Gifts from the Heart

The story behind GFTH

A few years ago, I was sitting at the side of our community hall, waiting to take my Grade One students on stage. I was hoping to a little boy in my class’s father–he had cancer, but was very much wanted to attend. As I looked out at the audience, I spotted an attractive young mother sitting in the front row. She was so obviously enjoying herself. I asked the teacher sitting next to me who she was and learned that the lady with the radiant smile was new to our school and had been fighting cancer. As I watched her gaze up at her five-year-old son while his kindergarten class stole the show, I realized why tonight was so special. After chemo and radiation and surgery, she was incredibly glad to be here. Was she facing the possibility of not being there to watch next year’s performance?

I knew that I needed to do something to help more families spend the holidays with the family and friends they love most. That night, I decided to write a book to raise funds for cancer research. And because the whole project was inspired by our concert, I decided to make Christmas the focus of my book.

I’d seen cookbooks that raised funds for charities. What about a book that was a “recipe” for a more meaningful holiday? Over the next few months, I read hundreds of Christmas books. I visited libraries and bookstores, but nowhere did I see the kind I wanted to write. I envisioned an easy-to-read book that would encourage readers to connect with family and friends, and that would help families develop simple traditions and special memories to warm their hearts in the years ahead.

What factors would you say have been the most instrumental to your success?

I think GFTH has been successful for many reasons. I think it is a good book, but there are thousands of books published every year. What makes it stand out is the story behind it and my commitment to making it a success.

1. Motivation

I was HUGELY committed to the project. An author spends thousands of hours researching, writing and promoting a book. It’s essential to write about a topic that you love–something you are really sincerely passionate about. That sincerity comes through in everything you do.
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2. Do Your Research–Fill a Need

I did extensive research and found that there wasn’t really another book like mine. While there are thousands of Christmas books, Gifts from the Heart’s content is quite unique. Do your homework—find a gap in the market and fill it!

3. Book design

GFTH’s design lets prospective purchasers know right away that their support makes a difference. Our cover had a little star that says “Your Purchase Helps Fund Cancer Research.” We have an endorsement from the Canadian Cancer Society on the back cover. Your book design should help market your book.

If you are doing a small print run just for family and friends, design is not as critical. But if you are going to sell through bookstores, your book has to look, and read, like the competition. Visit your favorite bookstore a lot. Talk to the staff about covers that attract buyers. Hire a graphic artist for the cover and layout. Have it professionally edited.

4. Media Coverage

We’ve had extraordinary press. The story of a middle-aged teacher and a group of children wanting to fundraise for cancer research really appealed to journalists. They shared the news across Canada.

The first great stroke of luck was Canadian Living taking an interest in Gifts from the Heart. It is one of Canada’s most popular women’s magazines—we were thrilled when they wrote an article about it in their Community Heartbeats section. One reader called to order 100 copies, sight unseen. The next year, they called again to see if I would like to be interviewed for an article on “Taming the Inner Grinch.” They posted tips from our book on their website as well as on MSN.ca. They were incredibly good to us over several seasons.

Another miracle came very unexpectedly. Janice Kennedy, a columnist who works for the Ottawa Citizen, one of Canada’s most influential newspapers, called for an interview. Somehow the media kit and book had landed on her desk. We really “clicked,” and during an hour-long chat, I told her how the owner of my favorite bookstore would tease, “Yes Santa Claus, there is a Virginia” when I visited his store to top up his display of our book. Janice used that “hook” for her headline, and wrote an exquisite article which ran onto two pages. That weekend and over the next month we had hundreds of orders by phone. Another explosion of orders arrived when the Vancouver Sun reprinted her article. With Janice’s permission, we revised our publicity materials and back cover to share her delightful headline–“Yes Santa Claus, there is a Virginia–a gift that keeps on giving, a miracle disguised as a book.” Her article made a huge difference to the success of GFTH and led directly to increased sales and travel opportunities.

5. Public speaking

I can’t believe it, but I’ve learned to actually enjoy giving interviews. Initially I was terrified, but my determination to help a wonderful cause enabled me to “break the fear barrier” and speak to audiences of
up to 425 people. I developed an attractive Power Point presentation so people would have something to look at besides me. It really helped me stay focused. The back of the room sales have been amazing. At one event, we sold 400 books—one man bought 50 copies on the spot as Christmas gifts for his employees.

