Why you need to be famous

The following is my column from my November Inspirer newsletter, now in its seventh year. To subscribe and pick up a copy of ’50 Steps to a Book in Your Hand’ please go to my website www.joparfitt.com

I often tell my students and clients that they need to be Googleable if they are to impress a publisher. I recommend that they start a blog, give talks, use social media tools and go the extra mile towards growing their network. Publishers are interested in authors with a following. If you self-publish you need an even bigger network if you are to sell your book once you have written it. You need to be famous in your field. A bit of a celebrity. Whichever route you take to market it is clear that the bigger your network the more chance there is that your contacts will buy your books. Let me tell you about two people who do this brilliantly.

Andrea Martins, founder of the fabulous free website ExpatWomen.com, flew here to the Netherlands this week from Kuala Lumpur. A long haul in many senses of the word, but one that she felt was worth the effort. Andrea came to attend, have a stand and present a workshop at the Expatica, I Am Not a Tourist fair in Amsterdam. I went along to present a workshop of my own and to help out on her stand. The fair was attended by thousands and we talked ourselves hoarse, and yes, it was worth it. As a result, hundreds of people signed up to Expatwomen, a website that supports and inspires women overseas with its success stories, features, reviews and its hugely popular confessions section. Andrea also keeps an active blog that she uses simply to ‘shout out’ about people she meets or things she learns along the way that she knows will interest her thousands of subscribers.

I only went to the fair to help out, but Andrea allowed me to take my marketing materials along and so I made some pretty decent connections myself. One of whom was the hugely inspiring Melody Biringer, who runs The Crave Company and publishes books about the things women crave in the major cities of the world. She came to Amsterdam from her usual home in Seattle, to bring the concept here. Melody attended my workshop on writing life stories and within minutes had taken out her iphone and sent a tweet to her followers about me. Melody has sent over 6000 tweets to her 2000 followers since she joined Twitter just over a year ago. But in addition, within hours she had posted a blog about what she learned at my workshop too. And tweeted about that, of course.

Sorry, have I lost you? Are you wondering what the point of this may be? It’s simple . . . Andrea and Melody are role models. They want to promote their businesses to as many people as possible, use every means they can and their effort pays dividends. As a result both are well known in their fields. Let me just remind you what it is they do to deserve such status:

Ten Steps to Celebrity Status

1. Attend an expo or conference
2. Run a workshop at said expo or conference
3. Find places to hand out marketing materials
4. Have a website
5. Keep a blog
6. Use Twitter and other social media tools and share stuff regularly
7. Network like crazy both on and offline, talk yourself hoarse
8. Travel if you have to
9. Offer something that people want to sign up to
10. Share what you have with others

But do you really need to be famous if you want to write a book? Isn’t that a bit over the top? No, it isn’t. You see, two days ago I was sitting drinking a rather overstrong coffee in the office of a major UK publisher, in London, talking about the ‘front list’ – the books that are in the front of bookshops, newly published and being promoted like crazy.

’95 per cent of the front list is written by celebrities,’ he said, laying both hands on the table and looking me in the eye.

‘Seriously?’ I said. ‘You are exaggerating, right?’

‘Hum,’ he pondered for a split second. ‘Actually, this time of year, it’s closer to 100 per cent.’ He leaned back in his chair and I blanched. If bookshops favour the front list then publishers favour the front list ergo we need to be famous if we are to stand a chance.

So, there you have it, from the horse’s mouth. If you want to get published you need to become a celebrity, or failing that, just famous in your field. I hope my ten tips above will help to get you started.

Warmly

Jo

Go the extra mile

This post also appears as part of The Inspirer, my monthly newsletter, that you can sign up for at my website www.joparfitt.com.

Go the extra mile

My inspiration for this month’s article only came to me a few hours ago when I received an email from an ex-student of mine, Amanda van Mulligen. Amanda had got in touch to send me the link to an article she had written called A World of Inspiration and in which, she said, I featured. I clicked on the link and was faced not only a super piece of writing, but also an article that described how many connections and referrals I had given Amanda since we first met almost four years ago. It went on to describe how each of those contacts had become so much more, how they had enriched her life, inspired her, and even made her money. I was delighted. But my happiness was not so much for the fact that Amanda had written about me but that she had gone to the effort of letting me know. She had gone the extra mile.

