by Gini Graham-Scott | Oct 30, 2014 | Marketing Tips, Marketing Tips - Books
Your personal experiences can provide a wealth of source material for something you can publish, whether as an article or blog, book proposal, chapter, or complete book based on collecting enough experiences together. This approach to writing can be particularly helpful when things go wrong and you have a bad experience, particularly when you feel angry at someone you feel did you wrong. This method of turning a bad experience into something you can write about and publish cannot only be a way to release your feelings of anger or betrayal, so you feel better, but it can contribute to your career as a writer. You use your experience to gain more awareness or promotion for yourself, or to get paid for what you have written, as well.
I used this approach myself after I did some editing work for a publisher who didn’t give me early feedback but asked me to continue writing, and then stopped the job midway and refused to pay me, because the job he stopped wasn’t completed. Though I felt like writing the publisher a letter telling him off, instead I did some research on this publisher, discovered a long history of bad behavior, including suing a few individuals and companies for expressing an opinion about the poor quality of the company’s books. And the information I gleaned was enough for several articles which I published, opening the door to a future book on the key themes in these articles.
A good way to start the process is by writing down your initial observations and reactions to the experience, which can also serve to release any feelings of anger and betrayal you have. You can even write up your bad experience as a letter to the person or company which has offended you. Then don’t send the letter – a technique which psychologists and therapists sometimes recommend to clients to help them release their negative emotions. But beyond writing anything to feel better, think about how you can use this material for an article, blog, book proposal, book, film script, or other popular format that can lead to more promotion for your portfolio as well as money for your work. In fact, publishers often like these inspired by a true story projects, since it provides a promotional hook to help in selling the book or promoting the film.
More specifically, here are some things you can do to contribute to your writing career after you have a bad personal experience.
– Realize that if you were badly treated, many other individuals might have been, too. To find out, do an Internet search by the name of the company or its main officers. You may find a wealth of information about anything the company has done to behave badly. And this research could be the beginning of an investigative piece as well as your triggering an investigation by law enforcement against the company. Then, whatever you write about the company and what happened to you will have even more popular appeal.
– Turn whatever happened to you into an article or blog, though don’t use any names, so you don’t get into legal trouble. And if there’s enough to the story, you can turn this material into a proposal for a book you can pitch to agents or traditional publishers. Or you might write and publish the book yourself; then if you gain interest in the story and yourself, you can turn this book into a better deal with a traditional book publisher.
– Think about how you can build on what happened to turn your story into a novel or script, which you can then sell to a publisher or film producer, or publish yourself. For example, that’s what I did after I worked with a psychiatrist client. He was very difficult to deal with; had a strong sense of what should be in his script even though many scenes and much of his proposed dialogue seemed overly exaggerated and stilted. But he was the client, and though he paid me, he treated me like a secretary he could yell at and insult. So eventually, I wrote whatever he wanted without making any suggestions, like I was merely his typist. But afterwards, I turned this experience into a story about a psychiatrist leading a double life in participating in an underground criminal enterprise – and now this script is under consideration by several producers.
Thus, when bad experiences happen, look on them as the source of ideas you can develop in various directions – and ultimately use to expand your platform or gain money for yourself. By doing so, not only will you release any angry feelings, but you can gain in multiple ways from something you turn around to further your writing career.
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Gini Graham Scott, PhD, writes frequently about social trends and everyday life. She is the author of over 50 books with major publishers and has published 30 books through her company Changemakers Publishing and Writing. She writes books and proposals for clients and has written and produced over 50 short videos through Changemakers Productions. Her latest books include: TRANSFORMATION: HOW NEW DEVELOPMENTS IN SCIENCE, TECHNOLOGY, BUSINESS AND SOCIETY ARE CHANGING YOUR LIFE and THE BATTLE AGAINST INTERNET BOOK PIRACY
by Gini Graham-Scott | Oct 30, 2014 | Marketing Tips, Marketing Tips - Books
Sometimes a big problem for writers is getting paid. Commonly, when writers do work for individual clients, they work on retainers or pay as you go arrangements using PayPal or credit cards. But when you get hired by a company, a usual arrangement is for the company to pay you after the work is completed or in various stages, such as 10-25% up front, and more as you go along or after you finish the project.
Unfortunately, this arrangement of pay after completing some or all of the work can be a problem, if a company decides not to pay for some reason, which may not be justified – say because the company decides to change its direction and no longer wants to use the work, although it asked the writer to do this.
