15 Book Marketing Tips Christian Authors Should Use

Marketing your book can be a difficult task, especially if you’re trying to appeal to a specific audience. Christian authors face their own set of challenges in getting people to buy their books, but there are also plenty of ways they can capitalize on their existing fan base and find new buyers. This article will walk you through some of the best ways to market your Christian book, whether you’re an author who just published his or her first book or one who has been writing for years.

1. Outreach Via Social Media

As a Christian author, you have a unique opportunity to reach out to potential readers via social media. By sharing your faith and your love of writing, you can connect with readers who may be interested in your work. You can market your books on social media platforms, such as Instagram, Facebook and Pinterest. Use hashtags like #writeyouheartout and #faithreads. Share quotes from the Bible or inspirational messages that relate to your book. Inspire other writers by sharing social media posts or blog posts on how God has used the craft of writing to change you and others around you. I was blessed when i found an inspiring Christian blog such as “when we need God”. Outreaching and being published on these type of Christian blogs can also help book authors to be found by Christian audience.

2. Reach Out With Newsletters

You can let people know about your book by sending out newsletters. This is a great way to connect with potential readers and let them know what you’re doing. You can also include a link to your book’s sales page in the newsletter. You should have an opt-in form on your website that encourages people to sign up for the newsletter. In addition, make sure that when someone subscribes, they receive a confirmation e-mail.

3. Call Other Believers

One of the best things you can do as a Christian author to market your book is to call other believers and let them know about it. You can also ask them to help spread the word by sharing your book with their friends and family. If you’re not sure who to contact, there are many free tools online that will list all the churches in your area. Send out some invitations if you find one with a lot of attendees.

4. Speak at Your Church

Start by marketing your book at your church. This is a great way to get started because you already have a built-in audience of people who know, like and trust you. You can do this by giving a short talk about your book during service, setting up a table in the lobby with information about your book or passing out flyers. Ask your pastor to mention your book when they mention you as a Christian author who attends their church. Once again, this will be another opportunity to connect with your congregation. You could also pass out copies of your book before and after sermons so that those in attendance will read it on their own time and write a review for you.

5. Market Your Book in Christian Conferences and Seminars

If you want to market your book to Christians, one of the best places to start is by attending Christian conferences and seminars. Here, you’ll be able to connect with potential readers and other authors and professionals in the industry. When attending these events, be sure to have plenty of business cards and bookmarks on hand to promote your work. You can also create a special offer or discount code to encourage people to buy your book.

6. Give Away Freebies Related to Your Book

If you’re a Christian author, chances are good your book is about Christianity in some way. A great way to market your book is by giving away freebies that are related to your book’s topic. For example, if your book is about marriage, you could give away a free e-book on “10 Tips for a Happy Marriage.” Freebies related to your book like bookmarks and notepads with quotes from the book on them will help you attract readers who are interested in what you have to say.

7. Write About Your Book on Your Website

If you have a blog or website, make sure to mention your book on there and include a link to where people can buy it. Write blogs on your website. This will help you connect with potential readers and give them a taste of your writing style. Plus, it’s a great way to build up your platform and get people interested in what you have to say. Ensure you optimize your site by making sure your keywords are present throughout the content so search engines will be able to find it. You should also consider writing guest posts on other blogs in your niche and do webinars that are related to the topic of your book.

8. Post Your Book’s Cover on Pinterest

There’s a section on this list about marketing your Christian book on social media platforms, but Pinterest is more than a social media platform. It’s also an easy way to promote your book with visuals.

Create a free account and pin the cover of your book to one of the boards you create.

Write a short description and include the link to buy your book to generate sales.

Use keywords that are related to religion or Christianity to make it easier for people who are searching for these topics or terms to find you.

Include links from other places where your readers can find you such as Facebook, Google.

9. Share Your Work on Online Christian Forums

One great way to market your book is by sharing it on Christian forums online. This will help get your work in front of potential readers who are interested in reading material from a Christian perspective. When posting on forums, be sure to include a link to your book’s sales page so that interested readers can easily find and purchase your work. Get involved with online communities related to your book’s topic. Share your expert insights and connect with potential readers.

10. Give Podcast Interviews

Podcast interviews allow you to share your faith with others and talk about your book in a natural way. If you have no idea how to start the interview, give them some background information on yourself, like where are you from, what is your favorite food? Once the interviewer knows who you are, he or she will likely ask about your book. When it comes time to promote the interview, be sure that you send out an e-mail and tweet. These tools can help get people interested in what is happening.

11. Reach Out to Influential Bloggers

Hiring or consulting influential bloggers is a great way to market your Christian book. These bloggers have already established themselves as experts in their field, and they can help you reach a larger audience. Reach out to influencers and bloggers who have been featured in major publications like Christianity Today or RELEVANT Magazine. They may be able to help promote your work too!

12. Give Away Books

Book giveaways allow potential readers to sample your work and see if they like it. You can give away copies through social media, your website, through Amazon or in person. Be sure to let people know how to get in touch with you to claim their prize. There are a number of sites where you can host a book giveaway, such as Listy and Goodreads. If you have a website or blog, you can do one of these. After that, you’d urge anyone who has received the book to post a review or testimonial in support of it online.

13. Go Door to Door

Start by going door to door in your neighborhood and asking people if they would be interested in reading your book. You can also offer a short summary of the book. If you get a positive response, leave them with a business card or contact information so they can reach you when they’re ready to purchase.

14. Submit Book Reviews on Amazon

As an author, you can submit book reviews on Amazon, which can help generate interest in your book and also help with its ranking. When submitting a review, be sure to include the title of the book, the author’s name and why you would recommend it to others. Also make sure that you write a detailed review that includes what the book is about, what was good about it, and what wasn’t so great.

15. Review Your Book on YouTube

As a Christian author, one great way to market your book is by creating a YouTube review. This is a great way to get your name and face out there, giving potential readers a taste of your book. Plus, if you have good production values and an engaging personality, your YouTube review could go viral, reaching hundreds or even thousands of people.

Closing Thoughts

If you’re a Christian author, marketing your books can be one of the most difficult parts of the process. Book marketing is more than just advertising. You also need to promote yourself and your brand as an author so that people know who you are and what you wrote.

