Yesterday, I responded to a few questions posed by a SPAWN member and one of the things I told him is, “Successful book promotion means just doing more of the same things that have worked in the past and trying new things on to see if they work.”
I thought about this statement and realized that it’s probably something that many authors don’t think of. Some of us are still trying to find the magic that will catapult our marvelous books into instant success.
Here’s your lesson for today. If you are an author with a book in hand, reevaluate your marketing strategies. Which activities have resulted in book sales? Which have not? Is there a reason why some of them didn’t work out well? Did it rain at the book festival you signed up for? Did you schedule your book signing on the nicest Saturday of the year when everyone wanted to be outdoors? Did you neglect to do any publicity for your signing? Do your blogging efforts seem to be useless? Could it be because you are not backing up your blog with publicity? Are you reluctant to go out and speak to groups? Have you neglected to seek out book reviews?
Book promotion requires a whole lot more from you than just a blast of promotion out the chute. And the sooner you understand this and embrace this truth, the more success you will experience.
Of course, my “prediction” depends on the value of the product you are promoting. So if you are in the writing or research stages of your project, this is the time to start thinking about promotion. Is there an audience for your book? Where are they and what sort of promotional efforts will they respond to? This is the time to think like a businessperson—not an emotionally attached author.
In either case, this may be the right time for you to read Promote Your Book, Over 250 Proven, Low-Cost Tips and Techniques for the Enterprising Author. It’s available at amazon.com in print, Kindle and audio and at most online and downtown bookstores. You can also order it through my website: http://www.matilijapress.com/PromoteYourBook.html