I started thinking about the problem of not getting paid by a company for work done at their direction, when this happened to me. As I experienced myself, often, when a company doesn’t pay, you may feel powerless because you are an individual up against a company, like a David facing a Goliath. In some cases, the situation can feel even more hopeless when the amount is too small to merit hiring a lawyer or pursuing a small claims case. And sometimes you can feel even worse, because the company avoids telling you what’s wrong or makes an excuse you consider unfair and unjust.
For example, I encountered this situation when a small scholarly publisher hired me to edit a very badly written academic book. Like much bad academic writing, it was overly wordy, used long convoluted sentences, and included multiple cites from other researchers in densely packed paragraphs, who repeated the same ideas in different words. After I advised the publisher of my hourly rate and got a budget cap for the project, I began editing the first 15 pages in about 40 minutes and got two more go ahead for the next two hours that I worked on the manuscript. In doing the edit, I sought to streamline the very dense, pedantic, repetitious writing, rather than just correcting the obvious typos and grammatical errors. But then the project went South. Suddenly, the editor who worked for the publisher called to tell me not write anymore and to send him a bill for the hours I already worked. But he didn’t explain what was wrong, only that the company planned to do the rest of the editing in house. After that the publisher was impossible to reach, didn’t return my calls, and sent a letter cancelling an offer to publish one of my books, with a notation to the editor to pay my bill. But soon afterwards, the editor sent me an email stating that the publisher decided not to pay because the project wasn’t completed. However, it wasn’t because the editor asked me to stop doing anything more, after previously asking me to continue writing.
Though the amount of my bill wasn’t much – only about $400, I felt the publisher’s sudden decision to not to pay me without telling me what was wrong or being willing to discuss the matter was unjust and unfair. And later I discovered this company was involved in numerous lawsuits, along with claims they were a vanity publisher disguised as a scholarly press.
But initially, due to the company’s refusal to pay, I felt powerless against a company in another state. However, then I started thinking about what I could do and how many other writers might be in a similar situation after putting in hours, days, or more on a project, only to not be paid for no good reason. For example, one writer friend described working 40 hours a week for 3 months with repeated assurances of being paid at the end of the project. But the promised check for about $20,000 didn’t come, and the company officials were elusive when she tried to contact them. Another writer hired as an advertising and PR consultant was at first paid an initial retainer and agreed to bill the company after that. But after the company hired him for several more hours, it didn’t pay, claiming that his advice didn’t help their sales, though he gave no guarantees.
In such cases, going to small claims court – or the threat of filing – can sometimes get a company to pay to avoid the time and expense of going to court. However, if a company is in another state, it may be difficult to pursue a long-distance small claims case. And even if the company is local, a lawsuit can be a long, tedious process and not worth the effort if the unpaid amount is low.
But there are a number of alternatives, when a publisher or other company isn’t willing to resolve the dispute. Ideally, these alternatives can lead to your getting paid. But even if they don’t, these strategies can enable you to share your experience, so you can warn others about possible problems in dealing with that company. Then, too, you may feel better about what happened when you inform others by writing emails, blogging, or talking, and you may feel some satisfaction from getting justice as the company’s bad behavior becomes known. Sometimes, too, once a company discovers that people are writing and talking about what it did wrong, it can be sufficiently shamed and embarrassed by the publicity, so it decides to do the right thing and pay you what you are owed.
Aside from going to court as a last resort, if it is a viable alternative, here are some things you can do.
1) Report your bad experiences on one of the websites which feature complaints for writers, such as Preditors and Editors http://pred-ed.com. Some writers’ organizations also have a complaint section for members, such as the American Society of Authors and Journalists (ASJA) www.asja.org.
2) If you have followers on the social media, such as Twitter, Facebook, and LinkedIn, you can share your complaints about publishers and other companies there, and others may pass on this information. And normally, you don’t have to worry about a company taking any legal action against you, since the company’s desire to end any bad publicity by paying what they owe is likely to outweigh taking action against someone with a valid complaint, which might result in more bad publicity. Plus if you don’t have much money, which is true for many writers, a lawyer isn’t likely to take the case.
3) Tell the publisher or other company that you are seriously considering legal action, and show you are serious by describing how you have researched the court procedures and penalties the company may experience. You might also point out that once a court case is filed, it becomes a public record, which the company might want to avoid, since it will further sully their reputation.
