| As a newly published author, marketing your book | | | | putting all your eggs in one basket. At the same |
| can feel overwhelming. The possibilities are endless | | | | time, if the results seem to be worthwhile, |
| and you have so much to learn including how to | | | | spending money to get those results is always |
| build a website and drive traffic to it, setting up | | | | permissible and encouraged. |
| book signings, getting your books in stores, going | | | | - How will I know if this activity is successful? |
| on blog tours, getting book reviews, social | | | | Consider using SMART goals to decide whether |
| networking, interviews, and the list goes on and | | | | an activity is worthwhile. Will this way of |
| on. No one can do everything that is possible to | | | | marketing your book have SMART (Specific, |
| market a book, especially an author with a limited | | | | Measurable, Achievable, Realistic, and |
| budget. Here are a few simple tips for creating a | | | | Time-Sensitive) results? |
| realistic and manageable marketing plan for your | | | | Once you have created a priority list of marketing |
| book. | | | | ideas, time-management becomes important. You |
| For starters, make sure from the beginning you | | | | may only want to start with the first five or ten |
| do the essential things: | | | | on your list and figure out how you will accomplish |
| - Have a website. | | | | them. We all have limited time. If you have a day |
| - Make sure your book is in stores, including online. | | | | job, a family, other activities and obligations, make |
| Then, in talking to people and carrying out your | | | | yourself a time-schedule for marketing. For |
| marketing plans, always remember: | | | | example, you know Monday evenings you will be |
| - Be approachable, friendly, and professional to | | | | tired from working and the kids have soccer, so |
| everyone. | | | | maybe you decide not to do any marketing on |
| - Say yes to every opportunity or invitation you | | | | that day, but then you promise yourself that |
| receive if it is possible and reasonable. If you can't | | | | Tuesday and Thursday you will mail out at least |
| say, "Yes" politely say "No." | | | | five postcards to bookstores, libraries or other |
| - Do not spend money without a fair idea that | | | | places that will help you sell books. On Wednesday |
| the results will be worthwhile. | | | | evenings and Saturday mornings you will focus on |
| - Have fun and believe in your book. Enthusiasm | | | | marketing your book on social networking sites |
| sells books. | | | | like MySpace and Facebook. On Sunday |
| Now brainstorm for marketing ideas compatible | | | | afternoon, you will do another activity that works |
| with your book's audience and your personality. | | | | for you. Of course, life will intervene and try to |
| Make a list of everything possible from passing | | | | get you away from your schedule, but having a |
| out business cards to hiring a plane to skywrite | | | | schedule will make you more inclined to stick to it. |
| your book's title. Don't let any idea slip away no | | | | Reassess your progress monthly. If you only |
| matter how cheesy or outlandish it might seem. | | | | reassess every six months or once a year, you'll |
| Write ideas down until you have fifty or more. If | | | | forget to reassess. If something is paying off for |
| you get stuck, plenty of marketing books exist to | | | | you, keep doing it, and consider doing more of it. |
| help you come up with ideas. | | | | If something isn't paying off, then quit doing it, or |
| Prioritize your ideas from easiest to most difficult. | | | | do less of it. |
| In defining "easy" and "difficult," consider: | | | | Consider how things that are working can be |
| - How comfortable do I feel doing this activity? | | | | done more efficiently. Maybe you started off |
| For example, if you own a plane, skywriting may | | | | making your own brochures on your ink-jet |
| not seem as difficult as speaking in front of an | | | | printer, but it's time-consuming to print and fold |
| audience. I give you permission to do what feels | | | | them by hand and fight with the printer smearing |
| comfortable to you. You can't do everything so | | | | or running out of ink. You know the brochures are |
| get your feet wet doing what you will enjoy | | | | helping you to sell books, so keep using them, but |
| doing, then you can stretch your boundaries | | | | budget your money so you can afford to have |
| slowly. | | | | someone else print them for you. That way they |
| - How much time is required for this activity and | | | | will still work for you, and the money you spend |
| do I have that kind of time? For example, if you | | | | will be made up for because you have more time |
| work 9-5, you may not be able to do activities | | | | to work on driving traffic to your website or |
| that require your presence during the business | | | | writing a speech for an event. In short, use your |
| day so put those toward the bottom of the list | | | | time wisely. |
| and focus on activities you can do in the evening, | | | | As you sell more books, you'll find out what |
| on weekends, and at your convenience. | | | | works and doesn't work for you. Just keep at it. |
| - How expensive will this activity be and does it fit | | | | Don't get discouraged. Try new things. |
| into my marketing budget? If something will cost | | | | Remember, the definition of insanity is doing the |
| you $500 and you only have $1,000 for your | | | | same thing over and over and thinking you'll get |
| marketing budget, you might not want to spend | | | | different results, but at the same time, if it isn't |
| half your budget on one activity-similar to not | | | | broke, don't fix it. |