When someone decides to become a published author, the first question they have is usually about the cost of editing, designing, and publishing the book. Most authors forget that marketing should be part of that equation and need to understand that once the book is published, it won't magically sell - just as any other product won't sell on its own.
A good book won't be enough anymore. With all the noise and the volume of content one interacts with daily, it takes time, effort, and a robust marketing budget to make the cut and get the visibility needed to start selling your book. It takes a lot of patience and hard work to find the right readers for your book, communicate with them, and convince them to buy it. It can be a long and expensive process, especially if the author is in a trial and error phase, still figuring out what works and what doesn't work with the sales.
Creating an audience, webinars, online courses, podcasts, speaking events, and online advertising can be expensive, and knowing where to allocate your money is more important than ever, especially when all we hear on the news is about recession and challenging times.
So, how does one know exactly what to do to maximize the return on investment? We recommend you work on the following three strategies today:
Build Your Author Credibility
Be present on podcast interviews, write blog posts for other media outlets, share resources online for free, and devote time to answering questions from your followers on social media. Sharing knowledge won't make readers avoid buying the book; it makes them even more sure that the book is an asset that can bring value to their lives.
Partner Up with Influencers for Social Proof and Extended Reach
Map out other authors, journalists, bloggers, and social media influencers with audiences similar to your niche and show them that working together will be mutually beneficial. For example, offer to partner up with them and endorse each other's books, offer exclusive articles explicitly written for their newspapers or online magazines, and present your book as a high-value product for a social media influencer's audience.
Gift Copies to Key-People and Organizations
Create a list of organizations, clubs, and associations and offer to send them free copies of your book. Think of places that support people in your audience range and have the book listed as a helpful asset.
Although these three strategies can take some time to take off and reflect on sales numbers, they are solid and highly beneficial to your book and your author credibility.
As a published author, doors will open that were not open to you before. If your book is created, published, and marketed correctly, it will create opportunities that will generate greater financial success and make you an authority in your niche.
If you would like help marketing and selling your book you are welcome to reach out to us today or take a look at our new Guided Book Marketing Course.
Kristen & Maira