How Authors Can Get Into Their Book Marketing Mojo To Avoid Failure

Many authors market bad books well, so having a mediocre book doesn’t necessarily do them in. Conversely, many who have great books market poorly or worse, don’t market at all. Keep these pitfalls in mind when marketing:

1.      Do you do it often and do it with a plan in mind?

2.      Are you energized and filled with a good attitude?

3.      Do you learn from mistakes and retool to try a new direction?

4.      Do you coordinate with others – publicist, publisher, agent, etc.?

5.      Do you initiate well but lack follow-up?

6.      Do you market half-heartedly and without passion?

7.      Are you marketing to the wrong people or using a means to reach someone with no success?

8.      Do you come off as arrogant, ignorant, disconnected or immature?

9.      Do you forget to be professional, polite, ethical, and sincere?

10.  Do you not share enough info with certain people who can help you?

11.  Do you come off as demanding rather than serving?

12.  Do you lack faith in your book, courage in your outreach, or belief in what you are trying to do?

To be successful at marketing, you need to do many things well -- and often. It can take a toll even on the most experienced marketer who has a true passion for what he or she does.

Sometimes you will find yourself feeling stuck. Perhaps you have had a few missed opportunities or you weren’t able to translate a good speech into a bigger deal. These things can frustrate you.

Maybe you suffered a setback in your life – health issues, relationship problems, a leaky roof, a pet died. They can soak up your emotions, your mental capacity to withstand things, your energy, and your time or your money.

Obviously, you have to persevere and find a way to work through these momentary setbacks. But how?

Try these 10 steps to getting your book marketing mojo back:

1.      Take a break and recharge yourself. You may not be able to take a vacation, but maybe you take the day off, or instead of working into the late hours of the day the way you normally would, lighten the load of your schedule for a few days.

2.      Review your goals and your road map to achieve them. See if adjustments need to be made.

3.      Reward any successes you have had – celebrate!

4.      Remind yourself that you have gotten through tougher times and reassure yourself that you will bounce back.

5.      If you are in a mental funk seek guidance or support from family, friends, children, spouse or significant other, or get some spiritual nutrition from your faith, professional guidance from a life coach, or personal help from a therapist.

6.      Just let yourself have fun. Do what usually makes you happy or helps you escape your mind – go see a show, concert, comedian, movie, sporting event, or go to your favorite club, dance hall, restaurant, bar, or hangout joint.

7.      Do not necessarily try to fight through what is frustrating you by overanalyzing or obsessing over it. Sometimes it is best to just accept a temporary loss, setback, or mishap and move on.

8.      Take a long walk, bike ride, swim, or exercise your way to reinvigoration. Or calm yourself with a good book by the beach, fireplace, lake, or mood-altering location. But don’t use this down moment as an exercise to abuse your addictions, whatever they may be.

9.      Consider meditating or finding a way to visualize a new day, a fresh start, or a chance for cleaning the slate.

10.  Take a nap. You are probably exhausted. Stress, anger, and feelings of loss, frustration, or confusion can take a toll on our minds and bodies. Just rest. Regroup and you will feel like you can get back to where you need to be.

DON”T MISS THESE!!!

The Book Marketing Strategies Of Best-Sellers

https://bookmarketingbuzzblog.blogspot.com/2019/01/the-book-marketing-strategies-best.html

How to be persistent when marketing books effectively

https://bookmarketingbuzzblog.blogspot.com/2018/12/how-to-be-persistent-when-marketing.html

How authors can communicate better when promoting a book

https://bookmarketingbuzzblog.blogspot.com/2018/12/how-authors-can-communicate-better.html

How authors can sell more books

https://bookmarketingbuzzblog.blogspot.com/2018/11/how-authors-can-sell-more-books.html  

No. 1 Book Publicity Resource: 2019 Toolkit For Authors -- FREE

https://bookmarketingbuzzblog.blogspot.com/2018/11/all-new-2019-book-publicity-marketing.html

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 ©2019. 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.

So What Is Needed To Be A Champion Book Marketer?

