Now is the time to plan your book marketing for 2020. It’s a new decade—can you believe it? How the time has flown! But let’s make a resolution right now to start the new decade off right—and continue it, by making a plan to market our books more effectively in the next decade. Starting with January 2020. Here are 20 steps you can take throughout the year to begin to market your book more effectively.
- Make, or Update, Your Press List. Spend some time looking up local media, industry-specific journals and alumni publications—anywhere that might print something about you and your books. If you already have a list, update it.
- Get to Know the Press. Get on a first-name basis with as many of the members of the press on your list as possible. The best way to get your name in a newspaper (or blog or radio show) is to know a journalist.
- Develop a Basic Press Release. Include your book blurb, author bio, publication dates, where it can be purchased. Make sure it is no more than one page. Once you have this basic release, you can quickly and easily add any new information to it, such as workshops and speaking engagements.
- Schedule Your Press Releases: Make a schedule of when you will send out your releases and mark it on your calendar. Send a release about once a month. Try to make each one a little different.
- Look for Contests: Make a list of contests where you can submit your book. Then do it!
- Send copies of your book to review websites.
- Place a book trailer on YouTube and other Internet sites to advertise your book.
- Blog and Tweet about your area of expertise regularly.
- Set up an author page on Facebook—update it weekly.
- Develop add-on products that sell your book. Coffee mugs and t-shirts quickly come to mind. What else can you think of to tie in with your book? Think beyond the bookmark!
- Maximize your book listing on Amazon using an Author Page. If you already have one, update it. Then mark your calendar to look at it at least once a quarter.
- Most books aren’t sold in traditional bookstores these days. Make a list of gift shops and boutiques in your area that sell items related to your book, then stop in and see if they are willing to stock your book—or better still, host a workshop or book signing.
- Join a Business Networking Group. If you are an author, you are in business. You may already belong to a writers’ group, now join a networking group for businesspeople. This will give you access to new people who might buy your book, as well as business owners who can help you learn how to market yourself and your book better.
- Identify top writers in your genre. Follow them on social media. Comment on their posts and develop a relationship with them.
- In social media, as in life, it is better to give than to receive. Share other authors’ posts, review other authors, etc., before asking them to review or buy your book.
- Make a list of holidays or other special events related to your genre. A book about women: Mother’s Day. SciFi or Horror: Halloween. Be creative. What marketing angle can you use? And don’t forget to send that press release!
- Update your book blurb and keywords. If your book isn’t selling well, maybe you need to tweak your blurb. Ask some trusted friends to it over and give suggestions.
- Make a list of organizations where you could speak and send them your speakers’ kit.
- Make a list of reviewers in your genre and send them your book.
- Develop a Monthly Plan. You don’t have to do everything on this list at once. The best way to make sure that you market your book consistently is to create a plan that includes specific things to do each month—then stick to it. By cutting that marketing elephant into bite-sized pieces, you are less likely to become overwhelmed and just give up.