marketing your book

This is one of the hardest things a writer has to do. The thought of marketing one’s books is enough to reduce the most dedicated and prolific writer to a quivering mess. The following pointers should make the marketing process a bit more tolerable.

 

Before you answer that question, think about the books you have bought in the past and thrown away in disgust. Why were you disappointed in those books? Why did you buy the book initially? As you think through those questions, imagine your readers buying your book. Now imagine them meting out the same treatment I described earlier to your book. Painful isn’t it? Or maybe you don’t care because they’ve paid for the book and you’ve got money in your pocket. But I know you care. Make the book the best it can be. Excel at what you do and let your book sell itself.

 

The book is finished. It’s time to unleash your talent unto the unsuspecting public. But how do you start? First thing first, how well do you know your market? Who do you think would buy your book? Don’t harrumph and mutter stuff about your book appealing to everyone and not wanting to set limitations on yourself. When it comes to purchasing books, women are the single biggest buyers. Think about your favourite writers and ask yourself why you buy their books. Then ask yourself, who would buy my books again and again?

 

Who and what kind of people do you think will buy your book? A great majority of spy books are bought by men. Contemporary novels a la Francine Rivers are mostly bought by women. Sometimes writers have crossover appeal. Frank Peretti’s and Ted Dekker’s books are bought by both men and women and they cut across age groups and socio-economic strata. If you know whom you’re targeting, you will know how best to target your market.  

You’ve covered the basics. You’ve written the book (a good one), you’ve sent it off to the publishers (those that publish your genre) and now you want to kick back and relax. After all, the publishers will do all the hard (publicity) for you. No, not really.

 

When a book is published, it has to be shifted, i.e. sold. To do that, the book needs to be exposed to the public. Start by sending promotional copies to all the usual suspects; local radio station, television station, bookshops, your church or denomination, and your local newspaper. Check out the trade fairs around you and get yourself down there. Don’t be afraid or embarrassed about marketing your book. You wrote it, you’re proud of it and you think the world deserves to know about it. It’s not a crime. 

 

Having a publisher makes all of the above a bit easier as they do the groundwork for you. However, if you do not have a publisher or you decide to self-publish, how do you get started? There are many alternatives. Type in self-publishing on any search engine and be prepared to be stunned by the information thrown at you.