Tips for Writers
Marketing at a Minimum
By Jerry D. Simmons | June 11th, 2010 | 1 Comment » (Click to add yours!)
Selling books without a minimum marketing effort will result in poor sales. Here are the basics every author should follow when marketing their book: (1) seek book reviews prior to launch, (2) write a press release announcing the publication and availability of your book for sale distributed to all online outlets, and (3) pitch yourself and your book to local print, radio, television and online for publicity.
Remember the local media is not interested in the fact that you wrote a book, they are interested in one of the following: (1) the story, (2) the author, or (3) the message. They must have an interesting angle in which to promote you as a guest. Figuring out the proper angle can be difficult; however this is the only way to give you the best opportunity for publicity which is what sells books. That angle may be the facts surrounding the writing of your book, or your background as a writer, or even the unique message from your book. The key is figuring out how to find and focus on that angle.
If you want to go beyond the basics and aim a bit higher then consider: (1) sending a free sample of your writing in an email promotion, (2) alert genre specific web site to your book, or (3) create a social networking campaign. The best marketing approach is a combination of all of these parts taking into consideration the category, price, title, format and a variety of other components that go into creating a targeted marketing program.
Marketing is the most difficult part of successful book publishing. A publisher can get everything right and fail due to a poor marketing campaign. It’s so easy to publish in today’s marketplace but extremely difficult to sell books. If you find yourself struggling then consider a professional marketer, someone with experience and publishing knowledge to give you the best chance at becoming a successful author.
Tags: Book Marketing, Book Sales
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Dear Mr. Simmons,
So glad I found your web site. It is answering many of my questions as I begin the process of publishing my book manuscript.
Thank you,
Michael Cyra