The Key Ingredient: Enthusiasm
To some of you this may sound like some rah-rah, Pollyanna-esque piece of marketing fluff, but the bottom line is enthusiasm is the fuel for self-promotion. Without it, your self-promoting vehicle (that would be you) will find itself sitting in the driveway, possibly looking pretty, but going nowhere.
I speak from experience –engaging my own enthusiasm and experiencing and observing others’.
Case-in-point: Book Expo America.
I am not being biased when I say that everyone of us from DPP was on their own wave of enthusiasm at BEA—excited about being at the event itself, passionate about our company and the services we provide, and eager to meet with all the different people we could help, or could help us, or who we could cross-collaborate and/or network with.
It showed in our faces, in our voices, and in our body language. Of course we all have different styles, different ways we approach people and talk about the company, our services— different ways our personalities come out and come across. But the commonality was every one of us was enthusiastic. And it paid off.
We came away from the show with an amazing number of contacts, and a good number of contracts.
We were also told by several of the vendors exhibiting around us how much fun we were to share a “row” with, what a great working environment we must have on a daily basis! Our enthusiasm shone through, caught on, and caught the attention of a number of people. Many, potential clients.
Most people like to be around enthusiastic people. There are people whoever, who don’t. No matter how excited, passionate, and open-hearted you are, there’s always one (or two, or three) who will not join in your delight. However, I have learned that you can’t let these people burst your bubble. In these cases, I try to maintain my enthusiasm and move on to the next person.
The cool thing is, I never know when the good energy I put out might just come back to me through those unlikely, seemingly- non-respondent people.
Even those that seem less than excited to talk with you and hear about your company (or, in most of your cases, your book), are often carefully listening, and if they respond later (by contacting you, or coming back to visit you) then your enthusiasm was not for naught.
At BEA we had an opportunity to speak with a great many authors. There were many authors who had rented booths to promote their books (expensive, but I believe most of them got their money’s worth), and there were many who simply walked around from booth to booth touting their book(s) to the myriad of publishers and agents.
For the most part, their enthusiasm was contagious as well. Those authors spoke passionately about their book(s) made a lasting impression on each of us. Some used gimmicks (and please, think of “gimmick” in a positive context here, as I know it can conjure up negative reactions) and some simply talked about their book.
One children’s book had a Western theme to it and was being heralded about the Expo floor by the author and her friends dressed in 19th century Western wear, passing out “sheriff badges” with the name of the book inscribed on them.
A family-run small publishing company had a booth on our row, and they used all kinds of marketing paraphernalia: really big book bags in a bright color that matched the color in their company’s name – those were the hit of the Expo! Everyone was walking around with one of their bags! They also had some amazing marketing paraphernalia to get the word out about their newest book, written by the father and one of the daughters.
The main thing about the two cases mentioned above (the family-owned publishing company and the children’s author), was that they were all so gung-ho. Incredibly friendly, excited to talk about their book and engage – with everybody!
The motivational speaker and author, Zig Ziglar once said: “For every sale you miss because you’re too enthusiastic, you will miss a hundred because you’re not enthusiastic enough.”
For many of us, self-promotion is a loathsome thing. How do you put yourself out there without coming across as boastful or grandiose? How do you “plug” yourself and your book without being pushy or even obnoxious? The answer, I believe, is genuine enthusiasm.
In her book The Nine Modern Day Muses (and a Bodyguard), Jill Badonsky channels the Muse, Audacity, who encourages, “if you’re not having fun, reconsider what you’re doing.” Let’s be honest – not everything about marketing is enjoyable, however, approaching marketing with a sense of fun, with enthusiasm, is going to bring about far better results than not.
E = MC².
In other words: Enthusiasm equals Marketing Conductivity Multiplied!
Call it Nicky’s Theory of Marketivity, if you will (and if you won’t, then call it something else). But use it!
You can think about this theory in a couple of different ways:
1) Think of yourself as the conductor of your very own marketing orchestra: you decide what instruments (marketing tools) are going to play when - which ones will lead, which ones will follow; which ones are going to be featured and which ones will take a backseat; which ones will play the ongoing rhythm, while others may be jazzing it up – improvising. Add a tuba-full of enthusiasm. Or…
2) Think of yourself as a conduit for marketing – through you: what you say, how you act, who you reach out to, where you go, what you’re willing to do will determine how much exposure and sales come your way. Pave your path with gusto and zest.
3) Mix these two up: Conduct your conduit! Use one, two, or all the marketing tools in your arsenal and put yourself in contact with, and places where, you can get the most possible exposure. Add mirthful fervor to each and every step.