April 14, 2022April 14, 2022

Don’t Look Past Your Victories

When I open my Facebook account each morning my memories pop up. Most put a smile on my face – photos of baptisms, children, and miracles. When you think about your past, what memories do you allow to play over and over in your mind? In the Old Testament, they had what they called memorial stones. These were used to remind the people about God’s good things in their lives and all their victories.

We need to focus on our victories. Sure, we’ve all had setbacks, but it only drains you of valuable energy when you meditate on your disappointments and failures. It steals your confidence and joy. But when you focus on your victories, it builds your strength and confidence and increases your trust and your expectations of God. It also feeds your faith and gives you a reason to give God praise.

Today, I encourage you to get into the habit of focusing on your victories. Remember, every good and perfect gift comes from God. As you praise and thank Him for His victories in your life, He’ll pour out His blessing on you. He’ll open supernatural doors for you to move forward in strength, to fulfil the dreams and desires He has placed in your heart!

“Now thanks be to God who always leads us in triumph…” (2 Corinthians 2:14, NKJV)

Let’s Pray

Yahweh, thank You for Your faithfulness and victories in my life. Father, I will focus on the victories You have given me and let go of any negative experiences from my past. God, I bless and praise You today, in Christ’s Name! Amen.

May 8, 2021May 6, 2022

GodinterestTV – Breaking Free From Fear & Alcohol (Austin’s Story) – Episode 4

GodinterestTV – Step 4 To Breaking Free TRUTH | with Therapist Fay Lindo and Pastor Ray Patrick – 01/05/21

The 4th in a 12 Week Series on Saturday 8th May 2021 from 2 PM to 3 PM)

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April 17, 2021April 17, 2021

GodinterestTV – 12 Steps To Breaking Free with Therapist Fay Lindo and Pastor Ray Patrick – 04/17/21

HONESTY – Breaking free from Sexual Addiction – Davids Story

The first in a 12 Week Series (Saturday 17th April 2021 12PM to 1PM)

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February 26, 2021May 6, 2022

Godinterest TV – Back 2 Basics (A Six Weeks Series)

November 6, 2020November 6, 2020

Be A Dream Releaser Not A Dream Crusher

I spent the evening reflecting on the people God has placed in my life. They haven’t been placed there by accident. God brings people to us for a purpose. We should live with this awareness that, “I am here to add value to people. I am here to help them succeed.” Don’t go around always thinking, “I wonder what that person can do for me. I wonder what they have to offer.” No, we should have the attitude, “what can I do for them? How can I help them come up higher? Can I teach them something I know? Can I connect them with someone who can help them?”

Don’t make the mistake of going through life being ingrown. Instead, be a dream releaser. Use your talent, your influence and your experience, not just to accomplish your goals, but to help release a dream in someone else. There is nothing more rewarding than to lay down at night knowing that you helped someone else become better. You not only fulfilled your purpose for that day, you did your best.

Today send a quick text, tweet, or facebook post offering someone hope, or just make a two-minute phone call where you encourage someone, because when you live as a dream releaser, you’ll see your own dreams come alive too!

They said to one another, “Here comes this dreamer.” – Genesis 37:19 (NRSV)

Let’s Pray

Yahweh, thank You for equipping me to be a blessing to others. Please Father, show me ways to be a dream releaser so that I may help others to rise higher. God, help me to use my influence to encourage others and honour You always, in Christ’ name! Amen.

August 18, 2020August 18, 2020

Let’s Get Excited About Our Faith

Talking about your faith with others isn’t always the most popular topic amongst young people. Fashion, football and music are more popular. Most youth are not excited when talking about faith. Feeling that if they share their faith with others, people at school, uni or on social media will think they’re weird. So they do what many Christians do, they stay quiet. Not speaking up when someone challenges their beliefs. Praying with your friend who’s parents are going through a divorce would really help, but you’re afraid of what your friend might think. The list of excuses we make for not sharing our faith can be very long.

Why is it that we talk about our sports team winning with everyone we know, but when it comes to sharing our faith, many times we tell no one? We have something way more exciting than a winning team, we have a winning God. We have a God who loved us, and gave his son so that we could experience a life changing relationship with Him. Why aren’t we filling our insta, snap and facebook feed with that news? It’s easy to get afraid to share our faith with others. It’s easier to not say anything so that we don’t look weird to others. We are called to be salt and light to our world. The message in the bible puts it this way. You’re here to be light, bringing out the God-colors in the world. God is not a secret to be kept. — Matthew 5:14.

So choose to put your fears aside, step up and tell others about your God.

Let’s Holla @ God

God, please give me a Christlike excitement and remove my fear, so I can let others know that you have changed my life and to let them know that You can change theirs too. God make me a light for You. In Christ’ name Amen.

May 2, 2019January 15, 2024

Instagram and Facebook Bans Far-Right Voices including Louis Farrakhan, Alex Jones and Milo Yiannopoulos: Is Christianity Next?

On Thursday 02 May 2019 Facebook the social networking giant has permanently banned Infowars founder Alex Jones, Milo Yiannopoulos, Laura Loomer as well as other prominent figures and labelled them far-right provocateurs – a sign that they are more aggressively enforcing their hate speech policies under pressure from civil rights organizations, including the SPLC. Also banned from Facebook going forward is Louis Farrakhan, leader of the Nation of Islam, who has been criticized for his frequent antisemitic remarks.

The bans come as Facebook has pledged to do more to eliminate hate speech on its platform.

Jones has claimed events like the September 11 terror attacks and the 2012 Sandy Hook school shooting were hoaxes. But there are many conspiracy theories that attribute the planning and execution of the September 11 attacks against the United States to parties other than, or in addition to, al-Qaeda including that there was advance knowledge of the attacks among high-level government officials.

For this and many more accusations Infowars is subject to the strictest panishment. Not only did Facebook ban Jones and Infowars, it is also going to delete any Infowars content posted to its platform by any of its users, and any groups that spread Infowars content.

Facebook has said that it wasn’t going to allow white nationalism and separatism on its platform anymore in previous announcements.

In a public statement Facebook said to The Atlantic that:

“We’ve always banned individuals or organizations that promote or engage in violence and hate, regardless of ideology,” a Facebook spokesperson told Variety. “The process for evaluating potential violators is extensive and it is what led us to our decision to remove these accounts today.”

