Marketing with What You’ve Got
Learning to Use Technology to Jumpstart Your Book’s Success
By Michele Howe
Becoming active on social media websites such as Facebook, Twitter, and LinkedIn can quickly render an author feeling overwhelmed, defeated, and somewhat hopeless. Why is this? Simply, it’s the age-old trap of making comparisons. One author’s speaking/writing/publishing platform compared to the next; one author’s sales numbers compared to the next, or one author’s three signed book contracts compared to the next (or more specifically, to yours). As soon as any of us begins to make comparisons, we’ve made the biggest mistake ever. Our job, our personal mission, is to write and work and market according to our best ability and in line with God’s plan for us alone.
Easier said than done, I know. After a brief period of lamenting all that I couldn’t do (or didn’t have the resources to utilize), I started looking at FaceBook/blogging/enewsletters/websites from a different angle. Once I did, it changed everything. Instead of focusing on what I lacked in comparison to bigger name authors, I decided to watch and learn. Every day, I make it a habit to quickly peruse the sites I’m part of and see what’s being done right (and what’s not) and then I make notes on both. Next to my keyboard, I have an ongoing list of “things to try” and as I have time, I implement, evaluate, and then depending on how effective my efforts are, I either discard or add to my continuing marketing plan.
In the past months, I’ve learned a lot since I’ve been active online “socially” and there’s some simple principles that I believe any author can begin applying to extend their reach, strengthen their relational ties with fellow writers/editors/media professionals, and capitalize on their unique gifts/talents/voices. Read on to discover some lessons I learned and to avoid the mistakes I made.
- Develop a Personal Marketing Foundation
I admit to be resistant to getting involved in all these social media sites at first, primarily because of time constraints. I couldn’t see the value of moving from site to site every day just to check my status (or others), but once I learned more about how effective being active online was, I was convinced it was worth my time and the initial time investment of setting up each account and then linking them to one another. For me, it was certainly a learn as I go endeavor, but one that has paid off for me on countless levels. - Daily Habits to Incorporate
Every day you should discipline yourself to take the same basic steps. Choose what works best for you and do it over and again so that it works like clockwork. I like to run through this list mentally and I find that over time, I don’t even have to think about what I’m doing, it becomes automatic and efficient. Of course, every writer should design their own daily to-do marketing list, but below is mine.
The Essentials
Facebook -- First, I set up my Facebook account for sharing and updating primarily work related information with family/friends/colleagues/readers and anyone interested in my writing/reviewing/books. Second, I added a “fan page” for my new book project; Burdens Do a Body Good. Here, I posted all current book information/media exposure/quotes from the book/quotes from the book’s endorsers/reviews and anything remotely related to this specific project. One of the strong positives about Facebook is that you can be as open or as selective about information you share and with whom you share it with.
Twitter – This is a simple device to open and use. It’s important to link this marketing tool with others, such as Facebook. Your “tweets” are very short, pithy updates that alert your followers of what you’re up to at the moment.
Linked In – A good place for your business profile and to continue building and connecting with others in your field.
Blog – I use WordPress.com, it’s free, it’s pretty straightforward to get started, and they have excellent customer care when you’re setting up a blog for the first time. This is also your “home base” to situate any/all your work related information and the place to post new work with images and links that will draw readers to your other resources.
Add-ons
Website – If you can afford to hire someone to build and design a high-quality website, go for it. If you can’t, then opting for a blog is better than presenting a shabby looking second-class site that truly is people’s first introduction to you as a writing professional.
Enewsletters - Here’s another great marketing tool, but you’ll have to pay for a quality looking template and ongoing distribution service. Not absolutely necessary, but an excellent way to consistently remind readers of what’s happening in and around your current work.
Using the Resources You Have Today
Below is a list of assets available to any writer and they’re all free. Peruse the list below and prioritize which elements you want to incorporate first into an ongoing marketing plan. Once you’ve set up the basic foundation above, you’re ready to begin moving forward with various other tools. Decide which ones you’re comfortable with and focus on that first, then over time, build one and then another and another.
Time – One negative aspect of social marketing is that there’s always more that can be done. I quickly found out that working online could eat up my entire day if I allowed it. After getting my accounts set up, I then allotted a certain amount of time per day for social marketing. Once I used my time for the day, I went on to my other work such as reading/reviewing/writing.
