Would you rather go for a root canal at the dentist? Or schedule a colonoscopy? How about avoid the author elephant in the room—book marketing? Get over it. The most common phrase out of too many authors is: I can’t market my books. Or, I don’t want to market my books. I just want to write. Get over it.
You have to market your books—your product. Oh please, get over your resistance. The reality is, YES … you can! You, the fabulous book writer that you are can be an outrageous Ninja Book Marketer. To be a successful author … you must transition from the CWO—Chief Marketing Officer to the CMO—Chief Marketing Officer. Yes, you can.
Here’s why:
1. If you can write, you CAN market.The definition of marketing is: the action or business of promoting and selling products or services.So …. What are you doing when you write? Aren’t you promoting your ideas via storytelling or how to fix or solve something? Yes, you are … and Hello … that’s marketing.
2. The Internet was built for YOU and is your best marketing friend. Designed for the introvert—the Internet can take you places that you would need a bottomless credit card to get to. Use it. Find your crowd. Connect with it. And it’s FREE! You already have a head start—you know how to write.
3. Think of Book Marketing as a numbers game.Work in the areas in which you feel most comfortable, whether that’s Facebook or Twitter or Goodreads, LinkedIn, Instagram, Pinterest—what? It’s not that you have a zillion connections—what you want is “like-mined” connections.
Then, choose a number. Any number—but make it reasonable—this number is the number you will shoot for to make new connections each day on your social media platform of choice—is it 5, 7, 20, 40 … what?
Most authors got caught up in the HUGE factor—everything they must do is off the charts—it doesn’t have to be. Try it step by step; one connection at a time; and the word—meaning you—goes out.
Using the right social media channels and building on them will do wonders for you and your book. And these connections may turn into your SuperFans. Please, get over your book marketing resistance … yes, you CAN! And that’s Ninja Marketing Tip #1.
Over the next week weeks, I’ll be sharing additional marketing tips with you. Remember … YES YOU CAN … be a successful author book marketing, a certified CMO.
Judith Briles is a book publishing expert and coach. She empowers authors and is the Founder of AuthorU.org, a membership organization created for the serious author who wants to be seriously successful. She’s been writing about and conducting workshops on publishing since the ’80s. Judith is the author of 35 books including Author YOU: Creating and Building Your Author and Book Platforms (Foreword IndieFab Book of the Year), Snappy Sassy Salty: Wise Words for Authors and Writers and a speaker at publishing conferences. Book #35 was published in 2016: How to Avoid 101 Book Publishing Blunders, Bloopers & Boo-Boos. Get your copy now.
Each summer, she holds Judith Briles Book Publishing Unplugged, a three-day intensive limited to a small group of authors who want to be seriously successful. In 2017, the dates are June 22-24th. Her audio and workbook series, Creating Your Book and Author Platform is now available. Join Judith live on Thursdays at 6 p.m. EST for “AuthorU-Your Guide to Book Publishing” on the Toginet Network at bit.ly/PublishingShow.
Follow @AuthorU and @MyBookShepherd on Twitter and do a “Like” at AuthorU, and join the Facebook group Book Publishing with The Book Shepherd. If you want to create a book that has no regrets, contact Judith at Judith@Briles.com.
Author U is a non-profit membership organization dedicated to the author who wants to be seriously successful. Monthly education programs delivered face-to-face and online, The Author Resource ezine, BookCamps, and the annual Author U Extravaganza are tools designed for authors pre-, during and post-publishing of their books. Join AuthorU.org today.
If you are looking for FREE author and book coaching … call in to Judith’s Author Monday Mornings at NOON Eastern each Monday if you are an AuthorU.org GOLD member.