Book Marketing
Unfortunately, books are now a major field of business. Gone are the days when literature was created purely for aesthetic purpose and for the sake of art. It has now been overtaken by entrepreneurs and executives who put a price tag on every page. Sadly, despite the quality of the novel and the intricacy of its plot, a book will not sell if it is not marketed. Which means that writers and their precious creative minds now have to be subjected to the smelly business of the trade. You may also see marketing styles.
But marketing also has its advantages. The better marketed a book is, the more informed the public will be about its existence, which means that it will have a bigger chance of being read and it will have a much larger audience. This will also define the success of a book. The more copies sold, the more the book is read, the more successful it is considered to be. So, of course, publicity is now every writer’s dream and it can only be achieved through a series of collaborative steps that ultimately make up marketing. You may also see marketing checklists.
Book Marketing Sheet
Marketing Plan Checklist
Sample Marketing Plan
Marketing is, needless to say, hard work. It will need consistent action, organization, and careful planning. It will take more than simply swinging an author’s name into a group of people and waiting for them to get curious enough to ask about him. The main goal of marketing, in any field, is to create relationships, as many as possible, and to establish a name. Which means that it won’t do to wait for a crowd to come swarming around a book. Instead, necessary lengths should be taken to make them flock.
How to Effectively Market a Book
Despite the disinterestedness that an altruistically artistic writer may feel toward advertising, it is important that he commit to it for the sake of his book. And although writing is a uniquely individual job, marketing it is more than what one man can handle. An author will have to engage with a crowd and a team to make the endeavor successful. And even that may not be enough. You may also see marketing reports.
As mentioned earlier, marketing is hard work, and there are more than a hundred things that an author and his marketing team will have to accomplish to be successful. However, here are a few tips and steps that are a sure way of helping you get on top of the marketing ladder:
Book Marketing Tip
Book Cover Marketing Example
1. Survey your target audience.
Similar to basically everything that involves a goal, marketing will also need you to get to know just what you are up against. For you to sell a book, you need to decide who you are going to sell it to. Marketing to the whole world will cost you a lot of money, time, energy, and resources that you cannot spare. And all that effort won’t even be enough to assure you that your book is going to be successful. The trick to marketing is concentrating on a specific crowd or a definite age bracket depending on the themes of your book. For example, you are trying to sell a coming-of-age novel. Of course, you would target teenagers. Parents or young adults may also be a part of the mix, but your main efforts should be focused on kids aging between 14 to 18 years old. There’s no point in marketing to people three times that age since they would no longer be interested in the theme. This marketing strategy is much more concentrated, which means that it has a bigger chance of producing positive results.
2. Give your book a makeover.
It is unbelievable how much consumers refer to a book’s graphic design to be convinced to buy it, so think hard before you slap random colors and pictures on it. A book’s cover design is also a marketing strategy. It is best to leave this part of the book to a professional to make sure that the final product is impressive enough to help you boost your sales. A book’s cover design is important especially when you are writing a series or a trilogy. You should maintain consistency in your book’s branding, not only because the entire set will look much better with this, but also because an undeviating style can help a reader realize that the books are connected and subsequent which can encourage him to buy the succeeding books. Thus, the power of graphic marketing. You may also see marketing flowcharts.
3. Relaunch a book with a new cover design.
In connection to the previous tip, relaunching a book is also an effective marketing technique. Say you’ve published your book a year ago and the crowds, the fans, and hopefully not but possibly, your sales have quieted already. All the excitement and noise that your first book launch has created is now nothing more but distant past. Relaunching a book will give you a good excuse to get rowdy again. You are simply reintroducing the same book but with different graphic cover on the front. You only have to redesign your book and, viola, you have another marketing opportunity. This gives you the chance to invite new readers to read your book, and to encourage those who already have to purchase the new one. You may also see marketing trends.
4. Create an engaging elevator pitch.
An elevator pitch should be concise yet persuasive. It should be straight to the point, yet enough to tickle the curiosity of an audience. This 1-minute speech should introduce the book to the crowd and convince them of a fascinating world and interesting characters that they will meet if they read the book. An elevator pitch, irregardless of how short it is, can make the difference between a reader choosing whether or not to buy the book. You may also see brand marketing.
