Are you spreading the word about your book using all manner of promotion? Or have you found one that works so well, you’re spending all of your time with it? Either scenario could be the right one for you and for your book.
I generally advise authors to go out and speak, write articles (or stories) for many publications and websites, manage an active Facebook page, post at Twitter, get book reviews, build a great website, send out press releases to appropriate newspapers and other publications, blog regularly, participate in book festivals, do book signings and so forth.
Sometimes an author will discover a goldmine of sales through one or two of the tactics they pursue. In this case, the author should aggressively continue with these activities.
Sometimes it’s nearly impossible to tell which of your efforts is bringing in the sales. If sales are good, you can continue pursuing all of your promotional activities. Or you could slow down on some of them—pouring your energies into just one or two in order to discover which ones are working best.
Just know that no matter what kind of book you publish, if you want to make money or even just break even, you will have to promote it. It will be absolutely necessary to go where your prospective audience is and tell them about your book, whether you do this in person, via the Internet or using the printed page.
In most cases, you’ll also need to explain why they should purchase your book—what benefits will the reader receive from reading your book?
When can you stop promoting your book? I’m afraid the answer is, when you’re ready to let it die. Sure, there are a few exceptions. My local history book, “The Ojai Valley, An Illustrated History,” kept selling steadily over the years through local bookstores, at the museum gift shop and from my website, even after I stopped aggressively promoting it. But it would have sold two or three times the number if I’d continued to go out and speak before civic groups, if I’d pushed for interviews on local radio more often, if I’d requested to be interviewed for additional newspapers throughout the county (maybe state), for example. In my case, I simply made that book available locally while focusing my efforts on books for authors.
I’m Patricia Fry and the following books were compiled from my 40 years in the writing/publishing industry, my experiences as president and now executive director of SPAWN (Small Publishers, Artists and Writers Network) these past 17 years and my observances and experiences working with other authors at writers’ conferences and workshops for 25 years, not to mention tons of research!
Publish Your Book
Promote Your Book
Talk Up Your Book
All available at Amazon.com in print, Kindle and audio and at most other online and downtown bookstores.
Have you made your guess as to the blogging milestone I’m approaching? There are prizes involved. Check the list out in the January 18, 2014 post. This contest ends January 24, 2014.