The Savvy Book Marketer

A Gig at The Huffington Post

Today's guest post by Judith Newton is part of the virtual tour for her new book, Tasting Home: Coming of Age in the Kitchen. Judith shares how her book promotion journey improved her writing and led to a hugely successful appearance on the popular Huffington Post.

A Gig at The Huffington Post: How Promotion, Platform Building and Social Media Made Me a Better Writer

In my former life as a professor, I was unfamiliar with the word “platform” except as it referred to principles, a flat raised horizontal surface, or possibly a trendy shoe. Six months after I retired, I began to think about writing a memoir, and in March of 2009 I took a class with the express purpose of learning how not to write like an academic.  Trained to do research, I began to read books and articles about writing and publishing for a general audience. I learned more about self-promotion, “platforms,” and social media than I ever expected, or wanted, to know. I had never sent a query, posted a blog, used Twitter, visited GoodReads or heard of Pinterest, and had only joined Facebook to keep track of my daughter’s life. 

As I wrote the memoir, however, I began to think that maybe it could be published and, even more, that perhaps it should be. I began to feel I owed it to the book and to myself to make the attempt. Thus began my head long dive into self-promotion, platform building and social media. In the late summer of 2012, having finished a respectable draft, I read and downloaded dozens of articles on writing queries.  I hired a consultant to help me craft a proposal that would  promote me and make my work look good, and I proceeded to query four or five agents in New York.

Some wrote back to say they couldn’t “place” the book. Others, apparently out of the country, never answered the email. I stopped writing to New York. But drafting the queries and  the proposal had not been a waste of time. The proposal, especially, which had required chapter summaries and a comparison of my book with comparable titles, had clarified what the book was really about. I revised the book accordingly.

Next, I hired a West Coast agent for a consultation. She liked the idea of the story, a food memoir that was also a love story about a marriage between a straight woman and a gay man, and she suggested that I write a piece based on the romance and send it to the editor of a Sunday column in The New York Times. I completed the piece and sent it to the editor who wrote back politely that “we have decided not to use it.” Nonetheless, I had distilled the essence of the romance in my book and saw its trajectory more clearly. More revisions followed.

3 Joys of Book Promotion

I often hear authors say that they would rather be writing than promoting their book. But of course if you want to sell any books, you'll have to promote them! In today's guest post, author Ellen Cassedy shares some terrific insight on how authors can embrace book promotion.

3 Joys of Book Promotion

If you like to write, book promotion can be a joy, not a chore. 

Why?  Think about it.   

Writing a book is about proudly having your say, joining in the conversation, being heard.  

It means expressing in words who you are, what you think, how you feel, what you imagine – and sharing all that with other people. 

Isn’t that exactly what promoting a book is all about, too? 

So if you say you love writing but book promotion is not for you, I sympathize – to a point.  But I don’t agree.    

Here are three ways I’ve found to take joy in book promotion: 

Start before you publish.  Long before I found a publisher, I sought out opportunities to be heard about my journey into Jewish Lithuania, past, present, and future.  I gave talks at synagogues, libraries, and Jewish cultural centers.  I wrote articles for newspapers and magazines.  These opportunities were energizing and inspiring.  They gave me a chance to test out the best ways to communicate what I had to say – which helped me write a better book.

Target your “super fans.”  In the run-up to publication, I made a list of the people I most wanted to read the book.  My list included not only people I knew (family, friends, mentors, people who’d read drafts) but also people I didn’t know –writers and thinkers I admired; scholars in the fields of Holocaust studies, European and Jewish history; tolerance leaders and public officials.  The first book promotion task I gave myself was to inform these people about the book.  Reaching out in this way felt as important as writing the book in the first place.

Embrace the challenge.  My book promotion plan requires me to communicate my “message” in lots of different ways.  I have to – or, as I see it, I get to – write articles, op-ed pieces, guest blogs, website copy, press releases, e-mail blasts, Facebook messages, and tweets.  I have to – that is, I get to – craft book talks and conference presentations, give interviews, and succinctly describe my book to people I run into. All of which involves solving problems, finding the right words, expressing myself to the best of my ability.  Just like…writing a book.

About the Author

Ellen Cassedy’s book, We Are Here: Memories of the Lithuanian Holocaust (University of Nebraska Press, 2012), begins with her personal journey into the old Jewish heartland and expands into a larger exploration.  See her Tips for Writers at www.ellencassedy.com.

Learn How to Sell More Books!

While some of the same book marketing strategies apply to all types of books, there are some real differences in the most effective ways to promote children's books, novels, and nonfiction books.

