Writers, heed the “Law of the Little Shovel”

A focused, concentrated effort will reap the most promotional benefits

Seth Godin wrote in his blog of “The Law of the Little Shovel.”  It makes so much sense, I thought I’d expand on this concept as it applies to pre-published and published authors.

The Law of the Little Shovel, and I’m quoting Seth:  If you want to dig a big hole, you need to stay in one place.  If you walk around town with a little shovel, you’ll just end up digging thousands of little holes, not one big one.  Call on one person ten times and you might make the sale. Call on ten people once each and you will likely get ten rejections.

I see this principle working with novel promotion and literary brand development. We receive so much advice from well-meaning writers that we can get carried away, digging thousands of little holes, holes without depth or substance because we’re trying to accomplish the work of several experienced staffers at a public relations firm.

Does any of this advice sound familiar?

● You must have a website. Develop a presence there and on social media sites.  Do this before you’re published so you’ll have a platform in place when you sell your first novel.

● Get 500 friends on MySpace/Facebook/Twitter so you have a platform.

● Develop a media kit with bio, photos, and a list of local media.

● When your book releases, do a multi-city book tour. Schedule a string of signings, save money by driving and staying at relatives’ and friends’ homes to contain costs.

● Develop a fun contest on your website to build traffic.

● Blog every day and become known as an expert.

● Volunteer frequently. Serve on boards. Be visible.

● Offer e-zine articles for free.  It gives great exposure and will help you build traffic on your website.

Remember the Law of the Little Shovel, and resist the urge to dig a thousand shallow holes.  Focus on what you can do, and do it well. Nurture your talent and keep writing your first priority.

Twitter – Social Media Marketing Tool, or Time-waster?

Twitter-will this birdy's air stream help you fly?

Part 2 of the Twitter series by Janet Lane

(See prior post for part 1)

My survey
I surveyed eighty members of RMFW, asking (1) How long have you been Tweeting? (2) how many tweets do you generate per day? (3) How many Followers do you have? (4) Do you Tweet for just your novel writing, or do you have multiple brands/objectives? (5) What have you found to be the most helpful aspect of Tweeting? (6) Your final answer: Is Twitter a  /__/ time-waster or /__/ worthy promotional tool?

Survey says …
Out of eight author/writers, I heard from only four who have harnessed Twitter’s power to network and accomplish specific promotional goals.

The responses from non-Tweeters ranged from “never heard of it” to deep concerns that it would be a terrible time-waster.  One especially incredulous statement: “As an introvert, I’m just appalled.  Who needs to be in touch with people every moment of the day?”

What Twitter is
http://twitter.com  Twitter is an on-line networking group of over seven million people. Messages (tweets) are limited to just 140 keystrokes, so it’s what Associated Press writer Michael Liedtke calls “a potluck of pithy self-expression simmering with whimsy, narcissism, voyeurism, hucksterism, tedium, and sometimes useful information.”

Why Twitter is bad
The brevity of just 140 keystrokes severely limits your messages. The messages may never surpass mind-numbing chatter. It can be a huge time-waster, with no useful outcome. It can be a distraction from your more meaningful work and promotional activities. If you’re successful at building an interesting collection of people to Follow, you’ll never have sufficient time to listen to all of them. At the opposite end of the spectrum, you may send out a Tweet and receive absolutely no response. It’s hard to find people that you should be following. You may get obsessed with Twitter and become effectively chained to your computer or phone.  There may be negative Tweets about you or your company that may devastate.

Coming next – why Twitter is good, and how some writers have tapped this latest promotional tool’s strengths to promote their brand.

Like what you see?  Please credit me.  Thanks.