Sunday, March 20, 2011

7 tips for authors attending SXSW 2012

My badge from SXSW 2011I recently returned from SXSW Interactive, the giant geek-fest that happens in Austin, Texas every year. For my money, it's the place to be to see what is happening in the interactive space. And I think that many authors could benefit from attending next year.

But let's be clear: SXSW isn't a publishing conference. It's not a convention. So if you're not writing books about interactive or digital things, you may wonder why I recommend you go.

Here's the reason: the world is changing faster than you imagine. This conference exists on the bleeding edge. Go, and you stand a much greater chance of not being left behind. Go to forward your knowledge and expertise in the interactive world. That needs to be your goal.

Often times authors have their own ideas on how to maximize their benefit of attending conferences and conventions. Remember when I said this was neither? Pack away your assumptions, authors. I'll give you 7 tips on how authors should approach and engage at SXSW 2012.

  1. Leave your books at home. You aren't here to sell. You're here to listen and learn. So don't schlep. Don't pack that extra bag full of books. Forget burning CD-Rs. Skip the thumb drives. This isn't where you will sell books. Unless you're fortunate enough to land one of the coveted speaking spots. In that case, the on-location bookstore will probably carry your titles. If you are lucky enough to find someone in the industry or with something that looks promising, you still shouldn't sell. Instead, take this as an opportunity to tell them about you - specifically - and find out how they can help you. If they can't, be nice about it and bring up your concerns. If what they offer is not for you, that's OK. Keep their product or service  in mind and maybe you can share with someone else.

  2. Stay close to the hotel. That means booking your hotel early. Things will change for you so fast, it's nice to be within a short walking distance to the convention center.

  3. Watch the gadgets. Loads of new stuff get launched at SXSW. Most of it won't be of interest to you as an author. But some certainly will. Pay attention to anything that lets readers interact with books, stories, and authors. Think about how you can capitalize on those.

  4. Go to publishing panels/keynotes. Even though this isn't a conference about publishing, plenty of the people in attendance and speaking are in the industry. They know their audience lives on the bleeding edge, so they'll craft their talks accordingly. Go. Listen. Learn.

  5. Don't be an author. You're going to meet a lot of people. And most of them are going to ask you what you do. When asked, say you're in publishing or interested in changes to publishing. Resist the temptation to claim to be an author. Not because it's something to be ashamed of, but so you don't have to carry out the typical "oh, and what is your book about?" conversation. Remember -- you're not selling here. You're learning.

  6. Plan ahead. Then abandon your plan. SXSW puts out a series of tools -- official and less-so -- to help plan out your activities while in Austin. They're great, but of-the-moment things happen. Don't be a slave to your schedule. I attended about half the panels I was planning. Every time I skipped one, I got substantial value out of that which caused me to skip. Let SXSW happen to you, too.

  7. Open your mind. Digital is more than ebooks and .mp3 files. This field is always in flux. You will never have your arms around it. All you can do is toss in a grappling hook and try to hang on.


Been to SXSW before? Please share your tips for authors in the comments below. See you in Austin in 2012! Book it now...


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Friday, March 4, 2011

When is your next book coming out?



[caption id="" align="alignright" width="160" caption="Image by niznoz via Flickr"]duly ignored[/caption]


The world is full of wannabe would-be authors. Encouragement is nearly everywhere, with an entire month dedicated to showing people that they can, in fact, write a book.

Big deal.

If you want to impress me, tell me about your next book. Because if your first book is your only book, your next step towards becoming a real author is clear: write another one1.

Here are four truths you probably don't want to hear:

  1. Statistically speaking, your first and only book won't impress an agent.

  2. Statistically speaking, your first and only book will never get picked up by a big publishing house2.

  3. Statistically speaking, your first and only book won't sell more than a handful of copies.

  4. Statistically speaking, your first book is the worst book you'll ever write.


So keep going. Take that next step. Write the next book. Develop new characters. Tackle a different problem. Illustrate a new path. Explore a different genre... a new perspective.

The most successful authors are always working on their next book3. So why aren't you?

