New Year Brings New Opportunities for Authors

Happy New Year! As you make your new year’s resolutions, be sure to set some goals and plans for your book marketing in the coming year.

First, think about your goals for your book. Authors define success in many ways, whether it’s sharing their story, inspiring others, earning money, promoting their business, or something else. What does success look like for you?

Then evaluate your past book marketing activities. Which promotional tactics are working best for you? How can you do more of those things?

What activities seem to be sucking up time or money without much return? Think about possible reasons that these activities aren’t working for you. Should you modify your approach, gain more skills, or move on to something that may be more productive?

For ideas on planning your book promotion for the upcoming year, consult this sample book marketing plan outline. To enhance your book promotion skills, check out the Savvy Book Marketer Guides series of ebooks for authors.

For help in developing a budget for the new year, see this book marketing budget article from the December issue of The Savvy Book Marketer Newsletter. If you’d like to see more in-depth articles like this one, be sure to subscribe to the newsletter and get your free Top Book Marketing Tips ebook.

As you think about how you will be promoting your book in the new year, please take a few minutes to share your thoughts in the 2011 Book Promotion Survey. Submit your survey by January 5 and get a chance to win a free Savvy Book Marketing Guide.

One more thing: don't forget to update the copyright date on your blog and website. Having an old copyright makes your site look out of date. If your site has been in existence for several years, use a range of dates such as "Copyright 2008-2011". I list my copyright in the bottom right column of this site.

I wish each of you a happy, healthy and prosperous new year!