Good morning, Messy people. This Saturday we have another great guest for you, especially to those indie authors out there who are always looking for new ways to market their writing. Today the Mess welcomes Chris Eastvedt, author of the children's book Free Toes, which can be found on Amazon. She is not merely your typical children's author. She wants her writing to do more than just make a child laugh or giggle. She wants to empower them to think, to draw conclusions for themselves and then want to know more.
Chris grew up like many of us in front of a television or movie screen and devouring book after book. Because of that she developed a love of storytelling and character development. I wonder if she used her dolls as I did my Star Wars action figures acting out scenes from her mind to see her stories come to life. Like those books she read as a child, she wants her writing to inspire others. She believes that any subject can be interesting if the person is entertained while learning it and I agree with her.
One of the things I like about Chris is she isn't all about herself. She understands the hurdles we all face and has tried to help us meet those challenges of marketing. It is because of that dream that Chris created Stickpeople United and why she is here to talk to us about it. So, sit back with your morning coffee and give a read. Afterward, check out her blog and Facebook page and join her in her quest to help authors help each other.
A quick note to Chris, I want to thank you for joining us here at the Mess. It's been a pleasure to have you and share your community with our readers. Feel free to come back anytime.
Welcome to Stickpeople United: A Free Community Teaching Indie
Creators How to Use Advertising and Marketing to Develop a Fan Base. Join Us!
Stickpeople United is a gathering of innovative, independent
artists who challenge themselves, and each other, to deliver experiences worth
talking about. Our focus isn't just on offering great products, but also
marketing and delivering them in a way that makes people say WOW. The goal is
to raise the bar on the creator-to-audience experience by delivering more than
is expected. Stickpeople are interested in gaining fans, not customers, and
this will be done by bringing fun back into our communications and helping
other creators do the same.
Who is a Stickperson, you ask? It’s anyone who rejects the status quo,
really. On paper, nothing about a
Stickperson is extraordinary. What causes a Stickperson to stand out is her
drive to be relevant: she’s always trying to deliver the wow. Doing what
everyone else does, catering to the LCD (lowest common denominator), saying yes
to the ordinary- this is no way to inspire a following. A Stickperson seeks to
bring out the fun and creativity in every experience and share it with
like-minded individuals: fellow Stickpeople.
Here’s a taste of what you can expect from a Stickperson:
He lives on the fringes and thinks independently. He will
never, truly, be part of the mainstream, but he can interact with the natives
when it suits his needs.
She is playful, and is not above messing with those who
take themselves too seriously, but she does have standards: cleverness and wit trump crassness and
immaturity any day. She believes in
freedom of speech and expression, no matter how questionable the message may
be. If Stickpeople don’t like something,
we will come up with a stylish resolution that doesn’t require lawyers because
we're smart like that. Humor brings
people together; threats tear them apart. Lawyers, in Stickpeople United, are
always a last resort.
A Stickperson doesn’t believe the lie that any job that
pays is worth keeping. This is the fear
talking. Fear has no place in Stickpeople
United. This is a place to experiment,
and get used to failing in public.
Underachievers need not apply.
Stickpeople like money as much as everyone else, but we
won’t sacrifice our standards to get it.
The goal is to always give a compelling reason to buy our creations, not
churn out the same old, same old for the masses. Whatever we offer must be worthy, not of our
customers, but of our fans.
A Stickperson knows that she doesn’t know everything, and
doesn’t pretend otherwise. She listens
to people who have knowledge she doesn’t, but also gets that experience isn’t
everything. A good idea is a good idea,
regardless of origin, but it’s the execution of that idea that leads to
greatness.
I am an author and small business owner, and I am a Stickperson. I intend to be relevant in what I create, in
my business model and in leading Stickpeople.
It is my job to entertain; keeping us all engaged in a meaningful way is
my bottom line. It is my fans' job to
keep me grounded. I may come up with
ideas for what I believe are cool experiences, but ultimately Stickpeople will
decide if they want to play along and if I get the chance to try again.
Complacency, on the other hand, will not be tolerated in
Stickpeople United. There is too much
mediocrity out there, too much “good enough”.
It’s time to raise the bar.
Attentive customer service, convenience and quality merchandise are
Stickpeople United staples, as is delivering more than expected. Stickpeople pay attention to the competition
and adapt to maintain their edge.
Stickpeople seek out and act upon insightful feedback. Stickpeople engage their niche and play to it
with great effect.
Stickpeople are do-it-yourselfers; no one is going to
hold your hand here. If you’re looking
for a community that will help guide you through your personal issues, this is
not your venue.
This community exists as an opportunity to have fun while
spreading the movement’s message. If
what you’re looking for is a way to spread chaos or spam, this is not your
venue.
Stickpeople are compelled to make improvements and
innovate. “No” is not the go-to response
in a Stickperson’s vocabulary. If you
find yourself saying things like, “We’ve always done it this way”, you will be
unhappy here. This is probably not your venue.
Stickpeople United is a bit like Wonderland: it can be as inspiring or scary as you choose to make it. There are no victims in Stickpeople United, and no one's going to do your work for you. I encourage everyone’s participation, but if you need to, wear a cup.
If you're
interested in learning how make your work stand out from the crowd and deliver
experiences worth talking about, this community is for you. If you're looking
for someone to re-write your book blurb, critique your latest CD or “like” your
web store, it's not. I'm an independent
author, not a marketing guru, but I'm working hard to do amazing things. I'm
not offering a how-to guide on instant success, but I will give you insights to
inspire your greatness. I'd love to talk with you. Join us!
Stickpeople
United on the web:
Stickpeople
United on Facebook:
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See what you've missed ~ Unexpected Messing
Thanks for visiting The Mess! Keep chasing your dreams!
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