What Motivates Authors To Market Their Books?

Every author wants their book marketed, but not everyone will do their own marketing. Nor will they hire others to help. So, what will inspire an author to make sure their book is marketed properly? 

First, every author must acknowledge a clear reality: your book will not go anywhere without you pushing it. That’s just a fact. 

No one will discover your book without your help. The media won’t feature your book if it doesn’t know it exists. Bookstores won’t have you speak unless you solicit them. Your social media won’t help sell your book if it's done poorly or is non-existent. Only you can make it happen.  

Second, authors should take stock in what can be done and then identify what they will do, what they will outsource, and what they will ignore. A plan of divide and conquer only works when you have a plan -- and are prepared to act on it.  

Third, figure out who can help you do what -- and at what cost. Few things come with a guarantee, so consider whatever your budget to be as one that is an experimental investment. But, the good news is that you can see a payoff from what you spend. Sometimes it just takes a little longer than planned, but what you spend now can help you later.  

Fourth, know your why. Exactly why did you write and publish your book? If you hope to accomplish something, then you must be willing to invest and sacrifice your time, money, and energy. Is this a legacy book for the ego? Do you hope to help others with your message? Are you seeking to entertain people? Is the book a calling card to sell another product or service? Will the book be a stepping stool to achieve something else -- like help get a publisher for the next book or to be used as a branding tool to advance your career? Is the book simply a commodity that you seek to sell to purely make money? Do you hope the book gets picked up by professors for courses or by movie studios? 

Whatever your goals and means to achieve them are, you need to properly market your books or they will just die. That’s a fact.  

So, what will you do about it? 

“Dreams come true. You just have to be willing to work for them.”

-Anníe Mist Þórisdóttir

“Almost all advice given to writers by supposed experts is wrong.”

-Brian Koppelman

“Remember, Babe Ruth was not only the home run king, he was also the strikeout king.”

-Steve Case 

A dozen reasons exist to give news a wide berth. Here are the top three: First, our brains react disproportionately to different types of information. Scandalous, shocking, people-based, loud, fast-changing details all stimulate us, whereas abstract, complex, and unprocessed information sedates us. News producers capitalize on this. Gripping stories, garish images, and sensational “facts” capture our attention. Recall for a moment their business models: Advertisers buy space and thus finance the news circus on the condition that their ads will be seen. The result: Everything subtle, complex, abstract, and profound must be systemically filtered out, even though such stories are much more relevant to our lives and our understanding of the world. As a result of news consumption, we walk around with a distorted mental map of the risks and threats we actually face. 

-The Art Of Thinking Clearly

  

Please Contact Me For Help

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.

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Are There Alternative Methods To Marketing A Book?

https://bookmarketingbuzzblog.blogspot.com/2022/03/are-there-alternative-methods-to.html

 

How Do Authors Get More Book Reviews?

https://bookmarketingbuzzblog.blogspot.com/2022/03/how-do-authors-get-more-book-reviews.html

 

What Should You Do To Promote Your Book?

https://bookmarketingbuzzblog.blogspot.com/2022/01/what-should-you-do-to-promote-your-book.html

 

Ask Me Anything About Book Marketing

https://bookmarketingbuzzblog.blogspot.com/2021/12/ask-me-anything-about-book-marketing.html

 

About Brian Feinblum

Brian Feinblum should be followed on Twitter @theprexpert. This is copyrighted by BookMarketingBuzzBlog ©2022. 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 blog, with over 4,000 posts over the past decade, 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 2021 and 2018 as one of the top book marketing blogs. It was also named by WinningWriters.com as a "best resource.” For the past three decades, including 21 as the head of marketing for the nation’s largest book publicity firm, and two jobs at two independent presses, Brian has worked with many first-time, self-published, authors of all genres, right along with best-selling authors and celebrities such as: Dr. Ruth, Mark Victor Hansen, Joseph Finder, Katherine Spurway, Neil Rackham, Harvey Mackay, Ken Blanchard, Stephen Covey, Warren Adler, Cindy Adams, Susan RoAne, Jeff Foxworthy, Seth Godin, and Henry Winkler. He recently hosted a panel on book publicity for Book Expo America, and has spoken at ASJA, IBPA, Sarah Lawrence College, Nonfiction Writers Association, Cape Cod Writers Association, Willamette (Portland) Writers Association, and Connecticut Authors and Publishers Association. His letters-to-the-editor have been published in The Wall Street Journal, USA Today, New York Post, NY Daily News, Newsday, The Journal News (Westchester) and The Washington Post. He has been featured in The Sun Sentinel and Miami Herald. For more information, please consult: linkedin.com/in/brianfeinblum