Three Bean Press - Round Table


	Marketing Tips
	You've written the book. It's in print. Now you need to get the word out. Here are some tips to get you started: Be your own advocate. Speak up, loudly and often, about your book. Let the world know that you're a published author! Tell your friends, family, and other influential people about your book. These are your prime buyers, initially. Plus, they'll spread the word about you. Make yourself visible. There has never been a better time to generate buzz for free. Utilize free forms of media to spread the word: Facebook, Twitter, blogs, websites.... Write a blog with content that motivates. Know your message, and get it out to your audience. You're an author—you know how to tell a story. At the end of each blog post, pose a question for your audience. Get people responding to generate the buzz. When tweeting or blogging, don't make it all about you. Discuss other topics—it's more interesting for your readers, and it will still lead them to your product. Promote other people, then they'll talk about you. Spend time and—if you have it—money getting the word out to the media through news releases. Your dollar will go farther if you spend it on publicity rather than advertising. Send your press releases to a variety of magazines. Send another, slightly different release the next month. Keep them coming. Follow up your mailings with a phone call. Subtle pressure can pay off. Use your news releases to discover which publications are best suited to your book's audience. If you want to advertise, put your ad dollars into magazines that have given you editorial coverage—they know your target audience. Analyze the market: Identify your buyer (Who are they? Where do they shop? What magazines do they read? What websites do they visit?). Then locate them. Consider hiring a book publicist. If you do, do it early. The first few months after your book is released is your prime selling time. Take advantage of it. That being said, a decided perk of custom publishing is that you can continue to push your book for as long as you have copies in print, so be persistent. Your publication date is not the day you receive the books from the printer; it's the date when you anticipate your book to hit peak sales and be available in stores. Set this date for several months after you actually receive the books, giving you ample time to get the word out. Send review copies of your book to key people (book reviewers, local media, media in your book's niche...). Don't skimp on sending out books—they'll garner sales! This is a worthwhile investment. Create a review sheet with your book's vital information (title, author, publisher, page count, price, ISBN, publication date, and contact information) to include with the book. You'll also want to offer artwork, such as cover shots, to accompany any reviews. Once you've sent review copies to key players, look for reviews. Set up Google Alerts—they'll send you an email when your name or your book's name is spotted on the Web. If someone does review your book, send them a thank-you note—they'll be grateful and more likely to cover you in the future. Ask for testimonials from those who have given you positive feedback, and keep a log of any unsolicited ones. Then create a "What readers are saying" sheet to use in your sales sheets, on your website, in your brochures, etc. Praise from others is always effective. If you have reviews from publications, consider including them in your press kit. It makes you seem as buzz-worthy as you are. Prime elements for your press kit: a short cover letter (suggest an angle for the review, stressing the benefits of your book), a press release with current news about the book, a collection of reviews from other publications, your review sheet with your book's stats, artwork, a copy of your book, and your contact information. Create a demand for your title. Encourage people to ask for your book in stores. The more people ask, the more stores will order. Get signed up. If a store carries your book, ask them to host a book signing—it benefits you and the store. Create flyers to post in stores. They draw attention to your book. Keep an up-to-date list of addresses to build your mailing list. Include your friends, family, media, stores, etc. When someone buys your book, add them to your "buyers" mailing list. This will become your key list of people to target with future mailings and books. After all, you know they're a fan of your product. Be organized. Create an editorial calendar for your blog, and a long-term marketing plan for your book, then stay on top of it. A little effort will bring great rewards. Get out in the world. Interact with people face to face. They'll be more likely to remember you.