The Platform Problem – More of You and Less of Me

I was talking to a friend the other day, and he asked me how my book was doing.

I get this question a lot.

I filled him in on the general statistics, and we proceeded to talk about the challenge of releasing a book project in today’s social media driven world.  As I work on my next book project, I wrestle with the idea of pursuing a more traditional book publishing route for this project.  I went the self-publishing route with my first book project.  A more traditional book publisher could bring a wider audience and distribution which is attractive, but there are also pluses to the self-publishing method.

Either way, a larger platform is critical to success in today’s world – in terms of quantity of book sales.  And this is where I struggle.

I heard it said by one of my author friends that 90% of books sell less than 200 copies.

This is the reality in today’s world.  I’ve learned that it takes a lot of hard work and self-promotion just to approach this number.

Publishers are looking for a large e-mail list, lots of Twitter and Facebook connections, and a lot of blog traffic.

This doesn’t happen by accident.

How does a person remain humble with a correct focus while promoting themselves and their platform?

This is the problem with platform.

We are instructed to be humble.  We are taught to put aside our own interests for the sake of others.

Is it possible to build a platform while staying humble and pointing people to Christ?

I think so, but I think it’s a challenge.

This is the challenge I now face.  As I pursue my next book project, I’ll be taking steps to grow my e-mail list and blog traffic.  Meanwhile, I plan to use this platform to point people in the right direction.  I’d appreciate it if the Stretched Community would keep me accountable to staying on the right track.

Thanks!

What are your thoughts on building a platform?  What have you learned in the process of building your own platform?

This song by Colton Dixon speaks to me as I pursue this next project:

(For the record, I’ve sold or given away 116 copies of On Track – Life Lessons from the Track & Field.  This includes paperback and Kindle eBook versions.  This does not include the electronic copies given away to subscribers of my blog.  As you can see selling more than 200 copies is no small task.)

9 Keys To Developing Consistent Blog Content

I’ve been at this blogging thing for over seven years now.  The first few years, I was fairly inconsistent, but now I publish at least five blog posts every week.

How do I find ideas to write about every day?

This is a question I get often from readers and fellow bloggers.  (And to be honest, this is a question I sometimes ask myself.)

Blogging takes effort, and coming up with content for my blog doesn’t happen by accident.

Today, I share my keys to consistently developing content for blogging.  After reading today’s post, I hope you’ll have some fresh ideas for developing your own blog content.  And even if you aren’t a blogger, I think these ideas may help you get a little more out of life.

9 Keys To Developing Consistent Blog Content

1. Conduct regular brainstorming sessions.  I grab a blank piece of paper from time to time and write down thoughts as they come to me.  If you’ve done any brainstorming before, you know there is one main rule for brainstorming:  There are no dumb ideas.  Brainstorming gives me the opportunity to write down ideas.  Some of these ideas turn into blog posts, and some ideas never get used on the blog.  Either way, brainstorming is a great way to start developing blog content.
2. Become a constant observer.  There are blog ideas happening all around you.  Observation is key to capturing those ideas as they happen around you.  If you read my blog yesterday, you will see how a 15 second interaction turned into one of my longer blog posts.  If you want to develop more consistent blog content, pay attention to what is going on in your life.
3. Take notes.  This is critical.  I have so many ideas that come and go.  Without writing them down, I easily will lose most of these thoughts.  Start a journal.  Keep track on Evernote.  Or find some other way to document your thoughts and ideas.
4. Ask others.  I’ve thrown it out there on my blog for my readers, and I sometimes ask people what they would like to read on my blog.  Some of the bloggers I follow have implemented an annual readers survey.  I’ve discovered that readers will often give me great ideas.  It’s okay to ask.  Don’t be shy.  (And if I ever ask you, please feel free to share your thoughts.)
5. Learn from your blog traffic trends.  I’m a numbers guy.  It’s just part of my nature.  For a long time, I kept very close tabs on my daily traffic.  This was somewhat excited on the good days, but it was also somewhat depressing on the slow days.  I’ve backed off on checking my numbers every day, but I do take time to assess each month to find out what worked well and what didn’t work well.  My month in review posts are as much for me as they are for my readers.
6. Consider sticking with a theme.  I’ve done this more than once on my blog over the years.  For example, I blogged about quality for an entire week.  My recent annual trips to Guatemala have given me plenty of writing material.  And generally, I write about life, leadership, family, faith, and personal growth (stretching).  Think about a theme or a couple of themes that resonate with you and write about it.
7. Welcome guest bloggers.  Guest bloggers provide a different perspective.  And they also fill gaps when you need a break for one reason or another.  Guest bloggers help to keep things rolling on your blog when things might otherwise be interrupted.  Note:  Guest bloggers are a great idea occasionally, but readers generally want to read what you have to say.  In other words, don’t overdo it with too many guest bloggers.
8. Pray.  God’s Word and God’s wisdom is the ultimate source for inspiration.  A little prayer can go along way to developing consistent content for your blog.
9. Live life to the fullest.  Life does not happen on your blog.  Don’t get me wrong.  I’ve met a lot of great people on-line.  I’m so thankful for these friendships.  But here’s the deal: There is life waiting for us outside the on-line world.  Real blog content is happening when we chose to live life to the fullest.