And as I thought about that for a moment I realised that these days, when competition is tough, we can all do with finding ways to go the extra mile. Here are my top ten ways:

Top ten ways to go the extra mile

1 When you write an article, try to add a box of resources and further reading to the end, so that the readers know where to go to find out more.

2 When you write a book, add a substantial and useful resources section, an appendix, a bibliography and see if you can also add the URLs of all the people, organisations and websites you mention too.

3 Forging a career as a paid writer can be tough, so make it easy for those who may commission you and have your portfolio available online.

4 Publisher like to commission new authors who are more than just writers, people with a presence, a following, a route to market. So start a blog, send a newsletter, build a portfolio of other published work, poetry, articles, reviews, so that you already have Googlability.

5 When I teach, I always give my students handouts and reading lists and in my Life Story classes I now edit all their homework for them, which I then offer to share with the entire class, so that all the students can learn from it. What added bonus can you give?

6 People buy from people they have already worked with, so why not offer your potential clients something for free so they get to see you in action

7 If you coach or mentor, as I do, see if you can give your clients as much extra as you can. I always connect mine to editors, suggest magazines they could write for and introduce them to the people they need to interview for their books or articles.

8 Look out for opportunities to connect other people at all times and then do so. A simple email is all it takes.

9 Develop a ‘paying it forward’ mindset. Remember, the adage: give and you will receive.

10 Say thank you. Thank people for referrals, for work you pass their way, connections, ideas. A simple thank you encourages those people to give again.

One other person has gone the extra mile for me this month and I would like to thank her here, partly because she deserve thanks, but mostly because I think you will benefit from knowing her too.

Meet Sheila Bender

Firstly, I have long admired the work of writer, Sheila Bender. She wrote ‘Keeping a Journal You Love’ and ‘Writing in a New Convertible with the Top Down’ among many others, and my copies of her books are peppered with Post-it notes as I refer back to them again and again. I decided I wanted to connect with Sheila, to ask if I might use an extract from her books in my Life Story online program. I found her at her website Writing it Real and sent her an email. Not only did Sheila reply to me, and fast, but she invited me to write for her newsletter too, and then, knowing that many of my Inspirer recipients do not subscribe to it, she made a special link so that you could all read my article, about The Greatest Block of All. That was going the extra mile. People normally pay for her newsletter, so this was a big favour. Thank you Sheila.

I hope that this month’s offering has inspired you. I wonder how you could you go the extra mile? Perhaps you’d like to tell me by visiting this article on my blog and adding a comment? I know it would mean you had to go the extra mile, but that’s what it’s all about, isn’t it?

Til next month

Jo

The power of endorsement

I am still reeling. Five minutes ago, a one-time student of mine, Amanda van Mulligen, sent me a link to an article she had written, entitled A World of Inspiration. In her accompanying email she intimated that I was featured in this as I had had a part to play. Well, this is it, you too can read it here at www.velvetescape.com. You can read more of Amanda’s work at www.thewritingwell.eu.

I am humbled by Amanda’s gratitude for what I did for her, simply by referring her a few times and connecting her with people I thought might be of interest. I do this all the time for people, students, mentors, friends, anyone. I just can’t help myself. Thank you to Amanda for showing your appreciation, I appreciate it.

But, I call this post ‘the power of endorsement’. That is because, a looong time ago, my mate, the Courageous Marketer, John Sealey, told me that one of the most powerful things you can have in your marketing arsenal, are testimonials.

‘People make decisions based on what other people think about you,’ he advised. So, thank you John for making me aware that I need to share Amanda’s testimonial, however immodest it may feel. There, I’ve done it again, I’ve connected you all with someone else. John Sealey, told you about a website for travellers, Velvet Escape, and a wonderful blog at the Writing Well. I hope you find them inspiring.

But most of all, thank you Amanda, for a wonderful piece of writing that does me ‘right proud’.

