU.
Tickets are $5 at www.townhallseattle.org or 888/377-4510 and at the door beginning at 6:30 pm. Town Hall members receive priority seating. Downstairs at Town Hall; enter on Seneca Street.
LEARN MORE:
http://bit.ly/THCarter
http://bit.ly/THBristolBay
Trout Unlimited: http://www.tu.org
The Wild Salmon Center: www.wildsalmoncenter.org
http://alaskaconservation.org

Where’s the beef? Tuesday, April 9th at the Jack London...

Fri, 05 Apr 2013 09:31:52 -0700

Where’s the beef? Tuesday, April 9th at the Jack London Bar in Portland. For more,

Cultural Shutdown: A Bosnia Cultural Event

Wed, 03 Apr 2013 21:19:00 -0700

Cultural Shutdown: A Bosnia Cultural Event:

CULTURAL SHUTDOWN: PORTLAND EVENT TO COMMEMORATE 21 YEARS SINCE THE BEGINNING OF THE BOSNIAN WAR

Local Filmmaker to Debut Clips From Upcoming Film

Portland, Oregon. On April 6th 1992, Serb paramilitary forces fired upon a peaceful demonstration in Sarajevo, the capital city of Bosnia, marking the beginning of a four-year siege of that city that claimed 11,541 lives, and spurred a worldwide Bosnian refugee-fueled diaspora that now has deep roots in Portland.

April 9, 2013 in partnership with the website CULTURESHUTDOWN.NET and the Jack London Bar, there will be an event to commemorate this anniversary, and to discuss what has occurred in Bosnia since the end of the war.

The event will be co-hosted by Michael Phillips, and Ivana Horvat and Adrian Hopffgarten- three Portlanders from uniquely different backgrounds who found themselves in Bosnia in 2012, but for vastly different reasons … (read more here)

Gorgeous Vintage Soviet Propaganda and Art Posters | Brain Pickings

Fri, 29 Mar 2013 14:07:17 -0700

Gorgeous Vintage Soviet Propaganda and Art Posters | Brain Pickings:

Love me some brain pickin’

Public Relations Firm Portland, OR | AM:PM PR | Case study: Small business boosts online revenue with Etsy using time-honored PR technique and strategy

Tue, 26 Mar 2013 14:06:37 -0700

Public Relations Firm Portland, OR | AM:PM PR | Case study: Small business boosts online revenue with Etsy using time-honored PR technique and strategy:

A great PR case study on using Etsy to sell flowers that are hand crafted from antique French ribbons, millinery, ombre and more.

Guy Kawasaki joins board of Writer.ly to help transform the way authors self publish - GeekWire

Wed, 06 Mar 2013 09:44:29 -0800

Guy Kawasaki joins board of Writer.ly to help transform the way authors self publish - GeekWire:

(and to self-promote his own book on the same subject, but so what, he’s providing a valuable service)

Schaffner Press News: Publishing for Social Change

Thu, 28 Feb 2013 10:57:12 -0800

Schaffner Press News: Publishing for Social Change:

schaffnerpressnews:

Our mission statement, “ Books of Social Relevance for the Discerning Reader” has drawn a lot of commentary of late, so I thought I would begin this new blog by addressing the meaning and intent behind this phrase.

Why socially relevant? Certainly all books are socially relevant in one way or…

Schaffner Press News: Books Rule on Oscar Night

Thu, 28 Feb 2013 10:54:46 -0800

Schaffner Press News: Books Rule on Oscar Night:

schaffnerpressnews:

Reflecting on the recent Oscar Awards, I realized that all four of the major awards were given to movies that were based on books, and in four different categories as well: contemporary fiction (“Silver Linings Playbook”); Philosophical/allegorical fiction (“The Life of Pi’); Memoir (“Argo”); and…

How to create a link to your book at the iTunes Book Store.

Sat, 16 Feb 2013 22:30:00 -0800

Gawd.

I am not always the most tech savvy dude in the interwebs, but tonight I grinned and bared it and came out on top. Hopefully this post will help some of you hapless authors out there trying to create a link your book to the iTunes bookstore.