If you are a blogger, what has helped you find consistency?  What is one step you can take this week to develop more consistent content for your blog?

Don’t Be Afraid To Keep Editing – 3 Reasons To Keep Editing

Last night, I spent some time editing a blog post I wrote last week.  When I initially wrote the post, I was running close to my normal deadline for posting, and I didn’t have a lot of time to review what I wrote.  Admittedly, I didn’t put a lot of time into my introduction.  There were also some grammatical issues that I should have fixed.  Before I made the post public, I had a couple of choices to make:

1. I could have kept the post in my draft folder.  It may have made it to a “real” post someday, or it may have simply been lost forever in my draft folder.
2. I could have pressed publish on the post as is.  Painters or writers never move to artists and authors when they fail to release their product.

These seem like the only two choices, but I think there is a third option.

What if I press publish and then go back and edit and update later?

There is something most bloggers never consider.  Editing after making the post public is often overlooked by bloggers.  After hitting publish on a post, many bloggers are onto the next blog post.  Today, I’d like to help you identify three reasons editing is an important discipline.

3 Reasons To Keep Editing

1. Editing keeps you humble.  When you edit, you are admitting that your initial effort could be better.  This takes humility.  If you are like me, you hate to be wrong.  In a way, editing is the process of accepting that you could do a better job.
2. Editing keeps you stretching.  Editing is a process of learning and growing.  When I sent my book out to and editor and a small list of reviewers, it gave me the opportunity to stretch.  I’m glad I took time to edit my blog post from last week, it gave me the opportunity to grow.

Editing keeps you on a trajectory toward higher achievement.

  Editing ultimately leads excellence.  I feel much better about the final product now that I have taken time to edit.  Editing will take you to a higher level.

Here’s a link to the edited post – 3 Changes That Happen When You Go On A Short-Term Missions Trip.  I’d love to get your feedback on the changes I made to this post.

What do you find challenging about the editing process?  What do you need to edit?

Marketing for the Humble-Hearted

Flikr Image by Florin Gorgan.

I am honored to share a post by Carol Peterson today.  Her bio appears at the end of the post, and I’d appreciate if you could pay her a visit after you answer the question at the end of the post.  I really resonate with what Carol has to share as it is something I have struggled with recently in releasing my first book.  Whether you are a writer, a musician, a pastor, or something else.  We all have something worth sharing.  Carol’s words today address an important aspect of releasing what you have to share.

Marketing for the Humble-Hearted

Scripture reminds us to be humble. It tells us that pride is a “deadly sin.” We are taught to have the attitude of a servant.

