The ceiling. I’m close to the idea of what I’m doing, almost there. Once I get there the real work begins. Not just a bunch of thinking and reading but actual publishing. Here’s what’s left to do:
- Pick a theme or niche. Right now I’m not yet at a point of narrowing down, but it’s inevitable. There’s no way I can assume leadership over a company that thinks it can publish anything and everything. I do know that I’m drawn to “the common blogger” — people who would otherwise not be writing if it weren’t for the ease of self-publishing. Of course they’d need to be doing something really interesting.
- Streamline:
- Revenue model: how will I make money? Sale of ebooks, monetization of companion blog with certain titles. Community built around “the niche” with premium content, see here: http://www.hayhouse.com/wisdom/
- Marketing strategy: I see a threefold strategy:
- Social media to build the tribe, word of mouth and human connectivity.
- SEO to dig into the search market — I want my titles to come up in the engines under appropriate terms. PLUS I think there might be some value in keyword research when brainstorming titles.
- Affiliate marketing to help with sales and word of mouth. I’m still a little iffy on how this works, but from what I know I could leverage affiliate publishers (on well-established, relevant niche networks) to help push titles. I don’t see publishing companies doing this; it’s mostly cash grab web marketers with no editorial savvy.
- Formats: ebook primarily, which includes PDF, Kindle, whatever else there is. Then using some service to print physical books…Lulu, Booksurge? Hmmm…. Then there’s blog, which will either complement ebook or replace it. Blog can be monetized, too.
- Retailer relationships
- Build social platform. All about digging into the right people and being present. Wouldn’t hurt to show my face sometimes, too.
- Connect with people and the top and draw people in from the bottom. Goes with the previous point but also considers the people I’m catering to: readers AND writers. Two segments: sell readers titles and poach good writers.
- Keep that blog going. Right now it’s my lifeline and it’s likely to remain that way.
- Start a small, localized publishing project. Aloha Web Marketing — Web Marketing for the People of the Kona Kohala Chamber of Commerce. Create the perfect ebook for them, draw them into site with a download, etc.
- Do I need a partner, and if so, what for?