Are Your Writing and Marketing Efforts Really Productive? (2 Tips to Keep You Moving Forward)

By Karen Cioffi

Sometimes the moons and stars align and information that is relevant to your life bombards your week, directing you onto paths you should take.

Well, this happened to me.

Time management is one of my ongoing struggles, as with probably most of you reading this. So, what do you do? How do you create more hours in the day? How do you accomplish all the writing and marketing tasks you must, aside from keeping up with everything else in your life?

Ah, the $25,000 question.

Productivity Strategy Number One – Keep a List and Stick to It

I found a great site (JamesWedmore.com) that offers some very useful content. Interestingly, the post I read on this site pertained to being productive. This was the fourth article I came across within a few days dealing with time management, prioritizing, and productivity.

Part of the content discussed a $25,000 lesson by public relations and efficiency expert Ivy Ledbetter Lee.

The story (true story, just not sure of the exact account) goes that Charles Schwab, steel magnate, wanted to increase his company’s efficiency, so he contacted Lee. Lee requested 15 minutes with each of Schwab’s managers. Schwab asked how much would it cost. Lee told him that after three months, if he saw productivity improvement he could send Lee whatever he thought the training was worth. Three months later, Schwab sent Lee a $25,000 check. This was back around 100 years ago.

So, the $25,000 lesson?

It’s reported that Lee said to write a list of six must-do items that each manager needed to accomplish the next day, in order of importance. Whatever wasn’t completed that day would go over onto the next day’s list of six must-do items.

According to QuotationsBook.com, Lee instructed:

Write down the most important things you have to do tomorrow. Now, number them in the order of their true importance. The first thing tomorrow morning, start working on an item Number 1, and stay with it until completed. Then take item Number 2 the same way. Then Number 3, and so on. Don't worry if you don't complete everything on the schedule. At least you will have completed the most important projects before getting to the less important ones. (2)  

Pretty simple, right?

Simple and powerful. Having a list of what you need to do gives you focus and that focus helps clear your mind, which in turn boosts productivity, allowing you to get the job done.

One thing James Wedmore said that I thought is also a good idea is to have a “brain dump” folder or notebook. If something pops into your head that you don’t want to forget, put in in the ‘brain dump file.’ This too helps keep your mind clear of clutter.

I call my ‘brain dump file’ My To Do List. If anything pops into my head, I open the file and type it in, leaving my mind free of the worry of remembering it.

Productivity Strategy Number Two – Meditate

If you make time for meditation, you’ll have more time. I read this or something like it recently, but forgot where or by who (if you know the author, please let me know, so I can give attribution). A case in point of information overload. 

But, how can you have more time if you take time out of your already hectic day to meditate?

According to Laboratory of Neuro Imaging, the average person has 70,000 thoughts per day. Since there are 1,440 minutes in a day and 86,400 seconds, this means you’re having thoughts almost every second of every day. Is it any wonder many of us have trouble focusing?

Meditation is another mind clearing tool that allows the brain to take a breather. It helps create a calmer you, thus leading to a more focused and productive you.

My acupuncturist, who was a neurologist in China and has been practicing Chinese medicine for over 35 years, says that the number one thing you can do for your health is to meditate.

Give it a Shot – Incorporate these two strategies into your writing and marketing work week.

Every Sunday, make a list of the top six must-do items for Monday. Don’t just breeze through your list of to-dos, take the time to think whether a particular item is REALLY needed. Will it move your goals forward? Will it earn you money?

At the bottom of your to-do list for each day, add: TAKE 15-30 MINUTES TO MEDITATE.

Do this for 90 days, as Lee instructed, and see what happens. Then let us know – leave a comment!

Note: I also read that Lee sought Schwab out to propose he could increase his company’s productivity. Whether Lee sought out Schwab or Schwab sought out Lee, it worked.

References:

(1) http://www.jameswedmore.com/how-to-be-productive/
(2) http://quotationsbook.com/quote/39188/#sthash.HWf9P8Dl.dpuf
(3) http://www.loni.ucla.edu/About_Loni/education/brain_trivia.shtml
(4) http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/meditation/HQ01070

Karen Cioffi is an award-winning author, ghostwriter, and online platform instructor. If you need help getting your author-writer platform moving forward, check out her 4-week interactive e-class through WOW! Women on Writing. For details, CLICK HERE!