Writers hope our books bring value or at least a joyful respite to our readers. But despite the buckets of sweat, the gallons of coffee and the trash bags of shredded revisions that went into completing our books, writing them remains the easy part of this business.

The hard part of being a writer is getting our books into the hands of readers so they can be helped or brought joy. It’s that marketing and promotion thing where Christian writers often stumble. How can we be humble while striving to promote our books?

The key is in the value we bring. If our books have no value, then strutting our stuff and marketing our books is indeed prideful. But if what we have written has the possibility of helping even one person, then we have the responsibility to do what we can to help that one person find our book.

To be a Christian is to try to follow Jesus’ example. Jesus didn’t sit in the corner of his house with a few friends and discuss the Ten Commandments. Rather, he traveled the cities and countryside, speaking both to the few and to the multitudes. Often the demands on him necessitated that he escape for quiet moments by himself.

Being God incarnate aside, Jesus did what was tough because what he had to say was important. He did the work of promotion, so to speak, in order to spread the Gospel. Because people needed to hear it.

Doing what is necessary—even if it is difficult and painful—is what having the attitude of a servant is about. A servant seeks to do what is good for someone else and sacrifices his own comfort for the benefit of others. Most of us writers are happiest sitting in a corner and writing. Doing the scary, hard, tedious work of marketing and promotion is all about sacrificing our own comfort.

Many of us Christians write as a ministry—to educate, entertain or inspire others. If we are writing in obedience, part of that obedience involves letting people know about what we have written—because people who need our books can’t be helped by them if they don’t know our books exist.

We come to the writing business to serve others. Part of serving includes promoting so we can reach the people who need to be served. In other words, part of a writing—or any other ministry—involves stepping out into the world. Following the example of Jesus.

Is there something you feel timid about doing? How might looking at it from the point of view of serving others empower you?

CAROL PETERSON writes teacher resources for kids and Bible studies for adults. Her latest series, With Faith Like Hers focuses on individual studies of women in Scripture for lessons modern gals can learn about their own character and circumstances. www.carolpetersonauthor.com

Summertime Blogging – Request For Guest Bloggers

The summer months are a time for vacations and day trips.  I am thankful for this season when things relax a little.

I have seen fellow bloggers handle their vacations in different ways:

• Some bloggers take off the whole summer.  Summer blog reader traffic is typically lower, and many bloggers use this time to be refreshed and to accumulate new ideas for the fall.
• Some bloggers take off for a week or two while they are on vacation.  Michael Hyatt takes off for a month each summer.  He generally does not post during this time with the exception of a few guest posts.  Again, this in an opportunity to recharge.
• Some bloggers write in advance and schedule posts to go live while they are away.  This can lead to a little craziness trying to write and schedule content ahead of time, but it helps keep the blog community active even when the blogger is away.
• Some bloggers simply become more inconsistent with their posting schedule during the summer.  When the fall comes, they become motivated again to be more consistent, and they resume a normal writing/posting routine.

I try to keep the blog going, even while I am away.  Sometimes a re-post popular blog posts from the past.  This provides newer readers the opportunity to catch up on some of my older content.  My preference though is to feature guest bloggers during my vacation time.  This gives me the opportunity to introduce my blogging community to others around the blog world.  It provides fresh perspectives on life’s stretching experiences.  And it keeps my readers engaged as guest bloggers participate in the dialogue that goes on in the comments.

This summer, I am heading back to Guatemala, and I am looking for guest bloggers to help fill the gap while I am away.  Specifically, I need guest bloggers for July 21-25 and July 28th.  If you would be interested in helping out during this time (or at another time), please leave a comment or reach out to me at jon@jonstolpe.com, so we can connect.  (For more about guest posting, click here.)

You have a stretching story worth sharing.  Your stretch story could be the catalyst for significant encouragement for the Stretched Community.  And I’d love to share it here!

If you are a blogger, how do you handle your blog when you are away?

Do you have any vacation plans this summer?

