My best advice to authors is “to fall in love with marketing”.
YES, writing is a joy and provides a unique spiritual journey for most of us (even those writing for money). Then there are those of us who love the opportunity that publishing offers to expand our creative expression think: design, layout, colors, fonts, and white space … so many choices and limitless options abound. And last but not least, there is Marketing which although is usually last it should actually almost be first. A true connection doesn’t happen until the sale (sure you can give books away or ask people to read review copies), but here in the Author Adventure Publishing Posse world I am always looking at Publishing as a BUSINESS. A Profession, not a hobby.
So you need to be thinking about marketing from the very first day you start writing your book. While you are writing be looking at the ways that others are marketing their books. Is there something you particular like. Maybe it is the headline or the copy or the colors and the fonts like I mentioned above. Maybe it is the way the website, flyer, social media post is laid out. Maybe it is the sales process that the author takes you through. Whatever it is –– take note, write it in a marketing journal or start a marketing folder and screen capture those things that catch your eye or keep a copy of if it is a printed piece of material.
All of these ideas will be fodder for your brain when you get to the point of creating your own marketing pieces. Also as I have mentioned before in this community, the brain loves new things and it also appreciates time to wrestle with a problem, project or idea. Your subconscious is at work in the background all the time and you can give it an assignment to be working on while you do other things like continue to write.
So take some time and write down 10 Marketing Strategies that you can use when the time comes to promote and market or better yet sell your book. I promise you that once the cash register starts ringing and you see those sales in your account. You are going to have a lot happier relationship with marketing and selling your book.
Today I received an unexpected deposit for books sold from a platform that I had totally forgotten I had my books listed on. Even though it was only $43.41, I will confess my heart still did a little happy dance!
I will start sharing my best marketing SECRETS next week so be sure to subscribe so you get them in your inbox. Also if you like these articles and you know someone else who might want to receive some professional book publishing advice please share or forward any of our Author Adventure Publishing Posse links
If you have a particular marketing strategy that you would like me to talk more about please post it in the comments or as always email publish@lizlawless.com and I will respond within 24 hours.
Let’s continue this journey together.