New 4RV Biblical Based Release - Sure Mercies by Megan E. Vance

            When I opened the package with the proof for Sure Mercies: Hope for the Suffering, I first thought Wow! That’s a beautiful book.  The cover art by Miranda LoPresti certainly is eye catching.

            The content is mind catching for Bible students and believers. The author, Megan E. Vance, collected stories of people who, through their sufferings, found and/or use faith to manage to survive. 

            The blurb on the back of the cover states: "What do Christian kings, martyrs, missionaries, prisoners of war, housewives, authors, and soldiers all share? Troubles, because Jesus said we will face them as we walk through life. We find encouragement and strength when we search for answers to those problems in God’s love letter, the Bible.

            "David’s Psalms prove to be a reliable support in the lives of sorely-tested believers from all walks of life. Some lived in ancient times, and others live today, all who share faith. Overcoming problems through God’s help is the focus of Sure Mercies: Hope for the Suffering."

            The book can be found on 4RV Publishing Catalog, as well through physical bookstores and other online stores, including Amazon.

            Megan shared a photo taken by her husband when she opened her box of books.

"We're More Alike Than We're Different" My Name Is Jake by Angela Steele

     Angela Graham Steele wrote an unusual nonfiction book with her son Jake as the main character. My Name Is Jake addresses the fundamentals of Down Syndrome. This book shows children may all be different in one way or another, but their hearts remain the same. Jessica McClure provided the illustrations that brought Angela's words to life.

 

     The book is available in both hardback and paperback on the 4RV online bookstore, as well through other online bookstores and brick and mortar stores.

     
     Angela and Jessica also created, with Aidana WillowRaven putting everything together, a coloring sheet that Angela uses for promotion and when she visits schools.

Using a Beta Reader

By: Stephanie Burkhart 

You’ve finished your manuscript and are ready to submit your “baby” to several literary agents and or/publishers. Wait! It might be a good idea to have a beta reader look it over first.

 What’s a beta reader? Someone who is willing to read your finished story and give you the feedback you need to ensure your story is consistent, makes sense, and holds one’s attention. They should do it in a timely manner so you can tighten your story before sending it off. A beta reader should be willing to read your work and offer honest feedback on what works – and what doesn’t.

While just about anyone can be a beta reader, be selective in asking. You want to look for readers who read the genre you’re writing in and can offer thoughtful feedback.

You might consider 1-3 beta readers so the feedback is varied. The big thing in asking someone to beta read for you is not to pressure them to do it and stress to them that you want their honest thoughts and feelings. Give them a timeline to read the story and if they can’t do it in the time allotted, let them know there’s no hard feelings. I always show my appreciation with a Starbuck’s gift card. Remember, they are taking time out of their schedules to read and offer you feedback, so thank them.

Provide your beta reader with a list of questions that you want feedback on. Examples: 

Is “Johnny” likeable? 

Did the opening confuse you?

When did you know what the story was about?

Is there a scene that made you sad, happy or angry?

 

Once you get your feedback, than your betas, compare notes, and identify the area you need to tighten up. You might have to rework your opening or add a scene to clarify you main character’s motivation. Be open to making the changes if they make your story better.

For me, it’s about honesty. I want my beta reader to be honest with me. I’ve got to let them know I’ll be okay with their feedback regardless if it’s glowing – or not. If they tell me hero is cold and aloof, and that’s not my intention, I’ve got to be open to receiving that feedback.

Question for you: Do you use a beta reader? How many? How do they help you? Do you take all their suggestions to heart?

Author Bio: Stephanie Burkhart is a 911 Dispatcher for LAPD. Her latest childrens book with 4RV Publishing is “Brady’s Lost Blanket.”  She enjoys coffee, adores chocolate, and strives to keep up with the active boys in her cub scout den. 

