📌 The Scoop about LAST week on
Apex’s Strategy and Mastermind
The week of March 13, Apexers got to:
- Learn how to crush it with Fund Your Book with Kickstarter as Russell Noheltyr, USA Today bestselling author, publisher, speaker, co-host of the Kickstart Your Book Sales podcast, and co-founder of the Writer MBA training academy, gave us not only the concepts of how but also the behind the curtain to the real-world nitty-gritty.
- Deep dive into Imposter Syndrome and Mental Health for Authors with Jodi L. Milner and learn how to embrace our square peg in a round hole uniqueness along with tips to give us a mental and emotional boost..
- Be guided through The Importance of Market Research with CJ Anaya along with the how-to's and examples.
STRATEGY 3/13/2023 - Russell Noheltyr highlights
What are the main platforms for crowdfunding and when should you use what:
- Kickstarter - if you want the biggest audience possible and you have a specific creative project
- Indiegogo - if you have a charity or consumer tech product
- GoFundMe - if you need to raise money through personal fundraising
Russell focused on Kickstarter as being the go-to for creatives and talked about the elements needed to create a campaign that people want to back.
What to focus on:
- Who are you?
- What is your product?
- Where can they pick it up?
- When should they pledge?
- How does it help their lives?
And the most important part? The Why. You need to provide the answers to:
- Why should I care?
- Why should I give vou my money?
- Why should this project exist?
- Why should I part with my hard earned money?
Should you have a campaign video on your Kickstarter?
Russell said it not necessary. There’s been many successful campaigns without a video: however, statistically 69% of successful campaigns have a video; 64% of unsuccessful campaigns do NOT have a video.
If you do have a video, remember campaign text enhances and expands on the video...as do images. People want to see you. Smile and be enthusiastic. If you're not excited about your product, nobody else will be. And keep the video under 2:30 minutes.
A resource: HitFilm Express. This is a free video editing and visual effects software to help you create awesome content.
The Three Phases of a Campaign Video:
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The Introduction (:10-:15) - A simple 1-2 sentence introduction saying hello, and saying the name of your product.
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The Product Demonstration (:30-1:00) - Images, voice-over, and real world solutions that your product solves. Your fans need to know WHY this project should come to life.
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The "Plea" (:30-:1:00) - You and your team, back on screen, talking about the product's inception, road to market, and why you are looking for money. Make sure to mention stretch goals, and plead your case...but don't beg.
Campaign Images
Russell told us successful campaigns have 11 or more images. If you have a comic book, photography, or other visual heavy project, definitely add more. And start with the boldest, most eye-catching image first.
Make sure each image drives the product forward by either showing your product solving a problem OR building your audience’s connection to your brand. Do you know what your brand is? For authors, this ties into who will be reading and buying our books.
Places to get stock images: Depositphotos, 123rf.com, Covervault, Psdcovers,
The TEXT of Your Campaign
It is imperative that you keep your message clear. Most campaign fail because their message is muddled and hard to understand. Backers need a clear message or they will be scrolling by.
How to do this?
- You can ask questions to frame your campaign.
- Beta-test your message for clarity. Test it with people who haven’t heard your product pitch before. Ask them questions to make sure they understand.
- Make sure the look of the text is easy to read with appropriate white-space and no paragraph-mountains of text. Break it up.
It's all about getting somebody to back your project.
Backer Rewards
- Don't leave backers wondering what they receive with a pledge. Have your rewards clearly defined.
- List every reward a backer will receive in each pledge tier description. With most projects, all previous tiers are included when a backer pledges to a higher reward.
- Your campaign text and video should drive people to back your project, the reward section is simply informative. Don't get fancy with it.
- How the rewards section drives sales is to make sure each reward tier is distinct, targeting a specific type of buyer, and helping to upsell backers into higher tiers.
The $1 Pledge:
This is a tripwire pledge as it’s harder to get someone to go from $0 to $1 than it is to have them go from $1 to $20. They are now officially buying from you.
- Entice them with something fun above just props. Make it interesting for them to pledge, but also cheap for you to make. Example: Digital cutout of a paper desk toy.
