Posts Tagged ‘carve out your niche’

5 Keys to Sell Books Like Hotcakes with YouTube

Wednesday, October 31st, 2012

YouTube is an inexpensive and powerful way to promote a book online. Maybe you’ve heard about it.

I make videos for YouTube on how to operate a fixer upper and rental house business, or on how to “carve out your niche” and how to self-publish. The best way to maximize views of YouTube videos that promote your books is to provide useful information that is helpful to people.

Five Keys for YouTube Success

Kodak Zi8 Movie Camera

1.) Be Subtle

Rather than making a video where you tell people to buy your book, it’s much better to make a video describing how your business operates, and why the type of business in general is a good business to be in. Subtlety always works better than beating people over the head with a sales promotion. Give your viewers something of value and they may return the favor.

For variety, and to broaden my appeal, sometimes I make a video designed simply to inspire people. I tell stories from my life that have inspiring messages, or describe ways that I find inspiration in my own life. In general, the better people know you, the more likely they are to become a customer.

2.) Keep it Short and Entertaining

Logitech Webcam

Many videos on YouTube are long and boring, when they should be quick and fun. I keep my videos short, and I try to include humor in them. I will tell a story that has recently happened to me, or use something that I have recorded in my “humor” notebook, where I record quips or jokes that I have come across.

3.) No Adlibbing

To make sure that I come across as professionally as possible, I write a script before I start recording. The script doesn’t have to be word for word what you plan to say, but just an outline so that you know the key points that you want to make. I always try to include quotes from famous people, and, of course, humor and stories.

Unless you’re Jay Leno, don’t try to adlib your way through a video. It just won’t look as good as you think it does. Think, “nose piercing.”

4.) Break it up into Pieces

Now I do my videos in segments. I will look at my script and decide what I want to say about one key point. I record myself talking about that one point. Then I stop the camera and study the next key point, and so on.

Try to look right into the camera, and speak in a friendly voice as though you were talking to your best friend.

5.) Don’t Overanalyze

Don’t try to overanalyze making videos. As Douglas Adams said,

If you try and take a cat apart to see how it works, the first thing you have on your hands is a non-working cat.

What’s my motivation?

My First Video

For the first video that I made (where I was actually on screen), I was so nervous that I actually wrote out the entire script and read it into the camera. I had my son, Bryan, holding the script next to the camera so that it wouldn’t look like I was reading it.

My son commented, “Surely, people will know that you are just reading.”

I said, “No way. I’ll read it like I talk. And don’t call me Shirley!”

Bryan was right. It did kind of look like I was reading.

Cut!!!

At the end of the video, I was going to stand up and walk away down a peaceful rural path with my dog Blackie (the Wonder Dog), and I got tangled up in the microphone wire. And, the camera pan was jerky as I walked away. The video was unraveling into a Three Stooges experience, but none of that mattered. All that mattered was I somehow got the first video finished and posted.

I did this video before I started using an editing program so, like live TV, we had to get it all on one take.

Here is that first live video, warts and all, entitled “Walk Away From Your Problems and Find Inspiration.”


Two Alternatives to Using a Movie Camera

1. For the Camera Shy

If you really do not wish to appear in a video, you can still produce videos. You can use Easy Screen Capture Video, or ESCV (or any number of similar companies) and just do a voice over of a power point presentation, or use screen shots. It’s amazingly simple to do. You don’t even need a camera.

Here is the first video that I made using the ESCV technology, entitled “Start a Fixer Upper and Rental House Business” (which, looking back seems to run too long).

2. The Economical Way 

If you want to do it the cheap and easy way, you can just record your videos using an video camera attached to your computer. I have a Logtech camera that captures sound and video. It clips onto the top of my screen and plugs into a USB port of my computer.

We’re Not Filming “War and Peace”

It’s tempting to think, “I don’t want to show this video to the world until it’s perfect.” Come on, you’re not Quentin Tarantino. We’re not aiming for a masterpiece here. You have to swallow your pride, and just put the video on YouTube, even if it has a few flaws.

