Promoting Yourself by Building Solid Relationships

Summary:
Join eSight in chatting with Glenda Watson Hyatt, author of "I'll Do It Myself," who says book marketing is like job hunting. They both involve building solid relationships with people within your target audience.

Introduction

Interview

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Introduction

Authors face one common challenge: how to differentiate themselves from other writers in general and other authors in particular who are targeting their content to the same specific audience..

eSight recently interviewed Glenda Watson Hyatt, author of several eSight articles, about how she is addressing that need to "brand" herself and her new book, "I'll Do It Myself," published in December, 2006.

Glenda has cerebral palsy. A lack of oxygen at birth meant she would not be able to walk, her hands would not function well and her speech would be almost impossible to understand. Her parents were advised to institutionalize her. She wouldn't amount to anything, the experts said.

Yet, she proved the experts wrong. Glenda was integrated into a regular classroom long before "mainstream" was a buzzword. She went on to earn the Canada Cord, the highest award in Girl Guides, and the Outstanding Junior Student Award. She also won a gold medal in horseback riding!

How did she do it? In "I'll Do It Myself," Glenda shares her life story to show others cerebral palsy is not a death sentence but rather a life sentence.

Here Glenda discusses how she intends to market her book. In doing so, she identifies one key similarity between book marketing and job hunting: They both involve building solid relationships with people who can help you get your message out to your target audience.


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Interview

eSight: Why did you decide to write your book?

Watson Hyatt: When I was about 10, I read books like "Ice Castles" about a talented figure skater who became blind but continued competing by hiding her disability, "The Other Side of the Mountain" about an Olympic-bound skier who broke her neck during a qualifying competition, and "Joni," (pronounced Johnny) who also became a quadriplegic as a result of a diving accident. Since then, I have dreamt of writing my autobiography one day to share my story with others and hopefully inspire or motivate them in some way.

eSight: What's your niche audience for your book?

Watson Hyatt: Here's an excerpt from my book's Introduction:

"First, and foremost, I am writing this book for youth and young adults with cerebral palsy and other disabilities to motivate, to inspire and to share how I have navigated life. Sometimes simply reading how someone else handled a particular situation gives the reader the encouragement and ideas for handling a similar situation. Other times knowing others have had similar experiences ￂ? to know one is not alone ￂ? can be so comforting, and can offer strength and hope.

"Secondly, I am also writing this for parents, who, after having their bundle of joy gently placed in their awaiting arms, are given the devastating news their baby has cerebral palsy. In an instant, their hopes and dreams for their child, as well as for their family, are smashed. I hope this book offers a glimmer of hope for these parents, as well as for the siblings, grandparents, aunts and uncles. I want to show that life can still be meaningful, despite cerebral palsy. I hope the book offers parents insights and ideas when raising a child with cp; however, realizing that no two children with cp are the same, there is no guarantee these ideas will be appropriate for every child.

"I am also hoping that Human Resources managers, who want to do the right thing by hiring employees with disabilities but still have fears and uncertainties because they don't know anyone with a disability, will experience an increased comfort level being around people with physical disabilities and will venture into the pool of underutilized skills, talents and knowledge.

"This book is also for individuals who enjoy reading about the lives of others in order to gain a new understanding of other people or to gain a new perspective or insight into their own life.

"Lastly, I hope the book will enable doctors and medical professionals to see beyond the diagnosis, the prognosis and the can'ts, and see the patient as a person filled with capabilities, potential and desires. However, that may be expecting far too much from only one book!"

eSight: Have you captured that uniqueness in a short statement that sums up what you're all about?

Watson Hyatt: I am in the process of developing my expert line and personal brand. "Disability Awareness Consultant" doesn't cut any more. I would like to write for the "abled world" about disability-related issues as much as I would like to write for the "disabled world" about positive thinking, succeeding, and reaching-your-full-potential type of issues.

I have often felt like I'm in between the two worlds: I don't consider myself disabled (most of the time), but I'm not denying I have a disability, and, thus, I'm not "able-bodied" either. Now I would like to turn that limbo feeling into a positive. I see myself as a bridge or link between the worlds. I'm just not sure how to articulate that in a catchy expert line. It is still very much a work in progress. Once I know what label (or title) to place upon myself, I will be able to further develop my personal statement.

eSight: Has the Internet actually changed the way authors promote their books today compared to just 10 years ago? If so, how?

Watson Hyatt: Oh, most definitely. There are so many ways web-savvy authors can promote their books online, i.e. through ezines, blogs, podcasts and webinars are a few examples. I am planning a virtual book tour, "40 Blogs in 40 Days," for January and February.

The idea behind such a virtual book tour is to have 40 bloggers and ezine writers interview me in 40 (business) days. Bloggers would send me a few questions (perhaps 10 to 15), which I would answer by e-mail. Each blog would then post my responses, either as a Q&A or as an article, on their selected day.

eSight: Can online marketing actually replace more grueling marketing techniques such as book tours? If so, how?

Watson Hyatt: I think this really depends on the author. For some, I can see online marketing supplementing or enhancing in-person marketing; for others, such as me, online marketing plays a major role in the marketing strategy.

