How to Best Stand Out With Actionable Tips to Market Your Book - BM401

Susan Friedmann [00:00:30]:
 
 Welcome to Book Marketing Mentors, the weekly podcast where you learn proven strategies, tools, ideas, and tips from the masters. Every week, I introduce you to a marketing master who will share their expertise to help you market and sell more books.
 
 Today, my special guest is Anne Therese Gennari. Anne Therese is a strong supporter of climate optimism and the author of The Climate Optimist Handbook: How to Shift the Narrative on Climate Change. She's passionate about empowering others and promoting a proactive approach to climate change, she believes in the transformative power of climate optimism beyond global impact. Her primary focus is on shifting the narrative on climate change to act from courage and excitement Rather than fear, she's taught workshops and lectured on climate optimism and mental health at various schools, Including City College of New York, Columbia University, and the Harvard TH Chan School of Public Health. She's also worked collaboratively with companies like BMW and Tetra Pak on a collection of projects and has hosted motivational workshops for many more.

It's always a pleasure to interview one of my Aviva publishing authors.
 So, Anne Therese, What a pleasure it is to welcome you to the show, and thank you for being this week's guest expert and mentor.
 
 Anne Therese Gennari [00:01:59]:
 
 Susan, I'm so honored to be here. I've really used your show for so much, you know, this journey in general, and I'm gaining so much from it. So it's a true pleasure to be here today. Thank you.
 
 Susan Friedmann [00:02:09]:
 
 Well, thank you. So I was talking about, your book just before we went on the air. I realized that it's just been a year since you published. So in that year, how do you feel your books helped you move your career to the next level?
 
 Anne Therese Gennari [00:02:28]:
 
 That's a great question because it's only been a year which feels such a long year. It came out 2 weeks before my daughter was born, and so That definitely added another layer of stress because I felt like, oh, my book is out in the world. I need to be promoting it. And I know that once you stop promoting, it kind of stops because you're your own best marketer, which I've learned on this podcast. But I also trusted that the book is out there, and it wasn't just about the book. It was also about my greater mission, which I have been balding for so long now, and I know that that ball is still out there rolling. And so it actually has opened up some incredible doors that I Couldn't quite even envision for myself when I wrote the book. But today, looking back a year from when it was published, I have definitely made back my investment into the book, and it has brought me to some incredible opportunities, stages, and ways of creating bigger impact.
 
 Anne Therese Gennari [00:03:21]:
 
 And so if anyone is asking themselves, should I write the book? I would say, if you love writing, then there's no reason to hold back, and I'm so grateful that I put myself on the timeline to make sure the book was up before my daughter. That's what I'll say because there's no way I would be writing it now.
 
 Susan Friedmann [00:03:36]:
 
 That was just tremendous that you kept going, and I know I saw you through that pregnancy, and I was like, oh my goodness. I just can't imagine what that was like, you know, having written a book and having a baby at the same time. It was like, oh.
 
 Anne Therese Gennari [00:03:51]:
 
 It was a lot.
 
 Susan Friedmann [00:03:52]:
 
 It was a lot, So, you know, kudos to you. So talk about some of these opportunities that have opened up now that you have the book, and you're a published author, and you're perceived as an expert in this whole field of climate optimism.
 
 Anne Therese Gennari [00:04:09]:
 
 That right there is what I knew deep inside I was gonna be perceived as an expert, and it would give me credibility, and it did. I mean, the most amazing story is that A woman was walking in a bookstore in the Berkshires in Western Massachusetts, and my husband's family is from there. So I had been plugging my book to some bookstores around, and they were Promoting into local author, which was really cool. So this woman walks up and sees the book. She's like, we need to have this person come speak to our students. She reached out to me and said that she works for the Environmental School of Forestry in Syracuse And asked if I would maybe give them the honor of being their commencement speaker. I was thrilled because I couldn't think of it so one thing more exciting than to speak to students and Send them off with climate optimism and, you know, a hope for the future and for them to feel like what the field they have chosen is something that they should be pursuing. And so I obviously said yes, and I just feel like that was one of those moments.
 
