I promised I would talk about exposure today. Exposure is one of the most valuable benefits you take away from nearly any of your promotional efforts. The exposure benefits are especially prevalent and important to authors who get out and speak to their audiences. Whether you are speaking to a group, talking casually with people at a signing, book festival, flea market or conference or you\u2019re just chatting it up with potential readers, you are getting exposure. One or 1001 people now have the opportunity to learn about your book. This may be the first or twenty-first time they\u2019ve become aware of you and your book. It doesn\u2019t matter. If it is a book they can use or would be interested in reading, they will eventually do so, but only if they know about it.<\/p>\n
Stay hidden behind your computer reaching only those people who happen across your website, stop in once in a while to read your blog, subscribe to the newsletters you write for, communicate with you via FaceBook, etc., and you will miss out on a lot of valuable exposure.<\/p>\n
The fact is:
\n\u2022\tPeople are more apt to buy books from an author they meet and like. <\/p>\n
\u2022\tThe power of persuasion is more effective in person. <\/p>\n
\u2022\tWhen someone bothers to hold a book in their hands, they are more apt to buy it.<\/p>\n
\u2022\tThe memory of a real-time experience is greater\/stronger than that of one occurring online. <\/p>\n
While some people purchase books they\u2019re interested in on the spot without much contemplation, others need time to consider the book. The more times they see, hear, read about or are otherwise aware of you\u2014the author of the book they\u2019re considering\u2014the more apt they are to eventually purchase it. <\/p>\n
Exposure has other positive side-effects, as well. I\u2019ve known many authors who have attended book festivals, signed books and spoke to groups, for example, and were disappointed because they didn\u2019t sell many books. Some of them have vowed never to do that activity again because they sold so few books. What these authors didn\u2019t consider, however, were the benefits outside of making that on-the-spot sale. For example,<\/p>\n
\u2022\tAwareness of you and your book expands every time you speak to new groups and individuals.<\/p>\n
\u2022\tYou are reaching even more people when you publicize these activities and events.<\/p>\n
\u2022\tWhile out talking to people, you may meet someone or your publicity might reach someone who wants to purchase your book in bulk for an event, who invites you to speak to a large group of your potential readers, who has a radio show and wants you to appear, etc. It happens. I\u2019ve seen it happen more times than I can count. <\/p>\n
The next time you speak before a group, are interviewed on the radio, do a signing at a small bookstore, reserve a booth at a book festival, etc., don\u2019t view this so much as a bookselling opportunity as one for exposure. Look at the bigger picture\u2014how widespread can you direct the publicity? What opportunities might present themselves beyond just making those immediate sales? But you have to do your part.
\nYou must get out of the office and mingle with your readers. You have to direct the publicity far and wide. You need to keep an attitude of gratitude which will help to open you up to whatever comes your way. And stop thinking so much about sales that you miss those opportunities that can lead to greater success.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
I promised I would talk about exposure today. Exposure is one of the most valuable benefits you take away from nearly any of your promotional efforts. The exposure benefits are especially prevalent and important to authors who get out and speak to their audiences. Whether you are speaking to a group, talking casually with people […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":5,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":[],"categories":[5],"tags":[],"aioseo_notices":[],"aioseo_head":"\n\t\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t