Does an author's' looks help sell books?

I usually find NPR stories enlightening. (The network's journalistic instincts have seemed especially profound since the day NPR chose to feature this blog in its Differences of Opinion web page).  

However, the venerable public radio giant aired a segment yesterday that left me scratching my head. The report by Martha Woodroof, "Author's Photograph Essential In Marking A Book," suggested that publishing industry experts believe a dust jacket photo of an attractive author helps sell fiction titles. One of the featured experts went so far as to state their publication would not review a book unless the author was good looking. (Not surprisingly, this person was from People magazine).

Have we really come to this? Has our public obsession with celebrity and adoration for beautiful people spilled over into the literary world?

After going through my bookcase, I calmed down a bit. Looking through my collection of books, I've come to the conclusion that the NPR report may be overstating the importance of physical beauty to literary success. After all, with all due respect to a gifted writer and a terrific human being, have you ever seen a photograph of Stephen King?

Raul Ramos y Sanchez

Obama extends an open hand to Cuba

President Obama said during his inaugural, "To those who cling to power through corruption and deceit and the silencing of dissent, know that you are on the wrong side of history; but that we will extend a hand if you are willing to unclench your fist."

Living up to his word, Obama has proposed easing travel restrictions to Cuba. However, while most Cuban exiles in the U.S. may benefit from this action, they will very likely resist any further gestures of normalcy toward Cuba.

Unlike many Cuban exiles, I favor trade and open relations with Cuba. This is not because I support Castro in any way. On the contrary, I think normalizing relations with the U.S. would be the fastest way to end the Castro brothers’ rule of the island.

For decades, Castro has justified his human rights violations and the privations of the Cuban people by claiming the island is under siege by the “ogre” to the north. Every U.S. president has willingly taken on the role … and played right into Castro’s hand.

A wise friend of mine once said, “The quickest way to end communism is with a good cheeseburger.” Once the Cuban people see for themselves how much they are losing under Castro’s tyranny, they will throw him out like last week’s garbage. Right now, the people of Cuba are too hopeless and dejected to overthrow Castro. But give them a bite of a Big Mac and they may soon want more.

I think President Obama is being politically savvy to make the first overtures to Cuba benefit Miami’s exiles. Allowing family visits and increasing the amount of money Cuban Americans can send to their loved ones still in Cuba should lessen the irrational belief by the Miami exiles that the U.S. is somehow helping keep the Castros in power by allowing normal relations. Eventually, though, most Cuban exiles will resist any gestures that appear to recognize the Castro government. I hope President Obama has the political courage to stand up to the Miami exiles and do what is really right for Cuba.

Raul Ramos y Sanchez

Competition for YouTube?

Viddler.com is a new site for uploading and sharing videos that some say offers better image quality than YouTube. As a test, I have posted two versions of the same video, the AMERICA LIBRE book trailer. Please watch the one-minute video in both formats and share your opinion.

Viddler.com version



YouTube version

Will this recession hurt minority firms more?

Across the United States, companies large and small are cutting payrolls - and one of the first groups getting the ax are employees in supplier diversity positions.  Over the last two decades, most large U.S. corporations created departments to nurture relationships with minority and women-owned businesses. But many CEOs now see this commitment as a luxury they can no longer afford. However, some proponents of minority enterprises believe the consequences of these cuts could last far beyond the inevitable recovery.

"If you don't have a dedicated staff of people whose responsibility it is to carry forward the supplier diversity initiatives, there will be fewer contracts for us in the future. We may see the negative effects of these cutbacks for a long time," said Harriet Michel of the Minority Development Council of New York to Hispanic Business magazine.

Ironically, shortly after the U.S. elected its first African-American president, the gains made by minority and women-owned companies are now in jeopardy. Small companies that have relied solely on their protected status will need to rethink their business models. And perhaps that's a healthy thing.

Not every minority-owned business employs minority workers. In those instances, what's the virtue of awarding that business preferential status besides enriching a fortunate few? In the spirit of the law, any business that employs large numbers of minority and female workers would be a better candidate for preferential treatment, regardless of who owns it. But there certainly are exceptions.

