If you think your work on your book is done once it has been accepted by a publisher, you're wrong.  A writer who does not get involved in the marketing of his/her book is going to have problems selling that book. Even best selling authors engage in the marketing of their books.  Think of the best-selling authors you see on Good Morning America or the Today Show or your local noon news programs. They are on arranged book tours. They know a valuable marketing truth: the public needs to know your book is out there.

That is simply a fact of life.  Promotion cannot be ignored.  Telling an author that he/she needs to promote her work often provokes wails of despair.  Writers are by nature solitary, quiet people who would much rather sit over their computers writing or in a corner observing than to talk to people. They are not smooth talkers or they probably wouldn’t have chosen the solitary endeavor of writing.  Unfortunately, much as you would prefer to spend all your time writing, you need to set aside some time to plan how you will promote or market yourself.

Your publisher may help, but like those best selling authors who make book tours, you need to do some of your own marketing. The good news is there are many ways to promote your book beyond having to talk to people face to face, but like in the writing of your book, you need to have a plan and come up with a time budget to figure out how to get the job done.

Here are a few marketing truths to get you started on building a marketing plan:

-- Learn who your audience is. If you're a fiction writer or a specific genre writer, you'll already have a good idea.

-- Look for ways to build on that core audience so that when your next book comes out your core not only buys it, but so that you build new fans.

-- Keep a watch out for new and creative ways to market your book. It can involve the theme, the topic you cover or the setting, but look at how to build an individual plan around each new book.

-- Build a marketing plan based on what works for you. If crowds terrify you, don't plan on speaking engagements or try book signings in a group atmosphere. Instead you might write articles or try blogging to get your name in front of new readers.

You don't need to spend a fortune to get a big return. Just like building a marketing plan you should build a budget of how much money you're willing to spend on marketing.   Look at some of the proven ways that can get your name in front of the public. One good way is to invest in a website, even before you get published.

For more information, here is a marketing plan and a sample plan to help you get your own planning off the ground.

But no matter what you come up with for a marketing plan, the key to building an audience and keeping readers is to write the best possible book.