Creativity, Diversity, and Decision Making
You may get an "Aha" moment from isolated pondering, but these innovative flashes are few and far between. In general, the best ideas surface when offered by the thoughts and experiences of others. But danger lies in generating ideas by relying upon the thoughts and experiences of the same group of people. You may get many new thoughts, but they tend to be recirculated variations of the same old ones, cloaked with enthusiasm to appear different. Before making decisions about your books or business, seek input from a variety of diverse but trusted sources. Here are the Ten Ways to Balance the Quantity and Quality of Ideas.
- Idea flow has two components. One is engagement within a group, and the other is exploration outside the group. Do not limit yourself to one set of people.
- Develop relationships and connections with other experts in and outside the publishing industry
- Maintain contact with your connections even when you don't seek their advice. They may be more up to date on your current circumstances and more willing to assist when needed.
- Reach out to people beyond the publishing field to find those with a different perspective of our industry, with successful experiences in other industries
- People who see your dilemma from a different viewpoint can develop varied and perhaps better solutions
- Meet with people face to face when possible, rather than over the telephone
- If you start to experience "group think" where everyone is in agreement, play the Devil's Advocate to stimulate different viewpoints
- Recognize the difference between an existing idea that is tweaked and one that is so new and different that is causes discomfort among traditional thinkers
- You may have to eliminate a person from your group if he or she is so dominate or judgmental that others do not participate
- Recognize that an idea is just the first step in a lengthy process. It must be honed and tested before unleashing it universally.
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Brian Jud is the Executive Director of the Association of Publishers for Special Sales (APSS - www.bookapss.org - formerly SPAN). He is also the author of How to Make Real Money Selling Books. Brian offers commission-based sales of books to buyers in non-bookstore markets. Contact Brian at P. O. Box 715, Avon, CT 06001-0715; (860) 675-1344; brianjud@bookmarketing.com or www.premiumbookcompany.com twitter.com/bookmarketing
Brian Jud is an author, book-marketing consultant, seminar leader, television host and president of Premium Book Company, which sells books to non-bookstore buyers on a non-returnable, commission-only basis and conducts on-site training for publishers' sales forces.
Brian is the author of "How to Make Real Money Selling Books (Without Worrying About Returns)," a do-it-yourself guide to selling books to non-bookstore buyers in large quantities, with no returns. He has written many articles about book publishing and marketing, is the author of the eight e-booklets with "Proven Tips for Publishing Success," and creator of the series of "Book Marketing Wizards." He is also the editor of the bi-weekly newsletter, "Book Marketing Matters."
Brian is the host of the television series "The Book Authority" and has aired over 650 shows. In addition, he is the author, narrator and producer of the media-training video program "You're On The Air."
Reach Brian at BrianJud@BookMarketing.com or visit his website at www.PremiumBookCompany.com
