Friday, October 30, 2020

Embrace This Book Marketing Mindset Now

 


“I just want to write - -and not worry about marketing my books.”

“I have no interest in being on Twitter, but my book deserves attention.”

“I don’t enjoy public speaking. My books speak for themselves.”

“I wish the media discovered my book. It’s great.”

These are things authors have said. They love to write and are good at it. But they either don’t understand book marketing, don’t feel capable even if they are, lack the time, actually fall short on the skills to promote, or have little interest in marketing. Excuses? Reasons? Doesn’t matter. Aut5hors need to make sure their books are promoted and marketed often and well. Either they do it or outsource it. There’s not room for sitting on the sidelines and being book promotional agnostic.

The best way to market something is to do it often, which means the more you think about, discuss, and take part in marketing, the better you will be at it. You cannot just turn it on and off – marketing is something you are always doing.

When you meet people socially, such opportunities can lead to networking your way to book sales. The sooner you learn what people do for a living, who they know, and what ideas they have, the sooner you can determine how they can help you. 

Continually explore what others are doing – even if it is to market another book, service or product. Take an idea from one industry and apply it to your own.  Conversely, recognize that some things that work elsewhere would not be cost-effective for you to implement.

The more products, books, or services you have to sell, the better. And the higher the profit-margin, the more eligible you will be to experiment or try various marketing methods. 

If you only make $5 per book and this is all that you have to sell, it would be hard to justify spending $3,000 per month on advertising – but if you can win a certain number of customers who may each end up spending hundreds of dollars with you, it may pay for you to spend money on something that could yield enough customers to justify the expense. 

Marketing mindfulness is a state of being. You are always thinking of things from the perspective of sales. You see ad slogans in your dreams, you envision your next five blog posts while driving home from work, you read trade publications or search the Internet while waiting online for a restaurant table, and you enter the topic of your book into conversations with others in hopes they will react with a favorable idea. 

You almost have to obsess over your book in order to make it successful but avoid becoming so obsessed that you conjure up dreams of grandeur. Don’t fantasize about being a best-selling author but do spend time visualizing concrete steps to take to actually generate sales. 

Success is a frame of mind. If you are always open to opportunities to grow you will either find them or create them. So what does opportunity look like? It means being ready to convert a chance meeting into a long-term relationship and taking an idea and putting it into action, and to commoditizing a resource, an idea, an experience, or a relationship. 

Once you know what it is that you really want to accomplish, set a realistic plan, timeline, and resource needs list.  Then execute and go for it. You may just succeed -- or at least enjoy the attempt to do so.

The Marketing Mindset That You Must Adopt

  • Seize upon an opportunity – or create one.
  • See things from many perspectives and always look for a marketing angle to work.
  • Engage in empathetic listening.
  • Turn words and ideas into action.
  • Commoditize a relationship but always do something for another.
  • Anticipate, initiate, follow through.
  • Seek honest feedback and then do something with it.
  • Always look for growth and a chance to expand.
  • Constantly generate new ideas without a limiting filter.
  • Remain positive and upbeat.
  • Invest time and money in the short-term in order to produce a long-term pay-off.
  • Survey current events news, marketing conditions, and industry trends.
  • You must see opportunity in everyone, everything, and every event.
  • Never stop thinking of ways to market.
  • Success is a numbers game – try enough things enough times and you will break through.
  • You never stop at a win or a moment of success. You need a continuous series of victories to help counter dry spells.
  • Look for ways to get others involved – people you can hire, trade with, partner with, get referrals from.
  • Set benchmarks for success and raise them with every win.
  • Think big – imagine what can be.
  • Think ‘first’ – be a pioneer by leading.
  • Think new or unique – doing the same as others will not yield spectacular results.
  • Balance your time, energy, and resources needed to execute ideas against their potential gain in sales and publicity.
  • Look to turn everything you do or touch, person you meet, or situation you are into a profitable opportunity.
  • Ask for favors, deals, and help from anyone and everyone.
  • Think long-term, not just short-term.
  • Develop relationships, not just sales.
  • Know “NO” can be a delayed “YES” if you change your offer and your approach and try another day.
  • Believe in the significance of what you do.
  • Do not be shy about pursuing what you want.
  • Constantly test ideas, approaches or markets and tinkering with the formula for success, No singular way works for everyone, nor will it work all the time or for a sustained period. Keep changing in a changing world.
  • Be perceived as an expert who has something of value to share.
  • Learn from everyone and everything – never dismiss a chance to improve your knowledge.
  • Be assertive, even aggressive.
  • Hustle, but do not con: Be quick to react, take initiation, and seize moments to sell but do not lie, bullshit, or seek to confuse someone on the facts.
  • Learn from mistakes but do not throw out the baby for the bathwater.
  • Copy what works for others but try to improve upon or personalize it.
  • Know few things sell themselves and even world-class brands need to remind others of what they offer.

Now get the hell out there and market your books!!!

 

Learn, Grow, Succeed!!

How Authors Can Supersize Their Efforts – And Results!

https://bookmarketingbuzzblog.blogspot.com/2020/10/how-authors-should-live-by-10x-rule.html

 

Why Every Author Needs A Cheerleader Or Coach!

https://bookmarketingbuzzblog.blogspot.com/2020/10/why-every-author-needs-cheerleader-or.html

 

21 Guaranteed Ways To Market A Book

https://bookmarketingbuzzblog.blogspot.com/2020/10/21-guaranteed-ways-for-successfull-book.html

 

Why Do Authors Commit Publishing Suicide?

https://bookmarketingbuzzblog.blogspot.com/2020/10/why-do-authors-commit-publishing-suicide.html

 

10 Things Authors Need For Successful DIY Book Publicity

https://bookmarketingbuzzblog.blogspot.com/2020/10/10-things-authors-need-for-do-  it.html

 

Authors Need to Know Why They Write

https://bookmarketingbuzzblog.blogspot.com/2020/09/authors-need-to-know-why-they-write.html

 

Do Authors Take Responsibility For Book Sales?

https://bookmarketingbuzzblog.blogspot.com/2020/09/do-authors-take-responsibility-for-book.html

 

Here’s How We Protect Free Speech On Social Media

https://bookmarketingbuzzblog.blogspot.com/2020/09/heres-how-we-protect-free-speech-on.html

 

Is Today A New Year For Authors?

https://bookmarketingbuzzblog.blogspot.com/2020/09/is-today-new-year-for-authors.html

 

How Do You Land A Book Publishing Deal?

https://bookmarketingbuzzblog.blogspot.com/2020/10/how-do-you-land-book-publishing-deal.html

 

Brian Feinblum, the founder of BookMarketingBuzzBlog, can be reached at  brianfeinblum@gmail.com.  His insightful views, provocative opinions, and interesting ideas expressed in this terrific blog are the product of his genius. You can – and should -- follow him on Twitter @theprexpert. He feels much more important when discussed in the third-person. This is copyrighted by BookMarketingBuzzBlog ©2020. Born and raised in Brooklyn, he now resides in Westchester with his wife, two kids and Ferris, a black lab rescue. His writings are often featured in The Writer and IBPA’s The Independent.  This was named one of the best book marketing blogs by BookBaby 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.

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