Owner: WildFire Marketing URL:http://wildfiremarketing.blogspot.com Join Date: Sat, 26 Jan 2008 17:50:49 -0600 Rating:0 Site Description: WildFire Marketing helps authors and speakers enhance their message, expand their audience, and elevate their income. For more information, call 1-800-267-2045 or visit: StartaWildFire.com
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What Makes a Bestseller? 2008-02-29 14:45:00 Every writer dreams of becoming a best-selling author. But, as most of us know, that's a rare achievement that few ever attain. Fortunately, you don't have to be a best-seller to make a decent living as a writer.Still, I ran across an interesting post from Joe Wickert, the Executive Publisher for Wiley & Sons. It's a few years old, but he gives a good summation of how best-sellers are created. These comments especially caught my attention:"I feel (author platform is) the single most important ingredient for a bestseller. Sure, placement and promotional activity can boost sales of just about any book. But the sales difference between a book written by an author with a solid platform vs. one with a lesser or no platform is huge. Thanks to all the platform vehicles available these days
Client Success Story - Cindi McMenamin 2008-02-21 15:04:00 Cindi McMenaminStrength for the SoulSpeaker and author of When Women Walk Alone (over 90,000 copies sold)www.StrengthForTheSoul.com "Rob Eagar helped put my speaking ministry back on the map! After writing 6 books, I was facing burnout in my writing and speaking. But, my publisher suggested that I check out Wildfire Marketing. And, in less than 3 months, Rob enabled me to experience these results:Enriched the message of my ministry with a new brand, Strength for the Soul.Wrote improved marketing text to make my speeches, books, and website more appealing.Sent out better newsletters that reached key leaders and generated new bookings (see before/after pictures below).Created a new e-commerce system to produce additional revenue.Gained new confidence to negotiate higher speaking fees.Rob re- Read more:Client
, Success
Poll: Does Your Publisher Require Marketing? 2008-02-18 12:20:00 For those readers who are published authors, I have a question:When you submitted your book proposal to your publisher, did they require a separate Marketing
Plan from you or any detailed marketing information within your book proposal?I know several authors whose publishers never required them to submit any kind of detailed marketing strategies for selling their own book. Frankly, I find this hard to believe. Because how can publishers maximize the sales of their books when they don't ask their authors to proactively assist with the marketing?Maybe I'm wrong on this...or maybe I've talked to the wrong set of authors. So, I'd love to know about your experience with your publisher. Were you required to provide any kind of organized marketing ideas for your book(s)?If yes, did your publisher Read more:Publisher
How Do Speakers Get More Bookings? 2008-02-10 15:30:00 If you're a professional speaker or an author who wants to promote a new book through speaking, then you've probably wondered, "How do speakers get booked?" Is there a magic wand that you can wave to get more bookings?Actually, there is no secret formula, but here's some interesting information that can help answer the question. Leaders usually make booking decisions about speakers in this order of priority:1. Personally having heard the speaker and been impressed.2. Heard from a trusted peer that the speaker is excellent.3. Heard from a trusted subordinate (fellow staff member, assistant, etc.) that the speaker is excellent.4. Heard from a trusted third party that the speaker is excellent.5. Heard from a speakers bureau or agent with whom there is a relationship.6. Seen or heard something
Client Success Story - Lysa TerKeurst 2008-02-04 10:01:00 Lysa TerKeurstPresident, Proverbs 31 MinistriesBest-selling author of When Women Walk in Faithwww.LysaTerKeurst.com“Initially, I was skeptical of investing in a marketing consultant. But, after meeting with Rob, he identified several specific areas where he could help me improve. And, in less than three months, I experienced these results:● Differentiated me from other speakers by developing a unique brand, Leading Women in the Adventure of Faith.● Dramatically improved my bio and speech descriptions for my marketing materials.● Increased my confidence to speak at higher fees.Not only did Rob help me improve in these areas, but he also trained me on the crucial techniques of becoming a “value-driven” speaker. He enabled me to identify what my audience needs and how to answer th Read more:Client
