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Tuesday, April 26, 2011

The John 3:16 Marketing Network Revolutionizes Christian Book Marketing

by Lorilyn Roberts
 
Your doorbell rings.

“Mommy, it’s UPS,” your daughter hollers from the other room.

You are glued to your chair captioning live television.

“Can you get it, honey?” you yell back.

The front door slams followed by the tearing of cardboard. Your heart thumps faster than it has in a long time. Your fingers sweat on the stenograph machine as you write 260 words per minute. Your body succumbs to a supernova hot flash as you wait…and wait a few more seconds.

“Mommy, it’s your book, and it’s beautiful.”

But you must finish captioning until the next commercial break. Finally, the talking heads stop and you turn around, and there it is—your daughter hands you your labor of love. You forget the late nights working instead of sleeping, the fast food at McDonald’s to save time cooking, and the piled up laundry in the closet.

What is it like to hold your book for the first time and flip through the pages?
If you are a published author, you know. You feel like you just gave birth—indeed, you have.
 
You send out a flurry of copies to your family, friends, and share your excitement with everyone with whom you come into contact. You learn how to check your rankings on Amazon and discover your book is rated in the top twenty in two subcategories. You wonder when you will get your first royalty check; and how many books have you sold in the first two weeks anyway?

A month later,
the excitement wanes as you see your rankings plummet, you have run out of people you know who want to buy your book, and you can’t afford to give away any more copies.

Now what?
The hard work of marketing begins. You must stretch your horizon further than you could possibly imagine. You discover that while writing a book is hard, marketing is even harder. Should you invest the little money you have left to hire a publicist, or pay for a professional email campaign? Should you skimp on the money and just lick lots of stamps for library mailings—or what about the big bucks for radio and TV appearances? You mange to drum up a few public appearances close by and sell quite a few books in the process, but you can’t travel far because you need that day job to pay your bills.

If any of this sounds familiar, know you are not alone. Most of us have tried some if not all of these things and probably dozens more.

But one day my floundering marketing efforts took me on a different path. I was listening to a one-hour marketing seminar by Steve Harrison with guest speaker Peggy McColl about how to become a best-selling author on Amazon and Barnes & Noble.

And my dream was born.
I said to myself, “I can do this.” As I was contemplating how to begin, God refined my dream by giving me a vision beyond anything I could have imagined. The more I thought about it, the more I became convinced that God was leading me to try something new—something which had never been done in marketing. Why not have a network of Christian authors to help each other launch books? Why not try to make best-sellers of as many books with a Christian worldview as possible?

But dreams don’t happen without a lot of hard work;
and to make it a reality, I needed authors who were willing “to give it a go.”

I wrote a series of articles and contacted Christian authors on Facebook and other social networking sites. Slowly, I built a base of somewhat skeptical but entrepreneurial-type authors. Two months later, in October of 2010, we went live with the John 3:16 Marketing Network and launched our first book, I’m a Keeper, by Ray Lincoln, to best-seller status in multiple categories.
Since that time, I have been blessed to meet on our forum some of the most caring, dynamic, hard-working, educated, and talented authors in the industry. I wanted to share some of their unedited comments and hope that you, too, if you are a Christian author, will catch a glimpse of the potential we have to impact and revolutionize the very underpinnings of internet book marketing.
Thanks to Lorilyn and all our fellow writers, this network has grown significantly. I agree with Mary Jo that our Network will affect the future of Christian publishing. I personally am very grateful for all your helpful advice, prayers and just good ‘virtual’ company.
Fr Serafim – author, Carnival


Although the Network was in its infancy when we did our launch, I am sure that it was a significant part of our success with hitting Bestseller in 5 Amazon.com categories.  The people who we are connecting with are becoming friends even though we have never met face-to-face. I firmly believe this group can have a great impact on the Christian book market.
Ray Lincoln – author,  I’m a Keeper



The John 3:16 Book Marketing Network has been a God catalyst for so many talented authors here.  I have not had the opportunity to enjoy the book launch benefits as mine is already in print (2009) – but I have made some wonderful contacts here and you have blessed me with your unwavering devotion to this group and its success.  Your heavenly concept for this network has certainly been a blessing to so many – you are loved much Lorilyn!