5. Optimize your book description.
Since you have already managed the arduous task of writing a book, why not finish the task with an interesting synopsis? One of the main things about a book that readers will look at, aside from the graphics and the price, is the synopsis. That solitary paragraph at the back of a book, trying to condense all the drama together while leaving enough questions to haunt the prospective buyer, can work wonders. If you present your book in a way that can pique the fascination of an audience, then your book already has buyers. You may also see marketing campaign examples
6. Up your socializing game.
Being a writer nowadays is a lot like being a celebrity. And, like celebrities, you should welcome and encourage the spotlight being on you because this can only reap good results for your book’s popularity. Being simply seen by the public is already an effective marketing strategy. Attend as many event as you can. Book reading and book signing events are not a thing of the past, and don’t ever let anyone tell you otherwise. Arranging one, even by collaborating with other writers, can help spread the word about you and your work. You can also choose to arrange a more social event where you and your readers can spend a couple of hours talking about your book. Anything that can make you get out there and talk to other people about your book is already a marketing strategy.
Digital Marketing Plan Template
Book Marketing Graphics
Using the Internet as a Leverage
An author must not depend solely on a publishing company or a marketing team to do all the tasks for him. He must also work to spread the word. An effective, modernized way to do this is, of course, to ask the help of social media. It seems as if nobody can market absolutely anything better than the Internet can. An author can use this to his advantage. You may also see effective marketing.
1. Create a website.
Relying on an account for every social media platform available is not going to be enough. Creating a website is an integral part of online marketing. It will serve as a stable place where you can meet your readers and offer beverage to your adoring fans. A website is where you can truly be personal with the supporters of your book. You may also see marketing plans
You can also design and curate every detail in your website depending on your preference. You also get to have full control of the site—a privilege you will not be normally given in social media platforms. You can be absolutely crazy with the things that you post on your website. There are no limitations. Here are a few ideas that you can do on your website:
eBook Marketing Tips
Book Market Example
Write an interesting bio.
You can give your fans a few important details about you and your life. This way, they can get to know you better. The longer you stay in the business, the more you will realize that your fans and supporters are like your extended families. So don’t be afraid to be personal and intimate with them. You can introduce a little more of yourself through your website. Through it, you can also market yourself. A lot of people make the mistake of disregarding the importance of selling yourself along with the product, but don’t overlook the importance of this marketing strategy. If people like you, they have a higher chance of reading your book. You may also see email marketing.
Create an advertisement for your book.
Aside from introducing yourself, your website can also serve as your personal store. Since your main purpose for creating a website is to have a safe place where you can talk about your book, do exactly that! Advertise your book to the followers of your website. Why limit yourself to fancy marketing methods when you have this option free of charge? It would also be more accessible for the followers of your website if, aside from reading your book advertisements, they can also purchase a copy from your site. You may also see marketing presentations.
Engage with your audience by hosting contents they can join in.
The contest doesn’t have to be fancy, anything simple as long as it makes your audience participate is enough. For example, you can host a contest where your fans can submit merchandise designs for your book. This can make your audience get involved which will make them continue to support your website, plus, you will have a merchandise design without having to hire a professional! Two birds!
Create blogs on your website.
This will keep you from running out of things to say in your site. And by updating the content regularly, your readers will have an added reason to check out your website just as frequently. Writing blogs also gives you the chance to impress readers with your writing skills, and amaze them with your unique perspective. You may also see marketing agreements.
Write an advice column.
This can keep your followers coming back for more of your site. You can invite aspiring authors to ask for useful tidbits they can use for their own bestseller, or you can encourage the general public to ask you questions relating to your book’s theme. This can make your website more than just a marketing attempt. It is now a safe place for you and your beloved readers. You may also see Internet marketing.
Book Marketing Don’ts
Book Marketing Design
Important Things to Remember about Book Marketing
The author is the most important part of the marketing strategy. He is the face of the team, and the way he interacts with his audience and readers will reverberate the loudest in the minds of the crowd. The author himself should be genuine when engaging with his fans. His very personality should make the audience want to read his book. This is the most important part of book marketing. People will decide to read the book if they like the first impressions they see. And the most prominent first impression is the way the author relates to his audience. You may also see marketing brief examples.
It is also important to remember that even if an author reaches out to a traditional publisher to help him with the launch of his book, the company can only do so much to help him. After an estimated 6 to 8 weeks of campaigning and being on the front line of the publisher’s promotional attempts, an author will be left to fend for himself. True, the publishing house will probably pitch the book for a seasonal advertisement depending on the book’s themes and main topics (like a valentine read for a love story, or a Mother’s Day recommendation for a familial drama), but the rest of the work will be done by the author. You may also see relationship marketing.
Thinking of book writing as a business may take the artistic quality it contains. So, to preserve the essence of the experience for you, think of it this way: you are marketing your book because you have a message you want the world to read. And the more people who read it, the bigger your chances are of making a difference. This concept can make you want to market better and more effectively, because you have a purpose bigger than awards and sales. You may also see Instagram marketing.
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