·         It makes life easier when you have something worth marketing.  If your book is truly well-written and adds something to the dialogue that’s going on about your topic, you are in a good position to work from.  If you find your book can be better, seek to improve it with a second edition when it comes time to reprint it. Of course, you can always alter the ebook form at any time.

·         The bigger the market, the better.  If you have 20 million potential consumers to reach vs. 20,000, you have a better chance of success as the percentage of those you need a sale from are far lower with a bigger customer pool.  However, even a smaller customer pool can work if it’s a targeted group that can be found and marketed to in a concentrated way.

·         Your success as a marketer will depend on how much time you can put into it.  Most importantly, time management and best uses of your time will dictate levels of success, but generally speaking, the more time you can put into this, the better.

·         Teaming up with a marketer will increase your chances of success.  Any outside help, assuming it is cost-efficient, is a plus.

·         The number of resources you supply yourself with will dictate success too. If you need to purchase a mailing list, advertisement, computer software or attend pricey events in order to elevate your marketing you will need to take those steps or limit your potential.

·         Expect little but demand a lot of yourself. It’s good to set goals, have dreams, and explore your desires – but don’t let them blind you from investing the hard work that’s needed to put you in a position for success.

·         Keep studying up on your areas of expertise. To be seen as the expert you need to be up-to-date, savvy, and aware of what’s going on in your field and the world in general.

·         You must be good at reaching out to others.  There are no shy marketers.  Ask many people for many things and a certain percentage are sure to say yes.  Ask nothing of no one and you’re left with nothing.

·         Be good at locating and analyzing opportunities.  Then seize them.  

·         Network often.  The connections you make – and the people they know – can escalate your success exponentially.

·         Improve the skills of selling, negotiating, communicating, and researching.  If need be, take a course in them or read books on them. You need to know the basics of these areas in order to gain an edge – or at least to not fall behind.  It’s okay if you’re weak in one of these areas or even two.  Seek to improve on the weakest links and continue to gain an advantage in areas you believe you’re strong in.

·         Follow-up often with those you’ve reached out to.  A certain number forget, get too busy, or were unsure of something and all they needed was for you to prompt them to address your offer.

·         Speak and write well but listen even better.

·         Think of possibilities, then probabilities. This means don’t let anything stand in your way – no barriers or self-imposed limitations.  Just brainstorm of what could be.  Write down your ideas on how to market yourself.  Don’t pass judgment on them. If you discover a weakness in an idea, identify how you’d make it stronger.  Think your way through it.  Then prioritize which ideas sound the best based on potential payoff, ease of implementation, smaller risks, etc.  Rally around those that time and resources permit you to pursue.

·         Be experimental and willing to change your plans, your approach, or your strategic partners.

You don’t need a Master’s in marketing to be good at it.  But there are certain traits, some of which you can’t do much about, that will come into play, including your:

·         Personality and smile

·         Emotional state

·         Ability to be creative

·         Attitude

·         Intelligence

·         Appearance and looks

·         Energy level

·         Voice tone and sound

·         Truthfulness

·         Likeability

Now go out there and market the heck out of your book!

DON”T MISS THESE!!!

The Book Marketing Strategies Of Best-Sellers

https://bookmarketingbuzzblog.blogspot.com/2019/01/the-book-marketing-strategies-best.html

How to be persistent when marketing books effectively

https://bookmarketingbuzzblog.blogspot.com/2018/12/how-to-be-persistent-when-marketing.html

How authors can communicate better when promoting a book

https://bookmarketingbuzzblog.blogspot.com/2018/12/how-authors-can-communicate-better.html

How authors can sell more books

https://bookmarketingbuzzblog.blogspot.com/2018/11/how-authors-can-sell-more-books.html  

No. 1 Book Publicity Resource: 2019 Toolkit For Authors -- FREE

https://bookmarketingbuzzblog.blogspot.com/2018/11/all-new-2019-book-publicity-marketing.html

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 ©2019. 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.