Take the media, for example. When owned by minorities and women, radio and TV stations along with print and online publications bring a decidedly different approach to the industry. But if you are supplying concrete blocks, how does minority/female ownership change the nature of the business?

The current recession may force us to reassess our approach to the preferential treatment given to minority and women-owned businesses. At the same time, this downturn could also create new opportunities. One thing is certain: business as usual will no longer prevail. As large companies look for ways to cut costs, it could mean the end of the "good old boy" supplier network. This could be a huge break for small, agile firms to step in and provide better solutions.

As things stand now, minority-owned businesses are often relegated to a "10% ghetto." In the minds of many corporate execs, partnering with minority firms is a social obligation. So they set aside roughly 10% of their supplier dollars for that purpose. While well-intentioned, that perception is also a barrier to growth for minority and women-owned businesses. Hard times will force new ways of thinking on large companies locked in old supplier habits. And who is better at dealing with adversity than women and minorities?

Every crisis contains opportunities. I have faith minority and women-owned firms can truly deliver superior value - and not only survive these difficult times but actually thrive.

Raul Ramos y Sanchez

A Gutenberg moment

The publishing industry appears to be at a Gutenberg moment, a time when a new technology is about to radically change the way the printed word is disseminated. The Internet has already made printed newspapers obsolete as a vehicle for disseminating news. Most dailies in the U.S. are on life support. Their hopes of recovery are not good. Yet print journalists are the primary source for most other news media including TV and the Internet. Who will cover events across the globe once newspapers are gone? How will these reporters be compensated? The answers remain unclear.

Book publishers face a similar upheaval. Digital reading devices like Amazon's Kindle will change the way books are bought and read. For those not familiar with Kindle, it is a tablet-sized device that allows you to download e-books from online sources.

For authors, digital reading devices could actually be a boon. Yes, the price of a book may drop considerably. But a lower cover price and the increased buying convenience could actually boost the total sales of books. Television killed general interest weekly magazines like Look, Life and Saturday Evening Post by stealing away ad dollars from mass marketers like P&G and General Foods. At the time, many predicted the demise of printed magazines. Yet, within a decade, more total magazine pages were being printed by special interest publications that targeted readers with interests in sailing, investing, gardening, etc.

However, there is a cloud that could severely darken the sunny landscape for authors in the digital reading era: piracy. Just how vulnerable writers are to e-book piracy is made clear by an article in Tech Crunch: Stealing Books For The Kindle is Trivially Easy http://snipurl.com/dskjv. As it currently stands, anyone with more than marginal tech savvy can copy and distribute e-books. (Some may argue that pirated songs have not destroyed the music industry. But how many authors can command $100 a seat for personal appearances?)

Authors and publishers have three alternatives. First, we can ignore digital reading devices and hope they go away. Second, we can refuse to make our books available in a digital format. Or third, we can embrace digital reading devices but insist they be made more secure. None of these is a sure bet. But I'm going with number three.
Even so, a larger issue lurks in the digital reading era.

The entire publishing industry is in for a radical change when someone can press a button, buy a book and start reading it in seconds. The current infrastructure of the book biz is centered on printing books and putting them on shelves. What will the role of a publisher be in this new paradigm? What will happen to booksellers? As in the case of newspapers, no one really has the answers yet. But I can offer an anecdote that may provide some perspective.

At the beginning of the 20th century, the affluent drove cars and the masses rode horses. By the end of the twentieth century, only the wealthy could afford horses while the rest drove cars. As the 21st century began, the affluent shopped online line while the masses bought in stores. By the end of this century, only the rich will afford the luxury of buying from a human.

In short, the current system of printed books will survive. But if the past is a reliable indicator, it's only a matter of time before most book reading goes digital. The economics are too compelling to resist.

I have faith that good writing will thrive in any technology. But we are experiencing a revolution in the way the printed word is spread. As someone who lived through the Cuba's revolution can attest, revolutions are seldom bloodless.

"On the eve of battte"

Chuck Norris, star of martial arts action films, announced today that “Thousands of cell groups will be united around the country in solidarity over the concerns for our nation.” The right wing cells will meet during a live telecast, "We Surround Them," on Friday March 13 at 5 p.m.

