OLD POST ALERT! This is an older post and although you might find some useful tips, any technical or publishing information is likely to be out of date. Please click on Start Here on the menu bar above to find links to my most useful articles, videos and podcast. Thanks and happy writing! – Joanna Penn
One of the reasons we write for publication is for other people.
Considering marketing in the same way can help you, because it focuses on the other person, the customer, not on you. That serves several purposes:
- It makes you think about what they really want
- It takes the focus off you and stops you feeling self-conscious
- It will give you ideas as to what to share
- It will help you to connect with a community
Generosity and social karma
The word karma implies that you get back what you give, and I believe this is true in the social environment. If you give, you will receive.
Being useful, helpful and generous is satisfying to you personally, but also builds up a bank of goodwill. When you later mention that you have a book out, or people are attracted to you because of your generosity, and see you have books/products available, they are more likely to buy.
This isn't woo-woo. It's based on the science of influence. Read Robert Cialdini's book ‘Influence’ and you'll understand that the principle of reciprocity is one of the keys to influencing people's behavior. I believe that we can utilize such principles, but we don't have to do it in a scammy or unethical manner.
Co-opetition
Co-opetition is all about the idea of cooperating with your perceived competition so that both parties benefit. When there is a congruence of interests, cooperating together can create greater value than acting alone.
The self-publishing environment in particular is full of authors with entrepreneurial spirit, sharing openly. We discuss sales numbers and promote each other through blog posts and social networks, especially when our books are in the same genre. I particularly find the Alliance of Independent Authors Facebook group really useful in discovering new ideas and getting help with my back blurb and covers.
In working and educating ourselves together, we can learn lessons faster, respond and adapt more quickly.
Traditionally published authors also do this through promoting each others' books, forming groups that speak together at festivals or doing book signings together.
For example, let's say you write science fiction. There's no need to see other science fiction writers as competition. Instead, think of them as potential collaborators on marketing projects. Both of you bring an interested group of readers who will read your books fast and be ready for the next book. Why not work with other writers in the same genre to promote each other, and in that way, everyone benefits.
In the same way, non-fiction writers can work with authors in the same area to target the same readers. After all, a reader who buys one diet book will likely want to buy a whole load more of them!
Some practical ways of doing this include:
- Promoting each others' books to your lists through email or through including back blurbs at the end of your books. This can even go as far as producing collaborative books together.
- Guest blogging or interviewing each other in order to cross-pollinate readers. This is one of the reasons I like to have guest posts on this site, as it allows other authors a chance to showcase their work.
- Creating genre-related sites talking about multiple books of a similar genre which everybody promotes. I am part of Killer-Thrillers.com where a number of best-selling thriller authors promote ebooks on sale for this niche, plus we have Killer-Thrillers TV where I interview thriller authors. That’s true co-opetition!
- Sharing other authors’ books/content on social networks
If you do this consistently, without expecting a return, you will find the favors repaid, sometimes from other sources and in surprising ways. The synchronicity of the web in action …
The importance of know, like and trust
An important principle behind all of this is authenticity. Marketing from a personal perspective is about people getting to know, like and trust us. It’s about delivering value and not just being about the sale.
Everything I do online is focused on those principles.
For example, I will include a photo on my Twitter timeline that relates to my writing e.g. my desk at the library or out on a research trip. This enables people to get to know me a little more and get an insight into my life. What is mundane routine for you may be fascinating to others who live somewhere else in the world.
It's more personal but it is also always related to my books or to writing, publishing or book marketing – all my niche. I don't share pictures of me with my husband, as that is personal but not relevant, and I've drawn a line for privacy.
But sharing like this is about building a relationship with people and allowing them a glimpse into your real life.
Anything that has your name on it needs to support your reputation.
So if you write gossipy chick lit, sharing husband stories might be appropriate. You can still be authentic with a pseudonym as it's your behavior that counts and not just the name.
Focus on delivering the same emotional promise that your books make.
Do you believe in generosity, social karma and co-opetition in marketing and online behavior? What are some other ways we can help each other? Please do leave a comment below.
Top image: Flickr Creative Commons Ferriss wheel by Tinou Bao
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1 2 Next »The other day I gave my monthly "talk" to the elderly people calling themselves the "University of the 3rd Age". I mentioned in passing that the first book of my historical series for people who think of themselves as young adults will be launched in March but that I was going to give them each a copy for free. At first they tried to argue me out of the idea: please let them pay for it, they said. The point is though that I would like them to read it and the probability is that they will be first in the queue to buy the rest of the series when each is launched. But then again, if the profit from the first is big enough, I might give them the rest of the series for free. After all, I'd love them to read it.
