What Every Author Needs (and Most Dread)
By DianeDo you dream of becoming a bestselling author someday?
Most authors do.
But most authors also have a problem.
There is a word in the phrase “bestselling author” that is troublesome to many of us.
Can you guess what it is?
“Selling.”
We want our books to sell, yet we do NOT like the idea of “selling.”
Why is that?
Mostly because we have this idea that “selling” means “in-your-face, over-hyped copy.”
We see it everywhere. Over-the-top headlines that feel like they’re screaming at us.
Inflated promises that only make us more jaded.
We run from that kind of marketing ourselves. We certainly don’t want to impose it on others.
Yet we assume that’s what we have to do to “sell.”
Well, there is another approach, and I’m happy to say it works BETTER than the hype.
It’s a whole new approach to marketing that fits well with authors, called “Soft Sell Marketing.” It’s pioneered by my friends Judith & Jim Sniechowski, who are themselves authors of the excellent book and #1 bestseller, The Heart of Marketing: Love Your Customers and They Will Love You Back.
I love their concept of “selling as spiritual service and extended prayer.” They explain, “When you really know what you’re alive on this planet to fulfill, your life becomes a prayer and you move into more and more of who you are and what you’re here to produce and contribute. You are extended. And as you serve others, they extend the prayer. Then there is true meaning in what you do every minute of the day.”
In a conference that starts in just 10 days, they will we will show you how to incorporate these principles into the heart of your business as an author so you can best serve your followers while taking care of yourself at the same time in ways you have not yet imagined.
If you’ve gotten my Author Success Plan, you know that one of the keys to becoming a successful author is approaching it as a business. This conference will show you how to run a business with heart. I resonate with that.
In fact, here’s a free coaching tip: I suggest you study this page carefully for an example of this very kind of “selling.” If the style appeals to you, then go ahead and sign up to learn how to do it for yourself.
The line-up of speakers is impressive. I know many of them, and have learned from many of them myself. It promises to be content-rich, not a “pitch-fest.”
The best thing about this conference is it’s VIRTUAL. You can attend from the comfort of your own home, and if you choose the Interactive option (recommended), you can get MP3 downloads that you can listen to at your own pace, and go over again and again.
This is the first year Judith and Jim are holding this conference virtually rather than live, and everyone benefits. It’s now eminently affordable. I highly recommend it! Sign up now!




3 Comments
September 30th, 2009 at 11:35 am
Diane, Thanks for your wonderful introduction to soft sell marketing for all your blog readers! We look forward to helping our fellow authors – coming from your community – who attend “Bridging Heart and Marketing III” – to understand and APPLY the power of multiple marketing approaches to the success of their books! We only wish we’d had this knowledge and training when our first book came out in 1997. We didn’t have a clue that the point of all the media we did was to MARKET – not just talk about our book – that’s why we are sooooo passionate about making sure others don’t suffer the way we did!
Judith & Jim
Judith Sherven, PhD and Jim Sniechowski, PhD
October 5th, 2009 at 6:21 am
I wanted to let you know that I published your advice on book proposals on my blog at: http://howtogetthinandfamous.blogspot.com/2009/10/published-tip-12-write-book-proposal.html
October 5th, 2009 at 4:50 pm
Diane, Thanks for your wonderful introduction to soft sell marketing for all your blog readers! We look forward to helping our fellow authors – coming from your community – who attend “Bridging Heart and Marketing III” – to understand and APPLY the power of multiple marketing approaches to the success of their books! We only wish we’d had this knowledge and training when our first book came out in 1997. We didn’t have a clue that the point of all the media we did was to MARKET – not just talk about our book – that’s why we are sooooo passionate about making sure others don’t suffer the way we did!
Judith & Jim
Judith Sherven, PhD and Jim Sniechowski, PhD