There are actually more ways to approach your marketing – but as long as you add enthusiasm you will always wind up with E = MC². Theory that it may be, I’ve seen it put to practice time and time again, and proved the theory true. As Ralph Waldo Emerson once wrote: “Nothing great was ever achieved without enthusiasm.”
Wednesday, May 31, 2006
Thursday, May 25, 2006
Author! Author!
Paying Attention
by Fredric M. Ham
I cannot count the number of times that I heard my high school history teacher say, “Not another word out of you, or you’re off to the Principal’s office. You’d better pay attention.” However, I could have probably blamed my situation on Marsha who sat next to me in history class. She was very distracting. But that’s another story.
So what does this have to do with writing? I say everything. I think the best writers are those who pay attention to everything that’s going on around them no matter where they are or what they’re doing, and they can shut off the world around them when it’s an absolute necessity (this is also paying attention, but introspectively).
I will begin with the former premise, and cite an example. Let’s say I’m sitting on a wood and wrought-iron bench in a small park somewhere in New York City. Fall is in full force, there’s not a cloud in the sky, and the leaves have changed color. What was once lush, green foliage topping the trees is now yellow and crimson clusters everywhere I turn. There’s a nip in the air and I am so deeply engrossed in a novel that I’m off in another dimension. However, out of the corner of my eye I notice two men, probably in their early twenties, plop down on an identical bench opposite mine. They begin speaking, and it’s my trained mind that tells me to stop reading and start paying attention to them. Now I pretend that I’m still reading, but really I’m listening in and peering over the top of my paperback that I’m holding chest high.
I sense that there is going to be something said that will be of interest to me. So I tune in. I’m paying attention for the sake of building my DIALOGUE database for writing fiction. I believe that listening to others engaged in conversation (I’m not suggesting eavesdropping; face it, I was on my park bench first.) can truly serve to improve the writing of realistic and gripping dialogue. The exchange between these two individuals is so rich in dialogue potential, it’s like being in Häagen-Dazs conversation heaven.
It goes like this:
One of the men on the bench is leaning backwards, his hands are locked behind his head and he’s peering skyward (he is Mr. Upright), the other has his elbows planted on his thighs and his forehead resting on the palms of his hands (he is Mr. Uptight).
“What’s up with you, Man?” Upright asks.
“Man, I don’t know,” Uptight says, then exhales heavily.
“What’s it been, a couple of months now?”
“Yup, I quit about three months ago,” Uptight explains. “Haven’t had a crack attack for weeks now.”
“Then why are you so uptight?”
“I don’t know, I’ve been off everything for months and I’m still disturbed.” Uptight straightens up, leans back on the bench, and then runs his right hand through a mop of thick black hair. “Damn!” he moans.
Upright’s eyes sadden. “That’s messed up, Dude.”
I overheard this conversation in a park in Greenwich Village three years ago. Even though this is a very sad situation, it’s rich in true-to-life dialogue. For me it reinforces the importance of realism that must be at the core of any dialogue that I write. I have never directly used these lines in anything that I’ve written, but I certainly recall the conversation (among others that I have written down over the years) when crafting dialogue that I want to ring true with titillating and intoxicating realism. I try to listen in and write down what I hear. I carry a small spiral notebook and an ink pen with me wherever I go and jot down what I think are interesting snippets of conversation.
Then when is it time to stay in my own world and shut out the real world? When I’m writing, of course. I climb into my story and experience it, and in some cases even discover it, as I’m writing. What do the following cities have in common?
Maeva Beach, Tahiti San Francisco
New York City Chalkida, Greece
Hudson, Florida Seattle
Montreal Washington, DC
San Diego Cancun
Honolulu Kailua-Kona, Hawaii
Paris Indialantic, Florida
These are the various locations where I have had the opportunity to write, and in many of them I wrote parts of Dead River. When I wasn’t enjoying the sights, sounds and conversations around me, I was in my hotel room (or my study at home) writing, in my world.
Fredric M. Ham was born and raised in a small Iowa town. After graduating high school, he served in the U.S. Navy which included three tours of duty in Vietnam. After the Navy, Fred attended Iowa State University earning B.S., M.S. and Ph.D. degrees in Electrical engineering. He has traveled extensively throughout the United States and around the world. He has explored the Far East and studied various cultures. His many years of research and writing experience have led to over a hundred published technical papers, a textbook on artificial neural networks, and the holding of three United States patents. He is currently an Endowed Chair Professor of Electrical Engineering at Florida Institute of Technology where he has been on the faculty since 1988. Dead River is his first novel. He has written several short stories and is currently working on his second novel. He resides in Indialantic, Florida with his wife.
