Today I chatted with a bookclub president, who told me that her club selects their book of the months from Christian Fiction Blog featured reviews. I was honored and ashamed.
I hadn't been posting book reviews as much as I could have despite the fact that I had read many book this year. For some odd reason I had assumed no one cared for the reviews. I checked my blog stats often to see which posts readers viewed most, to determine what content you wanted me to provide. It hadn't ocurred to me that one blog reader could equal ten book readers, that perhaps one subscriber was a bookclub president representing many. I hadn't thought about the untrackable and unmanaged things.
I was thinking too much inside the box. This is easy to do when you think you have total control of your outcome.
I have author friend's who obsess over what sales tactics another seemingly more successful author does, so they can mimic that formula. They believe that this magic formula will work for them.
But as Christian writers we need to remember that there is no magic to what we do. There is only God. He sees what we can't see. He knows who's watching us off the grid. He knows our future.
He knows when you will meet me, too. ;) I hope you meet me this summer. This month I launch the summer mastermind session and host my first tweetup event with my seatl tweetup buddies on Facebook. I will be speaking at The Phillips Arena in August about DeeGospelPR, the North Carlina lit Festival in September and Blogalicious09 conference in October. Let me know if you'll be sending a delegate. :)
Yesterday I arrived in Orlando for the Faith and Fiction Retreat. This town was my childhood summer home. I learned how to ride a ten-speed bike very fast, that Michael Jackson was the best thing since hot peach_cobbler with a scoop of homemade ice cream drizzled on top, and how to kiss a sixteen-year-old Jamaican boy properly.
I'm excited about this trip. I wonder what new things it will teach me outside of "Why bookclubs matter?" and will I get to meet Spud McKenzie(here's here reportedly with Dominque Wilkins?)
In week four of my upcoming summer marketing mastermind session I will teach participants three reasons why online newsletters (e-letters) aren't successful. One of those reasons is the author's inability to have an authentic conversation with their readers. Instead of selling books to reader's, try sharing your books to readers.
A great example of an author e-letter is Tyler Perry's. It is a simple letter to his fans. In every letter he shares something unique about himself and a life lesson. Then he does a vital action every newsletter should have. Those who participate in my telesemnar series will learn what that is.
As I sit here preparong for authors and bookclubs to arrive I am reminded that fans will travel wide and large to meet their favorite artist/author. If I had the money, I would have paid and flew to see Michael Jackson perform again. Wouldn't you want a fan to feel the same way about you?
If you have not registered for my Summer Marketing Mastermind Session, there is still time. Email me at deegospelpr at gmail dot com for details.
And a question for you I would love for you to chat with me about on Twitter. Use hashtag #fafr so that I can respond back. My twitter handle is @deegospel. Here's the question:
What artist or author makes you feel like you're a part of their family?
Today I'm at t
The Master's Artist sharing what seems to be a recurring challenge through this economic recession. How does it affect Christian publishing industry peops. Here's what I'm learning. Visit my blog entry here or click on the title http://aratus.typepad.com/tma/2009/07/when-change-does-not-come-easy.html
Dee





