Do you know your ABC’s when it comes to getting the publicity you need for your book, your business or yourself?

First of all, no matter what business you’re in, getting current publicity is vitally necessary… If you’re not entering into the conversation, if you’re not on top of what’s in the news as it relates to your topics of expertise… then you’re going to be left behind.

And this is especially true and important if you’re an author working on your book.

If you’re not staying out in the public’s eye, and talking about what’s going on from your status as an expert, and letting people know how what’s going on is going to impact them, then you’re going to become yesterday’s news – and the world will move on without you.

Look, publicity is an investment – because once you’ve gotten the publicity, doors will open for you, and other opportunities will fall into your lap.

So let’s look at the ABC’s of Publicity that will help you promote your book… Read the rest of this entry

If you're new here, you may want to subscribe to my RSS feed. Thanks for visiting!

This is a question that a lot of aspiring authors probably ask themselves… especially if they’re sitting in front of a blank screen, watching the cursor blinking mockingly at them… Or if they’re so busy running their businesses, or their medical practice and they find it difficult to actually find the time to sit down at a keyboard and create a manuscript… A full length non-fiction manuscript can take between 200 and 400 hours of work – and that’s just the writing.  It doesn’t include the background research, interviewing the client or other people, and creating the proposal (something that needs to be done even if you’re self-publishing)… Read the rest of this entry

On this very special holiday weekend, (at least for those in the U.S.), part of the tradition is to take a little time to think about what you’re the most thankful for…

And even though I’m not in the states, we still celebrate Thanksgiving, and I wanted to take a little time out to do just that…

First of all, I’m thankful for my family – the French ones and the American ones… You are the most important people in my life, and if I don’t tell you often enough, I’m grateful to belong to such a crazy, wonderful bunch of people. (I especially want to say Thank You to my husband, Alain, my mom Louise, my sister Cathy and my cousin Mary Jane.  You are my strongest supporters, my fan club and the people I know I can always turn to, whether I want to share laughter or tears.  And I hope you know I’m there for you in the same way!)

Next, I’m thankful for my friends – you know who you are… You’re fabulous, fun and my life would be a little less colorful, a little less flavorful and a lot more boring without you in it…

And I’m thankful for my colleagues and my clients.  You make my professional life interesting, exciting and full of twists and turns that are never expected, but add to the adventure that makes my business so much fun.

And I’m thankful for Dan Shaw, my intrepid partner in business, who always knows exactly how to make technology work and who has made being in business more profitable, fun and rewarding.

And finally, I’m thankful for the technology that makes it possible for me to have the life and the business I have while living where and how I want to live.

If you’re in the states, I wish you and yours a Happy Thanksgiving too!

In my last post called “Creating Community, Not Followers – a Social Media Rant” I asked you if you were using social media as part of your marketing/advertising strategy.  This is part two of this social media series – and why you should be creating a community – not a list of followers – in your business… Read the rest of this entry

Are you using social networking or social media in your marketing mix?

If so, you probably know that twitter was recently the victim of a DOS (Denial of Service) attack.  Earlier today I read a blog post by Michelle MacPherson – an expert in social media networking – called Why Social Media Sucks, which got me thinking about it – especially because right now it’s the “next big thing” and it seems like everyone and their brother is on the bandwagon about how social media can make or break your business.

It’s no secret that the world of media and marketing has changed. Read the rest of this entry

Part one of this article gave an overview and definition of Search Engine Optimization. In case you missed it, you can read it here: What You Need To Know About SEO. In this second article, we’re going to talk about the easy DIY things you can do to optimize your writing or author’s Website for the search engines to send more traffic to your site.

Let’s start with the the importance that Meta Tags, Page Titles, Descriptions and Keywords have in optimizing your Website or blog for the search engines… Read the rest of this entry

We all know that we need to use Search Engine Optimization to send more traffic to our Websites and help bring the best, high-paying clients to our doors. But knowing exactly what SEO tactics are right for your Website can be confusing – which is why I wrote this article for you.

The Source of 80 Percent of Your Traffic Comes from Here

Did you know that for most businesses – about 80 percent of the traffic coming to your Website comes from the 3 major search engines – Google, Yahoo! and MSN?

That’s great news – because it means people can find you easily.

It’s also bad news – because if you don’t understand how to optimize your Website for the search engines – and yet still make it interesting and relevant for the people who are searching for you – then you’re likely to be lost in the crowd – hidden in and among your competition. Read the rest of this entry

You can’t turn on the television, pick up a newspaper or go online today without hearing something about the economy and how sales are down across nearly all industries, in all markets and in just about every niche.  I hear similar complaints from people who get in touch to see if I can help them with their Website content, marketing copy or just to do a little strategizing.

The thing is, a number of my clients refused to accept the status quo -they weren’t willing to sit back and watch their businesses be destroyed.  They wanted new strategies.  New marketing and sales approaches.  A new way of connecting with their clients and customers.

And they were very satisfied with the resulting jump in sales and profit margins.

So what’s our “secret sauce” that’s sending sales into the stratosphere?  Actually it’s not that much of a secret.  It’s all about understanding the latest trends, paying attention to what your customers are saying and doing – and figuring out how to give them what they want right now.

For example… Read the rest of this entry

What exactly does a ghostwriter do – and how can they help me write my book? This is a question I get asked a lot by people who want to write a book, but aren’t sure they’ve got the time or ability to write it themselves.

You probably already know that writing a book and becoming a published author is one of the best ways to create credibility, build your brand and establish your expertise in your niche or industry.

But writing a book is hard work. And if – on top of writing your book -  you’re also busy running a business or a practice, or doing other things, you might not have the time and energy required to devote to writing your book alone.

Which is why so many people – including professional authors, celebrities, business professionals, speakers and coaches routinely hire the services of a professional ghostwriter.  (Did you know?  Hollywood uses more ghostwriters than the entire book and newspaper industry… combined!)

When you hire a ghostwriter you’re adding an expert to your team – someone who’s on your side, understands the process and can help you turn your ideas into a completed manuscript – listing you as the author.

My job as a ghostwriter is to take care of all the details of your book – to take the big idea you have, the chapter titles you’ve struggled with, your outlines, all the beginnings you’ve struggled with, the endings you’ve probably changed so many time… and help you create a finished, polished product… One that engages, empowers and excites your readers.  (In other words, it’s my job to make you look brilliant… to showcase your expertise and position you as “the” expert in your industry or niche.)

Here’s What a Ghostwriter Does Read the rest of this entry