Dead River, by Fred Ham: Adam Riley’s world is suddenly shattered when his seventeen-year-old daughter, Sara Ann, mysteriously vanishes from a small Florida beach community on a sweltering afternoon in late summer. Three days after her disappearance the abductor calls the Riley home, and when he doesn’t demand ransom money it quickly becomes apparent to everyone that his sole motive is to torment the family. The horror is only beginning.
With no clues evident to the local authorities they turn to the FBI for assistance. The clock is ticking and the kidnapper must be found. Who is this person? What motivates him? Who could be next? The FBI profiler tries to answer these questions, but the terror sweeps through the beach community like a hurricane and soon it spreads to a near-by town.
What happens to a man whose daughter has been kidnapped? To what lengths will Adam Riley go to ensure justice is served? Can his religious beliefs provide a moral compass and guide him in the right direction? Only time will tell.
Dead River, by Fred Ham and published under the PulpBytes Imprint (2006) is available in eBook format at the DPPstore (www.dppstore.com) for $8.95
Please visit Fredric Ham's website: www.fredricmham.com
by Fredric M. Ham
I cannot count the number of times that I heard my high school history teacher say, “Not another word out of you, or you’re off to the Principal’s office. You’d better pay attention.” However, I could have probably blamed my situation on Marsha who sat next to me in history class. She was very distracting. But that’s another story.
So what does this have to do with writing? I say everything. I think the best writers are those who pay attention to everything that’s going on around them no matter where they are or what they’re doing, and they can shut off the world around them when it’s an absolute necessity (this is also paying attention, but introspectively).
I will begin with the former premise, and cite an example. Let’s say I’m sitting on a wood and wrought-iron bench in a small park somewhere in New York City. Fall is in full force, there’s not a cloud in the sky, and the leaves have changed color. What was once lush, green foliage topping the trees is now yellow and crimson clusters everywhere I turn. There’s a nip in the air and I am so deeply engrossed in a novel that I’m off in another dimension. However, out of the corner of my eye I notice two men, probably in their early twenties, plop down on an identical bench opposite mine. They begin speaking, and it’s my trained mind that tells me to stop reading and start paying attention to them. Now I pretend that I’m still reading, but really I’m listening in and peering over the top of my paperback that I’m holding chest high.
I sense that there is going to be something said that will be of interest to me. So I tune in. I’m paying attention for the sake of building my DIALOGUE database for writing fiction. I believe that listening to others engaged in conversation (I’m not suggesting eavesdropping; face it, I was on my park bench first.) can truly serve to improve the writing of realistic and gripping dialogue. The exchange between these two individuals is so rich in dialogue potential, it’s like being in Häagen-Dazs conversation heaven.
It goes like this:
One of the men on the bench is leaning backwards, his hands are locked behind his head and he’s peering skyward (he is Mr. Upright), the other has his elbows planted on his thighs and his forehead resting on the palms of his hands (he is Mr. Uptight).
“What’s up with you, Man?” Upright asks.
“Man, I don’t know,” Uptight says, then exhales heavily.
“What’s it been, a couple of months now?”
“Yup, I quit about three months ago,” Uptight explains. “Haven’t had a crack attack for weeks now.”
“Then why are you so uptight?”
“I don’t know, I’ve been off everything for months and I’m still disturbed.” Uptight straightens up, leans back on the bench, and then runs his right hand through a mop of thick black hair. “Damn!” he moans.
Upright’s eyes sadden. “That’s messed up, Dude.”
I overheard this conversation in a park in Greenwich Village three years ago. Even though this is a very sad situation, it’s rich in true-to-life dialogue. For me it reinforces the importance of realism that must be at the core of any dialogue that I write. I have never directly used these lines in anything that I’ve written, but I certainly recall the conversation (among others that I have written down over the years) when crafting dialogue that I want to ring true with titillating and intoxicating realism. I try to listen in and write down what I hear. I carry a small spiral notebook and an ink pen with me wherever I go and jot down what I think are interesting snippets of conversation.
Then when is it time to stay in my own world and shut out the real world? When I’m writing, of course. I climb into my story and experience it, and in some cases even discover it, as I’m writing. What do the following cities have in common?
Maeva Beach, Tahiti San Francisco
New York City Chalkida, Greece
Hudson, Florida Seattle
Montreal Washington, DC
San Diego Cancun
Honolulu Kailua-Kona, Hawaii
Paris Indialantic, Florida
These are the various locations where I have had the opportunity to write, and in many of them I wrote parts of Dead River. When I wasn’t enjoying the sights, sounds and conversations around me, I was in my hotel room (or my study at home) writing, in my world.