, Success
Interesting Book Statistics 2008-01-30 17:11:00 Ever wonder what happens to your book once it's published? Hopefully, it sells well and the publisher is happy, which generally means...a successful fiction book sells at least 5,000 copies.a successful nonfiction book sells at least 7,500 copies. But, if it doesn't sell, then what happens? Check out these interesting statistics:• 40% of manufactured books never sell.• The typical waiting period before books start the long and expensive trek back to the warehouse is only a mere 4 months!• The industry return rate is 36% for hardcover and 25% for paperback.• Superstores like Barnes & Noble sell around 70–80% of what they order, discounters like Wal-Mart and Sam’s Club only 60% (i.e. - 40% return rate!).• 37% of all books sent to stores in 2002 were returned.• HarperCol Read more:Statistics
Client Success Story - Mary Southerland 2008-01-26 16:46:00 Mary SoutherlandAuthor & SpeakerThe Stress-Buster!The Women's Ministry Motivatorwww.MarySoutherland.com"Rob Eagar and his Marketing Mentor Program gave me a new excitement for my ministry! I'm amazed by the results he created so quickly, such as:● Launched newsletters that produced speaking inquiries, book orders, and a guest appearance on national radio.● Sent enticing press releases by email that generated several rapid requests for radio interviews.● Enhanced my image with two new brands and a dynamic website redesign (see before / after picture below).● Created over $1,000 of website product sales in one month - my best ever!Above all, Rob served as a coach who raised my confidence as a communicator." Read more:Client
, Success
The Dangers of Blogging 2008-01-07 21:12:00 Why would a marketing consultant post a blog message on the dangers of blogging? Because I sincerely care about the growth of your business or ministry. And, my research has shown that blogs could the biggest time waster since Solitaire came standard on office computers.Here’s my assumption: You’re a very busy author or speaker who is trying to grow your career, pay your bills, and spend time with God and your family. (If you’re filthy rich or just writing part-time as a hobby, then you can disregard this article.) In other words, you don’t have a lot of extra time on your hands, so the activities that you do really need to count.But, let’s be honest, most blogs out there are similar to a self-centered diary about someone’s daily activities, vacation pictures of the kids, silly Read more:Blogging
Save Money Printing Your Newsletters 2008-01-03 19:16:00 As you know, sending a regular newsletter is smart marketing strategy to help spread your message. Sometimes, though, it's a hassle to baby-sit your printer while it takes hours to churn out hundreds of newsletter copies...not to mention the cost of paper and ink.Well, FedEx Kinko's is offering a sweet deal to outsource your print newsletters to them. The recently reduced their color copy pricing to $.49/copy (or $.98 for two-sided copying). These prices are good through March 31, 2008. Plus, you can upload your files and place orders over the Internet. And, if they make a bad copy, you can ask them to redo the printing (whereas, if your office printer screws up...you have to eat the additional cost).This price reduction makes the cost of printing a good-looking newsletter less than a $1.0 Read more:Money
, Newsletters
, Printing
Write a Book Proposal that Publishers will Love 2007-12-03 10:10:00 So, you're a non-fiction author with a great new book idea? How will you get that idea published? One secret is to create a book proposal that will blow the socks off of a literary agent or publisher. But, how do you create a powerful proposal?One of our WildFire Marketing clients, Mary DeMuth, has the answer! Mary is an award-winning author who has created a book proposal tutorial that helps you get your non-fiction book published. It's called, "Nonfiction Book Proposal
s that Grab an Editor or Agent by the Throat (in a good way!)." Her 50-page guide walks you through two proposals that Mary wrote and empowers you to write one that sells.Need proof? Terry Glaspey, Director of Acquisitions and Development for Harvest House Publishers
, says this about Mary’s proposals: “Mary knows how to Read more:Write