4) If enough people who haven’t been paid by a company learn about one another through your efforts to share information about your experience, this might lead to a virtual protest through the social media or even a real protest in front of company headquarters.
In short, you have many options to get paid or at least get justice and warn others about dealing with this company.
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Gini Graham Scott, PhD, writes frequently about social trends and everyday life. She is the author of over 50 books with major publishers and has published 30 books through her company Changemakers Publishing and Writing. She writes books and proposals for clients and has written and produced over 50 short videos through Changemakers Productions. Her latest books include: TRANSFORMATION: HOW NEW DEVELOPMENTS IN SCIENCE, TECHNOLOGY, BUSINESS AND SOCIETY ARE CHANGING YOUR LIFE and THE BATTLE AGAINST INTERNET BOOK PIRACY
by Gini Graham-Scott | Oct 30, 2014 | Marketing Tips, Marketing Tips - Books, Marketing Tips - Films
Besides keeping your query letter short and to the point, having a good subject line, and highlighting our background, PR, and how you plan to support the book, there are certain things to say or not say in your letter. Here are some keys of what to do or not do.
– Describe in brief what the book is about followed by the highlights of the story combined in two or at most three paragraphs with up to 4 or 5 sentences each.
– While you commonly want to leave the reader hanging in the sales copy for a book or poster for a film, you are writing this letter for editors, agents, or producers, who usually want to know what happens. So don’t leave the ending a mystery.
– Include in the subject line a very short statement of what the book or script is about and include its genre or type, such as: “Action/adventure novel (script) about a sea captain who faces down pirates on the high seas.” Avoid using the title itself, especially if a very short title, in the subject line, since the title by itself generally doesn’t indicate what the story is about, such as a book or script called “Montana” or “House in the Trees.”
– Include the title in the first sentence of the body copy, along with the genre and short statement of what the book or script is about, though use different wording from the subject line, such as “MONTANA is an action/suspense thriller about a postmaster who goes missing after the last post office in a small town shuts down, leading to a discovery of hidden secrets and a chase for his killer.” Keep this initial introduction to 1 sentence.
– If relevant, describe how your book or script might have the appeal of other books or films in this genre.
– Instead of starting with “Query…etc.”, start off with the book or scripts genre and/or key selling point, such as another book or script from the author of a previous top seller.
– Keep your description of the story short, highlighting the main characters and plot points. While a more detailed synopsis is commonly about 1 to 1 ½ pages single space (about 400-700 words), this should be at most 2 or 3 paragraphs totaling about 150-200 words. Avoid trying to detail the many twists and turns and characters in the plot. The reader is likely to get lost. If anything important gets left out in condensing the story into 2 to 3 paragraphs, you can later clarify or correct anything when you send in the more detailed synopsis or full manuscript.
– Keep your bio to one paragraph of 5 to 6 sentences, and highlight what is most directly relevant to your book or script, such as previously published novels or books, previously produced scripts, and work that inspired the story. Highlight any publicity you have gotten in the past, any major speaking engagements, and any extensive following in the social media (such as 10,000 or more fans on Facebook and 50,000 or more followers on Twitter. While it might be helpful to include if you are a Ph.D., especially from a prestigious school, don’t list all of your academic credentials, such as getting an M.A. or B.A., and don’t list technical scholarly publications or journals or specialty literary magazines, since this can be a turn-off for editors and agents thinking about a mass market.
– Avoid long explanations about how you how you decided to write this book, how this is your first novel or script, how you have worked with a coach, mentor, or teacher in a class on writing, since this marks you as an amateur.
– Avoid ending with a “thank you for your time in considering this,” since this sounds like begging, rather than submitting a work that may prove very valuable for the editor, agent, or producer.
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GINI GRAHAM SCOTT, Ph.D., is a nationally known writer, consultant, speaker, and seminar/workshop leader, who has published over 50 books on diverse subjects, including business and work relationships, professional and personal development, and social trends. She also writes books, proposals, scripts, articles, blogs, website copy, press releases, and marketing materials for clients as the founder and director of Changemakers Publishing and Writing and as a writer and consultant for The Publishing Connection (www.thepublishingconnection.com). She has been a featured expert guest on hundreds of TV and radio programs, including Good Morning America, Oprah, and CNN, talking about the topics in her books.
by Gini Graham-Scott | Oct 21, 2014 | Marketing Tips, Marketing Tips - Books
Just as you can turn a series of a blogs into a book, you can turn a book into a series of blogs. The key to doing so successfully is dividing the sections of your book to publish as blogs into 700 to 1000 word chunks, since this is the sweet spot for blogging, according to Google’s latest algorithms. Since the required length changes from time to time, do some research on the Internet to check what this word length should be. For example, put in “google algorithm blog length 2014” or whatever year this is in the Google search engine.