The company told reporters that it would also ban any supporter accounts set up in their likeness and remove any events that these individuals will be participating in.

As part of the sweeping crackdown, Facebook said:

Any account that shares Infowars content will see the content removed; if an account violates terms on multiple occasions it will be banned. Facebook and Instagram will remove any content containing Infowars videos, radio segments, or articles, and Facebook will remove any Groups set up to share Infowars content and Events promoting any of the banned extremist figures, according to a company spokesperson. (Twitter, YouTube, and Apple have also banned Alex Jones and Infowars.)

This week, Facebook also announced an entire redesign of the platform focusing on Groups, in an effort to give users more private spaces. Facebook is “using people’s understandable anger over the company playing fast and loose with their personal data to push a ‘privacy’ focus which is just a fancy way to hide the other big problem on the platform and evade journalists and watchdogs,” the NBC journalist Brandy Zadrozny tweeted upon Facebook’s Groups announcement. “There are very nice groups”¦ but some are also very very dangerous and make the world worse.” One recent investigation found dozens of Facebook groups dedicated to the Pizzagate conspiracy theory. Joining just one of those groups resulted in recommendations for more conspiracy-theory groups.

But Will ‘Christian Speech’ Be Allowed in the New Facebook World?

Well, let’s face it, the values of Silicon Valley are not conservative values; they’re not Christian values, for example, in one one recent instance, a Catholic university put up a picture of a cross to commemorate Easter. Facebook rejected the ad because it did not meet its standards. After a secondary review, the social media giant reversed their initial censorship of the ad.

We believe that Silicon Valley does not want conservative talk and Christian talk; they want to push progressive and Leftist values. It’s just the fact as Zuckerberg even admitted that’s its a real issue in 2018 during his testimony Tuesday when Sen. Ted Cruz, R-TX, asked him if Facebook had a political bias.

“I understand where that concern is coming from; as Facebook and the tech industry are located in the Silicon Valley, which is an extremely Left-leaning place. And this is actually a concern that I have, that I try to root out in the company, is making sure that we don’t have any bias in the work that we do,” Zuckerberg answered to Cruz.

The NRB has previously said that it wants Congress to hold Zuckerberg’s feet to the fire over these allegations of censorship.

They said that there are five major questions he should answer, including how the social media juggernaut defines “hate speech” and how they respond to comments by Federal Communications Commission Chairman Ajit Pai, who acknowledged that some social media platforms “routinely block or discriminate against content they don’t like.”

EDITOR’S NOTE: With concerns over Facebook and other Social Media sites cracking down on Conservative/Christian content, Please ensure you subscribe to Godinterest to receive the Christian Perspective on today’s news directly in your Inbox.

Facebook has disclosed its rules and guidelines for deciding what its 2.2 billion users can post on the social network.

The full guidelines can be read here. Below is a summary of what they say:

1. Credible violence

Facebook says it considers the language, context and details in order to distinguish casual statements from content that constitutes a credible threat to public or personal safety.

2. Dangerous individuals and organisations

Facebook does not allow any organizations or individuals that are engaged in terrorist, organized hate, mass or serial murder, human trafficking, organized violence or criminal activity.

3. Promoting or publicising crime

Facebook says it prohibit people from promoting or publicizing violent crime, theft, and/or fraud. It does not allow people to depict criminal activity or admit to crimes they or their associates have committed.

4. Coordinating harm

The social network says people can draw attention to harmful activity that they may witness or experience as long as they do not advocate for or coordinate harm.

5. Regulated goods

The site prohibits attempts topurchase, sell, or trade non-medical drugs, pharmaceutical drugs, and marijuana as well as firearms.

6. Suicide and self-injury

The rules for ‘credible violence’ apply for suicide and self-injury.

7. Child nudity and sexual exploitation of children

Facebook does not allow content that sexually exploits or endangers children. When it becomes aware of apparent child exploitation, we report it to the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children (NCMEC).

8. Sexual exploitation of adults

The site removes images that depict incidents of sexual violence and intimate images shared without permission from the people pictured.

9. Bullying

Facebook removes content that purposefully targets private individuals with the intention of degrading or shaming them.

10. Harassment

Facebook’s harassment policy applies to both public and private individuals.

It says that context and intent matter, and that the site will allow people to share and re-share posts if it is clear that something was shared in order to condemn or draw attention to harassment.

11. Privacy breaches and image privacy rights

Users should not post personal or confidential information about others without first getting their consent, says Facebook.

12. Hate speech

Facebook does not allow hate speech on Facebook because it says it creates an environment of intimidation and exclusion and in some cases may promote real-world violence.

13. Graphic violence

Facebook will remove content that glorifies violence or celebrates the suffering or humiliation of others.

It will, however, allow graphic content (with some limitations) to help people raise awareness about issues.

14. Adult nudity and sexual activity

The site restricts the display of nudity or sexual activity.

It will also default to removing sexual imagery to prevent the sharing of non-consensual or underage content.

15. Cruel and insensitive

Facebook says it has higher expectations for content that defined as cruel and insensitive.

It defines this as content that targets victims of serious physical or emotional harm.

16. Spam

Facebook is trying to prevent false advertising, fraud and security breaches.

It does not allow people to use misleading or inaccurate information to artificially collect likes, followers or shares.

17. Misrepresentation

Facebook will require people to connect on Facebook using the name that they go by in everyday life.

18. False news

Facebook says that there is also a fine line between false news and satire or opinion.

For these reasons, it won’t remove false news from Facebook, but, instead, significantly reduce its distribution by showing it lower in News Feed.

19. Memorialisation

Facebook will memorialise accounts of people who have died by adding “Remembering” above the name on the person’s profile.

The site will not remove, update or change anything about the profile or the account.

20. Intellectual property

Facebook users own all of the content and information that they post on Facebook, and have control over how it is shared through your privacy and application settings.

21. User requests

Facebook say they will comply with:

User requests for removal of their own account
Requests for removal of a deceased user’s account from a verified immediate family member or executor
Requests for removal of an incapacitated user’s account from an authorised representative

22. Additional protection of minors

Facebook complies with:

User requests for removal of an underage account
Government requests for removal of child abuse imagery depicting, for example:
Beating by an adult
Strangling or suffocating by an adult
Legal guardian requests for removal of attacks on unintentionally famous minors

This story is developing. Please check back for updates.