Client Success Story - Leslie Vernick 2007-11-21 21:43:00 Leslie Vernick DCSW, LCSWAuthor, Speaker, Counselorwww.LeslieVernick.comWorking with Rob Eagar has been well-worth the investment! In the first three months of his Marketing Mentor Program, we’ve already:● Produced a polished newsletter, which helped me get the 2008 Relationship Expert Columnist position in Today’s Christian Woman magazine!● Improved my image with a striking new website (see before / after picture below).● Developed methods to get over 100 additional newsletter signups per month.● Created a professional speaking demo that displays my presentation skills.● Launched a new brand that people remember:Enriching the Relationships that Matter Most Read more:Client
, Leslie
, Success
Client Success Story - Mary DeMuth 2007-11-20 11:20:00 Mary DeMuthAuthor & Speaker2007 Christy Award finalist2007 Retailer’s Choice Award finalistwww.MaryDeMuth.com“I hit a point in my career where I needed some expert help. Connecting with Rob Eagar was a blessing! His Marketing Mentor Program caused a personal revival, something I never thought possible. How could hiring a marketing consultant create such a spiritual result? Rob asked hard questions. I learned difficult things. But, I also found the grace of God in his teaching. Here’s just a few of the results I’ve experienced with Rob:● Defined unique brands for my non-fiction, Pioneer Parenting, and fiction Turning Trials to Triumph.● Revamped my image with a stunning new website(see before / after picture below).● Launched new products that generated solid sales in the Read more:Client
, Success
Client Success Story - Grace Fox 2007-11-19 11:39:00 Grace FoxBest-selling Canadian authorInternational Speakerwww.GraceFox.com“I worked with Rob Eagar and his Marketing Mentor Program, and in just a few months, we:● Developed focused statements that reveal the benefits of all my books and speaking topics.● Improved my media interview skills, which has doubled visits to my website and caused over 500 downloads of my articles.● Created a new brand tagline which recharged my ministry.● Developed ways to encourage over 75% of an audience to signup for my newsletters.It’s been a pleasure working with Rob. He’s a great encourager, asks tough questions, and provides beneficial long-term coaching." Read more:Client
, Grace
, Success
Sample Book Marketing Plan 2007-11-15 18:43:00 One key to successful book sales is creating a good marketing plan BEFORE you finish writing your book. Publishers adore authors who think about marketing while they write their manuscript.Click here for a sample of how to structure a solid marketing plan.Post a comment to share your tips for writing a winning plan. Read more:Marketing
, Sample
Rich Author / Poor Author and What's the Difference? 2007-11-15 18:33:00 Every author wants their book to succeed. Some authors focus so much on writing, though, that they never learn how to make their message work for them. I’m NOT saying that the goal of writing is to get rich. However, if your writing doesn’t become financially self-sustaining, then your influence will be brief. I know authors who wrote great books, but they were forced to quit due to a lack of income. So, use this article to consider if you’re causing your message to shrink or spread like wildfire.Poor Author
s think they only need a Good Book.Rich Authors know they need a Good Marketing Plan.Poor authors hope if they write a great book, then it will automatically sell itself. However, this notion is unrealistic when you’re competing with over 100,000 other “great” books publishe
How Do You Know if Your Speech is Good? 2007-11-04 16:34:00 So, you’ve just come off stage to a standing ovation, and you’re feeling pretty good about your speech. Later, as you stand by your resource table shaking hands, several people mention how they think you’re a great speaker. But, are their comments an accurate indicator of your skill level?The fact is that every speaker gets told they’re the best speaker ever. And, most audience members aren’t going to share negative feedback. So, do audience compliments really tell you if you’re any good? Let’s look at three ways to know if your speech is great:1. The leader who booked you invites you back.Most leaders are looking for effective, results-based speakers they can trust. If your speech is good, then leaders know they can count on you. This belief increases the desire to invite yo Read more:Speech
Help with the Southern California Wildfires 2007-10-29 17:11:00 At WildFire Marketing, we enjoy helping authors, speakers, and companies spread their message like wildfire. It’s a good thing when beneficial ideas take over a cultural landscape.However, we are saddened by the recent tragedy of real wildfires that destroyed lives and property in SouthernCalifornia
. Please join with us in prayer and financial assistance to help the victims recover and begin life anew. To make a donation, go to:www.SamaritansPurse.orgwww.RedCross.orgHelp us spread the message of hope!
