I am a newly published poet, and am looking to something unique to promote my book this summer. I would like to find someone to finance a short 3 month tour which should net a 20% return on their investment...... due to financial problems, I can not seek conventional means of financing. Can anyone give me any ideas on where to start looking for private investors that might be interested? Thank you, R S Stoner

>I am a newly published poet, and am looking to something
>unique to promote my book this summer. I would like to find
>someone to finance a short 3 month tour which should net a 20%
>return on their investment...... due to financial problems, I
>can not seek conventional means of financing. Can anyone give
>me any ideas on where to start looking for private investors
>that might be interested? Thank you, R S Stoner

It sounds like you're talking about sponsorship. In that case you would seek out sponsors that would benefit from your book tour. Think of it in comparison to the sponsors of concert tours. Businesses like Pepsi will sponsor a tour because they will get something out of it like advertising. Another good comparison would be racing where you see those advertisments on the cars.

You have to take a good look at your book and find out who/what business would benefit from your book tour. Then you make a presentation to them to show them why it would be in their best interest to sponsor you.

The same thing would apply if you were seeking investors. I'm starting an investor's bulletin board at:

http://members.aol.com/Roseb441702/invest.htm

so that I can start putting general information about investors and investing on it. I'm doing this to show that there are still legitimate investors out there.

Hi!

Clever marketing ideas have never been a problem for me... but money is... so I can see where you are coming from. My problems seem so huge compared to yours... there must be something I can do to help.

When I traveled with my music, I'd get my first paid booking as far as I could afford to get and pay for the motel, then I would use the money I got paid and go from there. I have been in 42 states and I never had any money to help me do it. I got tips too... lots of them.
My gimmick was a little soft scuptured man I attached to a computerized instrument... that gave a full band sound. And of course I could sing, too.

The trick is, getting paid to do what you do so you don't have to ask for money... so you have to stand out in the crowd... or lead it yourself.

How did you publish your poetry? Are you using LuLu? Do you have a website to sell it?

Do your poems have a theme? Sometimes you can get paid to speak at different places about how and what you do. Are you a member of any local writer's associations? Can you organize and teach a small poetry seminar and earn money? Can you involve children? Puppets are great at reading poems by the way... and Axtell makes some great ones that are unique!!

Get yourself a gimmick, take some pictures with it and then get paid!

I know I make this sound easy... and I could even be insulting you since poets are usually very serious people. How much personality do you have? You have to shine to make it in today's world, no matter what you do!

Coffee shops are popping up everywhere. Can you "perform" your poetry with a puppet or a musical background... maybe bring the day of the "Beatnick" back... remember that? Where people read poetry in the coffee shops and people would snap their fingers instead of clapping?

If it were me... I would get a pair of bongos and do a complete "return of the beatnick coffee shop" thing... just take your picture with the bongos in a black and white thin striped T-shirt with a red scarf around your neck... and maybe a leather beaded braid around your forhead. Then send your picture and press release out that really brags you and your book up, send it out to all the coffee shops and OFFER to do a poetry reading and sell your books in their coffee shop... They should pay you since they can use your press release to advertise and bring business into their coffee shop. Ask for 75.00 and put out a tip jar. That will at least pay for your stay. (You may have to live cheap for awhile)

Right now I am seeking business investment for something much larger than just my book... but selling it will never be a problem for me... even if I have to go back to singing to foot the bills!


Hope this helps!


Prayers and Lamb Hugs!

LeFerna

You might want to check out http://www.investorinspector.com/new_products.php?id=143 for funding. They have deep pockets and are good at what they do, for a reasonable price...FYI. I DO have other resources as well if you'd like but they would take longer than this one. Let me know. Feel free to call me at 612-202-0942.

Take care,
Elizabeth Henderson, MBA
EHenderson@FinancialVisions.net