January 16, 2019January 22, 2019

Is Wikipedia Biased Against Christian Content?

From its home page, Wikipedia describes its site as “the free encyclopedia [that] anyone can edit’. On a self-described page of what it is and what it is not, Wikipedia claims that it is not censored. For content guidelines, there are only 3:

Content must be neutral in form. It must not take sides, rather, it should explain sides fairly and without editorial bias.
Content must not be original research. It should be attributable to an existing source or reference material.
Content must be verifiable. It must be verifiable from a reliable, published source. The information presented must not be made up.

Reading all these causes us to believe that Wikipedia is an unbiased platform. Indeed, you may come across Wiki pages that need updating and correcting. But as a whole, the site seems to be an open resource site that makes room for all kinds of useful and relevant information, especially such that are Christian in nature or theme.

Then we come across news of a Christian page being taken down and we start to wonder how often Wikipedia removes Christian pages. More importantly, why? Is there unfairness in the upholding of standards or policies?

Let’s cite one Wikipedia page about Gunter Bechly. The original page written in German is up and online still. However, the English translation looks to have been erased. Gunter Bechly is a reputable paleontologist and entomologist. He was once an atheist and a supporter of Richard Dawkins. But, comtinued studies will open his eyes towards a strong belief in intelligent design. A complete reading on the German Wikipedia page will show you that the entry is purely biographical. There is no bias towards a certain viewpoint. The facts are verifiable and there is no original research presented. So, why isn’t an actual English page available for access?

Let’s cite three more Wikipedia pages. We can find a Wikipedia page that talks about “Lists of Atheists’. We can also find a Wikipedia page that talks about “List of Atheists in Politics and in Law’ But, check out a Wikipedia page that talks about “Christian Wikipedians’ and you’ll only read this disclosure there: “This page is being considered for deletion’.

It is true that as anyone can just edit Wikipedia, anyone can just report a page for violation. But when it comes to deciding to finally delete a page, who makes the decision? And, are the same standards applied on both Christian and non-Christian content? We won’t know for sure. We can only maintain our hopes and prayers for equal opportunity and fairness for Christianity, online.

February 23, 2017January 15, 2024

Facebook Apologises for Censoring Christian Mom

Facebook apologised for suspending a Christian blogger for saying the Bible condemns homosexuality.

Elizabeth Johnston, also known as “Activist Mommy” by her fans, was shocked when Facebook shut down her account for expressing biblical views on homosexuality.

She argued that the Bible does not condone homosexuality and quoted scriptures from the Old and New Testament to support her. Facebook quickly removed the post and suspended Johnston’s account on three separate occasions. Facebook told Johnston her post did not “follow the Facebook Community Standards.”

“They are muzzling me and my biblical message while Mark Zuckerberg claims that FB is unbiased,” she said in a statement. “The post Facebook deleted included no name-calling, no threats, and no harassment. It was intellectual discussion and commentary on the Bible.”

Facebook finally apologised and reinstated Johnston’s account after coming under heavy fire from the media.

A Facebook spokesperson said the site suspended Johnston’s account on accident.

“The post was removed in error and we restored it as soon as we were able to investigate,” the Facebook spokesperson wrote in an email. “Our team processes millions of reports each week and we sometimes get things wrong.”

“We are sorry for any inconvenience this may have caused,” the spokesperson added.

Johnston accepted Facebook’s apology but said the suspension was no accident.

“Saying this was an accident is a joke! They sent me the post and said it specifically violated their community guidelines. Now they are saying they accidentally stated that and banned me for 10 days accidentally? No! It took a national news story to get my content returned to my page. What about the average Facebook user who doesn’t have that luxury?” she asked.

Now, Johnston is on a mission to expose other examples of Facebook censorship.

“I am on a mission now to speak for them. I am receiving messages, screenshots, and evidence from all over the world which proves that Facebook’s system for filtering and banning is punitive against conservatives and Christians.”

Johnston says social media has become a political and ideological weapon.

“Zuckerberg is saying Facebook is unbiased. But in reality, it appears he is using the platform to further his personal political, religious and globalist agenda,” Johnston argued. “He is using Facebook as an ideological weapon and punishing those of us who don’t submit to the agenda with suspensions and deletions of our pages.”

Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-4253660/Christian-mom-BANNED-Facebook-quoting-Bible.html#ixzz4sA4N1xPo

November 1, 2016July 1, 2022

3 Tips for Dealing with a Manipulative Project Co-Worker

Are you stuck working with a project manager who is manipulative and dishonest? If you are, you’re not alone!

Today’s workplace is a cut-throat environment with everyone trying to get ahead in some way, shape, or form. It’s no surprise that there are malicious, sneaky project managers who will do anything to get a leg up to succeed or survive, even if it means throwing you under the bus. Like a clever politician, these project managers keep their desires hidden, but underneath a friendly and charming exterior is a highly destructive individual whose goals are power and control. Pretending to pursue the greater good, he or she adopts the mantra of “company first” with a fervency that inspires admiration and respect, and most people accept his or hers claims of a selfless pursuit of noble causes.

Regardless of your industry, profession, experience level or company, these manipulative people exist and, if given the right opportunity, they can ruin your reputation and career prospects. They’ll tell you that the entire team hates you, thinks you’re arrogant, stupid, or incompetent, and attempt to manipulate you into believing that their opinions are objective facts. A study published in the Journal of Applied Psychology called it “social undermining” and “bottom line mentality.”

“According to a recent survey, roughly 90% of folks who read this post are presently working with at least one person who, mentally, would be described as a manipulator”.

Proving yourself in a new organization is hard enough. When someone manipulates and lies about you, it can hurt your relationships, your reputation, and your career. Luckily, Project Journal has 3 tips for effectively dealing with this workplace danger.

1. Don’t Ignore Your Gut
I should’ve seen it coming. Unfortunately, there isn’t a clear-cut answer to the question “Friend or foe.” If you find yourself putting up your guard around a co-worker, you might wonder if you’re imagining things and being paranoid? Well, maybe you are, but under no circumstances should you ignore your feeling. From experience, this is often the very first sign of trouble. Weak leaders sometimes resort to emotional deceit as a weapon for getting things done. Try to consider facts objectively. Manipulation is normally felt, rather than heard or seen, so you must listen to your gut.