Experience – Tap into your own personal areas of strength, interest, and talents. Use these to make your blog/FB page/tweets unique to you. As a reviewer for various trade magazines, I decided to begin my own A Reviewer Reads…column for my blog where I choose the books I want to read/review. I combined my skill and experience as a reviewer to create an outlet where I can publicly support those authors/books I want to get behind and promote. It’s a win-win proposition for me and for the authors whose work I review.
Free journalists enews requests – Two of the many reporter request daily enews updates are HARO (Help a Reporter Out) and Steve Harrison’s Reporter Connection. These are “callouts” from reporters across the country looking for specific experts and/or specific information from professionals. The key to getting good responses from journalists is to respond quickly and never off-topic. In other words, only pitch yourself (as an expert) or your information in answer to the reporter’s exact specifications.
Columns – With the demise of many print magazines, there has been an influx of opportunities to write columns for online magazines. While not many online magazines pay much (or anything), you gain both experience and ongoing exposure.
Articles – Whether you are a book author or a magazine writer, articles that mesh with your specialty is a must. You can write fresh material or use excerpts from your book as jumping out points for new copy. Always view a piece as being adaptable to several markets and pitch it that way.
Reviewing – Reading and reviewing books for pay (or for free) is yet another method for gaining experience/exposure/goodwill with editors. Use a market guide such as Sally Stuart’s Christians Writer’s Market Guide as a resource to locate those publications in need of reviewers. I began reviewing over twenty years ago for a local Toledo magazine and worked my way up to the national trade magazines.
Pitch to the Web – Since my book has just been released, I compiled a list of key search phrases such as: women’s health, women and aging, women aging strong, and every day I type in one of these types of descriptive phrases and do a search. Then, I send out a brief email blurb on my book information and content description to the top ten sites inviting them to request an excerpt or a related article.
Friends/Family/Colleagues – Never underestimate the goodwill of those who care about you and want to help promote your work. Never assume your loved ones have a clue about the publishing business either, because most do not. Don’t be shy about asking for help in spreading the word about your book by passing out a business cards/attending a book signing event/or even reviewing your book and posting online positive comments on bookseller’s sites.
Radio/TV – Do web searches for local/state/national radio/TV programming that fits your specifically and pitch them your book and the story behind it. I find hosts are particularly interested in the story behind the book and I make sure to include that information at the top of every promo letter I write. YouTube – If you have a professionally executed short video (or a book trailer) make sure you post it on this site with all the appropriate tags so viewers will find you easily when doing a search on a particular topic.
Check your sites – Every morning, I do a brief check on my main sites (FB, Linked In, blog, journalist enews requests, and two email accounts). I quickly answer emails/requests/queries, then move on.
Promote all current work regularly – I keep that ongoing (and always changing) marketing list next to my computer and give it a brief read every day to make sure I’m on time/on target with any upcoming book deadlines.
Always think cross marketing – No matter what I’m reading, I’m constantly thinking of how I can cross-market my work. When I receive notice that an article is “live,” I immediately post it on FB that then updates to Twitter and I link to my blog.
Help someone out – Almost everyday on FB, some other writer will ask for help and I offer that help when I can. Often when perusing the journalists callouts for information, I’ll see something another writer can speak to better than I can and I pass that request on to them immediately. This is the most gratifying part of social marketing to me, that of making friends and building strong relationships.
Keep tabs on what’s effective and what’s not – As I look down my marketing list, I can quickly identify those areas that are not working for me. When I write to a number of editors but get no response, that’s the clue I need to change my approach. If I target a market I’m not sure is close enough to my area of expertise and I get a terrific response, it encourages me to keep pressing farther in that direction. The key is to put your efforts into what’s working and discard what isn’t.
Be willing to try new things – Refuse to say no to a new opportunity without giving it ample thought and consideration. Don’t see the obstacles, see the possibilities. I’m never excited about doing a radio interview until I’m doing one. Afterwards, I’m always, always grateful for the opportunity and the experience because it gives me the chance to grow as a speaker and to solidify what I believe in words.
Look ahead – Just when I think I’ve exhausted all I can do to market my work, I think some more. Here are some specific angles that get me jumpstarted when I’m fresh out of ideas. Think local. Think state. Think national. Think online. Think in print. Think in person.
Michele Howe’s newest book is Burdens Do a Body Good: Meeting Life’s Challenges with Strength and Soul, released by Hendrickson Publishers in May. Her previous book with Hendrickson is Going It Alone: Meeting the Challenges of Being a Single Mom.
