Marketing Your Book: Do You Quack About Your Book … or Just Peep Here and There?

Do You Quack About Your Book … or Just Peep Here and There?

As summer unfolds, many authors who entered their books in award competitions a few months ago are getting the news—some are finalists, some take first place. Author U has gotten notification of several members who have earned recognition from book awards, with the latest being the National Indie Excellence Awards.  Congratulations to Roger Frame (Don’t Carve the Turkey with a Chainsaw), Cathy Hawk and Gary Hawk (Get Clarity), Lynn McLeod (From Simms to Zanzibar), Mara Purl (What the Heart Knows) and John Maling (Have You Ever Held a Mountain?).

Members Barbara Sternberg (Anne Evans: A Pioneer in Colorado’s Cultural History and Joan McWilliams (Parenting Plans For Families After Divorce) picked up IPPY Awards, and Kitty Migaki (Alphabet Denver) was honored with the Children’s Moonbeam prize. Suzi Strike (Lucy Dakota: Rocky Mountain Beginnings) is a finalist in The Colorado Book Awards and an EVVY winner; Mary Anne Harvey has published multiple award winners (Preventing Litigation in Special Education Workbookauthored by Randy Chapman and Jacques Phillips). Member Nick Zelinger is both a multi-award winning book and cover designer and now adds author to his pedigree (Another Nightmare Gig from Hell).  What are they going to do with their kudos?

Here’s what: get their Quacker in gear. Tell the world … book buyers … your friends … your family … let retail outlets know that you've got national recognition … let the local media know … quack, quack, quack. Do it by:

1 Writing a media release—include a book cover on it as well as a website that reporters and producers can get more info. Make sure you have an email, day and cell phones on it. Send it to every contact you can things of. Include:

• Any associations you are a member of.
• The local media … if there is anything in the news going on that connects in any way with your title or expertise—pick up the phone and make an immediate pitch.
• The national media—print, TV, radio.
• Key Internet resources, such as the HuffPo and Slate—especially if you can tie it into anything that is remotely related to your topic.
• Groups that are connected with your topic.

2  Social media is your pal—get it up on your Facebook pages, Twitter, LinkedIn, Pinterest, Google+ and anything else you are connected with. Not be shy—ask your friends to tell their friends … and either link the notices to your website so that they can see the book is available for sale or the Amazon link.

3 If your email Signature doesn't have your book cover in it, add it and make sure you say include award-winning in description.

4 Write a Blog on it … make sure you now include that you are an award-winning author.

5 If you have anything framed or attend a ceremony, include that as a photo. Otherwise you and your book are a lovely photo op duo.

6 Post the news on Amazon. And if your friends haven’t given you a review, this is a great time to pick up the phone and share your news … and ask them if they would—then, follow up with an email that includes the link to your book’s Amazon page.  Make it easy for them!

7 Consider do a special award celebration and drop the price of your book on Amazon to its “deal” range for a day or two. Make sure your say that it’s a celebration of its national award. And let EVERYONE in your social media connections know. Even if they already have the book—for a couple of bucks, they just may pick up another or the eBook that they don’t already have to support you.

8 Send your media release to a PR service for national distribution—this is part of your marketing dollars. There’s a variety of media/press release sites—check out Google for a list.

9 Your website should shout the news. If you haven’t created a media tab on it yet, this is the time. If you have already received book reviews, this is a good spot to add them so others can read them as well. Don’t forget to post book reviews on your Amazon page as well if the book reviewer hasn't.

10 If you are a speaker, or a desire to be, meeting planners like “award-winning”—use it … as when you talk with them, “I’m thrilled that my book was recently honored with the Gold Medal in _______ with the _______ book awards.”

11 Keep on marketing … you as the expert … and your book.

Quack, Quack, Quack …

If you don’t, you will turn into a little peep … and those get eaten!

 

Dr. Judith Briles 
The Book Shepherd - The Author and Publishing Expert
Create. Strategize. Develop. Publish. Achieve.

Chief Visionary Officer: AuthorU.org