People will overlook mistakes, especially if you have good content. My attitude is: my videos are not great, but I’m getting better each time I make another one. The more videos I make the better I get.

In this later video, “The Secret to Success in Less than 2 Minutes.” I employed several of the techniques that I have mentioned. It’s my most popular video with 3,200 views.

Camera and Editing

The camera that I use to record video is the Kodak Zi8. It’s small, easy to use and makes very clear videos. I also recommend that you have a tripod, a remote control, an external microphone, and an 8 GB flash memory card.

For editing, I use Windows Live Movie Maker, which is free if you have Windows. It allows you to cut and paste your video, and add music and titles.

Show People How to Do It!

Most people don’t want to waste time reading how to fix a leaky sink, or repair a car lock, or start a real estate business. They want to see how to do it!

They go to YouTube for answers.

That’s why your videos should be there.

This week’s recommended articles from the blogosphere:

Accepting The Value Of An Emergency Fund at Modest Money

Hi There, What Can You Tell Me About Yourself?  at Frugal Rules

Halloween Humor: Random Things I’m Scared Of Eyes on the Dollar

Reader tip: Earn a little extra change by becoming a mail decoy at Money Saving Mom

Trick Or Treat {Finer Things Friday} at The Finer Things in Life

How Not to Take a Blogging Hiatus at Making Sense of Cents

Real Estate 101: Finding Good Tenants at Free Money Finance

Save Money With Coupons This Holiday Season at Work Save Live

Fearless Men’s Beard and Mustache Competition | Movember 2012 at Fearless Men

_____________________

Coming Soon!

How to Turn Your Home into a Rental House, Instead of Selling It

Can You Become a Millionaire Bestselling Author in 3 Days?

Tuesday, October 16th, 2012

I recently received several emails and even a postcard from a marketing guru.

He is promoting a new book publishing program where, he says, “REAL multi-millionaires show you how to become THE thought leader by sharing your wisdom and content.”

His postcard reads:

“GET PUBLISHED. GET PAID.

Fair WARNING: If your content creation, distribution, and monetization strategy sucks, you’ll be a broke, unknown expert forever. If your content strategy is smart, distinct, ubiquitous, and automated, you could be a famous millionaire who inspires the world. Your call.”

The card directs you to an on-line video sales pitch, where you see that he is offering a 3-day seminar where you will learn all you need to know to publish your book, for a cost of $10,000 dollars.

Lemme get this straight. We can learn all we need to know in just 3 days?

Take a 3 day swallow for $10,000

Where do we sign up?

Alas, this sales pitch is an un-holy marriage of fact and fantasy.

The Facts:

1.) Many people would like to write a book;

2.) There are genuine benefits from writing and publishing a book.

3.) Book promotion should be smart and ubiquitous.

The Fantasy:

1.) It’s fast. You can learn all you need to know to be a “famous” millionaire book author in 3 days;

2.) It’s expensive, but worth it. You need to pay an exorbitant sum of money to “jump start” your dream;

3.) You need “millionaire experts” to correctly publish and promote your book;

Granted, you could probably learn something from this seminar, but … 

if so-called “REAL multi-millionaires” are running the seminar, it’s probably going to involve you handing over your wallet to them so that they can do things for you that you could do for yourself. They’ll also be happy to tie your shoe laces for you and cut your meat up into smaller  pieces so it’s easier to chew, but is that really necessary?

This runs counter to what life teaches us about “self-reliance”

Muhahahaha!

Emerson said, “the essence of genius, of virtue, and of life is available to us through our intuition.” If we determine that our intuition is guiding us to write a book, nothing can stop us. We will learn as we advance in the direction of our dreams.

A better approach – carve out your niche

Self publishing only takes time to learn to learn the steps. Once you know them, you can publish books till the cows come home.