Inside Secrets from the Uber Agent 2007-10-05 11:53:00 Chip MacGregor is one of the top Christian literary agents. I call him the "Uber-Agent
," because he has such a wealth of CBA experience. He also writes a great blog and recently talked about the lousy marketing strategies employed by most Christian publishers. I couldn’t help but pass along his insightful comments:More than half of the books released every year in CBA have zero marketing efforts planned for them. Look, the dirty little secret of CBA marketing is that there's really only ONE marketing plan. It's true -- they just keep changing the cover page and passing the document around between publishers and authors.Here's their plan: "We're going to send a half-dozen copies to those Christian magazines you don't read. Then, we're going to send the other half-dozen to the Christian TV Read more:Secrets
Don't Play Hide & Seek with Your Customers 2007-09-27 19:36:00 While surfing the web this week, I visited several author/speaker websites and noticed an alarming problem. Whenever these individuals offered a free PDF resource to download from their website - the PDF documents were devoid of any contact information! That's right...nothing, nada, no website address, no phone number, no nuthin'. That's a big mistake.Whenever you offer any kind of resource from your website, ALWAYS INCLUDE YOUR FULL CONTACT INFORMATION. And, if my shouting all-cap font isn't enough to convince you, then here's three reasons why:1. Leaving off your contact information makes you look like a forgetful amateur. All the pros cover their marketing bases, which means they make sure anyone can always find them. You should, too.2. If someone downloads a resource from your website
The Danger of Clichés 2007-09-25 22:34:00 "Sought-after speaker"; "Award-winning author";"Master Story-teller"; "Changing the World"Nothing kills your marketing materials faster than using a bunch of cliches. Yet, most speakers and authors litter their promotional items with these types of nebulus phrases. Why? Because it's easier to use cliches to fill up space, rather than spend serious time thinking about your audience and their specific needs.Clichés sound bad because they're statements with a lack of motivation attached to them...that's why they come across as vague or trite. Sometimes, we write vague marketing text because we don’t really believe in our own message. So, if we avoid offering tangible benefits or a guarantee, then we think it lets us off the hook. All it really does, however, is diminish our credibility.Avo Read more:Danger
Are You a Selfish Speaker (or Writer)? 2007-09-06 17:35:00 When was the last time you reviewed your bio, back book cover, or description of your keynote speeches? What did it say? If you’re like the average Christian speaker or writer, your marketing text may be working against you.After reviewing the websites for over 100 Christian communicators, I’ve noticed a strange pattern. Most marketing text focuses on self-praise of the speaker or a self-centered look into the writer’s life. Granted, many of these people are just copying what they see others do. However, if you make this same mistake, you could turn off website visitors, influential leaders, and potential customers.Here’s the point: Your audience doesn’t care about how great you are. They care about what great things you can do for them. If someone visits your website and never g Read more:Speaker
, Writer
Cool Web Resources 2007-08-19 16:08:00 Authors: Is your book in libraries?www.WorldCat.org offers a free search tool that lets you find all of the libraries where your book is available. This site won't help you grow your personal sales. But, it's a good way to see what kind of marketing exposure you're getting through libraries.Speakers: Find cheap flights faster!www.SideStep.com searches all of the travel websites for the best deals, then lets you book directly with the carrier. This website saves me time over Orbitz, Expedia, and Travelocity. I like how SideStep gives you up-front pricing, then lets you narrow your search by departure times...very helpful! Read more:Resources
Think Outside the Book 2007-07-30 14:31:00 After attending ICRS (Christian book convention) in Atlanta this month, I noticed an unhealthy pattern. Too many authors seemed to focus solely on writing books, which for most is a time-consuming, low-paying process. Unless you’re a celebrity, there is little money to made in writing books. Worse, fewer and fewer Americans read books, so the market shrinks each year. Therefore, the key to long-term success for an author is learning to think outside the book.In other words, consider ways that you can use your written message to help people who don’t like to read. Try turning your book into audio or video products, speaking seminars, movie rights, study tools for groups, etc.For example, my books for Christian singles have sold over 30,000 copies…decent numbers, but not enough to live Read more:Outside