6. A Strong Marketing Plan

A major reason for our success was my marketing plan. Selling books in bookstores is difficult for self-publishers and I knew right from the start that the returns by bookstores could wipe out the profits I planned on donating to the Canadian Cancer Society. Especially with a Christmas book—they’d be shipped back before I had my decorations down. We’ve sold books to bookstores, a catalog company, and had several corporate sales, but a large portion of sales were the result of carefully targeted marketing to groups who needed to fundraise themselves. They would keep the larger share from each book sold. Part of the money would go to print costs, and I would donate the remainder, less costs, to the Canadian Cancer Society.

Dozens of organizations helped sell our book. Their share of proceeds supported projects such as hospice care, hospital equipment, hearing aids, food banks, scholarships, travel funds for high school students to build homes in Mexico, a palliative care center for women and children with Aids in Uganda, breast cancer research, books for babies literacy programs, cell phones for women in dangerous situations, the Children’s Wish Foundation, and lunch programs. We raised $98,000 for the Canadian Cancer Society and helped other groups raise an additional $138,000 for all sorts of great causes. Our success has been own small “miracle.”

7. Develop a good media kit.

An author needs to take the time to develop an attractive media kit. Make sure you have kits on hand at all times, along with mailing materials and copies of your book so you can quickly courier them to the media within hours of a request. Update your materials frequently.

8. Do Your Paperwork

Your accountant will need you to keep careful records of your expenses and revenues. Keep your receipts for expenses, including travel, as well as records of sales. Back up your records in case your computer crashes.

9. Be Courteous to the Media.

Reporters and journalists are incredibly busy. Make it easy for them to contact you. Buy an answering machine–return calls promptly. Provide contact information on everything you send out. Develop questions and answer sheet that helps them get understand your book quickly. And send a thank you after each interview.

10. Nonstop Marketing

I worked on promotion all year long, and months before the new edition comes out, I will be researching contacts. When reading newspapers and magazines, clip the names of possible groups you might speak to or approach about sales, as well as articles by reporters and columnists who might take an interest in your book. Plan on spending a lot of time reading in order to carefully target your media and marketing materials.

11. Testimonials

Obtain testimonials for front matter. Good ones really help!

12. Network with Other Writers (and respond to your fans)

This is truly an example of synchronicity at work in the universe. Mary, a fan from Montreal, wrote to tell me how much she loved GFTH. She e-mailed me frequently and I always responded. One day, she wrote to say she’d seen my book mentioned in new book. I wrote Katherine Gibson, the author of Unclutter Your Life, to thank her for mentioning GFTH. It turned out she lived just 100 miles from me–we became e-pals and meet occasionally. She was going to Toronto to visit her new publisher and asked if I’d like her to mention my book to him. She very much wanted to see our book back in print so that it could continue to raise funds for research. Her publisher requested a copy, and called to offer a contract within a few days of receiving GFTH in the mail. Our revised edition will be available throughout North America in the fall of 2007.

So, even if you are tired and overwhelmed, take the time to correspond with people who write to you. Thank others at every opportunity. You never know what may happen!

Advice to people starting off.
When I look back, I can’t believe what I didn’t know, and still don’t know, about writing and publishing. There are so many books available that will help you. Take the time to read some of the best ones.
I think authors also need to think carefully about their “assets and liabilities.” Is your family “on side”? They’d better be–they aren’t going to see much of you for quite a while. Think about your “balance sheet.” Are you fairly healthy? There is a lot of stress involved in keeping one’s day job while writing and marketing. Make sure you take the time to exercise, eat properly and take care of yourself. Are you an optimistic person who can keep going when times are tough? Because selling books is tough. Are you well-organized? Can you afford to produce and market your book? Can you do a lot of the work yourself ? If not, can you afford to pay someone for the parts you can’t do? Are you a “people person”? Being a positive, energetic person with a good sense of humor will help you deal with the challenges ahead.
And finally, there is no substitute for hard work.

“Some people dream of success… while others wake up and work hard at it.”
~Author Unknown

It takes a lot of hard work to write and market a book. Don’t focus on being rich or famous. That doesn’t often happen. Write a book because you believe you truly have something to share with others. Do it because you want to write a book that makes a difference. Books can change lives. Mine did!