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think write and retire

Retweets Don't Make A Best-Seller

by Dr.Mani on August 28, 2009

RE-TWEET IT!

On August 25th, 2009, I had a fun-filled day launching my first ever print book, “Think, Write & Retire – How To Turn Words Into Wealth, Easily!“.

And in keeping with this era of social networking and marketing online, I was on Twitter most of the day, watching with mounting excitement as the buzz spread.

Tweet after tweet after tweet rippled across the Twitterverse. And as I watched the word spread like wildfire, rosy dreams of having an Amazon.com best-seller kept springing up before my eyes.

All who tweeted

And don’t get me wrong – the book launch went very well. My book started the week before with an Amazon.com rank of #821,902. On Tuesday morning, it was at #35,021. And by 3 a.m. on Wednesday, it had gone up all the way to #537 of all books listed on Amazon.com.

A few hours later, the book broke into the AMAZON.COM HOT 100 ranks, reaching #83 in Business & Investing, and a high of #474 overall.

Amazon.com HOT 100

Much of this was the result of the interest generated on Twitter.

But I wish Amazon.com awarded best-seller status based upon the number of tweets generated around a book – because then I would have BEEN NUMBER ONE… easily!
:)

Sadly, re-tweets do not make a best-seller. Book sales do.

And re-tweets not allow non-profits to do good work. Donations do.

Yet re-tweets will always be plentiful and profuse – because they are quick and easy. And therefore appealing.

The problem is, re-tweeting may be considered as EFFECTIVE ACTION, in and of itself.

It is not.

Impact, REAL meaningful impact, takes more than “quick and easy”.

It takes more than a casual involvement, for a few fleeting seconds, after which we get back to “business as usual”.

No. Impact takes effort. Commitment. Involvement.

Worst of all, impact takes TIME to achieve.

Time spent working behind the scenes. Without any fanfare or spotlights. Often doing the many tasks others won’t do, taking the trouble most are reluctant to take, hoping against hope that some day, all of it will pay-off in a big way.

Re-tweets are a prop to support the structure, for sure. Get your event or cause or product or service a quick flash of visibility among a wider audience.

But that impact is as fleeting and superficial as a casual ‘Thank you’ from a stranger.

It can, however, have the deep impact of a sincere smile from the same stranger – if the motivation behind it is deeper.

When you re-tweet from your heart.

And then, back it up by DOING something about whatever you re-tweet.

Like buying a book.

Or making a donation.

Or changing the world!

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On The Threshold

by Dr.Mani on August 21, 2009

RE-TWEET IT!

On the threshold of a book launch for Think, Write & Retire
Image credit sxc.hu

In a few days, an event for which I’ve planned and prepared for months will take place. On August 25th, 2009 I will officially ‘launch’ my first ever print book,

“Think, Write & Retire – How To Turn Words Into Wealth, Easily!“

On the threshold of this special moment, there are mixed feelings. On one hand, there is the thrill, excitement and anticipation of what’s to come. On the other, is uncertainty, hesitation and fear.

As I lay awake in the still, quiet darkness late at night, fingers throbbing from dozens of emails sent to partners, eyes burning from staring at a computer screen all day, brain fuzzy from long hours of focused activity, a thousand questions stumble over each other in my mind.

Some of them are technical…

* Have I finished all the tasks listed out for the launch?
* Did I follow all the 38 steps in Mark Joyner’s “Bestseller Blueprint”
* Are all the links working on the sales page?
* Does Amazon.com have enough copies in stock to go?

… and others more abstract.

* Is everyone on my ‘partner list’ aware of the event?
* Are all the promotional pieces in place and ready?
* How am I going to monitor progress during the launch?
* Did I choose the right day and date to do this?

But the more troublesome ones go like this:

* Do I have a big enough ‘author platform’ to launch a bestseller?

* Do enough people on my list care about ‘heart kids‘ to buy a copy?

* Have I done all that’s possible to make this launch a success?

* What if I fall flat on my face and no one (or very few) buy?

* Could I have done something more worthwhile with the same time?

Tough questions. Ones only time will help answer. And where the answers may well be painful, or revelational.

And YOU will be a part of those answers. You, and what you do on August 25th.

Ostensibly, the goal is to sell 1,000 copies on launch day. I’ll be happy with 300, disappointed with 100, and disgusted if we sold fewer.

But no matter what happens, it will have been an interesting experience. One to learn from – and grow.

My mind clung on to that thought as I drifted away into a dreamless slumber.

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Interviews

I haven’t thought of it before as an effective marketing vehicle, but realize now that interviews can be incredibly powerful to build buzz around a launch.
While I earlier imagined interviews as being audio and conducted over the phone, I discounted them as organizing time around my schedule to make them happen was too difficult.
But interviews [...]

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