Promoting A Book Needs Action, Not Talk Or Worry

Most people have a tendency to spend more time thinking about something, than doing something. They will plan, research, discuss and strategize. They will spend time and anxious moments stressing over what needs to be done rather than actually doing anything. Mentally they feel exhausted, but in reality they haven’t done much to bring about the results they hoped to achieve This is true when it comes to important aspects of our lives, as it relates to our careers, health, finances, family and relationships. It certainly is true when we look at authors and their book marketing.

There certainly is a time and place to:

·         Brainstorm and share ideas

·         Create a plan

·         Be strategic in your approach

·         Research different options

·         Develop the resources and tools needed

And then there is a place for:

·         Outreach to the news media

·         Follow up with those you’ve contacted

·         Expanding outreach to other outlets and individuals

·         Trying new approaches to impress the media

·         Seeking help to promote a book

You can’t execute a PR campaign in your mind or on a spreadsheet. Yu need to do the heavy lifting -- everyday.

Paralysis by analysis won't get you far. Waiting for perfection guarantees perfectly that nothing will be accomplished.

Hoping for something is not a strategy and if the action you have taken has not yet yielded much, try again. Never give up, and never mistake that thinking about something is equal to doing something.

You know what I mean. You know exactly what I’m talking about. You can be so cautious, insecure, or fearful of rejection that you don’t do the things necessary to give youself a chance of success.

You need to:

·         Set deadlines for specific action steps.

·         Observe real deadlines set by the media or others.

·         Take action daily and don’t wait for feedback before initiating new out reach.

·         Be bold and take a risk.

·         Trust in the numbers of a game of contacting more media with more story angles.

·         Not worry of where you fall short somewhere. Hype the positives and focus on strengths only.

·         Not look to accept defeat or make excuses.

·         Believe you deserve media coverage and that perseverance shall pay off.

·         Understand it’s best to dive in and immerse yourself into a media campaign.

Some authors have a tendency to overthink their publicity campaign, just as they overthink other parts of life because that’s just the way they are programmed. Authors are thinkers. They observe, analyze, question, imagine, and write up conclusions. But they need to call upon the warrior within, the part of them that is less cerebral, more athletic. There is no way one can outwit fear, stalling, lethargy, or conflict. Take an idea and run with it. You don’t need anyone’s permission to do this.

Sometimes the task of promoting a book seems overwhelming. Social media, traditional media, marketing, advertising, speaking, etc. can just stop us before the day begins and we survey all that can be done or needs to be done. Instead, break it down. What will you do today? This hour? Now?

Action begets action. You build confidence with each step that you take. Success becomes addicting and infectious. The more you do, the more you’ll be motivated to do more. Try it. You’ll see what I mean. Nothing is gained by inaction. Opportunity loss comes each day.

Eventually you run out of days. Start now and begin to take action. Don’t think, don’t talk about it. Just do it.

Brian Feinblum’s views, opinions, and ideas expressed in this blog are his alone and not that of his employer, Media Connect, 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 © 2014