TGIF, WG2E-Land!
I’ve been asked by Killer Nashville to do a special Breakout Session workshop (August 25th) on Marketing, sharing how I’ve built my Indie Epublishing Empire to now over 100,000 sales.
As I’m beginning to prepare for this superfab fun event, one central theme keeps jumping out at me…and that is…
PEOPLE CONNECT WITH PEOPLE
That’s the heart of everything I’ve done to build my D. D. Scott-ville Brand.
People Connect with People
In other words, Readers aren’t Connecting with My Brand.
Readers are Connecting with ME!!!
YOUR readers aren’t connecting with your brand either. They are connecting with YOU!!!
Because of my political science and psychology degree, I’ve learned that it’s a “personality” that drives a winning campaign, a winning message, and as a result, a winning call to action.
Applying this to our Indie Epublishing Journey, while also using the wonderful Patrick Hanlon’s Primalbranding strategy, means that in order to BUILD YOUR BRAND and CONNECT WITH PEOPLE, you must ask then answer the following questions about YOURSELF:
1. Why do I exist in the eyes of my target audience? Why should peeps trust me? (Hanlon calls this your Creed.)
2. Who am I? What emotions, ideas, and thoughts do I want my target readership to have? (Hanlon refers to this as your Creation Story)
3. Why am I doing what I’m doing? And why should peeps want to belong to my world?
4. What kinds of repeated interactions (which Hanlon calls Rituals) can people have with me and my brand?
5. What images and other sensory experiences (which Hanlon calls Icons) -music, tastes, smells, etc. – can people come to identify with my brand?
6. What Sacred Words can people immediately identify as part of my brand?
7. Am I a Leader and can continue to take risks that generate buzz and bring in more readers and their friends too?
By answering these questions for yourself, you’ll begin to create not just a brand…but an emotionally powerful brand.
And it’s emotionally powerful brands that connect people! 
You’re creating a COMMUNITY…not just a Brand.
You want peeps to feel like they belong to your community and that they feel great because they do belong. It’s this kind of passion that then creates a Synergy that amplifies your reach to infinity and beyond.
Let me give you examples right out of D. D. Scott-ville…
My Creed:
“Nothin’ beats Writers Helping Writers Reach Readers with Great Books for Great Prices.”
My Icons:
D. D. Scott Logo Girl
Bitchy Signs
My Promo Photo
My Byline
My Rituals
1. Morning toast on Facebook and Twitter (Got my first cup of the day raised to ya, Peeps! Cheers!)
2. Happy Hour toast (It’s Happy Hour Time! Got my wine glass held high in the air to ya! Cheers, my friends!)
3. Bitchy Signs posted on Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest and in D. D. Scott-ville too.
4. RG2E Ebook Gifting
5. RG2E Ereader Giveaways
6. Bootscootin’ Bash (kicks off for Killer Nashville at The Wildhorse Saloon in Nashville, TN, on August 24th and will become an annual event)
My Sacred Words:
superfab
bootscootin’
luuuvvv
awesome sauce
superfab fun
over the moon
great books for great prices
writers helping writers reach readers
pay it forward
goin’ for the gusto
you can’t do that! oh yeah? watch me!
Ebook Gifting
FREE Ebooks
Bubble Tweading
Now then…WHY do I do all this? Why do I continue to take risks and lead the way to help each of you find your own Publishing Oz?
My Creation Story:
Amazon and Barnes & Noble Top 100 Bestselling Author D. D. Scott has 17 Ebooks Published and now Bestselling Audio Books too. She has sold over 100,000 Ebooks and is in demand as a LOL motivational speaker regarding writers helping writers reach readers, plus she is a Public Library Ereading Consultant. She is also the Co-Founder of The WG2E – The Writer’s Guide to Epublishing – and Founder of The RG2E – The Reader’s Guide to Epublishing – and a Writer’s Go-To Gal for Muse Therapy.
Her Ebooks have hit Amazon’s Top 100 Bestseller List three times, Movers and Shakers two times, Barnes & Noble’s Top 100 and Top 10 (for multiple weeks), and she’s been the #1 Barnes & Noble Pubit Book as well as appeared on hundreds of other Bestseller Lists across all platforms and several genres. She’s now also a #1 Audible Audio Book Author.
D. D. grew up in small town Indiana where she constantly dreamed of Red Carpet moments and international intrigue. Scott always questioned the notion “You can’t do that” and has always answered, sometimes in quite unconventional ways “Oh yeah? Watch me!”
Scott’s fascination with international settings, royalty, and fashion, mixed with her love of human psychology and motivation and bootscootin’…yep…bootscootin’, as in country line dancing is at the heart of her debut bestselling series The Bootscootin’ Books – think Sex and The City meets Urban Cowboy. They’re chick lit, gone-country.
She took her passion for international intrigue and royalty, and her degrees in both Political Science (with a focus on foreign relations and international law) and Psychology, and created her bestselling humorous mystery series The Cozy Cash Mysteries – think Will and Kate gone Bond, James Bond.
