Marketing a book can be overwhelming! Planning social media posts, website updates, blog posts, mail campaigns, book signings, and speaking engagements can cause an author’s head to spin. And then there’s that next book to write. And all these tasks occur at the same time!
How can you cover all the bases of marketing?
- Start with a list of the marketing tasks you’d like to do. If you’re not sure what things to include, consult one of the many reputable books on the topic or talk with a seasoned author.
- Create a game plan. Grab a calendar, and pencil in things that you want to accomplish. For example, if posting on Facebook is a daily goal, write that goal in each day’s block.
- Don’t get sidetracked. For example, if you plan to create a Pinterest board highlighting the kind of clothing worn by characters in your book, don’t get sidetracked looking for great recipes for dinner. Stay on track.
- Remember that little things add up. Staying the course on your marketing plan and doing a little each day as planned will eventually lead to a well-developed outreach to your readers.
What would you add to the list above? How have you used a calendar to map out your marketing efforts? Share with us in the comments!
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Carol McAdams Moore writes for children and youth in the general and Christian markets. Learn more about Carol and her tween devos Dare U 2 Open This Book—Draw It, Write It, Dare 2 Live It—90 Devotions and Just Sayin’—Write ‘em, Draw ‘em, Hide ‘em in Your Heart at CarolMcadamsMoore.blogspot.com.
Marketing children’s books can be so much fun! I had a book release party for my new picture book series, Willoughby and Friends, on Facebook last week. 70 people attended and it was 2 hours of fast and crazy fun! I can’t wait for the next one. 😀 I came up with this idea because the picture book audience (little kids) are not on FB. But the “gate keepers” are. So, if the parents/grandparents attended the party with their children and posted a selfie, I immediately sent them a PDF coloring page their kids could color while the adults attended the party. And if they posted the finished coloring pages, I mailed them some book swag, like bookmarks, stickers and temporary tats.
I think we need to know our audience to best market our books. If your audience are middle grade or YA, you need to be on Instagram and Snapchat. If it’s picture books, then FB and Twitter are best.
And yes, marking things on your calendar is a must! I have to or I forget. Because … middle age … heh, heh, heh …
Great advice, Carol! I’m still looking at where to expand my social media next. In the library world, we find Facebook most effective but as an author? Thinking about LinkedIn, Pinterest and Fiverr.
What you say about marketing making an author’s head spin is so true, Carol! Good hints on how to “cover all the bases of marketing.” I could have used those and might still put them to work. Thank you.
To answer your question: I used a calendar, too, when I saw all the “steps” required by my publisher to bring my novel to a successful release and launch. The directions gave estimated times of completion for each step, so I put each on a small post-it note and plugged them into the year’s schedule. Post-it notes not only made it easy to find each step quickly, but move them as needed.
Thanks for the tips Carol! Using a calendar is a definite must in marketing and everything Book Business. I actually have several calendars that help me do this: One wall calendar and another smaller one on my desk. Having those visuals keeps me on track! On another topic, are you going to Write to Ignite? Looks so fun and so does your devo!
I think this is great practical advice for any book launch, Carol! Thank you!
Great tips. I have not ventured to the point of having a book published to do a marketing plan, but I am always looking for help and knowledge for when that day comes. Your post definitely helps. Thanks for sharing.