GordonJ
June 11, 2009, 02:52 PM
Here are the answers to YOUR questions.
This morning I sat down with Raymond Steinbacher, who's book, Computer Friendly, has sales of 1.6 million copies and counting. Ray has written 5 other books and has been translated in 12 languages.
I asked him the questions you posted here and via email. So I'll start with those and in the order posted/rec'd, fair enough?
Then I'll add his answers to my questions (some of them, we spoke for 2 hours, so I'll have to condense things).
donsonic had 3 Questions:
1. What are the hottest topics/content that sell during a recession? Any way to research this?
Raymond's response: I look for hot topics that can sell at anytime, that are recession proof. I'm currently looking and researching into a HOT topic that has to do with bank security and is in the news. Since I can respond rapidly, I like things that have a wide appeal. It is hard to sell a million books to a small niche. I can tell you that Green Tree Press, my publisber, has survived several 'recessions' and that they publish books that help people either make money, save money or are in someway related to overcoming the "fear" during these times. So I would advise you to look for ideas that will HELP people I just bought some chickens for my 65 acre retreat, and I found that chickens are a HOT topic...maybe I'll write a special report on that.
I do a couple of hours a day a few days a week when I research and I use google and I'm starting to fall in love with bing.com
2. What are the best ways to reach your market today? Use internet only or combination of mailorder, voicemail, email marketing and internet?
My best advice: use every marketing weapon at your disposal. Internet is now a must, but there are lists avaiable that have tens of thousands of names on them, and these people have bought books, so why not use that too? I haven't used voicemail and my publisher doesn't use it, they do have a toll free number which does help. The internet has been minimal but we really haven't tried it that much, but our tests show some potential and Gordon is here to help us analyze this, so we'll probably be doing a lot more online.
3. How do you establish your price and what is the highest amount you could charge today?
My books have sold for 12.95 and the price was established by the publisher, however, he and I are both making a transition and I'm working on more niche specific books that I'll charge more for, but the printed books that will now be going to bookstores, will have competitive pricing. Since my publisher is all Direct Marketing or Direct Response and is one of the best in the business, I leave it in his hands to set the price. Today, I'm looking at doing a 67.00 book which is a competitive price for the information I'll be offering. he general rule of thumb is that the more niched your info, the higher price. Since I have done pretty well with lower priced books, I'll stay with that as I expand into niches.
From Dien: how to choose a hot topic to write about. I've covered some of that, but I like mass market appeals, and topical stuff. I stay on the front end of trend research, I keep on top of my specialty which is computers and I keep an open mind.
Again, it could be what the publisher WANTS me to write about, and he has already done some research or what he thinks might be a good topic. Once I had a book that was selling, then I was able to present more ideas.
what is his specific method of planning and writing a book
I like to use an outline overview, get a big picture concept of what the book is going to say to the market, what I think needs to be covered and then rough out an outline. Sometimes, however, the publisher wants a certain length book so the challenge is how mucr or how little to write. In the beginning I was more verbose, today I'm more concise and pithy, I think a lot of new writers tend to write too much (for these non-fiction type books) so there is editing to do too.
What environment do you like to write your books in? (E.g. do you lock yourself alone in a room, do you write at a cafe, etc.)
Good question. At the start of a project, I'll go to the beach, cafe, park and try to get a good rough outline, then when I start to fill in the details, I DO lock myself in a room, and especially if I'm under dead line, and it is tough.
I don't know about other writers, but it is hard work to get a concise chapter done and it requires some serious angst and downright hard work...don't let anyone tell you otherwise. Also writing can get to be an extremely lonely process when you have to turn in a project. But the start of a project, I'm much more casual and relaxed about it. Hey, write where you can write, what works for me may not work for you.
What do you use to write, specifically?
(E.g. Do you use a computer and word processor, do you write "long hand" with a pen, do you dictate your books then get it transcribed, etc.)
I'm a COMPUTER only writer, can't even read my own handwriting and dictating gives you a different product, tried it, didn't work for me. All computer.
How do you make yourself focus when it is time to write, and not be distracted?
This is when you realize it is WORK. Old friends think you have an easy job, "is that all you do is write"? Well, obviously they have never written under the gun of a deadline. It is WORK and like any other job (I know wannabee writers hate the idea of having a job, but)...when you have to get the job done, the boss won't except any excuses so you sit your butt down in a chair and as Larry the Cable guy says, you 'ger er done'. Nothing magical about it you want to have the royalty checks keep coming in.