Find her at:

http://www.stephanieburkhart.com

http://twitter.com/StephBurkhart

https://www.facebook.com/StephanieBurkhartAuthor

4RV Book Given Seal of Approval - Review

      Literary Classics presented Beverly Stowe McClure with the CLC seal of approval and gave a review of her book Star of the Team, as shown below. Congratulations, Beverly.

 

Wednesday, September 16, 2015

Star of the Team by Beverly Stowe McClure earns the Literary Classics Seal of Approval

Last year Kate was one of the best players on her team.  But now the new girl, Emily, has joined the Angels. When Emily stops bragging long enough to play, she proves she's actually pretty good, which really gets under Kate's skin.  Kate wants nothing more than to be the star of the team; and she's willing to work hard to make that dream a reality. But when Kate has an accident on the court, her dreams are put on the back-burner.  As she takes a break from basketball, Kate finds time for some insightful introspection.

Author Beverly Stowe McClure continues to captivate young audiences with her book, Star of the Team, which speaks to girls on many levels.  Her ability to portray the myriad of hopes, fears and frustrations of her young characters is a big part of what makes McClure an exceptional writer.  Fans of McClure's writing will not be disappointed with this book which will appeal to young readers, even those who may not follow basketball.

Star of the Team comes highly recommended for home and school libraries and has earned the Literary Classics Seal of Approval.

LITERARY CLASSICS Book Awards & Reviews International Book Awards • Top Honors Youth Book Awards • Seal of Approval http://www.clcawards.org

Website Ranking - Basic Metrics (Elements)

By Karen Cioffi

According to statistics by Digital Strategy Consulting, on January 21, 2013, there were 634 million active websites. That’s over half a billion. That’s a lot of noise . . . a lot of competition. And, that was a while ago.

I’ve used the analogy before, about being a spec in the sky, and it’s true. You need to find and use marketing strategies, specifically website optimization strategies, to give your site (and your client’s site) a brighter light. You need to create visibility and ranking.

Some of the basic elements (metrics) that are looked at for website ranking are:

• Daily pageviews per visitor
• Daily time on site
• Sites linking in
• Search visits
• Bounce rate

Let’s break these elements down:

Pageviews per visitor refers to a view of a page on your website by a person/visitor. Factors such as reloading a page and moving to different pages count. The more pages the better. So, using WOTM’s statistic above, visitors are clicking on other pages during their visit.

According to Google.com, “If a visitor clicks reload after reaching the page, this is counted as an additional pageview. If a user navigates to a different page and then returns to the original page, a second pageview is recorded as well.” (1)

An effective way of ‘upping’ the pageviews is to:

•    Use long-tail keywords for title tags and headers
•    Have separate pages for specific topics (an example would be if you have a health site, one page might be on Cancer, one on Diabetes, one on Heart Disease, and so on
•    Have a ‘freebie’ page – it might be helpful information that’s downloadable (a download is considered a ‘hit’)
•    Use deep-linking (have links to more information within your site)

A unique pageview “represents the number of sessions during which that page was viewed one or more times.” (1)

Daily time on site is the amount of time (in minutes and seconds) a visitor stays on a site during one visit. The ‘pageviews’ plays a factor in this. If your content contains links to other pages or posts on your site, then the ‘time on site’ will increase. This is deep linking.

Another strategy to increase the ‘time on site’ is using video or audio. Even short 30-60 second clips keep the visitor in place.

Sites linking in reflects the number of websites that find your website informative and valuable enough to link to.

According to Moz Analytics, “External Links are hyperlinks that point at (target) any domain other than the domain the link exists on (source). In layman's terms, if another website links to you, this is considered an external link to your site.” (2)

Linking can be done through anchor text, which is the best format for site linking, or through a direct URL link. ‘Sites linking in’ is an important SEO factor.

Search visits are those visits to your site that are a result of online searches, usually for a particular keyword. But, along with search visits goes bounces, time on site, and page views. Simply getting a search visitor doesn’t do much if he’s gone in less than 5 seconds (considered a bounce).