 Anne Therese Gennari [00:05:07]:
 
 I was like, okay. The whole journey, it was all worth it. Even if this is the one thing that comes out of it, it's been worth it. That's just one example. I just came back from Budapest a couple of weeks ago where I was speaking at a university there. They paid me good money and flew me all the way there to speak to their students. And I know it's because of the book. I know it's because of having that credibility and now being seen as an expert.
 
 Anne Therese Gennari [00:05:31]:
 
 It just gives me too the trust in myself to really just stand up for what I know deep inside it's right and how much I can actually help people. But, yeah, it's been quite incredible how many doors this book has already opened up.
 
 Susan Friedmann [00:05:44]:
 
 I love that. And, yes, I mean, one of the things that I often tell authors is that it is a door opener. Don't look necessarily to make money with the book per se, but through Speaking, coaching, training, and you're doing all of the above. And I know you already had a business when you wrote the book, But this has taken that business to a whole another level. Is that correct?
 
 Anne Therese Gennari [00:06:09]:
 
 Absolutely. Yeah.
 
 Susan Friedmann [00:06:10]:
 
 Yeah. One of the you and I were talking about earlier was the fact that your topic is more than just a topic. You know, climate optimism, climate exchange. First of all, it's so topical. But secondly, you see this more as a movement rather than going out and talking on the topic. Is that correct?
 
 Anne Therese Gennari [00:06:32]:
 
 Yes. And I feel like it's become even more of a movement just in the past year. I have Google alerts set out for climate optimism, which I Highly recommend anyone to set up for their own topic because you really stay on top of all the articles and all the news out there. And in the beginning, I got a few articles here and there about climate optimism, and now I get, like, a list of at least 5 daily because it's becoming this movement that's taking off. And for me, knowing that it is a movement more than just me promoting my book, and I think I learned this in the previous episode on your podcast, Susan, but When you remove the ego from the work, it's so much easier to continue promoting it because it's ultimately not about you. It's not about you selling a amount of copies, although, of course, you all wanna sell a 1,000,000 copies. But it's more about what is the thing that you can leave behind. How can you impact people? How can you help people? And for me, climate optimism is obviously about making the future better than what we're aiming for right now, but it's also about helping people finding their place in this uncertain world, finding the reasons for trying and for showing up and for participating in the change in the local communities, in their lives, And in doing so, actually lead a better life because that's what my whole book is about.
 
 Anne Therese Gennari [00:07:47]:
 
 It's really like a self help book on climate change, so to speak. Back to your question, thinking of it as a mission and a movement more so than just let's sell books, it is so much more fulfilling. It's so much more fun, and it's easier to find these different pathways to go down. It's not just about selling copies. It's about finding all these different avenues where you can speak, do workshops, coach, lend your hand in other ways, and Collaborate. One of the most fun things I've done is collaborating with companies on how they can shift their messaging around climate change and spark hope in their audiences. So, Yes. I think for any author, thinking of it more as what is the mission, the movement, the impact I'm trying to create.
 
 Anne Therese Gennari [00:08:29]:
 
 When you think about it that way, it's easier to keep going, and it's not as scary because it's not you. It's about the bigger movement, And it's ultimately more fun.
 
 Susan Friedmann [00:08:39]:
 
 Yeah. There's so much power in that. The fact that as you rightly say, it's not about The book, it's not about you. It's about the legacy. It's about what you can give to others and make a difference in the world, Which is obviously what you're setting out to do here. You're very fortunate too because, as I said, it's so topical, so people attracted to the subject matter because of the topic, and especially, I think, a younger audience because they're our future. The fact that you're doing so much at colleges, universities adds to that. And the fact that, Globally, people are inviting you to talk about the subject, so you're going to be a name, if not already, that people are talking about.
 