The same is true for book promotion.  Some of the most powerful ways to promote your book are accessible to anyone, and they are inexpensive. These include:

1.)  Blogging;

2.) YouTube;

3.) Amazon promotional tools;

4.) Radio & TV interviews;

5.) Public speaking;

and, many more.

Leap, and the net will appear

I say, instead of sending blank checks to needy multi-millionaires to get your book published, rely on your own inner compass and ingenuity to lead the way. You can do it yourself, and maybe even become more self-reliant and famous-ish in the process.

– – –

Recent blog articles that I recommend:

Using Remnants to save $ on your rehabs at Landlordinvestor

Your Increased Liability for Allowing Pets in Your Property at Louisville Gals

Thomas Jefferson | The Man Behind the Declaration of Independence at Fearless Men

Blogging Tips From a Beginner at Frugal Rules

How To Assess The Effectiveness Of Your Savings Account at iheartbudgets

5 Tips for Getting a Higher Starting Salary at Frugal Habits

When Is the Right Time to Have a Baby, Financially? at WorkSaveLive

How Do You Go From Minimum Wage to $80K In A Year? Part 1 at Planting our Pennies

Should You Go Against Fire Code When a Client Asks? at BlueCollarWorker

The Risks Of Starting A Business at Untemplater

The Secret to Selling Your House Flip at Modest Money

How to save money on currency exchange at Reach Financial Independence

Second Adulthood Rocks! at Any Shiny Thing

Can You Avoid Spending Money on School Fundraisers? at Eyes on the Dollar

We Bought a House! at Young Adult Money

 

How to Get Struck by Inspirational Lightning and Write Your Book

Monday, September 17th, 2012

I believe that every one who operates a fixer upper and rental house business, or anyone who is doing anything that they love, should also consider writing a book (and self-publish it, but that’s another article). Once we have paid our dues, and carved out our niche in our chosen field, we have a moral obligation to share that knowledge with others.

When you write your book, the circle is complete.

Writing blog articles is another way to share, but it doesn’t go far enough. A book is all your experience and wisdom concentrated into one simple package, like frozen orange juice. Someone can read it and be able to follow in your foot steps and do what you do.

Think Like an Artist

Where’s my coffee?

Writing a book requires the same perseverance and gusto that we bring to our chosen profession. However, it also requires something more. We need to be able to think like artists. Don’t worry, you don’t have to walk around with a tortured look on your face, grow a goatee, or sip coffee all day at French Cafés.

Thinking like as artist requires delving into the inspirational and creative natures of our personalities. In short, we have to be struck by inspirational lightning!

Author Julie Cameron, in her book “The Artist’s Way” describes a two-pronged technique designed to plug you into your inner source of creativity.

The two steps are:

1.) Writing morning pages; and,

2.) The artist’s date.

The morning pages allow you to bypass your “logic” brain, which is normally in gear, and shift into the “artist” brain. The artist’s dates are fun things that you do to refill your creative reservoir.

Morning Pages

Up a little too early?

The “morning pages” technique involves getting up an hour earlier than you normally do, and in longhand writing, write three pages using strictly stream of consciousness. Every day, just write three pages of whatever crosses your mind, and don’t stop until the three pages are full.

The purpose of writing morning pages is to get past the things that inhibit us from writing; our fears, our negativity, or our moods. It gets us past them to a place where we can hear that still, small voice. And, when we are in that place past the negativity, we can align with our creative energies.

As Cameron says “It is impossible to write morning pages for any extended period of time without coming into contact with an unexpected inner power.”

The Artist Date

An artist date is a block of time, maybe two hours a week, committed to nurturing your inner artist. It can be things like a walk in the county, a visit to an art gallery, attending a film contest, or visit a great junk store. It’s just you and your inner artist.

Seek out the mysterious.

The artist brain is drawn to sensory stimulation, like sights, sounds, smell, taste, and touch. Do what intrigues you, explore what interests you; follow your sense of the mysterious.

