Networking 105: Magazine Articles

Good Afternoon Readers,

Today is another day where I am inspired to write another blog on Networking. In this blog, I will explore the possibilities of advertising in Magazines. Magazine advertisements will not come to you....you have to go out and get them. So the question is: How do you find magazines that will promote your book?

Well, here are some tips that will help you as you begin looking for prospective magazines that will advertise your book:
1. You need to look through many different magazines to see if they do book reviews or features on authors.
2. Once you have 6-8 magazines, you need to BUY these magazines so that you can take them home and read the reviews that have been done on past books.
3. After reading the reviews, you need to create a form letter to each magazine. Address the letter to Features Editor, Senior Writer, or the person who is in charge of doing Book Reviews.
4. Before you send out each letter, pray and ask God to allow your letter to fall into the right hands so that you can advertise with them.
5. Give each magazine a month to receive your letter and to respond back to you.
6. Be prepared. If the magazine says that they want a review copy of your book, you need to be prepared to send them a review copy. Word of Caution: Do not send the book by book rate (4th class mail). Sending the book Priority Rate says something about you as an Author. You want them to know that you wanted them to receive your book ASAP.
7. Before you send the books, pray and ask God to guide the person as they read your book.
8. Give the magazine a month or two to read your book and to form their own opinion of your book.
9. When (or if) the magazine chooses to contact you for advertising or to do an article, you need to be ready to sell your book like it is best piece of cheesecake that they can find. If you articulate your work properly, you will be able to convince the writer that they made a good choice in doing an article on you.
10. When asked, send them a head shot of you holding your books. Nothing says more than an author who is proud to hold the books that they wrote.
11. When the article comes out in print, be humble and show others how they can get their work out into the public. You did it and so can they!

You will not believe this but I learned these tips within the past month. I was told by a postal worker that I should never send my books by Book Rate to any magazine, newspaper, or television show. It puts a bad impression on you and your work. Have some class and integrity and send your books by Priority Mail.

UPDATE: At 12:00pm today, I had a telephone conference with a Christian Magazine. I found out about this magazine by sending a FaceBook Inbox message to the Editor. In any event, I was able to speak to the Editor about my book. She asked me about my book and the mission for it. I told her that no church member is perfect; we all go through issues but we know that God can help us through any situation that we will experience. Her final question was: What should readers take away from your book? I told her "The readers will be able to see that they are going through many issues but if God can help my 400 characters overcome their situations, he can help them too!" She was sold at that point. Her only response was "Wow!" Right now, we are in the process of signing the contract so that I can be featured in the Spring 2012 Must Reads. In order to get somewhere, you have to start somewhere.

Know thyself.......market thyself!

The Author Journey Continues!

Networking 104: Utilizing Connections with Family, Friends, and Church Members

Good Afternoon Readers,

I hope that your day is going well so far. Today, I thought about other ways that you can market your book. As I thought further, I thought about the connections that we all have with our friends, family members, and church members. Often times, we speak to these people when we have an idea and they tend to give us the best advice.
Well, here are some tips that you can use to market your book through your friends, family, and church members:
1. Find out if they are interested in your book. You cannot get a person to market your book if they have no interest in it.
2. If they are interested in your book, they will buy it.
3. After they buy the book, give them some time so that they can read your book and form their own opinion of your work.
4. After about a month or two, go and ask them what they learned from reading your book. Maybe you can invite a group of people to a set location so that you can get their impressions on the book.
5. After that, make sure that you give each person 2 of your business cards. Since they already have your business card, they can pass out the 2 business cards to people that they know.
6. As time goes on, you will have a network of people who believe in your product and they are not afraid to tell other people about it.
7. No matter what, always be prepared to tell others about your book. If you are at work, share it with your coworkers. If you are at church, share it with your church members. If you are in the grocery store, share it with the people who are shopping.
8. Above all things, be humble as you talk about your book. You want people to buy it but you don't want to come across as cocky because a bad attitude will make you lose a potential client.
9. You are connected to these people for a reason so be willing to tell them about your book and where you would like it to go in the future.
10. Lastly, just because a person is a family member, a friend, or a church member, it does not mean that they will embrace your book. Be selective on who you choose to tell about your book. You want to combat haters and people who want your dream to fail. Surround yourself by people who will embrace you, your book, and your talents. Above all things, don't forget to say thank you to the people who are helping you to market your book.