 Susan Friedmann [00:09:28]:
 
 And we do work for her. We had her on the show. Yes.
 
 Anne Therese Gennari [00:09:32]:
 
 Let's put that into the stars. I'll take it.
 
 Susan Friedmann [00:09:34]:
 
 If you were to give advice To some of our authors, what would you say is most important? And, yes, I know you've Highlighted the ego part, taking that. But looking to get speaking engagements, looking to Sell the books. I mean, what's your approach? What's been working for you?
 
 Anne Therese Gennari [00:09:57]:
 
 I would say for 1, just Stick to your message and consistently show up for something you believe passionately in. I have been pushing climate optimism for years now, And I was writing the book for almost 10 years, so, you know, it's been in the works. And like I mentioned, just this previous year, it's picking up, And people are starting to recognize not only do we need to talk about climate change, but we need to shift the narrative so we can feel hopeful and motivated to actually take action. Now I just happen to have this book, and I already created all these resources. And my word is out there, and it's because I stuck to it for so long that I'm now Getting that recognition for it. So if there is a topic that you deeply believe in, even if the world isn't right now giving you feedback on it, I would just keep going. I would also say find ways to build on that that brings you joy. I was trying to do all the social media apps, and I just Didn't ever like Twitter, and now x is here, and I'm, like, not even gonna care.
 
 Anne Therese Gennari [00:10:54]:
 
 And so I chose Instagram and my newsletter, which I started writing a couple of years ago, And it has grown organically, and it's a way for me to continuously push my message out there, but not in a way that consumes me because you can easily get overwhelmed by that too. And then in terms of finding opportunities, I would say be open-minded, network, offer free resources, and kinda just plug in if that's on LinkedIn, sharing a comment. You never know where the opportunity is gonna come from. Like, having a speaking agency is incredibly valuable, obviously, but there are other ways 2 that you can get that recognition, and I would say find where your message might hit home and just start engaging there and start giving away of your expertise Because it will come back and reward you. But do it in a way that fulfills you so you don't feel like you're wasting your time even if it doesn't lead to something. So for me, writing my newsletter, I love doing it because It keeps me attuned to my message, but also gives me an opportunity to continue to put my word out there. There were so many things to say, but I would say trust your thing. Keep going with it.
 
 Anne Therese Gennari [00:11:55]:
 
 If it brings you joy, then do it. There's nothing lost with doing it. There's so many written words that we'll never see the world. That is just for me, but it keeps me going. And so I think sticking to your art and trusting that it's valuable is the most important thing.
 
 Susan Friedmann [00:12:11]:
 
 Yes. And a couple of things that you said that I wanna hone in on. 1 is the passion. I mean, I hear straightaway whether An author is passionate about the subject matter. And if they are, I mean, that passion is going to help sell Because you excite others. It's contagious, your passion. Just listening to you now, I'm like, oh my goodness. Yes.
 
 Susan Friedmann [00:12:36]:
 
 It's contagious. I want more of her. That's the same with anybody who has a passion for a subject no matter what it is. And then secondly, you highlighted consistency, And I believe very much in consistency as you know. I mean, my consistency is my podcast. I'm also doing articles Every week now. So it's that consistency. You have your newsletter.
 
 Susan Friedmann [00:13:02]:
 
 You've got a platform that works well for you. How many times, for instance, do you put out your newsletter?
 
 Anne Therese Gennari [00:13:09]:
 
 It used to be weekly, and then I became a mom, and some things changed. But At least once or twice a month now, which I feel like is enough. But once a month for sure, maybe a little more.
 
 Susan Friedmann [00:13:20]:
 
 Yes.
 
