Comfort Level Inventory

I haven't even confessed to Robin yet-- well, until now, that against my better judgement, I went ahead and agreed to a particular school visit as part of my pre-launch plan that we both agreed was pushing the limits for this card-carrying introvert.

Remember the Comfort Level Inventory she presented to help us decide what marketing activities work best for us? The categories were:

FEELS COMFORTABLE
COULD GET USED TO IT
DEFINITELY UNCOMFORTABLE
COLD DAY IN HELL

Then she gave us a long list of activities to consider in the development of our marketing plan. Things like radio interviews, internet interviews, television, postcard mailing, press releases, teaching, message boards, book signings, school classroom visits, school ASSEMBLY visits-- (sound of me choking on that last one). We were to assign the various activities to the categories above. She gave us permission to stay in Feels Comfortable and Could Get Used To It. She's nice that way.

I do a lot of public speaking in my work and while I still get clammy pits, once I get going, I usually enjoy it. I love teaching, especially adults. The only activity that hit the COLD DAY IN HELL was talking to an Assembly of the wee ones.

So, it follows that I went ahead and agreed to do this. Wha-a-a-t?? To very, very many children. Of very, very many ages. (And, just in case their principal is reading this-- Oh, hi! I can't wait! Wheee! It is going to be so much fun! And, um, could you please stop reading now and go to an urgent meeting or something?)

Help! This is a classic example of me trying to be paisley when you'd think I'd learned by now that I'm polka-dotted. Both sides, top and bottom, too. I might as well stick a high voltage energy-sucking cable right to my brain and throw the switch to Total Melt-down Mode.

Stand back, friends, I'm buzzing through a few fingernails here. Hold on while I go get a brown paper bag to help me breathe.

Okay, better. Actually breathing now. Big sigh. You know, I have a wise friend that says "Don't anticipate pain." Same could be said, I suppose, for all sort of things we dread. Don't anticipate chaos, or mayhem, or failure. I've got to stay in present. Hey, maybe by the time the date rolls around, I'll be in jail or something, and I'll have a really good excuse for not showing up. I could just get lucky.

Before I forget, don't forget to vote on whether you like Ms. Viola's *new* look, or like the pre-makeover version. She's waiting, desperate to hear from you. Email me your vote and you'll be entered in the drawing to win a great marketing book called Plug Your Book! by Steve Weber. Last day you can enter is this Thursday, January 31st.

Back to work on Marketing Plan for now. Adding a note on Assembly Day entry to take books, postcards and several brown paper bags.

Later, friends,

Mary

Comfort Level Inventory

Here’s a Comfort Level Inventory exercise you might be interested in doing, just to lay the foundation as you go forward to determine your marketing and promotional strengths and begin to lay a core strategy around them.

Below is a list of as many marketing and promotional activities as I could come up with. (Feel free to add more in the comments if you think of any!) Now, take a piece of paper and make four columns and label them:

Feels Comfortable
Could Get Used to It
Definitely Uncomfortable
Cold Day In Hell

Now take a moment and place all of the promotional and marketing activities listed below into one of those columns.

Radio interviews – in studio
Radio interviews – by phone hook up
One on one interviews
Interviews via email
TV appearances – local
TV appearances – National
Targeted Postcard mailings (schools, libraries, booksellers)
Targeted Press Release mailings (local media)
School Visits – individual classrooms
School Visits – assemblies
Readings
Book Fairs
Attending Conferences
Speaking at Conferences
Workshops
Conference Panels
Book Festivals
Author Spotlight at local SCBWI Writer’s Day
Speaking in front of local teachers’ group
Book signings
Book launch party
Drive By signings at bookstores (basically signing shelf stock the store has on hand)
Website
Message Boards
Online Forum participation
Blogs
Newsletters
Targeted emailings

When you’ve done that, tear the sheet in half and put the Definitely Uncomfortable and Cold Day In Hell columns away. You’re not even going to think about them right now. They’re off you’re radar for the time being, possibly even permanently. (The only exception to this would be if you have nothing in those first two columns. If that’s the case then you need to go back and try again, this time picking the three least terrifying items on the list.)

The two columns you have left will be your core promotional focus, and doesn’t that feel more doable? Let alone comfortable? It will also be a much more efficient investment of your energies, concentrating on the things you feel confident about.

Because the truth is, very few writers will have the time, resources, and energy to do all of the things on that master list. Therefore it only makes sense to prioritize and concentrate on the items that are inside your comfort zone.