If you have been a published author for more than a few months, you are beginning to understand the scope of your responsibilities as marketing agent. You know now that, in order to sell copies of your book, you must promote it. You now “get” the concept that if no one knows about your book, they won’t be buying it. Right?
So you have built (or plan to build) a website around the theme of your book. You are visible through several social media sites. You have your book at Amazon. You’re seeking reviews and asking people to post them publicly. But what about personal contacts?
Are you going where your audience is? Are you talking about your book wherever you go? Have you even told the folks on your email list about your marvelous book, yet?
You’ve probably heard the term, “elevator speech,” or “30-second pitch.” Every author needs one. By way of explanation, I might say, this is your opportunity to share information about your book—to let people know it exists and to sway them to purchase it.
Here are some tips:
- Prepare an interesting, catchy pitch to share with folks you meet while you’re pursuing your daily activities. This might be at work, during sales meetings, at the coffee shop, in line at the post office, at social gatherings, at the airport, on the subway, etc.
- Listen to potential customers’ questions and comments and adjust your pitch to accommodate them. In other words, talk about aspects of your book that would be of most interest or value to the individual. If I’m talking to a non-cat person who has friends and family with cats, I will focus on the gift aspect of my Klepto Cat Mystery books.
- Be alert to legitimate opportunities to talk about your book, so that your spiel and the timing of it are appropriate and timely. If I see someone wearing a shirt with a cat figure on it or buying cat food at the grocery store, I might start a conversation with them by asking about their cat. Then, where appropriate, I introduce myself as the author of the Klepto Cat Mystery series and hand them a bookmark featuring one of my books.
- If you have trouble formulating an elevator speech or you find it difficult to talk off the cuff, join a Toastmasters Club and participate. You will be amazed and pleased at how quickly and expertly your skills will develop.
- Practice, practice, practice.
Readers today like to have a relationship with the authors they read. The more personable you are and the more enticing your spiel, the more books you will sell, guaranteed.
I’m Patricia Fry. You can learn more about me and my work here:
For addition help, support and education for authors, join SPAWN (Small Publishers, Artists and Writers Network) http://www.spawn.org