Last weekend, we went to the local corn maze sponsored by our electric provider in our region. The family event was a big hit, probably close to a 100 people came out with their kids.

We did the rounds which seemed unending at the beginning but there were those ramps, which are regarded as observation decks for someone who needed to have an aerial view of their location vis-à-vis the nearest exit.

The apps won't do and the navigational signs can be confusing.

The shortcuts made by walkers can also be misleading.

You can hear the sounds from the exits/sides but the sounds wont tell you much. 

A quick ascent to the ramps solved the problem.

What are you doing to provide clarity which leads to ease and sense of confidence within your organization?

What perspective do you provide when everyone is operating on their 'little corner' and being overly protective of their turfs?

What higher view can you present to solve the issues of myopic perspectives and routine reflexes in decision-making?

Who provides those ramps to elevate your discussion into strategic and transformational conversations that you wouldn't want to miss? 

The higher view could be a better view. 

I would argue that some things last forever.

I inherited my grandma's electric beater which she got in 1957.

It'svintage.

I broke the lever one time when it crashed to the floor.

It survived the crash but I can still use it.

We have another newer electric beater here.

After a few years, it quit and that was the end of it.

Not the planned obsolescence of phones, electric gadgets, and modern appliances.

Back home (in the Philippines), every thing (including umbrellas, shoes, etc.) can be fixed.

A whole business is built on fixing anything at an affordable price, meaning it's cheaper to fix than to buy a new one.

This has been going on for years, until we got inundated by a wave of Chinese products, which were dumped in the market for a bargain.

Now, the fixing business is almost gone, except for the bigger players that have branches all over the country and can afford to stay afloat with other services being offered.

The poor has always resulted in the do-it-yourself mechanism which has a whole new market for them. The rich is satiated with the latest fashion, trends, and accoutrements. 

Needless to say, we cherish those things that are built to last.

It's a rarity now and so we marvel at the care that it took to build something that lasts.

What are you building right now that would stand the test of time, the wear-and-tear, and the all the hypes and flavors-of-the-month? 

If my grandma's electric beater's longevity is a proof that some things do not fade away but becomes evergreen,  I bet you can do more than that. 

When I published my first commercial book: Provocateurs, I knew that I will be its marketer extra-ordinaire. 

No other person can promote this book more than me.

No other agency can package, reformat, and reboot this more than I do.

So to start off, here are some of the lessons I've been learning since I launched it in 2022.


1. The book is a  good excuse to contact strangers

"Yes, I have a new book," an out-of-the-blue announcement from me to a stranger I want to connect with sounds a bit dubious. But it worked wonders for a lot of time. First, it stirs curiosity at least. Even if they don't take my offer, they will look for me and get to know who I am and what I do. Second, it reminds them that I am around and can help in areas of my expertise.  Third, we can be greatly connected and this will be useful later on, no matter what happens in the interim. 
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2. Promoting a book is never-ending, but it doesn't have to be a chore 

It's a good strategy to get your book in front of your target audience in the first few years. But as soon as it's no longer new, it's time to start writing again or repurpose its contents, in many ways to encourage more engagement. If you have a loyal readers, that's the audience to tap in terms of engagement, case studies, and applications of your book's insights. Continue to grow that audience because you will need them for the next books and launches. I always get a good dopamine after I get some good reviews out of it. It never ceases to make my day. 

3. Ready or not, market now!
I have a marketing plan when I wrote my book proposal. I had this very optimistic numbers to start with. Well, during the pandemic and the after-years, those numbers were just imaginings. Conferences and events were all virtual and you have to book them ahead to get on their radar screens. I had to use my marketing hat and be creative as to how I will get in front of my audience and those that already following and/interested in my work. No marketing plan ever survives contact with reality, just remember that. 


4. Don't forget your WHY?
Don't forget why did you have to write that book? The long game goal. So, when it's not the best-seller, it's just perfectly fine. Some negative comments perhaps. Your target audience will be the ones cheering for it and appreciating its value for a long time. Great outcomes can come in many ways and not just through book sales and royalties. It all accrues to what the business goals you set out at the beginning. Stay in that long game perspective. 


5. Love it but not obsess about it
You're the best person to appreciate and promote your book but it has to speak to the benefits for the reader/audience. They don't care about another book as there are millions of titles every single week that's being produced, if not self-published. But why you, why this book, and what gains will it bring to them with this one? As Seth Godin noted, there are less people who reads books nowadays, much less finish the book. Don't be those book authors who are obsessed about their books, that they forget the people behind why the book was created in the first place.


​6. Your last book will be revived with the new one 
Guess what? To revive an old book, you need to write a new one. If you're launching a new book, all your past work will be resurrected. You will see a resurgence in interest in your old books, old contents, past offering because you are back in the game of promotions and engagement and all that jazz. It will keep everything that you do fresh in the minds of your audience. That means, that we authors have to continue making original intellectual property to stay in our game. In the academic world, the 'publish or perish' mode operates. In this industry, it's 'create or die' that rules our existence. 

Whoever says being an author is super-easy, not if you want an excellent product that speaks for itself and sells on its own merits. Being an author is also about being a great marketer, in season or out of season.