Saturday, February 25, 2012

Networking and Marketing

Interesting experience this weekend, went to a Family History Expo and did some NETWORKING on several different projects I'm working on. One is the monumental task of trying to market my four books (see below) that I've self published. Without a distributor or established publisher, it's been difficult trying to market them myself.

I've sent several of my books to agents and different publishing companies, and only received back rejections. I've tried to publicize them myself and sell them at writing conferences and on my blog with little success. Even mailing some out complimentary to get reviews written in magazines and local papers. Nothing has happened until today when I showed two of them to a private bookseller at the Family History Expo. He agreed to buy 12 copies of my Find Your Voice: Write Your Life Story book, but suggested I up the price from $10 to $15. He keeps half and I get half so after paying printing costs of $5, I'll make $2.50/book. Won't make me rich but is a beginning to have my books out there in the public. If you'd like a copy from me, my price is still $10 plus $3 postage.

NETWORKING can be used in all relationships: family, business, church, community, etc. to share ideas and resources to make something work better or to market an idea or product. A FAMILY is really about that, coming together to help one another. Organizations exist for that purpose, churches, clubs, classes, etc. Another idea I'm working on is for my church. I just got a new calling as a Branch Missionary with the assignment of developing a program to involve the community in making a FAMILY TREE CHART to display on their walls. I've found so many ideas, actually inspiration coming as answers to prayers. Then at the Family History Expo today I was able to get more ideas from participants and companies represented at the fair. It's so exciting!

5 comments:

  1. Good luck, Lin! I hope everything works well for you.

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  2. Excited for you on the networking, marketing, and inspiration from the expo. You're so right, book marketing is the hard part. Keep up the good work, you're doing a great job.

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  3. Happy for this development.Good luck Lin.

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  4. I have some of your books and people are missing out, but I am so happy that you've had some success and I think people will be thrilled to have them...

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  5. I hope it all works for you, Lin.

    That's tricky business. I've created a few things on Lulu, and every now and again a royalty check comes my way. I wonder what a little more effort would produce?

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