Here Comes the Awakening Creativity Conference
It's free. It's fabulous. It's for you -- especially if you are interested in what it takes for a human being to be as creative as possible. And... drum roll please... I am one of the featured speakers.
Posted by Mitch Ditkoff at 06:05 PM | Comments (0)
September 23, 202123 Ways to Spread the Word About My Forthcoming Book of Poetry
Thank you for stepping up and becoming part of a creative community of big-hearted people open to helping me spread the word about my forthcoming book of poetry -- "Unspoken Word" -- to be published on March 21, 2023.
I am trying something very different than what I've done before with my other books of poetry.
Instead of just crossing my fingers and being overly optimistic, I am creating a grassroots tribe of friends and fans who see the value of my writing and are willing to make their own genuine effort to let other people know.
Because I know that your time is precious, I've put together the following guidelines, options, and scripts to make your outreach efforts as time-efficient and impactful as possible.
If all you have is five minutes, I've got exactly what you need. If you have lots of time, I've got lots of cool choices for you to select from.
What's in it for you?
Inspiration, fun, community, insight, and learning some new approaches to marketing and social media that you can apply to any of your own creative ventures in the future.
PS: Poetry books usually don't sell very well. Most sell less than 100 copies -- and those are mostly to friends and family. Even the biggest-selling poetry books don't sell all that well. 25,000 copies is considered a huge success. We're talking Billy Collins and Mary Oliver territory.
My goal? 50,000 copies. My primary motivation? To spark a big dose of inspiration, longing, appreciation, insight, presence, and love.
20 percent of the profits will be donated to my favorite charity -- The Prem Rawat Foundation -- an organization dedicated to increasing dignity, peace, and prosperity in the world.
BOOK PROMOTION OPTIONS FOR YOUR CONSIDERATION
1. Amazon
-- Buy the book on the day it comes out. (I will let you know when).
-- Post a review of the book. (I will send you the link).
-- NOTE: If everyone buys the book on the same day, there's a good chance it will rank as a #1 Amazon seller.
2. Email
-- Assuming you like the book, email the Amazon link to your friends, along with any comments you have about the book.
-- Include a JPG of the book cover (which I will send you).
3. Facebook
-- Post my Amazon book link and a few words of support.
-- Post the link to my book website (which I will send you).
-- Post either of the above links to any FB groups you belong to.
4. Instagram
-- Post promo graphics that I will send you.
-- Do whatever Instagram stuff you already do that works.
5. Blogs
-- If you have a blog, write a review of my book.
-- If you know bloggers, let them know about the book.
-- Choose from any of the scripts below (once they are done).
6. Make Your Own Video Readings
-- Choose your favorite poem from the book, make a video of yourself reading it, and post it on social media.
7. Post My Video Readings on Social Media
-- Once a month, I will make a video of myself reading one or more poems from the book.
8. Book Signings or Home Readings
-- Invite me to do a book signing at your favorite book store (but you will need to set it up). I will charge a fee for this.
9. UnspokenWordBook.com
-- In February, post my book website link on social media and/or forward it to friends. (The website isn't built yet).
10. Schools
-- If you have connections at high schools, colleges, or universities, invite me to speak there. I can also do Zoom sessions. There will be a fee for this.
11. Subscribe to my poetry blog
-- Click here to subscribe. No fee.
-- Forward the link to friends and encourage them to subscribe.
12. Monthly Zoom Readings
-- Attend a series of monthly "Unspoken Word" poetry sessions I will be hosting on Zoom, beginning in January. Invite your friends. These Zoom sessions will be more than me just reading my poetry. There will also be break out groups for people to dive deeper into some of the themes of my book: longing, appreciation, presence, self-expression, love, solitude, wonder, pausing, and silence.
13. Bulk Purchases
-- Consider buying five or more at a time.
14. Kindle Giveaways
-- From time to time, I will sponsor "Kindle Giveaways" where you can forward a free digital version of my book to friends.
15. Influencer Testimonials
-- If you know any "movers or shakers" - especially people with name recognition, let me know and I will get in touch with them. Book reviews from these folks are pure gold.
16. Book Reviewers
-- If you have connections with book reviewers, publishers, poetry magazines or anyone in the media who might be open to reviewing my book, let me know.
17. Podcasts
- If you or anyone you know has a podcast, invite me on. Have podcast, will talk.
18. Poetry Contests
-- If you know any poetry contests you think i should enter, lay them on me.
19. Book Clubs
-- If you are a member of a book club, consider "Unspoken Word" being one of your books for your group to schmooze about.
20. PDF Sneak Preview
-- Forward a "sneak peak" of my book to anyone you think might be interested. The PDF will include seven poems and the introduction.
21. Join my "Unspoken Word" Facebook group.
-- This will be a place where you can stay up-to-date on various book happenings. It will also be a place for you to share your book promotion ideas, best practices, questions, successes, and anything else you think will help the rest of our community to stay in the game and get results. The group will be ready to launch in mid-October.
22. Monthly Zoom Gatherings for the "Friends of Unspoken Word"
-- Once a month, beginning in November, I will host a monthly Zoom meeting for everyone who has stepped up to play some kind of "Unspoken Word" book outreach role. At these meetings, I will update everyone on all things related to the book. There will be plenty of time for participants to share their successes, ideas, and questions. So far, 56 people have stepped up to be a part of this tribe. If you'd like to be part of the effort, let me know via email. The more, the merrier.
23. Whatever else you can think of
-- I'm sure you have tons of great ideas well beyond any of the ones I've noted above. Fantastic. Go for it! If you discover some cool ways to get the word out, please consider posting them in the UnspokenWord Facebook group.
OPTIONAL SCRIPTS
-- Coming soon! These will be short, ready-for-prime-time paragraphs you can use in your emails and social media efforts.
Questions? Ideas? Connections? mitch@ideachampions.com
Book cover photo: Greg Rakozy, Unsplash
Heart illustration: gapingvoid
Posted by Mitch Ditkoff at 03:40 PM | Comments (0)
