Advice Needed, How do I Reach PAs?

[jmj11]

I described here in Feburary and other PA social media sites how I, as a parting gift to a profession that served me well for 38 years, was to write an epic novel that featured a PA protagonist, The Stones of Yemen. I spent three years and worked with some of the best editors in the business. One editor, who had retired from S & S, was confident that the book would have a "cult following" among PAs. There were a few PAs who got the book when it first came out and the wrote me to say they loved it. But then the sales went dead. I was advertising to PAs on Amazon and other places. So then, as a test, I changed my stragety, left the PAs and marketed the book to the general (interested in medical thrillers and adventure novels) non-PA community and the sales soared (was number 15 on Amazon in "Adventure and Romance." Then I switched again and did marketing to every PA in the country (per a mailing list) and that week . . . crickets. I hope you understand, if sales was my interest, that would be no problem. But I wrote the book for PAs and I just can't seem to reach them and I don't want to throw more good money after bad. If my name was Bezos, I would send a free copy to every PA. But, are PAs just too busy? Don't read fiction?  It is not about making money as I will never recoup what I've spent in research and now in marketing. But, before I sadly give up on the PA profession for good, I seek your advice as a better way to reach my colleagues. With sincere thanks, Mike

[LT_Oneal_PAC]

I think there are a few problems reaching PAs specifically. Those who are very passionate about our jobs are usually too busy to read very much for leisure. The other side is people who want nothing to do with medicine once they leave work. I have a friend who specifically avoids any media such as TV shows or movies that have any medicine as a central theme. Then there are just a lot of people who would probably read it, but PA is just a job and a book with a PA protagonist isn’t much of a draw. 
 

I would think trying to sell copies at conferences might be your best bet. Get a booth, sign copies, etc. I would probably check it out if I saw this. 

[SedRate]

Agree with the above. 

In all honesty, I'm not a big reader, especially fiction. (My friend constantly sends me interesting non-fiction, science books and I have a whole stack I need to work through.) I saw your post and intended to look into it. Then I got distracted/busy. 

As for advertising, check into AAPA, NCCPA, state orgs, specialty orgs, and other professional orgs. I get emails and mail for random CME conferences, surgeon general, etc, that is addressed to First Last PA so someone is getting my PA contact info somehow. 

[jmj11]

Thanks for the input. I love the conference idea, but here is the problem with that. It's the economics. AAPA charges $3,000 for such a small booth. You make $1 per book and at most, you might sell 50. Then there's the airfare, hotel, etc. So, unless you are a Stephen King, the economics do not work for that. I'm medically retired from cancer and I don't have the extra funds as I once had. I've invested 10K already in this project and that's okay.

The same applies to the mailing list. I was on the verge of buying a AAPA mailing list, but then an entity, who had the mailing list, did a story about me and the book for free, and it went out to, supposedly, 150K PAs. That week I did no other ads and the sales went to zero. Then, I started ads to the non-PA crowd again and sold hundreds. So, maybe I need to be a realist and even though I wrote the book for PAs, I may have to give up on that and just let the book go to the general public. But since my intention was to give PAs a character that showcases what we really do, focusing on the non-PA is a little like taking your sister to the prom.

Edited May 29, 2023 by jmj11

[LT_Oneal_PAC]

I’m sorry. That’s got to be really frustrating and disappointing. 

[rev ronin]

I still have your other book I brought in my ever-growing "to read someday" shelf.  It's more than a pile, really, there are well over 50 volumes there...

[jmj11]

The conclusion that I'm gathering here is that I over-estimated the practicing PA’s interest in fiction based on my own experience. While I did not like medical shows on TV (my wife, a hospital administrator at the time loved them), I devoured both fiction and nonfiction books while I was in the thick of medical practice. I especially liked science and medical oriented fiction, such Michael Crichton’s works. With that said, as I give up on the PA community and pivot to the general readers, where I’ve had good traction, I will take solace in the fact that for all those people who never knew the difference between a physician associate and a medical assistant, by the time they have finished The Stones of Yemen, they will know who the hell PAs are and what they are capable of doing.

[sas5814]

I hadn't heard of your book though I do remember you talking about writing it. I read fiction to go to sleep every night and I'll be adding it to my reading list.

 

[ventana]

honestly, market to the masses  - it will bleed down in to the PAs that pleasure read...

