1.
What actually
moves books?
The combination of timely and persistent
activity on the part of the author and/or publisher to promote, market, and
advertise.
2.
What’s the
secret combination?
Whatever actually works. If you see progress in one area, keep playing the hot
hand until it goes cold. Each book may sell for different reasons. There’s no
one-size formula to fit all books.
3.
But at a
minimum, what’s typically needed? You need a publisher or strong
distributor behind you. Otherwise you, as the author, need to do more to not only
promote your book to the news media, but to market directly to the consumer. At
the very least, it’s a collaborative effort. But often, in any situation, the
burden is on the author to make things happen.
4.
If you have good
social media, is that enough? No. There’s not a singular path to
success. You can’t blog or tweet your way to bestseller lists, though social
media helps you in a coordinated and comprehensive approach to the media,
consumers, and retailers.
5.
Which social
media is important?
It depends on how often you use it, how you use it, and the results generated
from it. Generally speaking, you need to utilize more than one platform, and
often they work together. For instance, you may blog two or three times a week
and tweet about your posts and link your blog to your website and also post
additional items on Facebook, Instagram, Pinterest, Tumblr, or YouTube.
6.
How important is
search engine optimization? SEO has always been the key to how searches generate
your name. A higher-traffic blog or site comes up higher on searches. So do
ones loaded with lots of content and the rich use of key words. Most people do
not really know how to implement proper SEO and many companies use questionable
tactics to juice your SEO for a short period of time (for a fee). There aren’t a
whole lot of ethics attached to the process. You just have to have an awareness
that SEO is just as important as anything else that you do and to be willing to
give way to a pro or paid ads in order to come up high on search engines.
7.
What are the
most common mistakes made by authors in regards to publicity?
·
Getting
started too late.
·
Failing
to have a real plan.
·
Not
implementing their strategy effectively.
·
Failing
to pay for help.
·
Being
overly optimistic or pessimistic.
·
Expecting
people to find their book without promotions.
·
Assuming
their publisher will do more for them.
·
Getting
discouraged after early failure in the process.
·
Relying
too heavily on one tool or area instead of diversifying.
·
Trying
to promote an inferior product.
·
Not
willing to do all that it takes to be successful.
8.
What else do they do
wrong?
·
Failing to update their site often and well.
·
Forgetting
to ask for the sale.
·
Not
nailing the 15-second elevator speech.
·
Failing
short in both time and creativity with social media.
·
Using
shyness as an excuse.
·
Making
bad assumptions and then letting them dictate at your actions.
9.
What are some
best practices when it comes to social media?
First,
do it. Do it often and do it consistently.
Second,
use images to support your words.
Third,
respond to those who query you or comment on posts.
Fourth,
look to build yourself up and not tear others down.
Fifth,
come off as sharing substantive content and not just a commercial for your
book.
Sixth,
use catchy headlines, subjective lines, photo captions, etc.
10. What else must I do?
·
Build
a mailing list
·
Google
yourself and manage your online reputation
·
Key
word research is needed- go to Google, Wordtracker, or Market Samurai
·
Try
all kinds of social media, not just the most popular sites
·
Do
everything successful authors do AND do something they don’t do
The
FAQ could be 110 questions. I chose the above 10 just to initiate you into
common questions that arise for all of those looking to promote a book. The
answers could each take a blog post to answer, but hopefully this overview
gives you some ideas and guidance. Good luck!
Don’t Miss These Recent Posts
Making Your Book Promotable – Before It Is
Published
Why Aren’t There Any Signs Of Books On The
Road?
Sell Books Where They Don’t – Including Funeral
Homes, Police Stations & Hair Salons
What Can You Do With Old, But Underexposed
Content?
How Does Time Impact Your Book Publicity
The Role Of Connectivity & Book Publicity
Creativity & Book Publicity
The Role Of Money In Book Publicity
What Is Your Attitude Towards Book Publicity?
How Can Authors Measure Social Media Success?
25 Ways For Authors To Break Through &
Establish A Legacy
Do You Market Your Books Doggy Style?
Why Authors – and
Publicists & Publishers Need A Therapist
Brian Feinblum’s
views, opinions, and ideas expressed in this blog are his alone and not that of
his employer, the nation’s largest book promoter. You can follow him on Twitter
@theprexpert and email him at brianfeinblum@gmail.com. He feels more important when discussed in the third-person. This
is copyrighted by BookMarketingBuzzBlog © 2013
No comments:
Post a Comment
Note: Only a member of this blog may post a comment.