When did you first realize that you would have to be the marketing agent for your book? At what point in your book project did you become aware of your responsibility in promoting it? For some authors, it’s not until after publication. You finally hold your much awaited book in your hands and quickly prepare for an onslaught of sales.
Some of you set up your own merchant accounts. Others need only assign a bank account number to accept royalty checks. But where’s the money? You wonder, when will the wealth catch up with you? It’s not until you notice that your books aren’t selling that some of you realize something’s not right.
That’s when you join a writers’ group, search the Internet for even a smidge of professional wisdom, or associate yourself with publishing organizations in hopes of learning where you went wrong.
I’ve been writing and publishing books for nearly forty years—my first one having been accepted by a New York publisher in 1978. I established my own publishing company in 1983 and I currently have 45 books to my credit. I’ve learned a few things along the publishing path. One of them is that no one will buy a book they don’t know exists and it is up to the author to get the word out about their books.
When should an author begin the marketing process? Way before his book is a book. In order to succeed in a fiercely competitive publishing industry, you must understand your responsibilities as a published author early in the process of producing a book. That’s why I (and many of my colleagues) have attempted to reach authors even before they start writing their books in order to educate them as to what’s ahead.
Most authors, however, don’t read articles in writing and publishing-related magazines and ezines before they publish. They avoid getting involved in writing groups. They may not ever attend a writers’ conference, workshop, or lecture on publishing and book marketing. Many of them focus solely on writing their books and keep distractions such as these at bay.
Sadly, this author finds a way to publish his book and there he sits, an author without an audience—no readers in sight—and he wonders why.
If you’re reading this before you’ve published your book, good for you. You have the opportunity to prepare for the challenges ahead. You can start now studying what the publishing industry is all about, your publishing options and your responsibilities as a published author.
The fact is that it is up to the author to promote his or her book. And this responsibility begins with the book idea. Are you writing a book that is needed/wanted by a segment of readers? Is there an audience for your book? Are you writing in a popular genre that is selling? Are you bringing something new to the table with your nonfiction book? Can you actually write well enough to engage readers once they purchase your book? Before you can adequately promote a book, it must be a viable product.
Start today thinking of your book as a product. Identify your audience and keep that audience in mind throughout the writing of the book. Don’t write for you—to please yourself with some fancy prose. Write for a specific readership.
And this is just a start. To be continued in the next post.