[cinntsp]

I have time mostly for audio books these days. Would releasing it on audible be an option for you?

[NeoTrion]

jmj, I was fortunate enough to have your help as a student on a project I was doing.  I am saddened to hear about your retirement.  To be honest I do not like to read.  I am an audiobook guy all the way.  I am finishing my MBA this year, and it has been difficult for me to maintain a 4.0, because reading just does not stick with me.  I have been fortunate to have  speechify to help (as long as I can get an electronic version), but the video lectures have been my best friend due to the audio.  If I cannot listen to it on the go, then I usually do not get to it.  Between the organizations and boards I am involved in, I do not have time or take pleasure in reading.  Maybe it is just my generation as we got used to the internet and the electronic way of doing things.  I am just not a reader.  Either way, we appreciate your work!  I think my spam filter may have ate some of the advertisements.

Edited May 31, 2023 by NeoTrion

[CookiePA]

On 5/28/2023 at 11:58 PM, jmj11 said:

I described here in Feburary and other PA social media sites how I, as a parting gift to a profession that served me well for 38 years, was to write an epic novel that featured a PA protagonist, The Stones of Yemen. I spent three years and worked with some of the best editors in the business. One editor, who had retired from S & S, was confident that the book would have a "cult following" among PAs. There were a few PAs who got the book when it first came out and the wrote me to say they loved it. But then the sales went dead. I was advertising to PAs on Amazon and other places. So then, as a test, I changed my stragety, left the PAs and marketed the book to the general (interested in medical thrillers and adventure novels) non-PA community and the sales soared (was number 15 on Amazon in "Adventure and Romance." Then I switched again and did marketing to every PA in the country (per a mailing list) and that week . . . crickets. I hope you understand, if sales was my interest, that would be no problem. But I wrote the book for PAs and I just can't seem to reach them and I don't want to throw more good money after bad. If my name was Bezos, I would send a free copy to every PA. But, are PAs just too busy? Don't read fiction?  It is not about making money as I will never recoup what I've spent in research and now in marketing. But, before I sadly give up on the PA profession for good, I seek your advice as a better way to reach my colleagues. With sincere thanks, Mike

Tiktok! Make a tiktok with bunch of hashtags that are popular. Include physicianassistant tags, fyp (for you page) tag, medicine, science, etc etc use all these buzzwords tags

#booktok is actually a powerful tag and I myself have discovered random books I otherwise never would have 

post different kind of creative videos daily with popular trending sounds and make sure to include your book name. You’d be surprised how many folks out there like to read! Especially upcoming aspiring PAs.

 

If you have gen Z in your family or honestly even anyone in your marketing team, this will be a great way to get it out.

 

 

[jmj11]

On 6/2/2023 at 1:35 AM, CookiePA said:

Tiktok! Make a tiktok with bunch of hashtags that are popular. Include physicianassistant tags, fyp (for you page) tag, medicine, science, etc etc use all these buzzwords tags

#booktok is actually a powerful tag and I myself have discovered random books I otherwise never would have 

post different kind of creative videos daily with popular trending sounds and make sure to include your book name. You’d be surprised how many folks out there like to read! Especially upcoming aspiring PAs.

 

If you have gen Z in your family or honestly even anyone in your marketing team, this will be a great way to get it out.

 

 

Thanks for the advice. I have made a couple of TikTok videos weeks ago but with your suggestion I can make more. I have two PhD computer science and computer engineering kids, plus their girlfriends, one a Artificial Intelligence engineer, working on her PhD.  Again, when I do normal ads to the general public, the sales go through the roof. When I do the same for the PA community . . . crickets. But, it seems like every PA who has read it, sends me a message that they are so glad they did, being better than they expected and more encouraging to them as a PA in a world where, at times, PAs seem to be losing their grip within medical organizations. 

If I had written this book to make money, I would be happy with the sales to non-PAs. However, I didn't. As I said, it was my writing was my parting gift to the profession, to write something that makes PAs proud. My days on this earth are numbered and giving back to a profession that served me well is one of the loose ends of my life.

Edited June 3, 2023 by jmj11

[CookiePA]

I’ll make sure to grab a copy and spread the word < 3

[thinkertdm]

I love to read fiction.  However, I tend to have very eclectic tastes and try to escape reality whenever I can, so it needs have the opposite of what you describe.  I did like andromeda strain, but thinking about it now, that’s the only Crichton book I’ve ever read.