What makes you mistrust this person? Do they constantly gossip? If so, be careful as those who gossip to you, will probably be doing the same about you too and like Mom always said, “If you don’t have anything nice to say, don’t say anything at all.” Plus, you don’t want to get caught up in the drama when people find out about this control freak’s gossiping.

Trust that you will be thrown under the bus when “stuff” hits the fan. If you’re still unsure, you should run their behaviour by objective people you trust. As trust is built on the foundations of a good relationship, instead of basing trust on someone’s words, observe their deeds.

2. Dealing with a Bad Apple
There’s a lot to be said for the old saying, “One bad apple can spoil the whole barrel.” Not only is that true for fruit, but it holds a lot of merit in the work environment. Rude behavior is contagious. Toxic manipulative employees have an unhealthy ripple effect that harms co-workers, managers, and subordinates alike. They lack positive personality traits, such as genuine concern for others, a generous and understanding nature, a desire to teach and encourage, a desire to have straightforward dealings with others. They dwell in a very dark place lit only by their own ambition.

“It takes just one malicious employee among the ranks to wreak havoc on your team’s culture.”

Healthy human interactions are not dominated by manipulation. If you feel you can’t trust them, don’t. Manipulators do not communicate openly. Instead, they resort to flattery or play the victim to gain your trust and sympathy. Through artful, indirect and devious methods, they influence and control others and have a fair amount of social support, most likely because no one wants to be on their bad side. But that doesn’t mean their behavior isn’t harmful.

Your priority in this situation must be to protect your professional standing. Begin documenting every instance of destructive behavior and take it to a higher authority. When a co-worker starts manipulating you and ignoring the behavior doesn’t work, distance yourself, if possible and keep all correspondences. When colleagues try to sabotage you, they might tell you lies to cause you to make mistakes. The more you cover yourself, the less you have to worry about. Change your passwords, shut down your computer when you leave your desk, and keep sensitive documents under lock and key. Remember to “choose your words carefully when sending emails so that things you write can’t come back to bite you. Unfortunately, if you lose your cool, you will be in danger of looking undignified.”

“When you know what a man wants you know who he is, and how to move him.”
’- George R.R. Martin, A Storm of Swords

It can be tempting to excuse the antagonistic worker who seems zealous about his job, but clearly, those employees may be undermining the entire workforce. Being direct lets the other person know you’re aware of their manipulative behavior, and in some cases, that may be enough to nip it in the bud. If you stay out of their world of negativity, you will be a much more difficult target for their manipulation.

3. Counteracting Sabotage
Manipulators are blind to the serious defects in their character, but keenly aware of the slightest weakness or imperfection in others. They are judgmental, suspicious, demanding and calculating, all negative personality characteristics. Even their outward charm is cold and calculated. Before you can deal with the situation, you need to understand the impact.

Is it a small lie with little effect? Is it a big lie that requires damage control or even legal action? Consider how others might view the situation. Although it may be difficult, the best choice might be simply to move on as the people who make it in the long-term are the ones who are honest, hardworking and able to maintain their professionalism.

“According to a recent Wall Street Journal article, workplace sabotage is on the rise in this difficult economy.”

If you choose to directly address the situation. It is critical to use neutral language and tone of voice. Do not stoop to their level, it is important to keep your integrity. Consider having witnesses to your conversation so it’s not your word against theirs.

Your final action can be accepting an apology and moving on, or it can be reporting the lie to a higher authority. In extreme cases, it can be making a formal complaint or hiring an attorney. It’s smart to search for job postings, even when you have no intention to quit. Obviously, you don’t want to let one bad apple lead to your resignation but, if nothing else, knowing you have options can help you feel more empowered and in control of the situation.

Other signs sabotage may be in the works: You don’t receive a promotion or responsibilities you logically should have gotten; cold or averse behavior from management that is (seemingly) out of nowhere; sudden and unexplained alienation by individual co-workers or even entire cliques; or unwarranted and continuous kind behavior from someone that was formerly aloof, ambivalent or even aggressive.

Manipulative behavior is widespread, but fortunately, it doesn’t exist everywhere. Do you have manipulative co-workers? How do you dodge their requests and still manage to pave a successful career path? Tell us what you think?

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July 16, 2016July 1, 2022

The Brexit Vote Is Set to Cause a Second Revolution in the City of London, But What Would Jesus Do?

London Mayor Boris Johnson has said Â£1.3tn of investment is needed over the next 35 years in order for London to retain its world class status

On the morning of June 24, the world awoke to a changed Europe. For over 40 years Britain has been part of the European Economic Community and then the European Union.

The leave-vote has caused an “immediate and profound” economic shock in the UK. This has, in turn, had a devastating effect on a number of businesses in the last month.

Christianity in the UK is split, confused, scared of the future and fighting with itself – much like the rest of the country. So what happens now?

David Cameron said “It Was A “Self-Destruct Option” for the Country, Whilst George Osborne Said It Will Tip the UK Into a Year-Long Recession, With up to 820,000 Jobs Lost Within Two Years.”

Brexit campaigners believe that British voters have taken a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to restore Britain’s sovereignty. However, the Brexit job losses have already begun. A number of construction firms and management consultants throughout England have been forced to downscale and many feel as if they are desperately clinging on, waiting for things to get better. Tech companies are also putting projects on hold, which means a slowdown in hiring of software developers, IT architects, and project managers, according to Robert Grimsey, director of Harvey Nash.

If your Facebook feed looks anything like mine, you’re seeing a lot of anger. Remain voters are furious, accusing the Leave campaign of lies and the Leave voters of xenophobia, ignorance, stupidity and worse. Of course, it’s not just the people who voted to stay who are angry. Reports of racist attacks are rising too.

What would Jesus do?

Jesus might have been the Prince of Peace, but he also knew how to get mad. His outbursts against corruption, hypocrisy and bad leadership are hair-raising. We’ve heard a lot of arguments from the UK’s political parties this month, but no one has actually made a whip and driven their opponents out of the House of Commons (so far, anyway).

The people of Britain voted for Brexit in a decision which will transform this nation and Europe forever.

