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This Month: Ellen Reid and Smarketing: Helping Authors through the Wilds of Book Marketing
Ellen Reid may not be the very first "Book Shepherd," but she is right up there at the head of the pack. She certainly defines the term coined by one of her mentors, self-publishing guru Dan Poynter, which means leading aspiring authors through the arduous and confusing process of turning a manuscript into a book. Reid stepped into the forefront of the field, taking it to a whole new level when she added her unique Smarketing element.Smarketing, the brainchild of Ellen Reid, includes these smart marketing items in her extensive menu of services for authors -- advice and branding on book titles, sub titles, front and back cover design and other promotional text in and on the book. Reid's accomplishments spring from the fact that she understands the needs and psyche of her authors as well as the inherent challenges of competing in today's publishing arena. Smarketing provides authors the support they need. As Reid says, "If you were a GM or Revlon, you'd have a massive budget to hire an advertising agency to promote your products with branding, advertising and marketing materials. The self-published author needs the same kind and quality of support. That's what we provide: Smarketing! We are the author's resource for successful marketing materials."
Reid arrived at this juncture in her life by navigating a series of other prosperous enterprises and entrees that segued into the business of publishing books. It was her good fortune to land into the Internet industry in its youth. Once she surveyed the fledgling field, she saw the future and learned enough of the technical end to recognize how it could be applied to virtually any business. It was shortly thereafter that she met Dan Poynter, author of The Self Publishing Manual and 14 other books and innovator of "The New Book Model." Dan was impressed with Reid's knowledge and drive and invited her to speak at his workshops. Quickly, she became a popular presenter and began consulting to authors about the advantages of having a web presence to market their books. Reid leaned into it and expanded the concept, finding a perfect fit with her background, skills and temperament.
Reid's genius is not something that can be acquired; it came from the inside out. It combines an in-depth knowledge of the technical end of producing a book with an uncanny insight into marketing and sales. It also involves an almost mystical intuitive ability to get inside peoples' heads, to understand their dreams, and to know how to assemble the perfect team of creative talent to produce the book and create the marketing materials to birth those dreams into reality. With her hands-on, up to the elbow approach with each client, Reid has guided the Book Shepherding division of Smarketing to become recognized as one of the preeminent resources in the self-publishing industry. She is now branching out as a consultant and speaker, propelling authors beyond their dreams and into the stratosphere of success.
Some say it's Nature that gives Reid her drive and ambition to be the best in her field, but Nurture played an important part in her development as well. Growing up in Los Angeles with a family in the motion picture industry put sales and promotion into Reid's blood. When she struck out on her own, she worked in advertising in San Francisco and further deepened her understanding of the art of promotion. Later she began her own company specializing in coordinating special and unique events for national clients having meetings in that city.
Marriage took her to Chicago where she started her own advertising, marketing and public relations firm. Always looking for more challenging and interesting work, she later was hired for a high level job at an import company, which allowed her to travel internationally, adding to her sales and marketing arsenal. So its appropriate to add resourceful, detailed, hard working, wise and experienced to when you list qualities of hers that benefit clients.
Reid is now based in Los Angeles, and recently received the Book Marketer of the Year Award from the Book Publicists of Southern California. Some of her current clients are Louise Gaylord and Little Moose Press and John Assaraf at TheStreetKid.com. As she works one-on-one with clients, Reid has a way of bringing out their strengths and desires and, in the process, expands their vision to more fully realize their potential. Because of this, clients derive benefits they never expected. Thanks to her focus, her clients consistently experience success and satisfaction beyond what they had imagined possible. That's Smarketing. That's Ellen Reid.