An advantage to creating blogs from parts of your book is the blog can get people interested in reading more, so you can sell some books in paperback or in an ebook format from your site or through a link to Amazon. While Amazon has an associate arrangement to pay back 5% of the book’s sales price, it may not be worth the hassle to set up this system, since you will already be getting much larger royalty payments for the sale of each book.
Another advantage of these blogs is that they can help to raise the search engine rankings of your site, so you are likely to get increased traffic. The optimal way of using blogs to generate traffic is to post them once a week or every two weeks. The delay in posting future blogs can contribute to your book sales, too, since most people won’t want to wait to buy the book if they want to read more after reading your blog. As an example, that’s what I did with The Complete Guide to Writing, Producing, and Directing a Low-Budget Short Film. After I wrote the book, I created a blog on my website www.changemakersproductions.com/blog to feature excerpts from the book, and in the future, I plan another series of articles about promoting films that will be turned into a book.
Thus, you can readily go both ways at the same time – turn some books into blogs, as well as turn some blogs into books.
A good way to get started is to map out how to divide up your book and decide which sections to turn into blogs and in what order. Don’t think you have to turn everything into a blog. Say your book is about 60,000 words. Figuring on an average of 850 words per blog, that’s about 70 blogs, and if you post one a week, that’s plenty for over a year. However, you probably don’t want to turn everything in the book into a blog, especially the more detailed sections, which build on previous information in your book. Instead, focus on the sections of your book which can stand alone, such as the overview in your introduction, a summary at the end of each chapter, take-aways, and your concluding chapter. Ideally, go in order through your book to reflect the logical way someone would read your book.
In some cases, you can easily copy and paste the material from your manuscript into a file for each blog, and then copy and paste that selection into your blog template and add a title. But in other cases, you may need to write a few lines of introduction to lead into the copy in the blog, along with adding a title.
However you create your blog, at the end, add in about 50 words of copy about yourself, and before or after your bio, briefly mention where people can buy the book and provide a link to that ordering information on your on website, on Amazon, or through another bookseller. You want to make it as easy as possible for someone who has enjoyed reading your blog and wants to learn more by buying your book.
Another way to use these blogs is to send a query to the editors of newspapers, magazines, and Internet publications inviting them to republish your blog, with a link back to your website, along with your bio. In this case, call your blog an article. It’s the same content, but a blog is usually associated with a particular website or blogging platform, whereas an article stands alone. At one time, some writers used to syndicate their articles and actually got paid a small amount (ie: $10-25) for each republication of their material, much like a Dear Abby or Miss Manners column appears in many papers and on the Internet today. But now, unless you are already a household name, there are so many writers writing free articles, that any payment is unlikely. Or even if you do sign an agreement, you may not get paid, and it is impossible to try to collect a very small amount unless the publisher voluntarily pays you.
So generally, forget about getting paid for these articles. Instead, use them to increase your visibility by your article appearing on multiple websites. You can also get links in the article back to your website or to a place where people can buy your book. It is fine to pitch these articles for multiple postings around the Internet after your blog has been up for a few days, since Google and other search engines will have already logged the initial posting of original material, which will up your website ranking. After a week, you will be ready to post your next blog to repeat the process.
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GINI GRAHAM SCOTT, Ph.D., is a nationally known writer, consultant, speaker, and seminar/workshop leader, who has published over 50 books on diverse subjects, including business and work relationships, professional and personal development, and social trends. She also writes books, proposals, scripts, articles, blogs, website copy, press releases, and marketing materials for clients as the founder and director of Changemakers Publishing and Writing and as a writer and consultant for The Publishing Connection (www.thepublishingconnection.com). She has been a featured expert guest on hundreds of TV and radio programs, including Good Morning America, Oprah, and CNN, talking about the topics in her books.
by Gini Graham-Scott | Oct 21, 2014 | Marketing Tips, Marketing Tips - Books, Marketing Tips - Films
Many writers ask why and how Publishers, Agents and Films works, and how they can know if it will work for them.