To help you learn exactly how to promote the type of book that YOU write, I've developed three new author training programs:

How to Sell More Novels - Thursday, January 3

How to Sell More Nonfiction Books - Tuesday, January 8

How to Sell More Children's Books - Thursday, January 10

Each of these programs includes a 90-minute webinar, plus my information-packed resource guide featuring dozens of links to the websites, tools and how-to articles that you need to sell more books. Don't worry if you aren't available for the live webinar presentation – you'll get links to audio and video replays the following day.

Click any of the links above to get complete details, and get started on your way to selling more books!

Using the Before, During, and After Technique to Market Your Book

In today's guest post, book publishing and marketing expert Lynne Klippel shares her terrific advice for developing a book marketing plan.

Using the Before, During, and After Technique to Market Your Book

One of the biggest challenges facing every writer is knowing how and when to market her book.  Many new authors mistakenly wait too long to start marketing, thinking they can deal with the marketing after the book writing and publishing is completed.

That’s understandable.  Few of us have taken classes in how to become a successful author, so we simply don’t know what we don’t know.

In my ten years of publishing and working with authors, I’ve discovered that the best book marketing comes from a solid written marketing plan.  Here’s an exercise that will help you create a marketing plan for your book.

Grab a piece of paper and turn it lengthwise, or create a new document on your computer in landscape orientation.  Draw three columns and label them ‘Before, During and After’.

In the Before column, brainstorm all the things a potential reader needs to know before they decide to buy your book.  Consider things like:

• When the book is available
• Where it can be purchased
• Who you are
• What you offer
• Why the topic is important
• How the information is unique and fresh

Overcome Roadblocks to Successful Book Sales

by Dana Lynn Smith

Many authors consider book marketing a necessary evil – they would rather be writing! But of course it's essential to promote your book if you want to actually sell it.

Here are five common roadblocks to successful book sales: 

• Starting too late – Ideally, your marketing journey should begin the minute you decide to write a book. You want to consider whether there's a viable market for the book and also tailor the book to meet the needs of a specific audience. But wherever you are in your publishing journey, NOW is the time to get serious about marketing your book.

• Inertia – You can overcome inertia by setting goals and taking positive action each day to meet those goals.

• Lack of direction – Many authors just aren't sure how to promote a book or how to prioritize the numerous tasks involved in book promotion. Lots of authors feel overwhelmed or jump from one activity to another without any clear plan. A good book marketing plan gives you a blueprint for promoting your book.

• Lack of knowledge – Marketing requires a different still set from writing a book. Many authors have no background in marketing and they need to learn new skills. There are numerous books, blogs, podcasts, teleseminars and other resources available to authors. Many resources are free, but it's a good idea to invest in training in the areas you most need to learn about.

13 Ways to Find New Readers for Your Books

In today's guest post, Laura Pepper Wu discusses 13 ways to generate publicity and find new customers. These tips are excerpted from her book, 77 Ways to Find New Readers for Your Self-Published Book.  

1. Guest post on other non-writing/ author sites. Try lifestyle blogs, specific interest bloggers and other sites that your ideal readers may well spend time on.

2. Blog, blog, blog. Stick to a few topics that somehow relate to your book or book’s target audience and create content regularly and consistently that will engage and interest these potential readers.

3. Change your Amazon pen name (e.g. Laura Pepper becomes “Wedding-book Author Laura Pepper” or “Wedding expert”) and write reviews on similar books. Browsers on Amazon may well click through to your book. Learn abouto Amazon pen names here.

4. Participate in a GoodReads giveaway (Paperback only). Even those who don’t win will be exposed to your book and may buy it anyway.

5. Try a LibraryThing giveaway (eBooks and paperback).

6. Create lists on Amazon that feature your book – and tie you to other books in your genre/ field. These include Listmania and So You’d Like to… listings.

The Biggest Mistakes Self-Published Authors Make - Part 5

by Dana Lynn Smith

This is the final post in my series discussing five of the biggest mistakes that self-published authors make, along with tips on how to avoid them.

Mistake #5 - Failing to produce a high quality product.

There are more than 300,000 new books published in the U.S. each year (not counting the millions of existing titles that are still available for sale) so each book faces huge competition for readers.

If a book hasn't been properly edited or proofread and the cover looks like you did it yourself, it's not realistic to expect it to stack up favorably against the numerous other choices available to book buyers. It's also difficult to get reviews or the support of influencers who can spread the word about your book. If you want to sell books beyond your circle of family and friends, you'll need to write and produce a quality book.

If your book has already been published in ebook format, it's easy to edit the book file and upload a new cover. Revising printed books can more of a challenge, depending on exactly how the book was published, but you may want to explore your options if you think that improvements can be made. See my Aspiring Authors page for resources.

Are any of the five issues outlined in this article series keeping your book from reaching its full potential? Now is the time take positive steps to give your book a chance to shine!