Fredric M. Ham was born and raised in a small Iowa town. After graduating high school, he served in the U.S. Navy which included three tours of duty in Vietnam. After the Navy, Fred attended Iowa State University earning B.S., M.S. and Ph.D. degrees in Electrical engineering. He has traveled extensively throughout the United States and around the world. He has explored the Far East and studied various cultures. His many years of research and writing experience have led to over a hundred published technical papers, a textbook on artificial neural networks, and the holding of three United States patents. He is currently an Endowed Chair Professor of Electrical Engineering at Florida Institute of Technology where he has been on the faculty since 1988. Dead River is his first novel. He has written several short stories and is currently working on his second novel. He resides in Indialantic, Florida with his wife.
Dead River, by Fred Ham: Adam Riley’s world is suddenly shattered when his seventeen-year-old daughter, Sara Ann, mysteriously vanishes from a small Florida beach community on a sweltering afternoon in late summer. Three days after her disappearance the abductor calls the Riley home, and when he doesn’t demand ransom money it quickly becomes apparent to everyone that his sole motive is to torment the family. The horror is only beginning.
With no clues evident to the local authorities they turn to the FBI for assistance. The clock is ticking and the kidnapper must be found. Who is this person? What motivates him? Who could be next? The FBI profiler tries to answer these questions, but the terror sweeps through the beach community like a hurricane and soon it spreads to a near-by town.
What happens to a man whose daughter has been kidnapped? To what lengths will Adam Riley go to ensure justice is served? Can his religious beliefs provide a moral compass and guide him in the right direction? Only time will tell.
Dead River, by Fred Ham and published under the PulpBytes Imprint (2006) is available in eBook format at the DPPstore (www.dppstore.com) for $8.95
Please visit Fredric Ham's website: www.fredricmham.com
Thursday, May 11, 2006
Response to Limerick Prompt
Wednesday, May 10, 2006
Publisher's Prompt
Limerick Day falls on May 12. For fun and for kicks, write a limerick about anything you'd like...or, if you are so inspired and propelled to do so, write several. Post 'em here on the blog or send 'em to me: nicpit@digitalpulppublishing.com and I'll post 'em for ya!
Author! Author!
Innerview
With John Bourne
In your essay, Law & Grace, you said that you don’t really have a “particular system of writing”, but do you have a particular time of day or a set amount of hours that you adhere to, or do you simply write when the spirit moves you?
I have a leisurely breakfast and try to sharpen my mind with a Su doku quiz. Then I go to my study and begin work. Sometimes the writing flows, and sometimes it is a real struggle. If I can’t work, I go for a walk along the seafront, always good for the mind and the body. I stop for lunch, a quick lunch if the writing is working or a longer one if it isn’t. At one time, I would work on through the evening and into the early hours. Now I discipline myself to stop by 6 pm. I write 6 days a week. I have just finished writing another novel, ‘The Depths Within’, and will start the next book very shortly.
Which makes this next question “iffy” – contingent on the first: What do you do when you aren’t feeling inspired or motivated to write?
As the previous question really. I do have a good imagination and live the stories as I write them, that does help in avoiding ‘writers block’, at least it does, so far. It also makes me change the plot as I go on, because sometimes I become so upset as I am about to kill off a character, that I change it!
What is your ideal writing environment?
I use a laptop computer so I can be flexible. However, I am most comfortable in my study, the cat alongside me and a radio playing quietly in the background.
What authors inspire you most?
I guess my favourite author is Bernard Cornwell. He writes historical fiction and is very talented in bringing to life whatever he tackles, from Alfred the Great to the Napoleonic Wars and the American Civil War. I read as much history and historical fiction as I can find. I will read any author who deals with the subject. I love history and it has so much to teach us.
What I really appreciated about The Death of Innocence was that I never felt conked over the head with what was morally “right”…it was left to Mark Green, the protagonist, and me the reader to decide. I’m wondering if you conduct your sermons the same way…?
One of the first things I learned as a Prison Chaplain was “There but for the grace of God, go I”. If I approached people from a position of assumed superiority, I would never be able to relate to them. We all make mistakes, and have no cause for smugness. In the parish, I quickly learned not to talk at people but with them. To preach to myself as much as to anyone else. So I guess that I want people to reach their own decisions, I try to put up metaphorical sign posts pointing to the right decisions and hope and pray that people will arrive there by themselves.
Temptation is a fascinating subject. Do you plan to explore it again in future books? Any ideas you can/would like to share with us?