Publishers, Agents and Films works very well – and has worked well for nearly 12 years, originally as Publishing and Agents – because it helps to directly connect writers to publishers, literary agents, film producers, production companies, film agents and managers, and others in the publishing and film industries. In effect, the service streamlines the process of making this connection by using special software, so the letter comes from each writer’s own email and is sent directly to the particular contact by name. Plus the service helps writers write a good pitch letter, which ironically, many writers can’t do, because this is a marketing letter, and they are doing a different type of writing.
Sometimes writers ask, why can’t I do this myself? Well, if you want to take the time and effort, you can. But it might take you 20 to 40 hours to obtain the industry information to create the database Publishers, Agents and Films has put together from industry sources and doing mailings to test whether the emails are still viable and if the publishing and film professionals are open to contacts from writers. In addition, unless you have purchased your own software or subscription, you have to do these mailings individually to each contact in your mailing, which can take hours. Plus, you have to purchase the directories and industry sources Publishers, Agents and Films obtains to create its databases – which can cost you several hundred dollars. But Publishing, Agents and Films already has created these databases with thousands of contacts, and it has special software so it appears that the email comes directly from each writer. At the same time, each contact is addressed personally, rather than the query appearing like a generic pitch.
Another thing Publishers, Agents and Films does that makes the service successful is that an editor reviews every letter that goes out to make sure it is effective – or the service arranges for a skilled writer to write the letter. Often writers think they can write their own letter; after all, they are a writer. But they commonly make many mistakes – from errors to formatting to not writing a clear, persuasive letter. For example, they don’t include a subject line or their subject line is too vague, general, or filled with sales hype. They provide too much detail about their book, script, or themselves, rather than making their letter short and to the point. Or they don’t provide enough detail, so their description of their book or script is too vague and general, like their subject line. And on and on. So a Publishers, Agents and Films editor reviews every letter, makes some minor editing fixes or tells the writer what to do to create an effective letter. Or they write a good letter for the client.
The effectiveness of this approach is shown by the company’s long history as a business and by the many testimonials it has gotten from writers and others. Even agents have used the company for their clients, and its clients have included a famous director, the grandson of a famous novelist, and many writers who have published multiples books before and are now looking for a new publisher or agent.
As a business, the company’s history goes back to December 2003, when it was first founded, and the first test of the database led to the founder’s own sale of a book to Random House: DO YOU LOOK LIKE YOUR DOG?, which led to numerous reviews and guest appearances, including on Good Morning America. The company was also featured in articles in The Wall Street Journal and The Contra Costa Times, soon after its founding, and it has sent out letters for over 1000 clients, and it has featured over 260 testimonials to the effectiveness of the service on its website. For a time, the founder worked as a consultant and writer when the company was taken over for five years by new owners, and now Publishers, Agents and Films is a successor to this business with the founder as a partner. Under this new ownership, since January 2014, about half of the clients have found agents or publishing deals, and about a dozen of these recent testimonials are featured on the site.
Thus, Publishers, Agents and Films has a proven track record of success.
Another question frequently asked by writers is whether an equerry by the service will work for them; are there any guarantees? That is a question that can’t be answered until the writer sends out a query, because the writer’s success will ultimately depend on the manuscript or script, and not everyone will be successful in the very competitive fields of publishing and film production. So there can’t be any guarantees, because there is no way to know what the result will be in a particular case. On average, though, writers get about 10-30 requests for more information on their book or script, and then about a third of these writers do find agents or publishing deals. In some cases, writers can build up their ability to interest a publisher in their current or next book by self-publishing to build a platform for sales, speaking, and media interest. And Publishers, Agents and Films can help a writer with self-publishing and PR, too.
In sum, Publishers, Agents and Films has a proven ability to help connect writers with publishers, agents, and the film industry, and these connections have led to many success stories, including a few six figure deals for some writers. Given the competitiveness nature of the business, an equery can’t work for every writer. But most writers do get a request from the recipients of their mailings to learn more, and about a third ultimately find agents or get publishing deals – which is a much higher rate of success than for the industry as a whole, since agents, publishers, producers, and production companies get thousands of submissions for the few books or scripts they accept. At the very least, the Publishing Connection streamlines the connection process, so writers can more quickly and efficiently send out their queries and get responses from several hundred or a few thousand contacts in the publishing and film industries.
For more information, you can contact Publishers, Agents, and Films at www.publishersagentsandfilms.com . You can email publishersagents2@yahoo.com, or call (925) 385-0608.