What Would You Like Me To Write About?

Yesterday, I received an email from a member of The Stretched Community.  He mentioned an idea for a future blog post.

The idea was interesting, and something I will probably pursue in a future post.

The email gave me another idea:  What does The Stretched Community want to read?

So today’s post is all about your feedback.

What would you like me to write about in a future Stretched blog post?

Leave your answer to the question in the comments.  Thanks!

Ten Things Every Aspiring Book Author Should Know

I am an author!

As of April 22nd of this year, I can officially make this proclamation.  This is the day my first book released to the public.  Since the book released, many people have asked me how it feels to be an author.

It feels great, and it feels a little weird.

People have also asked what it took to release my first book.  I have a lot to learn, but I think I can also provide a fresh perspective to people who are thinking about writing their first book.  With this in mind, I came up with a list of ten things to know about writing your first book:

Ten Things Every Aspiring Book Author Should Know

1. Writing a book takes time.  Writing a book doesn’t happen by snapping your fingers.  It will take you some time.  My On Track book took three months which does not include the time I spent last year writing a few of the blog posts that initiated the idea of writing a book related to the world of track and field.  This is important for me to remember as I consider my next book projects.  I’m hoping to have another book to release before the end of the year, but it may take longer.
2. Writing a book requires the attitude of a student.  There is so much to learn in the world of book writing and publishing.  I have talked to many other authors.  I have read many blog posts and articles about writing books.  There are many, many great resources available for aspiring authors.  I still have so much to learn, and I’m excited to learn more.  If you want to write a book, ask a lot of questions and prepare to learn.
3. Writing a book requires humility.  I asked for feedback from several people as I prepared to release my book.  I gave the manuscript to editors, book authors, and potential reviewers in exchange for their honest feedback.  A lot of the feedback required me to set aside my pride, so I could produce a better product.  If you are writing a book, ask people to provide honest critiques of your work.  It will make you a much better author.
4. Writing a book is work.  It is not easy to write and publish a book.  Besides taking time to write the book, you have to work with cover designers, editors, format people, book store owners, agents, publishers, and many others.  You will probably need to write guest blog posts and do interviews.  You will have to promote your product in an effort to get your book out there.  This is a lot of work.  No one explained to me how much work it took to write and publish a book.
5. Writing a book is fun.  Honestly, I have enjoyed the process so far.  It has been fun to figure things out along the way (maybe this is the engineer in me).  It has been fun to tell other people about my book or about the progress in completing my book project.  It is fun to watch your initial book sales and to open your first box of books as they arrive at your house.  And it is fun to autograph books for those interested.
6. Writing a book is habit-forming.  I wrote the first book as a practice for the second book.  My guess is that my second book will be practice for the third book and so on.  Some authors are once and done, but my guess is that many first time authors become second time authors.  They can’t help themselves to do it all over again.
7. Writing a book provides an amazing opportunity to share with others.  I’ve written about it in previous posts.  I am amazed at the number of opportunities I have had to share with others about my book and about the message behind my book.  You have something worth saying, and a book will provide many unique opportunities to say it to a captive audience.
8. Writing a book will stretch you.  Do you want to grow?  Do you want to stretch yourself?  Start writing a book.  I have been stretched in so many directions as a result of diving into my first book project.  I thrive on stretching.  I want to live a life marked by growth.  My book project has pushed me to new places in my life.  I am having opportunities to go places I have never gone before as a result of the decision to write a book.  If you want to stretch, start writing.
9. Writing a book does not guarantee a financial windfall.  So far, I’ve sold 98 copies of my book.  I’ve made about $110.00 so far.  In my dreams I will be a best-selling author one day.  In my dreams….  Did you know that over 90% of authors sell less than 200 copies of their book.  This doesn’t bode well for anyone hoping to making a ton of money by writing books.  I would love to do some amazing things with money made from book proceeds.  I have dreams of building 100 houses in Guatemala using proceeds from my writing.  It’s possible, but it will require a lot more work and a lot more writing.  If you are planning to write a book, you should have realistic expectations for the financial outcome of your book.  You should also remember your initial reasons for writing.  I write to reflect on my stretching marks and to stretch other people.  Why do you want to write a book?
10. Writing a book is possible.  I never imagined I would be able to call myself an author.  I’m an engineer and a manager.  I’m a husband and a father.  I’m a runner.  But I never imagined I was an author.  That changed in April when I released my first book.  If I can do it, you can do it too!

