Let’s
say you are an author who understands that you are responsible for your book
marketing, whether or not you have a publisher. Let’s also say you have some
time, money, and resources, available to support your efforts. Exactly what should you be doing right now?
Authors
should operate out of a plan. So step
one is to create a book marketing and publicity plan. This provides a detailed overview of what
will be done by whom, for how long. It includes a budget as well. The plan can include publicity (pursuing
traditional/digital means), social media (what you will generate), speaking,
advertising, and other options, such as telemarketing, direct mailing,
e-blasting, or networking.
Once
that plan is crafted and reviewed, give it a reality-check – Do you allow for enough
time to execute an item? Do you begin by the right date? Do you have enough
funds to get what you want? Have you anticipated pitfalls, challenges,
failures, or short comings – and built in contingency plans?
Eventually,
your brainstorming, researching, planning, and communicating with supportive
cast members subsides, giving way to doing the heavy lifting. There’s no turning back now – and failure is
not an option.
You
will start to see patterns unfold – some things are working better than
anticipated, so you double down on them.
Other areas will come up surprisingly short, and you either have to
abandon them or retool so that you can still make a go at them.
As
you get deeper into your book marketing campaign, you will suffer highs and
lows – emotionally, physically, intellectually, and psychologically. That’s
natural. Celebrate your successes and
learn from your failures. Try to keep an even keel throughout, so that you
don’t become manic.
When
your book marketing campaign either takes off or stalls, you’ll likely get
feedback or suggestions from those closest to you, or from venders and partners
in this endeavor. It does no harm to
listen and see if the chatter sparks an idea or infuses a burst of energy into
your efforts. But unless you see specific evidence to do the contrary, stick to
your plan and follow your gut instincts.
As
you work through your book marketing campaign you may start to question why you
are doing what you are doing. Don’t litigate
the issues again – you already debated how to proceed. Always think of your goals and why you
undertook a book publicity campaign in the first place. Keep your eye on the
prize and don’t blink. Success comes to those who persevere to fulfill their vision.
DON”T MISS THESE!!!
How to have a successful book
Book Blog Post #3,000
What do authors want to hear about book
publicity?
Why authors can’t rely on ads to market their books and brand
How to craft a brief message for long books
Why authors need coaches, just like
athletes
Know the media’s purpose in order to have
them cover your book
How do you find more book reviewers?
Valuable Info On Book Marketing
Landscape For First-Time Authors
Scores of Best-Selling Book PR Tips from
Book Expo PR Panel
Brian Feinblum’s insightful views, provocative
opinions, and interesting ideas expressed in this terrific blog are his alone
and not that of his employer or anyone else. You can – and should -- follow him
on Twitter @theprexpert and email him at brianfeinblum@gmail.com. He feels
much more important when discussed in the third-person. This is copyrighted by
BookMarketingBuzzBlog © 2018. Born and raised in Brooklyn, he now resides in
Westchester. His writings are often featured in The Writer and
IBPA’s Independent. This was named one of the best book marketing
blogs by Book Baby http://blog.bookbaby.com/2013/09/the-best-book-marketing-blogs and recognized by Feedspot in 2018 as one of the
top book marketing blogs. Also named by WinningWriters.com as a "best
resource.” He recently hosted a panel on book publicity for Book Expo America
and participated in a PR panel at the Sarah Lawrence College Writers Institute
Conference.
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