Temptation is a fascinating subject that I will undoubtedly return to. I have a plot in mind when one of the hero’s of ‘Death of Innocence’, succumbs to the temptation to employ illegal violence, resulting in far-reaching consequences. The more I think about temptation, the more far-reaching it is. Every day is full of temptations, big and small. Their effect on us varies, for we are all open to some temptations more than others. For the effect of succumbing, look at the quote I offer in answer to the last question.
Is there ever a temptation that is worth succumbing to?
I don’t think it would be a good idea to answer that one? If I was forced to I would say no. That doesn’t mean I wouldn’t succumb, but I would try not to.
Favorite quote?
I don’t know where it comes from, but it is a good pointer to think before we speak or act!
Sow a thought, reap an action.
Sow an action, reap a habit.
Sow a habit, reap a character.
Sow a character, reap a destiny.
With John Bourne
In your essay, Law & Grace, you said that you don’t really have a “particular system of writing”, but do you have a particular time of day or a set amount of hours that you adhere to, or do you simply write when the spirit moves you?
I have a leisurely breakfast and try to sharpen my mind with a Su doku quiz. Then I go to my study and begin work. Sometimes the writing flows, and sometimes it is a real struggle. If I can’t work, I go for a walk along the seafront, always good for the mind and the body. I stop for lunch, a quick lunch if the writing is working or a longer one if it isn’t. At one time, I would work on through the evening and into the early hours. Now I discipline myself to stop by 6 pm. I write 6 days a week. I have just finished writing another novel, ‘The Depths Within’, and will start the next book very shortly.
Which makes this next question “iffy” – contingent on the first: What do you do when you aren’t feeling inspired or motivated to write?
As the previous question really. I do have a good imagination and live the stories as I write them, that does help in avoiding ‘writers block’, at least it does, so far. It also makes me change the plot as I go on, because sometimes I become so upset as I am about to kill off a character, that I change it!
What is your ideal writing environment?
I use a laptop computer so I can be flexible. However, I am most comfortable in my study, the cat alongside me and a radio playing quietly in the background.
What authors inspire you most?
I guess my favourite author is Bernard Cornwell. He writes historical fiction and is very talented in bringing to life whatever he tackles, from Alfred the Great to the Napoleonic Wars and the American Civil War. I read as much history and historical fiction as I can find. I will read any author who deals with the subject. I love history and it has so much to teach us.
What I really appreciated about The Death of Innocence was that I never felt conked over the head with what was morally “right”…it was left to Mark Green, the protagonist, and me the reader to decide. I’m wondering if you conduct your sermons the same way…?
One of the first things I learned as a Prison Chaplain was “There but for the grace of God, go I”. If I approached people from a position of assumed superiority, I would never be able to relate to them. We all make mistakes, and have no cause for smugness. In the parish, I quickly learned not to talk at people but with them. To preach to myself as much as to anyone else. So I guess that I want people to reach their own decisions, I try to put up metaphorical sign posts pointing to the right decisions and hope and pray that people will arrive there by themselves.
Temptation is a fascinating subject. Do you plan to explore it again in future books? Any ideas you can/would like to share with us?
Temptation is a fascinating subject that I will undoubtedly return to. I have a plot in mind when one of the hero’s of ‘Death of Innocence’, succumbs to the temptation to employ illegal violence, resulting in far-reaching consequences. The more I think about temptation, the more far-reaching it is. Every day is full of temptations, big and small. Their effect on us varies, for we are all open to some temptations more than others. For the effect of succumbing, look at the quote I offer in answer to the last question.
Is there ever a temptation that is worth succumbing to?
I don’t think it would be a good idea to answer that one? If I was forced to I would say no. That doesn’t mean I wouldn’t succumb, but I would try not to.
Favorite quote?
I don’t know where it comes from, but it is a good pointer to think before we speak or act!
Sow a thought, reap an action.
Sow an action, reap a habit.
Sow a habit, reap a character.
Sow a character, reap a destiny.
John Bourne was born in 1949 in Brighton, on the south coast of England. In 1970 he and his wife settled in Kent where John joined the Kent Police. In 1990, Bourne resigned to study for the Christian Ministry. He was ordained at Canterbury Cathedral in 1991 and became Vicar of Marden, Kent, and Chaplain of Her Majesty’s Prison Blantyre House. He retired in 2003 and has taken up writing, a long held ambition. In the last two years he has published one book, “Coppering the Cannon”, and two short stories. His novel, The Death of Innocence, is available at the DPPstore (www.dppstore.com).
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