Well, I am gonna sign off. I am gonna do some homework and prepare for my interview with Terri Clay from The Talking with Terri Show. Lessons on Church Folk Volume 1 & Volume 2 will be a part of Terri's Favorite Things Show on Thursday (Nov. 3) at 6pm. Tune in to www.blogtalkradio.com/terri-clay. Feel free to call in and ask questions on the following number: (424) 258-9284

The Author Journey continues...........

Networking 103: Book Signings

Good Evening Readers,

I hope that your weekend went well. I was sitting down thinking about Book Signings and I thought that I would write a blog about it. Too often, people think that they should not have Book Signings. If you want to get your book noticed, you need to have Book Signings so that people will know who you are and they can get more information about your book.

Here are some tips when it comes to initiating Book Signings:
1. Be professional. Use common English as you go to each place of business.
2. Ask to speak to the person who is in charge of Book Signings. Find out the schedule to see if you can hold a Book Signing at their place of business.
3. Be willing to allow the contact person a chance to review your work before they approve you to have a Book Signing. Once a date has been set, you need to write it down in 2 places (planner/cell phone).
4. Bring copies of your Press Release and your Advertisement Flyers so that the business can read more about your book and what it can offer to the audience that they cater to.
5. After the approval has been given, send a thank you letter to the business. You must always remember that it is a privilege to hold a Book Signing in their place of business. Sending a thank you letter shows that you appreciate the fact that they are allowing you an opportunity to sell your book to their clientele.


Here are some tips to follow on the day of the Book Signing:
1. Double check to make sure that you have everything that you need for the Signing (Receipts, Business Cards, Books, Table Clothes, Table Decorations, Cash Drawer, Ink Pens, etc.).
2. Make sure that the facility is opened at least 2 hours early so that you will have enough time to set up before the Signing begins.
3. Initiate the labor of others so that they can assist you in setting up.
4. If you have food or drink, make sure that your caterers show up at least 1-2 hours before the Signing begins.
5. 15-30 minutes before the Signing, make sure that everything is in place so that you look organized when the Signing starts. (Do a silent prayer in a quiet place so that you can be relaxed as you face your audience.)
6. When the Signing begins, you will need to make an Introductory speech. You need to be prepared to speak to your audience with confidence so that they will know that you know the contents of your Book.
7. Read a  passage or two to your audience. You want to give them a brain teaser so that they can be drawn to buy your book. Only read a small portion of the passage and leave the rest to their imagination.
8. After reading a small passage, allow your audience to ask you questions about your book. Be prepared to answer the questions in an intelligent manner.
9. After questions, you should allow yourself about 5 minutes to make sure that you have all of your receipts, business cards, and books at your finger tips so that you can have a smooth transition of customers when the selling begins.
10. After that, guide your customers to your table (or have someone to direct traffic towards your Signing table).
11. For each customer, remember to smile as you greet them.
12. Write out your receipt for each customer. You need to keep track an accurate record of the books that you are selling.
13. Make sure that you place the receipt in your book along with your business card so that they will know how to contact you if they need more books.
14. Have a special place where you will keep all of your money/checks. Do not keep them out in the open because they will get stolen. A cash drawer or a large purse will help you to keep your money close to you.
15. At the end of each transaction, remember thank your customers for their patronage. Just because you hold a Book Signing, it does not mean that anyone has to buy your book. Saying thank you will go a long way especially when it comes to them telling other people about your book.
16. As the Book Signing draws to a close, make sure that you have a clean-up crew that will assist you in cleaning up.
17. After you have cleaned up the Signing area, have some trusted individuals who will take your supplies/books to your vehicle. You may need to walk with them to make sure that you are protecting your investment.
18. After loading up your car, make sure that you have made contact with the business owner so that you can thank them one final time for allowing you to use their place of business for the Book Signing.
19.  After that, thank each person who helped you to set up the Book Signing and those who helped to clean up after the Signing was over.
20. Lastly, say a prayer of thanks to God for allowing you to have a great Book Signing. You didn't make it great.....he did!

The Author Journey continues.........................

Networking 102: Radio Interiews

Good Afternoon Readers,

I hope that this is a great marketing day for you. Today, I would like to speak about Networking through Radio Interviews. Many people believe that their product should sit on a shelf and people will notice it as they walk by. Well, a radio interview (or a series of them) could give your product the exposure that it needs so that people can go and look for the product in their local stores.