Why Authors Must Act On Book Marketing Now

If there is one bit of advice that I can give to any author it would be:  Take action.

Authors are thinkers, not necessarily doers.  They analyze, dream, contemplate, and structure whole worlds and ideologies in their minds.  But too few act and take real steps towards actively promoting and marketing their books.

They mistakenly think, or merely hope, that their publishers will do all that is needed.

They say they lack money or even time to market a book.

They will say they don’t know how to market a book – or worse – they give up too easily and blame factors beyond their control for their failures.

Ladies and gentlemen, all of the above is nonsense.

Authors must work from the frame of mind that action is needed, they must take it, they can in fact see results. It begins with an attitude adjustment.

I know, you think I don’t understand your plight or that I’m of a certain marketing mind that you can’t replicate.  Or you simply feel overwhelmed or confused by the process to promote a book and you feel at a loss.

Get off the pity couch and take action.

Dedicate yourself to marketing your book – every day.  Including weekends, holidays, sick days, busy days, days when your favorite TV show is on, days when the weather calls you to the outdoors, and days when you are helping others.  Make book marketing a top priority and don’t be quick to give up.

So how do you tackle this?

1.      Come up with a plan.
2.      ID resources to implement it.
3.      Act daily, no matter what.
4.      Get help from others.
5.      Think opportunistically, creatively, and timely.

Find the areas you feel most secure about – it could be contacting news media or speaking engagements or networking or social media or other areas.  You don’t have to succeed in all of them. Just exploit your strengths.

Of course, some things can’t be changed easily.  If you miss deadlines or lack a good media pitch or your book really is not very good, no amount of drive, conviction, energy, or take-no-prisoners thinking will lead to great results.  You need to have something to work with and not sabotage your efforts.

Instead of finding reasons why something does not or won’t work, look for ways how it can work.

Instead of feeling alone, in your present, enlist the help of others, even paying them.

Instead of thinking you’re entitled to something, work extra hard to reach it.

Instead of being jealous of others, find out how to replicate some of their success.

Instead of whining, crying, or being lazy, get out there with all of your physical strength, mental capacity, and soulful convictions and make people understand that what you have is really good and that they should not only embrace your book but help spread the word to others.

If you believe in yourself, act.

If you believe in your book, act.

If you want to make a difference, act.

  

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https://bookmarketingbuzzblog.blogspot.com/2018/12/while-popularity-of-social-media-as.html

How to model success of authors for your own book publicity

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How to be persistent when marketing books effectively

https://bookmarketingbuzzblog.blogspot.com/2018/12/how-to-be-persistent-when-marketing.html

How authors can sell more books

https://bookmarketingbuzzblog.blogspot.com/2018/11/how-authors-can-sell-more-books.html  

Celebrate National Thesaurus Day

https://bookmarketingbuzzblog.blogspot.com/2019/01/celebrate-national-thesaurus-day.html

Have You Set Your Book Marketing Goals?

https://bookmarketingbuzzblog.blogspot.com/2019/01/have-you-set-your-book-marketing-goals.html

The Book Marketing Strategies Of Best-Sellers

https://bookmarketingbuzzblog.blogspot.com/2019/01/the-book-marketing-strategies-best.html

No. 1 Book Publicity Resource: 2019 Toolkit For Authors -- FREE

https://bookmarketingbuzzblog.blogspot.com/2018/11/all-new-2019-book-publicity-marketing.html

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 ©2019. 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.

What Is The Source of Great Writing?

I often think about my writing influences, including my dad, books that I’ve read, and the world around me.  I have so many good models to keep me on the right path.  Authors should never lose touch with what inspires, informs, and nourishes their writings.

One of my earliest influences was reading Dr. Seuss and Curious George books.  They both put the mind on adventure mode and instill in us a questioning, curious way of seeing life that carries into one’s writings and creative thought process.

I also reflect on great books that I consumed many decades ago and still ignite something within me. including Crime & Punishment, The Invisible Man, 1984, Lord of the Flies, and Hamlet.