Problem.

I have a client who wants me to make it easier for consumers to purchase his books at the iTunes bookstore. Unfortunately, in order to find an iBook, you have to be logged into the iTunes platform, and how the F does an internet rookie link to something at iTunes, a program?

Solution.

Just to cut out a bunch of BS, I wont tell you all the dumb things I did and the wrong turns I made before finding the following link. I will just say that after much trial and error I finally found what I was looking for. My only hope is that it saves others from a waste of time and needless frustration. Without further adieu, here it is:

http://itunes.apple.com/linkmaker

iTunes Link Maker. I knew Apple would have a solution for this problem. It seems so obvious now. Sob sob sob.

Lecture Underground Filmmaker Cy Kuckenbaker has a new airplane...

Sat, 26 Jan 2013 17:12:48 -0800

Lecture Underground Filmmaker Cy Kuckenbaker has a new airplane video. Check it out, it is awesome! If you’re a member of NACA and would like to book him to speak about film at your university, contact Mike Phillips at: theneocomgroup (at) gmail.com

Planning Your Website for Authors #Portland Event

Wed, 23 Jan 2013 09:52:00 -0800

Just wanted to bring your attention to an event occurring this Saturday at the Writer’s Dojo in Portland.

Jan Bear, a local Portland book marketing consultant and a regular attendee and sometimes presenter at our Book Marketing Meetups, will be giving a great presentation this Saturday on the topic of: Planning Your Writer’s Website.

From the Oregon Writer’s Colony:

“If you’re an author, you know you need a website. But it’s a daunting task, and it’s hard to know where to start. How much does it cost? How do I choose a domain name? Do I need my own site, or can I just set it up on Blogger? And how can I get all that done and still write my next book?”

Cost:

The cost for a single session: $70 for members and $110 for non-members; two sessions: $125 for members and $165 for non-members. (Non-member prices include a one-year OWC membership.)

START: Sat Jan 26 2013 - 10:00 AM

END: Sat Jan 26 2013 - 5:00 PM

Writers’ Dojo, 7518 N. Chicago Ave., Portland, OR

For more, please <click here>

Portland Book Marketing Meetup on Tuesday

Mon, 07 Jan 2013 13:42:00 -0800

If you’re a writer/author or book marketing/promotions professional, please feel free to join us for our next book marketing meetup on Tuesday. For more information, please click here: http://www.meetup.com/Book-Marketing-Meetup

"Local SEO Citations – The New Link Building - obtaining authority citations"

Sun, 06 Jan 2013 23:37:47 -0800

“Local SEO Citations – The New Link Building - obtaining authority citations”

- Local SEO Citations – The New Link Building - Search Engine Watch (#SEW)

Book Marketing Plan

Sat, 05 Jan 2013 13:55:29 -0800

I’ve assembled a sample layout for a book marketing plan below. Often, the book marketing plan is a neglected part of the process for authors, whether they’re self-published or indie published.

But if you think about it, a marketing plan is an essential first step, to be completed no less than 6 months before the publication of your book. It’s kinda like a more wordy, less artistic, less sexy vision board - but it serves the same purpose. (however, if you want to turn your marketing plan into a vision board, I’d love to see it)

Below are some key elements w/prompting questions that I feel are appropriate for any marketing strategy/plan:

1. Branding

How do you describe your work?
How do you position your expertise?
What is your messaging?
What will your target audience respond to?
Can you describe your work in 30 seconds or less?
Can you describe your work and still sound interesting?
Why should people care?
What sets you apart?
Can you use images, music or targeted language to “sell” your brand?

2. Marketing

Who is your target audience?
Where do they live?
What do they read?
How do they read? (e-reader vs. books)
How do they learn about new books?
What drives them to purchase new books?
Who is your competition?
Can you usurp someone else’s audience?

3. Search Engine Optimization

How will your readers find you on the web?
Are you using appropriate tags?
Are there better tags?
Are you blogging appropriately?
Are you creating ways for new audiences to discover you?
Are you measuring your progress with analytics tools?
Are you making adjustments based on your analytics reports?