Your inner artist needs to be taken out, indulged, and listened to. Our creativity uses this time to confide in us and to bond with us.

Get Going!

Morning pages and the artist date are a two step process for the aspiring au thor. The Morning Pages draw from your well of inspiration, and the Artist’s Date fill the well again.

“Someday” never comes.

I know, every time you imagine writing that book of yours; you get that glazed, wistful look in your eyes, thinking “yeah, someday I’m going to do that.”

Snap out of it!

You should allow these two techniques to jump start your creative juices, like inspirational lightning, and to begin writing your book!

Julia Cameron on Morning Pages & Artist Date

_____________________

Coming Soon!

How to Turn Your Home into a Rental House, Instead of Selling It

The 5 Rules on How to Lose Money and Get Your Rental Property Trashed by Tenants

Friday, August 10th, 2012

The Arizona Network of Real Estate invited me to give a presentation to their group about my book “Fix em Up Rent em Out.”

I thought the video might be available to the general public but it looks as though that’s not going to happen.

However, so that no one feels left out, I am going to provide  a summary of the key points that I hit during the presentation. As someone who was regularly picked last for teams in gym class, I’m sensitive to people feeling left out. Casting modesty to the wind, I am also including exclusive photos of the event.

So here are:

The 5 Rules on How to Lose Money and Get Your Rental Property Trashed by Tenants (based on an article by Andrew Stefanczyk)

1. Choose the Worst Possible Area

Location will determine the kinds of tenants you will attract, and how much rent you can fairly charge.

Do you want these bearded wonders as tenants?

The best approach is to identify target areas in your city where you would like to focus your purchases. I like to focus on “transition zones” (where there is a mixture of housing types) which are good for investors because we can purchase properties at lower prices, and there is high demand to live in these areas.

2. Put in the very best of things when fixing up  an investment property

Use new and expensive sinks, doors, refrigerators, light fixtures, etc. Never shop at stores that recycle construction supplies. Spare no  expense.

Of course, the problem is that tenants will not take care of our properties as well as we would,

Habitat Store

so we end up with many broken or worn out items. The better alternative is to shop at used building supply stores, and to purchase good, inexpensive, supplies for our rental houses. One such store is the Habitat for Humanity store.

3. Make sure you have absolutely no experience in make basic repairs

Not knowing how to change electrical outlets, unclog drains & toilets, and replace broken windows will cost quite a bit down the road.

The better way is to:

A. Learn as you go, and comply with EPA regulations

B. Take construction classes at junior college

C. Learn from handymen and contractors

D. Take the Zen approach to  house repair learn to do everything yourself

5. Utilize fix-up books, investing books, & YouTube to find answers on how to make house repairs

4. Do not screen your tenants

Being as uninformed as possible about who you rent to may be the best way to lose money as a landlord. Do not ask for or check references. Do not call previous landlords and ask questions like, did they pay rent on time? How was the condition of the house or apartment when they left? Did they ever disturb neighbors with loud music or shouting matches? How often would you have to make special trips for repairs? Being as uninformed as possible about whom you rent to will make a huge difference and will increase the chances that you will get tenants that will trash your property and refuse to pay rent.

However, the better way is to:

A. Use a checklist for tenants. Decide what kind of tenant that you want ahead of time.

B. Look at their paycheck to verify income.

C. Check county records to see what illegal activities they’ve been up to.

D. Know the Fair Housing Act. Never select tenants based strictly on “race, color, national origin, religion, sex, familial status or handicap (disability).”

E. To find new tenants, use Craiglist, put up arrow signs, and host an “open house.”

5. Make sure you have not learned about your rights as a landlord

Be completely unfamiliar with the eviction process to guarantee long, drawn out disputes with tenants. Don’t keep up to date financial records or copies of correspondence with tenants. Most states provide online information about tenant and landlord rights so avoid reading these.

