I needed a new computer–my MacBook was fading after three years of constant service.
So, I bought an iMac. You may know that Apple offers a great service: they’ll clone your hard drive from the old puter and transplant it to the new machine, thus saving you hours of torture when you get home.
Okay, that alone is great service. But what’s better is they told me it would take about one business day to do this. I could come back the next day at 5 p.m. to pick up my old machine and the new one– fully-loaded with all my files, programs, music and stuff.
Well, why not? One business day is a small price to pay for the time and effort it would’ve taken for me to do it myself.
That’s not the lesson, though. Here’s the lesson: they called me less than three hours later to tell me my computers were ready for pickup. Not a day later, but a mere three hours later. Do I have to tell you how thrilled I was when they called? When I first picked up the phone I was sure they were going to tell me something was wrong. Nope. They were just finished being highly efficient. I’ve had other good experiences with Apple–and this just reinforced my brand loyalty big time.
Under-promise, over-deliver. Simple concept. Works every time.
I’ll be interviewed on KCUR 89.3 FM’s Central Standard on Monday at 10 CST. Also appearing will be Paul Miles Schneider (besides being a gifted graphics producer at T2+Back Alley Films he has written the acclaimed novel Silver Shoes). You can stream it on the internet if you’re not in the KC area. We will be talking about book marketing, ebooks, book trailers and of course, our books!
Regular readers of this blog may recall that I published an ebook and recently premiered a book trailer. Pete Dulin of Present Magazine of Kansas City interviewed me about the book and the trailer. Here’s an excerpt:
PresentMagazine.com: How long did it take to write the book?
Greenwood: “I wrote the first draft in three months – six days a week, three to four hours a day. Yes, I will cop to the cliche’: I wrote that first draft on a laptop in the Starbucks at Country Club Plaza.
The finished book people are reading today on their iPads and Kindles took about eighteen months and six drafts. I did about four “polishes” on top of that.”
PresentMagazine.com: How did the idea for a book trailer come about?
“Readers have told me they thought they could easily see Pilate’s Cross as a movie. That’s why I’m so excited I got the chance to work with the talented crew at T2 + Back Alley Films of Kansas City.
This never would have happened without the vision of T2 + Back Alley Films CEO Teri Rogers. She’s a courageous innovator, always looking ahead to that next undiscovered country. When I told her about my book, she immediately suggested a trailer. Not many firms of T2’s stature are doing trailers. I had given a trailer some thought, but never dreamed a nationally recognized digital media agency like T2 would work with me.
The trailer really transports you right into the world of Cross Township – like a movie. I wrote a treatment and a script, and then T2’s team created a concept that I think just blows away most book trailers. Their concept and screen execution was teamed with Wheeler Audio of Kansas City to record actors and mix sound.
I will also join T2’s Paul Miles Schneider (besides being a gifted graphics producer at T2 he has written the acclaimed novel Silver Shoes) on KCUR Radio’s “Central Standard” show Monday, October 25 at 10 a.m. CST. (You can stream it on the internet if you’re not in the KC area.) We will be talking about book marketing, ebooks, trailers and of course, our books!
Many people in the United States purchase one or fewer books every year.
Many of those people have seen every single episode of American Idol. There is clearly a correlation here.
Access to knowledge, for the first time in history, is largely unimpeded for the middle class. Without effort or expense, it’s possible to become informed if you choose. For less than your cable TV bill, you can buy and read an important book every week. Share the buying with six friends and it costs far less than coffee.
Or you can watch TV.
The thing is, watching TV has its benefits. It excuses you from the responsibility of having an informed opinion about things that matter. It gives you shallow opinions or false “facts” that you can easily parrot to others that watch what you watch. It rarely unsettles our carefully self-induced calm and isolation from the world.
I got a note from someone the other day, in which she made it clear that she doesn’t read non-fiction books or blogs related to her industry. And she seemed proud of this.
Stephen King on creative writing classes….I have to agree. Some of the most tedious hours of my life have been in creative writing classes.
Not every writer is good and not everything written by good writers is great.
That’s true, and the idea that someone can tell you how to create is ridiculous. Certainly you can learn structure, format, discipline and tricks of the trade, but even my grandfather–who had more than 30 of his books published–could never give me the secret of how to make a good, solid story.
The idea of teaching a fledgling writer how to be the next Hemingway–or Stephen King– is like teaching a tone-deaf person to sing. You can’t do it.
Either they can create or they can’t.
