The dream of many authors (and would be authors) is to write a book that will be featured on Oprah’s book club. Dream on because for 99.9% of authors this will forever remain a dream.
There are a few reasons for this with the top one being most authors never do anything to gain visibility for their books. Or, they send a copy to one or two media outlets and wait and wait and wait.
The reality is you, the author, must be incredibly proactive in your book marketing. You need to develop a long-term strategy on how you will reach readers.
According to John Kremer, world renowned book marketing expert and author of 1001 Ways to Market Your Books, most authors will never sell more than $100 worth of books in the life time of the book.
The primary reason for this is they do no marketing… period. They live with the illusion they will get discovered. The fact is, to get discovered, you must be visible.
You Are the Main Marketer
First, you MUST accept responsibility for 100% of the marketing and promotions of your book. Even when a publisher indicates they will do promotions on your book, what this usually means is one or two media releases and maybe, just maybe, an email out to their subscriber list.
This is not going to get you much traction at all. You absolutely must be consistent and proactive in getting the word out about your book.
Marketing Plan
Create a marketing and promotions plan. Your plan needs to include a time line, social media marketing, interviews, media releases, book signings, virtual book tour, in person book tour and speaking opportunities.
My memoir is in the first round of editing. The goal is to have a formal book launch no later than 1^st Quarter 2018. This gives me several months to get interviews lined up, set up my virtual book tour, prepare my subscribers for the release of the book, and lay the foundation for social media. My goal is to leave no stone unturned for promotions. This means I will be doing a lot of foundational work between now and the launch of my book.
Goodreads Giveaway
A great way to build anticipation for the release of your book is with a Goodreads Giveaway. Any author, anywhere in the world, can join the Goodreads Author Program for free. It’s simple to set up and builds excitement with your readers. To learn more go to https://www.goodreads.com/author/program
Amazon Success
It’s essential to set up your Amazon page with a great book description, carefully selected categories and a rock solid Author Page.
The bottom line is this; you absolutely must take control of the success of your book. The more involved you are in the marketing, even if you have a support team in place to do the detail work, the more likely you will sell lots of books.
To learn more about marketing your book, check out my Masterclass – Get Your Book to #1 www.powerupforprofits.com/numberone