I never fail to be amazed

Having THAT kind of night?

Get Thee to the Internet

Lately I have become extra aware that there are still many places of business that are neglecting their online presence. Recently, I was trying to find a place to meet my mother for lunch. We live a little over an hour apart, so we were looking for somewhere to meet in the middle. Not knowing the area very well, I relied on the internet to research potential restaurants. There were many names that I came across that had no web presence whatsoever, not even a basic Facebook page. There were some places that had a web presence, but it was so outdated or jumbled that I couldn't garner any information from it. In the end, I picked a place that had a decent website and featured their full menu online.

What does this story mean to you? It points out the importance of having a web presence for your business. It doesn't have to be glamorous and full of multiple links and pages. It does need, however, to have the important information on it. You will have to identify your consumer and what they are looking for. If you are a restaurant, you need to highlight what atmosphere you have to offer and what type of food you serve. If you are an amusement park, you need to highlight your prices and what makes you different from any other amusement park. If you are a freelance writer, you need to showcase your talent and tell your audience how you stand out from other writers.

If you want to succeed as a business, one of the most important things is to build yourself a web presence. Give your potential customers a place to come to for research. Let them learn more about you, what you have to offer, and how you are different. Give them a way to find out more from the safety of their computer and you will be rewarded with more customers and, more importantly, loyal customers.

The Importance of Interest

As a writer, illustrator, or other artist, you know how important it is to get your work out to the public. Marketing is key in drawing in potential customers and gaining sales. Some people seem to magically have the "gift" for doing this, where every marketing tweet or blog post just oozes with "the right stuff." You read what they have to say and automatically think you need this product. For some, however, it's not so easy. The marketing copy falls flat, feeling more like a cheesy infomercial than something with true power. So, what makes them feel so different?

Part of the problem is the definition of "importance." The good marketers know that it isn't about whether or not the creator finds the work important. Of course you do, or you wouldn't be making it! The real test is making the potential client believe that it is important to them. In order to really convince them that they need what you are offering, they need to know why. How will it impact their life? What void will it fill? Will it completely change an aspect of their daily tasks? Will it change their mood?

The key to success when marketing your creative products is to see your marketing strategy from the customer's point of view. While it's nice to think that every single one will want to buy your book just because it's unique, that's not enough. They won't buy it just because of that. They need a personal reason. If you approach your work from this angle, you will be able to convince them that it is worth the money to reap the benefits.

Ready to Publish?

You have been working hard on your story, novel, or manuscript for a long time. It has been weeks, months, or even years of dedication and determination. Now, as you reread your latest draft, you think it might finally be ready to enter the public domain. STOP RIGHT THERE! Don't go any further before you can answer these questions:

1. Have you edited it thoroughly by yourself? Check your facts. Check for consistency. Check for grammar, sentence structure, and spelling issues. Physically go through and verify that it as good as it can get. And never ever rely on a spell checker or grammar checker! While they can help, they are notorious for missing things or correcting things that don't need corrected. They are a great place to start, but you need to be independent too.
2. Have you developed a title? You had a working title, sure, but is it what you really want to call it on the open market? Does it capture the point of your story? Will it attract the right type of reader? Carefully examine the reasons why you are picking this particular title and, if it doesn't work, don't be afraid to scrap it and start finding a new one. It can be scary to have an untitled manuscript this close to completion, but it will benefit you in the future if you take the time to know it is a 100% perfect fit.
3. Does your book have a blurb? Not only does this paragraph or two of information need to contain a summary of your work, it needs to pack a punch. It needs to be more aggressive than just "drawing" your reader in; it needs to grab them by the wrist with an iron grip and yank them into it! This can be difficult, especially since you are so close to the work, so make sure you have plenty of honest reader friends look it over. If they wouldn't buy the book immediately after reading your blurb, then it isn't doing it's job.
4. Do you have a good cover? If you are epublishing, then a cover is one of the most important things you will develop in this stage. The phrase "Don't judge a book by it's cover" is irrelevant in the ebook world. Trust me, your potential readers will take one glance at the thumbnail of your cover and, from that information alone, decide if they want to continue or click away to other things. If needs to not only represent your book well, but it needs to be well done. No cruddy artwork, no blurriness, no hard-to-read wording. It needs to be good, solid art. Not an artist yourself? Expect to find someone that is to do it for you.
5. Has a professional editor looked it over? Even if you are an editor as well as a writer, you still need a fresh set of eyes. And no, your friend from down the street doesn't count (well, unless they really are a professional editor, but for the sake of argument let's say they aren't). Most people in your life will take it easy on you or will miss something important, like a fact being different on page 101 from when it was mentioned on page 1. Find someone willing to give it the attention it deserves.
6. Have you made yourself visible online? Twitter, Facebook, Goodreads, your own blog, your own website, forums, Google+, and many more websites and networks can help make you more accessible to your future readers. When you finally publish, people will want to research you. Give them places to go where they can find out more about you, your work as an author, other things you have published, and any other information you are willing to share. The more they know you, the stronger the connection, and the more likely they are to purchase what you have to offer. And don't forget to interact!

All done? Now, you may continue!

To a degree...

To a degree, I agree with this! If you are a professional and you are sending me an email, a letter, or other correspondence, then I believe you should have the ability to proofread your own work. If it comes in garbled and jumbled, then why should I think that you are competent in other areas? Why should I trust your expertise?
Obviously, there are many people out there who are intelligent and spectacular at their jobs but still don't have a great grasp on writing. However, it just doesn't make a good impression if you can't follow the rules of English. If you struggle in this area, you can always reach out to someone else for help. Taking the time to correct your mistakes makes your correspondence seem more coherent and professional.

Do You Believe in Luck?

Dictionary.com defines luck as "the force that seems to operate for good or ill in a person's life, as in shaping circumstances, events, or opportunities."

Merriam-Webster.com defines luck as "a force that brings good fortune or adversity; the events or circumstances that operate for or against an individual."

MacmillianDictionary.com defines luck as "success that you have by chance and not because of anything that you do."

OxfordDictionaries.com defines luck as "success or failure apparently brought by chance rather than through one’s own actions."

Except for the Merriam-Webster definition, each source seems to phrase it in such a way that dismisses the concept of luck. Dictionary.com emphasizes that luck is a force that seems to operate... Macmillian's phrasing is decidedly negative, not because of.... And Oxford uses the word apparently in such a way that suggests luck is a myth.

Personally, I allow for the idea that luck can influence the smaller things in our lives. Your bag of cereal ripped, making your breakfast fall all over the floor? That is rotten luck! As for the bigger stuff, however, I believe that there is some greater force at work. I am not suggesting that God or Fate has a hand in these matters (though if that is what you believe, more power to you!). I have come to believe that we each have a part in the major things. If I want to be a famous writer some day, I am not going to wait for luck to come around and make it so. I am going to work my butt off towards my goal and, when I achieve it, it will be because of hard work and dedication instead of by chance. Even the big things that seem like luck are a combination of individual choices. The wreck that destroys your rear bumper? It may not have been because of a conscious choice you made, but the combination of choices that you and the other driver made led to that point.

Now, what is your viewpoint on luck? Does it influence your life?