Lillian Brummet

Okay, just a moment to have a brief spaz moment:  I have my 100th Blog follower!!!! SQUEEEE!  (Welcome Tina!)  *cough*  now back to our regularly scheduled blogcast...

This morning is my fourth guest author, and I would like to welcome Lillian Burmmet. Lillian and her husband Dave have been writing since 1999, originally as freelancers, expanding into other activities, like blog-radio. Together they've published three books and appear to be very savvy with all that marketing stuff. A link to their website is at the bottom and I encourage you to check it out, because it looks like... well they know stuff, and I always want you to learn new stuff! So welcome Lillian!

[note: blogger is causing me no end of grief on picture manipulation... they're here, but sorry not bigger or more varied... I will see if I can figure it out]

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Mini-Bio: Lillian Brummet: co-author of the books Trash Talk and Purple Snowflake Marketing, author of Towards Understanding; host of both the Conscious Discussions talk radio show and the Authors Read radio program Website: www.brummet.ca Blog: http://consciousdiscussions.blogspot.com


You've signed the contract… Now what?

What should you expect after you have signed the contract and the book publication process is underway?
Because there are so many new authors competing for publishers' and readers' attention, that first impression is more crucial than ever. You want people to pleasantly recall their experience with you each time they hear about one of your books, your business or your name. To do this you need to employ two skills: Research and Preparation. Below, we list the first five steps you will need to take during the initial stages of preparing and researching your marketing plan. Just gather the information at first, we will help you work with the information you gather in the chapters that follow.

The first year after a book is released is often termed as the "one-year honeymoon period" by those in the industry. This is because many authors run out of contacts (friends, family, local media, colleagues, etc) and marketing tactics around the one-year mark. Therefore, we stress again the importance of a well-designed marketing plan.

The very first few steps in any marketing plan is information gathering, starting with: Start by evaluating your strengths, weaknesses, accessibility to resources, your comfort level with various technologies, and your location.

Once you have done that task, take a good look at the list of contacts you already have… Not sure where to start? The best place is in your phone book, all the people you’ve known over the years will likely be found there. Another good place is the junk drawer where you keep all those business cards. Don’t forget to consider those outside of these sources too, such as co-workers and schools.

While you do this work, you’ll be evaluating each individual in regard to organizations they may belong to, contacts they may have or skills they may have and how this might be able to help you.  Then determine what you can offer them to entice their willingness to help in some way.

Authors of:
- Purple Snowflake Marketing - How to Make Your Book Stand Out In A Crowd
- Trash Talk - Learn how you can impact the planet
- Towards Understanding - a collection of 120 poems on society, the environment & overcoming trauma.

Hosts of:

Conscious Discussions talk radio show:  http://www.blogtalkradio.com/consciousdiscussions
Authors Read radio program: http://www.blogtalkradio.com/authorsread
Blog: http://www.consciousdiscussions.blogspot.com

Websites: 

http://www.myspace.com/canadianauthor
http://www.brummet.ca