For
many years, musicians were told, when they asked “How do you get to Carnegie
Hall?” that the answer was simply “practice.”
So
the question posed to authors, “How do you market a book successfully?” can be
answered just as simply: “Ask for what you want.”
That’s
it. There is the secret formula. You don’t have to shell out thousands of dollars
attending marketing seminars or hiring book consultants. I just told you what
you need to know. That’s everything!
Ok,
it sounds too simple, right? It has to be a lot more than that, doesn’t it?
No,
that’s it. Ask and you shall receive.
Maybe
not all of the time. Maybe most of the time you get nothing. Doesn’t matter. It
is a numbers game – ask often, and sometimes you will receive something. Ask
the right way, at the right time, and sometimes you get a lot more than you even
hoped for.
Think
of things you can ask for:
·
Media
coverage
·
Social
media connections
·
Book
sales
·
Speaking
opportunities
·
Testimonials
·
Positive
book reviews
The
simple point is this: You must advocate for yourself. Speak up – and often.
Seek out opportunities and make a situation one that could be favorable to you.
Ask for help. People will help you, whether with advice, introductions to key
people, or simply by doing what you ask. And why would they do that?
Many
people have a desire to help others. They feel good giving someone something
when it costs them nothing to do so. Others help because they expect a favor
down the road or hope to trade something of value now. Others help simply
because they were asked and feel obligated to respond. Whatever the reason is,
I know that some people will help you sometimes, so why not ask as many people
for as many things possible?
Set
different goals and then look to achieve progress towards achieving those goals
by utilizing the assistance of others.
What
can people give you?
·
Money,
whether in the form of a sale, a loan, a gift
·
Provide
useful information
·
Share
ideas or identify resources
·
Emotional
support
·
Introductions
to a network of others
So
does this mean you have to simply look at people as a resource to use and
abuse? Absolutely not. But you should think about what you need and who can help
you get it. At the very least, you should look at everyone in your circle of friends,
family, colleagues, online connections, etc and make a list of what they know
and do, who they know, what skills they possess, and how they may have
something you want or can utilize.
Don’t
tell me you are shy, quiet, or not the type to seek out others. Don’t tell me
you have a small network or that you don’t feel comfortable owing someone a
favor. Put all of that psychological baggage to the side. You are now an author
seeking to market your book. You are hungry for success and feel a sense of
urgency to brand yourself and sell your book. It’s time to do something about
it.
Essentially,
you are only as good as your network. If your network needs to be expanded,
diversified, and improved, then do that. Make that a priority. Once you have
enough good people in your hemisphere you can call upon them to get what you
need.
Of
course there are different ways to ask for something, and the bigger the ask,
the bigger the give you will need to provide. That’s okay. Just keep trading
up. Think of your resources – what you can give to others that is of value – and
cash them in to upgrade to what you need and want.
There
are so many books on sales, marketing, success, and wealth, and though achieving
anything requires a number of skills, resources, training, experiences,
connections, ideas, and luck, a big common denominator to any formula is that
we all need to ask others for something. We can’t do it alone. We all need
help, whether we pay for it, trade for it, borrow it, or get a lucky favor from
others.
Embrace
this mentality of asking for things. You have nothing to lose. So you ask and
they say no, so what? But if you ask and they help, you win. No downside.
Forget the fear of rejection or feeling embarrassed or awkward by asking. Who
cares? Just ask, ask, and ask some more.
First,
ask questions. Get information and learn things.
Second,
ask for introductions to those you believe can help you.
Third,
ask for something small that doesn’t obligate someone to do much, but it is
something that is still of value to you.
Fourth,
ask in a way that says you are prepared to trade something for what you inquire
about. Quid pro quo is totally the way to go.
Fifth,
ask in a way that allows you to barter for what you want, especially if you
feel you are getting more out of the trade.
Sixth,
make an investment and be willing to pay for what you want if you feel down the
road, this will buy you something of value that you could otherwise not get.
Be a
kid again. What did you do when you wanted a toy? You asked your dad or begged
your mom, right? If you don’t ask, you don’t get, for sure, but if you ask and
only break through 1 in 10 times, 1 in 20 times, or whatever, hey, you win! Well,
the book world is the same way.
Ask, beg, barter, or buy your way to marketing your book successfully.
Ask, beg, barter, or buy your way to marketing your book successfully.
Birth Of A Blog: Nine
years ago -- May 13, 2011 -- I launched my award-winning blog. Here is the very
first post: https://bookmarketingbuzzblog.blogspot.com/2011/05/donald-trump-branding-lessons-for.html
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