The better way is:

A. Get an authoritative legal guide like  “The Arizona Landlord Deskbook” by Carlton Cassler.

B.  Copy forms and letters from your legal book to send to tenants.

C. Comply with legal ways to deal with bad tenants.

D. Use memos to communicate with tenants so you have a record of correspondence.

E. Use a month to month lease instead of long-term lease to more easily scrape off bad tenants like barnacles.

F. Reward tenants for paying on time by discounting their rent $25.  

G. Send good tenants Target  gift cards for Xmas.

In Conclusion

Share Your Knowledge

“Each of us has cause to think with deep gratitude of those who have lighted the flame within us.”

–Albert Schweitzer

Carve Out Your Niche Update

My award-winning book on self-publishing, Carve Out Your Niche, is now available in Kindle format.

The Midwest Book Review called Carve Out Your Niche,

“Invaluable for anyone seeking to successfully write, publish, and market their own work.”

 Related Posts

Remove that Garbarge Disposal Now!

“Carve Out Your Niche” Wins USA Book Award

Friday, November 11th, 2011

My new book “Carve Out Your Niche” was an award winning finalist in the 2011 National Best Books Awards.

Packed with specifics on not only writing a book, but also the possibility 
and practicality of self-publishing and marketing what you’ve written. 
“Carve Out Your Niche” will prove to be invaluable for anyone seeking 
to successfully write, publish, and market their own work. — Midwest Book Review

What to do if your tenant wants a pet?

Sunday, October 2nd, 2011

“In my day, we didn’t have dogs or cats. All I had was Silver Beauty, my beloved paper clip.”

– Jennifer Hart

I received a call last week from a fellow investor/friend. She had a tenant living in a house and the tenant said he would like his girlfriend and her dog to move in with him.

My friend knew that her tenant was on the verge of having some trouble making the monthly payments and it seemed like a good idea financially to have the girlfriend there too, two incomes being better than one. Of course, the girlfriend would sign the rental contract too, in case one of them moves out.

What stuck in the craw of my friend is that she recently put new carpet in the house, and did not want pets in there who might destroy the carpet. Her question to me was, should she allow the dog?

My answer was, let the dog stay too, but charge a fee of $20 per pet per month, and here’s why:

1. Not all rental properties allow pets, so the more accomodating you are in the area of pets, the more tenants that you can attract. And, many people experience a more rewarding life when they have a pet. So, the happier the tenant, the longer he stays.

2. The tenant is receiving a benefit from having their pet with them, and as mentioned, not all rentals allow pets. So, from that perspective, the tenant has not reason to be upset with a small monthly fee for the pet.

3. If the pet does a number 1 or number 2 on the carpet, the landlord still has the security deposit of one month’s rent, to repair the carpet. When the tenants move out the landlord is still covered.

Under my scenario, the tenants receive the benefit of the girlfriend moving in and the psychological benefit of having a pet. The landlord receives a slight benefit of a small additional amount coming in. Everyone is happy.

The only other consideration is to make sure the dog is not Cujo. I would’t allow a dog breed that is known to be aggressive. Otherwise the landlord is setting herself up to be bit with liability issues, if the dog gets out of the yard.

For another excellent article about pets, check out the article Allowing Pets in Your Rental Property by Sharon Vornholtt at http://LouisvilleGalsRealEstateBlog.com.

Read the new review of “Carve Out Your Niche” by Sharon Vornholt at Louville Gals Real Estate Blog

New Book – Carve Out Your Niche – Coming Soon

Friday, August 12th, 2011

What happens after you have been successfully operating your fixer-upper house business for several years, and you have become a master of your own minor universe?

At that point, it’s time to move on to the next phase of your career. You need to write a book about your experiences and share your hard-earned wisdom with others.

Following closely on the heels of writing your book, you will need to find ways to reach the people that will benefit from your book, and you must (gasp! choke!) promote your book.

This is where my new book, Carve Out Your Niche: How to Live Your Passion, Write Your Book, & Help Others to Change Their World, comes to your rescue.