The Socratic dialogues also help me to be a better writer, as did reading the columns of gritty tabloid journeymen columnists Jimmy Breslin, Dick Young, Mike Lupica, and Pete Hamill.

To be a great writer also means to be a great reader – to be informed of life and to be cognizant of various writing styles and techniques.  To be a strong writer one must also think a lot, perhaps many more hours than living out real experiences to help shape the world one wants to envision and lobby for.  The biggest danger to being a great writer might be to have too much of a good life, where you spend too much time doing and enjoying, not enough thinking or suffering.

I don’t mean to suggest one can’t live a full, happy, and rewarding life – and be a great writer – because that wouldn’t be true.  Nor would it be accurate to say a writer must suffer something tragic or truly terrible in order to understand pain, loss, frustration, anger, or disappointment.  A writer simply cannot find the right balance of living and observing, experiencing and writing –unless he or she both does something with their life and takes the time to reflect, feel deeply, analyze, and imagine something better, different, and more satisfying.

If one wants to get the mechanics of writing down, he reads something like Writer’s Digest.  If he wants to be a more informed writer he consumes books like almanacs and dictionaries, and eats up news media reports.  But if he wants to be a talented writer who can move others with mere words, he’ll need to live a little, feel a little, and appreciate the world for both what it is and what it could be.

Great writing can’t speak to everyone, for it must appeal to a specific group and their needs, experiences, and understanding of things.  Book sales, awards, and the news media have proven this to be true.  Unanimous consent for a book amongst the literati is nearly impossible – and most assuredly so for a diverse world of consumers and their varying experiences, desires, needs, education, abilities, and resources.

There’s no one set formula for great writing.  There may be widespread agreement for certain elements of writing – but superior wordsmithing comes from a variety of sources.  Everyone needs to find their proper ration of books, experiences, and alone time that feeds their writing.  

How will you make your writing better – more influential, more powerful, more truthful?  How will you find the best word combination to transform a reader into your world?  What could you say or do that will allow for your writing to mean something to more people?

Each writer finds his or her way, at their own pace, in their own manner.  The good news is there are many people, places, books, media, and quiet hours for us to learn from.  The world, with all of its glory and imperfections, serves as your laboratory.  Mix the right elements together and you may just create something so powerful and original that your work will inspire other writers.

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The Book Marketing Strategies Of Best-Sellers

https://bookmarketingbuzzblog.blogspot.com/2019/01/the-book-marketing-strategies-best.html

How to be persistent when marketing books effectively

https://bookmarketingbuzzblog.blogspot.com/2018/12/how-to-be-persistent-when-marketing.html

How authors can communicate better when promoting a book

https://bookmarketingbuzzblog.blogspot.com/2018/12/how-authors-can-communicate-better.html

How authors can sell more books

https://bookmarketingbuzzblog.blogspot.com/2018/11/how-authors-can-sell-more-books.html  

No. 1 Book Publicity Resource: 2019 Toolkit For Authors -- FREE

https://bookmarketingbuzzblog.blogspot.com/2018/11/all-new-2019-book-publicity-marketing.html

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 ©2019. 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.

How Authors Must Stick Out To Garner Media Coverage

A recent viewing of an old Twilight Zone episode reminds me that authors need to promote their uniqueness – rather than try to sound like every other author.

The television episode in question was one about beauty and how we all should look beautiful.  Everyone, upon turning 18, can get a face and body lift, choosing from a number of models.  A young lady doesn’t want to look like everyone else, even if it means she remains with average looks.  But society forces her into it and out pops another beautiful woman.  But is she really beautiful if she looks like everyone else?

Authors must make sure they don’t start wearing Michael Jackson’s nose, Jennifer Aniston’s hair, and Kim Kardashian’s ass, meaning they will have to take a personalized, unique, targeted approach for their marketing, publicity, and branding.  One needs to stick out – not blend in – when it comes to books.

One reason the media has trouble deciphering who to interview, review, or feature is that they can’t distinguish between books that look alike and authors that sound alike.  Writers, deep down, are unique and individualistic, and that must be called upon when doing a dance for the media.