Do you try to put yourself in a particular "mood" when you write? A related question... Do you listen to music when you write?
I DO listen to music, almost as a very low background noise and I do like to get into a good writing mood, but I learned very early that the "mood" thing was crutch for not getting work done...and I've found that when I have to get the writing done, I turn off all music, close the door and just write. For me, having to be in a "mood" in order to write was counterproductive. We writers have too many excuses already to not work, so don't create any more. Writers are procrastinators, let me change that, people who want to be writers procrastinate, guys like me who have a book with over a million copies sold, we WRITE...no excuses.
What methods do you use to sell your books?
I'm not self-published, I'm under contract to a publisher and I leave that up to him, but as mentioned, it is primarily Direct Marketing and any other means possible. Some of my books are sold to colleges to be used as text books and there are others sold to corporations, but I'm not involved in the selling process other than to compare my royalty checks against sales. I write and leave the selling to the pros.
How long does it take you to write a book (including research, planning, etc.)?
I wrote my first book the one with over 1.6 million copies sold in about 4 to 6 weeks and it took another month to fill it out and smooth it out for publication. Most of my books are written in a couple of weeks.
From Lindac
His books are not sold in bookstores and you probably have never heard of him.
My question is...Why write the books?
I asked. His one word response. MONEY.
Although he did elaborate. Now, it's more than just the money but in the beginning I was made an offer to write a book, a substantial offer but was told I would not receive any royalties. It was a large amount and I was tempted, but my thinking was, if this guy wants to "buy" my book outright, there must be more money than what he is offering, so I refused his offer, agreed to write for a royalty only and it was the best decision of my life. It has afforded me, at 43, to live a life that most people only dream about and I can do what I want whenever I want.
Today, I write because I can help people I get thanks from people all over the world who have bought my books and have benefitted from them, so although I said MONEY was the reason, and it is the primary reason, now I have some ego involved and like to see my name on a book and I enjoy the respect of banker too, which is a nice side benefit.
But I think a writer should write because she/he needs to, must, wants to but if you're going to write non fiction HOW TO type stuff, why not make a million bucks doing it?
OK. I'll have some answers to the questions I asked the owner of Green Tree Press later this week. This has been an eye-opening visit, plus I get to go to Presque Isle to sit on the beach too...sweet stuff.
Gordon Jay Alexander
This morning I sat down with Raymond Steinbacher, who's book, Computer Friendly, has sales of 1.6 million copies and counting. Ray has written 5 other books and has been translated in 12 languages.
I asked him the questions you posted here and via email. So I'll start with those and in the order posted/rec'd, fair enough?
Then I'll add his answers to my questions (some of them, we spoke for 2 hours, so I'll have to condense things).
donsonic had 3 Questions:
1. What are the hottest topics/content that sell during a recession? Any way to research this?
Raymond's response: I look for hot topics that can sell at anytime, that are recession proof. I'm currently looking and researching into a HOT topic that has to do with bank security and is in the news. Since I can respond rapidly, I like things that have a wide appeal. It is hard to sell a million books to a small niche. I can tell you that Green Tree Press, my publisber, has survived several 'recessions' and that they publish books that help people either make money, save money or are in someway related to overcoming the "fear" during these times. So I would advise you to look for ideas that will HELP people I just bought some chickens for my 65 acre retreat, and I found that chickens are a HOT topic...maybe I'll write a special report on that.
I do a couple of hours a day a few days a week when I research and I use google and I'm starting to fall in love with bing.com
2. What are the best ways to reach your market today? Use internet only or combination of mailorder, voicemail, email marketing and internet?
My best advice: use every marketing weapon at your disposal. Internet is now a must, but there are lists avaiable that have tens of thousands of names on them, and these people have bought books, so why not use that too? I haven't used voicemail and my publisher doesn't use it, they do have a toll free number which does help. The internet has been minimal but we really haven't tried it that much, but our tests show some potential and Gordon is here to help us analyze this, so we'll probably be doing a lot more online.
3. How do you establish your price and what is the highest amount you could charge today?
My books have sold for 12.95 and the price was established by the publisher, however, he and I are both making a transition and I'm working on more niche specific books that I'll charge more for, but the printed books that will now be going to bookstores, will have competitive pricing. Since my publisher is all Direct Marketing or Direct Response and is one of the best in the business, I leave it in his hands to set the price. Today, I'm looking at doing a 67.00 book which is a competitive price for the information I'll be offering. he general rule of thumb is that the more niched your info, the higher price. Since I have done pretty well with lower priced books, I'll stay with that as I expand into niches.
