CBC Celebrity Tip with Margaret Atwood

Margaret Atwood protects her net with mountains of hardcovers

Margaret Atwood protects her net with mountains of hardcovers

Canadian National treasure and international powerhouse Margaret Atwood is a multi-talented woman. She’s an inventor, she’s a poet, she’s an award-winning novelist.

But first and foremost, she is a goalie.

“As the late Robertson Davies once told me, ‘Peggy, a good goalie anticipates play. A great goalie influences play.’…If a shooter can see net, he’ll deke, and you don’t deke Margaret.”

Selling Out: How Presales Can Make Your Book a Hit

 

To whom it may someday concern, in a minor way

Dear Author Arbitrageur

Who: The Shebeen Club presents author, speaker, and sales trainer Shane Gibson

What: Selling Out: How Presales Can Make Your Book a Hit

When: 7-9pm Monday, October 25th (one week later than our usual date)

Where: A private dining room upstairs at Revel Room, 238 Abbott Street just off Gastown, near the Woodward’s Building

Why: Because Shane’s latest book sold out its entire first printing before it was officially available for sale. We want to know how, and so do you!

How (much): $20 early-bird tickets/$25 at the door includes dinner and a glass of wine or beer

I worked as Shane’s editorial assistant on his latest book, Guerrilla Social Media Marketing (co-authored with Jay Conrad Levinson, the Guerrilla Marketing Guru) and while I was typing it up, I kept thinking what a great book it was. This is by way of disclosure, not puffery. Seems thousands of others feel the same way: the book officially sold out its first printing on September 30th; it wasn’t actually in stores until October 3rd.

That is what you call a successful book launch.

Shane is here to tell us how he and Jay did that, and teach us techniques that we can use on our own book launches, whether we’re publishers, editors, or authors. I only know one tip: 85% of life is showing up, so show up on October 25th and prepare to learn powerful tools for marketing your book from an author who’s not afraid of success! At this point, it just might be scared of him!

Shane Gibson

Shane Gibson

Shane Gibson is an international speaker and author who has addressed over 100,000 people over the past sixteen years on stages in North America, Southern Africa and South America.

Shane’s books include Sociable! How Social Media is Turning Sales and Marketing Upside Down, Closing Bigger: the Field Guide to Closing Bigger Deals, and his new book published by Entrepreneur Press (McGraw Hill) called Guerrilla Social Media Marketing, co-authored with Jay Conrad Levinson.

Blogging since 2002, and podcasting since 2004 Shane drives the majority of his business from social media, and social networks. He has been published in numerous publications as an authority on the topics of leadership, marketing, social media, and sales performance. Some of these publications include CMA Magazine, the Financial Post, the Globe and Mail and Profit Magazine.

7-7:30 Meet & Mingle

7:30-8 Listen and Learn

8-9 Grinning maniacally while counting on your fingers and phoning your accountant

Going Pro at Rogue! Roundup

Sylvia Taylor

Sylvia Taylor

Just a few (long overdue) notes from our last event, Going Pro featuring Sylvia Taylor.

  • We introduced our new online registration system, which worked well. Remember: preregister and save $5.
  • We moved from our old location of the Shebeen to the new one of the Everything Cafe, but at the last minute had to move from there again, because of a licensing issue. Rogue Wetbar stepped up and donated a private room (which normally costs $600) and made us a terrific custom menu. I had the halibut tacos, and they were fantastic.
  • We lost two people who’d preregistered, because they went to the Everything. I have issued them refunds.
  • We had one of our largest groups since the Social Media for Nonprofits night this past Spring, with 17 members showing up, including some new faces.
  • It was a very engaged and enthusiastic audience, thanks to Sylvia. Her presentation on professionalism and an entrepreneurial approach to a literary career was a big hit with the attendees, several of whom whipped out their business cards to see if they passed the Sylvia test!

So, if you missed it don’t fret too much: you can always reach Sylvia, thanks to her website and contact details. And god knows, we’re sure to have her back soon!

Harry Potter and the Homework of Vengeance!

Harry Potter and the Chamber of Spammers

Harry Potter and the Chamber of Spammers

Oh, this is good. This is goooood. Or bad, but really GOOD bad, if you know what I mean, and you will, instantly, once I tell you that this is a true story involving the now-standard Nigerian Email Scam turned around by a very, very smart man who, instead of paying the scammers, played on their greed and got them to write out BY HAND (for, they thought, $100 a page) all of Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets, then stiffed them.

Awesome.

GOING PRO: Getting Real in the Writing World: our September meeting

Shakespeare got to get paid, son

You think them sonnets write themselves?

Who: The Shebeen Club presents author, editor, Federation of BC Writers Executive Director Sylvia Taylor

What: GOING PRO: GETTING REAL IN THE WRITING WORLD

When: 7-9pm Monday, September 27th (one week later than our usual date)

Where: A private dining room in Rogue Wetbar in Waterfront Station

Why: Because in this economy, you either go pro or you go out of business

How (much): $20 early-bird tickets/$25 at the door includes dinner and a glass of wine

Come Out of the Cave and Into the Village!

Getting published and making a living isn’t just about writing anymore – it’s about building a solid foundation, a platform, of credibility and expertise. For experienced and emerging writers alike, we need to build our presence from the ground up, with good planning, good tools, good materials and creative flair. Treat yourself as an entrepreneur and you add to your chances of business success, particularly in a hostile economic climate like this one.

About Sylvia Taylor: Sylvia Taylor is an award-winning writer, editor, consultant, journalist, and educator with a passionate commitment to communication. As an entrepreneur and Executive Director of the Federation of BC Writers she brings what needs to be said into the world through the sublime balance of the Art & Engineering of Creativity.

New! Improved! Tonight, for the first time we’ll be at a new downtown location: a private dining room in the beautiful Rogue Wetbar in Waterfront Station. Register in advance and save $5!