As a former consultant, I want to consider how management consultants, in particular, can continue to not just survive but thrive in these difficult financial times.

At first glance, the prognosis might seem gloomy. The International Monetary Fund has predicted that Brexit will lead to a British recession, which would inevitably hit poorer people hardest. But snap reactions from the markets aren’t a reliable guide to long-term economic effect. And just as British trade didn’t begin in 1973 when Britain entered the EU, it won’t end in 2016 with Britain’s vote to leave. Many smaller nations trade successfully without participating in wider trading blocs; the world’s fifth-biggest economy will be able to do the same.

First of all, then, I urge that supplications, prayers, intercessions, and thanksgivings be made for all people, for kings and all who are in high positions, that we may lead a peaceful and quiet life, godly and dignified in every way. (1 Tim. 2:1, 2)

1. Embrace the Change and Innovate

There is ongoing uncertainty over what will happen once Britain leaves the EU because it needs to make new trade agreements with the rest of the world.

The secret to success in a recession is innovation. It’s time to improvise, adapt and overcome. In fact, in a study by Forrester, 70% of business executives said that in a recession, innovation is a top priority. However, to successfully innovate, companies have to be open to the idea of change – and that’s why the success stories of the recession are the innovators who are open to change.

This is the best time to change, but how? If you find yourself desperately treading water in an attempt to keep staff occupied in the wake of stalled projects, don’t panic. You will have to make some changes, improvise, adapt and seek out the advantages to overcome. It really is a sink or swim mentality.

2. A Long-Term View of the Financial Game

Successful companies look for ways to reduce costs creatively. Start by reviewing your financial model. Review existing contracts and seek to add value and expand. If your biding on a 3-year contract, do you really need to make a profit in year 1. Wouldn’t it make sense to take a long-term commercial view and instead seek to win a contract at cost in order to retain talent as recruiting new employees is so expensive? You can then concentrate your efforts on developing strong client relationships, building trust, performing well and adding value. Pay much more attention to critical components of your client’s operations activities that may often appear to be mundane. This will invariability enable you to make further recommendations that are approved and generate profit in future years.

“In the Corporate World, There Is a Growing Recognition That Strong Relationships With Customers Can Form the Bedrock of Future Innovation.”

Consider though that whilst it is a knee-jerk reaction to cut costs, try not to rely on this as your only business tactic as your competitors will be doing exactly the same thing. The way to succeed in the current market is to be a leader, not a follower, so ensure you have a carefully prepared game plan.

Look at what makes your propositions unique? What do you offer that no one else can? How do you add real value to your customers, rather than just a half-price bid? Focus on what your competitors aren’t offering, and vigorously market it.

3. Be Clever With Your Marketing

Your marketing strategy is more important than ever before – Think creatively and find different ways to grab people’s attention and keep them coming back for more.

4. Leading With Clarity and Commitment

Don’t lie to employees and hide the magnitude of the situation. Honesty is the best policy. Business functional leads at these firms should establish concrete milestones to gauge progress toward clear goals. You can inspire employees not only with motivational messages, but also through incentives such as wage hikes, and investment in developing talent. This approach is as crucial as improving processes and deploying new technology. Though this may sound like a platitude, management must treat employees with respect and dignity if they want exceptional performance and occasional sacrifice during tough times.

5. Embrace the Power of Online

Social media is an incredibly powerful tool through which to reach your target audience. You should start to unlock the power of blogging, building a solid readership and becoming a thought leader in your industry using websites like LinkedIn. As your readership continues to grow, so will your social media following – and by communicating frequently with your followers and potential customers online, you have more chance of drumming up more business and closing that deal. As the economy improves, your loyal followers will stay with you.

These five practices are of equal value for organisations to remain competitive in the long slow climb toward economic recovery.

Although times are very tough for organisations recently, there is light at the end of the tunnel – and those who have been clever and innovative in their business strategies will continue to thrive long after the Brexit recession.

Britain will almost certainly have a new Prime Minister and their first job will be forming our new relationship with Europe.

Learning from the lessons of 2014, UK churches also have a crucial role to play following the EU referendum vote. But it is about more than a church service of unity. Reconciliation requires accepting the hurt and the pain but also working to rediscover and celebrate the image of God in each other.

May 9, 2016July 1, 2022

The New Day: How Should I Think About My Failures?

Everyone wants to be a success. I have never met anyone who purposely set out to be a failure. Undoubtedly, this is why so much has been written on the topic “How to be a Success” and why these books are so popular.

However, The New Day daily newspaper closed just nine weeks after launching, Trinity Mirror confirms.

The New Day was a British compact daily newspaper published by Trinity Mirror, launched on 29 February 2016. It was aimed at a middle-aged female audience and was politically neutral. The editor, Alison Phillips, intended readers to get through the newspaper in under 30 minutes.

The new paper was initially available for 25p for two weeks, then rising to 50p. Two million copies of the New Day was given away on the first day, as the turquoise-branded upstart attempted to spark a revival in readership and gain ground against the mid-market Mail and Express offline.

Arrogance about their own ability to rescue a situation can prevent leaders from changing course

The New Day had no leading articles, no website, and columnists and believed it could successfully drag readers back to print? The sad truth is that it did not attract enough attention and failed to create a daily newspaper that could co-exist in the digital age, especially as tabloids and broadsheets continue to suffer a significant circulation decline.

Shareholders at Trinity Mirror’s annual meeting called the failure “demoralising”. Analysts said it was “embarrassing”.

Assume for a moment that the leaders of The New Day had no idea about the changes swamping the print media as a result of the digital revolution, and carelessly decided to invest millions into the venture without undertaking a risk assessment and also decided to ignore every indication that the paper was failing. That would have been embarrassing and demoralising.

However, the leaders decided to fail quickly and shut down the project they started.

Abandonment is a rare, difficult and a valuable management skill. The natural instinct of most people is to persist, particularly when the project is a collective commitment, as most corporate ventures are, but then it becomes even harder to hit the red “stop” button.

The New Day’s editor, Alison Phillips, said in a statement posted on Facebook that the team “tried everything we could” but were unable to reach the figures needed to make it work financially.

We dread failure. We don’t like talking about it. Some of us will internalise and rethink our failures in our heads time and time again. Others will swipe them away, moving onto the next thing immediately. In the public, we prefer sweeping our failures under the rug, silently, while nobody is watching.