TotallyExpat – a brand new hit

Don’t you just love the way people you once knew pop up again? This happened to me this week, and the one who ‘popped up’ was Brian Friedman, who used to head up the Institute of Global Mobility, associated with Ernst and Young. I was big fan of the IGM back in the early 2000s when based near enough to London to attend their events. Their ‘Greatest Hits’ conference was exemplary, not least because of a line up that included the comedian Tim Vine and the erudite political journalist, Andrew Marr. But that’s not my point.

My point is that Brian Friedman has taken a bag full of good ideas and his passion for informing and supporting those in global HR and set up TotallyExpat. This website is a forum for those in IHR and relocation service providers, specialists and people like me who just care about this kind of thing. It’s free and its rise appears to be meteoric. It’s only been up 3 weeks and already has 600 members.

Take a look for yourself, add to the collection of useful articles and resources and be part of a network that is keen to make a difference. There will be meetings and events but right now be sure to be part of the buzz that is TotallyExpat. Become a member. i did.

I wonder if he’ll organise another Greatest Hits?

Just the site for expat entrepreneurs

I was delighted to hear from Karen Armstrong this week because she is a woman after my own heart. Passionate about expat women and their careers she is busy building a forum and portal to help people like us to connect and grow and learn together.

Karen says:

CALLING ALL EXPAT WOMEN ENTREPRENEURS!

If you’re a woman living abroad who has her own business – or want to be one – and would like to be part of an online community of women who share your entrepreneurial spirit, please contact karen@expatwomenentrepreneurs.com

Through Expat Women Entrepreneurs, you’ll be able to connect with women like you who share your desire for self-actualization through entrepreneurship — combining passion, purpose and profit. You’ll also be able to learn from highly successful women entrepreneurs who’ll share their expertise and insight on what it takes to create a thriving business.

Expat Women Entrepreneurs will inspire, educate and empower you so you THRIVE in your BUSINESS and your LIFE!

Join Expatwomen and win

I never cease to be amazed by the energy and passion of Andrea Martins, who runs the wonderful Expatwomen website. It’s packed with articles, links, blogs, connections, ideas, inspiration and a fabulous team of mentors there to help you live your best life abroad.

If you haven’t done so already you really must sign up to their newsletter. It’s free, you can unsubscribe at any time and you wont get bombarded with junk emails. The more people belong to the network the more everyone gets to work together. So join today and you may just win $100.

Jo

Robin Pascoe’s Family Matters! Survey is up at last

My great mate Robin Pascoe (The Expat Expert) conducted a large international relocation survey earlier this year, sponsored by Canadian movers AMJ Campbell International, entitled “Family Matters!”

Thanks to those of you who read my blog and newsletter and who responded to the terrific attempts at publicity by countless others who, like Robin, know how much family matters, she received a massive 655 workable responses from expats and their family members (14 years of age and above). In addition to 30% of the respondents being male, one of the other notable aspects of the survey was its array of open-ended questions – which in turn resulted in a wealth of very open, honest, heartwarming and heartbreaking responses.

To be one of the first to see the results (as Robin has literally only put it up an hour ago), just click here.

If you are in HR – read it and take note

if you are part of an expat family – read it and take heart

Well done, Robin, a tough job that many will appreciate – including me.

Speak on cruise ships and you go for free!

A few months back I connected with Daniel Hall and read his superb ebook on how to speak for just one hour a day, max, and get a free cruise in exchange. It seems too good to be true, but last month, Daniel was in Holland, with his son Jamie, fresh off a European cruise and I met him. Daniel is passionate about this and takes several cruises a year – taking a family member with him, also free, every time. His book is packed with relevant info and practical advice, from how to pitch your ideas, how to pick topics and what to put in your promotional pack. I plan to do this myself in the near future. I’m impressed and am pretty sure you will be too.

Take a look at Daniel’s site here. Watch out – it starts with loud music!

TCK experts and webinars

I’ve long been a fan of Paulette Bethel’s work and was delighted to find that she is the brains behind a site called TCK Academy. Here you can take part in webinars with some of the industry’s biggest experts. Listen to past webinars with those such as Ruth van Reken on the 7 Things you should know about TCKs and Robin Pascoe on raising global nomads. Do not miss out.

Ebooks available here

My new mate Renee Barber has a huge selection of ebooks available on her website – including mine. Take a look through the impressive list here.