Write Now Editing

Building a Story Brand by Donald Miller (book review)

by Leave a Comment

Donald Miller’s StoryBrand process is a proven solution to the struggle business leaders face when talking about their businesses. This revolutionary method for connecting with customers provides readers with the ultimate competitive advantage, revealing the secret for helping their customers understand the compelling benefits of using their products, ideas, or services. Building a StoryBrand does this by teaching readers the seven universal story points all humans respond to; the real reason customers make purchases; how to simplify a brand message so people understand it; and how to create the most effective messaging for websites, brochures, and social media.

Whether you are the marketing director of a multibillion dollar company, the owner of a small business, a politician running for office, or the lead singer of a rock band, Building a StoryBrand will forever transform the way you talk about who you are, what you do, and the unique value you bring to your customers.

I’ve studied copy writing before, so I know the benefits of using a story in your marketing copy. This book, however, dives deep into the story to show you how to tell it well and maximize your efforts. Then it goes a step forward with some suggestions on how to implement your story in your website, promotional materials, newsletter, etc.

I love the book. The explanations are clear and easy to replicate, and the examples are easy to understand. I’ve been brand-less for a while. Now I’m excited to apply what I’ve learned and to see what I can do with the information I’ve gleaned form this book.

Pick up your own copy here!

Newsletter Ninja: How to Become An Author Mailing List Expert by Tammi Labrecque (book review)

by Leave a Comment

Are you struggling with email? Newsletter numbers getting you down? Fewer people opening your messages? No real reaction when you launch a book? 

There’s another way–a better way. 

Imagine having a large list of happy readers who devoured every email you sent. Or launching a book and activating an army of fans who did the selling for you. You could be that person, with the help of Newsletter Ninja. 

Newsletter Ninja is a comprehensive resource designed to teach you how to build and maintain a strongly engaged email list–one full of actual fans willing to pay for the books you write, rather than free-seekers who will forget your name and never open your emails. 

* Learn new ways to think about your email list 
* Re-energize your existing subscribers 
* Embrace not just the basics, but next level methods 
* Improve engagement and watch those open/click rates soar 
* Build a happy list of passionate readers 
* Launch your books into the charts 

You’ll get a handle on open rates, click rates, and engagement–while also learning about yourself, your readers, and what you’re really selling when you send an email. (Spoiler: it’s not your books.) 

Whether you’re building a mailing list, want to grow an existing one, or simply want to raise your email game, Newsletter Ninja has solutions that will work for you.

For years I’ve been hearing/learning about the importance of newsletters. I’ve taken some classes and read some books about the topic, but none of them focus specifically on best practices for fiction writers. This is the first book I’ve read that actually includes practical tips for novelists, as well as a link to even more tips on the author’s website. 

Just because it’s a short book and an easy read, however, doesn’t mean it’ll be easy to walk away from — Labrecque lays everything out for you, but there’s quite a bit of work to do when your done (but all of the links and tips should help). I will absolutely recommend this book to every author I know.

Pick up your copy here!

Book Review: The Formula: The Universal Law of Success by Albert-Laszlo Barabasi

by Leave a Comment

Too often, accomplishment does not equate to success. We did the work but didn’t get the promotion; we played hard but weren’t recognized; we had the idea but didn’t get the credit. We’ve always been told that talent and a strong work ethic are the key to getting ahead, but in today’s world these efforts rarely translate into tangible results. Recognizing this disconnect, Laszlo Barabasi, one of the world’s leading experts on the science of networks, uncovers what success really is: a collective phenomenon based on the thoughts and praise of those around you.

In The Formula, Barabasi highlights the vital importance of community respect and appreciation when connecting performance to recognition–the elusive link between performance and success. By leveraging the power of big data and historic case studies, Barabasi reveals the unspoken rules behind who truly gets ahead and why, and outlines the twelve laws that govern this phenomenon and how we can use them to our own advantage. 

Unveiling the scientific principles that drive success, this trailblazing book offers a new understanding of the very foundation of how people excel in today’s society.

I was assigned to read this book for an upcoming writers conference, and it’s absolutely fascinating. I was afraid that it would be too business-style for me, but I found it quite easy to read (though I’m still trying to fully understand his definition of “fitness”). I don’t read business books or self-help books at all, but this one really captured my attention and held it. If you’re at all curious about how to succeed in your field (or why people succeed), I recommend this book.

The Best Free or Cheap Tools for DIYing Your Visual Brand by Sierra Kellermeyer

by Leave a Comment

Just because you’ve decided to design your visual brand yourself, doesn’t mean you need to start from scratch. There are plenty of free or cheap tools created by designers that can save you time and energy and help make your DIYed visual brand look professional.

Here are a few of my favorites.

Graphics Software

Everyone has probably heard of Canva – right now it’s a fan favorite among DIYers. While it’s a good choice for those who want simple graphics and don’t want to spend much time learning new software, it is limited in its capabilities.

If you’re willing to put in some time learning some more robust software, I suggest looking at some of Adobe’s options. Adobe’s software is the industry standard in almost every digital visual media, which means tutorials and walkthroughs are available in any format you could want.