The bounce rate is the percentage of visitors who leave within a few seconds after visiting just one page (the page they originally land on). High bounce rates are usually an indication that your keywords aren’t really relevant to your content. Or, your site may be difficult to navigate or read, or confusing. You want a low bounce rate.

A key factor to keeping your bounce rates low is to deliver on what you promise. Meet your visitors’ expectations. This means having quality content and relevant keywords. You also need to have a visitor-friendly website design. This means it needs to load quickly, be easy to navigate and easy to read, has an ‘easy to find’ call-to-action, and is clean (uncluttered).

References

(1)https://support.google.com/analytics/answer/1257084?hl=en#pageviews_vs_unique_views
(2) http://moz.com/learn/seo/external-link

Originally published at:
http://www.karencioffiwritingandmarketing.com/2014/03/website-ranking-basic-metrics-elements.html

Karen Cioffi is an award-winning author, ghostwriter, and online marketing instructor. To keep up with must-know, easy to do writing and marketing strategies, get free access to The Writing World.

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From the Publisher's Point of View

     Publishers, small and large, find making a profit almost a losing proposition, but we keep trying because we like books, no, we love books -- most of us love GOOD books. However, that doesn't mean we don't like to see book sell. Many times authors have no idea what publishers face to keep their doors open; they don't know or understand the publishing side of their business (yes, being an author is a business).

     Publisher Amanda Thrasher posted a message on Facebook she said I could share: "Sitting on this side of the fence, a publisher as well as an author, I now have an appreciation and understanding of the decisions publishers make regarding the things that they typically do. Content is critical, quality mandatory, and author platform crucial. Little or no ROI (return on investment) due to slim profit margins, practically impossible unless you have a proven author. Now, try telling that to a green author. In our environment, a small independent press, teamwork is imperative. It is the only way to stick to our goal. Most new authors, if you ask them, have no idea what real distribution is. Our business model changes according to the industry that we are in, but the plan never does."

     4RV Publishing has gotten a return on its investment on only two titles released since 2007, and that was barely a bit of investment return, a few dollars. Yet, we have authors who never try to sell or promote their books. We have a few that believe that we somehow cheat them because so few copies sell. IF each author paid for the services he or she receives, the price would be between $4,000 - 5,000 per title. Our staff gives much time and effort to release the best books possible, and that work takes time, can't be done in a short period. Major publishing houses take up to seven years to release a book after a contract is signed, and they have more staff and options than small presses do. However, new authors, and some not so new, don't understand why their books aren't released within a shorter time than the "big" guys take.

     Let's look at the process from submission to release. The author submits a manuscript. The editor-in-chief has an acquisition editor evaluate the submission. Based on that evaluation, a request for the full manuscript is sent, the submission is rejected, a revision is requested, or a contract is offered. IF a contract is offered, accepted, and signed, then when an editor is available, the editing process begins. Editing may take months or longer. A cover has to be designed and art work created for non-illustrated books. Illustrated books wait until an artist is available. After all editing and art work is finished, the manuscript has to be formatted into the right size, fonts, and arrangement -- which also takes time. The designer/formatter sends PDF proofs to the author and all editors (also to the artist if an illustrated book). Corrections are made, often resulting in three or more proofs sent until the author approves of a final proof. The designer/formatter then prepares files to be uploaded at the printers. Finally, the book can be ordered.

     We pay Ingram to distribute our books. Each year we pay a fee for each title to be available for bookstores, online businesses, schools, and libraries to order copies of our books from Ingram and for Ingram to ship those books. Ingram takes 50% off the top of the retail price for their services (besides what we pay each year) and to give a discount to those ordering. From what is left, printing and other fees are deducted before any money is sent to the company. The author (and illustrators) receives more profit by buying copies from the publisher at discount prices and selling the books direct. More royalty is made when customers order books from the 4RV website bookstore.

     Amazon orders from Ingram, and 4RV has no control over what Amazon does or doesn't do. Also, what Amazon receives per book is not the amount to base royalty. Remember, Ingram takes 50% off the top of retail prices. We never see the full retail price.

     So, why do we keep working, struggling, and releasing books? Because we love books, and want good books available for people to read.