Said Norris: "How much more will Americans take? When will enough be enough? And, when that time comes, will our leaders finally listen or will history need to record a second American Revolution? We the people have the authority according to America’s Declaration of Independence, which states: That whenever any Form of Government becomes destructive of these ends, it is the Right of the People to alter or to abolish it, and to institute new Government…”

Norris closes with the words of Sam Houston followed by a plug for his next martial arts event.

“We view ourselves on the eve of battle."

If this a publicity stunt, then saying it is in bad taste is an understatment. In fact, Mr. Norris is wandering dangerously close to "incitement to violence." This law applies to anyone "who, in a public meting, through the media, by spreading of a writing or by any other means of technical reproduction leads or incites to the practice of a definitive crime..." The penalty can be up to 3 years in prison.

If anyone is hurt by some Rambo wannabee, I think criminal charges for Mr. Norris are in order.

Raul Ramos y Sanchez

A Twitter "B" Western

As a relative newcomer to the new frontier of Twitter land, I’ve discovered it can be a lot like the Wild West. Just how similar, I found out yesterday when I was caught up in an incident that reminded me of a “B” Western plot complete with rustlers, folks in white hats, and a shady cattle baron turned vigilante.

Let me apologize in advance for some of the minutiae that follows. It’s impossible to relate the full story without going into details about “follows, unfollows and auto DMs.” Stay with me though, once you know the landscape, it will get more interesting.

For those of you who don’t know much about Twitter, the premise is straightforward. You “follow” anyone whose “tweets” (140 character messages) you’re interested in reading. Anyone interested in what you have to say, will follow you. As a rule, if you follow someone, they will usually extend the courtesy and follow you back. Simple enough, right?

The media likes to depict Twitter as a perpetual stream of narcissistic messages. But the real bane of Twitter is not the self-absorbed. It’s the multi-level-marketers and “social media whores” who attempt to amass tens of thousands of followers to fuel their pyramid schemes or to proclaim themselves as “social media experts” and sell their services to advertisers. These people indiscriminately follow anyone on Twitter hoping to be followed in return. They have no interest in a relationship or what you have to say. They work pretty much like rustlers trying to round up stray cattle.

For an author, on the other hand, Twitter can be a valuable marketing tool. With my debut novel being released by GCP in July, Twitter seemed a great way to meet people who might be interested in my book and make contacts with folks in the literary community and the media. So like millions of others, I packed my wagon and headed into this promising but uncharted territory. It wasn’t long before I discovered the brigands, rustlers and hucksters along the trail.   

Of course everyone on Twitter wants to be followed. It’s a mark of honor to have thousands following you while you follow very few. (This says: “See how important I am?”) So some clever tech folks have devised services that enable you to automatically follow anyone who has started following you. They also let you drop anyone who you follow but doesn’t follow you back. (This sounds a lot like junior high, doesn’t it? But the MLMers and SMWs take this very seriously.)

Socialtoo, one provider of these automated follow-unfollow services for Twitter users, recently bowed to marketplace complaints and removed the automated reply message function from its offerings. It seems the multi-level-marketers and “social media whores” indiscriminately following anyone are in a snit because their inboxes are filled with automated messages from all the new followers they are acquiring.

Personally, I prefer to welcome new followers with this automated message: “Hello! I am not online all day and use this auto reply as my answering machine. I will return your personal message.” So when Socialtoo decided to stop offering automated messages as a service, I chose to switch providers.

I was pleasantly surprised to get a personal email note from the CEO of Socialtoo asking why I was dropping his service. I explained that my intent was not to acquire legions of followers but simply wanted to extend a courtesy to those who chose to follow me. Further, I told him his company’s decision to drop the courtesy of automated messages was his choice to make. My choice would be to seek another service. Then I posted this exchange on my blog. That was a big mistake. (More details in my previous post).

Within the hour, I had been labeled a spammer and placed in Socialtoo’s pariahs list.

