Category: Featured

July 7, 2023

The Relaunch of the USA Today Best-Selling Book List

In a fun and informative conversation last week, I spoke with Holland Saltsman of The Novel Neighbor and Eric Bursch of USA Today to discuss the relaunch of the USA Today best-selling booklist. The relaunch of this iconic list brings new opportunities for authors, publishers, and independent bookstores. With a focus on supporting independent bookshops and incorporating bookshop.org into the process, the relaunched list aims to celebrate diverse voices and provide readers with an authentic reading experience.

Since 1993, USA Today has been publishing a best selling book list, starting in print and later transitioning to a digital format while maintaining a print edition. This list is considered the “people’s booklist” as it incorporates data from various sources without any editorial oversight.

The list went on hiatus in December due to the manual and burdensome process it involved. As part of the digital consumer product, organization, and engineering team at Gannett and USA Today, Eric and his team took on the challenge of automating the process by leveraging technology.

WHAT’S NEW WITH THE USA TODAY BEST-SELLING BOOKLIST?

This automation allowed for the relaunch of the list in a much-improved state, with a renewed focus on the best-selling books as the centerpiece. Additionally, USA Today has established new partnerships, particularly with the independent bookstore network, which adds further excitement and value to the relaunch.

The response has been overwhelmingly positive. There was a great sense of excitement surrounding its return. During the early discussions, it was unanimously agreed upon that the list should have a strong focus on supporting independent bookstores.

Collaboration with independent bookstores played a vital role in the relaunch. The partnership with bookshop.org, an online platform supporting indie bookstores, emerged as a key element. Bookshop.org, often described as the “anti-Amazon,” provides readers with a way to support local bookshops even if they lack a physical indie store in their area. Also, in collaborating with The Novel Neighbor, the relaunch also aims to feature various independent bookstores, showcasing their uniqueness and fostering connections within different communities.

The relaunch of the best-selling books list also brings newfound excitement to authors and publishers. Unlike other lists with limited spots, USA Today’s list includes 150 books, offering more opportunities for recognition. This is particularly significant as the publishing industry evolves, presenting innovative approaches to book releases. The list provides authors and publishers with another avenue to achieve best-selling status and reach a broader audience.

LOOKING AHEAD

While the relaunch is a cause for celebration, it also marks the beginning of a dynamic and evolving process. The list will not remain static but will continue to evolve with new features and collaborations. Future plans include highlighting unique content, incorporating events happening within local communities, and expanding the ecosystem surrounding the list.

The collaborative content team is dedicated to providing a rich and engaging experience for readers and industry professionals alike. The evolution of the list is just beginning, promising exciting features and content in the future. Authors, publishers, and readers can look forward to an ever-growing ecosystem that celebrates the power of books and fosters connections within the literary community.

If you want to listen to the full conversation you can watch the video here.

February 1, 2023

How to Navigate a Smooth Transition for Your Team

Whether you are on-boarding or off-boarding a team member or a client, a smooth transition is always the goal. While there are likely to be a few hiccups or bumps, there are several things you can do to make the process as successful as possible.

Ideally, you want everyone whether they are leaving or just joining to have the right information, the adequate resources and appropriate access to continue after the transition.

Following are some tips and tools to help you manage the process and avoid common pitfalls:

1. Plan in plenty of time

Give as much notice as you can. Take more time than you need. Make a timeline from announcement to effective final transition date. Also plan in status meetings and meetings where critical decisions can be discussed and possible shadowing and training can occur.

Tools to use: Google Calendar, Zoom, Asana

2. Create thorough documentation of processes and standard operating procedures

When you have a new support team, make sure they understand the existing process before they start new work. If your business grows and implements new processes, create videos to make it easier for anyone to know how to proceed. Create easy-to-follow documented steps so that someone can refer back to when needed.

Tools to use: Loom video, Asana, Google Workspace

3. Prepare transition tools

Preparing transition tools takes a lot of time. You have to make sure that all the information and documents, files and visual assets are ready, so they can be handed over to the next team member, who is going to take over your and manage the work no matter what. Not doing this can often lead to delays and mistakes.

Tools to use: Canva, Google Workspace, Last Pass

4. Reassess access

Determining who has access to critical information, files, programs, accounts and passwords is a major consideration in times of transition. Setting everything up so it can be easily and securely shared or transferred is a solid foundation for any business no matter how big or small.

Tools to use: Last Pass, Google Workspace

5. Make introductions to external working partners or parties

While transition and training is taking place, make sure to make introductions to outside vendors or support staff like website designers, podcast producers and publishing teams. This helps the new team member feel welcomed and saves the time of having to explain who they are and what they might need in the future.

6. Conduct exit interviews and check-in meetings when possible

Learning from insider experience is key. Before the completion of off-boarding occurs, set aside time for a healthy discussion about the experience and explore areas of continued improvement, efficiency and innovation.

Change is always hard even if it is for the better. So paving the way with thoughtful planning and helpful systems can make the transition far more successful.

Special thanks to Jen Lehner and her Front Row CEO program for being such an expert leader and guide in navigating business growth opportunities like this.

March 7, 2022

The Strategic Path to Book Launch

Behind the “Seens” with Burnout Prevention and Resilience Expert Paula Davis

Paula Davis knows firsthand about burnout. As a successful lawyer she burned out. But she didn’t initially recognize what was happening. Stress caused her to begin having panic attacks almost daily and when she ended up in the hospital, she knew things had to change.