Easy E-Commerce and Fulfillment from Home 2007-07-19 14:29:00 As a follow-up to my previous post, Don’t Bow Down to Amazon.com, maybe you're wondering, “What’s the alternative? Isn’t Amazon the best way to sell my books from my website?” No way, and if you haven't, first read my previous post for the 3 big reasons why.Instead, I encourage you to consider selling books from your website and doing the fulfillment yourself. Now, I know you’re immediately thinking, “But that’s time-consuming and expensive! I'll have to pay big bucks for a fancy website store and waste all my writing time shipping book orders.” Not anymore.Today, you can use PayPal to handle e-commerce and all credit card sales directly from your website. Plus, you can setup a free online account with the U.S. Postal Service to buy postage, print professional mailing lab
Is Your Speaking Career Feeling Sickly? 2008-03-12 22:18:00 If you’re a speaker, can you tell when your speeches are getting sick? By “sick,” I mean that your message is feeling flat, and you’re losing motivation for your presentations. Some speakers wait until it’s too late before they assess the health of their message. So, here’s a list of symptoms to help you discern if your speeches are losing vitality:You rarely get repeat bookings.You haven’t raised your speaking fees in the last 2 years.You get less than 2 new bookings per month.You’re calendar is rarely booked over a year out.You struggle to get endorsements from leaders.You haven’t developed a new speech in the last 12 months.Deep down, you feel mad at God.Ask yourself is you’re avoiding the reality that your career could be in the doldrums. As a professional, you owe Read more:Career
, Feeling
, Speaking
Lessons Learned at "The Shack" 2008-03-28 16:24:00 Wow! I recently finished one of the best pieces of Christian fiction I've read in a long time..."The Shack
" by William P. Young. I'm not a big fiction reader, but this book is one of those rare life-changing gems.I guarantee that this book will give you a new perspective about God, your relationship with Him, and provide answers to that ever-gnawing question, "If God is so loving, then why do bad things still happen?" Here's a brief glimpse at a few other lessons "The Shack" brought home:1. God loves you more than you think...way more than you think. If we can get this concept through our thick heads, then life takes on a whole new meaning. It's hard to think sometimes that God really loves a screwup like me, but it's true. This book gave me a picture of that truth like nothing I've ever Read more:Learned
, Lessons
, Lessons Learned
Client Success Story - Nancy McGuirk 2008-04-08 08:45:00 Nancy McGuirkHelping Women take God at His WordSpeaker and Author of Rest AssuredFounder of Women's Community Bible Study - Atlanta, GAwww.NancyMcGuirk.com"I’ve been speaking and writing for over 18 years, but learned mostly by trial and error. After working with Rob Eagar, however, I learned more in a few months than I had learned in years. My confidence and professionalism quickly improved, and the feedback that I receive now is better than ever. Through Rob’s help, I discovered how to:Create keynote talks that fulfill leader’s goals and generate referrals.Cut my message preparation time in half and work more efficiently.Drive more traffic to my website.Network with other speakers to increase speaking engagements and product awareness.Rob had answers to questions that I'd been wres Read more:Client
, Nancy
, Success
Is Your Book in Barnes & Noble? 2008-04-27 16:56:00 Half of the battle to good book sales is bookstore distribution. Since 70% of bookstore purchases are impulse buys, then it’s important for your book to be on the shelf. Customers don’t like to hear, “We don't have it, but we can order it for you in 5 – 10 days.”But, how do you know if your book is on the shelves at Barnes
& Noble
, the largest book retailer in America? Fortunately, they offer a cool feature on their website (www.BarnesandNoble.com), called “Find It in Our Stores.” To use this feature, search for your book in the Barnes & Noble database. When it appears, go to your book’s individual webpage, and find the box that says “Enter a Zip Code.”You can use this Zip Code search feature to find out where your book is in-stock at Barnes & Noble stores a
Is Your Book in Family Christian Stores? 2008-05-05 12:43:00 Last week, I blogged about how to find out if your book is in-stock at Barnes & Noble bookstores. Click here to read that post.Today, I have good news that you can also determine if your book is on the shelf at FamilyChristian
Stores, the largest retail chain of Christian books. They have over 300 U.S. stores in over 37 states.Similar to the Barnes & Nobles online process, go to Family's website and type in your book's title in the "Search" box at the top of their webpage. If your book title appears, then click on the link that takes you to that's book information page. When you get there, you will see a small box on the right that says, "Enter your zip code to find it in a store near you." Type in a Zip Code, and click on the "Go" button. Then, you'll see a page that lists stores Read more:Family Christian
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