The Mysteries and Myths of Book Marketing #1

Things to consider prior to your book marketing campaign. 

You know, being in the fortunate position of working with hundreds of self-published authors as I do, arguably the most asked question is ‘How do I market my book?’ I wish there were an easy answer to this. It would certainly make our lives easier if there was a product or a magic bullet that could take care of this part of the publishing journey for us, but regardless of what BS systems you might see out there on the internet, there is no such thing! The only answer to this dilemma is education.

At the end of the day, you as the self-published (or Indie) author needs to be in full control of your writing/publishing career. This will be the first month when we’ll begin discussing all aspects of the book marketing business from beginning to end. There are endless options out there but it’s important to find the right strategies and tactics for you. The best place for us to start is at the very beginning. It’s an old saying but a goody, ‘Don’t put the cart before the horse’.

Here are a few points you might consider when planning your book marketing campaign:

1. Why am I publishing this book?

2. What are my goals? What am I expecting to achieve?

3. Who will be my target audience?

4. How will I reach them?

Once you know the answers to these questions, you’ll be able to plan and create the right strategies that will suit your needs. But more importantly, you won’t be wasting your hard-earned money on a supposedly super-duper, one-size-fits-all marketing system that will cost you a fortune, and just won’t work. 

So, looking at the list above in more depth. Did you publish this book purely as a labour of love, and just aim to have a few printed copies that you can hand out to family and friends? If so, that’s fine. Your marketing requirements will be minimal if none at all. Self-publishing will cater for you perfectly. Or are you an entrepreneur with a niche message or product who wants to use the book as a vehicle for building your brand? Or perhaps you are a serious novelist who wants to become the next bestseller while remaining in full control? Self-publishing is also the best option for either of these types of writers. And if you fall somewhere in between, that’s perfectly fine too. The only difference will be the levels of effort, strategies, and tactics required to match your intentions, genre, and outcome.

Presuming that you fall under the category of the serious writer who wants to take their career to the next level, here are the steps I suggest you follow, regardless of which genre you write under:

1. Preparation for your marketing campaign

2. Recognising and finding your target audience

3. How to reach your audience

4. How to keep your audience coming back for more

5. How and when to sell your books

The five steps mentioned above might seem somewhat simplistic and maybe even obvious, but believe me, each is a fully loaded essential step required in this order if your marketing campaign is going to be successful.

So, join me next month when we’ll be discussing number one on the list, Preparation for your marketing campaign. It’s a biggie because there’s a lot to do and each step needs to be carried out in the right order at the right time.

Until then, keep an eye out for our next blog, and have a great month.

Write on …
Andy