The $10 pledge:
The digital pledge.
- Somebody that wants to see your work, but either doesn't have the money for a physical copy, or is international.
- This is a very popular international pledge as there is no shipping.
The $25 pledge:
The most common pledge.
- This is the pledge level everything else is based around. It is your core product and you want to make this pledge level as enticing as possible.
The $50 Pledge:
The "enthusiastic backer" pledge.
- People that really like your work will want to show it by backing more.
Giving these people a special thanks in books, or in disc jackets allows enthusiastic buyers to be immortalized in the product forever. Swag is also a good motivator here. Think T-shirts, plushes, and ways for your supporters to show their love for your product.
The $75-$100 Pledge:
The "devoted fan" pledge.
- People that LOVE your work so much that they want special editions, sketch cards, commissions, and other goodies.
- You can offer limited edition commentary for movies, or special numbered cds, or other tangible things that the backer can point to and say "this is special"
Higher Pledges - $100-$1000:
The customized pledge.
- These are even more devoted fans, or people that really love your product. Sometimes consumer tech STARTS at this tier b/c of the product cost. Most products do not.
- Each of these rewards needs to feel custom and worthwhile. I often add these during the campaign for people that ask about it.
- Being drawn into a book, or written into a novel, or animated into a movie, or brought on a movie set are all perks common at this level.
Remember to upsell - Every pledge should be about entice somebody to go to the next level pledge. I like to
The Seven Areas all Crowdfunding Budgets Must Have
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- Project Creation - This is only the amount it costs to get your project from inception to completion.
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- Production - Get quotes for production of your product BEFORE you launch your campaign.
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- Distribution - How much will it cost to get your created project into the hands of your backers? Include shipping costs and shipping. Benchmark against your competition.
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- Marketing - This includes: Ads, Public Relations, Live events, Travel, email blasts, printed materials, and everything that goes into get people to notice your project.
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- Administrative Fees - Crowdfunding platforms take 3-5% in administrative fees in order to have your project on their platform. So do credit card processing fees, etc. Don’t get killed by admin fees, plan for them.
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- Your Time - The best time to make money on a product is at launch, and THIS is your launch.
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- Contingency - Add a 10% contingency because things will go wrong. If you are really nervous like me, add 15%.
Russell also went over a little about taxes and company formation as well. He has a course Kickstarter Accelerator. You can go to his site and find out more.
He also went over lightly about Taxes and Company Formation- basic information as he isn't an accountant or a lawyer.
- If you don't use your raised funds in the same calendar year, you WILL owe taxes, even if you use it the following year.
- You should consider forming an LLC or Corporation with the funds you receive to limit liability of your personal assets.
- It costs money to file for a company initially, and then it costs money every year to maintain it.
- Consult and attorney and accountant for more information. This is not financial or legal advice.
- Stock you have at the end of the year is not tax deductible. This is called carry over inventory and it sucks.
For more information on Russell visit www.writermba.com or www.russellnohelty.com
MASTERMIND 3/13/23 - Jodi L. Milner highlights
Imposter syndrome, something that most of us have experienced at least sometimes in our lives. Jody defined Imposter Syndrome as ‘a feeling of discomfort, second-guessing, and anxiety when among those who share the same interest or profession.’
It shows up as chronic feelings of inadequacy, incompetence, and fraudulence despite objective success. And, an irrational fear that limits a person's ability to feel they deserve what they earned, or feel they belong.
What is not Imposter but is often attributed to it:
- Temporary and infrequent feelings of self-doubt
- Not enjoying the work because it's hard.
- Taking a realistic and pragmatic view of your odds of success.
Where does Imposter Syndrome come from?
It can be a result of a heightened personal attribute such as perfectionism or a severe rejection response. This can be from having a low support and/or high conflict environment with your upbringing. It is also enhanced by our culture’s norms to succeed at any cost.
Precursors that can lead Imposter Syndrome include:
- Actions taken to avoid any type of rejection.
- An inability to accept deserved praise.
- Saying sorry for anything and everything when you've done nothing wrong.
