Purple Snowflake Marketing

Interview by Lisa Hannon
August 1, 2007

Prairie Den has always been a place for writers to learn from each other, and that seems to align with one of your missions. Will you share a little from your new work, Purple Snowflake Marketing?

Sure! Sadly, many people see the world of writing as a career of leisure--which is actually opposite to the truth. For one thing, writing is a creative process and like any artist, writers need the time and energy to craft their work. This can include brainstorming sessions, research and learning new writing skills. Time is consumed by office work from bookkeeping to recording our efforts and results. So as a self-employed person, a writer is putting in many more hours than the regular 9-to-5 career demands.

Another misconception that often lives in the minds of authors is that they think once their book is written, the work ends there and the royalty checks will just come pouring in. Again, this is far from the truth. In fact, once the book is accepted by the publisher, goes through the editing and proofing processes and is released to the public, the author's work has just begun. As much as 80% of an author's time is for marketing purposes alone. And marketing plans typically begin several months prior to the release of a book.

We know from first-hand how quickly a promotion budget will dwindle and the difficulty of gaining name recognition and an Internet presence. Purple Snowflake Marketing is an author's guide to developing a frugal and effective marketing plan. We start with the 4 main areas an author needs to evaluate including research, evaluating what others are doing, gaining name recognition and discovering the strengths and weaknesses of both their own particular situation and their book's as well. So by knowing these 4 main points well, an author can use the information to design a highly tuned marketing plan that makes the most efficient use of both their time and budget. We also discuss delicate issues from handling family and friends who are unsupportive, jealous or those who say they'll buy a book--but don't. These are often surprises and hurtful events for authors, but they need to be prepared to keep their expectations on a realistic level.

But that is what we cover in the introduction of the ebook. The ebook has 19 chapters dealing with every aspect of a marketing plan and offers tips on how authors can stand out in a crowd like a purple snowflake in a snowstorm. And this is really important, because there are at least 170,000 books released annually in the US alone; all of these books are direct competitors with our own book. We need to find a way to stand out among all of these recent releases and those that have already been published in the past.

Our book also lists 21 appendices and offers well over 500 direct links to websites that authors can immediately benefit from. Because of this, Purple Snowflake Marketing provides reassurance to authors along with ample advice for avoiding pit-falls and setting a pace for marketing endeavors.

What made you choose to release Purple Snowflake Marketing as an ebook?

Most authors are working on computers these days and because an Internet presence is so vital in a marketing plan, we arranged for it to be released as an ebook. This way, authors can immediately access information and promotion opportunities with the click of their mouse. We also made an extra effort to keep the price below $7.00 (US) so that authors can afford the investment.

You've published some diverse books: a poetic journey through self-healing, practical tips for taking care of our environment, and now a marketing guide. Tell us about that progression.

Initially, teachers commented on my writing ability--and honestly, English was one of the few classes that kept me going to school when I was first on my own. I used poetry as a healing tool--a way to get the pain of an abusive past out where I could examine it. Eventually, prodding from friends led me to enter a contest and then another and another� I never did win a grand prize, but my work did appear in five hardcover anthology books and several publications throughout North America. I also had the honor of attaining an editor's choice award for outstanding achievement in poetry, not once--but twice. These small achievements and praises gave me some confidence in the quality of my work.

But what prompted me to write as a career began with a bad car accident--a three-car pile-up and I was in the middle. After a year of full-time physiotherapy, followed by a year of trying to get back to operating my business and continuing therapy, I realized I was never going to be able to continue that work full-time. Right around this time my husband, Dave, was taking a writing course and I began taking it alongside of him. Soon, my submissions were accepted and sold and a free-lance career began.

I was inspired to write the Trash Talk column after some discussions with some of my business clients. You see, one of these clients expressed her fear that others would see her at a reuse store because she thought they would judge her as a scrooge since she could afford new things. She certainly couldn't fathom the idea of being caught taking in her refundable containers! Yet ironically later on, when her neighbors began joining in on the blue box (recycling) pick up service, she just had to have that box out on the corner and be "seen" to be joining as well. It was at this point that Dave and I realized there was a need for change in the way society is seeing waste. We need to view waste as a resource; to see that waste reduction is not about false pride or keeping up with your neighbors--waste reduction is more about the legacy we choose to leave behind. The first book my husband and I released was based on the first 5 years of this column and shares the name--Trash Talk--which focuses on the proper order of the 4-rs in waste reduction (refuse, reduce, reuse, recycle); with special attention on the 3rd R- Reuse. Ironically it was soon after the book's release, that Dave and I started hearing the commercials and seeing ads for "zero waste" initiatives across the globe.

Towards Understanding is the second book we released. This is a collection of 120 non-fiction poems that tell the story of my life. In this book, readers will see me battle past demons, raise my voice in anger and discover self-awareness. I think readers will witness my healing process as I become aware of the value of life and feel my joy as I fall deeply in love with a wholesome man. Later, the poetry begins to question society and endeavors to understand others. I think that my passion and dedication to the health of the earth is evident in this book.

And just recently we released the ebook we talked about earlier.

What have you learned about working with your spouse?