While this might save our feelings momentarily, this is not the way learn and innovate.

According to Albert Savoia – ex Googler and innovation expert, most project innovations will fail.

“Most New Things Will Fail – Even If They Are Flawlessly Executed.” – Albert Savoia – Ex Googler

Does this mean you should stay away from trying new things (and failing in the process)? Certainly not. It just means you need to accept failure will inevitably be a part of the process.

In most cases, however, a combination of arrogance about personal ability to rescue the situation and blindness to the lengthening odds of success stops leaders from changing course.

The natural lifespan of most projects is finite, and the rarities are companies that survive.

The Art of “strategic Quitting” Will Become More Important as Careers Fragment and Companies Exert More Discipline

So if an idea is doomed, organisations usually treat the person who pulled the plug early on as a hero right? Not exactly, it’s complicated.

Roy Greenslade, Professor of Journalism at City University London, wrote a report in The Guardian explaining how The New Day had failed. He pinpointed the error of marketing a newspaper to people who inherently despise newspapers, and the short period of time between the announcement and launch, leaving no time to advertise the product. It was also published early in the evening thus missing out on late-night breaking news such as Leicester City F.C.’s shock win of the Premier League.

“Nothing so powerfully concentrates a man’s mind on innovation as the knowledge that the present product or service will be abandoned in the foreseeable future.” – Peter Drucker

The first thing the Bible wants to say is that all of us have failed. None is without failure. If you think you haven’t failed, two things are true of you. One is you are blind to your failures and the other is you probably haven’t taken enough risks to try enough hard things so that you would be aware of your failures.

Peter Drucker’s influence on business management is legendary. Peter realised that “systematic abandonment” a regular, unsentimental spring-clean is critical to the fostering of new business ideas.

Conclusion, every organization needs to have a regular “rummage sale” to determine which products, services, and programs are worth keeping and which ones must be abandoned.

November 6, 2015July 1, 2022

Axelos CEO Peter Hepworth in the Spotlight

Project Journal had the privilege of interviewing AXELOS previous CEO Peter Hepworth. Peter provided us with an insight into his role and AXELOS as a whole in October 2015.

AXELOS CEO Peter Hepworth

Peter joined AEXLOS as CEO in July 2013 and was previously Managing Director for Activision Blizzard a $400 million turnover and $150million EBIT business. In 2014, Activision Blizzard was the fifth largest gaming company in the world by revenue.

Peter is an economics graduate, chartered accountant, with an M.B.A. from Cranfield and A.M.P. from INSEAD.

What is AXELOS?

AXELOS is a joint venture set up in 2014 by the Government of the United Kingdom and Capita, to develop, manage and operate qualifications in best practice, in methodologies formerly owned by the Office of Government Commerce (OGC).

AXELOS promotes best practice frameworks such as PRINCE2 and ITIL and is developing a cyber resilience best practice portfolio later in 2015.

How does AXELOS differ from APM?

AXELOS is an independent organisation, allowing the user community to focus more on the content of frameworks and guidance without much interference. The firm puts a heavy focus on the guidance given, ensuring the content is fuelled by good ideas to keep the ITIL structure up to date. But while the business has a combination of access to one of Britain’s largest corporations and the UK government, more than 75% of publication sales and Prince2 certification is sold outside of the UK, a trend that is growing faster due to emerging markets.

The company varies its training approach. Its Portfolio, Programme, and Project Management Maturity Model (P3M3), for example, encourages users to assess their performance against benchmarks. Mike Acaster, PPM portfolio manager, says: “PRINCE2 is applicable to many sizes of organisation, but sometimes it’s better to be a bit more specific. It’s about tailoring advice for that context. In some cases it has been tailored, and people don’t realise it’s PRINCE2 – you have to scratch the surface.

How do you view the future of project management?

After years of being associated with large engineering and construction projects, project management has moved beyond infrastructure. Firms across different countries and sectors now acknowledge the need to manage their processes and keep costs and timing under control. As businesses begin to recognise the importance of project management worldwide, questions are being asked about the standards required. AXELOS is focusing on how these can apply to different staff and situations, as well as how workers can develop a career path in project management.

Is AXELOS popular aboard?

“It’s hard to measure the adoption of our products, but if you look at the number of exams taken, you can see strong growth outside the UK, as well as in the UK,” he says. “In the US there’s a lot of interest, and the biggest international user of PRINCE2 is the UN, to make sure their aid development is correctly managed.

“Our Managing Successful Programmes (MSP) product was used to deliver the Olympic Games. I was in Tokyo after they had won the right to host Tokyo 2020 and the focus was ‘When can we have MSP?’ They want to see the same success as London has had.”

What are the future priorities for AXELOS?

“Career path. For the individual, it’s about how your career can develop. There’s a different skill set between project and portfolio management, and no linear route. It comes to modularisation. We have been able to offer different dimensions.

Cyber Resilience is next. Companies need to put more emphasis on improving their reactions to cyber attacks rather than continuing to focus on prevent. Although there are a number of standards and best practices in place to prevent cyber attacks, firms are still falling foul, and this is usually due to the internal attitude and people, rather than technology.

New products launched in 2015 include PRINCE2 Agile; Cyber Resilience Best Practice and Continuing Professional Development (CPD).

What’s next?

Young people are learning things online and changing how it is done. We want our members to feel proud about having AXELOS qualifications and have launched digital badges so that project professionals can display their mark of professionalism across popular social networks.

Digital badges are tokens that appear as icons and are awarded to signify learning achievements in a way that can be easily verified and shared online. Our members digital badge’s will hold and display information about their professional development activity as well as the issue date and an expiry date.

Individual workers, organisations and entire industries can benefit from badges. Badges are a new form of currency – a more transparent and efficient way to communicate the acquisition and development of workplace skills.

From AXELOS to Microsoft, IBM to Oracle, many leading companies have adopted digital badges as a form of recognition for continuing professional development and certifications. The individuals who earn these badges enthusiastically share them to LinkedIn, Twitter, Facebook and other online destinations. Once shared, anyone can verify the authenticity of and learn more about the individual’s abilities. That shareability and verification can make all the difference in a competitive job market, whether an individual aspires to move ahead in her current position or move into a different job.