Needless to say, I was stunned. My list of followers was less than 550. In contrast, many Twitter users have 30,000 followers or more. Yet not one of these Twitter users with followers in the five figures had been blacklisted. Like a shady cattle ranche who’d bought enough stolen steers to earn respectability, the company whose tools are the stock in trade of spammers had just turned vigilante and branded me as an outlaw.

Thankfully, a lot of folks in white hats rode to the rescue after I tweeted about this petty and vindictive act. The word quickly spread through the Twittosphere. Long story short, just over 24 hours later, Socialtoo took me off their spammers list.

Still, it’s been an eye-opening experience – and a testament to the power of Twitter. If you have not tried Twitter, I urge you to explore this promising and uncharted territory. But just remember to keep your eyes open and your six-shooter handy. It's not all twenty-somethings telling you what kind of bagel they had for breakfast. 

Raul Ramos y Sanchez 

An open letter to Socialtoo about removing auto DMs

[AN UPDATE: I should note that hours after posting this open letter, Socialtoo chose to blacklist me as auto DM spammer. After a heated Twittersphere debate lasting roughly 24 hours, I was removed from this pariahs list. I want to thank the many Tweeple who came to my defense. There are many genuinely decent and fair-minded folks who saw through Socialto's petty and vindicitve act. However, the incident is an example of the conflicting interests on Twitter. It is a space being overrun by abusers who are indicriminately following anyone to amass large audiences. Unless Twitter ends automated follows and unfollows, the only people left on Twitter will be Multi-Level-Marketers and self-proclaimed Social Media "experts." It's time for people to take back Twitter from the social media whores who are polluting it.]

______________________________________________________________

Original Blog Post:

Socialtoo, a Twitter application provider, recently discontinued the ability for its users to send an automated message to new followers. This apparently came in reaction to pressure from users complaining about the inconvenience and impersonal nature of these messages.

Personally, I am not offended by “auto DMs” and switched to a provider who offered them, Tweet Later. I was surprised -- and very impressed -- to receive this note from Socialtoo CEO Jesse Stay:

Raul, I've deleted your account. Can I sway you away from automatically DMing your followers? Most people ignore those nowadays, and those that don't get very annoyed by them. We actually disabled this service for that reason.

Beyond auto-reply, what other needs would we need to cover to get you back?

Sincerely,

Jesse Stay

CEO, Socialtoo.com

Here is my reply to Mr. Stay.

Thanks for your offer, Jesse.

I am not a person who believes in one-size-fits-all solutions. If people are genuinely annoyed by auto DMs, they have a simple option: Do not follow the person who sent it. However, the social media whores who indiscriminately gather followers are ones most “offended” by auto DMs. Why? Because their message boxes are filled with auto DMs from the thousands of other SMWs monopolizing Twitter. I’ve noticed no one is launching any “holier than thou” campaigns to do away with auto-follows and unfollows, which are truly much more indiscriminate and impersonal.

I prefer to think of auto DMs like an answering machine. If you try to contact me and I’m not home, as a courtesy I’d like to leave you a message to engage in real dialog. I think this is the way the auto DM function was intended. That is how I want to use it … as a courtesy and an invitation to get acquainted.

For the record, here is my auto DM message: “Hello! I am not online all day and use this auto reply as my answering machine. I will return your personal message.”

Socialtoo has chosen to respond to what you perceive as market pressure. I am choosing to go with another service. If you ever change your policy, I will return. Frankly, your user interface is better than Tweet Later. But they provide a service I value.

Thanks for the chance to engage in this personal dialog.

Sincerely,

Raul Ramos y Sanchez

The pimps of Latino culture

Imagine for a moment that a major retailer decided to create a marketing campaign for everyone in the U.S. whose last name began with a “J.” Household income, education, age, gender, race and other demographic factors would not matter. The only unifying element in this group would be the first letter of each person’s last name. As absurd as this sounds, that is essentially what some marketers are doing when targeting Hispanics. In many cases, marketers are simply searching public records for Hispanic surnames and throwing together people with wildly divergent demographic characteristics to create a “market.”

