Weight Loss Surgery Food Journals

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Weight Loss Surgery Food Journals

by Suzette Kroll-Barancik, RD
(Tucson, AZ)

The Lap-Band Companion

Well I'm at it again. Writing food journals that is. This time I've written 2 food journals to market to weight loss surgery patients:

The Lap-Band Companion
The Gastric Bypass Companion

I used the self publishing website Lulu again, as I did with my first diet journal, Diet Write.

This publishing experience was much easier than the first time because I was already familiar with Lulu and how to format my document, upload it, put the cover on, etc.

While the publishing process was fairly easy, the whole marketing thing standing in front of me now is a little daunting. I think I have 2 great products and a great niche market. Now I just need to figure out how to get my niche market to know about my great journals!

My only planned approach at this time is to continue to increase traffic on my current nutrition website (that I built using SiteBuildIt). I get a couple hundred visitors per day.

I'm also planning to start a new website about weight loss surgery in the near future.

(Webmaster's note: Suzette has begun. You'll find her new site, focused on a particular kind of weight loss surgery, at Your Personal Lap Band Guide.)

One negative about self publishing on Lulu is the fact that my website visitors have to leave my website and go to Lulu's website to purchase my book(s). Once they are on the Lulu site, they even have to JOIN Lulu in order to make the purchase. (I wasn't even AWARE of this fact until today, and I've had Diet Write on Lulu for over a year). I'm sure that drives away some (many?) potential customers!

Another point is that there is a VISUAL disconnect when the website reader clicks away to Lulu. Lulu's site looks nothing like mine! (Experience the interface for yourself.)

The hesitant online shopper trusting ME to sell them something may be scared off by the unknown Lulu, or feel like they are being scammed.

However, at this time, I can live with that because I have no better means of selling!

I get excited about the few sales I make. I'm clearly not getting rich and famous from this, but I'm flattered to know a handful of people want to buy my work.

Flattery, however, won't pay my bills so I know I need to get on the ball and figure out the whole marketing thing! I've only averaged 1.6 book sales per month over the past 15 months (from the sale of Diet Write mostly, but I HAVE already sold 2 of The Lap-Band Companion this month). I make a little over $2.00 on the sale of each book. I have to thank my husband for supporting me, because clearly my writing does not :)

Overall, I'd say my self publishing experience on Lulu was pretty quick and easy and I'm very happy with how my newest journals look. When I can master the marketing side, I'll be back to tell you about it!

Visit Suzette's site, Your Personal Nutrition Guide.

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Weight Loss Surgery Food Journals

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Nov 20, 2008
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Thanks
by: Suzette Kroll-Barancik

Thanks for comments Barbara!

I like your ideas. I think the problem with getting ISBN number at Lulu was that my journal is a spiral bound paperback and for some reason which I don't understand I was unable to because of this.

I think you're right though, that having my journal on Amazon would probably boost sales.
I'll take a closer look into what you've recommended as far as buying my own ISBN numbers (and doing more talks). Thanks!

Also, I have to admit that I'm not as skilled as I look as far as building my own website! If you can read basic directions, you can build a website too (and it's only a few hundred dollars...not thousands!) I didn't know a thing before I started and I really don't know much more now. I just have a really great web host (SBI!) that provides me all the tools and step by step directions (literally hand holding directions) to do it. I use the same webhost that Steve does to write this Self Publishing website. He writes alot about SBI! in his newsletters.

Nov 19, 2008
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Why not change from Lulu?
by: Barbara Hudgins

Hi, Suzette,

I know you have an interesting niche market. And you seem to be getting some traffic to your website. But since there is this problem of people having to go to Lulu and buy your books there, that may kill off motivation. Can't you simply send them to Amazon.com from your website and become an Amazon Associate so you make a few cents off the Amazon sale?

I used Lightning Source as my POD printer for my book, Crafting the Travel Guidebook. Yes, it means putting a little money upfront (you have to buy your own set of ten ISBNs from Bowker and pay a setup cost to LS) but if you have a presentable book in terms of cover and design already this may only entail five or six hundred dollars.

By using Lightning Source, your book will appear on Amazon, bn.com and other online stores automatically. You can also buy your own book back from LSI at their cost (4 or 5 dollars depending on page count) and not the marked-up price from Lulu. Since you are skilled enough to create your own website (I wish I was and didn't have to pay a 3rd party) you can figure out how to set up a shopping cart and get sales direct from customers. You can also have direct buttons to amazon.com. Look at my www.woodmontpress.com website and you will see an amazon button.

In the meantime you should be doing talks at local libraries and women's clubs on the subject of weight loss surgery and sell your books direct to the audience. People are interested in the pros and cons of this subject.

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Nov 19, 2008
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Submitted by: Barbara Hudgins

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Hi, Suzette, I know you have an interesting niche market. And you seem to be getting some traffic to your website. But since there is this problem of people having to go to Lulu and buy your books there, that may kill off motivation. Can't you simply send them to Amazon.com from your website and become an Amazon Associate so you make a few cents off the Amazon sale? I used Lightning Source as my POD printer for my book, <A HREF="http://www.shared-self-publishing.com/my-selfpublishing-odyssey.html">Crafting the Travel Guidebook</A>. Yes, it means putting a little money upfront (you have to buy your own set of ten ISBNs from Bowker and pay a setup cost to LS) but if you have a presentable book in terms of cover and design already this may only entail five or six hundred dollars. By using Lightning Source, your book will appear on Amazon, bn.com and other online stores automatically. You can also buy your own book back from LSI at their cost (4 or 5 dollars depending on page count) and not the marked-up price from Lulu. Since you are skilled enough to create your own website (I wish I was and didn't have to pay a 3rd party) you can figure out how to set up a shopping cart and get sales direct from customers. You can also have direct buttons to amazon.com. Look at my www.woodmontpress.com website and you will see an amazon button. In the meantime you should be doing talks at local libraries and women's clubs on the subject of weight loss surgery and sell your books direct to the audience. People are interested in the pros and cons of this subject.

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Nov 17, 2008
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Lulu's interface
by: Steve B. (webmaster)

Suzette, I think you're right on. I think Lulu's requirement that you "join" before you can buy a book is rather off-putting. Makes it seem like a book club. I too wonder how many people don't buy when they see that.

When I go to Amazon I can simply purchase. I don't feel like I'm being asked to make new friends.

I'm wondering if any Lulu users out there have any thoughts on this and what you've done to lessen the problem. It can be jarring to link from an author website to Lulu. You can work with your Lulu storefront to capture some of your site's look and feel, but once you start preparing to buy it can feel like you've lost track of the author - and the book - entirely.

Thoughts?

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