If there’s one single thing every author – traditional or independent – has in common, it’s that you are UNIQUE! In our work with hundreds of authors over the past two years, we’ve not heard a single story or book idea or take on an issue that wasn’t uniquely wrought; that’s what makes you each special and viable.
Which means your author marketing is going to be unique as well. Sorry to break this to you, but there simply is no ONE way to market a book these days (or, duh, everyone would be doing that one thing).
The tricky part of course is to figure out those ten or twelve things that will make a difference to YOUR unique audience to share YOUR unique words. It’s not a sprint, it’s a marathon, and working several angles in concert with each other will produce a real symphony…
We challenge each of you to give us your list of ten or twelve “must-dos” that you’ve done (or plan to do) to market your own work. Here’s twelve of our own clients’ tried-and-true methods to get you started:
- Build your audience and list with your website’s blog
- Engage your fans with newsletter (even if it’s just to let them know about your most recent blog post) to build that valuable email list
- Offer list incentives, such as a bookmark or excerpt, for folks to sign up to follow you
- Relentlessly build your fan base on Facebook, Twitter and Google+.
- Engage (in a meaningful way) with appropriate LinkedIn, Facebook and Goodreeads groups.
- Make sure your Amazon author page and Goodreads author page are picking up your Twitter and blog feeds
- Conduct a Goodreads giveaway
- Regularly contact new book reviewers and book clubs via our Winner Circle
- Suggest a signing or book party (you and/or you with other authors) at a bookstore
- Tie-in with a local charity event to promote your books and serve a greater cause
- Consider advertising (you’d be surprised how reasonable it can be and the results it yields) with some of the better reader discoverability sites who email book specials to a wide list of your potential readers
- Engage with reader sites, offer up guest blog posts to grow your own fan base
Speaking of Twelve: Just Twelve Days Left…
If you couldn’t be at this year’s PubSmart, videos of the 2014 PubSmart: Emerging Authors, Emerging Avenues, are available for sale at a special package price of just $129.95 with our $20 off sponsor code #Sponsor14VT — but only until July 15, 2014.
The PubSmart conference videos include TWENTY sessions/events in all, featuring over FIFTY faculty members discussing today’s critical issues for emerging authors.
What’s Included!
Two Keynotes:
- Breakfast Keynote by Jane Friedman
- Lunch Keynote with Hugh Howey
FIVE Masterclass Sessions:
- Setting Yourself Up for Success at PubSmart
- IBPA’s Mini Publishing University
- Know Your Rights
- Distribution Deep Dive
- Social Savvy & Media Mastery
TWELVE Regular Sessions
- Who Is the Editor You Need
- PubSmart: Which Publishing Option is Smartest for YOU?
- Acquisitions Editors: What’s the Next Big Read?
- Foundations of a Bestseller
- Authorpreneurship: From Cost-Planning to Funding to Reinvestment
- Literary Agents
- Distribution Basics
- Powerful Branding: You, Your Book, Your Brand
- Discoverability in a Digital Age
- How to Approach Booksellers and Libraries
- Ask a Publicist
- Cultivating Influencers: Reviewers and Book Clubs
PLUS, a pop-up INTERVIEW with Hugh Howey by Porter Anderson!
This collection will only be available until July 15, 2014, so don’t delay; you can order online now and immediately begin benefitting from the hours of publishing industry insights! (Writers groups – grab one and share the screenings with your group and some popcorn!)
To order, visit PubSmartCon.com. Once completing your purchase you’ll receive an email with login details. You can watch/download all your PubSmart conference videos at your convenience, but only until July 15, 2014
What Attendees Have to Say!
“With panels of experts in every area of the publishing spectrum, including Jane Friedman, CJ Lyons, and Hugh Howey, we heard from the best of the best when it came to communication, branding, marketing, working with agents and publicists and the many support options available today. No stone was left unturned.” – Patricia Sands
“Some great suggestions from really brilliant people, stemming from a truly innovative conference with what I’m sure is a very bright future!” – Ross Browne, The Editorial Dept.
“I could go on about the many returns on my PubSmart investment, but I’ll focus on this: what did the conference creators accomplish? They leveled the playing field. They dared to introduce a new authorpreneurship conference model, one never done before…”– Leona DeRosa Bodie
“I went to the conference to get a better handle on how (and where) I fit in the scheme of the writing world; however I came away with so much more.” – Rachel James
“I found honest discussion of traditional vs self publishing, aids to authors from expert to newbie, and lots of professionals willing to talk about books and how to get them prepared, printed, and distributed in places readers will actually be able to find them.” – Peg Herring