No matter what phase of the publishing process our authors are in, we are always met with a lot of questions during our weekly strategy calls, where we discuss everything from publishing to marketing and brand building.
When someone decides to write a book, their path through editing, interior formatting, cover design, and distribution seems as clear as day (most people give up before they get to distribution, so congratulations if you got this far). However, when we start presenting marketing strategies to the authors, we find many authors feel lost and unsure of what to do.
While there is so much to do and a variety of routes that you can take, the most important being the amount of time that must be invested in book marketing to ensure success. There is also the emotional factor for you to put yourself in the spotlight, which can be incredibly daunting—this is precisely where we jump in, guiding you every step of the way.
The publishing industry changes on a dime and the marketing strategy that was proven effective one or two years ago will not be as effective anymore. Benchmarking the New York Times bestseller author campaign might seem like the most obvious choice, but at PRESStinely we know that each author needs a tailored campaign. We analyze the authors' personalities, most significant strengths, timing, and comfortability being interviewed, allowing us to explore the best options for each author individually.
Though there is a blueprint that needs to be followed and a list of tasks that need to be marked complete to be considered a successful campaign, the author's authenticity plays the most significant role in all of this. However, planning is still incredibly important as the more you plan, the more natural and confident you will be.
It is advantageous when an author partners with us and allows us to steer them in the right direction—even if it looks like uncharted waters to them, they accept the challenge, jump in, and we all see the fruits from the labor. A few months ago, we witnessed authors who were afraid of being on social media and now are coming to us and telling us about all the doors that have been opened and what they are now able to do on their own.
In short, the essence of successful book marketing is the authors' voice and DNA, and we at PRESStinely want to partner with you to see what your highest strengths are, polishing your plan, and making you and your book successful.
Reach out to PRESStinely to learn more about publishing, marketing and selling your book successfully.
Kristen & Maira