Monday, September 22, 2014

Book Marketing Mistake #1 for Authors

"I don't know how to market books"  ... "I don't want to market books" ... "I can't market books" ... "I, I, I ... just want to be left alone and write. It's my passion. Don't you people get it?! I don't want to market books."
Whew! That's a lot of I don't want to ... and those I don't want tos are going to be your book pitfalls! Really … If not for you to market your book, then who? Lesson #1 in publishing for today's author: If you don't market your books, your book self-destructs. If your goal is to get published, then as added goal is to learn how to market your book.
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 Calling All Authors … Book Selling During the Seasons of the Year .... is up to you, only you.
I hear it daily .... "I need a someone to market my book," is what too many authors think and say. Stop it. Reframe your thinking and your marketing strategies. Whoever put that out had to be a “professional book marketer” … its utter nonsense. Of course you can market, and should market your book.
  • Who best knows it?
  • Who best has the passion for it?
  • Who best gets the agony and ecstasy?
  • Who best understands why your protagonist did what he did?
  • Who best can feel the desperation of a situation that you’ve become an expert in because of your personal experiences?
  • Who best …?
YOU, that’s who. You may not have the perfect pitch down, but you will, with practice. Rethink, or “reframe” your position. Mostly likely, if you had your druthers, you would rather be writing your next book. I get that … and you can. Just not full time.  If ever the phrase, target marketing, pops up, it’s now.

Be an Awesome

What if your  book relieves someone from the doldrums of a slow day, a bummer of a situation, the  numbing of a commute or just tickles, entertains, thrills or has the reader marveling at the twists and turns, who best but YOU to let them know about the delights and hoots between the covers of your book?
What if your book delivers the answers to a problem or situation that is commonplace, or even not so common?
And what if you can explain why it is happening in a format that is easily grasped and then rollout the solution(s) in a one-two-three punch that the reader will do a happy dance to have at her fingertips?  
How did you get so smart?—I bet because you lived and experience it. You have a PhD in life, or maybe the educational degree … and you know the roller coaster that you went through. Who best but YOU to let others know about the ins and outs and how to relieve the pain, or get healthy, or find balance, or …?

There's writing power in one word

It is work, yet it doesn't have to be the drudge of it all. When you know that your poetry touches the hearts of many and seeds their inspiration; when you know that words tickle the funny bone; when you know that your storyline delivers an aha and OMG experience; when you know that your how-to is exactly what a specific workplace needs; when you know that you've created a unique twist for something/anything that affects many … who best to spearhead the book marketing than you, the author?

Is Your marketing Boring

Book marketing today is like going to cereal aisle at a grocery store—all six shelves of it and consuming a 60 foot row, packed with every imaginable type of cereal. Some for kids; some for adults; some hot; some cold; some created for specific diets; some loaded with eye-candy—ingredients to get the consumers taste buds salivating. A lot of “somes.”

Today’s book marketing grocery store is centered on the Internet. Marketing is about connecting. Finding those who want to hear your story; need your insights; or just want a good read.
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Your audience is clickable. They are hanging out on the Internet. The may be at a Meetup group around the corner or a coffee shop. They could be glued to a specific social media platform. They could belong to an association. They could be anywhere and everywhere. You can hire someone to find them … but to connect, it’s YOU. Book Marketing 101.  Bust the myth. Today.




2014_JBriles-1Judith Briles is known as The Book Shepherd a book publishing expert and coach. She is the Founder of Author U, a membership organization created for the serious author who wants to be seriously successful. She’s been writing about and conducting workshops on publishing since the 80s. Judith is the author of 31 books including Author YOU: Creating and Building Your Author and Book Platforms (ForeWord Indie/Fab Book of the Year), Snappy Sassy Salty: Wise Words for Authors and Writers and a speaker at publishing conferences.

Become part of her inner circle by joining the Author’s Ark and exclusive monthly webinar and coaching event. Each summer, she holds Judith Briles Unplugged, a two and 1/2 day intensive limited to a small group of authors who want to be seriously successful. In 2015, the dates are August 27-29th.  Her audio and workbook series, Creating Your Book and Author Platform is now available. Join Judith live on Thursdays at 6 p.m. EST for Author U – Your Guide to Book Publishing on the Toginet Network at http://togi.us/authoru. Follow @AuthorU and @MyBookShepherd on Twitter and do a “Like” at AuthorU and Judith Briles – TheBookShepherd on Facebook. If you want to create a book that has no regrets, contact Judith at Judith@Briles.com.



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