Today, I want to share my thoughts on book promotion and the author. I think we\u2019ve had things backwards for quite a while. We say, \u201cWrite the book and then figure out how to promote it.\u201d We started getting it closer to right when we began suggesting, \u201cBuild your author\u2019s platform while you\u2019re writing your book.\u201d Now I believe that we should advise authors to start preparing for the huge task of marketing their books even before they think about writing it. And it doesn\u2019t seem as though a marketing background is qualification enough. <\/p>\n
I have met authors with marketing backgrounds who don\u2019t have a clue about what to do when it comes to promoting their books. What does a marketing background actually mean? That you write ads for a company; that you sell on commission; that you work with a team to promote insurance policies, gumball machine franchises or kitty litter or that you lead a sales force for a large corporation. But do you know how to promote a book?<\/p>\n
I maintain that, in order to enter into the fiercely competitive publishing field, an author really should start studying the market even before she decides to produce a book. She needs to know what book promotion entails, which activities will work best for her particular book and what she has to offer toward these endeavors. She should evaluate her skills and aptitudes related to book promotion and start honing those that are weak. If she chooses NOT to try sharpening her skills or learn new ones she can use in promoting her book, she ought to reconsider her project. <\/p>\n
From where I sit\u2014as the Executive Director of SPAWN (Small Publishers, Artists and Writers Network), a frequent speaker at writers\u2019 conferences, authors\u2019 consultant and so forth\u2014I see a lot of failure among authors. This is not my assessment, because I believe that failure and success are subjective. What one author considers success, another might view as failure. Let\u2019s say that I meet many authors whose book projects do not bring them the rewards (monetary and otherwise) that they expected. And the reason always boils down to one of two things: Most of the time it is because the author fell down on the job of marketing his book. Sometimes this is due to ignorance\u2014the author did not explore his\/her options and did not understand their responsibilities. Other times it is because the author chose not to pursue tasks involved in promotion because it made him\/her uncomfortable. <\/p>\n
The second reason for failure is usually tied into the fact that the book was not a good idea in the first place (which is why the book proposal is vital in the process of producing a book). And there are also cases where the author is trying to market to the wrong audience. If you recognize yourself in this statement, be sure to order your copy of my ebook: The Author\u2019s Repair Ki<\/em>t TODAY! http:\/\/www.matilijapress.com\/author_repairkit.html<\/a> <\/p>\n So, my message today is for all hopeful authors at any stage of their publishing pursuit. Stop the forward motion on your book and get your ducks in a row in the marketing department. \u2022\tEvaluate your transferable skills<\/p>\n \u2022\tStart improving those you have and adopt new ones.<\/p>\n \u2022\tBegin planning your marketing strategy NOW and in detail. Membership in SPAWN<\/strong> http:\/\/www.spawn.org<\/a> Brian Jud\u2019s Marketing Matters Newsletter<\/em><\/strong> Penny Sansevieri\u2019s A Marketing Expert Newsletter<\/strong>
\n\u2022\tStudy book marketing. What does it actually entail? <\/p>\n
\nResources that will help:<\/p>\n
\nThe Right Way to Write, Publish and Sell Your Book<\/em><\/strong> by Patricia Fry
\n http:\/\/www.matilijapress.com\/rightway.html<\/a> <\/p>\n
\n(Subscribe to the free enewsletter and get a free ebook on book marketing.)
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\nBook Marketing Newsletter<\/strong><\/em> by Fran Silverman
\n http:\/\/www.bookmarketingnewsletter.com<\/a> <\/p>\n
\n http:\/\/www.bookmarketingworks.com<\/a> <\/p>\n
\n http:\/\/www.amarketingexpert.com<\/a> <\/p>\n