How Can Authors Make Good Marketing Decisions?

 

 

I am always curious as to how authors go about making their choices for book marketing activities. Many times they fail to make sound decisions. In lots of cases, they are crippled by indecision and delay. Let’s explore how to remedy this.

I have likely talked, one-on-one, to well over 15,000 authors since I began marketing them over 30 years ago, and I can tell you that often they are not making fully-informed decisions, usually guided more out of ego and fear than facts and probability.

Here is where authors tend to go wrong:

* Fail to get properly informed

* Come late to the game

* Have limited PR budgets

*  Not skilled in marketing

* Lack confidence

* Short on time

* Lazy and lack initiative

* Blinded by ego

* Misled by envy and jealousy

* Lack a marketing plan

* Fail to commit to the plan

* Have unrealistic goals

This is where authors seem to do the right thing:

* Hire professional help — divide and conquer

* Expect little, but try for a lot

* Set up the next book

* Diversify outreach

* Experiment in efforts

* Do several things well

* Educate themselves

* Acknowledge competition

* Think ahead and act sooner

* On a mission with a vision

* Build your network and ask for favors

Authors can make good marketing decisions simply by:

* Making choices after careful thought

* Not looking to anyone else to run the show

* Being willing to get help 

* Taking some time to learn of best practices 

Now, get out there and market your book like there is no tomorrow!

Need Book Marketing Help?

Brian Feinblum, the founder of this award-winning blog, with 3.6 million page views, 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 over 30 years of experience in successfully helping thousands of authors in all genres. Let him be your advocate, teacher, and motivator!

 

About Brian Feinblum

Brian Feinblum should be followed on www.linkedin.com/in/brianfeinblum. This is copyrighted by BookMarketingBuzzBlog ©2024. Born and raised in Brooklyn, he now resides in Westchester with his wife, two kids, and Ferris, a black lab rescue dog, and El Chapo, a pug rescue dog. His writings are often featured in The Writer and IBPA’s The Independent.  This award-winning blog has generated over 3.6 million pageviews. With 4,800+ posts over the past dozen years, it 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 www.WinningWriters.com as a "best resource.” For the past three decades, including 21 years as the head of marketing for the nation’s largest book publicity firm, and director of publicity positions 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, Todd Duncan, Susan RoAne, John C. Maxwell, Jeff Foxworthy, Seth Godin, and Henry Winkler. He hosted a panel on book publicity for Book Expo America several years ago, and has spoken at ASJA, Independent Book Publishers Association Sarah Lawrence College, Nonfiction Writers Association, Cape Cod Writers Association, Willamette (Portland) Writers Association, APEX, Morgan James Publishing, 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. His first published book was The Florida homeowner, Condo, & Co-Op Association Handbook.  It was featured in The Sun Sentinel and Miami Herald.