Here is my advice on getting a Radio Interview:

1. Be professional. Use proper English so that you can convey your business to others.
2. Have a professional letter ready so that you can send it out to potential radio shows and radio personalities.
3. Be willing to send out a copy of your product so that radio hosts can form their own opinion of your work. Their opinion is important because you are trying to sell your product to their audience.
4. Be patient. Give the radio hosts a chance to review your product. In 2-3 weeks, do a follow-up call.
5. When a time and date is set up, write it down in 2 places (calendar/cell phone). Missing a radio interview could mean that you are missing out on a chance to market your product in the radio's viewing area.

Here is my advice on how to conduct yourself during a Radio Interview:
1. Remember that you are the author. No one should know your book better than you do. Speak clearly and intelligently.
2. Try to relax. The easiest part is over (writing the book). Now the hard part begins: marketing the book.
3. Be confident when you speak about your book. People can tell if you believe in your product by how you convey the book to the audience.
4. Be ready to answer questions from the interviewer and from callers on the phone. If you knows the answer, say it. If you do not know, be honest and say that you do not know.
5. Enjoy the interview and critique yourself later. No interview will be perfect. But each interview will get you closer to getting your book in the hands of the radio audience.

Here is some sage advice: Pray before each interview. (Seriously!) Prayer has calmed me down during radio interviews. Also, think of the interviewer as one of your best friends. Talk about the book as if you know the person who is interviewing you. Lastly, have a powerful pitch ready as the interview ends. Leave the readers with something to think about. On that note, I will sign off so that I can prepare for my next Radio Interview. On November 3, 2011, I will be interviewed by Terri Clay on Terri's Favorite Things Show. The show will begin at 6pm. The phone number is: (424) 258-9284. Listen to the show at: www.blogtalkradio/terriclay

The Author Journey continues..........

Networking 101: FaceBook postings on your page/groups

Good Morning Readers,

I hope that you are having a wonderful day so far. As an author/film maker, each day should be a marketing day for you. Some forms of marketing: are making calls, FaceBook posts, Twitter posts, radio interviews, television appearances, or even emails. But today, I would like to speak on FaceBook postings and Groups. Here are some things that I have learned about FaceBook postings on your page:

1. Only you and your friends can see the postings. Set your status to public so everyone can see the posts.
2. You have to craft your posts so that it will draw in more readers/viewers.
3. Advertise yourself each day and at different times of the day.
4. Post links/websites to where your information/product can be found.
5. Be willing to accept comments on your postings. Feedback can help you to improve your product as you market your book to others.

And here are some things that I have learned from FaceBook Literary Groups:
1. You have to be willing to market your book/film to the audience that could benefit from your work.
2. When you enter groups, speak to everyone so that people will know who you are.
3. Post links/websites each time you create a post. If people don't remember the title of your work, your website will take them to where your information can be found.
4. Join as many groups as you can. Your book/film needs lots of exposure and FaceBook (and other networking sites) can help you get the exposure that you need.
5. Be willing to learn from the veterans in the Groups. Read the postings that come in so that you can make sure that your product is in order before it hits the newsstands.

Overall, market your book/film like it is the best product out there. If you created it, you have to believe in your product. Your enthusiasm in marketing your product could determine whether people buy your product or not. Well, that's my advice for the day. I am signing on.

The Author Journey continues.............

One day, I will be on TV!

Good Morning Readers,

So far, I am having a great day. I woke up from the most amazing dream and I just have to tell you about it. Early this morning, I couldn't sleep because I am always trying to think of more ways that I can take my books to the world. Well, my dream began with me laying down resting in my bed. In my dream, I was asleep for a very long time. And then my sleep was interrupted by a phone call. I had not turned my phone on silent the night before so it was ringing off the hook. I was agitated but I decided to get up so I could answer the phone. I thought it was an emergency because it kept ringing. Anyway, I looked at the caller ID and it had a 312 area code. I thought to myself, "Who do I know in Chicago?". Well, I answered the phone. Here is the conversation as I remember it:

