I\u2019m still traveling and am posting blogs only when I get a chance. <\/p>\n
Hey, any of you who are still suffering in the heat and who want to cool off, Alaska is the place to be. Their summers are like our winters in California Brrr.<\/p>\n
Don\u2019t you sometimes feel as though you are all alone in the world of book promotion? You reach out with announcements and information about your wonderful book and all you hear is silence. You wonder if anyone is listening. You question whether your message is breaking through. You worry that you are not hitting your mark\u2014that you aren\u2019t reaching your audience. <\/p>\n
You have a great website. You are writing articles for publication or submitting short stories. You\u2019ve had a few book reviews. You left numerous posts, recently, at various related sites and you\u2019re adding to your blog almost daily. You handed out about 50 business cards at the local Chamber mixer and left a stack of cards on the sign-in table at your class reunion this summer. You send press releases to appropriate publications regularly. But still, you have periods when you hear nothing but silence. <\/p>\n
I\u2019ve been promoting books for 30 years and I can tell you that it takes enormous effort and persistence to sell books. You\u2019ll have flurries of sales at events such as book festivals or presentations. But where are your customers during the rest of the year? Why don\u2019t they respond to your promotional endeavors? Why do you hear so much silence?<\/p>\n
Readers are fickle. You can\u2019t count on them to buy your book when you think they should. Like you, they are busy. They are overwhelmed. They are being bombarded every day with suggestions from other authors\u2014\u201cBuy my book!\u201d \u201cNo, buy this one!\u201d They have limited funds and little time for frivolous things like reading for pleasure. They must limit themselves to only a few self-help or informational books on their favorite subjects. There are numerous reasons why consumers resist buying a new novel by an unknown or why they procrastinate. <\/p>\n
Our job as authors is to create books that are actually needed\/wanted by a large segment of the population. It is our responsibility to figure out how to reach these people and to entice them to purchase our books. And it isn\u2019t easy. Nobody said it would be easy. Book promotion is a full-time job for the energetic, imaginative individual. If you don\u2019t have the time, energy or imagination\u2014if you don\u2019t have the ability or willingness\u2014you might as well give up the idea of fame and fortune through authorship. <\/p>\n
It\u2019s tough. It\u2019s sometimes lonely. But it can be incredibly rewarding. Do yourself a favor, instead of imagining your promotional efforts being ignored\u2014instead of feeling defeated each time you DON\u2019T get an order\u2014imagine thousands of people saving up their money to purchase your book. Imagine people everywhere reading your promo material with keen interest. Imagine folks seeking ways to purchase your book. Imagine them lusting after your book\u2014yearning to own it. This will keep you on track. You\u2019ll realize the importance of continuing your bombardment of promotion. You\u2019ll understand the value in keeping your book and yourself in front of your audience.
\nAt least, occasionally, do a Google search using your book\u2019s title and another one using your name. This will help you to see how widespread your marketing efforts are reaching. <\/p>\n
It may seem as though your efforts are going unnoticed. But truly, no promotional activity is wasted. While some specific activities might appear to lead nowhere, in reality, someone did notice. Maybe it was many people. And it may be weeks, months or even years before you will reap the benefits of your specific endeavors.<\/p>\n
Just yesterday, I received an email from a woman who saw my picture on my brochure many months ago and decided then and there that I am the editor she wants to work with. <\/p>\n
A couple of weeks ago, a woman contacted me after reading an article I wrote two years ago. She had some questions and ended up purchasing my book The Right Way to Write, Publish and Sell Your Book. She also hired me to do a manuscript evaluation.<\/p>\n
I gentleman I met at a book festival last year contacted me recently ready to have his manuscript edited. He also ordered a copy of The Right Way to Write, Publish and Sell Your Book and the Author\u2019s Workbook.<\/p>\n
It may seem as though you\u2019re blowing in the wind with your promotional attempts. But, just because you don\u2019t receive immediate feedback, doesn\u2019t mean your efforts are going unnoticed. Hang in there. First, make sure that you have a viable product. This is your job prior to producing your book. Then promote, promote, promote. <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
I\u2019m still traveling and am posting blogs only when I get a chance. Hey, any of you who are still suffering in the heat and who want to cool off, Alaska is the place to be. Their summers are like our winters in California Brrr. Don\u2019t you sometimes feel as though you are all alone […]<\/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