Booklet Typos and Other Imperfections

Publishing has endless stories about typos, errors, and a range of production outcomes that cause someone to go "oops" in various languages and decibels.

More often than not, it is far from being the end of the world, regardless of what the person reacting in that moment believes.

That doesn't mean this is about condoning sloppiness, errors, or casual approaches to producing a high quality publication. It's about getting your priorities in order, completing a product so it can serve the people you intend to serve with the information, and making course corrections when necessary.

The exact shade of a color on the cover - does that REALLY matter? A missing comma or certain typos, well, yes, they can sometimes change the meaning of something. That's true. And today, with search capabilities as strong and available as they are, even the truly dreaded typo in a phone number or email address or website URL can be overcome.

My booklet had a misspelled word in it for the first 50,000 copies that were sold. Yes, and 50,000 copies were sold!

Decide what your greatest priority is so you can get your booklet and other products to those who value your knowledge.

You will probably find it useful to see what other booklet authors have done over the years. Check out the Booklet Mystery Grab Bag to take a peek for yourself.

Until next time,
Paulette - who ultimately learned how to spell the word "discern" in her booklet
www.tipsbooklets.com
www.CollectionOfExperts.com

Booklets and Your Assumptions

As humans of any flavor, assumptions are part of the deal. Some assumptions are useful and productive, and others are counterproductive, particularly when it comes to creating and marketing booklets. Here are a few to ponder. Notice what happens, especially, when absolutes are included.

1. Everything has been written on my topic already.

Do you personally own every single resource that's been created on your expertise? Of course not, no matter how large a library you have. So create your product anyway, and do it now.

2. No one is around or in buying mode in companies during December, much less during the week between Christmas and New Year.

Not only are there people who cherish this often-quiet time in the office, many times there is still money left in the current year's budget that comes under the "use it or lose it" banner.

3. It's impossible to reach anyone at big companies who would be large quantity buyers.

Yes, it is often a challenge to reach people. It can be easier during slow times like holiday season. Another doorway in to finding the right person can sometimes be to ask the Customer Service department to give you the right name and way to reach the person you want.

4. The price is too high/too low to be attractive to my buyers.

Yes, it may be one or the other. Find out by doing some research before your launch and by carefully monitoring sales once you do launch.

5. A tips booklet is too small to attract interest and sales.

That is true for some buyers and completely untrue for others. In many cases, the booklet is the perfect entry point to your business and your expertise. In other cases, a buyer wants more information right away. Having you information in multiple formats satisfies more people, including you as the business own.

6. "Such and such" is the only market for my booklet.

Probably not. It may be a logical starting point, and is rarely the finish line. Buyers can and do show up from places you'd never expect, and the places you expected may never end up buying at all. Brainstorm to identify other directions to go with what you have.

Look at just these 6 assumptions as a sample of your overall thinking. As soon as you notice yourself going to "all," "every," "always," "only," and other absolutes, the odds are high that your assumptions are not serving you or your people very well. You may be in for some very happy surprises once you let go of those assumptions.

Until next time,
Paulette - continuously amazed by the delightfully unexpected

www.tipsbooklets.com
www.CollectionOfExperts.com

Booklets - It's About Time

December often brings reflection on where the year has gone and what will come next, especially for cultures based on the 12-month Julian calendar of January to December. In some ways, it's an artificial structure. After all, you can start a project at any point and have it last for any length. You probably already noticed that to be true in creating and marketing a booklet or any other information product.

Let's look at 5 best times related to booklets and your business

1. Best time to map out a business development overview - now, no matter when "now" is. And revisit this on a frequent basis. Whatever seemed ideal to you when you set down your initial plan will definitely have things changing. You'll have different information, inspiration, and inclination as part of traveling life's path. Expect the inevitable change and use it to your advantage.

2. Best time to write your booklet - when you're ready, either prompted by internal or external motivation. You may be encouraged by your muse, your altruism, your checking account, or your next buyer who wants what you have yet to create. And it'll take you as long to write the booklet as it takes you - overnight or over years.

3. Best time to seek input about your product - before and during the development stages. Not only is it likely that you're too close to your own content, there are people in your circles who can give valuable suggestions for you to incorporate or discard. Everyone charges for this in some way, either in money or their expectation that you take their advice or that you return the favor. Sometimes the money is the least expensive.

4. Best time to declare your booklet "done" - when you realize you and everyone you know has reviewed it umpteen times and you're all sick of looking at it. A missing period, a misplaced comma, or a wrong digit in your telephone number may still survive all those reviews, and it won't really matter. It will get fixed and people will find you and buy from you anyway. It is not the end of the world.

5. Best time to market your booklet - any time and all the time. There is always some company, association, or website who has a need, a challenge that your booklet can solve. Depending on the industry you're approaching, some times of the year are better than others, based on their cycles. Someone needs what you've got at every point through the year.

