APRIL 2005—How-To Get Ahead In The World Of Publishing

By Sheri’ McConnell—President of the National Assn. of Women Writers

I love networking with potential customers, organizations, and yes, even vendors. It is fun to share what you learn with others and you never know where your next customer is coming from. Here are some of my favorite business/publishing techniques I have learned so far… use them and you will “get ahead” too!

Determine where your target market goes and then go sell your products at that location. I have found that businesswomen love our products and services more than writers! I would never have targeted businesswomen over women writers, but over and over again, businesswomen jump on our memberships, books, and audioseminars. So once you find a receptive market, learn from it and then go to it!

Target one audience—Specialize! You will position yourself as the person or group to go to for the service or product you provide. NAWW is Where Women Unite To Write. That is targeted and specific.

Create passionate packaging. Books sold as part of a package sell easier. The same information can be packaged into a binder versus a book and it will sell faster and have a higher perceived value. Think about perceptions when planning your packaging. Packaging makes all the difference. All of the NAWW books are packaged into a membership with a long list of services and products. They aren’t just buying a book, they are getting a whole LOT more.

Do more than you have to. This makes a huge difference. Over deliver and do more than your competitors. Be flexible and provide as much as you possibly can and still make a profit. You are building loyalty by placing value on your customer’s dollar!

Create joint ventures. The great thing about joint ventures is that you can showcase your products to entire new target audiences and help others while you’re doing it. Generate new streams of revenue by selling complementary products and services that help your market.

Finally, be unusual! Try to be different and unique. This creates buzz and free publicity and it is fun too! See NAWW Member, Allyn Evans at www.queenpower.com for an example.

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*This column edited by Angel Brown on 3/17/05.