by Cindy R. Williams
I had the opportunity to attend LDStorymakers Writers Conference last Friday and Saturday. I learned lots, of course, but, one thing hit home big time, How To Market Your Book. Most of us know that even if you publish with a big house, the more you do to promote your book the better.
Sheralyn Pratt, a marketing guru, taught Creating Your Marketing Web. She projected images of spiders' webs with the lead lines from the center to the outside as things to do.
Picture each of the following tools written around the spokes of the spider web:
Blogging about your book.
Website - This is your official site of all things _________ (fill in your name).
Facebook - Make sure your Facebook site points to your website. You also can do a "like" page about you and your book.
Twitter - peer to peer marketing. Don't just send a mass email saying "Hey everybody, buy my book." Instead, link up to other authors and people interested in the topic of your book.
Book Signings
Book Reviews in the newspaper and on book review blogging sites
Speaking and teaching engagements
Pratt went on to tell us about three book campaigns she ran. I was stunned as she told us how one of the books went from selling 20- 30 books a week to 500 plus.
Luck has nothing to do with it. It's all hard work. On one campaign, she gave the author marching orders to do five things toward marketing her own book each day. They can be big things such as doing a radio interview or small things like posting a few sentence on your blog or Facebook. The point is to do something every day and you will create a buzz for your book.
I will post more information from the writers conference on my next blogs. I post every other Saturday.
See you then.
I like castles. Thank you for the marketing information, I hope to need it someday.
ReplyDeleteDon't forget school visits. =D I know Brandon Mull and Brandon Sanderson used to do tons of them.
ReplyDeleteThere's so much competition out there authors are having to do much more in the marketing area. And with self publishing it's even worse, since the author is the only one doing the marketing. But it can be done. If you're dedicated and willing to do a LOT of work.
It is all about the marketing. I have seen that with Aprilynne's books. Harper Collins went all out to promote the first one and the results were amazing. the second one, they kind of didn't do so much in the way of marketing...at least compared to the first one. This third book they are doing more and Wings hit #9 on the NYT's series list. Go promo's!
ReplyDeletebtw...I enjoyed your post. thank you for the reminder!
ReplyDeleteI'm big on castles myself. As for marketing myself hmmm can I pay someone to actually do that for me?
ReplyDeleteYes Terri, you can pay others to market for you. The lady I quote in this blog, is one. She is amazing. I hope to hire her myself someday, and I am a marketing guru with a degree in public relations. Donna, you are right about school visits. I have done 26 of them myself and sold 450 books at one elementary alone. They are bread and butter, but oh so very time consuming. I do love being with the children. I have also found that your school visits are only as successful as the librarian/media specialist. If she/he doesn't hype you, the sells are bismal. If they value visiting authors, your sales reflect that also.
ReplyDeleteGO CASTLES!
Kari, you are always here supporting us on this blog. THANK YOU! Tell Aprilynn congrats!!! It was so lovely to see you in Utah a few weeks ago.
ReplyDeleteHey Susan, another castle enthusiast. I have the New Shwanstein castle in a huge tapestry in my formal front room and a real Knight in Shining (albeit dusty) armor standing next to it.
ReplyDelete