marketing – Page 3 – Someday Box

Do One Thing

Posted on July 7, 2014 by Joel D Canfield

Water wears away stone by constancy, not power, not volume.

Marketing with a long vision will serve you better than looking for short-term sales.

Every day, do one thing to market yourself as an author, or to learn more about successful marketing. Here are 20 ideas to get you started: … more … “Do One Thing”

The Difference Between Price and Value and Why it Has Nothing to Do with Your Book

Posted on June 9, 2014 by Joel D Canfield

[image: a new path] it altered how I think about the process of living. Though it is as far from a business book as you can get, it is one reason I make a good living doing things I love.

Another reason (and, to contradict what I said above, even less of a business book) is Dr. Seuss’ unknown classic I Had Trouble in Getting to Solla Sollew. A youngster, plagued by problems, sets out for Solla Sollew, “where they never have troubles, at least, very few.” The lesson he learns, again, triggered new thinking and new actions, a different path in life.

At the other end of the spectrum, I own 3/4 of Donald Knuth’s indispensable The Art of Computer Programming and haven’t made it past the first few chapters of book one (the engagingly entitled Fundamental Algorithms, which I assure is dead sexy to Knuth’s target audience.)

… more … “The Difference Between Price and Value and Why it Has Nothing to Do with Your Book”

Special Announcement

Posted on May 30, 2014 by Joel D Canfield

Watch for the special announcement in the newsletter.

If you’re not already signed up for it, now would be a good time.

Here’s a hint:

[image: Commonsense Zero-Cost DIY Marketing for Authors]

The Ongoing Experiment: Chasing Change

Posted on May 29, 2014 by Joel D Canfield

[image: step by step]If you scroll down and look left, you’ll see the 16 most popular posts here at Someday Box.

7 are from the “story in 9 sentences” series.

7 are my core marketing posts.

The other two are a guest post from Rosanne Bane and a meander about Nero Wolfe. I know why the former is on the list. The latter, no idea.

Seems to indicate where interest lies: getting stuff written, and getting stuff sold.

More specifically, tools to make the writing and marketing processes less “random willpower-driven flailing” and more follow-the-steps.

In the spirit of endless experimentation to find the sweet spot between what I have to say and what you want to hear, it’s time for a course correction. … more … “The Ongoing Experiment: Chasing Change”

Why Do You Write?

Posted on May 14, 2014 by Joel D Canfield

[image: A Long, Hard Look – a Chandleresque cozy]Pressfield nails it again. Today’s post is about finding why, about asking yourself why you write, what you expect to happen.

And it’s about letting go of the stuff you simply cannot control.

He suggests asking yourself these questions:

Was this a worthy effort?
Did it call upon you to give more than you believed you had in you?
Did you conduct yourself honorably in the enterprise?
Did you give it all you had?
Did you succeed according to your own standards, the measures that only you know and only you can define?

I intend to market A Long, Hard Look as well as I can.

I intend to accept whatever level of commercial success it achieves, because I can answer “yes” to those 5 questions, and that’s what matters.

Where’s the Order, Where the Habit?

Posted on May 8, 2014 by Joel D Canfield

My unconscious is apparently toying with me. Write a post Monday about being orderly and habitual to reserve mental and emotional energy for art, and then don’t write posts the next two days.

This comes, perhaps, from not having specific goals, either targets to aim for or purposes for the actions. “I should write a post every day” isn’t meaningful. “Engaging with readers regularly builds loyalty” is a bit better.

[image: running the maze]

This year, my goal has been to write more mysteries. Our 3 businesses, Spinhead Web Design, Someday Box, and Chief Virtual Officer, are all doing what they do without much input or marketing effort from me.

After writing a 60,000-word mystery, one chapter a day, over at my personal blog, I may not post much there until there’s a specific reason. … more … “Where’s the Order, Where the Habit?”

Is There a Market for ‘Clean’ Books?

Posted on April 30, 2014 by Joel D Canfield

In the two days chatting with Alex Zabala y’all commented more on language than sales. Interesting perspective into my readership.

[image: what do readers want?” width=”176″ height=”256″ class=”alignright size-full wp-image-3916]He and I, like some of you, choose not to use certain words. I’ll not get into the “they’re just words!” discussion just now. I’m more interested in what makes good writing, and, slightly less important, what sells.

Can you sell a book without profanity in it? Obviously you can. Alex Zabala’s Treasure of the Mayan King has sold 6,000 copies.

Does avoiding (or including) profanity in your book widen your market, narrow it, redefine it? Or is it immaterial?

That’s a question for readers, not writers.

Since all writers are readers, let’s chat.

… more … “Is There a Market for ‘Clean’ Books?”

6,000 Copies Sold: Interview with Author Alex Zabala

Posted on April 28, 2014 by Joel D Canfield

[image: Alex Zabala]Treasure of the Mayan King has sold 6,000 copies. Though Alex Zabala claims there’s no “secret”, you’ll see a theme in his answers: persist in doing good work.

You’ve already met him on my Success Stories page so it’s time to dig into Alex’s success. He’s agreed to answer a few questions. For a talkative witty guy, his answers are uncharacteristically brief and informative. Must be the word “interview”, eh?

… more … “6,000 Copies Sold: Interview with Author Alex Zabala”