To keep this from being a complete downer, I will say this: you can write if you work your butt off. You may be like me, terribly average with an occasional “good one” that comes from that hard work (and reading this helps). And if that “good one” is satisfying, then keep writing. But if it’s all frustration and “where’s my book deal?” then you might want to try singing.
In recent years, publishers, authors, teachers and students have been using the book trailer, a promotional video, to develop buzz and cultivate readers for a book. Some book trailers are similar to the familiar movie preview while others look like something you will see on MTV.
Some trailers focus on the story (many even tell you the whole story, like an overwrought PowerPoint book report!) some interview the author, and many more just confound me with their incomprehensibility. Of course, like anything, there’s a lot of DIY going on in book trailer production; with predictably dreary (dare I say crappy) results. For every compelling, well-produced trailer, you get about one hundred trailers slapped together with bad clip art, stock photos, bland music and cheesy graphics. Yeah, that makes me want to read the book. Not.
I don’t mean to be nasty, but if you’re going to represent your product–especially one I presume you spent years writing–do it right.
That said, I wrote a mystery thriller novel. Long story short, after a couple of near-misses with being signed by an agent over a two-year period I decided I could stick the book in a drawer forever or publish it as an independent ebook with Smashwords. I’m glad I did. Pilate’s Cross has sold more than a few copies (on iBooks, BarnesandNoble.com, Kobo and Smashwords), and hundreds more have sampled it. I still believe in the book and feel it could reach a broader audience if it could just rise above the crowd a bit.
Thinking along those lines, many of my readers told me they thought it was a book they could easily see as a movie. Well, I certainly couldn’t make a movie out of an indie novel, but a book trailer was in the cards. That’s why I’m so excited I got the chance to work with the celebrated digital media design company T2 + Back Alley Films of Kansas City.
Lead by CEO Teri Rogers, T2 + Back Alley Films is a nationally recognized digital media agency that creates all forms of new media content. Their specialties include motion graphics design, experiential design, augmented reality and other forms of new media, as well as original films and documentaries, digital production and postproduction.
The book’s cinematic structure made it an ideal project for T2, and I’m over the moon at their interpretation of the book. We agreed that it should be a book trailer that could easily pass as a movie trailer.We had some fun with the voice-over, though we resisted the urge to say “In a world…”
The trailer was truly a collaborative effort between T2, Wheeler and me. I just hope that the book lives up to the high expectations set by the trailer.
So, since the premiere on October 13, 2010 at PilatesCross.com I’ve received many nice comments about the trailer and renewed interest in the book. The trailer is now out there on several trailer sites, YouTube and Smashwords. It’s my hope that the crossover will aid in raising the book’s profile.
Book trailers are here to stay, I’d say, especially in our multimedia world. What do you think–are they here to stay or just a flash in the pan?
We’ve worked with several non-profit events–usually in the role of encouraging businesses to be sponsors. Depending on the event, it can be a really great opportunity to not only do a great thing for your community, but also enhance your company’s image.
Sponsorship—whether by a donation of time or money—promotes a company to a specific target market, while also contributing to the community. It’s important to make sure a sponsorship opportunity is compatible with the company’s overall marketing strategy and core values.
“We’re a local business, and this community has been fantastic to us, so [sponsoring the Jacksonville Open is] an opportunity to give back, particularly given the economic times we are in and that not everyone can do this,” McLauchlan said.
The key is “make sure a sponsorship opportunity is compatible with the company’s overall marketing strategy and core values.” In other words:
If you own a liquor store, sponsoring a marathon might not be to your advantage.
An “Air Sex” competition (Google it) at a local bar might not be a great fit if your business caters to families.
It’s usually a good idea to chip in as a sponsor of your city’s biggest July 4th event if you want to establish or maintain your hometown bona fides.
Pick one or two reputable community organizations or causes to sponsor. Quality, not quantity, will be better for your budget and overall image.
You get the idea.
Just be sure when you sponsor an event you get a little bang for your buck. Of course, you’re not going to get exact, dollar for dollar equivalencies like you would buying ads, but make sure you do get links on websites, logo placement on collateral and of course, free tickets for your key staff if possible.
If you do sponsor–show up. If your company buys a table at a dinner or auction party, be there. While your sponsorship is appreciated, an empty table with a sign reading “Sponsored by ACME” can make the sponsorship seem a little hollow–and you’re cutting your sponsorship’s PR value in half. Seal the deal by being present at the event. If you can’t go, send staff who will represent your company well. If you sponsor a festival, ask employees to wear company shirts to the event.
We think it’s important as a “corporate citizen” to sponsor or volunteer at community events. Besides the PR bonus, it just feels good to do good. Give it a shot.
