I
have been giving out book marketing advice ever since I began promoting authors
to major media outlets back in 1989. Fast-forward three decades later and I
still provide guidance to authors and publishers seeking to brand themselves, sell
books, and gain media coverage. But it has dawned on me that for all of the
useful advice I have provided and resources shared, there are many others,
either intentionally or mistakenly, giving out some really crappy advice. How
is the author or publisher to know whom to listen to?
Well,
like anything else, you need to see confirmation that the source of advice is validated
by third parties. Are other professionals that you respect saying they respect
this source?
Is this
person credentialed and qualified to make the statements he or she makes? Look
at their resume of training, work, and experiences.
Next,
do you see some of the same advice showing up on other sites or publications
that are respectable?
Fourth,
does the advice make sense? Was it backed up with proof of effect or at least
sample success stories? Does it sound like it could or should work, or does it
seem odd to you? Give it the smell test.
Fifth,
is the person giving you advice selling something, and if so, what? You don’t want to see a conflict of interest
get in the way of getting advice.
Now,
that said, someone may have a public endorsement of their work. So what? For
every positive there could be 100 negatives, but no one will highlight the
negatives. They can seem to have a proper resume but that does not mean they
know anything. And bad advice can he repeated often but it doesn’t make it any
more accurate just because it gets circulated. Something may sound like it
should work, but the truth is there may be things that you just wouldn’t be
aware of that stand in the way from the advice actually being accurate. And,
just because someone is selling something it doesn’t mean that their advice is
wrong.
So where
does this leave us. I just told you trust no one and yet, give people a break
under certain circumstances.
Sometimes
you have to experiment and test out certain theories or suggestions. You mix
and match what works for you. Sometimes what is good advice for one is not for
another, and vice versa.
The advice
that I can give you is to customize the advice. Figure out what someone is
recommending, then discern why it may work for you vs how it worked for that
person, and remain optimistic and hopeful that you can find what works out
best. There are many things you can do for free – and many things you should
pay for. But you need a budget, a marketing plan, and sound goals with ways to
measure what works.
The
best advice that I will offer you is that you must take action to brand
yourself. Of course what you choose to do, to what degree, and for how long, is
up to you. Your efforts may be dictated by your time, skill set, knowledge
base, money, preferences, and needs. Trust in yourself and in what you want to
accomplish and you will begin to filter all advice through your gaols and
capabilities. I wish you well on your journey.
PLEASE CONSULT THESE
TIMELY RESOURCES
Do Authors Need To Pay Bribes To Succeed?
What Will a Post-Corona book World Look Like?
How Do Authors Promote Books
When The Media Is Corona Centric?
How Are Authors Selling Books Through A Pandemic?
A Book Marketing Pandemic Playbook
What Types of Books Can Get Media Coverage Now?
The Bestseller Code For Book Marketers & Authors
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