How Should An Author Start Book Promotions?

 

Authors can market their books successfully, but many never try to actually promote their books or themselves. If they would just begin – anywhere – they will move forward with a golden opportunity. So, what is the first thing he or she should do?

Authors need to set goals, commit to them, and then explore how to reach these goals. Then they need a timeline, working backwards from their book’s upcoming publication date. If the book is already out, it is time to quickly play catch up.

Many authors are challenged by:

·         Not knowing when to start publicity.

·         What to do first on in what order.

·         Knowing how to put all of the pieces together.

·         Staying motivated.

·         Overcoming fear.

·         Finding time to do what’s needed.

·         Digging up some funds to hire professional helpers.

·         Finding support from friends and family.

We know that a SMART approach must be taken to marketing a book., Have you seen this acronym? Be specific in what you are doing, measure results, pursue what is achievable, be realistic in executing your goals, and set time-sensitive deadlines to achieve them.

Authors need to have a starting place. Here’s a sensible approach:  

·         Create your website or revise an existing one to reflect your new book.

·         Update your social media profiles to reflect your new book and increase activity on there to secure more connections.

·         Schedule speaking appearances, whether online or in-person.

·         Put your email list together of people you plan to tell you have a new book.

·         Reach out to traditional media – radio, TV, and print. You will need a pitch letter, press kit, and a targeted list of specific people to contact at specific media outlets.

·         Explore other ways to promote your book or market your brand, including advertising.

Authors need to:  

1.      Have a marketing plan.

2.      Stay committed to marketing daily.

3.      Be informed of how to market.

4.      Build on some successes.

 

Writing a book is huge and when you give birth to your baby, you now realize you need to feed it, cloth it, shelter it, and ensure it goes to college. Book marketing is like graduating college. You can do it. You will make mistakes a long the way. That’s okay. Just keep moving things along. Start. Somewhere.

 “Everybody is somebody, but nobody wants to be themselves.”

-Gnarls Barkley

 “You must be the change you wish to be in the world.”

-Mahatma Gandhi

 "Action may not always bring happiness, but there is no happiness without action.”

-Benjamin Disraeli

 “Make mistakes of ambition and not mistakes of sloth.”

-Niccolo Machiavelli

 “The reasonable man adapts himself to the world; the unreasonable one persists in trying to adapt the world to himself. Therefore all progress depends on the unreasonable man.”

-George Bernard Shaw

 “When I let go of what I am, I become what I might be.”

-Lao Tzu

 “If you don’t make mistakes, you’re not working on hard enough problems. And that’s a big mistake.”

-Frank Wilczek

 “Everyone thinks of changing the world, but no one thinks of changing himself.”

-Leo Tolstoy

 “Don’t believe everything you think.”

-Bj Miler, MD

 “Let the first impulse pass. Wait for the second.”

--Baltasar Gracian

 “To avoid criticism, say nothing, do nothing, be nothing.”

--Elbert Hubbard

 Learn, Grow, Succeed!!

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https://bookmarketingbuzzblog.blogspot.com/2020/12/the-ultimate-2021-book-marketing.html

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https://bookmarketingbuzzblog.blogspot.com/2020/11/authors-should-embrace-butterfly-effect.html

Don’t Pardon Book Industry Scoundrels, Failures & Losers

https://bookmarketingbuzzblog.blogspot.com/2020/12/dont-pardon-book-industry-scoundrels.html

Authors Need to Know Why They Write Books

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

Authors Want Their Drop-The-Mic Moment

https://bookmarketingbuzzblog.blogspot.com/2020/11/authors-want-their-drop-mic-moment.html

Do Writers Know The Power They Wield?

https://bookmarketingbuzzblog.blogspot.com/2020/11/do-writers-know-power-they-yield.html

How Authors Should Build A Platform

https://bookmarketingbuzzblog.blogspot.com/2020/10/how-authors-should-build-platform.html

Brian Feinblum, the founder of BookMarketingBuzzBlog, can be reached at  brianfeinblum@gmail.com.  You can – and should -- follow him on Twitter @theprexpert. 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 dog. 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 America. For more information, please consult: linkedin.com/in/brianfeinblum.