Marketing is Everything!Marketing is about getting your book into the hands of as many readers as possible and first-time authors now have a major marketing tool at their disposal in the Internet! Cyberspace technology gives you tremendous power to self-distribute your work worldwide, and at very little cost. Even better than setting up your own website, consider setting up a YouTube channel and creating some videos as a key global strategy for marketing your book. YouTube has climbed up to second spot behind Google as a search engine, which makes it a great marketing opportunity! As a writer, however, you might prefer blogging over producing YouTube videos. Blogging is a great way to test your book and to add to your research because it puts you in regular conversation with your readers. Twitter and Facebook offer similar opportunities. Keep in mind that as a writer, all of your writing is important and can create an impression with readers. Keep your editor in the loop with any written promotion you might undertake. Related links to check out: https://ads.youtube.com/keyword_tool http://www.ehow.com/how_4493894_create-youtube-channel.html http://www.howtostartablog.org/ To set up a Facebook account, go to: www.Facebook.com To set up a Twitter account, go to: www.Twitter.com Other marketing tools Your book marketing and publicity strategy should also include getting book reviews, author signings, advertising, fliers, brochures, and even business cards. Of course, you can always try to find a publicist or author’s agent to do these things for you but first-time authors and self-publishers often cannot afford an agent, and good agents are not likely to be interested in an un-proven writer. Business cards, fliers, brochures, and ads Some authors reproduce the cover of their book on one side of their business cards. Others choose to list book titles they are currently promoting. Be creative and original. No one says business cards have to be just black ink on white stock. Design your card to be a mini-ad for your book and its features and give them away lavishly, certainly at all gatherings. Put a few on bulletin boards in public places, and distribute them where your potential readers might gather. You can even leave a card with your tip when you leave a restaurant. When you are being introduced to a new acquaintance, your business card should always be in your hand. At conventions, conferences, and trade shows, exchange business cards with every person you talk to. Fliers and brochures A flier or brochure should be designed as soon as you know all the pertinent details about your book: title, cover, content, author bio, size, number of pages, illustrations, type of binding, ISBN and LC numbers, ordering information, and price. Keep it simple, yet be sure that it has a hook that will grab the attention of your intended audience. Hooks that demand attention are those that address the six basic needs: to feel better, look better, earn more money, save money, save time, and conquer specific fears. Your introductory statement should immediately communicate your book’s ability to meet at least one of these basic needs, or to offer solutions to readers’ frustrations and problems. If you can position your book to address any of these needs, you can get consumers to buy it. Remember, whether you are writing or speaking, you only have a few seconds to grab someone’s attention. Use your most powerful words to motivate and persuade book buyers. Again keep your editor in the loop! The terms “flier” and “brochure” nowadays are often used interchangeably but, basically, a flier is a single sheet with a simple message, while a brochure contains several folded panels and contains more detailed information. Fliers can be one-sided 8.5 by 11-inch, two-sided, or even take the style of a two-fold (three panel) brochure. A flier should fold and fit easily into a No. 10 envelope. This becomes your single most important piece of literature in your marketing campaign. It must answer all the questions that might pop into a prospective buyer’s mind. It both describes the book fully and talks about you, the qualified author, as an expert in your field. Use your endorsements, testimonials, and positive reviews liberally. This is the opportunity for you to toot your own horn. A memorable and productive brochure or flier will continue telling all kinds of book buyers your story after you’ve made initial contact with them. Make sure it demonstrates the most salable qualities of your message and of you as author. For maximum impact, print your flier on eye-catching paper (like fluorescent yellow, orange or green), design it to communicate the point you want to make, and distribute it in places frequented by your target audience. For your brochure you’ll want to select a coloured paper stock with possibly a coloured ink, but don’t get too garish. You want the appearance of quality – a piece that is both attractive and well-produced. Your brochure and your business card should go into everything you mail, including every book you send out. Keep them in your car. Hand them out everywhere you go. They become “pass-a-longs” to others when your readers are asked, “Where can I get a copy of that book?” Another common industry practice is to use your book jacket or book cover to create your promotional brochure. The outside is already colourful and eye-catching, the inside allows you room to print