Marketing Tips

The resources that are provided on this website are only a small part of the promoting process; there are some other things you should consider.

Marketing Tips for Authors:

- Create a good product - Create a marketing plan (before your book is in print)

- Set goals for your book - short and long-term - start small...

- Sell your expertise, your hidden talents, or "unique" life story (and use it to promote your books)

- Promoting should be a continual process (which your marketing should reflect)

- Take chances, be innovative

Getting listed on the websites provided in the promotional resource section will increase authors web presence but is still only a small part of online marketing.

-- Focus on website optimization as it is the key to Internet marketing - improving your website ranking on search engines should be a goal for all authors. Chances are the title of your website may not be search friendly.

Promoting your website: Make sure that there are keywords in 3 places: META tags, page title, and contents of your page. Click here for more information.

-- Get your content information on popular related websites and listed with vendors.

-- Your contacts should include both less known "and" major reviewers, literary journals, newspapers, magazines, and other forms of media.

-- Promoting your book should begin before a book is released. Authors are advised to begin lining-up reviews, interviews… before their books are released. I spoke to Chris Anderson who is the editorial assistant to Booklist. After speaking with him by phone he sent me a link with information on how authors can self-market their books to libraries.

Many of the reviewers mentioned on that list including Booklist only provide pre-publication reviews (once your book is out you are no longer qualified for a review). Many libraries nationally look to Booklist and those reviewers mentioned on the list when it comes to buying books. In other words, a good review by them helps your books get into libraries.

It is important for authors to start promoting their books ‘before’ they are published!

-- Query first, before sending out copies of your books. Do not send unsolicited materials unless it is clearly specified in the guidelines of those publications and/or organizations you are submitting to.

--Don't keep doing the same thing expecting different results. If you've tried something six months or a year and it hasn't worked then you may want to consider changing what you've been doing! Sometimes you may have to try a new approach to marketing your book-- whether it is changing the look and presentation of your website, trying a different marketing strategy, getting additional help with your online promoting, improving your writing skills.…

--Book covers help sell books; be sure you get some input on the book covers you choose! You may want to consider sharing your ideas with family and friends prior to having your covers designed.

Here are some useful tips when creating your press releases:

1) Format - the proper format for a press release should be a single page with the contact information in the upper left hand side of the page beginning with the phrase "For Immediate Release".

Example:

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Contact:
Bob Stewart
email address
mailing address
city, state zip
phone number
website (if you have one)

Title of release
Location -- Date -- story begins here.

After the story it's a good idea to repeat the website, email address and phone number for more information.

2) Angle - make sure your tidbit is newsworthy and that you have sent it to the proper outlets.
3) Start with a brief description of the news, then distinguish who announced it, and not the other way around.
4) The first ten words or so are the most important. If they don't catch the reader's interest, he or she will likely not read further.
5) Cut adjectives and jargon as much as possible.
6) Stick to the facts.
7) Followup! Ninety percent of the success of any press release is in the followup.

Darcy Smittenaar
Public Relations

Sample of Media Press Kit.

(Note the following names, number and e-mail are fictitious) Publicity -
Mary Gordon
Publicist, Berkley/NAL Publicity 232.758.9873

mary.gordon@us.penguingroup.com

Literary Representation -
Laura Jennings
Ljjennings@aol.com

Contact Fran:
Fran Bernard
PO BOX 4189
Wheaton, IL 60937

Fran@Franbernard.com

Here are some examples of how to sign your book during a book signing:

"Best Wishes"
"Good Luck"
"To successful (pursuit of your goals - or whatever your book is about)."
"(Live your dream, ...)!"
"To (John) - Enjoy!"
"Keep Reading!"
Crime: "Don't get caught!" or "May your reading never be fatal!"

Sample Press Releases

Other publications may follow similar guidelines for writing and sending a press release. Here are some sample press releases: Click to view sample press releases

4 Simple And Free On-line Marketing Tips For Authors

The onus of marketing a new novel often falls upon the shoulders of authors, especially in the new world of on-line marketing. Fear not, cash strapped artist! This does not have to be an expensive undertaking. Many, many marketing opportunities are free and effective.

Here are www.BookWebWarehouse.com’s top 4;

Marketing Tip #1: Use Your E-mail Signature.

All e-mail providers allow a signature to be attached to e-mails. This signature can be one of your best marketing tactics. Every e-mail you send automatically becomes a marketing event.

What should be in your signature?

Your penname, your e-mail address, your website address, your latest novels and where you can buy them on-line.
Always type out website addresses in full (for example: www.nadiajbrown.com) as many news groups strip out more subtle links.

Marketing Tip #2: Send A Press Release.
There are many on-line press release distributors that are simple and quick to use. http://www.free-press-release.com/, for example, will distribute your announcements globally or regionally for free.

When should you send a press release?

Whenever there is something of note that you feel the press would be interested in. Won an award? Send a press release. Published a book? Send a press release.

Marketing Tip #3: Keep Your Website Updated.
The landing or front page of your website should be all about you, your latest publication, your latest appearances. Keep it updated and fresh so fans visit often.

Don’t have a website?

www.webs.com will give you, as a published author, a web presence for free. The same rules apply. Keep your profile current with links to reviews and interviews.(Note: Websites should be submitted to search engines, Google, Yahoo, etc.)

Marketing Tip #4: Consider Guest Blogging.
Bloggers are constantly on the look out for new content and material. Offer information, interviews and even a guest blog post for free to these new media sources. Bloggers, although often casual in writing style, are no longer small time. Many have thousands of daily readers. Daily readers that could be buying and reading your books.

Following only these 4 marketing tips will increase book sales.

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