Bullish on book publishing ... and promotion?

Learn to sell, practically.

Got a furry feline friend? You can read about one.

Your kid ADD and hyper, and you're feeling hopeless?

Then there's always the Moose ... The moose on the loose, written by my chiropractor's sister.

I just love entrepreneurs and Creators. People who invest their hearts and passion into a Big Task--a Big Project--a Big Book. Just this week, I've met three authors promoting three books. Each author has written and published a book--one hardcover, two softcover; two focused on niche business or academic audiences; and one that's more consumer and family focused. And they're all ready to launch, promote and sell.
What is going on? Why this windfall of book writing? So I investigated a bit.

Just this week, the Association of American Publishers issued a news release reporting a RISE IN BOOK PUBLISHING--an increase of 7.2 percent in January.

• The Adult Hardcover category was up by 4.2 percent in January with sales of $94.4 million.
• Adult Paperback sales rose 37.6 percent for the month ($135.2 million).
  
• The Adult Mass Market category rose by 17.3 percent for January with sales totaling $65.3 million.
  
• The Children’s/YA Hardcover category saw a decrease of 21.9 percent for the month with sales of $33.6 million.
  
• The Children’s/YA Paperback category was up by 28.2 percent in January with sales totaling $34.0 million.
• Audio Book sales posted an increase of 16.8 percent for January compared to last year’s figures, with sales totaling $13.5 million.
  
• E-books sales rose by 26.1 percent for the month ($3.1 million).
  
• Religious Books rose 1.1 percent for the month with sales of $47.5 million.
• Sales of University Press Hardcover books were up by 4.7 percent in January with sales of $7.1 million.
  
• University Press Paperback sales posted a slight decrease of 1.5 percent for the month with sales totaling $10.2 million. Sales in the Professional and Scholarly category were up by 0.7 percent in January ($46.9 million).
• Higher Education publishing sales declined by 0.7 percent for the month with sales of $253.1 million.
• The net El-Hi (elementary/high school) basal and supplemental K-12 category posted a decrease of 1.6 percent in January with sales of $68.8 million

I don't know one professional communicator who isn't writing a book--or wants too, "some day." Me included. Seems the writing part is still the toughest part. Self-publishing and online stores open up new worlds of distribution (not necessarily promotion).

So, are you writing you a book? Share with us.



By the way, I was Google-ing and found this:












"Guaranteed Media Attention..."

That promise/claim ALWAYS scares me.

Does it scare you?

PRactically ... Impractical?

To a professional communicator, it's a mantra. It's as natural as breathing. We passionately advocate and advise our clients that Consistency is the name of the game.

To inform, educate and persuade, executives and companies must share a Consistent message through Consistent efforts. They must Consistently address their key publics--people like employees, customers, sales prospects, suppliers, regulators, the media, industry analysts, financial analysts, investors and more.

Have I mentioned Consistency?

So here I sit, boiling in the hot waters of self-condemnation and shame. My last blog posting? January. What happened to February? For God's sake, did we just celebrate St. Patrick's Day?

Every company of any size--and any leader, executive or entrepreneur--faces the Consistency Conundrum. Good intentions. High aspirations. And a schedule of to-dos, details, kid duty, sales efforts, client service, balancing the books, repairing the cars and getting flowers planted in the front of the house before the in-laws come to visit during Spring Break.

Consistency turns to crap, which turns into chaos. Which turns into crap. It's a strange Circle of Life, isn't it?

My ruminations of "what-ifs" and blame games don't help anything. Nor does shame or self condemnation. A solution is needed. A roadway to Getting It Right is the answer. So, how do we walk our way out of the woods and get back on the well-traveled path toward Consistency in life, service, sales and communications?

See my list of 20 Lessons Learned during my first year of business. These may help you think through the rabbit trails. My most recent revelation: Don't Do It All On Your Own--er--that means, Roy, don't try to do it all on my own. For example, I'm an Idea Man. I can see "pictures"of programs, campaigns, headlines, word combinations and all that wonderful creative stuff. But don't give me a checkbook to balance, or 23 different manila folders of activities, to-dos and deliverables stacked on my desk. It makes me crazy, cloudy and stuck in a creative coma.

Thank God for anal retentive communicators and colleagues--Helpers and Organizers. Identify them. Invite them into your chaos. And watch them re-arrange, revise all the pieces. It's often rigorous, but also re-invigorating.

Being Consistent in Message and Communications Outreach is a Prime Directive. Being consistent in service delivery and every other portion of your life requires Help, instruction ... and an admission that you're not good at everything. People are available to help you be consistent. Reach inside, figure out what your greatest strengths are. Acknowledge weaknesses and Reach Out. In some ways, it's simple. In some ways, it's scary. I discovered a colleague who helped me look in the mirror. She's a business coach, "a personal trainer for what's between the ears" of an executive. And she's damn good. Lori Link of Resource Link is helping me Be Consistent. What about you?