You should spend half your time listening
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You should spend half your time listening

As a freelancer, should you spend half your time marketing yourself? I’ve heard that suggestion, and I have to say, it sounds tedious as hell. Supposedly, you have to advertise and also network like mad. Plus, find opportunities to give speeches and promote yourself. You know, “hustle.” This fills the top of your “funnel” with…

What to expect from your publisher’s marketing and publicity teams
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What to expect from your publisher’s marketing and publicity teams

If you signed a deal with a publisher — traditional or hybrid — they probably made you promises about all the great work their marketing teams can do for you. But the rosy picture you have in your mind about their book publicity probably doesn’t match what they actually can do. Less than half of…

Comparing the Twitter “X” rebrand to other rebranding efforts
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Comparing the Twitter “X” rebrand to other rebranding efforts

Twitter rebranded itself as “X.” That isn’t going to accomplish its goals. Why do companies rebrand? Usually, to escape the box they’ve put themselves into. It doesn’t always work, but it’s always expensive. The Twitter rebrand Here’s what Twitter’s home page looks like now. No more cute blue bird. Why? While Elon Musk did his…

Surprising benefits of launching a book — for the whole marketing funnel
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Surprising benefits of launching a book — for the whole marketing funnel

When I wrote a book, I expected it to generate leads for my business. This is also a goal for 30% of the business authors I surveyed, so it’s not unusual. Even though the book has only been out for a few weeks, it’s delivered benefits for my consulting business that go far beyond book-generated…

Fundamentals of nonfiction book promotion: using PQRST to plan a book launch
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Fundamentals of nonfiction book promotion: using PQRST to plan a book launch

The most common mistake authors make is to fail to promote their books. No, people will not discover your book just because it is great. And no, your publisher will not do all the work and tell you what to do. You have to do it yourself. This is hard for authors because the work…