But here’s the thing…her passions and the manuscripts resulting from them were continuously stomped on by New York Publishers for over 10 Years! That’s right, she endured 10+ Years of TradiPub rejections. In fact, she ended up writing a #1 Bestselling Book On-Writing called Muse Therapy and developing a wonderful workshop and online class series by the same name, because, after pursuing traditional publication all those years, she needed therapy herself.
Beyond sick of hearing “we love your books, but those kind of books just won’t sell anymore”, D. D. decided that was bullshit and was determined to give it a whirl using Indie Epublishing.
So, in August 2010, she Indie Epublished and once more flew in the face of all the “You can’t do that” people and said “Oh yeah? Watch me”!
D. D. simply loves to make people laugh. She believes life shouldn’t be taken too seriously and believes there’s always room for another bull in the china shop. She loves creating books that are light, fun reads, not about solving the world’s problems but rather stories filled with quirky LMAO characters who are much more entertainingly shallow than deep.
In her world, nothin’ beats treatin’ readers to great books for great prices and helping fellow writers reach readers too.
For that reason, she not only created The WG2E and RG2E, she has presented workshops for several organizations including a multitude of RWA Chapters, the RT Booklovers’ Convention and various library federations to help peeps design innovative strategies to reach readers and now audio book listeners too. She is also a VIP Sponsor of Killer Nashville, a wonderful annual conference in Music City for both mystery and thriller writers and readers.
For more information, you’re welcome in D. D. Scott-ville – D. D.’s new cyber home – anytime.
And whenever you hear “You can’t do that”, think “Oh yeah? Watch me!”
Coming Soon!!!
It’s Your Turn, WG2E-land Peeps: What is at the heart of your Indie Epublishing Empires and how are you using “People Connect with People” to build your Brand?
The Best of Building Your Brand Wishes — D. D. Scott
“And whenever you hear “You can’t do that”, think “Oh yeah? Watch me!” -
and i’m gonna keep watchin’
best wishes d.d. 
Thanks sooo much, Adan!
What a thrill to share the Indie Epub Journey with you and all our A-mazing and supportive WG2E Peeps!!!
So awesome! And honestly? If social media wasn’t about connecting with people and it truly was about endless tweets about my book – I’d lose interest! I love hearing any author success stories!
Great point, Laura! Social Media is all about connecting with people, and I view it as a way to connect with readers and create a community that we all want to come back to and be a part of each and every day!!!
I think, from just hanging out around the WG2E and RG2E, I’ve picked up a couple of your superfab catch phrases! Awesome sauce!
Superfab awesome sauce all-around, Tamara!!! You’re a hoot!
Love this post and all of your great energy and great ideas! Congrats on ALL that you have done and are doing in the future! You’re an inspiration to many people!
Thanks sooo much, Jeanne!
I’ve always thought that if I could just save one person from the 10+Years of heartache and BS that I endured trying to go the TradiPub way then my suffering was worth it.
Oh my gosh, DD, you are so right about the BS and stress of TradiPub. I published four books that way and am now a full-fledged indie author with “Superfab” sales unlike I ever saw from TradiPub. I applaud you for contributing your knowledge, experience and expertise to enlightening the world on epublishing and entreprenurialship. You go, girl!
Welcome to the Indie Epublishing World, Wendy!!!
I learned the hard way that no publisher (agent or editor) cares as much about your career as you do, and you are the only one who will always have your best interests at heart.
Go, Girl, Go!!!
“D. D. simply loves to make people laugh.”
You are soooo right about that!
Also:
*Scare the shit out of them (thrillers)
*Make them turn the page (cliffhangers at the ends of chapters NOT the ends of books)
*Turn them on (sex, baby, sex — but not necessarily erotica)
*Tell them something interesting (settings/background/intriguing info)
*Shock them (the reveal, the twist ending, the surprise they never saw coming)
DD, you do all of those things! PLUS plenty of others, like, for instance, energizing them! You’re the master.
Or, should I say?, the mistress. (And I don’t mean Rielle Hunter, either. No way!) lol
Laughter just makes the world sooo much more pleasant, Ruth!
And thanks sooo much for the sweet comment.
I luuuvvv to shock and hook my readers too! It’s all part of that “You can’t do that! Oh Yeah? Watch Me!”
Nothin’ is more fun to me than hearing a reader say “normally that style wouldn’t work for me, but yours does.”
I think the Energizer part comes from my luuuvvv of that damn pink Energizer Bunny…totally my fave commercials as a kid and a big kid too!!!
You sure are an inspiration to us all. What I hope I give my readers is something to think about and there is hope that not everything can turn out bad. That is for my YA Angel fantasies ebooks. They are about teens who die and do tests on Earth to stop other teens from doing foolish acts like they did and end up like them. So the situation they come to, I want readers to think about and believe there is hope after all. Then with my forthcoming Geraldine Gems series, there is hope again. Hope that not all can turn out bad and love is there for everyone when you look for it. And not just love first time round. Oh, there is purple, too.
