There are myriad ways to connect with readers nowadays, both directly and indirectly, but you can’t do it all, nor should you try. Whether you’re a novelist or journalist, poet or pundit, striking the right balance is critical to implementing and sustaining an effective marketing strategy. From websites to social media to live events, Guy will focus on the value of owned channels, offline/analog engagement, and how to make sure you’re not wasting your time.
Guy LeCharles Gonzalez
loudpoet.com | @glecharles
#getread 11/13/2013
2. loudpoet.com
Blogging it Like it is Since 2003
Guy LeCharles Gonzalez has worked in the publishing industry for 20 years and is
currently the Director, Content Strategy & Audience Development for Media
Source, Inc.’s Library Journals, LLC, and was the founding Director of
Programming & Business Development for Digital Book World.
He’s also the Artistic Director of The louderARTS Project, a published poet and
journalist, and former National Poetry Slam champion.
EXPERIENCE
• Director, Content & Digital Product Dev, Media Source / Library Journals, LLC.
• Director of Programming & Business Dev, Digital Book World
• Publisher & Editorial Director, Horticulture
• Advertising Sales Director, Writer’s Digest
• Marketing Manager, SourceMedia
• Membership Manager, The Academy of American Poets
• Circulation Assistant and Fulfillment Manager, Poets & Writers
Also…
• Founder, curator and host of a little bit louder
• Contributing Editor for PopCultureShock.com
• Artistic Director, The louderARTS Project
• Contributor, VQR Online
• Co-author of Burning Down the House (Soft Skull Press, 2000)
• Author of Handmade Memories (Free Verse Media, 2011)
Guy LeCharles Gonzalez | loudpoet.com | @glecharles
#getread 11/13/13
4. Exercise #1
GOOGLE THESE AUTHORS
• Chuck Wendig
• MJ Rose
• Joanna Penn
• Bella Andre
• James Scott Bell
• Claire Cook
• Allison Winn Scotch
NOW, GOOGLE YOURSELF
• What are the top 5 results?
• Which do you own?
Guy LeCharles Gonzalez | loudpoet.com | @glecharles
#getread 11/13/13
5. Exercise #2
ESTABLISH A PERSONAL
LEARNING NETWORK (PLN)
A personal learning network is an
informal learning network that consists
of the people a learner interacts with
and derives knowledge from in a
personal learning environment. In a
PLN, a person makes a connection
with another person with the specific
intent that some type of learning will
occur because of that connection.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Personal_learning_network
Guy LeCharles Gonzalez | loudpoet.com | @glecharles
#getread 11/13/13
6. Exercise #3
“Some of these conversations ended in a sale, but don’t let that fool you.
The sale was merely the exclamation mark at the end of the sentence.”
Markets Are Conversations, CLUETRAIN MANIFESTO
Community Engagement & Development
#book2 | @glecharles
http://www.flickr.com/photos/nic/230233024/
7. Key Takeaways
OWN YOUR DOMAIN
Social media platforms come and go, but the website(s) you own will still be
there when the latest fad fades into the past. Establish a relevant hub and keep it
up-to-date, linking all of your online activity back to it. Keep it simple; if you can't
manage it yourself, you're trying too hard.
GO ANALOG
From relevant industry conferences and events, to relationships with your local
booksellers and librarians, never underestimate the value of the in-person
experience. Attend readings, browse bookshelves, seek out fellow writers,
publishing professionals, and communities of interest; maintain a physical
connection to the world around you.
BE YOURSELF
Engage on your own terms; don't try to be someone else or follow somebody's
marketing template. Know your strengths and leverage them; know your
weaknesses and minimize them; find opportunities to challenge yourself and
broaden your horizons.
Guy LeCharles Gonzalez | loudpoet.com | @glecharles
#getread 11/13/13
9. GUY LECHARLES GONZALEZ
Director, Content Strategy & Audience Development
Library Journal | School Library Journal | The Horn Book
Artistic Director & Co-Founder
The louderARTS Project
loudpoet.com
@glecharles
Twitter bird, "Dave," by Matt Joyce via Inspired Magazine.