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NFPW
2002 Highlights
Communicating
from Hettinger, N.D.
A successful publisher is one who finds a void in the market
and fills it, said Francie Berg.
"You need to find your niche," said Berg, an independent
publisher from Hettinger who found her niche in writing about
the weight-loss industry.
She delved into areas other writers hadn't touched. "I don't
think I would write a book unless I felt I had something new to
add," she said.
Berg recommended that newcomers in publishing have another source
of income for five to 10 years. They also need to think about
marketing before going to the printer.
"You better have some of your books sold before that truck
backs up to your garage. That's a real scary time," she said.
She suggested sending books out to publications for review but
stressed the importance of following up with phone calls. She
discouraged general advertising as a sales method. Berg learned
early on that once you have an audience, you need to keep writing
to that audience.
In 1986, she started her Healthy Weight Journal, which provided
her another avenue to communicate with her audience. She discovered
that imminent scientists were willing to write articles for her
journal because they could list the publication on their resumes.
She became an expert in her field through research and attending
international conferences on obesity and other weight issues.
Once established as an expert, one can take speaking engagements
that also help promote your books, she said.
The most critical factor for a publisher located in a remote
area, though, is networking, Berg said. She has attended national
publishing conferences to talk to others in the field. She also
joined NFPW.
"One of the best pieces of advice I got came from a man
at a publishing conference in San Francisco," Berg said.
"He said, 'Do you belong to your professional organization?'
It was really good advice."
- Jill Schramm
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