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Gini Graham Scott, PhD, is the author of over 50 books with major publishers, including two on the film industry: THE COMPLETE GUIDE TO WRITING, PRODUCING, AND DIRECTING A LOW-BUDGET SHORT FILM and FINDING FUNDS FOR YOUR FILM OR TV PROJECT, both published by Hal Leonard. She has written and produced over 50 short films, has written 15 scripts for features, has three other films in preproduction, and has one feature film she wrote and executive produced in post-production for release in November 2014. She also writes scripts for clients, and has several film industry Meetup groups which have meetings to discuss members’ films. She is the Creative Director of Publishers, Agents and Films.
by Gini Graham-Scott | Oct 21, 2014 | Marketing Tips, Marketing Tips - Books, Marketing Tips - Films
A crowdfunding site can not only be used to raise money to help publish a book, produce a film, or fund entries into book or film festivals, but you can use the site to increase your visibility and following. Plus you can contribute any money you raise to help market and promote your book or film, whether it’s with another publisher or producer or you publish or produce it.
Here’s how:
- Use a fundraising site without a timeline, so you don’t have to limit the campaign to 30, 60, or some other set number of days and have a countdown. This way you can keep the campaign going as long as you need to, so it always looks current for a new person coming to the site.
- Continue to build interest from those who have already joined the campaign with updates at least every 2 or 3 days. These updates helps to keep them involved and tell others. Often these updates will not only go to those who have joined but into the site’s newsfeed on Facebook, LinkedIn, and Twitter.
- Let prospective publishers, agents, producers, and production companies know about your crowdfunding site. They will be impressed by your energy in building interest in your book or film. Also, they will see this campaign as a source for funding additional marketing and promotion as well as building additional buzz for your project.
- Send personal emails with appeals to your own mailing list. It helps to build momentum if you get to at least 25-30% of your goal, before those outside your network start to show interest. Also, once you pass a certain threshold, the crowdfunding site may feature you, too.
- Keep at it and don’t get discouraged if you initially get a low response. Commonly, campaigns that quickly get high numbers already have a built-in fan base, such as Veronica Mars, or they are pitching a cool product, especially if it’s high-tech, since companies often use crowdfunding to sell a product through advance sales. Too, high-tech companies commonly have a network of entrepreneurs eager to be the first to support the next new thing. By contrast, books and films often have a slower start in a fairly cluttered market, since so many authors and filmmakers are seeking funds for their project. So you have do more to stand out to inspire people to want to read your book or see your film.
- Post a sample chapter or a trailer or sizzle reel. This short intro can help to get people interested in reading or seeing more, as well as supporting your campaign. Then, as popular interest increases, so will the interest of potential publishers, agents, and producers.
- Create a poster for your book or film. Imagine what a poster might look like when your book comes out with its final cover or your film is in the theaters. Even though this may not be the final poster, a professional-looking poster helps your book or film feel more real, which can help convince prospective publishers, agents, or producers to take on your project. They can better visualize your book or film promoted in the marketplace and can see how you will help to promote the project.
- Use the social media or press release to the traditional media to spread the word. Aside from sending out updates, create other short messages or blogs every day or two and post them on the pages of individuals and groups interested in books or film. Write your release like a 300-500 words news article, and emphasize the uniqueness of the story or subject of your book or film. If possible, tie your message about your book or film into the current news. If there is a charity or celebrity link, such as an endorsement from a star or well-known organization, highlight that, too.
- Include a photo or video link in your press release. This will help you get coverage, since it will be more dramatic and eye-appealing.
- Create joint promotions or work with others to spread the word. One good approach is to partner with social networking sites or book or film organizations. Ask organizers to feature your announcements or invite you to present at events.
- Offer a copy of the book or DVD of the film. This is like an advance purchase, but you can offer a little more, such as being the first to get a copy, a signed copy, or VIP tickets to a launch party.
So now start thinking about your crowdfunding campaign and how you can use it to help you promote your book or film and find a publisher, agent, or producer.
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GINI GRAHAM SCOTT, Ph.D., is a nationally known writer, consultant, speaker, and seminar/workshop leader, who has published over 50 books on diverse subjects, including business and work relationships, professional and personal development, and social trends. She also writes books, proposals, scripts, articles, blogs, website copy, press releases, and marketing materials for clients as the founder and director of Changemakers Publishing and Writing and as a writer and consultant for The Publishing Connection (www.thepublishingconnection.com). She has been a featured expert guest on hundreds of TV and radio programs, including Good Morning America, Oprah, and CNN, talking about the topics in her books.