 Anne Therese Gennari [00:13:21]:
 
 And I would just add one of the things that just came to me. Connecting with and actually collaborating with other authors in your field. You know? It might sound like, why would I do that? Because technically my enemy, but they're not. Even if it's written on the same topic, you will not have it in the same book. And so I started reaching out to authors in the field of climate anxiety and climate change in general, and we started doing giveaways and, like, collaborative posts and then ended up doing wonderful events during climate week in New York City that multiple people came to. And so, of course, by collaborating with these other authors, you will automatically attract a bigger audience. I would say collaboration with other authors is so invaluable and something that you we shouldn't overlook.
 
 Susan Friedmann [00:14:02]:
 
 That's a brilliant idea, and nobody I don't believe ever talked about it in that movie for on the show, so kudos. Yes. You're right. Because your book is unique. Your experiences are unique. The way you've put your book together, There's no other book like it. Now the subject matter, yeah, other people have and will continue to write about it, But they'll put their slant on it where you've got yours. So this collaboration is beautiful.
 
 Susan Friedmann [00:14:34]:
 
 It's a beautiful idea. I love it. Yeah. Keep going with that. So we've got 3. We've got the passion, the consistency, and the collaboration. Maybe we should have that all or or peas or something. I don't know.
 
 Anne Therese Gennari [00:14:49]:
 
 I love it. Yes.
 
 Susan Friedmann [00:14:50]:
 
 What are some of the mistakes that you feel that you've made? You've been writing the book for 10 years, and then it's been out for a year now. Looking back, what are some of the things if you were to do this all over again, what would a do differently.
 
 Anne Therese Gennari [00:15:06]:
 
 I would ask for help a lot earlier. I think I finished the book 2 or 3 times. Like, finished it. Like, done. And then I just didn't trust in myself enough to put it out there. I think I maybe sent it to 1 or 2 agents and never heard back, and so I was so discouraged. And I'm like, oh, it's not time yet. Then it took me getting pregnant, and I was like, okay.
 
 Anne Therese Gennari [00:15:27]:
 
 Enough is enough. This book needs to get out there because otherwise, it's never going to. And I think that's when I reached out to you, Susan, because we were connected via NSA here in New York City. I said to you, okay. I have a time line now. Needs to come up before the baby. You're like, yes. It will.
 
 Anne Therese Gennari [00:15:42]:
 
 So I think asking for that help and asking for support from My speaker community asking other people who have put books out there before, it just helped me streamline the process so much faster Instead of closing the doors that weren't meant for me, because I kept going back and forth between traditional publishing and then self publishing, I think I got stuck there not knowing what to do. And then when I finally just made my decision and then asked for the help, it came together so fast. I think that is the one mistake I would not do again is waiting too long to ask for help.
 
 Susan Friedmann [00:16:15]:
 
 Yes. I know that one so well. That's one of the things that it took me a long time to have the courage ask for help. I totally, empathize with that one. You gave birth to 2 babies within a short period of time, wasn't it? It was like, Yo. September, the book was, and then your daughter was born maybe a few weeks later. It's like
 
 Anne Therese Gennari [00:16:38]:
 
 No. Yeah. When the book came out late October, and she was born November 4th.
 
 Susan Friedmann [00:16:43]:
 
 The 2nd.
 
 Anne Therese Gennari [00:16:43]:
 
 And it was funny because I had put it out for preorder, and A lot of people had ordered it signed. So I signed all the copies that were sitting in beautiful piles in my living room, but then I ordered these sustainable mailers That I was determined to use because it's a book about climate change, and they were delayed. So literally in the hospital, my daughter was Born a couple hours ago, I received an email that, oh, your mailers have been delivered. And I'm like, great. This is, like, many days too late. So long story short, in my early days of being a mom, I had to ask my husband to go to the post office and send them all out, which was a mission. This is one of those stories I'll never forget, but it was fun. It was really cool to have done that in such a short period of time and to be really proud of myself for actually giving birth to 2 incredibly amazing things.
 
 Susan Friedmann [00:17:32]:
 
 2 incredible babies. Yes. I love that story, and it's so much fun, and I can just visualize it. It's almost as if there should have been a video taken.
 
