Good Marketing!

Authors love to write. That’s all we really want to do, but unfortunately, books don’t sell themselves. Thus, the need for marketing.

All successful book marketers began at zero, nada, nothing, so how did they get to where they are now? They had a plan. They may not have initially started with one, but somewhere along the way, they developed a strong plan of action.

I’ve been observing and learning ~ gleaning everything I can from their efforts. Here’s what I have so far –

1. While you’re writing that fabulous book,  start to build your platform ~ don’t wait until you need it, work on it now. Don’t stop working either – keep building a strong presence.

2. Make a name for yourself on facebook , twitter, youtube, linkedin, pinterest, goodreads, and every social media forum that fits your style.

3. Find like-minded groups and network. Not all that you see will be beneficial to you. Look around, choose the ones that you want to get to know and then join them. You must be willing to give of yourself, not just take. Most groups are hoping that while they support you—you will be supporting them as well.

There are outstanding individuals that truly want to help you become successful. I was fortunate enough to stumble upon Tammie Clarke Gibbs, author of two self-help books on marketing. I am excited to learn from her, because she is a successful author. She has done the hard work and compiled her experiences in 8 Hours to Jump Start Your Career: A Step-by-Step Guide for Self-Published Authors, and  2014 ULTIMATE Author’s Marketing Planner. Not only that, but she personally reaches out to struggling authors who would like to learn the ropes.

4. Start a file on individual marketing ideas and strategies, then fill that file! Take copious notes on everything about marketing. Break the file into parts, devoting each section to one marketing strategy you’d like to explore and possibly use. Prioritize your files. Which strategy should you use first? Second? Most importantly, write everything down that you try. Keep accurate records of the successes and the failures. Revisit your list often, updating, evaluating, and improving them.

5. Devote the time that you will need to marketing. Do not let this time pass by, and do NOT ignore it! Your book will either succeed or fail because of the amount of attention you give to marketing it.

I have my lists and I am compiling my files. I will write about them throughout the coming weeks and share the steps that I am taking to become a successful author. I’d say wish me luck, but I don’t believe in luck. I believe that hard work reaps great results, so instead I will say, Good Marketing to both you and to me!