Post #70 – Women’s Memoirs, Book Business – Kendra Bonnett and Matilda Butler
Seems like only yesterday...well almost.
I’ve got a birthday coming up in just a little more than two months. It’s a big one, too, so pardon me while I have a memoir-musing moment. I’m thinking about my birthday and all the years gone by because Matilda called to discuss plans for celebrating. I admit it, I’m not thrilled about turning 60, but it’s going to happen whether I celebrate or not…so I might as well have some fun. And since Matilda and Bill will be coming east to help me celebrate…well let’s just say it’s almost worth passing another milestone. And we’ll get a little Women’s Memoirs business in as well.
Sixty seems like such a big number. Turning 16 was sweet and 21 was a right of passage; 30 was tough because as a Baby Boomer I knew I could no longer be trusted. I still remember the day–some 40 years ago–when I informed my mother that she was half a century years old. And now I can’t even claim that.
But then I got to thinking. Sixty is just the number that comes after 59, and 59 hasn’t been so bad. I ride my bike spring, summer and fall, and this past winter I even bought steel studded tires so I could ride in the winter. That’s not bad for almost 60. I can still remember where I put my sunglasses, my favorite Pelikan fountain pen, my cell phone and my reading glasses. Of course, I need reading glasses, so maybe that makes having a good memory a wash. And I still look forward to summer with the same enthusiasm I had when I was 10.
But what does my impending birthday have to do with marketing, the Internet and memoir writing? It’s marketing–not how we feel inside–that makes us react to birthdays. It’s marketing that has created the cult of youth. Marketing is a powerful tool, and memoir writers would be well to master the power.
It’s about learning to market your memoir
I began in marketing as a writer doing marketing communications (i.e., brochures, newsletters, company magazines, annual reports) back in the 80s. Sometime around the end of 2006, I discovered I had to relearn marketing.
To be more precise, I had to relearn the tactics–the means of communication. My strategic approach still served me well; I just had to learn to communicate with customers, prospects and readers through the Internet. Almost overnight, I had to go from print and postage to making YouTube videos, blog postings, Twitter tweets, Facebook Fan Pages and LinkedIn Groups. It’s kept me on my toes, and may even have helped to keep me mentally young.
Matilda and I are working on a whole new program to help memoir writers (and writers in general) put the Internet to work. But right now I want to let you in on a secret and give you a few links that will help. When I started learning about Internet marketing and communications, I turned first to the many free resources available online.
There are tons of audio teleseminars, videos, webinars, white papers and ebooks that are yours for the asking. And this is a great place to start. Eventually, like me, you’ll probably want to buy some courses and materials specifically designed for writers. But first, take advantage of all the excellent free resources. Here are a few websites that will help you get started:
- Visit the HubSpot Marketing Resources page.
- Retail Online Integration is a wealth of good information.
- Target Marketing Magazine will help you understand the concept of Direct Marketing (something I’ll get into more in the future).
You may be a memoir writer, but it’s time you also started thinking like a marketer!
book business
social networking
Internet marketing
direct marketing
book marketing