other pertinent details and order information. If you order overruns of the cover when you place your book order, the additional cost is nominal. Some companies print the press release on the back of a copy of the book jacket; others accompany a book jacket with a separate press release mailing. Classified ads Sell the Benefits! The main objective of a classified ad is to pull in inquiries about your book. Your ad should be designed to seek inquiries, not orders. There is not enough room in a small classified ad to give all the details required to secure and service an order. You have a better chance if you just state the title and subtitle succinctly, then offer free information to any potential buyers who want more details. People generally respond, though not in huge numbers, by requesting more information. Ads are a definite challenge to write. In a few brief words, you must grab, challenge, and move the reader to action. Successful ad writers use a proven formula: • Attract attention • Generate interest • Stimulate desire • Call for action As with all writing, you have only a few seconds for your headline to grab the reader’s attention. In strong headlines, the use of power words will emphasize your benefits. If you write an ad, make it compelling. Then invite response and lead the reader to action. It is important that you have your brochure or flier ready when your ad is run. All requests for information should be responded to immediately. The classified ad helps you determine your book’s sales appeal and potential. The quality of the brochure or flier, which you return through the mail, will greatly affect your order rate. Most classified ads by self-publishers are run to build a good mailing list of prospective buyers – not primarily to sell books. Never assume that a classified ad under a certain heading in one publication will automatically pull as well under the same classified heading in another publication. Audience interests differ greatly from one publication to another. Check your competition in the classifieds and make sure you come up with something catchier, attractive, and with considerably more benefits. Trace your inquiries and find out what works best. As a first-book author, you may not be able to afford many (if any) display ads, which can be very expensive; you can spend a lot of money in a hurry with very little returns. Self-promotion guru John Kremer, in his valuable book, 1001 Ways to Market Your Books, says that all it takes is five promotions a day: mail a letter; send out a news release; phone someone; take an editor to lunch; do a phone interview; give a speech; jot down a postcard. It need not require much time – 15 to 20 minutes is enough – but it can make a world of difference in how well your book sells (Page 251). Big name endorsements Getting well-known, credentialed people to review and endorse your book before it goes to press can be golden. At the very least, two endorsements are needed. Make a list of celebrities and key players in your book’s field of interest who might give your book enthusiastic praise. Testimonials, recommendations, and/or endorsements all play a part in your credibility and in giving your book the high-profile “send-off” it needs. When soliciting endorsements before the book has been set to type, you might send out bound copies of the edited manuscript. Be sure to send a cover letter with an explanation, and a SASE to aid in a speedy reply. Your major endorsements need to arrive before the cover copy goes to press. Other endorsements and testimonials may be used later in promotional materials. But it’s not enough to get the endorsements; it’s even more important to determine how to use them for maximum effectiveness. Endorsements may be used on book jackets and on advertising brochures. It’s always a good idea to obtain permission before you use an endorsement. Testimonials and favourable comments from any letters you receive may be used creatively in future media packets and advertising brochures. A marketing to-do list (From Building Your Small Press Presence by Elaine W. Colvin and Gus Henne) • Create marketing plan. • Update your author’s bio. • Write a book synopsis/description. • Write a fact/information sheet. • Compile media lists for book galleys and for press releases. • Compile a list of those to receive review books. • Compile a direct-mail list of friends, relatives, associates etc. • Solicit endorsements. • Write a cover letter to send with galleys. • Design a flier and/or brochure. • Have a professional PR photo taken. • Write a press release. • Run an ad • Decide about hiring a publicist. • Secure a distributor or put a fulfillment plan in place. • Write and submit magazine articles. • Send galley copies. • Send pre-publication announcements. • Design/print extra PR materials: postcards, bookmarks, T-shirts, pens, etc. • Mail review copies. • Schedule media interviews. • Secure speaking engagements. • Plan book-launch party. • Create book-signing opportunities. • Compile endorsement page and review quoting page. • Work on news and feature write-ups for the media. • Contact local newspaper columnists and community newspapers. • Collect samples of other authors’ PR pieces. • Take another self-published author to coffee.
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Cover design is a key part of your marketing strategy.
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