Deborah McCarragher – author, Mission Possible



Apart from achieving #1 best-seller status for my small press novel,
Wounded Spirits, the John 3:16 Network has given me peace of mind. As I sit down to work on my next proposal, I have total confidence in writing that I can reach thousands during my marketing campaign. It just doesn’t get much better than that.”
April Gardner – author, Wounded Spirits


“The John 3:16 Network has helped me not only achieve best-seller status on Amazon.com with my second book,
Heal the Wounded, but also garnered renewed interest in my debut novel, Shoot the Wounded, that it soared to a #1 ranking on Amazon.ca (Canada), only days after my book launch of HTW!”
Lynn Dove – author, Shoot the Wounded and Heal the Wounded


I didn’t have to face the release day of my first novel alone. As a novice, I feared everything. Would the book be well received? Would it be purchased? Would anyone care? With the John 3:16 network, I knew people cared. They took time out of their day to tweet or post for me–someone they barely knew. They offered gifts in support. Amazing! Because of this generous network, my launch became a day that warmed my heart and reminded me that we serve a God who has a precious plan for us all.

Shellie Neumeier – author, Driven and The Wishing Ring


John 3:16 means
support for myself as a new author. It has also been a tool to testify for Christ.  I have a carousel of books from John 3:16 authors on my blog. I change them every 3 or 4 days.  I pull up the John 3:16 page and go down the list of authors, searching on amazon.com by author name. Then I put one of their books on the carousel. Anyone who accesses my blog will see a carousel of books by John 3:16 authors. This is a very quick way to show that a group of Christian authors has banned together for the cause of Christ.
Theresa Franklin – author, A Sunny Tomorrow, release date March 12, 2011


 
Having the connection with fellow authors in John 316 gave me the confidence to pursue marketing with more passion, knowing I have the support of such loving friends.
But what I value most is Lorilyn’s willingness to go out of her way to help us out. Her constant support as she brings new ideas, offers new outlets, and points to specific marketing paths.
Thank you so much, Lorilyn!
Janet Perez Eckles – author, Trials for Today, Treasures for Tomorrow


What John316 has meant to me has been a renewal in my draggin’ career. While
I haven’t gotten a new contract, I have made some pretty neat contacts and
met some lovely people. I’ve learned a lot about effective marketing at
online retailers and feel like I’ve been helpful in encouraging and
promoting and using my growing skills with other members of the group.
Lisa Lickel – author, Meander Scar


Last year was my first full year after I released my first novel in December 2009. My promotional plan was to sell thousands of books and the only way I knew to do this was to travel and organize events that people would come to and buy my book. After visiting seven cities from February to November, I decided that that was not the best way to promote my novel. I did sell two hundred copies, but the cost to travel left me far behind the profit ratio. I did have a lot of fun meeting different people, but I didn’t reach my objective. At the leading of the Holy Spirit I took the month of December to look back over my year and devise a plan on how I would promote and sell books. The plan I produced was to seek education from those who could teach me how to increase my sales without increasing my travels in 2011. I asked the Holy Spirit to send me a teacher that could mentor me and teach me how to reach my goal for 2011. His answer to my prayer was Lorilyn Roberts and John 3:16 Marketing; but I have received so much more, which is the way that God operates.


