| 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.
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