We can use each other's strengths and take up the slack where the other is weak. For instance, my husband is a wonderful editor, proofreader and is a thoughtful sounding board. He has creative skills for fiction genres and has ways of choosing words that enable the reader to visualize what we are saying. Dave does the cover design conceptions, diagrams, photos, graphics and Web site maintenance--while I take on the researching, typing, marketing and record keeping. Much of the office work and running Conscious Discussions Talk Radio Show (www.blogtalkradio.com/consciousdiscussions) mainly falls on my lap as well.

The most important aspect to getting along all these 17 years we've been together is common courtesy. I find that mutual respect is also essential. You see, it doesn't really matter "why" the other person wants something done a certain way--if they need it to be that way, and we care about them--what's the big deal about making the adjustment for them? Too many of us become hardened and expect more from the other than we are giving of ourselves. This is something we work very diligently at in our relationship.

What's been your experience with relatively new outlets such as MySpace and podcasting?

MySpace has been a big asset to our marketing efforts. This site was so easy to set up and maintain that I can proudly say that our site there is my baby. I built it and maintain that thing all by myself--something I never imagined I'd be able to do. (MySpace.com/canadianauthor) With it we are able to briefly highlight all 3 books, our other Web sites and the Conscious Discussions radio show. We mention other activities such as the band that Dave is a member of (MySpace.com/okgrooveyard) and I have a blog there as well. I keep that blog as active and up-to-date as possible and use it to announce upcoming Conscious Discussions topics or places we are interviewed at and so on. It is a wonderful way to keep in touch with our readers and listeners, while providing a good source for media to use as research on us. The bulletin section on MySpace allows me to share some information with my "friends" at MySpace--however, I tend to choose the announcements carefully so that I don't become annoying.

Conscious Discussions has been a wonderful experience for me. I started the show for two reasons mainly--first: I wanted to provide a resource for people looking for inspiring ways to make a real difference in the world. I wanted to find a new way to help others become more proactive in life. Studies show that 66% of the population would feel more positive in their life if they felt their actions made a measurable difference. Psychologists have long known that the act of doing one positive action in life will inspire more of the same. Kind of like the ripple in the pond effect. And it is so important for each of us to realize our importance, our value in life. We can do so much with such small everyday activities. Anyway, with Conscious Discussions I also hoped to refine my ability to speak in live situations. As a writer, I tend to be isolated and I was feeling a bit out of practice when it came to live interaction and promotion.

The show has done both of these things for me. But it has done so much more. Truly I feel so inspired by the guests on the show. To hear the stories and journeys of those who are working to benefit us all, how they started and how their efforts grew to make great change� I just feel so energized after every show and there is no doubt that I have become more proactive in my daily life because of this as well.

I started with the first show airing on May 8th, yet the weekly shows already are booked solid well into November of this year with interesting guests from around the globe. Our guests range from environmentalists, authors, volunteers, water conservationists to book promotion experts. We have spoken to guests live from West Africa, Canada, the US, and the UK. Dave joins me as a co-host whenever his schedule allows, which is always nice as it gives the show a different feel once in a while. People can visit the site to hear shows up to 5 weeks in the past, or they can tune in every Tuesday at 10 a.m. PST to hear the live broadcast.

What would you say is the biggest obstacle to doing right by the environment?

I think the largest obstacle is changing people's mindsets. Oh, we could moan and groan and point fingers at corporations and governments� but really it is you and I who call the shots. Already the newly coined term Social Marketing is being taught in schools and applied by businesses. Businesses do not need regulations to tell them that the consumer wants a cleaner, safer, recyclable product that does not damage the earth. We tell them this with our dollars. Refusing wasteful or harmful items at the cash register is another way to vote with your dollar. Our everyday actions in how we manage the energy, water and recyclables in our homes and offices send a big message as well.

Simple everyday actions like recycling can reduce an individual's contribution to the landfill by 30%. Composting their organic wastes can reduce their waste by a further 30%. So simply by managing the present waste stream in a different way we can have a big impact. Individuals can save hundreds, possibly thousands of dollars in energy, water and other costs around the home by applying the ideas we discussed today and those listed our book Trash Talk. And this is why we wrote that book--to provide a tool that shows people the reasons why each action is so important and lists the impact that action will have.

You published Trash Talk as a way of helping people who are overwhelmed by the problems facing the Earth realize they can make a difference. Do you believe there's still time?

We are very positive and hopeful about the world today. We can see the positive changes all around us. By focusing on these changes and looking for things the individual can do starting right where they are now--we can all accelerate the positive change we would like to see.

Relevant Links:

Authors Dave and Lillian Brummet:

Purple Snowflake Marketing: How to Make Your Book Stand Out In A Crowd ISBN#: 193335304X

http://twilighttimesbooks.com/PurpleSnowflake_ch1.html

Trash Talk: An Inspirational Guide to Saving Time & Money through Better Waste & Resource Management
ISBN: 1-4137-2518-X / ISBN-13: 978-1413725186

Towards Understanding: a collection of 120 poems on society, the environment & overcoming trauma. ISBN: 1-4137-9337-1 / ISBN 13: 978-1413793376

Radio Show: http://www.blogtalkradio.com/consciousdiscussions

Official Sites:

http://www.MySpace.com/canadianauthor

http://www.sunshinecable.com/~drumit

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