Me: Hello
Caller: Hello, May I speak to Antoinette Marie Davis?
Me: (thinking, "you are bold to know my whole name) Yes, this is Antoinette Marie Davis.
Caller: This is The Oprah Winfrey Show.
Me: (opens one eyes) Oh ok. Am I speaking with a Producer of the show?
Caller: No, this is Oprah Winfrey. How are you doing?
Me: (starstruck)(opens both eyes). No way, Oprah does not have time to call me. She is very busy.
Oprah: Actually, this is Oprah. I am calling you because I have been reading your books and I am very impressed with the work that you have done with marketing Lessons on Church Folk Volume 1 & Volume 2.
Me: Thank you Ms. Winfrey. I really appreciate it.
Oprah: Gayle & I have talked about your book and we both thought that the book described all sides of the church.  What inspired you to write this book?
Me: I was inspired to write after my grandfather's passing. I looked at his life and how he dedicated his life to his church and his personal relationship with God. He was dedicated until the end and I just had to honor him by writing a book on church people.
Oprah: I had no idea that you had experienced so much but I am glad that you put your energy into your writing. Is it possible for me to meet you in person so that I can interview you for the show?
Me: (starstruck)(tears begin to flow) Yes, I would be more than glad to meet with you so that we can discuss both books.
Oprah: I am gonna transfer you to my secretary so that she can set up the date for your interview. We will make your flight arrangements through Delta Air and you will be staying at the Omni Hotel (my signature hotel).
Me: Thank you so much for taking the time to speak with me about my journey through writing. I look forward to meeting you very soon.
Oprah: You are welcome. Enjoy the rest of your day. I will transfer you now......


And then the dream ended. Will I ever get to met Oprah? I don't know. But I do know that dreams come along for a reason. One of my goals is to be on TV so that I can endorse my books to the entire world. One day, I believe it will happen. Until then, I will continue to work hard so that the book can continue to be a success.

The Author Journey continues........

Another exciting day in my world........

Good Afternoon Everyone,

Today is turning out to be a wonderful day. I am alive and well and I am so thankful for another day of life, health, and strength. In any event, I have been in marketing mode since this morning. So I called a couple of churches so that I could hold some future Book Signings at their churches. Well, as I called the final church on my list, I was very optimistic that I would be able to hold a Book Signing at the church. My father had spoken to the Pastor while he was in town handling some errands. My father is a natural salesman (that's who I get my business skills from). My father saw the Pastor and asked him if he wanted to buy one or both books. The Pastor said that he didn't have the money at the time, but he wanted to hold a Book Signing at his church. The Pastor told me that he was inspired by the fact that my Father was willing to endorse my books. It showed him that my Father believed in my books and he was willing to sell them to anyone who wanted to buy the books.

As of 12:45pm, I have finalized all of the arrangements for the Book Signing. Here is the information:

•  12/18/11 - 1:00pm Lessons on Church Folk Book Signing, Union Memorial AME Church, Benton Harbor, MI

I hope to see you all there!

The Author Journey continues........

The Power of Relationships

Dear Readers,

Today, I realized that relationships are the most powerful aspects of our lives. In our friendships, we seek answers from our friends on how we should live and respond to others around us. We spend lots of time around our friends because we share so many similarities with them. We enjoy being around them because we can be ourselves around them.

In our personal relationships, we seek to find the balance between our personal lives and our work lives. But the person that we are with is the person who helps us to balance everything that we need to do. In everything that we do, we know that we have someone who will support us no matter what happens. Support is what we need in order to keep going even in the midst of tough situations.

The Author Journey continues!

Another week is beginning....

Good Morning Readers,

My day is off to a great start. Right now, I am getting things in order so that I can advertise for my November Book Signings. I am excited about these Book Signings because I will be holding one of them at a Bookstore and the other signing will be held at my alma mater.

Here is a list of the confirmed Book Signings for November:
Nov. 20: Joseph Beth Booksellers, Lexington Greene, Lexington, KY ,   2pm -4pm
Nov. 28: Lake Michigan College, 2755 E. Napier Ave., Benton Harbor, MI,   11am-2pm

In any event, I am glad that both books are doing well. These books will make great Christmas gifts or even Birthday gifts. But these books were written for people who go to church, left the church, considering leaving the church, or people who walk by or live close to a church. There is a lot going on in the church but the main reason why you are there is to focus your eyes on Christ. On that note, I will sign off.

The Author Journey continues...............

Why did I want to be an author?

