Mulch Your Book Marketing

 

 

In New York, autumn is in full force, with colorful leaves falling off of trees everywhere that you look. My house gutters may need constant cleaning, but there is something pretty about it all right now. In a few weeks, most trees will be barren, and that is not so pretty. This stage where the trees are void of leaves is how most authors feel when they launch a marketing campaign for their books.  

Whenever April approaches, it is time to mulch, at least here on the East Coast. Living in an apartment as a kid in Brooklyn, I knew of nothing house related, but as a proud homeowner for the past 20+ years, I have come to appreciate the act and art of mulching. The process actually mirrors many aspects of an author’s book marketing efforts.

As time goes by, and the ravages of winter weather take hold of the land, the seasonal need to mulch arises. One must tend to their garden if they hope to grow it and make it look beautiful. The same is true of an author’s book marketing efforts

When it is the spring phase of your book marketing, like a lawn or garden, you need to:

* Survey the landscape and assess your needs

* Tend to your garden in order to grow it

* Know thar your labor bears fruits

* Work hard and get your hands dirty 

So what does this mean for authors? 

* Plant the seeds now so you can harvest your plantings later. Way before your book is out, do your research, follow advance deadlines for book review submissions, and establish your website and social media platform. 

* Do the pro-active things not just once, but over and over. You need to water a lawn daily. Same with your marketing efforts. 

* Some things will grow naturally and look great; other things will need outside help and the able hands and knowledgeable touch of a professional gardener. Similarly, authors may be able to execute some marketing tasks on their own, but they also may benefit from a professional book marketer to coach them or to execute parts of your PR campaign. 

Bundle up, winter is coming. This is the time to prepare for your spring book launch. Before you know it, you will have a beautiful garden and lush, green lawn — and perhaps a successful book. 

Do You Need Book Marketing & PR Help?

Brian Feinblum, the founder of this award-winning blog, with over 3.9 million page views, can be reached at brianfeinblum@gmail.com  He is available to help authors like you to promote your story, sell your book, and grow your 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 (https://pubspot.ibpa-online.org/article/whats-needed-to-promote-a-book-successfully).  This award-winning blog has generated over four million pageviews. With 5,000+ 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, BookCAMP, 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.