Authors
have many, many options as to what they can do to market and promote their
book. So what should they do?
Choice A:
Everything
Not
realistic given your time constraints, skill set, and resources.
Choice B: Nothing
Only
do this if you want your book to fail
Choice C:
Do What You Can
Start
by doing the things you feel comfortable with and capable of doing.
Choice D:
Do What You Can and What’s Needed
This
is the winner. Do what you can and
prioritize, but also, do what’s needed and stretch yourself beyond your
comfort-zone. Divide and conquer – some
things you will do, some things will get outsourced, and some things simply
will not get done – and that’s okay.
So
where do you start?
First,
know why you are promoting a book. The
what and how and will come as a result of determining the goals you seek to
achieve. Are you promoting a book with a
specific wish-list in mind? For
instance, is it to sell a certain number of books? Is it to build a media resume which could
lead to speaking gigs, book deals, and other opportunities? Is it to impact people with a message that
you are passionate about? Is it to turn
your book into a movie? Is it to build
your brand so that you can grow a business?
Is it ego? Maybe it’s some or all
of these things, but know your why to determine the what.
Once
you have set your goals, work backwards from there and think of what needs to
be done and by when. The publication
date of your book dictates many things.
For instance, if you have any chance of landing a book review in a
traditional print publication such as Library
Journal, Publishers Weekly, USA Today,
a women’s magazine, etc., you must, must, must send an advance review copy some
three-four months ahead of publication date.
If you miss that window, move on.
Think
of what you’ll do for free vs. pay for.
You can speak at a bookstore or library, email local organizations to
see if they will buy your book, and post onto social media – all for free. You
can also pay for Facebook ads, a publicist to secure news media coverage for
you, a consultant to help you with marketing, and for certain media
opportunities such as paid book reviews.
So budget your time and money for what needs to get done.
One
thing should be clear to you – you drive this bus. Getting your book written and published is
like giving birth. It’s your baby. Now you need to raise it through college –
that’s the book marketing part. Your
work is just beginning, so know the why to figure out the what.
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