From the first I have loved the energy in this group. The sense of purpose and the unity that’s manifested here almost daily is life giving. And to be connected to bestselling authors is phenomenal! I’m going to release my second book in a few months and I hope that I can be as successful using Lorilyn’s program as the rest of you have. Right now, I’m a little skeptical that it can work for me and I’m frightened that it might. Sometimes the smell of success gets to me like that. I can keep going but I’ll stop now. I love all of you and I love being a part of this dynamic expression of genuine fellowship and partnership. To God be the glory for sending Lorilyn for such a time as this.
Bernard Boulton – author, Do You Wanna be Made Whole?


I have been blessed by reading the emails and seeing how helpful everyone is to one another.

S.E. Gregg – author, The Christian Olympics, and many others


John 316 has meant not being alone. Writing is a lonely business but even when you ‘meet’ people they don’t necessarily believe anywhere close to the same things that you do. This group is a group of believers that uplift each other and support each other. To lose the lonely feeling all I have to do is log on and look at my email and there have been things going on with the group to catch up on or prayer requests. It is just wonderful to know that I have that support group behind me for when I want to talk, need prayer, have something to share, or when I do a launch in the future.  Thank you, Lorilyn, for introducing all of us
Ashley Wintters – author, Shadows From the Past and Shadows of Suspicion


The John 3:16 Network has been fantastic in so many ways. First, through the expertise and guidance of those ‘in the know’, my book MY MOTHER THE MAN-EATER reached best-seller status on Amazon.ca in the romance contemporary category, and stayed there for three days. This is something I never would have been able to achieve without the network. Secondly, this network is very supportive in more ways than just marketing. When like-minded people of faith gather together, a sense of mutual support and concern builds. I am thankful for that. John 3:16 was truly inspired and I thank Lorilyn Roberts for taking her vision and making it a reality.
Tracy Krauss – author, My Mother, The Man-Eater and And the Beat Goes On


Writing and marketing our works can be a lonely enterprise, but it doesn’t have to be. The John 3:16 Marketing Network enables me to gather wisdom from many authors who’ve been there and done that. Thus, I save time, money and frustration by crowdsourcing issues rather than depending upon my limited experiences. Solomon advised us that success and victory result from consulting many counselors. This network gives me an easy way to access these counselors. 

Steve Miller – author, Enjoy Your Money! How to Make It, Save It, Invest It and Give It

In the lonely world of writing, this network has provided encouragement, information and friendship with writers of many different genres. At a time of great changes in publishing when many are turned away from publication because the bigger companies are “full for the year”, John 3:16 offers a variety of choices for authors to learn about non-traditional venues of seeing their writing in print and available to be read by others. It can give hope when others only discourage.
Elaine Cooper – author, The Road to Deer Run


The John 3:16 Marketing Network has helped me a lot with my book launch by giving me a lot of exposure. Even if I didn’t make best-seller status first round, I managed to sell a few books.

The John 3:16 Network has taught me a lot about the Kindle market and other technical issues with Amazon. I have come to know other authors’ work and feel really blessed in reading their books. I was also able to get help in finding the right person in regards to the making of the video of my book and finding somebody to help me with my drawing.  The interview with Donald Parker was amazing. Most importantly, the encouragement, mutual support, and guidance from everybody has been tremendous.
Sana Edoja – author, Loving God


If you are interested in becoming part of the John 3:16 Marketing Network, please visit our informational page at:
http://www.lorilynroberts.com/john_3_16_marketing_network.html
 Lorilyn Roberts
Children of Dreams
The Donkey and the King
http://lorilynroberts.com/             
http://lorilynroberts.blogspot.com/
http://twitter.com/llwroberts
http://john316mn.blogspot.com/
http://www.facebook.com/#!/pages/Christian-Book-Launches-John-316-Marketing-Network/145412252147289

This article orignally appeared on the Reflections in Hindsight blog at http://reflectionsinhindsight.wordpress.com/2011/04/11/market-mondays-networking-is-vital/

Monday, April 18, 2011

The Finest Example of Launching Christian Books in the World

The John 3:16 Marketing Network

The Finest Example of Launching Christian Books in the World

Q&A with Lorilyn Roberts

 

I started the John 3:16 Network last summer and am excited about what God is doing. I will share some Q&A here to help your readers learn more about the network and answer some questions that I have addressed at various times.