This is a super argument for the fact that not everyone wants and not everything needs to be free or even super cheap. There are people who recognize good work, honest effort etc. and truly want to reward it. They will literally not feel right about the situation if they don't pay for it/reward/reciprocate. Great mini-case study!
I certainly give away a lot of books for free - you have to deliver value before people take a chance on you.
Joanna,
Thank you for another useful and insightful post! I think this will be really helpful to authors having trouble with "blowing their own horn" and not knowing where to begin. If you begin in a genuine place of wanting to help people, everything else seems to fall into place. I just tweeted this out - hopefully many authors will get the chance to read and enjoy!
P.S. Love the word co-opetition - is that a Joanna original?
not sure where co-opetition came from, but I didn't make it up, for sure :) I think it's from the blogosphere/ entrepreneurial space.
Great post, Joanna and I couldn't agree more with it. When I think of all the help and encouragement I have been getting from other writers and readers it makes me want to give something back. You are a perfect example of that lovely word, co-opetition, Joanna. I get really helpful information and ideas from your site and I share it with others (Fb, twitter, etc) - what goes around, comes around - and you deserve the credit. Thanks for another enlightening post.
Thanks for sharing, Jean
Great post Joanna. Another metaphor for the benefits of co-opetition from the world of negotiation is that instead of fighting over pieces of the pie, we collaborate to make the pie bigger. If equals compete, best they can do is 50%. If they make the pie bigger, their 50% is now the same as 60 0r 70% used to be. Win-Win. You know, and then plus all those other benefits of generosity: good Karma, what goes around comes around, a lovely sense of well-being.
The pie is certainly getting bigger Michael. I sold a book in Burkina Faso the other day, very exciting :)
Great post, Joanna. Just wanted to say that I've just seen this post *after* having just bought Desecration and tweeted about it. Empirical evidence of the effect of social karma , not that any were needed :-) And what a wonderful cover - glad to be have been on the team giving you feedback! :-)
Thanks Karen, I appreciate your support :) I also shared your tax post with 150 people at a self-publishing conference last weekend - sharing each others' work is fantastic :)
Ah - thanks! I get lovely responses from people who successfully get their EINs quickly...! I suppose I should write a book on EINs one day. I seem destined in my life to keep writing about money and tax! I just need to find a children's book angle :-)
I think you embody co-opetition, Joanna. I love that you urge and inspire your community to think broadly and with generosity. And provide pointers on how it can be done. Thanks!
Thanks so much for his post. I do belong to a number of writers groups, we share blog posts, Tweets, blog about each other's work... I must say so far it hasn't worked too well for me, as part of the issue seems to be that we locate many authors, follow authors and authors join our groups, and we seem to have more difficulty locating readers. Also the personal pulling power of different authors, some more experienced than others, some who have been publishing for longer is quite diverse. Not a reason not to try though, and must say I haven't come across anything more effective either (unless you're a celebrity of some sort and then... it's another story).
I've heard about the alliance and was checking yesterday although I haven't checked their Facebook group. I will check some of the other groups and pages you mention when I can (at the moment my internet connection at home is not working and although I can read e-mails at work I cannot connect so social networking sites or share posts).
I'll save the post to share when I can.
Good stuff, Joanna. I don't worry about the competition in part because don't think I'm competition to anybody. :)
I'm just starting down this path and learning as much as I possibly can. Why on earth would I limit my sources? Particularly if those sources have been successful going down that very path I desire to travel?
You have become one of my favorite sources, Joanna. I first heard you on a Judith Briles podcast and was so impressed, I hunted you down and subscribed to yours. Thanks for all the helpful information you provide.
Mmmmm. Social karma. You know, back in the days when I was conducting research for my Masters degree, a guy whom I had never met started dropping little scribbled notes on my desk in the library: "Perhaps you should read . . ." And then I met Prof. Peires and I thanked him profusely because, I pointed out, I could never hope to reciprocate. No, he said, BUT you will one day do the same thing yourself for countless other beginner scholars. And I did. And now I've come across Joanna Penn whom I again have never met but she is helping me immensely wade into this new world of indie publishing. Thank you, thank you, thank you. Again I won't be able to reciprocate but already people are asking me: how do you do it. And so it carries on. But I do find myself asking the question in my lectures: have you guys ever read anything by Joanna Webb? And my students scribble down the name and some hopefully will buy.
I actually said "Joanna Penn" - and that's what happens when one doesn't proof read the final sentence. Mea Culpa (x 3)