1 - This isn't an endorsement of ignoring editing, cover design, interior layout and everything else that went along with that first book. If you're going to try and sell that first book, you have to do those steps. I'm just trying to convince you to not sweat the sales just yet. Keep writing.

2 - Yes, I recognize that there's more to success than getting an agent or a big house. Much more, in fact. But it's still a goal for the majority of authors I meet, right or wrong. Wrong, mostly.

3 - I use "book" in the most subjective way here. Substitute "project" and the same holds true for all sorts of new opportunities beyond the typical page.
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Wednesday, February 9, 2011

5 Tips for Digital Authors in 2011



[caption id="" align="alignleft" width="147" caption="Image by Mooganic via Flickr"]Robot typing 02[/caption]


Lately it seems my worlds are colliding. I've made my living as a digital business strategist for over a decade now. And for nearly that same amount of time, I've been peripherally involved in the publishing world. The chocolate of one is mixing with the peanut butter of the other.

Here are five themes to help authors adapt and relate to the digital world of 2011 (and beyond) I'm noodling over currently. They appeal directly to authors -- fiction, non-fiction, screenplay... you name it. In the next few weeks(?), I'll flush them out in greater detail, perhaps ad nauseum.

But until I do, here's a taste to whet the appetite:

  1. Promote you, not your book
    It's a personal and connected world out there. People are more influenced by people than promotion. And you should be working on your career as a writer, right? So before you spend another minute planning the most epic website ever for your book, see how your personal digital credibility stacks up.

  2. No, you can't have a private life
    Because of what I just said, this isn't an option. Boycotting social media on principle is premptive career suicide. People will find out where you live. Fans will find out where you are going to be. Your privacy is an illusion. Deal with it.

  3. Fail fast
    The future is unwritten. Authors who try interesting digital experiments will fail more often than they succeed. The trick isn't to avoid failure, it's to quickly recognize it, bail and move on to the next new idea.

  4. Publishers won't help you
    Publishers aren't evil. Some are even pushing the forefront of technology. But they are here to make money. As long as they can make money off of you, they'll be on your side. But they aren't your friend. Nor should they be. It's just business.

  5. The past has passed
    Publishing doesn't mean the same thing as it did 50 years ago. Hell, it doesn't mean the same thing as it did five years ago. Adapt, or die.


Feel free to agree or disagree below. As I said, I'll dig into more of this stuff in the coming [unit of time]. And I'm looking forward to concentrating more on the publishing world!


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Wednesday, November 24, 2010

Digital Marketing Audio - Podcasting for Authors

[caption id="" align="alignleft" width="120" caption="Podcamp AZ -- Four years strong!"]Podcamp AZ [/caption]Last weekend, I had the honor of speaking at PodCamp AZ 2010 to a small group of authors interested in using podcasting as part of their marketing efforts. And by small I mean two-authors-and-three-interested-friends-some-of-whom-might-become-authors-some-day-but-probably-not. Not that I'm terribly surprised -- PodCamp AZ probably isn't high on the radar for local authors, and the connection between podcasting and authorship is anything but apparent, though I've been working in that space for over five years.

My friend Dani Cutler was kind enough to record audio of my talk. She's the host of a political podcast called the Truth Seekers and was one of the aforementioned friends in attendance. She was also kind enough to do all the editing and cleaning up of the audio as appropriate. She tells me it's difficult to hear the audience interaction, which I obviously did due to the intimacy of the crowd. So your mileage may vary.

If you're interested in the topic, Podcasting for Authors, jump back in time through the magic of the interwebs. It's about a 50 minute file, so find a nice long drive where you need something to listen to.

Note: I'm violating one of my cardinal rules: always listen completely to the audio file before releasing to the public. No, I didn't. Mostly because I simply don't have the time this week. And Dani knows how to clean up audio. She's a seasoned vet and I likely wouldn't be able to do any better. And it's live audio, so deal.

Note #2: I've been doing lots more of this digital marketing for authors stuff as of late. And I rather enjoy it. Niche, anyone?

Saturday, November 13, 2010

Are you ready for Podcamp AZ 2010?