I have already blazed a path for you to follow. Just follow the steps laid out in my book and you too will be able to:

1. Find your niche, or mission in life, if you haven’t already;

2. Lean to write and self-publish your book;

3. Promote your message through an assortment of proven techniques, including videos, radio interviews, and that ravenous monster called “the internet.”

Carve Out Your Niche will soon be available at Amazon.com and other internet book stores.

However, if you can’t wait and would like a preview of my book, you can fill in the form on my Carve Out Your Niche website and receive a free download of the Introductory Chapter.

Joe Sabah, author of How to Get on Radio Talk Shows all Across America, has reviewed my book and commented,

Carve Out Your Niche is a true pleasure to read. Follow Sprouse’s steps and you will succeed!

 Related Posts

Remove that Garbarge Disposal Now!

How to Publish a Book on Real Estate Investing, Part 2

Saturday, October 6th, 2007

As I mentioned in part I of this topic, it was Aaron Shepard’s book, “Aiming at Amazon,” thatpushed me over the top. At that point, I decided I was going to finish my book, Fix em Up Rent em Out, and publish it, no matter what it took. Everything else was going to be on hold until I finished the book. I worked almost every night for about 4 weeks, on about 2-3 hours of sleep. I started to resemble a zombie from “The Night of the Living Dead,” but I finished the book.

Formatting the book, and making it look like a professional work, required learning another area of expertise. Books like “Perfect Pages” by Shepard and Microsoft Word Manuals were my Bibles. Then, I had to find an copy editor, and give him 6-8 weeks to do his job. And, I located someone to do a cover.

Finally, submitting the files for printing at Lightning Source proved to be another hurtle for me. It took me several tries to submit it the way they needed it for printing. Like anything, the first time you do it irs hard. The second time will be a piece of cake.

Starting a publishing company was another aspect of the process that took time. Not difficult, but you must follow exact procedures and do a lot of running around. I plowed ahead by getting the legal documents to file with the state, setting up bank accounts and purchasing ISBN numbers.

I say this just to show you what you can expect. I think writing a book about your experiences in real estate is a natural next step for someone who has paid their dues and learned the ropes. Who better to describe the hard lessons you have learned than you?

I found that just the exercise of putting your thoughts and experiences on paper, even if you never sell a book, is a worthwhile experience. Its empowering. It broadens your horizons. It makes you draw on sources of power and inspiration that you may not have known that you had.

Remember, an expert is just a regular person who has written a book!

UPDATE

For more information on self publishing, check out my book Carve Out Your     Niche.

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How to Publish a Book on Real Estate Investing, Part 1

Friday, October 5th, 2007

Let me warn you, writing and publishing a book is like eating a giant piece of beef jerky. It’s rewarding, but it takes more time than you think.

Now that I am in the final stage of this long process, for my book Fix em Up Rent em Out, I can pass along my experiences by writing and self- publishing a book. (As a 2012 update, I have recently published a second book entitled, “Carve Out Your Niche,” which describes how to self-publish and promote a book.)

My initial thought was to write a book about what, to me, was a rewarding real estate experience. I wanted to inspire others to get started in the real estate investing, and to share the shortcuts and to point out the pitfalls of the business.

But, I wanted to do it the same way that I did real estate investing, by learning all aspects of the process and doing it all myself.

The actual writing of the book took 2-3 years in starts and stops. I did most of the writing late at night when my wife and kids were asleep. There were long stretches of time, between periods of writing, when I didn’t think I would finish. At times, doubts crept in and I wondered if I really wanted to publish a book.

What finally convinced me to finish was a book I read entitled “Aiming at Amazon” by Aaron Sheppard. The old way of publishing a book was to print off thousands of copies to reduce the per unit cost, then sell them at bookstores and workshops. The new way, that Sheppard describes, is to sell the books through web bookstores like Amazon.com and to have the printer only print books as they are needed.

Part II of “How to Publish a Book on Real Estate Investing” will follow in the next blog posting.

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