- Actively linking self-worth to how your success compares to other people's success.
There are several types of Imposter Syndrome. Do you see yourself in any of these?
The perfectionist - Perfectionists are never satisfied and always feel that their work could be better. Rather than focus on their strengths, they tend to fixate on any flaws or mistakes. This often leads to a great deal of self-pressure and high amounts of anxiety.
Perfectionist writers will write, edit, and rewrite in a vicious cycle but never feel they are getting closer to submit to contests, approach agents, or take the next steps toward self-publishing.
The superhero - They are overcompensators. Because Superhero writers feel inadequate, they feel compelled to push themselves to work as hard as possible. They are at a huge risk for total burnout which can be a precursor to depression, chronic fatigue, and feeling trapped in work that isn't enjoyable anymore. They tend to volunteer and take on far more optional projects than they should. They also face challenges that arise from neglecting physical and mental health. Yes, they do get things
The expert - These individuals are always trying to learn more and are never satisfied with their level of understanding. Even though they are often highly skilled, they underrate their own expertise.
Because of this Expert writers feel compelled to take classes and conferences hoping that the next one will have exactly what they need to write their project the "right way." They often say they will start their big dream writing project after they finish one more class or after one more conference, but then when the time comes, they feel paralyzed and can't. They lack confidence to take the plunge.
The natural genius - These individuals set excessively lofty goals for themselves, and then feel crushed when they don't succeed on their first try.
For most writers, the best learning comes from having flaws pointed out and learn from the mistakes. For a natural genius, mistakes are a moral failing. Having them pointed out brings with it severe anxiety and feelings of rejection which are hard, if not impossible to overcome.
The soloist - These people tend to be very individualistic and prefer to work alone. Self-worth often stems from their productivity, so they often reject offers of assistance. They tend to see asking for help as a sign of weakness or incompetence.
While writing itself is a solo sport, every other part of the craft is certainly not. Successful writers need a team of experienced people on their side to help them reach their goals. Writers who refuse to ask for help (or an editor) will eventually get stuck in a place where they don't have dependable resources to help them make progress. If they struggle to ask for help, this is often the point where they quit.
How to combat the Imposter syndrome monster?
- Question yourself - Every time you have a negative thought about your abilities or wonder if you're qualified for a job, pause and ask yourself: Is the thought actually (truly) accurate? Is this emotional experience real or am I responding based on other outside variables? Does this thought help or hinder me?
- Reframe your thinking - It helps to be mindful of antecedents, beliefs, and emotions. You can use these categories to put your thoughts in perspective. For example, you might receive a raise, so you feel distress or guilt because you believe you didn't deserve it. Go back and examine why you have this belief and examine if it's valid.
- Embrace success - If you have imposter syndrome, it can be tempting to invalidate even the smallest win. Resist that urge by listing every success and allowing them to resonate emotionally. Over time, this practice will give you a realistic picture of your accomplishments and help affirm your self-worth.
- Talk it out - Whether it's a mentor, friend, or therapist, talk to someone else about how you're feeling. Getting an outside perspective can shake irrational beliefs and ground you in reality.
- Show self-compassion - Your need for acceptance can make you invisible. Don't let anything stand in the way of the light that shines through this form. Risk being seen in all your glory.
Jody also gave us a link for the "IDRLabs Imposter Syndrome" and No email is required
https://www.idrlabs.com/3-minute-impostor-syndrome/test.php10
To connect with Jodi:
JodiLMilner.com
Facebook Page: @JodiLMilnerAuthor
Facebook Group: JodisMagicalMayhem
Instagram: @Jodi. L.Milner
Twitter: @JodiLMilner
MASTERMIND 3/18/23 3/18/23 - CJ Anaya highlights
If you want to learn HOW to do Marketing research in addition to why - this replay is a MUST watch!
CJ opened the presentation with the importance of knowing if your project is a passion project or if you are writing to the market as these have different goals.
Passion Project is writing according to mood. You are not not necessarily worried about the story being something commercial or marketable. You have a story to tell, and you want to tell it.