From Dien: how to choose a hot topic to write about. I've covered some of that, but I like mass market appeals, and topical stuff. I stay on the front end of trend research, I keep on top of my specialty which is computers and I keep an open mind.
Again, it could be what the publisher WANTS me to write about, and he has already done some research or what he thinks might be a good topic. Once I had a book that was selling, then I was able to present more ideas.
what is his specific method of planning and writing a book
I like to use an outline overview, get a big picture concept of what the book is going to say to the market, what I think needs to be covered and then rough out an outline. Sometimes, however, the publisher wants a certain length book so the challenge is how mucr or how little to write. In the beginning I was more verbose, today I'm more concise and pithy, I think a lot of new writers tend to write too much (for these non-fiction type books) so there is editing to do too.
What environment do you like to write your books in? (E.g. do you lock yourself alone in a room, do you write at a cafe, etc.)
Good question. At the start of a project, I'll go to the beach, cafe, park and try to get a good rough outline, then when I start to fill in the details, I DO lock myself in a room, and especially if I'm under dead line, and it is tough.
I don't know about other writers, but it is hard work to get a concise chapter done and it requires some serious angst and downright hard work...don't let anyone tell you otherwise. Also writing can get to be an extremely lonely process when you have to turn in a project. But the start of a project, I'm much more casual and relaxed about it. Hey, write where you can write, what works for me may not work for you.
What do you use to write, specifically?
(E.g. Do you use a computer and word processor, do you write "long hand" with a pen, do you dictate your books then get it transcribed, etc.)
I'm a COMPUTER only writer, can't even read my own handwriting and dictating gives you a different product, tried it, didn't work for me. All computer.
How do you make yourself focus when it is time to write, and not be distracted?
This is when you realize it is WORK. Old friends think you have an easy job, "is that all you do is write"? Well, obviously they have never written under the gun of a deadline. It is WORK and like any other job (I know wannabee writers hate the idea of having a job, but)...when you have to get the job done, the boss won't except any excuses so you sit your butt down in a chair and as Larry the Cable guy says, you 'ger er done'. Nothing magical about it you want to have the royalty checks keep coming in.
Do you try to put yourself in a particular "mood" when you write? A related question... Do you listen to music when you write?
I DO listen to music, almost as a very low background noise and I do like to get into a good writing mood, but I learned very early that the "mood" thing was crutch for not getting work done...and I've found that when I have to get the writing done, I turn off all music, close the door and just write. For me, having to be in a "mood" in order to write was counterproductive. We writers have too many excuses already to not work, so don't create any more. Writers are procrastinators, let me change that, people who want to be writers procrastinate, guys like me who have a book with over a million copies sold, we WRITE...no excuses.
What methods do you use to sell your books?
I'm not self-published, I'm under contract to a publisher and I leave that up to him, but as mentioned, it is primarily Direct Marketing and any other means possible. Some of my books are sold to colleges to be used as text books and there are others sold to corporations, but I'm not involved in the selling process other than to compare my royalty checks against sales. I write and leave the selling to the pros.
How long does it take you to write a book (including research, planning, etc.)?
I wrote my first book the one with over 1.6 million copies sold in about 4 to 6 weeks and it took another month to fill it out and smooth it out for publication. Most of my books are written in a couple of weeks.
From Lindac
His books are not sold in bookstores and you probably have never heard of him.
My question is...Why write the books?
I asked. His one word response. MONEY.
Although he did elaborate. Now, it's more than just the money but in the beginning I was made an offer to write a book, a substantial offer but was told I would not receive any royalties. It was a large amount and I was tempted, but my thinking was, if this guy wants to "buy" my book outright, there must be more money than what he is offering, so I refused his offer, agreed to write for a royalty only and it was the best decision of my life. It has afforded me, at 43, to live a life that most people only dream about and I can do what I want whenever I want.
Today, I write because I can help people I get thanks from people all over the world who have bought my books and have benefitted from them, so although I said MONEY was the reason, and it is the primary reason, now I have some ego involved and like to see my name on a book and I enjoy the respect of banker too, which is a nice side benefit.
But I think a writer should write because she/he needs to, must, wants to but if you're going to write non fiction HOW TO type stuff, why not make a million bucks doing it?
OK. I'll have some answers to the questions I asked the owner of Green Tree Press later this week. This has been an eye-opening visit, plus I get to go to Presque Isle to sit on the beach too...sweet stuff.
Gordon Jay Alexander