 Anne Therese Gennari [00:17:42]:
 
 You know? We actually used our stroller to fill it with books because, like, how are we gonna get all these to the post office? And so people are like, oh, where's the baby? And they looked at them, and it was just a pile of books. It was funny. Make this stuff up. You can. Then my husband is like, what am I doing? But I'm grateful for that support. It comes in all kinds of ways. Ex
 
 Susan Friedmann [00:18:02]:
 
 It does. So yes. So you got the books out. You had your baby. You were doing multiple things as you still are because your daughter's what a year old, And you're still going all over the world speaking, and you're a mom, and you're a wife, and you've got a life outside of this, But you're making it work. So what's a secret to that success of making this work?
 
 Anne Therese Gennari [00:18:26]:
 
 I love that you asked this question because as you were kinda summing it up, I remembered 1 more story that I'll I'll maybe end on. The secret is trust. It's trust in something greater because I think we can easily Overwhelm ourselves and work ourselves into the ground. And in my early days as a mother, I was a little bit stressed. I'm like, I need to be promoting this book, But I was tired and sleep deprived and, you know, wanting to be in the moment with my daughter. And then I remember 1 morning, I just kinda sat on my floor in my living room, and I send a little prayer. I said, I trust that this book will make it if it's supposed to. It's out there, And right now, there's nothing else I can do than just know that it's gonna find its readers and its score gonna be great.
 
 Anne Therese Gennari [00:19:06]:
 
 And literally that same day, I finally heard back From Jane Goodall. She wrote me a personal email to say, I'm finally home for a couple of days, and I now have time to read your book and write you a blurb. I still have goosebumps just thinking about it. I got a testimonial from Jane Goodall, which is one of my ultimate heroes. It happened that same day that I put that prayer out, And it was just really a response from the universe or something greater to say, don't worry. We got your back, and really just be in the moment. And I think, Especially as authors and maybe self employed people and creatives, giving our art space to breathe and taking care of ourselves is so important and trusting that it will find its way. If we continue to tap into our passion and continue to show up for that work, it's okay to take breaks.
 
 Anne Therese Gennari [00:19:54]:
 
 It's okay to You know that things both kind of unfold in a way it should. And, yeah, it's that trust that's the secret, I would say, that I'm still going.
 
 Susan Friedmann [00:20:05]:
 
 Wonderful. And I saw that quote on your website, and I was like, oh my goodness. She got a quote from Jane Goodall. That's Pretty wholesome.
 
 Anne Therese Gennari [00:20:14]:
 
 And, you know, I would just say, like, another advice, just go for it. The reason I even had a chance to ask for her quote Was because when I did a podcast with B&W, I happened to talk to one of the people I interviewed, and he mentioned that he worked for the Jane Goodall Institute. So I reached out and said, I know it's a long shot, but do you think there's any chance that she can give me a quote from my book? And he said, I can't promise anything, but I give it to her assistant And long story short, so don't be afraid to ask, I would say, because you never know.
 
 Susan Friedmann [00:20:43]:
 
 You never know. And it may not happen instantly. But how long did you have to wait for that quote?
 
 Anne Therese Gennari [00:20:48]:
 
 A few months. It wasn't too long, but, you know, it wasn't the next day or anything.
 
 Susan Friedmann [00:20:53]:
 
 Yeah. No. It's about putting out there, and, Yes. You just never know. I had the same thing when I sent my book to Seth Godin, asking him for a testimonial for my Riches and Niches book. And I was like, I don't know. Maybe he will, maybe he won't, but if I don't ask, I'll never know.
 
 Anne Therese Gennari [00:21:14]:
 
 Exactly.
 
 Susan Friedmann [00:21:15]:
 
 Sure enough, he gave me one, and there were stipulations as to how I could use that quote. It was only in print. I couldn't put it on a website. I acknowledge that, and it's fine. It's on the book.
 