Good Morning Readers,

I wanted to take a moment to tell you why I wanted to be an Author. As a child, I enjoyed reading and writing in my classes. During that time, I kept journals on the things that I was experiencing as I was growing up. I would talk about my classes and how people treated me when I was at school. Over time, I realized that I was growing up as I wrote each journal entry. In grade school and in college, I have written many papers. But they were mostly written because they were assignments that had to be submitted for a grade.

But I wanted to do some writing that could be published so that other people could read my writing. So in the summer of 2010, I began writing stories about my educational journey. It seemed like I was writing a whole chapter each day. The more I wrote, the better I felt about publishing my book on day. I knew an author/friend who had published so I asked him questions about the publishing process. As I asked questions, I wondered if people would read my writing. Would they like it? Would they tell other people to buy it? As time went on, the author/friend encouraged me to write so that I could have a manuscript that I would be proud of.

In the Fall of 2010, I began writing small quotes on FaceBook about church folks. I was laughing as I wrote most of the quotes. I seek to find the comedy in life so why can't I find comedy in church? As time went on, I wrote stories to go along with each quote. By April of 2011, I had written 400 quotes and 400 stories. The brain is the most brilliant tool that we have. If you feed your brain daily, it will work at rapid rates when it comes to writing. After that, I sent my work to Mill City Press. They are the best publishers around. They helped me with everything from the front cover, interior information, and the back cover. They gave me creative control over all of my work. The best part is: I get 100% royalties on all of my work.

As the author of Lessons on Church Folk Volume 1 & Volume 2, I can tell you that publishing and marketing is tough. But it is a work that has to be done by a strong person. The best way to sell your product is to remember this statement: My book/books are the best books on the market right now. If you really believe that, you will market your book to any and everyone who will listen to you. Well, I will sign off now. Please stay tuned for future blog entries.

The Author Journey continues........

Friday has finally come!

Today is Friday and I am excited about it! I have been looking forward to Friday every since Monday. I love the end of the week because this means that I get to enjoy my rest without interruptions. Well, as I approach my weekend, I am tying up some loose ends as I prepare for my next two book signings:

November 20, 2011- Joseph Beth Booksellers in Lexington Greene, Lexington, Kentucky
November 28, 2011- Lake Michigan College, Benton Harbor, Michigan

The November 20th event has been locked in and confirmed. I will be doing the final confirmation with Lake Michigan College today. I am excited about both of these signings because it will be the first time that I will be having Book Signings in an actual Bookstore. Sidenote: My dad set up the November 28th Signing for me.

I am so glad that this whole process is a family event. My mom and dad are selling books in MI and my sister is selling some books in Tennessee. I am selling books here in KY. Overall, we are all working together so that we can make this project a success. #goteamDavis

Today is a Brand New day!

Good Morning Everyone!

My day is off to a great start. I woke up thankful for another day of life, health, and strength. I am so happy that life is going well. Right now, I am a third year doctoral student at the University of Kentucky. I am working on my EdD in Instruction/Administration with a specialization in Mathematics Education. At this stage in the program, I am very tired but I am looking forward to completing my last semester of coursework for the program. And I am looking forward to enjoying some much needed rest very soon.

As for the books, they are doing very well on Amazon.com. Last night at 7pm, Amazon replenished their stock of both books. I am glad that people are reading the books. Many authors want to get published but some authors are not willing to do what is necessary to market their books to the world. Well, I think I am one step closer to one of my goals: Being on TV so that I can market my book to the whole world. When will it happen? I don't know but I will continue to work hard until the dream comes true.

The Author Journey continues......

The Author Journey continues.....

Hi Everyone,

Today is going okay. I have had an interesting day so far. As an author, I am elated because my books are sold out on Amazon.com. In many ways, every author wants people to appreciate their work because they want to feel like they have accomplished something. For me, writing two books has been the biggest accomplishment that I have achieved so far. I am excited about this new path. I am even more excited about traveling to different states so that I can market my books.

Right now, I am planning for my three upcoming Book Signings/Radio Interviews:

November 3, 2011- Terri's Favorite Things, Atlanta, Georgia (The radio interview will be conducted from Kentucky)
November 20, 2011- Joseph-Beth Booksellers, Lexington, KY
November 28, 2011- Lake Michigan College, Benton Harbor, MI

Overall, life is good and I have no complaints. Please stay tuned for more information on Lessons on Church Folks. Thanks for reading this blog!