Here’s a preview of the 30 Marketing Points to get your Book Published by a Top Publisher… or sell a Ton of Books Yourself Ebook. The ebook contains 30 Marketing Points, 9 steps to create a Marketing Strategy using the Marketing Points, and links to resources. Find a link at the bottom of this blog.
Introduction
I am not a marketing expert. I am an author, artist, shaman, performer, life coach and book writing coach. I am many things, but I am not a marketer. So why am I offering you 30 Marketing Tips? Because if you are in the business of writing books, then you are also in the business of marketing. Unless you want to hide your book inside a shelf and never let it see the light of day, you need to have a Marketing Plan and you need to know more than you want to know (at least now) about marketing.
Don’t cringe. Release your learned beliefs about marketing and redefine it like this:
· Marketing is the path I create to find my readers and allow my readers to find my book.
· Marketing is the bridge I cross to my dream of being a published or best selling author.
· Marketing is the magic that turns my dreams into specific, doable goals with a finishing “lifeline” (I don’t like the word deadline).
That’s it. Now read. Then start planning.
13 MARKETING POINTS
- You have a leadership or key position in a church, with access and support to reach hundreds of connected churches, therefore spreading your message to thousands.
- You are an active member with a leadership position in a large national association, such as a professional or hobby association connected to your book’s topic, and you can sell your book to thousands of members. If you are asking how? Think fundraiser. Offer a percentage of the book sales to benefit the association. That increases the desire of the readers to buy it.
- You are the speaker for a social cause linked to the topic of your book, and you are connected to non-profits that would promote your book in connection to their awareness campaign and/or as a fundraiser.
- You are a professor or speaker who is well-connected to prestigious colleges, institutions or projects relevant to your book’s topic and you’ve got support in promoting your book to students, professors, college libraries and other organizations.
- You have practical, life experience relevant to the topic of your book, and you are part of an organization that would help you promote that book. An example would be if your book is about being a mother and you belong to a mothers’ association or if your book is about dealing with a physically challenged child and you belong to an association of parents of challenged children.
- You are a reporter, editor, columnist or regular contributor to the media and you have contacts with different magazines, newspapers and other media where your book and articles about your book’s topic can or better yet ―are scheduled to appear.
- You have written in a successful project connected to the topic in other media, like television, film or documentaries, bringing high credibility and a fan base to your book’s marketing campaign.
- You frequently speak at large national conferences on the topic of your book, and you can include your book promotion as you tour and sell books in your speaking engagements.
- You have a radio show or TV show with a large audience.
- You are the recognized authority in your field with high credentials and well-established among your colleagues and institutions. For example, you are an eminent scientists or historian.
- You write a monthly column in a magazine with a large readership.
- You have posted a video that has been seen by thousands or better yet, by millions of people, bringing you online celebrity status. Don’t think that’s possible? Download the ebook to see my Reality Checks, stories of authors who’ve done exactly this.
- You are the CEO of your own company, with a sales or affiliates force and you can cross-promote your book with your website and sales force.
Finally, just in case that you are thinking something like, “Sure, if you have a rich mom, a famous boss, a Pulitzer price and a best seller, who’s not going to publish you? But what about me? I’ve been through really tough times, and my book is a heroic act that kept me alive, and it’s really important, but I don’t have any of the previous Marketing Points!” Well, you may have an incredible strong marketing point if…
- You have been the victim of a major catastrophe or national disaster that relates to the topic of your book.
You don’t believe that it is possible to find success through sharing the story of your adversity? Download the ebook to see not one, but three amazing stories of women authors who have done exactly that, including me!
To download the ebook, subscribe by pressing this link.
It only takes 2 minutes.
If you are a subscriber, use the code we sent you via email to access post entitled:
Get your FREE Book Marketing Ebook here.