So what’s the problem with this? At first glance, the worst fallout of this kind of marketing is poorly translated versions of English ads and telemarketing calls in Spanish to households where no one speaks the language. However, the ultimate effect of this kind of marketing can hurt every person in the U.S. with a Spanish surname. Let me explain.

When pressed, these “Hispanic marketing experts” will grudgingly acknowledge that Spanish-surnamed people differ significantly by country of origin and whether they are first-second-or-third generation in the U.S. However, these usually self-appointed experts are still fond of conjuring imaginary characteristics about all Latinos to justify lumping them all together anyway. The most threadbare of these clichés is that Hispanics are "devoted to their families." But there are more insidious ones. Here are just a few actual examples from self-proclaimed Hispanic marketing advisors:

“Hispanics tend to place less importance on time as a concept. This can be frustrating to many non-Hispanics who are used to a fast moving world and are constantly rushing and planning for the future.”

“Discussions with Hispanics tend to be more emotional and less rational. Understanding this will allow you to build powerful messages. Try touching their hearts first, not their heads.”

As a Latino, I find these generalization more than insulting. They hurt my chances in the business world. Would you do business with someone who is going to be perennially late, lethargic, overly emotional and illogical? Would you hire that person as an employee?

The best proof about the myth of Hispanic homogeneity is this: The majority of Hispanic-targeted marketing campaigns have been failures. All the same, these “Hispanic marketing experts” are trying more desperately than ever to sell their wares. So we can expect this sad trend to continue.

Freedom of speech is one of the wonderful guarantees the people of the United States enjoy. Our free enterprise system is another blessing. However, these rights and advantages should not be a license to pimp an entire ethnic group in order to make a buck.

Raul Ramos y Sanchez

Stereotypes posing as marketing advice

Unless you are just now emerging from the safe room you built in anticipation of the Y2K disaster, you probably know Latinos are the fastest growing ethnic group in the United States. That widespread fact has caught the eye of marketers across the country and many have rushed in to exploit this rich, untapped vein of consumers. Not surprisingly, this “gold fever” has spawned some ugly consequences. 

Let me offer just one example.  

A recent blog by a Hispanic marketing consultant offered some advice to mainstream advertisers that left me stunned – and offended. The marketer, a Latino himself, gave several “tips” to advertisers about communicating with Latinos at online social media sites. Most were demeaning oversimplifications, but the first tip was the most offensive. The gist of it was this:

“Discussions with Hispanics tend to be more emotional and less rational. Understanding this will allow you to build powerful messages. Try touching their hearts first, not their heads.”

The damage of perpetuating this kind of stereotype is severe – especially in these hard economic times. Imagine an employer with two qualified candidates for a job, one of them a Latino. Will the employer hire the one who will be “more emotional and less rational?”

When I pressed this marketing consultant for evidence to support his conclusions, he revealed it had come from monitoring Hispanic sports chat rooms online. Now ponder this for a minute. This consultant was basing his conclusions for all Hispanic online behavior from the chatter of sports fans. It’s hard to imagine a more irrational group – regardless of ethnicity.

How irrational can sports fans get? Listen to ESPN radio sometime, or visit any sports blog on the Internet. You’ll hear Non-Hispanic sports fans venting raw emotion 24/7. Just a few years back, someone threatened the life of an Ohio State football player after the nineteen-year-old student dropped a touchdown pass against Texas. Even the supposedly stiff-upper-lip English can get downright nasty when it comes to sports. English soccer fans have been banned from some foreign countries for their legendary rowdiness. So the claim that Latino sports fans are more emotional than Anglos is little more than prejudice posing as marketing savvy.

Ironically, despite our reputation for being a fiery bunch, most Latinos let offensive comments like this go unchallenged. But unless we raise our voices against these affronts, we can expect more of the same. My post criticizing the blatant stereotyping in this blog was assailed by several other Hispanic marketing consultants who obviously felt their meal tickets threatened. 

In the 1950s, Madison Avenue made millions creating stereotypical minority characters like Aunt Jemima, Uncle Ben and, of course, the Frito Bandito. Sad to think that more than a half century later, some marketers are still trying to sell the same tired claptrap.  

Raul Ramos y Sanchez