Especially For Authors: Getting Your Message Out There!

It is never enough to merely write and publish a book. The next step is to get it into the hands of others. That's where it gets tricky. Thankfully, I'm getting guidance and advice from the best in the business.

1) Design Graphics for use in social media

Whether your book is published by a mainstream publisher or you're a self-published author, it needs to be seen by other people, and there is no wider audience than on social media

Weeks to months before printing, the cover of the book has to be finalised and it should be designed to catch the eye. Thus, unless you're a designer yourself, get one to come up with a custom design for you.

Yes, sites like Canva are very useful for putting your own graphics together and I highly recommend them for your regular posts on social media. However, this isn't just any typical graphic. 

A professionally designed book cover allows you to stand out from the thousands of uninspiring book covers out there. When people see your cover, they will associate it with you and what you represent - your brand. Do you really want them to come away with a poor impression of you?

Once your book cover is finalised, use its colour scheme for graphics associated with the book (and, by extension, you as the author). These graphics may include social media banners, profile pictures, marketing materials and so on. Keeping things consistent is the key here. Again, I recommend that you get a designer to do these things for you, at least for the first run. You can do your tweaks and changes on your own later.

These graphics will make your book more visible over social media and invariably lead to increased interest in what you have written, which leads to more people reading your book. 

2) Tell Others about your book

Along with the appropriate graphics, write an introduction for your book. Tell others what it's about and what they can learn from it. Show them how this book will improve their lives / make them happier / allow them to do things they didn't know they could etc.

A side-effect of telling others about your book is that you have now publicly committed to this project. This makes you much more likely to complete it, especially since others will keep asking when they can get a copy of it.

Another useful side-effect is the attention those outside of your circle will start to pay towards you and your book. One of these people may be linked to media outlets and help you gain yet more publicity. 

With regard to publicity, look for opportunities to share what you've written about - be it through workshops, speaking engagements, media appearances and so on. While you are keeping a lookout, continue to update your captive audience via social media.

You aren't expecting every single person who hears about your book to get a copy but the more people hear about it, the more people will want one. Don't keep such a great work to yourself. Share it with others and let them benefit from your book.

3) Give Copies of your book away

What? Really?

Yes. Give them to people who helped you on your book-writing journey, to your clients (current and potential), and, of course, to your loved ones.

Run contests on social media where you give a copy away as a prize. Give one to that brave soul who first stands up to answer your question when you are giving a talk. Give extra copies to people who know others who may benefit from your book.

You are trying to get your book into as many hands as possible. Though it may seem like an expensive way to do so, giving the book away works. Very well.

Throughout my journey as an author, I was constantly reminded that book sales aren't what I should focus on. They will come and they are important in keeping authors writing (otherwise, we'll have to find other paying professions), but my main priority should be in getting my message out there.

After all, that's why I wrote the book in the first place.

Meeting Gerry Robert and Travon Taylor Over the Weekend

Over the weekend, I re-attended a familiar event.

This was none other than the Publish A Book And Grow Rich (PABGR) Bootcamp.

What was a little different this time around was that Gerry had a co-speaker - Travon Taylor.

Cutting an impressive physique, Travon shared that he was in the Marines, served in Iraq, and later became a state champion boxer. When I met him in person on the last day (Sunday), I could tell that his experiences in these arenas had helped forge him into who he is today - a disciplined, determined individual with a drive to impact (no pun intended) those around him.

I was glad to have been able to speak with him for a couple of minutes before duty called him away (again, no pun intended).

Gerry, the ever-charismatic speaker, was a little elusive this time. I wasn't able to get an opportunity to take a photo with him, so here's one from 3 years ago, when I first met him:

I also met a fellow introvert. He enjoyed the learning process of being at the bootcamp and told me that he was interested in learning more about being a published author. I left him my contact details and he assured me that, once he had organised his thoughts, he'd drop me a note.

It's hard not to be inspired when you just spent a couple of days with highly positive, driven individuals as Gerry and Travon.

For those of you who have been asking when my book will be out, I'm here to tell you that the date is drawing very close (yes, really really close).

I Learned About The Joy of Blessings in Cambodia

I just got back from Cambodia a few days ago, having been there on a mission trip with Project Khmer Hope.

They have 3 centres outside of Phnom Penh, which the team visited. However, due to my schedule, I had to return to Singapore earlier than the rest of the team so I was only able to visit 1 of the centres - the closest one, which was a 2-hour drive from the city.

This centre is in the Kampong Speu province and it provides English lessons as well as vocational training for Cambodian youths so they can join the hospitality industry once their training is over. 

