Authors and solo professionals can grow their businesses by mastering the seven mental marketing principles outlined below:

1. Try new things. It is crucial that you stay involved in your industry and network with other professionals. You will learn the techniques that really work and build phenomenal long-lasting partnerships this way. For instance, have you considered hosting an online radio show, podcasting, or blogging to promote your books and other products?

2. Recognize fear and move through it. Are your fears keeping you from trying new marketing techniques? Pick up the phone and ask for advice from someone who is already doing what you want to do. Buy an infoproduct that teaches you--so you can learn at your leisure. I do this constantly. For instance, before I started recording teleseminars, I purchased--guess what--a teleseminar on doing teleseminars. Doing so alleviated my questions and it was easy to do the first time because I was prepared. Now I do a handful of these every month and they generate a significant amount of book sales for the NAWW. You will have fears... arm yourself with knowledge and move through it.

3. Revisit old ways of thinking and be willing to change--don't stay set in your ways. I have worked with writers and authors that were very reluctant to change some of their marketing efforts. They got set in their ways and became fearful of wasting money on new techniques. I taught them that successful marketers are in a constant state of evolution--always changing and adopting new strategies; using feedback from their customers and their bottom line to figure out what to change.

4. Dig deep into your programming--be aware of the preconditioned beliefs of your parents and family. It is never too late to make improvements. For years, I remained my own worst enemy. I had decided before I even started that I was only going to market using A, B, and C techniques and against D and E without any testing or research. I had already decided it wouldn't work. Why? Because I had preconditioned beliefs about the value of what I was offering and about my customers. Sometimes, we actually think we can read our customers' minds. We can't. Get feedback and they will tell you what they want.

5. Keep an open mind. How did I reprogram myself and let go of my preconditioned beliefs? I began to open my mind to the many possibilities and I actually started testing marketing ideas instead of letting them dart around in my head. I continued the process by studying my competitors, successful colleagues, and assembling my own group of advisors. Remember that success is meant to be shared. Help others and they will naturally come back to help you.

6. Measure results and then reinvent yourself and/or your company as often as needed. Measure your results by conducting surveys (www.surveymonkey.com is a great tool) and keep an eye on your bottom line. If you aren't meeting your financial goals, it is time to eliminate what isn't working and create new products (books, audios, etc.) and create processes that help you work more efficiently. Hire a professional coach or mentor. Don't rely on your friends and colleagues to give you honest feedback. That is too much pressure on your relationship. Pay a qualified person instead. With my mentees I have one goal in mind--helping them succeed and I can't do this if I don't give them the honest feedback they need to make more money. It is my job to help them make a plan to make the necessary changes.

7. Take risks! You must get used to taking risks. The best marketers take risks and put themselves out there. They are often controversial, on purpose, to create a buzz about their book. Take calculated risks by continuing to focus on learning new, proven promotional techniques that have worked for other professionals in your industry. Marketing is definitely a numbers game. You will try 3 techniques for every 1 that works for you and your particular book. With every risk you take, you will learn more!

Start using these mental marketing principles and I promise you will see positive results. And if you are overwhelmed, just remember what Henry Ford said, "Nothing is particularly hard if you divide it into small parts."

Sheri McConnell

Sheri McConnell is the President of the National Association of Women Writers. She helps women writers and entrepreneurs discover, create, and profit from their intellectual knowledge! Free reports for writers available with subscription to NAWW Weekly. Sheri lives in San Antonio, Texas with her husband Seth and their four children. Contact her at her toll free number at 866-821-5829.