If
you were to compare the marketing of books to other products, what would be a similar
item?
Books
are generally sold in bookstores and online, most often via Amazon. But they can be sold anywhere – gift shops,
schools, museums, stationery stores, churches, airports, newsstands, etc. They can be sold via an author’s website as
well. But what is just like books – an
information /entertainment product that sells, typically from $10 to $30, that
can exist in hard form or digital, in written or oral? And how many products can be sold years after
they were created? The book is
unique. So is its marketing.
Publishing
is a nickel and dime business. If you
receive a royalty, you may only get a buck per book sold. If you self-publish, your compensation per
book sold is far greater but you’ll need to sell a certain number of copies to
break even and cover your costs for printing, distribution, editing,
advertising, and promotions. In both
cases, there’s a motivation to promote a book. Most other products are
not marketed like books, simply because the economics differ or because one
can’t promote a widget and the person behind it the same as one markets an
idea, a voice, or a personal brand.
Here
are some rules to keep in mind when marketing books:
1.
Know
why you are marketing you book. What
exactly do you hope to accomplish? Are
those achievable expectations? How much
money, time, and mindshare are you willing to invest?
2.
Understand
your competition is fierce and that no matter how great you think your book is,
be prepared to be ignored, rejected, or dismissed. That doesn’t’ mean you should take no for an
answer, but do not expect everyone to embrace you and your book. Be prepared to prove and demonstrate the
special qualities of your book. No one
is waiting around to anoint you king.
3.
Be
ready to diversify your approach to marketing and to experiment in one or more
ways to promote and market your book. If
something doesn’t work for you, invest more in what does, and just because
something works today, doesn’t mean it will tomorrow. Build on what works and
expand to other areas, choosing from things like: speaking engagements, webinars, direct mail,
advertising, flier handouts, email blasts, social media, news media campaign,
bulk sales, affiliated sales, etc.
4.
Know
that what you invest to market a book now could have a substantial payoff down
the road, for future books. Also know
that you help promote your backlist by promoting your newest book. Lastly, be aware that you are always
marketing your brand as an author-expert, which can help you sell other products
and services or allow you to impact and influence others with your empowering
message.
5.
Think
about what you will do (that you enjoy doing and are capable of doing) – and acknowledge
what else needs to be done. Divide that
portion up into outsourcing to others and then dismissing the rest. You can’t
afford to do everything, so prioritize, and once you decide on your course of
action, don’t look back with guilt or second-guessing.
6.
Do
what’s free, of course, but don’t confuse that with the things that can be done
to market your book that cost money. On the other hand, just because you pay someone to do something doesn’t mean
you’ll reap a reward from those efforts. You need to hire correctly – and to
invest in things that are reasonably achievable and worth doing.
7.
Learn
from the successes of others, but don’t be jealous of the riches of
others. Determine if you can copy what
they did – or would it involve luck, a special relationship, or more time and
money than you would like to spend?
8.
Just
when you feel like giving up or all is lost, keep going. We often need to push
just beyond what feels like a breaking point. It can turn into a breakthrough
moment instead.
You
are selling words and what attaches to them – experiences, emotions, ideas,
opinions, and dreams. The value of those
words is unlimited. You will set the
price on what your book is really worth.
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