I've recently realized the key is cross media promotion ￂ? using one medium to promote your presence in another. Essentially, you build your own media empire using various formats ￂ? i.e. websites, ezines, blogs, podcasts, webinars, and Internet radio and then add in traditional media coverage like newspapers, print magazines, radio, TV.

For me with my particular disability (cerebral palsy with a significant speech impairment), I will be focusing on online marketing opportunities, although perhaps not exclusively. I write a monthly book update (newsletter) and my blog. I'm in the midst of planning my virtual book tour in January and February. I also would like to put together a Flash movie to put on YouTube and such. Video viral marketing seems to be a current trend ￂ? another element in cross media promotion and media empire building.

eSight: In writing your book and developing a marketing plan for it, what are the most important things you've learned about the mainstream publishing industry?

Watson Hyatt: The mainstream publishing industry is a slow moving mechanism that appears to take little risks; it needs to be reassured that something similar to your book has already been published. To land a book deal, you need to prove, more than anything else, that there is a market for your book. That's more important, in a publisher's eyes, than writing well or having something of value to contribute. You need to have your "platform" in place before you begin writing. "Platform" is a book marketing term, which refers to content geared to create a buzz or following and to garner media attention.

eSight: Do you see any similarities between book marketing and marketing yourself as a job candidate? If so, how?

Watson Hyatt: Absolutely! With book marketing (or with marketing any product or service), you need to exude enthusiasm and passion, be creative and think outside of the box in order to see the opportunity and possibilities all around. Be prepared. Have business cards or even a book or two with you wherever you go. Be a bit of a risk taker and approach people either online or in-person.

The same strategies apply when you are seeking employment, whether it be a job or short-term contract work or whatever. Exude enthusiasm, even if it means faking a smile for your umpteenth interview. Sometimes faking a positive attitude, by the way, can actually help you appear to be genuinely positive.

Carry with you cards which show your contact information. Take risks and talk to people around you ￂ? on the bus, in the grocery store or in the doctor's waiting room ￂ? you never who is an employer looking for someone with just your skill set or who knows someone who is looking for someone like you.

View yourself as a product ￂ? a unique package of skills, talents and experiences ￂ? and market yourself as such. Be open to see the possibilities and opportunities around you, even if they aren't the traditional or ideal jobs (yet). It might mean expanding your definition of "job" and thinking outside of the box.

eSight: Who are some of the most interesting people you've met online in terms of their understanding of how to best promote yourself, your product or your services in an online environment?

Watson Hyatt: Back in July, I won the Mega Marketing Makeover Contest hosted by Suzanne Falter-Barns of Get Known Now. This package of goods and services, worth over $12,500, is to help me create a more appealing online presence and marketing strategy. I began working with a couple of the coaches but had to put that work on hold while I finished my book and got it off to the printer.

Now that my book is printed, I'm looking forward to resuming my work with this team of 20 coaches and consultants, many of whom are tops in their areas of expertise.

There is one person in particular I would like to mention: Pamela Slim of Escape from Cubicle Nation. She coaches people about how to go from corporate prison to thriving entrepreneurs. She has developed quite a large following for her blog, and, as a top woman blogger, she recently had the opportunity to interview Gloria Steinem. We met on her blog and have become "virtual sisters." We support, humor and apply a gentle kick (when needed) for each other, usually late at night.

She is in the early stages of writing a book and is taking a more traditional route: building a platform first, finding an agent, writing a book proposal, signing with a publisher, and then writing her book. It has been interesting to watch her book development process from the more traditional side.

Anyway, in a couple of her interviews, she has mentioned me and my book. And, she has included my book, "I'll Do It Myself," on her list of Top 10 Favorite Things. Her blog receives several thousand visitors per day, so it is great promotion. Thanks, Pam!

Book promotion, like job searching, comes down to building relationships.

eSight: How do you grow and cultivate those relationships without actually meeting in person?

Watson Hyatt: Establishing and nurturing these relationships does take some work. It means being "in touch" without overdoing and pestering them. If I see something that may be of interest to one of my contacts, I send her a quick e-mail with the link or piece of information. As in any relationship, it also means being genuinely interested in what they are doing.

Definitely respect those relationships in terms of time requested, language and tone.

I recently signed up for SendOutCards, which prints it, stuffs it and mails it, all for less than a greeting card at the store. This gives me a card shop right at my fingertips and saves stuffing cards into my laser printer to sign them. By sending out real cards, I'm hoping it will make my virtual relationship more tangible and will form another connection on another dimension.

eSight: Has your disability affected the way you go about forming and cultivating those relationships? If so, how?

Watson Hyatt: Really, I don't think my disability has affected cultivating these relationships much at all. Because of my speech impairment, we rely heavily on e-mail and instant messaging for communicating rather than using Skype. But, beyond that, I don't feel my disability gets in the way. Most times, I think others forget or don't realize that I do have a significant physical disability. It simply isn't an issue.

eSight: What has all the work you've done on your book taught you?

Watson Hyatt: There have been many lessons along this journey in making my 30-year-old dream come true, and, no doubt, I have more still to learn. However, the most important one is to never give up on your dream or on yourself. The road may be long; there may be potholes or gigantic mountains along the way; it may feel impossible or you may need to take another path, but never give up.

Tell everyone along the way about your dream. Some will be naysayers, but some will be amazing supporters in ways that you can't imagine!


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