My guest this week is Marcia Rosen, who's offering some advice about marketing our books. Marcia writes the "Dying to Be Beautiful Mystery" series as M. Glenda Rosen. I haven't read her books yet, but I hope to soon. They sound fascinating. Welcome, Marcia!
MARKETING
YOUR BOOK(S)
What’s
Best For You?
As
authors, we are inundated with marketing options and opportunities to sell our
books. Many are not worth the time or money. Sometimes it feels like we’re
being asked to sell our souls in order to sell our books. That’s never a good idea!
Book
marketing strategies are an ever-changing challenge for authors, with
traditional options available such as book signings to today’s endless array of
social media offerings.
It
is most helpful to have a marketing plan, your personal roadmap, for promoting
and selling your books. To reach a wide and diverse audience, most traditional
and self-publishers will agree: You need
to market your book.
No
matter how wonderful, interesting and compelling your book might be, you still
have to let the reading world know it exists!
It would be difficult and costly to
pursue all of the marketing options available to you, especially since new ones
appear practically daily. The choices should depend on what you may be willing
to do from the perspective of time, energy and costs. Select ones you consider
the most practical, plausible and affordable for you.
Ask
others, trust your own instincts while valuing others’ experiences.
Branding yourself as an
author—highlighting the types of books you write—can help you increase book
sales. Create a campaign message and write a synopsis of your book tailored for
marketing and PR activities in order to create buzz about your book.
Book Marketing Tips
Determine your goals and vision
Know your reader markets
Be as specific as possible
Know what options and opportunities
are available
Be organized: Keep an ongoing calendar
Plan ahead
Promote your next book prior to
publication, especially if the book is part of a series
Be flexible: Add new ideas as your
marketing campaign progresses
Keep track of your actions and
responses
Note best and worse marketing actions
Avoid expensive actions with proven
little response
Be cautious: Ask other writers what
works for them
Attend one or two writers’ conferences
a year
Ask people to review your book on
Amazon, Barnes and Noble, and Goodreads
Be willing to ask for help and support
For
list of suggested resources email: MarciagRosen@gmail.com
Marcia Rosen
Thank you for some sound advice, Marcia. I hope you'll return soon!
CLICK HERE to visit Marja McGraw's website
CLICK HERE for a quick trip to Amazon.com