4. Social Media

Which social media tools will help you sell books?
Which social media tools are best for SEO?
Which social media tools are best for rapport?
How often should you utilize these tools?
What time of day?
What do you post?
How do you post?

5. Publicity and Public Relations

Who will review your book?
Who will review your book favorably?
Who has an engaged audience?
How will you present yourself?
What is your unique selling proposition?
What educational tools will sell your story?
Can you teach a class?
Can you give an inspired lecture?
How do you reach out to media?
What kind of event can you put together?
How can you generate alternative media exposure?
Should you go on a book tour?
Where shall you go on a book tour?

6. Advertising

Is advertising appropriate for you?
How can you reach your target audience?
Should you do paid reviews?
What is most affordable for your budget?
Print or online or both?

Additional ala cart considerations that should be a part of your marketing plan:

How will your website complement your marketing strategy?
How much should you pay for professional marketing guidance?
How much sweat equity will you need to put into your marketing efforts?
How much time can you realistically spend marketing your book?
How will you budget your time effectively?
Are there any partner organizations that might help promote you?
How can you build a community of supporters?

And finally, considering according to a NY Times study, most authors sell less than 500 books during their lifetime, how will you buck the trend?

All worthy considerations, eh?

A Silly Book Promotions Tip

Wed, 02 Jan 2013 19:08:00 -0800

Ok - so this idea isn’t that silly. It’s based on the idea that media will sometimes write a piece or a review based on the fact that it might be a “History Month” or “Wilderness Month” or “National Pie Eating Day”, etc.

Does your new book have a tie into one of these crazy days? Do you have a personal tie, but happen to have a book too? If so, draft a sexy pitch, making note of the holiday, and make sure to send a copy of your book three months in advance to the media of your choice, giving them time to read your work and write a feature/review.

Ten points to the author who can get a book review on national “Something on a stick day” … otherwise known as March 28. On second thought, I don’t think anyone wants to know what is on that stick …

Here are a couple of handy resources for authors to discover new, relevant and interesting holidays:

Hallmark, not surprisingly, has some kickass resources:

http://www.theultimateholidaysite.com/holidays/2013-1/

So does this website, Brownielocks (but don’t let the circa 1997 design fool you):

http://www.brownielocks.com/month2.html

Book Promotions

Wed, 02 Jan 2013 17:12:00 -0800

Book promotions is a tricky business. While no book is the same, the team at The Neo Com Group often meet authors falling into the same marketing pitfalls over and over again. Here are some simple, blunt tips for authors seeking help marketing their book:

1. Lead Times

Make sure you begin your marketing efforts 6-9 months before the actual release date of your book and/or launch of your product. Similarly, if you are looking for a review, check the lead times. For a magazine it’s sometimes a year in advance of publication, for most newspapers it’s three months. If it’s too late, and you’re already publishing your book, see “search engine optimization.”

2. Search Engine Optimization (SEO)

Work with someone who understands SEO, or learn it yourself. With hundreds of millions of potential readers using the internet, there are all kinds of tricks to use search engines to help them discover your book for the first time. How did you discover this blog entry? Trust me, it was intentional. SEO works best for authors working on biographies or other nonfiction topics, though it shouldn’t be neglected by anyone. In the very least, make it easy for people to find you if they are looking for you.

3. Social Media

The key to social media is consistency. If you cannot commit to consistent updates, either find a professional to help you, or look into some scheduling services. Also, use #hashtags if you’re using Twitter.

4. Book Promotions

Book promotions is a vague term that encompasses marketing, advertising, public relations and publicity. I don’t typically use these words when describing my work, as “book marketing” is more befitting. However, I’ve learned that “book promotions” is used more by authors using search engines, when looking for help. I guess this section should be called keywords.

If you’re looking for marketing help for your book, feel free to shoot The Neo Com Group’s Michael Phillips an email at: theneocomgroup@gmail.com