 Anne Therese Gennari [00:21:28]:
 
 And that's great. Congratulations.
 
 Susan Friedmann [00:21:30]:
 
 Yes. Thank you. The same thing. Yeah. Don't be frightened to ask and stretch, and people don't know you exist unless you let them know. They don't know your book exists unless you let them know. If our listeners want to find out more about you, about the book, Where should they go?
 
 Anne Therese Gennari [00:21:51]:
 
 They can go to my website, which is TheClimateOptimist.com, and there, I've linked My newsletter and my social media, they can find the book on different ways of buying it. But, yeah, The Climate Optimist. Search for that, and I'm sure you'll find me somewhere.

Susan Friedmann [00:22:07]:

Very much so. And listeners, I've just written an article about author versus book websites. I looked at Anne Therese's website, and it's beautiful. I mean, the book is front and center, but it also as you scroll down, You find out more about her, and you find out more about the workshops and speaking engagements and everything else. So It's a nice combo of highlighting the book, but, of course, that's not all because it's really about What you can offer as well, and you do that beautifully. So whoever designed that for you did a wonderful job.

Anne Therese Gennari [00:22:47]:

Oh, I did it myself, so I'll take that. Thank you.

Susan Friedmann [00:22:50]:

I should have remembered that because I know you and I talked about that. You did a beautiful job, so congratulations. And, yeah, listeners, go and look at that, TheClimateOptimist.com, and check it out. And I know, and, Therese, you listen to this podcast regularly, and you know the drill. So we always leave our listeners with a golden nugget. So what's yours going to be?

Anne Therese Gennari [00:23:16]:

Don't wait your dreams out because you never know what following them will take you. I will say that. And if I can give 2. Sorry.

Susan Friedmann [00:23:27]:

I just, like, I want

Anne Therese Gennari [00:23:28]:

I want too much. So the second one is my favorite quote, which changed my life forever, And it goes keeps a room in your heart for the unimaginable. And I think we get so stuck in what's right in front of us, And it's hard to believe in anything but what we can see right now. But the truth is we don't know what's around the corner, and we don't know what opening that door will lead to or it. Finding the courage to put out that book will do for us. Like, we don't know, and there's so much beauty in that unknowing. And if we can find some room in our hearts to trust that, we can really live some extraordinary lives.

Susan Friedmann [00:24:03]:

And that goes back to that whole theme Of trusting that you talked about beforehand. Yes. Just trust. And the sky is the limit. We just never know exactly as you said, what is around the corner. Who's going to walk into a bookstore and say, I've gotta have this woman come and talk to us. Right. You don't know that.

Susan Friedmann [00:24:23]:

You didn't organize that at all. It just happened. . But your book was there for it to happen. If it hadn't been, that wouldn't have happened. So it's putting the pieces in place and spreading the seeds. They're going to germinate in some form or other.

Anne Therese Gennari [00:24:41]:

Some will be seeds. Plant your seeds.

Susan Friedmann [00:24:45]:

Those seeds. I really appreciate you sharing your Thank you for taking time to be on this show. Being a busy mom, I know that you were taking your daughter to the park before you came on the show. The life of a busy author and a busy entrepreneur. Yes.

Anne Therese Gennari [00:25:02]:

It's like, how can I tire her out enough so she will pass out when I get home? And she did. Mission complete. Yay. So much, Susan. I really appreciate you having me.

Susan Friedmann [00:25:11]:

Thank you. And listeners, You know the drill. If your book isn't selling the way you want it or expect it to, let's you and I jump on a quick call to brainstorm ways to ramp up those sales Because you've invested a whole lot of time, money, and energy, and it's time you got the return you were hoping for. Go to BrainstormWithSusan.com to schedule your free call. In the meantime, I hope this powerful interview sparks some ideas you can use to sell more books. So until hit next week, here's wishing you much book and author marketing success.