Read the rest of this article series here:

Part 1

Part 2

Part 3

Part 4

The Biggest Mistakes Self-Published Authors Make - Part 4

by Dana Lynn Smith

Welcome to part four of my series of posts discussing five of the biggest mistakes that self-published authors make, along with tips on how to avoid them.

Mistake #4 - Waiting too late to think about marketing.

When should authors start thinking about marketing? Before they ever write the book!

Understand who you are writing to (your target markets) so that you can tailor the book to meet their needs and wants. How can your book be different or better than existing books or information sources on your topic? How can your novel appeal to the readers of popular genres or authors? What hooks can you put in the storyline of a novel or children's book that will allow you to promote it to niche markets?

Some types of books are more challenging to sell than others. Can you broaden the focus of your book to broaden the appeal, or narrow your focus to a very specific niche?

It's also critical to begin the process of building your expert reputation, social networks, blog followers, and connections with influencers as early as possible. These things take time, and you shouldn't wait until the book is available to start the process.

No matter where you are in the process of writing, publishing or promoting your book, NOW is the time to think about book marketing. To get started, download my free report, Create a Book Marketing Plan That Sells Books. To gain skills in specific book promotion tactics, like getting reviews or selling to libraries, check out my how-to guides and training programs. 

Read the rest of this article series here:

Part 1

Part 2

Part 3

Part 5

The Biggest Mistakes Self-Published Authors Make - Part 3

by Dana Lynn Smith

This is part three of my series of posts discussing five of the biggest mistakes that self-published authors make, along with tips on how to avoid them.

Mistake #3 - Not understanding your target markets.

Just because a book is available for sale, doesn't mean that it will sell many copies. Book sales ultimately come down to this: is there a viable market of people and organizations who are willing to pay money for your book, and can you reach those people?

Most books actually have more than one target market, and it's important to understand who those potential customers are, why they buy books such as yours, and how to find them.

• Who is the primary target market that the book was specifically written for?

• What other readers have an interest in your topic or genre?

• Who would buy a book like yours to give to others?

• Who reaches these target markets and could help to spread the word about your book?

• How can you reach these people?

• What would motivate them to buy your book?

It's also helpful to put yourself in the buyers' shoes: How many books do you buy a month? Where do you hear about those books? How do you decide which books to buy? Why would someone buy your book?

Read the rest of this article series here:

Part 1

Part 2

Part 4

Part 5

The Biggest Mistakes Self-Published Authors Make - Part 2

by Dana Lynn Smith

Welcome to part two of my series of posts discussing five of the biggest mistakes that self-published authors make, along with tips on how to avoid them.

Mistake #2 - Not having a solid, written marketing plan.

Lots of authors tend to jump from one promotional activity to another, without any real plan. They read articles or hear what other authors are doing and try some different things, but they don't have a real strategy for reaching their target markets and persuading them to buy.

You'll find tons of book marketing advice online, but you need to pull it all together into a strategic plan of action to get results. And there's no such thing as a "one-size-fits-all" book marketing plan – you need to tailor your plan to your book, your target audiences, and your own skills, budget and availability.

Download my free report, Create a Book Marketing Plan That Sells Books, to get a better understanding of what goes into a book marketing plan, and check out my Ultimate Book Marketing Plan Workshop for an in-depth look at marketing plan development.

Stay tuned for the next post in this series of The Biggest Mistakes Self-Published Authors Make.

Read the rest of this article series here:

Part 1

Part 3

Part 4

Part 5

The Biggest Mistakes Self-Published Authors Make

by Dana Lynn Smith

Let's face it – writing, publishing and promoting a book is a lot of work. Some authors pour their soul (and sometimes considerable expense) into their books and are disappointed when sales don't materialize as they expect. In this series of posts, I'll be discussing five of the most common mistakes that self-published authors make, along with tips on how to avoid them.

Mistake #1 - Neglecting to learn about the publishing business.

Whether you are writing to share your story or expertise with others, or to earn money, it's important to understand how the publishing business works. Many authors devote a lot of time to writing, but they don't take the time to understand the pros and cons of various publishing options, the financial aspects of publishing, the sales potential of their book, or how to distribute and promote it successfully.

Publishing is a business like any other, and most authors need to learn some new skills. See my Aspiring Authors resource page for links to articles and in-depth books that will help you learn about publishing and equip you to make informed decisions about your books.

Read the rest of this article series here:

Part 2

Part 3

Part 4

Part 5

How Nonfiction Authors Can Build Niche Authority through Content Marketing

Content marketing is one of the very best ways for nonfiction authors to build their expert reputation and generate links to their website. In today's guest post, publishing and marketing expert Judy Cullins shares some terrific tips for using content marketing as a promotional tool.