It's almost Podcamp AZ time once again. I'm looking forward to Podcamp AZ 2010 even more than the three that came before because I'm not helping to run it this year! A great group of volunteers has picked up the reigns and is busy putting together a kick-ass event that we'll all enjoy. It's happening soon: November 20-21 2010 in Tempe, Arizona. So get registered now!

[caption id="" align="alignleft" width="450" caption="Podcamp AZ 2010"]Podcamp AZ 2010[/caption]Podcamp AZ is a relevant media unconference. I rather like that title, particularly the word relevant. There is no more "the" media. Some of the biggest media from the perspective of impact is ran by the smallest number of people. The media giants of yesterday continue to speak to a disinterested audience. Print is dead or dying. My media is not your media, and that's a Good Thing.

I'll be a part of two events at this year's Podcamp AZ. The first is a "genius panel" (their word, not mine). It's a special Podcamp session that is 100% dedicated to questions from the audience. I'll join fellow podcasting thought-leaders Debbie Walker, Dani Cutler, Jack Mangan, Teel McClanahan, Marc Spagnuolo, & Nicole Spagnuolo on the stage. You'll come with plenty of questions. Sounds like fun!

I'm giving a solo-session as well, continuing my focus in the new world of publishing. Here's the description:

Podcasting for Authors
For almost six years now, some “underpublished” authors have found success behind the microphone. Some record their own serialized audiobook and release it as a podcast. Others hit the podcast interview circuit. Many have found themselves video darlings. But they all share one thing in common: a do-it-yourself mentality. I’m the co-founder of Podiobooks.com and the author of Podcasting for Dummies. I’ll walk you though those who have done it well, how to avoid pitfalls, and teach you how to rock this on your own. If you have the drive and desire, that is.

Get registered. Get here. And get podcasting!

Wednesday, October 13, 2010

Social Media 101 – Social Media Mistakes

Tonight is another Social Media Club Phoenix meeting, and once again I'll be leading the Social Media 101 class before the main meeting. In case you've forgotten the details:

When: Second Thursday of each month, 5:30 SHARP!

Where: Jobing.com, 4747 N. 22nd Street (between Indian School and Camelback) in Phoenix

Cost: FREE to attend.

Of course, you're welcome to hang out for the regular #SMCPHX meeting that kicks off at 6:30 and goes until 8:00. Their topic: Social Media Strategy – If you don’t have a plan, how do you know if you succeed?

But back to me and the class I'm leading. We'll be talking about the biggest mistakes you can make in social media, and I hope to make it an interactive class. I have 10 examples of major faux paus, some of which I've made myself and all of which continually crop up as new people discover the supreme coolness that is social media.

Do you have suggestions? Leave comments here. Or better yet, come to the class and share! While it's designed for beginners, there's plenty of room in this session for others to share, too. See you at 5:30, SHARP!

Monday, August 9, 2010

Google Webmaster Tools and Your Site. Do It Now!

[caption id="" align="alignleft" width="240" caption="Infection by KayVee.INC, on Flickr"]Infection by KayVee.INC, on Flickr[/caption]A few days ago, the fine folks at Google sent me a note. It seems that they -- Google -- had detected malware on one of the websites I manage. Anyone visiting that site ran a risk of having their computer infected with malicious code. That's bad. Muy mal.

Luckily the fix was easy. Google even pointed me to the exact place where the problem was happening. Google. The giant company. They could have removed my site from their index. But they didn't. Instead, they contacted me. I fixed it. The warning went away. And all is right with the world.

I'm not special. I'm smart. I added my site -- as I do all of my sites -- to Google Webmaster Tools. Yeah, it's a crappy name that brings up memories of 1998 when there was as single person who "mastered" the website. Those days are long gone, but the name has stuck.

Google Webmaster tools gives you a ton of insight to how users are interacting with your site. And also how Google sees your site. It's specifically because I had added the site to Webmaster Tools that this notice was sent to me. If I had not, Google would not known who to notify about the problem. And eventually, my site would have been removed from Google's index. And once that happens, it's a royal pain in the ass to get it back in. Without being in Google's index, your site might as well not exist at all.

Have you signed up for Google Webmaster and added all of your sites? No? It's free and just takes a minute to get going. What are you waiting on?