{"id":15612,"date":"2017-06-06T17:44:11","date_gmt":"2017-06-06T12:14:11","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/bookbuzzr.com\/blog\/?p=15612"},"modified":"2017-06-06T18:05:16","modified_gmt":"2017-06-06T12:35:16","slug":"6-book-marketing-lessons-for-the-self-published-authors","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/bookbuzzr.com\/blog\/6-book-marketing-lessons-for-the-self-published-authors\/","title":{"rendered":"6 Book Marketing Lessons for the Self-Published Authors"},"content":{"rendered":"<p align=\"justify\"><span style=\"font-family: Cambria,serif;\">If you had a huge publisher standing behind your work, you wouldn\u2019t have to worry about marketing. Well, maybe you would write an occasional social media post now and then, but you would mostly focus on the work itself. When you\u2019re a self-published author, things are different. You have to take care of the marketing part, so you\u2019ll attract more readers your way. <\/span><\/p>\n<p align=\"justify\"><span style=\"font-family: Cambria,serif;\">Don\u2019t perceive this as a downside! Book marketing is fun when you approach it the right way. Plus, it helps you gain important insights: you understand what the audience wants. That\u2019s what makes you a better writer. <\/span><\/p>\n<p align=\"justify\"><span style=\"font-family: Cambria,serif;\">We\u2019ll give you 6 book marketing lessons today! They are easy to understand and even easier to implement them into practice. <\/span><\/p>\n<ol>\n<li>\n<p align=\"justify\"><span style=\"font-family: Cambria,serif;\"><b>Identify Your Goals and Plan Your Launch Around Them<\/b><\/span><\/p>\n<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n<p align=\"justify\"><span style=\"font-family: Cambria,serif;\">Why are you writing this book? Of course you want to share your story with the world. There has to be something more to it. Identify precise goals. Here are two examples:<\/span><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>\n<p align=\"justify\"><span style=\"font-family: Cambria,serif;\">Attract 10k followers on social media<\/span><\/p>\n<\/li>\n<li>\n<p align=\"justify\"><span style=\"font-family: Cambria,serif;\">Make it on the <\/span><span style=\"font-family: Cambria,serif;\"><i>New York Times<\/i><\/span><span style=\"font-family: Cambria,serif;\"> bestseller list<\/span><\/p>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p align=\"justify\"><span style=\"font-family: Cambria,serif;\">If your plan is to attract thousands of followers on social media, then you have to promote the book launch heavily. If you want to make the bestseller list, you\u2019ll have to sell thousands of copies within a specific time, and you\u2019ll have to do it through vendors who report their sales to the <\/span><span style=\"font-family: Cambria,serif;\"><i>New York Times<\/i><\/span><span style=\"font-family: Cambria,serif;\">.<\/span><\/p>\n<p align=\"justify\"><span style=\"font-family: Cambria,serif;\">Your goals will identify the <\/span><a href=\"http:\/\/bookmarketingtools.com\/blog\/how-to-set-clear-goals-and-objectives-for-your-book-launch\/\"><span style=\"color: #1155cc;\"><span style=\"font-family: Cambria,serif;\"><span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\">marketing strategy<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-family: Cambria,serif;\">. Of course, they have to be realistic. Then, you can start a focused campaign and you\u2019ll know exactly where you want it to take you. <\/span><\/p>\n<ol start=\"2\">\n<li>\n<p align=\"justify\"><span style=\"font-family: Cambria,serif;\"><b>Make Connections Before You Need Them<\/b><\/span><\/p>\n<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n<p align=\"justify\"><span style=\"font-family: Cambria,serif;\">Do you have a <\/span><a href=\"http:\/\/alewebsocial.com\/2013\/05\/06\/linkedin-for-authors\/\"><span style=\"color: #1155cc;\"><span style=\"font-family: Cambria,serif;\"><span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\">LinkedIn profile<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-family: Cambria,serif;\">? Have you made connections on Goodreads and other platforms? If not, you should start building your connections as soon as possible. <\/span><\/p>\n<p align=\"justify\"><span style=\"font-family: Cambria,serif;\">You\u2019ll need those contacts once you launch the book. You\u2019ll want influencers to read it and post reviews. If you procrastinate the process of making connections, you won\u2019t have any when you need them. <\/span><\/p>\n<p align=\"justify\"><span style=\"font-family: Cambria,serif;\">Locate the influencers! You can easily do that if you become an active member on Goodreads. Focus on your genre and connect with the readers. You\u2019ll notice that some of them have blogs. <\/span><\/p>\n<p align=\"justify\"><span style=\"font-family: Cambria,serif;\">Speaking of blogs, you should make your own! Start posting content and connect with other bloggers. When they know who you are, they will be happy to promote your book once you get it launched.<\/span><\/p>\n<ol start=\"3\">\n<li>\n<p align=\"justify\"><span style=\"font-family: Cambria,serif;\"><b>Engage the Audience<\/b><\/span><\/p>\n<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n<p align=\"justify\"><span style=\"font-family: Cambria,serif;\">Lillian Moon, a content marketing expert from <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.superiorpapers.com\/\"><span style=\"color: #1155cc;\"><span style=\"font-family: Cambria,serif;\"><span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\">SuperiorPapers<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-family: Cambria,serif;\">, explains that the level of engagement you trigger determines your chances for success: \u201cIf you have a blog, and I hope you do, then allow your audience to take part in the launch. Share few insights and ask them to suggest a concept for the cover. You can turn this into a contest: the best entries will receive free copies of your book before it hits the market. When the audience connects with you, they will be more eager to see what you\u2019ve written.