Light and Love,
Maria Mar
The Dream Alchemist
Filed under: Uncategorized | Tagged: book marketing, book marketing plan, book marketing strategy, marketing tips, publishing your book
Hello,
My name is Denise Dominguez. I am a latina lawyer writing my first book about my experiences as a public defender. My book focuses on telling the untold and none legal stories of the young black and latino boys in the criminal justice system.
My questions: When should I start looking for a publisher and ediditor? After my first chapter, a few chapters or when the book is finished? How much of my book should I send out to publishing houses?
Dear Denise,
Before you go off into the publishing world, do yourself a big favor. Learn about how publishing works. Use your research skills and set aside a couple of hours per week to learn the ABC of publishing. Read writer’s forums, like this one. Join writer’s websites and associations or memberships. Take teleseminars. The publishing process has enjoyed a true revolution and there are many options on how to publish. You want to know what these options are and what the benefits are for each.
Take time also to develop your business strategy as a writer. You need to know who your readers are, how to find them and how to build a platform (or following). Without this knowledge and a firm strategy, you may spend years chasing agents and sending your manuscript to publishers and your book and faith will suffer.
The time you invest in learning about book publishing and marketing, in positioning yourself as an expert and obtaining visibility –are the foundation of your success and your book success and the work that will get you a good deal if you choose to go with a traditional publishing house.
Once you have a book and business strategy, have set up your online structure, have visibly positioned yourself as an expert and have a platform, finding an agent can happen in an instant. With a good publicity stunt or the right kind of visibility, publishers will be chasing you, instead of you wasting your time and money chasing them. That’s the way to go. By the time a publisher knocks at your door, you will know what publishing terms you want and what terms you can’t afford!
You may get lucky and find an instant publisher. In fact, just posting in this blog may by some synchronicity get your book in front of the eyes of a mainstream editor. But are you ready to make the decisions that will affect your book and your future? That’s the kind of investment, emotional and professional that you need to focus while you write your book. Once you are clear, your book will benefit and so will you.
My answer is, then: once you are clear. Once you are clear on all the issues I’ve commented, whether your book is finished or not, that is the time, because you’ll know exactly what you are doing and how to do it.
In terms of a book proposal, you will need to submit at least 50 pages or 1-2 chapters, a cover letter and a synopsis. For this Marcela Landres’ help is essential. She was an editor in Simon & Schuster and is now dedicated to helping writers get published. She has tons of resources in her website. I mention her in my article: Questions and Answers: Who are you writing for? She has just published an ebook that is key in avoiding publishers’ rejection. It’s posted there with a link.
Here’s a link to that article:
http://writetodream.wordpress.com/2008/07/18/questions-and-answers-who-are-you-writing-for/
Here are two other links to visit:
http://www.danpointer.com/sites/para/
Dan Pointer will help you understand about self-publishing and POD publishing. He is an expert in the area.
http://www.bookmarket.com/
John Kremmer is an old expert in book marketing. He has a wealth of resources there, including book publishers, etc.
Remember this, Denise. Your book is not the ultimate goal. Your book is a door opener. You need to look at the bigger picture. Why are you writing this book? What do you want for yourself? Do you want to be recognized as an expert? Increase your career status? Become a best-selling author? Increase your clients? Begin a new career? Network with non-profits in connection to your shared causes and position yourself in the topic? Know what you want to give, what you want to receive and what core values are moving your forward. Armed with this, you then create a strategy that includes your book, but stretches far beyond it to encompass your dream.
If you need more help, consider one of my coaching services. Check your options at:
http://www.writetodream.com/programs.htm
And then contact me to talk.
I hope this helps, and thanks for stopping by. Come back often, as experts do stop by seasonally to read and they can add to this answer.
By the way, did you download the free ebook “30 marketing points to get your Book Published or Sold….” It’s free if you are a subscriber. I sent all subscribers the password. If you missed it, email me and I’ll sent it again. If you are not subscribed, go to this URL and subscribe.
http://www.writetodream.com/radioshow.htm
Good luck, and keep me posted.
Maria Mar
The Dream Alchemist
http://www.writetodream.com