When the media focuses on one story angle, you must highlight another aspect, even going contrarian.  You need to voice a new viewpoint or state an old one in a new way.  The media wants substance and personality.  They want what’s new, different, controversial – or that appeals to others – sex, politics, religion, celebrity, money, death, crime, celebration.

Can you say the obvious in a way that it has a twist?  Let’s say your book shows us how to lose weight.  Your first instinct is to say what it is in a straight forward way:  It’s a book about how to lose weight.”

Ok, but tell us more.  Put a number to it:

"It’s a book that shows you how to lose at least 20 pounds in the first month of your new diet.”

Or hype your credentials, if really good:

“It’s a book that shows you how to lose at least 20 pounds in the first 30 days – based on the author’s three decades of successfully treating thousands of overweight people, including several morbidly obese patients who lost hundreds of pounds each.”

You see now how to improve the pitch?  But even this sounds too similar to other books out there.  Find what’s odd or interesting – and throw it in.  Maybe the diet is strange – you can only eat bananas, or pizza.  Or it restricts you from eating nuts or chocolate.  Toss that into the pitch, too.

Can you quantify the diet?

Is it one followed by a leading medical institute?  Was it endorsed by a top health association?  Did a celebrity use the diet? Is it a really inexpensive diet – or one that doesn’t require a lot of exercise or other behavioral changes?  Keep digging for how it differs with others and highlight anything that sounds like a bonus.

Perhaps your pitch ties into something in the news, but again, is not obvious.  For instance, if a new survey or poll is released about obesity, you can chime in and jack the news.  Take ownership of it, but don’t just say you can comment on the report as to why your diet is needed.  Instead, issue some challenge or promise like:  “Send me your obese and coach potato, the one who weighs at least 500 pounds, and says he fails at every diet.  I will trim him down!”

Maybe words can’t speak as well as pictures.  Share some amazing images of weight loss with the media – and then show some funny way of measuring the weight loss.  Let’s say someone dropped 220 pounds.  Photograph what 200 pounds looks like when you stack up 15 shopping carts with various junk food. Or show how, with a pile of cash, one has saved thousands by no longer buying food to eat that’s not needed.

Or, instead of talking about weight, discuss benefits – how one gained six years by shaving off 70 pounds or how one can now run a mile after not being able to get out of bed.

You get the idea.  Be creative, dramatic, and unique. The shy, the neutral, the ordinary, the copycat – they will not win at book marketing.  You don’t want to look like everyone else, no matter how pretty they may appear to be.

DON”T MISS THESE!!!

Do authors have the right attitude to succeed at book marketing?

https://bookmarketingbuzzblog.blogspot.com/2018/12/do-authors-have-right-attitude-to.html

While popularity of social media grows, traditional media still leads the conversation

https://bookmarketingbuzzblog.blogspot.com/2018/12/while-popularity-of-social-media-as.html

How to model success of authors for your own book publicity

https://bookmarketingbuzzblog.blogspot.com/2018/12/how-to-model-success-of-authors-to-help.html

How to be persistent when marketing books effectively

https://bookmarketingbuzzblog.blogspot.com/2018/12/how-to-be-persistent-when-marketing.html

How authors can sell more books

https://bookmarketingbuzzblog.blogspot.com/2018/11/how-authors-can-sell-more-books.html  

Celebrate National Thesaurus Day

https://bookmarketingbuzzblog.blogspot.com/2019/01/celebrate-national-thesaurus-day.html

Have You Set Your Book Marketing Goals?

https://bookmarketingbuzzblog.blogspot.com/2019/01/have-you-set-your-book-marketing-goals.html

The Book Marketing Strategies Of Best-Sellers

https://bookmarketingbuzzblog.blogspot.com/2019/01/the-book-marketing-strategies-best.html

No. 1 Book Publicity Resource: 2019 Toolkit For Authors -- FREE

https://bookmarketingbuzzblog.blogspot.com/2018/11/all-new-2019-book-publicity-marketing.html

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 ©2019. 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.