We also want continued openness from AXELOS, even more community collaboration and specific actions to further increase the relevance of AXELOS in the future.

Where do you believe project management is heading?

Anyone can benefit from project management guidance. “We are all project managers now,” he says.

October 7, 2015July 1, 2022

Playing God: Swedish Train operator uses Big Data to ‘avoid train delays that haven’t happened yet’

In a sign of things to come, a Swedish train operator is using new technology that employs big data to predict the entire commuter train system two hours into the future.

Welcome to the world of “Big Data.” We have more information at our fingertips than any generation in history. We live in the world of “Big Data.” That is the new way people are trying to describe this sea of digital facts, figures, products, books, music, video, and much more. Twitter, apps, Facebook–they’re each giving science new ways to look at what people do and why.

“Hopes, fears, and ethical concerns relating to technology are as old as technology itself.”

We actually welcome some aspect of Big Data. These mysterious data successes (or accidental successes) are easy to see as a kind of Big Brother future, where technology can track your every move and report back to ”¦ someone. However, StockholmstÃƒ¥g, the train operator is using new technology that employs big data to predict train delays before they happen.

“The Commuter Prognosis – A Social Scientist’s Dream Come True.”

The mathematic algorithm, called “The commuter prognosis” was developed in Stockholm, Sweden.

When a train is not on time the algorithm forecasts disruptions in the entire network by using historic big data to prevent the ripple effects that actually causes most delays.
Wilhelm Landerholm the mathematician who has developed the algorithm said:

“We have built a prediction model, using big data, that lets us visualize the entire commuter train system two hours into the future. We can now forecast disruptions in our service and our traffic control center can prevent the ripple effects that actually cause most delays.”

The algorithm has been tested but is not currently being used by traffic controllers.

How does it work?

The key to the model is a large amount of historical data. The model works similar to a seismograph, an instrument that measures and records details of earthquakes, such as force and duration, but instead identifies late train arrivals. When this happens, the system uses historical data from previous occurrences to forecast the likely impact on the entire train network.

Real-time public transportation information is already used around the globe, however, traffic control centers still typically assess delays manually to try and prevent further problems in a network. The commuter prognosis system, on the other hand, will forecast these delay effects instantaneously and provide a prediction of how a single or multiple disturbance might affect the whole train network. The commuter prognosis system could change how traffic control centers operate all over the world.

“The Effects of One Delayed Train Can Quickly Multiply Within a Train Network”

Imagine that “The commuter prognosis” forecasts that a train will be 10 minutes late to station C in two hours. To deal with this the traffic control center issues a new train from station A that will arrive on time at station C. As soon as the new train has been put in motion the algorithm re-calculates and gives the traffic control center a new forecast for the entire train network within minutes.”

The most important benefit of “The commuter prognosis” is that it provides for a more punctual public transportation.

“The commuter prognosis” will be available in a smartphone app based on the original model. The app will integrate with other transportation big data to make commuting easier and will indicate which coaches are more or less crowded.

Big Data, Ethics, and Religion

These stories remind us that even though companies and governments are doing amazing things with data, it’s at best imperfect. The algorithms and programs they use to filter and respond to data are at least as fallible as the human beings who designed them. We can also see its complexity and failures as evidence of the amazing omnipotence of our God – who doesn’t make errors and who knows right where to find us, even inside a great fish or the depths of hell.

The arrival of big data has already brought with it numerous questions that have yet to be properly addressed. These questions are methodological, epistemological, and ethical, and they concern (inter alia) the ways in which data is collected, stored, interpreted, represented, and traded. A further complication is a speed with which data science is advancing, which means that (for example) the application of legal and ethical restrictions to the practice of that science will always risk being several steps behind the point that it has currently reached. There are indications that we are currently sleepwalking towards a situation in which the commercial exploitation of big data routinely increases social division, and renders privacy a thing of the past.

Ket factors

A mathematical model interprets big data to forecasts for each train in the train network.
The commuter prognosis can warn about delays two hours before the departure or arrival actually takes place.
The commuter prognosis calculates how the delay affects other trains in the system.
The purpose of “the commuter prognosis” is to make life easier for traffic control centers and to give passengers a better service.
In the future, the algorithm will be potentially adaptable for more types of public transportations and cities.

April 23, 2014October 7, 2017

Inspired by the Need for Wholesome Content Sharing, Godinterest Offers a Pinterest Alternative

LONDON, April 23, 2014 For those Christians, entrepreneurs and ministries that use Pinterest but want to share within a Christian environment, Godinterest could be the answer to your dreams.

Speculation is growing about the content the owners of Godinterest will and will not permit, but how does it actually differ from Pinterest?

Godinterest was founded by Dean Jones, a Christian, to allow people to post within an environment that prohibits ill-mannered language and distasteful images.

Jones, a 35-year-old Project Manager from London, said, “Pinterest is one of the leading social media sites; however, posts on Pinterest are not always guaranteed to be suitable for the whole family. We are mindful of the values that we as Christians are bound by and therefore Godinterest will help to provide an additional cushion of safety. I see this as a ministry and to that degree, non-Christians are most welcome; however, Christianity is not up for debate.”

Godinterest strives to have Christian content and like Pinterest, people can use Godinterest to collect and share photos of their ffavoriteevents, interests and hobbies.

Jones said,

“Godinterest acts as a bespoke Christian media platform, whereby users’ content and the content of others can be browsed on the main page. Its mission is to connect Christians through the interests they share. Users can upload images and embed videos to boards, which can be used to organise images they love from around the web or from their very own work.”

“Boards can also be used by educators to plan lessons and for later referral. Students can post and organise sources. Each user’s boards are potential inspiration for the rest of the community and ‘re-posting’ is highly encouraged.”

Godinterest also allows businesses to create pages aimed at promoting their businesses online.

Jones said, “A friend of mine who happens to be an atheist recently asked me where he could purchase a Bible. I stated that Amazon or eBay might be a good starting place. However, wouldn’t it be great if everybody could go to one location for everything Christian and find and create lists of what they wanted? There are millions of small businesses around the world; however, not all have a voice. Godinterest hopes to fill that gap by providing virtual store fronts.”

Accounts can be created and accessed by linking Godinterest to Facebook, Twitter or LinkedIn profiles.