What about book marketing?
Did you write a book? Who are you planning to sell your book to? This is the most
critical question you need to answer. Before taking any steps to promote
your book you should be aware of who your target audience is. ‘Everybody’ is
not the correct answer to this question, although it is a common answer. It's all about good book PR.
The
more focused you are on your target audience the easier it will be for you
reach them. After identifying you target audience, you should try to gather as
much data about them as you can. The next step should be to outline your goals
and objectives, determine your budget and implement your strategies. From
there, you can then determine what form your book should take. For example, the
size and weight, number of pages, type of cover, etc.
The best selling books are not necessarily the best books so
it depends on how it was promoted. It used to be a common wisdom that the only
way to become a best selling author was to go through a major publishing house.
However, for many years, many bestsellers have actually been self published and
self promoted. When deciding whether to self publish your book or not, you
should examine the advantages that successful self-publishers seem to have over
their not so fortunate counterparts.
Has your book already been published? You want to make sure
you are going to market with something new. So make sure to do some
research before putting all your effort into selling something that has already
been sold. Your title will be critical in capturing your target audience so
choose it carefully. Similarly, your cover should catch your target audience's
eye. Think of what appeals to that particular demographic.
As writers have a reputation for being sensitive creatures,
it should first of all be noted that those who plan to handle the marketing and
publicity aspects of their book themselves should shed this image and possess
thick hides. While sensitivity is great while writing your book, you have to
alter your approach and become practical when it comes to marketing it. You
should not take any negatives situations that arise personally and should
feel as if all the setbacks are taking you closer to your end goal.
In this age of internet a book that is promoted through the
web gains an added advantage over those which are not. Thus, to promote your
book online, you should first of all have an exclusive website for it. Here you
should display your book’s cover, excerpts, reviews and testimonials on the home
page and provide links to distributors that carry your book. Another way to get
your book noticed is by including it in a books in print database. Several
online bookstores use this database. If you are not building a website for your
book then you can use an email promotion campaign for promoting it. First of
all, you should send a newsletter to your different email contacts. Inform them
about your book and then follow up with a sales letter.
Another way to promote your book online is by creating your
own blog. Having a blog has now become one of the most profitable things on the
web. On your blog you can add the link to your site and depending on the
popularity of your blog it can receive more than one hundred thousand hits a
day.
Price is a major consideration in marketing your book. Be
aware of your target audience's typical disposable income level. This can make
or break successful promotion of your book.
These are some basic tips on how to start thinking about
marketing your book. This is an ongoing process and will require constant
re-evaluation. Become aware of what works for other authors and incorporate
ideas when they make sense. Above all, have fun marketing your book!
About the Author
Sarah Phillips is a Publishing Coordinator at Bookmark Self
Publishing , a revolutionary new company dedicated to help authors achieve the
dream of printing and selling their books.
Find out more at Bookmark Self
Publishing
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