Are you unsure of how to make yourself and your service well known, liked and trusted? Have you tried social media conversations without getting a bite or sales yet? If you are perplexed as to why what you're doing is not working, there's a reason – maybe several reasons.

My 13 years online have taught me one thing. That books and blog posts are a marriage made in heaven. They have kept my site name ranked #1 on Google for all that time, and brought me a lovely income doing what I love. It took steadily creating fresh content on writing, self-publishing and marketing books and business.

I set up my website so it is a major resource for authors and business people who want their successes "almost" guaranteed. I say "almost" because it's a noisy online world and your success depends on who you trust to get the best information, and taking action on that best advice.

Share your niche savvy know how and build authority in these ways:

1. Be on a mission. What do you want to achieve? And why?

A recent client found her mission during writing her new ebook. We brainstormed and came up with her specialty – assisting mature people to avoid serious falls using Balance, Posture and Exercises. A book is the number one way to define your niche and attract only your targeted audience.

2. Develop your own voice. What's unique about you?

To me, this was a real challenge because I loved all topics and wrote books on health, personal growth and business marketing. My voice didn't evolve until I came up with my central thesis.

"You can write a financially successful book If you make it short, how to, and one that answers your primary audience's concerns."

Too many professionals don't realize they are wordy, stuck in academia language, and tell (lecture) rather than show. These styles don't focus on the audience's needs and wants.

Tis the Season to Plan Book Promotions

by Dana Lynn Smith

We may still be sweltering in summer heat, but now is the time to plan your fall and winter book promotion schedule.

How can your book tie into upcoming events like back to school, Halloween, Thanksgiving, Christmas, Hanukah or the dawning of a new year?

Keep media lead times in mind when planning for book publicity. Daily media like newspapers and blogs have shorter lead times, while monthly magazines may be working six months in advance.

Other possibilities include virtual book tours, social media campaigns, school visits, and discount promotions. If you are doing free ebook promotions through KDP Select, holidays can make great promotional hooks.

So set some goals for what you'd like to accomplish over the next few months, grab a calendar, and start working on timelines and to do lists for your fall and winter book promotions.

To learn more about how to develop a book marketing plan, download my free report, Create a Book Marketing Plan That Sells Books.

Book Promotion Goes High Tech - Promoting With Flash Drives

by Dana Lynn Smith

Several years ago I was writing a travel story about Galveston and the visitor’s bureau gave me a media kit on a flash drive imprinted with the Galveston logo. It was handy to have all of the tourist information and facts about Galveston in one spot for reference, and being handed a flash drive was much more effective than a brochure with a website address.

I thought of that experience when I was offered some free samples (pictured at left) of customized flash drives from USB Memory Direct, and it got me to thinking about how authors and publishers could use these mini storage devices to promote books.

You can order flash drives with varying amounts of memory, but most of them hold an enormous amount of data. That makes them ideal for storing large files and sharing multi-media content. Here are just a few ideas for book promotion materials that can be distributed through flash drives:

• Review copies of books and ebooks
• Book excerpts in written or audio format
• Prequels to forthcoming books
• Complete media kit
• Cover art and author photos
• Personalized audio or video greeting from the author 
• Audio or video clips of media interviews or presentations
• Video book trailers
• Educational videos

Book Promotion Buddies - 5 Ways for Authors to Help Each Other Out

Writing and promoting books can be a lonely endeavor, so it's always great when authors find ways to connect with other authors. In today's guest post, Ellen Cassedy and Sara Mansfield Taber share their experience in supporting each other in promoting their books.

The two of us knew each other from a writers’ group and were drawn to each other’s work from the start.  When we were both assigned the same publication date for our new books, we decided to get together and help each other out.  Here’s what we do:   

1) Strategize. 

Several months before our books hit the shelves (virtual and otherwise), we sat down and drew up a comprehensive promotion plan for each of us.  (The Savvy Book Marketer came in very handy!)  Each plan includes ideas for: a website, a press kit, e-mailings to friends and acquaintances, speaking engagements, use of social media, reviews, awards, blogs and guest blogs, interviews, placing articles and excerpts in publications, outreach to educators, libraries, and book groups, and outreach to special audiences (spies and children of spies for Sara; Jewish and Lithuanian audiences for Ellen; memoir-writers for both of us).

At our kitchen table meetings, which take place every couple of weeks, everything is fair game for brainstorming:  How to organize our desks – folders, baskets, color-coded tabs?  How to sign books – what should we scrawl, beyond “best wishes,” alongside our autographs?  How to handle long-winded questioners at our readings?   How to approach that friend who mentioned she knows a famous reviewer? Is it too soon to nag the blogger who promised an interview?  What’s too aggressive and what’s just assertive? What’s too bashful and what’s appropriately polite?