Book Marketing for Writers

Dec 7
10:50

2009

Alana Johnson

Alana Johnson

  • Share this article on Facebook
  • Share this article on Twitter
  • Share this article on Linkedin

Book marketing efforts can be categorized by three levels of exposure; local, online and regional/national/global. Here are ideas that can be used on each level to help increase your book sales.

mediaimage

Book marketing efforts can be incredible stressful for writers.  After all,Book Marketing for Writers  Articles you did all the hard work already.  You wrote the book, you probably found a literary agent and then you got it published.  You’re a story teller, not a marketing professional.  Well, I’ve got news for you, if you want to receive those big royalty checks that might have inspired you to write that book; you will need to become a marketing professional.  Why would you take the book this far only to stop at such a pivotal point?  This is where the book publishing process gets interesting.  This is now a test of your skills to see your dream to the end.  There are three efforts I suggest you focus on when creating your book marketing plan.

  • Local Efforts – Reaching people in your home town or city will be easier than you think and it will get you in front of them to build your credentials.
  • Online Efforts – The internet is a vast marketplace with countless ways of marketing your book to readers you won’t be able to reach on a personal level.
  • Regional/National/Global Efforts – Taking your book to readers outside of your element will increase book sales beyond your imagination.

Local efforts can include posting a flier at your neighborhood grocery store or attending a city fair and distributing business cards.  At this level you are placing yourself in front of your reader and allowing them to see you are a person, as one of them.  You would be surprised at the sense of pride someone takes when they know that you, as an author are from their neck of the woods.  Come to think of it, don’t you take pride in telling people you are a writer?  Let every outing from your home be an opportunity to mingle and spread the word about your book.

Your online efforts take your book sales to the next level because it spans far outside of your local reach.  An online book campaign when created properly can increase your book sales.  Using something like viral marketing, will multiply your efforts and in turn multiply your books sales.  Viral marketing is the process in which you duplicate your advertising by using a system that will then duplicate itself.  For example, an email can be forwarded to hundreds, thousands and even millions of people.  That is the simplest form of viral marketing.  It is one unique method that is then passed on to others who also passes it on and so on and so on.

Regional, national and global efforts can take cheap and simple book marketing ideas to another level.  If you have a big budget you can accomplish a lot at this level.  For the common newly published author the cheaper the techniques, the better.  On a regional level, find out about advertising that covers your area.  I live in Connecticut and the terms most often associated with this region of the United States are New England, East Coast and Tri-State area.  My local cable stations will advertise businesses as far as New Jersey.  New Jersey, New York, Connecticut and even Massachusetts are all within driving distance from where I live.  This is an advantage for connecting with people, events and promotion events.  Nationally you will be able to promote your book through channels that strive to advertise to the entire country.  Such channels include television, radio and magazines.  Finally, if you want to market your book on a global level, the internet will be your best bet.  If allows you to sell books in your sleep.  Isn’t that a nice dream?