Let me save you hundreds of hours and
thousands of dollars on motivation coaches, psychotherapists, marketing
webinars, business courses, self-help books, instructional videos, and
inspirational seminars. I have done the heavy lifting, personally and
professionally. Mooch off of my gravitational pull and circulate in my orbit.
Please.
Book marketing can be demystified. It can work for you. It could even be fun. I
shit you not.
Authors, it is natural to have fears, insecurities, and allergies to life — and
book marketing. It is normal and quite common to meditate about marketing — and
then practice the zen of sitting paralyzed. It is most typical to dip your toes
into the marketing pool and declare you can’t swim before your first lesson. I
get it — you can’t drown if you don’t dive into the pool. But you also won’t be
able to swim in the ocean of success if you won’t at least show up to the
beach.
Are you:
* Crippled by fear?
* Frozen by a lack of information?
* Sidelined because you can’t risk failure?
* Impotent due to a lack of skills or skilled helpers?
No more.
Not now, not tomorrow, not next year.
If you don’t want to believe that, delete this blog, toss your computer in the
trash, and seek a new vocation.
That’s right. It is tough-love time. I am sick and tired of authors grabbing
onto bullshit excuses, seeing them being more comfortable tethered to whining
than winning. Am I talking to you?
Commit to marketing as much as you do to writing. Open your heart, eyes, watch,
and wallet to book marketing. To not help yourself is foolish, insane,
and pathetic.
Plus, aren’t you sick and tired of being held back, in part, by your own hand?
You are tired of losses, rejections, and being ignored. I know it. You know it.
Defeat should not be assumed nor embraced.
Be resolute, my friend. Don’t be bullied — by yourself or others. Unleash
yourself and let your voice be heard. I support you. Viva la author! Let
the revolution of you begin now!
Here is absolutely, unequivocally, undeniably, and indisputably the best advice
any author of any genre at any stage of one’s career could possibly receive?
1. Never Give Up — Unless Your Book Stinks
Sometimes what you write is far from gold. Or
it needs a good edit. Or your title sucks. Or your cover is not grabbing
anyone’s attention. It happens. Sometimes we rush a book to press or we simply
think too highly of our work. But, assuming you have a decent, if not grest
book, get off your ass and the pity couch, regroup, and strive to succeed. No
one will believe in you until you believe in yourself, and once you believe,
act with urgency and unbridled passion to find your book’s readership.
2. Get Started — Over and Over
Life — and book marketing — have false hopes
and false starts. You may fail today or tomorrow or next week. No matter. Take
the advice we give to those who fall off a bike — and get the hell up and back
on the bike.
3. Stay Focused — And Disciplined
Keep your eye on the prize. A day of not
marketing is a day wasted. Have an opportunistic mindset and create your own
opportunities. You don’t need to ask anyone’s permission to succeed.
4. Set Goals — Long-Term, Short-Term, Today
Define what success could look like for yourself. Create reasonable benchmarks
for incremental periods of time. Review and evaluate progress. Reset your goals
and pursue higher horizons. Never feel satisfied. Assume or envision
victory — and you will be one step closer to it.
5. Be Authentic — And Passionately Unapologetic
Be who you are. You have a voice and a pulpit.
Get out there and let the sun shine on whatever it is that you have to offer.
Appeal to your niche or targeted reader — and dismiss the vast majority of
people who will never buy your book for any of a zillion reasons that have
little to do with you.
6. Have A Marketing Plan — And Don’t Let It Collect Dust
Plan stuff out. Identify your targeted
readership and find where it congregates. Determine how to find them and offer
them something of perceived value.
7. Network, Network, Network
Online, offline — connect to others. The
people in your life are the ones who will help you. If you get to know more
people, and work your connections, you greatly increase your chances of
success.
8. Believe In Yourself
Prescribe yourself a dose of confidence. Don’t question it. You earned it. You
need it. Believe, and it shall be. Don’t argue with me or try to prove me
wrong. I refuse to believe otherwise.
9. Be Persistent and Aggressive
I know of no other way to be. I grew up in a
lower middle-class apartment in Brooklyn. If you don’t ask, don’t try, or don’t
push, you don’t get anything. No one is looking out for you. Take hold of your
book marketing and own it.
10. Experiment, Diversify, & Take Risks
You have nothing to lose by trying new things.
Don’t rely on one approach to marketing. Experiment with social media,
blogging, podcasting, advertising, speaking, news media, book clubs, book
awards, paid reviews, etc. Book marketing is like investing your money: just as
you would diversify in various industries and companies and with various
investment instruments like stocks, bonds, commodities, crypto, etc., you need
to vary your time, money, and mindshare in your book marketing efforts.
Obey these 10 Golden Rules for Authors!
Brian Feinblum, the founder of this
award-winning blog, can be reached at brianfeinblum@gmail.com He is available to
help authors promote their story, sell their book, and grow their brand. He has
30 years of experience in successfully helping thousands of authors in all
genres.
Happy Holidays! A gift for
you!
Free 2022 Bestselling Book Marketing & PR E-Book For Writers
https://bookmarketingbuzzblog.blogspot.com/2021/11/free-bestseller-book-marketing-pr-e.html
The
Most Popular Author Interviews of the Year! Learn What 32 Writers Say About
Book Publishing – and Their Books.
https://bookmarketingbuzzblog.blogspot.com/2021/11/the-most-popular-author-interviews-of.html
Book
Publishing Predictions & Trends For 2022
https://bookmarketingbuzzblog.blogspot.com/2021/12/book-publishing-predictions-trends-for.html
About Brian Feinblum
Brian Feinblum should be followed on Twitter @theprexpert. This
is copyrighted by BookMarketingBuzzBlog ©2021. 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. It was 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.
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