So begins Paula’s journey into becoming burnout prevention and resilience expert and ultimately the author of Beating Burnout at Work: Why Teams Hold the Secret to Well-Being and Resilience.

After attending the University of Pennsylvania’s Applied Positive Psychology program and starting her work in helping others, she knew she wanted to write a book. She was approached to write proposals several times, to subsequent “no thanks” or “not right now”.

That ended up being a good thing. She explains that originally, she saw her book being in the “self-help” section. As she did more research, gained more experience, and saw how she was helping people and organizations, she realized that she was a business writer and she wanted to write a business book.

“. . . if you want to be a successful business owner you have to be willing to ask the right questions, you have to be willing to listen to the type of feedback that you are getting from your clients, you have to really start to dig into their challenges about become very curious about the world that they are experiencing.”

When Paula listened, the thing she was often asked was how do we address burnout from a leadership perspective. It was clear that this was the deeper, better conversation and it informed the direction of the book.

Once this direction was clear, it changed everything. Her business name, her website, and the content she was creating were all focused on teams and leadership in the business world.

She credits this focus (and her online presence) with another request for a book proposal with Wharton School Press. This time, it was a yes! Timing is everything and she was notified on November 6, 2019, that she would actually be writing her book.

You don’t know what you don’t know, and Paula knew she needed help. Here’s the team (of which I am honored to play a part) she assembled over time to help her with the book.

Agent
Editor
Website team
Marketing content team
Virtual assistant
PR support around launch time

Paula knew that she didn’t just want to write a book that no one read. That’s why creating a promotion and publicity plan was key. She credits finding the right PR person as a big part of the success of her book launch.

Paula explains how getting the team coordinated was the critical support she needed. She was intentional so that everyone understood what steps were being taken, and how all the moving parts worked together.

The book launched March 16, 2021 – with burnout quickly becoming a trending topic. It continues to be at one of the most important issues companies are dealing with in a post-Covid world. Beating Burnout at Work was chosen as a “Next Big Idea” book club nominee and was the #1 best seller in 2021 for Wharton School Press.

Paula continues to do interviews about the book, about burnout, and about building resilient teams.

Post book launch – now what? Paula is back to doing workshops, giving keynote speeches and working with her corporate and legal clients around the globe. The book has become an integral part of her curriculum and work. If you are interested in beating burnout and creating resilient teams in your organization, reach out to Paula and check out Beating Burnout at Work.

Connect with Paula:

Stress and Resilience Institute

Interested in exploring where you are in your expert journey? Let’s chat! If you want to learn more about how to be seen, be found, be heard, please connect with me on the socials or let’s set up a call to chat.

February 22, 2022

3 Key Marketing Strategies for Self-Publishing Your Book

Behind the “Seens” with Amanda Miller from My Word Publishing

Deciding to become a published author is no small decision – for many it’s a dream come true, for others, it’s a calling and for others it is a way to share their expertise, experience or their point of view with the world.

After committing to your book, the next major decision is how will you publish book? If you are thinking that the traditional publishing route might not be for you then considering the self-publishing option could be a good idea

My guest in this episode is Amanda Miller, is a self-publishing consultant with My Word Publishing. In our brief time together, she runs down several tips and strategies you can use to self-publish your book.

If you’re considering self-publishing your book, then this episode will help you figure out how to do it successfully.

Things to consider when self-publishing

Review different publishing models
Money, time, and control are major points
Key players to involve in the publishing process

Amanda explains why it is so important to understand the different publishing models and the full spectrum of options available to you. You can go the traditional route and submit multiple queries, or you can try the other extreme and keep it really basic by uploading a PDF copy.

The main thing to remember is that you have options and they vary based on your individual needs and tolerance.

Money and time are both major factors to consider when you think about all of the key players involved in the self-publishing space. There are things you can do for yourself that may take time and effort to research, learn and implement. While other things such as hiring an editor and a book designer ideally require more money than time.

“If you want to keep your rights and royalties, you want to make a good book, you want to get it out into the world in a timely manner, self-publishing is a really good option for you.”

Key Strategies

Watch out for overwhelm
Optimize your sales page
Get the foundational marketing done well

Amanda touches on the importance of avoiding overwhelm. Publishing a book through any route can feel overwhelming, but it comes at you even harder when you’re not sure what to publish, where to start or how.

Know what needs to be done when. Things like getting your ISBN before or after the cover design matters. Having a consultant like Amanda to help guide you through self-publishing can really relieve overwhelm and give you peace of mind.

Another major part of self-publishing to consider and plan for is how you will optimize your sales page. This includes Amazon and the book page on your personal author website

Amanda shares tips and about where and how you want to optimize the blurb on the back of your book and your Amazon sales page.

Making marketing foundational from the beginning of your journey as an author will be a huge benefit once your book is published.

PRO TIP: Work on two book marketing tasks every week for a year.

Reach out to Amanda with any questions. She is amazing with the execution of strategy and figuring out the marketing to strengthen your brand and improve recognition for your self-published book.

Also, check out Amanda’s upcoming author platform marketing classes on email marketing.

Connect with Amanda:

Website

Interested in exploring where you are in your branding journey? Let’s chat! If you want to learn more about how to be seen, be found, be heard, please connect with me on the socials or let’s set up a call to chat.