You can download any of their software for a 7-day free trial to try them out.

My top suggestions are:

Adobe Illustrator – good for creating logos, icons, and illustrations

Adobe Photoshop – a versatile tool that can handle pretty much any image format, but can’t create scalable vectors like Illustrator

If you do decide to continue using the programs after 7 days, you can get Photoshop for $10/mo through Adobe’s photography bundle, and/or get Adobe Illustrator for $20/mo.

I suggest using either of them over Canva because they handle outside resources like fonts, illustrations, and logos more easily.

Logos

Unless you have an eye for design, I don’t suggest designing your logo completely on your own. Instead, you can buy a template from Creative Market for under $30 and customize it to match your color palette and name. By working from a template, you ensure your logo looks professional without having to pay for custom design work.

(Also be sure to sign up to CreativeMarket’s mailing list to receive 6 free resources every Monday.)

Fonts

FontSquirrel is the best font resource I’ve found in my 13+ years of designing. All of their cataloged fonts are free (with the occasional low-priced option), and specifically free for commercial use, so they can be legally used for your business.

FontSquirrel has plenty of options, but if you want a font that’s a little more unique for headers or a special graphic, CreativeMarket has some great reasonably priced options.

Color Palettes

Thankfully you don’t have to pay to use certain colors, but if you need help coming up with a color palette that works together, check out ColourLovers. Users upload color palettes, complete with the hex code you can use in your website or design software, which makes it easy to browse palettes, find one you like, and implement it in your visual brand.

Photos

Finding commercially-free photos can be a challenge for business owners, but UnSplash and Pexels have libraries you can browse of photos submitted by photographers that can be used commercially for free. And if you need a photo of a specific object or scene, try looking on CreativeMarket before heading to the pricier stock photo websites.

Icons

Finding nice icons can really help bring your website or graphic together, which is why I love IconFinder. They have cheap and free options for icons of various topics. Just be sure to click “For Commercial Use” under the License Type filter.

That’s it! With just these few resources, you can design a professional visual brand without breaking the bank.

—

Sierra Kellermeyer who helps business owners who are tired of their marketing efforts pulling “okay” results. She helps them stand out online by designing a noteworthy visual brand that attracts their ideal clients effortlessly. She says, “My favorite part of brand design is the marriage of creativity and strategy. I’m not simply creating something beautiful, I’m creating something beautiful that works and has a purpose.”

There’s a lot of misconception about visual branding, with people thinking it’s just about looking good, but it’s more than that. “Your visual brand is a communication tool, and if you’re only trying to make something that looks nice, rather than telling your audience about your business, you’re missing out.”

Sierra will be sharing her visual branding tips in February, May, August, and November. In the meantime, you can find her online at:

https://www.skellermeyerdesigns.com/
https://www.facebook.com/skellermeyerdesigns2014/

Book Review: Your First 1000 Copies by Tim Grahl

by Leave a Comment

How would it feel to know that every time you started a new book project, you already had people excited to buy it and ready to recommend it to others?

In Your First 1000 Copies, seasoned book marketing expert Tim Grahl walks you through how successful authors are using the online marketing tools to build their platform, connect with readers and sell more books.

—

After I signed the publishing contract for my debut novel, I bought this book because I wanted to know how to sell it! I’d never heard of Tim Grahl, and I had no idea what to expect from his book, but it’s short and less than $10, so I figured I could risk it.

Grahl’s book reinforced a theory I’ve heard before but hadn’t completely accepted: newsletters trump social media.

That’s a tough one to believe when it seems as if everyone is on at least one social media platform, but no one walks around talking about the last newsletter they read. The statistics, however, are there, and Grahl take’s you through them to help you understand how your newsletter yields sales.

But this book is so much more than that! He also walks you through:

  • Setting up your newsletter
  • Promoting your newsletter
  • Making your newsletter work for you

And if the book doesn’t include enough information for you, he provides links to more info throughout the book.

I will say that this book is geared toward non-fiction writers, but novelists will certainly be able to modify his advice to work for their books too. Overall, regardless of what you’re writing, I highly recommend this book as a quick, easy-to-read start to marketing (and selling!) your book.

ABOUT ME

Editor. Teacher. Novelist.
A passionate lover of fiction, Karin doesn't just write novels, she helps others write their best stories! A certified substantive editor with the Christian Editor Connection, her goal is to help authors to put her out of business by equipping them with the tools they need to become better writers.

Connect

Copywriting

Karin understood my advertising and marketing writing needs and accomplished the project in record time. She asked all the right questions up front to equip herself with enough … [more]

Editing

Substantive Fiction Editing: A substantive edit looks at the big picture. Start here to tackle the big issues before moving on to the nit-picky details. Substantive edits not only point out … [more]

Author Page

Lover of all things fiction, I also love University of Michigan football, the Detroit Lions, Tigers, and Red Wings, kayaking, gluten-free cupcakes, and my husband.

Resources

Press Release Tool Kit Stop waiting and hoping for people to notice you and your organization! With this Press Release Tool Kit, you’ll learn to apply the step-by-step process I use to … [more]