 
Question: What is the John 3:16 Marketing Network?

Answer:  The John 3:16 Marketing Network is a network of Christian authors from all over the world who have united for a common purpose: To help Christian authors launch books on Amazon and Barnes & Noble. The launches last for twenty-four hours, and during that time, authors in the network post tweets and Facebook announcements, host interviews of the launching author, post blogs about the upcoming book, and send emails to opt-in lists.

Oftentimes there are free e-gifts available to those who buy the book on launch day. We’ve had several authors to reach best-seller status at Amazon, and even those who didn’t still received a lot of publicity and exposure for their book.


Question:  I don’t have a blog/website, don’t use Twitter, and don’t care for Facebook, but can I still be in the network? I have a book coming out that I need help promoting.


Answer:  You must have an active blog or website to be a member of the John 3:16 Marketing Network. The reasons relate to the type of social marketing and network promotion we do for Amazon and Barnes & Noble.
You will need a blog/website to help others if you wish to be a blog host for a launch.

It shows you have enough knowledge to do very basic internet marketing.
The John 3:16 Marketing Network is not designed to do the hard work of marketing your book for you. Those who have enjoyed the network the most and have achieved best-seller status made the most of the internet for promoting their book on launch day. We have around eighty-five authors now, and if even half of the authors help on a launch, I would imagine we are reaching close to five hundred thousand people. As we grow, I look forward to reaching a million people on launches and boosting rankings even higher in subcategories. An author can also use sources outside the network to launch a book, increasing his exposure.


Question: Does everybody who submits their name to join the John 3:16 Marketing Network get accepted into the network?


Answer:  Even assuming a person meets all the criteria as listed on the submission page, no. As time has passed, I have become more selective. For instance, early on, if someone didn’t leave all his information, which is basically, his name, website/blog, and email, if I had his email, I would follow up in an email and ask him for his full name or blog.

I don’t do that anymore. If an applicant can’t follow the directions on how to apply, I would rather he not join. The rules are specific about how to launch a book to best-seller status, and if an author can’t follow the rules about how to join, he won’t be able to follow the rules for hosting a launch.


Before I approve a person on the John 3:16 Marketing Network, I always check out his or her blog/website. If I see something that raises a question mark in my mind, I don’t go any further in the application process. I also only let in about three or four authors per week. It is very time consuming because there are several steps in the process, and since I am doing this at no charge, I only have a limited amount of time each week to devote to new members.


Question: What is the John 3:16 Marketing Network like on a day-to-day basis?


We have a Facebook page that is used basically to announce books on launch day and as publicity for the network. People find us there and become a fan, but that does not make a person a member of the network. The Facebook page is only a tiny fragment of the big picture.

We have a blog for launching books, a page where many of the books written by our authors are listed for purchase, an introduction page for new members, and we are fixing to launch a resource page of available services offered by authors within the network.


The most important part of the network is our Yahoo Forum, which is by invite only. You can’t be a member of the forum unless you are in the John 3:16 Marketing Network. We have a very verbose group on the forum. It is not unusual to have between fifty and one hundred email postings each day.



Question: What is my role (Lorilyn Roberts) in the John 3:16 Marketing Network?

I admit everybody into the network. I verify all the launch dates and launches to make sure each author is ready/prepared to launch and is not in conflict with anyone else’s launch. I provide an important document explaining how to host a professional launch based on the Peggy McColl Best-Seller Program. (We also have made some modifications to that program to suit our network). I answer a lot of individual emails from members and oversee the general running of the network. It is a labor of love.

I had no idea when I began this network, which I felt led by God to form, that it would be so successful. I have touched a felt-need in the Christian arena of authors and marketing. We have a connectedness and sharing among like-minded individuals. We make no distinction between self-published, POD published, or mainline published. It doesn’t come up in conversation on the forum, as I have seen on other forums, because nobody cares.