I learned that the students' training is fully subsidised by the training centre and its supporting bodies, which makes it a truly remarkable opportunity for the youths, who apply to be students in droves. However, since the centre is limited in its size and staff, it can only take in a set number of students every year, and only after a stringent selection process.

I was there to visit and identify the needs of the centre so that, when I come back in the near future, I will be more equipped to help out - perhaps in a teaching role or in some other way.

As I had never been to Cambodia, I didn't know what to expect. I certainly didn't expect to receive such a striking revelation as this:

We had a 'Concert Night' for the youths at the training centre and asked them to volunteer themselves as performers. We ended up with a fair number of solo performances and a few group items.

From the very first performer (who sang), the audience was exuberant, enthusiastic and excited. They clapped along, sang along and encouraged the performers.

To a Singaporean used to apathy and indifference in audiences, this was quite a pleasant surprise.

It wasn't only the audience that taught me something, though. The performers themselves put great thought and energy into doing their very best.

The final performance was a skit. Though it was in Khmer, which I didn't understand, the body language, movement and energy were unmistakable. These were committed performers and they had clearly put in as much practice as they could in the short time that they had. When the skit came to nearly a close, the audience erupted in applause. You would think that this was enough to end the night. We weren't quite there yet.

The actors then broke out into song and almost everyone jumped up out of their places and danced with so much passion and intensity, it was quite a sight to behold. There was pure joy etched into the faces of every person there.

Yet, this was not the end of the night. The highlight for them was still to come. They would light an enormous campfire, an annual tradition there, and would continue to dance and sing for the next few hours around the fire.

It struck me later that their overflowing joy and the ease with which they express and experience it is a true blessing. I wonder if I have ever truly experienced such joy in such measure.

Though the word 'blessing' is often associated with resources and means, I now find this to be erroneous. Certainly, our financial prosperity isn't to be sniffed at, but think of how little of this joy we see in rich, affluent Singapore. 

Through this trip, short as it was, I learned an important point: a blessing can take many forms but it can never be material. It is, if anything, an intangible feeling or sense that, at least for that moment, all is as it should be.

I went to visit the centre in Cambodia because I wanted to see how I can contribute there.

I did not expect to be the one taking something back with me.

Your Opinion Doesn't Matter (or Does It?)

A number of things have been hitting our headlines in the past week or so, while I've been out of Singapore.

The most intense bit of news (at least based on the frequency it seems to be appearing) would be that of the now-publicised Lee family dispute. While I have my views on the matter, I will not speculate or discuss them until more facts arise. 

It's always tempting to grab any bit of information that supports one's worldview and shoot off a quick opinion piece or blast a scathing reply on the comment sections. However, it's almost never the best thing to do. Without calmly sifting through the information, putting the pieces together or asking more questions, how can we expect to form a well-informed opinion?

Of course, this is an unavoidable consequence of our ever-connected world of social media. Everyone has an opinion and many people think that their opinion is as valid as anyone else's, so everyone else should listen to what they have to say.

This, of course, cannot be further from the truth. 

First of all, not all opinions are equal. Some opinions are more valid than others.

As an example, a doctor who has been practising medicine for 20 years is far more qualified than even, say, a highly-regarded lawyer to say whether or not Vitamin C helps us recover from a cold.

An experienced electrician would be a far better person to ask about your flickering lights than an insurance agent.

A trained chef will be able to give you better advice on how to keep your steaks moist while grilling them than an IT professional will.

Experts in a field are far more qualified than the general population when it comes to their area of expertise. As such, it stands to reason that their opinions in those areas are far more valid than ours.

Secondly, the freedom to express does not equate to a freedom from responsibility.

Yes, we are able to post what we want where we want. Some people take this to mean that they should speak or type thoughtlessly without regard for others or for their own image.

Anything you post on social media or in a public setting is now part of public domain. You cannot suddenly decide that you are no longer going to take responsibility for what you say/do there. Neither can you blame a moment of folly or a 'slip of the tongue/thumb' for your comments or writing.

If you are going to put up information or opinions, then you will have to take responsibility for them. If you can't or don't want to, then keep them to yourself.

Thirdly, we can agree to disagree.

If two people agree on everything, one of them is unnecessary. 

Just because someone does not agree with you, it doesn't mean that you have to always convince them to agree. It's fine to question and debate. Let's not degrade a possibly fruitful discussion to name-calling and insults.

Every disagreement can be an opportunity to learn instead of a mere bone of contention. We can learn of different viewpoints as well as how different people think.

Just as we want to be heard, shouldn't we allow others to be heard as well?