Say No!

By Judy M. Baker, Book Marketing Mentor

go or stop buttons

Do you suffer from bright shiny object syndrome? If you are like me, as an author-publisher, it is easy to be distracted by promises of quick fixes for book marketing. I know I get solicitations all the time for classes, workshops, courses, and the latest and greatest way for me to spend my money, my time. Ultimately, so many choices cause me stress without giving me actionable results.

Book marketing can be easy when you have a plan

Testing ideas against a book marketing plan can keep you out of danger.

At Book Marketing Mentor, Judy Reyes and I use our marketing plan and tracker to make thoughtful business decisions. By measuring what we want to accomplish, we not only keep our business on track, it is how we are helping our clients stay out of being in overwhelm and attain the results they want.

Make Choices, Not Excuses

When I say “Yes” — I need to say “No.” I have a choice in where I spend my resources: time, money, focus. Getting real about my commitments is helping me clarify what I am doing and what I can let go. It is how I know what is possible, doable, fun, and profitable. As someone who loves to volunteer, this is a different way for me to evaluate when and where to invest my time.

Every time I choose to spend my time in one activity, I am choosing not to spend time on something else. It is a choice where I spend my time, my money, and my attention. I invite you, fellow author-publishers, to consider your options before you make commitments. I challenge you to keep track of what you are doing, and what you might be avoiding, or putting on the back burner, instead of taking the actions that will move you towards your intentions and desired results.

I am no longer making excuses. I am making choices. Approaching my life and business in this framework reduces my level of stress and ramps up my effectiveness. I think it can do the same for you.

Envoke a “24-hour Thinking it Over” period before your finalize a commitment. When I do this, I make clearer choices and if I decide to spend money, I have looked at my financials, discussed the decision, and given my brain time to sleep on it.

Measure What Matters

Management consultant Peter Drucker was a proponent of tracking and measuring activity. His famous quote: “

“What gets measured, gets managed”.

What gets measured, gets managed.

When I first heard this quote, it was like a slap to my forehead. I track what I eat (60 pounds less than I weighed in 2016) when I work out (most days I do some form of activity), expenses and income using QuickBooks, appointments using iCal, reminders for meditating, when to write, when I need to complete reports.

A few years ago, I was introduced to a couple of easy ways to keep track of action items. I share with you the spreadsheet method. You can download a sample book marketing task tracker for your use. The task tracker gives you a visual overview of everything you are working on. I include the purpose of each action, how it will impact your business/book marketing, the intended result of this action, who owns the project, resources, due dates, and what is the completion criteria for the next step in this project.

Putting this into the task tracker framework makes it easy for our clients to see what they have on their plates. It allows Judy and I to make better decisions for our business and as we support our clients in making better decisions in their businesses.

Learning to “Say No” is not easy for me. In training my clients to look at the impact of their choices and actions, it reinforces my quest to eliminate distractions. 2018 is the year I finish my non-fiction book. It is a priority for me. It means I spend time where it matters most or let the idea go.

Why I am part of the Bay Area Independent Publishers Association

I am lucky to be part of the Bay Area Independent Publishers Association. I am a member, I am on the Program Committee as a volunteer, and I am on the Board. Being a member of BAIPA enriches my life. I continue to serve because I am surrounded by creative, talented people. I have the opportunity to share what I have learned and make book marketing easier for our members and guests. I get to meet other experts in the field of self-publishing and be inspired at every meeting. My commitment to serving requires some of my time, and I believe I get back so much from being involved.

Come and Learn “Why You Need a Book Marketing Plan”

I hope you will join me on March 10, 2018, for my presentation: “Why You Need a Book Marketing Plan.” Following the morning presentation, my partner Judy Reyes and I will take other publishers through the process of creating a book marketing roadmap.