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n<p align=\"justify\"><span style=\"font-family: Cambria,serif;\">Your blog is the best chance to connect with the audience on a deeper level. The comments are more meaningful and you have freedom to write posts that awaken emotions. However, don\u2019t forget social media! That\u2019s where your audience is. <\/span><\/p>\n<ol start=\"4\">\n<li>\n<p align=\"justify\"><span style=\"font-family: Cambria,serif;\"><b>Choose a Niche that Does Well on Amazon<\/b><\/span><\/p>\n<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n<p align=\"justify\"><span style=\"font-family: Cambria,serif;\">The marketing process begins before you even start writing the book. When you\u2019re at the initial stages of developing a concept, think: will the audience like what you offer? What\u2019s your niche? Explore the category on Amazon and check out the most popular books there. <\/span><\/p>\n<p align=\"justify\"><span style=\"font-family: Cambria,serif;\">Try to pick two niches, so your book will be appealing to a larger audience. For example, you can combine crime with romance or history with crime. Check out Amazon\u2019s bestsellers to see what categories they belong to. That tells you what the audience wants to read. <\/span><\/p>\n<ol start=\"5\">\n<li>\n<p align=\"justify\"><span style=\"font-family: Cambria,serif;\"><b>Target Amazon\u2019s <\/b><\/span><span style=\"font-family: Cambria,serif;\"><i><b>Also Bought<\/b><\/i><\/span><span style=\"font-family: Cambria,serif;\"><b> Section<\/b><\/span><\/p>\n<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n<p align=\"justify\"><span style=\"font-family: Cambria,serif;\">You want Amazon recommending your book without you even trying? Well, you\u2019ll still have to make an effort. It\u2019s possible to get your book into Amazon\u2019s <\/span><span style=\"font-family: Cambria,serif;\"><i>also bought<\/i><\/span><span style=\"font-family: Cambria,serif;\"> section if you make all the right moves. <\/span><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>\n<p align=\"justify\"><span style=\"font-family: Cambria,serif;\">Find popular books in your genre. Start recommending them in top lists. Naturally, those lists will include <\/span><span style=\"font-family: Cambria,serif;\"><i>your<\/i><\/span><span style=\"font-family: Cambria,serif;\"> book, too. <\/span><\/p>\n<\/li>\n<li>\n<p align=\"justify\"><span style=\"font-family: Cambria,serif;\">Ask for editorial reviews from authors you\u2019ve connected with. You see how important connections are?<\/span><\/p>\n<\/li>\n<li>\n<p align=\"justify\"><span style=\"font-family: Cambria,serif;\">Encourage your friends to buy sets of books. You can even pay for them, so it will be their birthday present. Set up that package to include few books in the relevant genre, and add your book to the bunch. <\/span><\/p>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<ol start=\"6\">\n<li>\n<p align=\"justify\"><span style=\"font-family: Cambria,serif;\"><b>Offer Something More than a Book<\/b><\/span><\/p>\n<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n<p align=\"justify\"><span style=\"font-family: Cambria,serif;\">Today\u2019s readers like the opportunity to connect with authors. If you\u2019re present on social media and you have a blog, you can control the relationship you develop with them. Offer additional content for free. For example, you can take their favorite character from the book and write a short story based on their life. <\/span><\/p>\n<p align=\"justify\"><a href=\"http:\/\/www.nytimes.com\/2016\/01\/31\/business\/media\/meredith-wild-a-self-publisher-making-an-imprint.html?_r=0\"><span style=\"color: #1155cc;\"><span style=\"font-family: Cambria,serif;\"><i><span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\">New York Times<\/span><\/i><\/span><\/span><\/a><a href=\"http:\/\/www.nytimes.com\/2016\/01\/31\/business\/media\/meredith-wild-a-self-publisher-making-an-imprint.html?_r=0\"><span style=\"color: #1155cc;\"><span style=\"font-family: Cambria,serif;\"><span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\"> reported<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-family: Cambria,serif;\"> that many authors who try self-publishing are put off by the great amount of work and self-promotion involved in the marketing process. Yes, it\u2019s easier when someone else does that for you. However, the self-publishing industry also offers many opportunities for rising stars. The promotion part will take a lot of time, but your efforts will yield results<i>.<\/i> <\/span><\/p>\n<p><strong>About Author:<\/strong><\/p>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter\" src=\"https:\/\/bookbuzzr.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/06\/Joan-Selby.png\" alt=\"\" \/><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-family: Calibri,serif;\">Joan Selby is a content marketer and a <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/medium.com\/@joanselby\"><span style=\"color: #1155cc;\"><span style=\"font-family: Calibri,serif;\"><i><span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\">blogger<\/span><\/i><\/span><\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-family: Calibri,serif;\">; a graduate of California Institute of the Arts and a fancy-shoe lover; a writer by day and reader by night, giving a creative touch to everything. Find her on <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/joan_selby\"><span style=\"color: #1155cc;\"><span style=\"font-family: Cambria,serif;\"><i><span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\">Twitter<\/span><\/i><\/span><\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-family: Calibri,serif;\"> and <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/profile.php?id=100012061935510\"><span style=\"color: #1155cc;\"><span style=\"font-family: Calibri,serif;\"><i><span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\">Facebook<\/span><\/i><\/span><\/span><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>If you had a huge publisher standing behind your work, you wouldn\u2019t have to worry about marketing. Well, maybe you would write an occasional social media post now and then, but you would mostly focus on the work itself. When you\u2019re a self-published author, things are different. You have to take care of the marketing [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":12,"featured_media":15613,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[720],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-15612","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-guest-posts"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/bookbuzzr.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/15612","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/bookbuzzr.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/bookbuzzr.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/bookbuzzr.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/12"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/bookbuzzr.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=15612"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/bookbuzzr.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/15612\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/bookbuzzr.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/15613"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/bookbuzzr.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=15612"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/bookbuzzr.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=15612"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/bookbuzzr.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=15612"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}