Does it sometimes seems that you are out there all alone with your book—that no one else really cares about it? You’re partly right. No one cares about it as much as you do. And that’s why you are the best and most effective person to promote it.
But doesn’t it sometimes seem as though you spend a lot of time for little return? You promote, promote, promote and your effort doesn’t compute into the return you expect. Making a sale is like pulling a tooth from an angry lion or gorilla. Sure, I sometimes question the effort I put in. We all do.
But I have to tell you that, if you are effectively promoting your book, if you are constantly spreading the word and getting tons of publicity, you are making an impression. And I can tell you this—if you stop promoting, your book will die.
Often, we don’t know which publicity tactics are working for us. It used to be that you could provide a code in your return address when advertising or promoting and, when you got a book order, you could tell from the code how the customer heard about your book. Today, it seems that most people order their books from Amazon or another favorite online or downtown bookstore and there is no way to know which of your publicity efforts are most effective.
Most of you know that I am the executive director of SPAWN (Small Publishers, Artists and Writers Network). While I’m out promoting my books, I also promote SPAWN at my presentations/workshops, at book festivals, in my blog, in my bio when I’m guest blogger and at the end of my articles. We have a section on our membership form asking “How did you hear about us?” And we’ve learned that our promotion is effective. People do hold onto the promo material we hand out at events. They follow recommendations in the books they read (generally my books). They pay attention to my bio.
While some new members find us by doing an Internet search, it seems that the majority are responding to our strategic publicity.
Remember this message. If you want to connect with and attract your audience, you must go where they are, interact with them, make sure they walk away with something either through an article, book or blog or, when in person, a handout. If you are addressing your true audience with your promotional material, publicity, spiel, they will respond. If not now, later.
Learn more about using your personality to promote your book by reading my latest book, “Talk Up Your Book, How to Sell Your Book Through Public Speaking, Interviews, Signings, Festivals, Conferences and More.” It’s at amazon.com and most other online and downtown bookstores. In print, on kindle and now audio. Planning a road trip? Buy the audio version and learn as you drive.