When I got involved with The Booktrap, I came in by invitation and was handed the group page, basically a storefront for the group for their news and blogs, and books.
The Booktrap is a starting venture with some highly motivated members. Some with multitudes of books, others just starting out. A couple of the members I would characterize as idea people, others as motivators, and others as 'WTH am I doing in this area? See ya’ later.' I must confess there are times I am in the latter group.
I get more done than it appears, but less than I want because of my bulldozer gene, and I do have a hard time saying ‘no’ – not a good thing, put that on the top of the to do list, SAY NO!
Another thing I like to do is pick brains and we have some good pickins’ in this group. NO, we are not part of the zombie party.
Samuel Z. Jones, a prolific writer, has impromptu sit-downs in our back room, throwing out ideas for fun and profit. His WTF starter got a few of us looking in, chiming in, and excited, that we had some hot blood flowing with motivation.
I have found too many start out, myself included, gung-ho, only to fall behind, when immediate results are not seen. Oh, silly me – one of my posts, Stop Burning Bridges, was on how long it actually takes to become known.
Being a writer is a given. Unfortunately, throughout the ages no one said if you want more than family or friends to read your stories, you must also become a salesman… oops, today PC wise, that would be a salesperson.
None the less, man or woman must determine what is more important? Will you stop writing because you do not see the masses flocking to buy your book, or just keep writing, improving, networking, until the years propel you into ‘overnight’ success?
I will give you a little of what Samuel Z. Jones shared with us, not all of it, not even a lot of it, just a teaser; because next week Sam will still be in the spotlight AND I find many learn one or two things and retain, rather than ten with eight being lost.
Let me warn those who have been around the block a time or two, this may be an old tale, told twice, but for you that want to find a niche, give us five minutes of your reading time, and maybe you’ll be back next time for more information in helping you succeed.
Some thoughts on network tolerance...
"WTF is that?"
That's the capacity of your online networks to carry outbound traffic. Network tolerance is why spamming doesn't work.
So, what you’re saying is, my constant posting the same thing over and over is then becoming an overlooked post?
You've written a book, and you have an existing network of friends online. You get into the online writing and publishing communities, and you grow your network. You figure out the platforms you like and you grow your network some more.
Then you're ready; you launch your book and you go mad pushing links about it all over your network. For a while, it works (how well depends how good you are on this side of it).
But then it stops… You went from no sales to some sales and back to none. Why?
Because you can't sell the same book to the same person more than once. Sooner or later, everyone in your network who might want your book has bought it already, or they never will.
Gonna need another book, or a bigger network. Ideally, you want both.
Trouble is, you get a bottleneck effect.
I see some buts in this argument, however, I will put a cork in it until next week, when I talk less, maybe, and Samuel Z. Jones more.
Check our Samuel Z. Jones by clicking on his highlighted name. And, Check out my past blogs for some insight into the climb out of the book box and into the selling arena.
The Booktrap is a starting venture with some highly motivated members. Some with multitudes of books, others just starting out. A couple of the members I would characterize as idea people, others as motivators, and others as 'WTH am I doing in this area? See ya’ later.' I must confess there are times I am in the latter group.
I get more done than it appears, but less than I want because of my bulldozer gene, and I do have a hard time saying ‘no’ – not a good thing, put that on the top of the to do list, SAY NO!
Another thing I like to do is pick brains and we have some good pickins’ in this group. NO, we are not part of the zombie party.
Samuel Z. Jones, a prolific writer, has impromptu sit-downs in our back room, throwing out ideas for fun and profit. His WTF starter got a few of us looking in, chiming in, and excited, that we had some hot blood flowing with motivation.
I have found too many start out, myself included, gung-ho, only to fall behind, when immediate results are not seen. Oh, silly me – one of my posts, Stop Burning Bridges, was on how long it actually takes to become known.
Being a writer is a given. Unfortunately, throughout the ages no one said if you want more than family or friends to read your stories, you must also become a salesman… oops, today PC wise, that would be a salesperson.
None the less, man or woman must determine what is more important? Will you stop writing because you do not see the masses flocking to buy your book, or just keep writing, improving, networking, until the years propel you into ‘overnight’ success?
I will give you a little of what Samuel Z. Jones shared with us, not all of it, not even a lot of it, just a teaser; because next week Sam will still be in the spotlight AND I find many learn one or two things and retain, rather than ten with eight being lost.
Let me warn those who have been around the block a time or two, this may be an old tale, told twice, but for you that want to find a niche, give us five minutes of your reading time, and maybe you’ll be back next time for more information in helping you succeed.
Some thoughts on network tolerance...
"WTF is that?"
That's the capacity of your online networks to carry outbound traffic. Network tolerance is why spamming doesn't work.
So, what you’re saying is, my constant posting the same thing over and over is then becoming an overlooked post?
You've written a book, and you have an existing network of friends online. You get into the online writing and publishing communities, and you grow your network. You figure out the platforms you like and you grow your network some more.
Then you're ready; you launch your book and you go mad pushing links about it all over your network. For a while, it works (how well depends how good you are on this side of it).
But then it stops… You went from no sales to some sales and back to none. Why?
Because you can't sell the same book to the same person more than once. Sooner or later, everyone in your network who might want your book has bought it already, or they never will.
Gonna need another book, or a bigger network. Ideally, you want both.
Trouble is, you get a bottleneck effect.
I see some buts in this argument, however, I will put a cork in it until next week, when I talk less, maybe, and Samuel Z. Jones more.
Check our Samuel Z. Jones by clicking on his highlighted name. And, Check out my past blogs for some insight into the climb out of the book box and into the selling arena.