Advertising and Marketing have been around forever. Some of it works really well, some of it goes unnoticed. And what works well for one product, may not do anything for another.
I get asked a lot about what I do to market my books. Unfortunately, there is no easy answer, but I thought I could write down some of the things I believe have worked for me. Then I can simply direct people to this page and get back to watching Game of Thrones.
Take a minute to look at this checklist. If
you can’t answer YES to all of the items, then you probably aren't ready to market
your book, and should go back and complete these things before you read on:
1.
I have a completed manuscript
2.
I have read and revised my
manuscript more than 25 times (seriously, by the time you’re ready to publish
it, you should hate it)
3.
I have hired a professional
editor and/or copy editor (someone other than your child who’s a
high-school sophomore. I believe that English is their favorite subject, but trust me
on this one. You get what you pay for)
4.
I have professionally designed
cover art for my book (see #3 above regarding your children. Yes, even the one who
knows Photoshop)
5.
I have a professionally formatted
file for all those crazy eBook readers
6.
I know my genre
7.
I am somewhat familiar with
Amazon and how they sell books (tags, reviews, rankings, pricing, etc)
8.
I have purchased a book by Dina Silver
Alrighty, there are probably more things that
you need to do, but I’m sure you’ve done your research and are just looking for
some free advice (see #8 above).
First of all, I care about making money. Some people say
they’re really only concerned with finding an audience or getting their work
out there, and while those are also two goals of mine - I still care about the
money. Why? Because if I don’t care about the money, then my husband will
expect me to get a real job and cook dinner for him. Those who know me well
know that I get hives walking down grocery store isles, so in order for me to
live hive free and out of the kitchen…I need to make money as a writer.
Be a Brand:
Marketing 101. You should view yourself and
your books as a brand. Are you like Apple? Are you like Nike? Are you like
Abercrombie &Fitch? Whatever you decide you want to ‘look’ like should be
consistent throughout your platform. You might not be as big and well known as Apple, but you can certainly
emulate what they do and apply it to any level of branding. For example, use consistent fonts, have
your webpage reflect your Facebook page, choose imagery that is unique to you and represents what
you’re trying to convey to readers. Ideally have all of your books covers
visually relatable. When you line your books up on a shelf, people should be
able to immediately know that the same person wrote all of them. That they all
fall under the same brand.
Know your Genre:
I mentioned this above, because it’s critical
in marketing your book and will define your target audience. I don’t go after
mystery readers, because they aren’t going be interested my contemporary
romance offerings. There's a reason Pampers doesn’t advertise during televised UFC cage fighting
tournaments.
Social Media:
I’ve said this before…YES, it’s a must. Get
on Facebook and Twitter and Goodreads and surround yourself with likeminded
people. Follow and friend other authors you admire and other people who are
adept at social media and appear to be doing it well. People want to get to
know you and what you’re about. They don’t want to see you posting ‘buy my
book’ messages all day long. Those are fine (and crucial) when appropriate, but
the more people get to know you and like you, the more apt they’ll be to buy
your book without you ever having to ask them.
Start with a good price:
I’ve talked a lot about price, and have found
that the sweet spot for debut indie authors is $2.99 or $3.99. Buyers are
swayed by low prices as much as they are by high prices. If a book is priced to
low, they may assume it’s crappy and not worth their time. Perceived value,
people. Perceived value. Don't sell yourself short on money or pride.
Book Bloggers and Blog Tours:
I have a 22 page spread sheet that I compiled
two weeks before my first book was published. It contains every book blogger
that I could find within my genre (or similar genres). I spent months reaching out to them with a personalized email
asking if they would be interested in reading and reviewing my book. My email
was short and succinct, and included a brief summary and a cover image. Some
said no, most said yes. Some said they couldn’t get to it for 8 months, but
that was still fine with me. There are some bloggers who have more influence
than others, simply b/c they’ve been at it longer, and have built a ton of
followers. That doesn’t mean you should ignore the start-ups though. As far as
I’m concerned, ANYONE who’s interested in reading and reviewing my books on
their blog is welcome. I've had that attitude from day one. I don’t make
bloggers prove anything to me other than that they have a blog.
Blog tours are a great thing, because you get
someone doing the legwork for you. A tour host will promote your book and your
tour, and organize everything for you. All you have to do is send copies out to
the bloggers. Make sure you use a reputable person...and one within your genre.
Book Clubs:
I love talking at book clubs, and did a ton of them when I published my first book. I asked everyone I knew if they had a book club, and if they didn't, they knew someone who did. What's better than a room full of people (and complimentary wine) telling you what they thought of your book!?
Reviews:
I’ve talked a lot on my blog about reviews,
so I’ll be brief. They matter. And anytime someone reaches out to you and said
they read and enjoyed your book, you should kindly ask them to leave a review
for it on Amazon. They may not do it (and you shouldn’t ask twice), but 3 out of
5 people will and you’ll be glad you asked.
Paid Promotions:
These are a tough thing. The good news is
that many of the ones I’ve come across are not very expensive, but you still
want them to be effective. I have placed an ad on Goodreads, which was
affordable, but not effective. I have placed an ad on Facebook, which I believe
could have been more effective if I’d spent more money. There are bigger sites,
such as Ereader News Today and Pixel of Ink that offer paid marketing opportunities
and they both have a huge number of followers. These promos sell out fast, and
sometimes are only available a year in advance. I sold close to 700 books in
ONE DAY through a promo with Ereader News Today that I did last January. Those
are by no means guaranteed results, but you have a better chance of an increase
in sales if the site you’re paying has a large audience of avid readers.
Stay Active:
You need to be actively promoting your book
for as long as you want people to buy it. Stay current on social media and what
is going on in the industry.
Stay Cyber Focused:
As an indie author, your best shot at reaching the most people will be from online eBook sales. Don't waste time trying to get your local book store to carry two copies of your paperback on consignment. That's not where you'll find your success.
Cross Promote:
One of the best things you can do is to forge
relationships with other authors who are willing to cross promote. I have
always been ridiculously supportive of other indie authors because
if they’re doing well, then I could be doing well. We’re all on the same team
so help your teammates! You shouldn’t view other books as you competition per
se. Readers don’t just buy one book.
By partnering with other authors, you can get
your book in front of their fans and vice versa. It’s a great way to reach a
new audience. The indie community is an awesome one. Very welcoming, very
supportive and very effective in moving mountains in this industry.
So if you’re a new author, and many of my blog readers are, let me say
this:
Follow your dreams!
Now let me translate that for you:
Don’t stop working your ass off to get what you want.
Be relentless when it comes to believing in yourself.
Be encouraged when you see your peers doing well. If they can do it,
so can you.
Work hard to write a decent book, and then work ten times harder to
promote it.
Follow your dreams, but don’t be a dreamer. Be a worker!
