In episode 25 of Micro Entrepreneur: the magic of starting small, I had a great time talking with Dee Blick, best-selling author, speaker and small business marketing guru. Dee is a Chartered Marketer, CIM Fellow, blogger, columnist and writes for many magazines. She has 31 years experience in marketing, copywriting and public speaking.

Dee's interview spans 2 podcasts. This week we're talking about her fantastic new book 'The Ultimate Guide to Writing and Marketing a Bestselling Book on a Shoestring Budget'; and then next week we'll be discussing the great marketing strategies Dee has implemented over the course of her career, so don't forget to tune in then!

This week's guest

Dee's 4th book was released to a fab review in 'The Sun', and it won the revered, independent book review site, the 'BookBag's' top 10 non-fiction books of 2014.

The Ultimate Guide to Writing and Marketing a Bestselling Book on a Shoestring Budget - had 15 five-star reviews within 4 weeks of launch and a considered 3 star review from a fellow author. If you are considering writing a book or struggling with the one you're writing, this will give you all the tips you need to pen an enduring bestseller...91,000 words, 24 chapters in bite sized nuggets of wisdom plus Dee's famous templates that you can use!

You may already know Dee as the author of The Ultimate Small Business Marketing Book. The Number 1 best-selling small business marketing book on Amazon. 156 five-star reviews. 87,000 words of practical marketing wisdom and tips that work. Now published by CITIC Publishing in China.

And author of The 15 Essential Marketing Masterclasses For Your Small Business, endorsed by The Chartered Institute of Marketing. The book has masses of new material on subjects essential to small businesses. Published by Wiley. 90 Five star reviews on Amazon with rave reviews in The Sun, Elite Business Magazine and winner of The BookBag nonfiction award and Talk Business Magazine 'Best Business Book 2013'.

What we covered in the show:

Why I'm now calling the podcast the magic of starting small

A reminder that I'm looking for some 'male business owner' case studies - please let me know at [email protected] if you know someone who has created a successful business

And then on to Dee with:

How we see ourselves is not always how others see us

Start with sharing what you know and the money and visibility will follow (not the other way round)

Her journey from self-publishing to being sought after by Wiley

The things Dee learnt - including finding her 'confident' voice, the importance of cover design and format

Why it's important to study the craft but it's still okay to be "perfectly imperfect"

Know why you're writing your book - what's your big idea?

Why planning the book is so important - gather your material first - give it the head space it deserves

Be prepared wherever you are, to note down your inspiration

Why you need to call for help when you need it

Start sharing it early e.g. on twitter, social media

Let your work sit for a while to get a better perspective on what you've written

The various routes to publishing including on-line and in book stores

What you need to pay for and what you don't

Using the pool of freelance experts that are available

Identify where your readers are and which platforms/places they hang out on

Find out who is influential in your tribe and make connections early

Get your book launch date locked in and get others to lock it in too

Get your professional reviewers lined up early

You can find out more about Dee here:

Twitter: @deeblick (her favourite social platform)

Linked In: LinkedIn

Email: dee@themarketinggym.