Writing to the Market - things you need to know
- What is selling? Categories and subniches
- Why are these books selling? What makes them popular and who is your audience?
- What are the audience expectations? Types of characters, plots, conflicts, endings?
Or in other words, are you
- Producing books you love for funsies
- Producing books you love for funsies and sales OR
- Producing books for sales
It’s important to know what your goal is so you know what you need to do to work on achieving it with minimal frustration. For example, CJ has seen quite a few clients asking for help with marketing when they believe their ads aren't working. Many times the problem is they either didn't know who they were marketing to, or they wrote within a genre that was so niche there wasn't a huge market for it. Watch the replay for all the solid examples she gave.
Knowing how to do your Marketing research works for those just starting out, new ideas, works in progress, and yes, finished books.
Category Research with a Completed Book
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Create a list of what your book is about.
Using research tools such as BKLNK.COM or Nerdybookirl.com can help you determine what categories that books like yours are using.
CJ uses one of her books as an example on What is my book about?
- An evil fae queen wants to kill lesser fae. A young heroine who thinks she's human and doesn't know she's fae royalty.
- She must embrace who she is and save the Fae and Human Realms (all 9 realms too)
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Create a list of the books like your book.
NEXT, what books are like CJ’s?
- Song of the Fae: Tricia O'Malley (Independently published) - B09P57L94
- Iron Fae Series: Julie Kagawa (traditionally published) -B0105VBJ08
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Use research tools like BKLNK.com or Nerdybookgirl.com to determine what categories books like yours are using.
- CJ’s book seems to be a fantasy romance and epic fantasy which is a growing genre with space for CJ.
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Check the Book Sales of the first and last book in the best seller list. Ideal is over 1000 but under 30,000. Too low creates too much competition. Too high indicates not enough demand.
- Yes, we do this research on Amazon even though your book may be distributed widely. What we've found is that trends on Amazon serve as a pretty decent reflection of trends in the industry in general. What we learn here can be applied anywhere.
Catagory Research in the Planning Phase
- Create a list of types of books you are interested in - CJ’s Interest: Romance. Fantasy. Strong females. Fae. Evil Royalty. (Love the idea of a fated mate bond of some sort) Teen and Young Adult. Teen saves the world.
- Use tools like Publisher Rocket, KDSpy, and K-lytics to determines areas of rising popularity.
- Map where YOUR interest and the rising popularity overlap (this is how we have our cake and eat it too)
- Look for books similar to yours
- Check the Book Sales of the first and last book in the best seller list. Ideal is over 1000 but under 30,000. Too low creates too much competition. Too high indicates not enough demand.
We had a live demonstration. CJ then took us to BKLNK (Book Link at BkLNK.com) and the Amazon Best Seller lists (Go to Amazon. Find the link toward the top for Best sellers. Drill down on the left hand side). Watch the replay for the details.
Additional info:
BKLNK helps with Universal Book Links (UBLs), which direct people to vour book page on their countrv's Zone country store.
Best Sellers, Kindle Store, Kindle ebooks, then your main category and then niche down from there.
Best Seller Rank tells vou something about how many books a day are selling. If you want to break this list you have to be selling at least 113 books a day.
https://kindlepreneur.com/amazon-kdo-sales-rank-calculator/ - Sales rank calculator
- Is there a K-lytics report on this subniche!
What do you research now that you've chosen potential categories and subniches or identified the category and subniche your book(s) is in?
- Description of target audience demographic: age, gender, occupation, interests
- Target audience expectations Tropes, Themes, Characters, Conflicts identified within your sub niche Reviews from your target audience
- Three positive things consistently mentioned in reviews Three negative things consistently mentioned in reviews
- Types of Series Heat level, Violence level, Profanity level, Drinking & Substance Abuse, Titles, Subtitles, Series Titles Types of covers Book Descriptions (first person, third person) Metadata: Keyword & Category for KDP Upload Series Branding
- Newsletters
- Pen Name
- Author pic
- Author bio
To contact CJ for information or to inquire about being a client for your marketing her email is: email@authorcianava.com
CJ works frequently with Jana and her email is: janasbrownwrites@gmail.com
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