There is a camaraderie and feeling of good will that must be akin to what existed in the early church. We truly have something special here. As with any group, however, it is not for everyone. You must have at least some familiarity with how to post on Facebook, twitter, blog, et cetera, or be willing to learn without complaining; you must be willing to follow the instructions on how to launch a best-seller and be willing to be edified—we want everyone to succeed; and you must be willing to give of yourself to help others on launches or give an e-gift for those who have landing pages. The landing pages have been fabulously successful in helping authors to achieve best-seller status. You will learn what that is when you join the John 3:16 Marketing Network.

As far as I know, we have done something that has never been done—united Christian authors from all over the world in one network representing every way a book can be published. On book launches, we all join together and cheer each other on through announcements of various kinds, helping each author to achieve that coveted best-seller status. We share our thoughts, insights, knowledge, blogs, successes, prayer requests, and dreams. What started out as a way for authors to launch books has become so much more. I am not sure where God will take it, but I am trusting Him for the future. As I love to say, the best is yet to come!

To visit our information page and submit an application go to:

http://www.lorilynroberts.com/john_3_16_marketing_network.html

This has been reprinted from the Reflections in Hindsight blog from Monday, April, 11, 2011.
http://reflectionsinhindsight.wordpress.com/2011/04/11/market-mondays-networking-is-vital/#comment-1382

Tuesday, April 12, 2011

Get "I Called Him Dancer" on Tuesday and Receive Free E-Gifts!


When people see a breathtaking performance, it looks like natural, raw talent. The truth is, behind the performer is a long road filled with struggle, pain, and hardship. In front of every winner is a mountain of failure they must first climb and conquer. The greater the mountain, the sweeter the taste of success. Michael Camp was an award winning dancer.

For a moment, Michael danced on top of the world, but one bad choice turned his life upside down. The once promising Broadway star now washes windows for tips and lives among the homeless. When his former dance partner recognizes him behind the fray of whiskers, shame drives him away from her. Angry at God and the world, the Dancer refuses to allow anyone into his life.

Beyond his short-lived success, stands a valley of despair with terrain so rugged, his very life will hang in the balances. If he survives, the mountain awaits. It has been said, unless a seed falls into the ground and dies, it cannot blossom into life. Can Michael Camp trust enough to die, when life seems out of reach?

When everything is stripped away, three things remain: faith, hope, and love. The greatest of these is love. I Called Him Dancer is a story about how one woman’s enduring faith and unconditional love drives her to reach out to a homeless man who has given up on life.

What readers are saying:
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Almost too good to put into words. ...you'll find yourself saying, "Just one more chapter". K. McNabney, IL
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This book is a must read. Through this book the reader will learn about true love and the power it holds.  T. Franklin, TX
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I loved this book from cover to cover, the author makes you feel like you actually
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Visit http://www.eddiesnipes.com for freebies and giveaways.

Wednesday, April 6, 2011

Results From Amazon BestSeller List #2 Position in Dreams! What Every Dream Means


Hi Everyone! A VERY special Thank You to all of you who participated in the Launch of What Every Dream Means on Tue. April 5, 2011. You all made such a difference!! Here is a screen shot at the #2 position from Amazon at 11:00 p.m. By the way, the book continues to rank in the top 20 (anywhere from #8 - #14 is what I have seen) today which would suggest that there is activity today as well.

Scott M. Shafer
Best Selling Author of What Every Dream Means


Tuesday, April 5, 2011

Amazon Best Seller Launch ~ What Every Dream Means

Tired of the gimmicks when it comes to the meaning of dream symbols? Get your copy of What Every Dream Means by Scott M. Shafer. Find the truth of the meaning of your dreams and settle for nothing less! Get immediate access to valuable Free Bonus Gifts with each purchase.