Giving readers hope and love, Julie, will truly be a powerful brand for you to build on, my friend! Well done!!!
And you will in turn Pay It Forward and inspire peeps too! Go, Girl, Go!!!
Once again D.D., thanks for your post and continually upbeat take on the world of writing. I’ll admit that, when I first started this writing gig three years ago, I looked sideways at indie publishers, thinking they must be inferior. Now, after only three years of rejection letters from traditional pubs and editors, I understand where you and so many others are coming from. Now, I’m stuck again. I signed on with an epublisher almost nine months ago, sent her the edits she requested, but haven’t received any feedback since January! I’m getting frustrated again. While awaiting her response to emails requesting updates, I continue trying to learn what I need to about marketing and promoting my ebooks, website design and blogging. Sometimes it feels like the learning curve is the size of a tsunami, but I refuse to give up. Like the hair commercial says, “I’m worth it”. Besides, now I have family and friends and some FBers who keep asking when my book is going to be released. I owe it to myself and to them to keep going. Thanks for the inspiration!
You’re right, Debbie…You are sooo worth it!!!
I tell a funny anecdote (well…it’s funny now, but it sure as hell wasn’t back when it happened) in 10 Years and 24 Hours about how the good thing in my journey was that “people kept asking me when is your book coming out” and that the bad thing in my journey was that “people kept asking me when is your book coming out.”
At some point, and you will know when it’s right for you, you’ve got to stop waiting on others to answer that question for you and just do it…yourself!
And the great thing is…We’re all here to help you anyway we can!!!
Wow. For all the long-winded posts I’ve read by some of the social media experts, your short and to-the-point list really helped me focus on what I’m not doing. I’ve got a decent following on Twitter and FB, and lately, will all the focus via Triberr on Twitter, I haven’t been as social on there as I could be. With a book releasing in November, I need to step it up. Thanks for the tips!
U betchya, Stacy!
And yes, between now and November, focus on connecting with people. If they like YOU then they’ll more than likely buy your books too!!! And even if they don’t buy them, they’ll share the buzz about you with friends and family who will buy your books! I have a lot of fans who don’t read at all but simply follow me because it’s fun and then tell their big-reader friends to read me…and they do!!!
Thank you from the newbie in the back row. These questions were just what I needed as I spend this weekend working on marketing and business planning.
Wavin’ atchya, Tara, and all the “newbies in the back row”!!!
I’m thrilled this post gave you exactly what you need to begin to build your marketing and business plan!
You’re eons ahead simply because you know you need that kinda plan and are working develop it!
Go, Girl, Go!!!
You are a wonder to behold, Miss Dee’D.
It’s my readers, like you, Pj, who are the wonders to behold! I’m just the lucky chick who gets to hang with ‘em and treat ‘em to tons of LOLs!!!
Thanks bunches for the sweet-sweet message, my friend!
More great advice from an Indie Epub Wonder Woman.
Way to go, D.D.!
I guess I’ve never quite outgrown my Wonder Woman Underoos!!!
I’ve got the coffee mug and the Gogo Boots too!!!
Thanks so much, David!
Hi, D.D.!
Another great post! So is your new book what we read to find out how you started … went from nothin’ to sumpthin’, as it were? ( See, Tara, I thought I was the newbie in the back row!!) I read a lot of success stories, and they’re great, but I’d really like some advice for those of us just taking a deep breath and starting out with our first endeavors.
Thanks so much for all the inspiration!
Diane
U betchya, Diane…it’s my pleasure to help y’all and lead the way!!!
Yes, my new book 10 Years and 24 Hours to Indie Epublishing Success (which should be available sometime next week) will give y’all the tools and strategies you’ll need to begin your Indie Epub Journey as well as take your journey to the next level and beyond.
Till then, feel free to browse through our Beginner’s Posts on our E-Experiments Page right here at The WG2E:
http://thewritersguidetoepublishing.com/e-experiments-were-watching
Oh my D.D., you are e-pub Wonder Woman! Wow, that’s so cool of you to share your own experience with all of us! Thanks for paving the way! Is there an award for that?
The award/reward, Karen, is knowing I’ve helped all of you on your own Indie Epublishing Journeys!
Go, Girl, Go!!!
D. D., you are wonderful for sharing your insight and experience with the rest of us indies! It’s important and valuable stuff. I’ll be linking your blog from mine and placing a link on my newsletter, as well. I wish you great success with all you books! Thanks!
Thanks bunches, Gordon!
It’s my pleasure! Nothin’ beats Payin’ It Forward!!!
And wishes for great success right backatchya!!!
I’ll also add you as a WG2E Friend on our Friends of WG2E Page!!!
Cheers to you!!!