How Authors Can Find Time for Book Marketing
If you're an author who…
is worried that book marketing is going to take you away from writing
doesn’t like the idea of marketing
has no idea where to start
…I am so glad that you're here. I’m going to share five tips to help minimize the stress of marketing, to simplify it, and to help you save time.
Understand the Difference Between Marketing and Sales
Marketing and sales are incredibly different tasks. Many times I see authors and sometimes publishers mesh them together.
The idea of marketing is connecting, it's about building awareness, it's about making a connection with people and really building relationships. And sales is just that - it's asking them to buy something.
Marketing is drawing people in, creating awareness, making connections and then leading them to your newsletter list. I'm a firm believer in the fact that your newsletter list is where you should be doing your sales, not within social media. You can let people know that you have a book coming out on social media, but the connection and the relationship building is best within marketing.
So understanding that there's a time to market to make those connections and then a time to sell.
Know Your Ideal Reader
I drill this over and over again because it’s so important. I always tell authors that if you're trying to market to everyone you're actually marketing to no one. When you speak to a specific person who embodies the perfect person of who you want your ideal reader to be - this could be someone that you completely make up it could be a reader that you already have it could be a friend it could be a family member it could be a different version of you - whoever this ideal reader is this is the person that you talk to.
An ideal reader helps you to be very specific, very intentional and very connected, meaning that you can connect with this ideal reader as a human being. Having an ideal reader is also a great way to help you to figure out where you need to hang out online. You don't need to be on every single social platform. You don't need to be absolutely everywhere to be seen. You only need to be in the specific places that your ideal reader is already hanging out.
So when you know who your ideal reader is you have a better indication of where they are. And when you know where they are you can spend your time wisely.
Know Which Marketing Phase You're In
When you know which phase that you're in - which is the Attraction Phase, the Promotional Phase and the Follow-Up Phase - you will know what kind of connection you need to be making. If you're in the Attraction Phase you need to focus more on getting to know your ideal reader and making those connections. If you're in the Promotional Phase you can be a bit more fluid within your promotions and share that you have a book coming out. And within the Follow-Up Phase you can continue to make those connections and you can continue to ask for book reviews and to let them know that you have a book available.
When you know which phase that you're in it will help you to spend your time wisely and to know what you should be talking about.
Focus On Two or Three Strategies
I talk to so many authors who are spreading themselves way too thin by throwing things at the wall to see what sticks and there's really no strategy behind it. Maybe they see another author doing something so they give it a try, or if they hear about something new they give it out a try, and there's no real focus.
When you can focus on doing two or three things really, really well you are able to spend your time more wisely, you're able to be more concentrated and really invest in what you're working on.
You're going to see better results because you aren't watering yourself down or spreading yourself too thin.
Have a Strategy and Plan In Place
You really need to put your writing and to focus on it as a business. I've worked with creatives for my entire career - I’ve worked with authors, musicians, photographers, artists - you name it. And for some reason there's a lot of pushback in approaching a creative craft as a business.
But when you really break it down this is your business. This is a creative endeavor that is bringing in money, it's making a living for you, and you're getting your work out there into the world. So when you have a plan in place you're able to be more strategic and focused within what you're working on.
You can plan things out and know where your ideal reader is online. You will know where to focus your attention on. It helps you to spend your time wisely and effectively.
Marketing does not need to take over your life and it certainly does not need to be a drag. In fact it can actually be a lot of fun! When you're connecting with people that you want to connect with and when you are able to share things that invoke a conversation, and that bring people together, and create community, it changes everything.
If you want to learn more, download the Book Marketing Blueprint. This FREE quick-start guide will help you finally see results with your book marketing and make authentic connections with your readers on social media.