You probably found yourself smiling or giggling as you read some of those, didn't you, as if your deepest innermost thoughts were being broadcasted to the greater world? Well, if you've been using your opinions about time that differ from any of the above as reasons NOT to move forward, please accept my personal invitation to view it from a different perspective. Just take a moment, that's all. See what it looks like. Experiment with just one area, as most tips booklets suggest to readers. Incorporate one thing from the above list and see how your results change. After all, it's about time, isn't it?

Until next time,
Paulette - who wonders when the best time is for you to invest in the Booklet Author Success series

www.tipsbooklets.com
www.CollectionOfExperts.com

Introverts and Tips Booklets

Over the years and just this week, there has been a continuous conversation about introverts and sales. A couple of useful quotes from two highly respected colleagues:

• "I love helping people who hate to sell minimize their reluctance." - Patricia Weber
• "I'd rather go to the dentist than to a party." - Marcia Yudkin

Marcia also made this point in her ezine this week:

"A quieter style can be strong, creative and alluring.  Too often, though, introverts swallow the myth that they compare poorly with chatterboxes when it comes to bringing in business."

When considering how you approach your booklet buyers, whether through web marketing promotion, by telephone, or in person, remember there are ways to work with instead of against your personality to bring the solutions you have to those who want them.

And by bringing those solutions to your buyers, you reward yourself with increased sales. Your booklets become the best business cards for everything you do.

Until next time,
Paulette - who understands and completely agrees with Marcia's point of view


www.tipsbooklets.com
www.CollectionOfExperts.com
www.PublishingProsperity.com
Follow me www.twitter.com/pauletteensign

My Booklet is a Good Product - Why Isn't It Selling?

Whether you are selling single copies as an online booklet or hard copy, or are selling large quantities to companies and associations, sometimes your best web marketing promotion and direct sales approaches are not providing the results you want and your booklet isn't selling.

You put everything you have into creating a booklet. What gives??

Here's some of the most typical realities:

1. It takes time - for the brand to take hold and/or for the buyer to make the decision.
2. It takes multiple times of asking for the sale.
3. The buyer prefers a different kind of delivery of the content (i.e. audio vs. text).
4. The buyer doesn't like the cover design (i.e. your photo is on the cover, the color is orange, etc.)
5. The title doesn't say what the booklet really is.
6. The price is too high.
7. The price is too low.
8. The booklet is too long.
9. The booklet is too short.

... and on and on and on.

What the heck are you supposed to do? After all, you believe in your product and think you've got a winner.

One of the easiest things to do is to ask your market what it would take for them to invest in your product. You may be very surprised by what you learn. It could be something very simple or something you never would have considered in a million years. Regardless, ask them.

Until next time,
Paulette - often amazed by how big a deal the little things can turn out to be


www.tipsbooklets.com
www.CollectionOfExperts.com
www.PublishingProsperity.com
Follow me www.twitter.com/pauletteensign

Creating a Booklet - the Best Time

Periodically someone makes the point that everything is done in its own time, especially when it comes to creating a booklet. This week a few people did that. One is a professional speaker who attended my public workshop five years ago. He bought lots of products and services from me at the time. He holds a unique position in his industry, one that he can trade on quite readily. He phoned me this week to say he misplaced the materials he purchased from me, and he's now ready to write his booklet. My hunch is that he will do it this time.

Another person decided to participate in a Collection of Experts collaborative booklet. She shared with me in a telephone conversation that she had seen the opportunity to join in on two previous groups who were doing this kind of booklet with me in the past year, yet now was the time for her to be part of creating a booklet.

I think back on the start of my booklet journey. June, 1991 was a less-than-ideal time for creating a booklet in my world. My money and time were limited, not to mention my enthusiasm and creativity. Fear was about the only thing that was abundant. Yet something inside me said it was time to do the booklet.

What stories are you telling yourself about the best time for creating a booklet in your life? The sooner you do it, the sooner you reap the rewards. It really is that simple. And if you've already done one or more, how about doing another one?

Until next time,
Paulette - assuring you that creating a booklet now is the best time to do it


www.tipsbooklets.com
www.CollectionOfExperts.com
www.PublishingProsperity.com
Follow me www.twitter.com/pauletteensign

Online Booklet a Good Idea

After recently writing about whether your bulk booklet buyers prefer paper or pixels, the following showed up in an Internet Retailer ezine. A savvy booklet author and marketer will see this industry intelligence for the great opportunity and invitation that it is.

The Internet kills off Penney's big-book catalogs

With consumers shifting to shopping online and placing fewer paper orders, J.C. Penney (No. 15) will no longer publish its twice-yearly big-book catalogs. J.C. Penney will shift more resources to the web and smaller specialty catalogs.

Whether you choose to approach the person/department responsible for marketing the primary website activities or go to those in charge of the smaller specialty catalogs, the electronic versions of your content can be used by a company like J.C. Penney in the same ways that they would have used your printed version -- to increase sales! What do you have that could be a match for a company like this? This kind of licensing deal to their marketing department could be huge for you and for them.

Until next time,
Paulette - appreciating how the changing times prompts new twists on old ideas

www.tipsbooklets.com
www.CollectionOfExperts.com
www.PublishingProsperity.com
Follow me www.twitter.com/pauletteensign