Have you ever thought about writing a book?  What is stopping you from pursuing becoming an author?  If you have already written a book, what would you add to this list?

On Track – Life Lessons from the Track & Field is now available on Amazon in paperback and for Kindle.  Click the link below to get your copy today.

As a reminder, I am offering a FREE pdf copy of the interior of the book to subscribers of The Stretched Newsletter.  Head over to the main page of the blog and sign up on the right hand menu bar to get your copy today for FREE!

Are You Building The Right Platform?

On Track.  On Track.  On Track.

If you’ve been following the blog the past couple of months then you know I released my first book on April 22, 2014.  On Track – Life Lessons from the Track & Field is my first book which I self published through Createspace.com.  Writing the book, reviewing the book and its cover, editing the book, and revising the book required a fair amount of work, but so much more of the work in releasing the book has been related to growing my platform and establishing a launch strategy and launch team.

The past couple of months have felt like I’ve been on a long promotional run of trying to get attention for my book and for me.

I’m guessing this is how many authors feel today.  Marketing is left in the hands of the author.  We have to push, push, and push some more.  We have to talk about our book with as many people as possible.  And it feels like we have to pump up our own name and brand in an effort to get the world’s attention.  Today’s blogging and book writing worlds are all about platform development.

Look at me!  Buy my book!  Read my blog!

What if we have it backwards?

I think this is most likely the case.

I think we are pumping up the wrong thing – the wrong person.  (Yes, I include the me in the we.  I get it wrong more often than not.)

Our mission should not be all about bringing glory to Jon Stolpe.  This is not my chief purpose in life.

My purpose is to bring glory to God.  My main mission should be about bringing glory to His name.  My chief goal in life should be to build God’s platform in this world.

Will this sell my books?  Will building God’s platform bring me fame and fortune?  Perhaps.  It could I guess.  But bringing glory to God most likely will not put me on the bestseller list.  And this is okay.

I grew up at a Presbyterian church in New Jersey, and I went to a college with Presbyterian roots.  The Westminster Shorter Catechism was taught or at least mentioned in both these places.  The Catechism is a list of questions with answers and Scriptures which back up the answers  The Catechism is used to help define and explain the key doctrines of the Presbyterian church.  The first question from the Catechism speaks this topic:

Q. 1. What is the chief end of man?

A. Man’s chief end is to glorify God, [a] and to enjoy him for ever. [b]

[a]. Ps. 86:9; Isa. 60:21; Rom. 11:36; I Cor. 6:20; 10:31; Rev. 4:11

[b]. Ps. 16:5-11; 144:15; Isa. 12:2; Luke 2:10; Phil. 4:4; Rev. 21:3-4

What are you chasing after?  What are you pursuing?  What kind of platform are you building?

Choose today to build a platform that will last – God’s platform!

Then go and enjoy Him forever!

Sing the glory of his name; make his praise glorious.  Say to God, “How awesome are your deeds!  So great is your power that your enemies cringe before you.  All the earth bows down to you; they sing praise to you, they sing the praises of your name.”  Psalm 66:2-4

Do you struggle with self promotion?  How are you building God’s platform?

My “I Made It Moment”

I listen to the Entrepreneur On Fire Podcast every day with John Lee Dumas.  In each episode, John interviews entrepreneurs from around the world.  He asks them a series of questions to inspire listeners and to help them take the next steps on their entrepreneurial journey.  One of the questions, John always asks his guests is “Have you had an ‘I Made It Moment’ that you can share with Fire Nation?”  (Fire Nation is the phrase he uses to describe his listening community.)

