Self-Publishing Author Series: Interview with Liz Goodgold

Today, we hear from self-published author Liz Goodgold. Liz is a branding expert, speaker and the author of “Red Fire Branding: Create a Hot Personal Brand to Have Customers for Life!” www.redfirebranding.com, and “DUH! Marketing: 99 Monstrous Missteps You Can Use to Learn, Laugh, and Grow Your Business,” http://www.duhmarketing.com.

• Tell us about your self-published book.

“DUH! MARKETING” offers a humorous jaunt through the advertising and marketing jungle and is guaranteed to get readers to chuckle or gasp over positively on-point or miserably off-target marketing efforts by some of the most recognized companies worldwide.

“DUH! MARKETING” covers the essentials of marketing through analysis of humorous and not-so-hilarious real-life examples. It provides simple and foundational marketing guidelines following the premise that if readers can remember an outrageous story, they will never forget its lesson. Every DUH! Is followed by a parallel Ta Da! so that you learn what works and what doesn't.

• Why did you decide to self-publish?

After acquiring a very prestigious agent who also represented Ken Blanchard and Spencer Johnson, I discovered that interested publishers had a very different idea of the book than I had. It was either my vision or their vision-no compromise. Further, the book was already finished, and I couldn’t get the book published fast enough; it seemed to me that the sooner it was published, the sooner I could reap the rewards.

• What has been your biggest reward in self-publishing your book?

A book is the best business card you will ever create! It moves your credibility beyond “knowledgeable” to “expert.” I used the book as my foundation to grow my speaking business exponentially. I also learned that publishing your book isn’t news (unless it is about a wizard named Harry Potter!), but you can use your book as an opportunity to bombard the media.

I appeared on hundreds of radio and TV stations talking about Brittney Spears, Super Bowl commercials, networking, and the best ways to market. It is the ultimate springboard for publicity.

• What has been the most challenging part of self-publishing your book?

The devil is in the details. Just because you are a subject-area expert, doesn’t mean you understand the intricacies of publishing. Getting an ISBN number, filing for copyright, designing the cover, and getting your book up on Amazon, for example, makes for tedious work best delegated to others as I discovered later in the game.

• What advice do you have for other self-published authors?

Two key pieces of advice:

Delegate certain tasks; you cannot, for example, proof your own book. Similarly, find someone who can handle the book publishing details so that they are accurate.

Find a coach who will keep you on track. Without a publisher, it’s easy to make your book into a “some day” project. With a coach seeking accountability and responsibility, I guarantee that you will progress, hit deadlines, and ultimately get your book to market.

Excellent information Liz! Thanks for your insights.

Do you have questions on how to sell your book and the self-publishing process? Please let me know here, at www.jexbo.com, or at http://www.jexbo.blogspot.com/. I’m here to help! Thanks!