The answers to this question always intrigue me.  Some of the answers are pretty amazing, and many of the answers are quite simple.

Last week, I kind of had my own “I Made It Moment” at my son’s middle school band concert.

If you’ve been reading along recently, you know I recently released my first book:  On Track – Life Lessons from the Track & Field.  It’s been a fun adventure so far.  After three weeks, I think it’s safe to say that this book project won’t be making me rich anytime soon.  But it’s okay.  I’m still extremely happy with the outcome of my first published book.

I haven’t set any major book selling records, but I’ve sold a few copies of the book in paperback and Kindle formats.

On Wednesday night last week before the concert started, I was catching up with a few of the parents sitting around us when one of the parents turned to me with a copy of my book in his hands, and he asked me if I would sign his copy of this book.  This was quite an honor for me.

As a kid, I was a big baseball fan (and sports fan in general).  I collected baseball cards.  I read the sports page of the daily newspaper line by line every day.  I watched sports on television and in person whenever I had the opportunity.  And I even collected a few autographs of baseball players.  I remember going to a Phillies-Cardinals double-header with a man from my church.  We went to the game early, so we could watch batting practice.  During warm-ups for the first game, I went down to the edge of the field and was able to get a few autographs from some of the players.  This was quite an experience for a young fan.

I never imagined that I would be the one giving my autograph someday.  I guess that changed last week when Rick Hansen asked for my autograph.

(Later that night, I had another request to sign four copies of the book.)

Did I really make it?

I know I have a long way to go as an author and writer, but this small moment was a reminder that I am an author.  I made it!

Now, it’s time to keep going.  I have more things to do – more blog posts to write – more books to author – and more moments to create.

Have you ever had an “I Made It Moment” that you could share with the Stretched Community?

If I had a book signing event in the near future, would you come to the event for an autograph?

On Track – Life Lessons from the Track & Field is now available on Amazon in paperback and for Kindle.  Click the link below to get your copy today.

As a reminder, I am offering a FREE pdf copy of the interior of the book to subscribers of The Stretched Newsletter.  Head over to the main page of the blog and sign up on the right hand menu bar to get your copy today for FREE!

Ice Breaker – Your Book

Each week on The Stretched Blog, I ask an ice breaker question. The questions are designed to help us get to know each other here in The Stretched Community. I’ll provide my answer to the question here in the post, and then you can leave your response in the comments. While you’re in the comments section, see how others answered the ice breaker question.

(I’m always looking for Ice Breaker question ideas.  If you have an idea, send me an email at jon@jonstolpe.com.  If I use your question, I’ll give you credit and share your links.)

Question:  If you were to write a book, what would it be about?

My Answer:  Honestly, until a few years ago, I never imagined writing a book.  When I was in first grade, I wrote a book about the colors of the rainbow.  I think I still have it hiding in a storage bin in my basement.

I’m excited to be very close to releasing my first “official” book which is still on schedule to release on April 22, 2014.  The book is called On Track – Life Lessons from the Track & Field.  This book isn’t just for the runner or athlete.  I believe it provides practical life lessons we all can embrace.  If you’re stuck in a rut or need a little guidance in finding your way, I’m hoping this book will help you get On Track!

The reality is I have another book in the works.  I’m not sure of the title yet, but the book is about developing a mission mindset.  I’m excited to share my own story, to provide practical advice, and to encourage readers to become mission minded right where they are.  It will be exciting to see how this unfolds.

Answer this week’s ice breaker question by leaving a comment. I look forward to reading your response! (As always, feel free to share links.) And keep STRETCHING!

Also don’t forget to sign up for the Stretched newsletter.  Check out this post to find out how to sign up.  Subscribers will get a special deal on the upcoming release of On Track – Life Lessons from the Track & Field.