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ONCE upon a time, an author would write their book and the world would flock to read it. Those times have changed, given the sheer enormity of new books entering the marketplace each year. With all the demands on a reader’s attention coupled with hundreds of thousands of new book choices to sort through each year, authors need to capture the attention of their audience in order to break through in this crowded marketplace.
Planning a book launch is the starting place for your marketing plan. Both first-time authors and those with existing “platforms” will benefit from the use of a series of events to systematically spread the word about your book release.
What is an author platform? Today’s highly sought-after authors who receive sizeable advances on royalties from traditional publishers have built an audience who is hungry for their writing, which is what people in the book industry call an author platform. Examples of author platforms include activities such as hosting a radio show, syndicating articles, hosting a popular podcast show, social media followings or robust speaking schedules.
But it doesn’t have to be difficult to build your author platform, with one little-known piece of knowledge. Media outlets such as TV stations, radio, newspapers and magazines are hungry for interesting people to interview. Every morning, producers of daily programming are seeking interesting people to interview with unique perspectives. As an author, you are the very person these media outlets are hungry to find.
Here is another way to think about a book from a broader perspective. Did you know that books are considered a “media outlet” by some experts? So if your book is a breakaway best seller and you sell 1 million copies, your media platform will have successfully reached .3% of the US population. Knowing this, however, most large publishers will consider a book as a “win” if it sells 10,000 copies.
The biggest question for you today is this: how do you become findable and sell a minimum of 10,000 copies? Many best-selling books will sell about 35,000 copies in a year. Better yet, what can we do to make your book so popular that it sells 1 million copies?
By following the series of steps in the coming pages, you and your story can be the center of attention. So, let’s get started on your best-seller success story!
The Achilles Heel of Authors
HE was in his 50’s, and his steel-blue eyes could bore a hole through a sheet of steel.
“What do you mean I need to fund a $25,000 marketing campaign to create a best-selling book?” Rod’s voice was steady, from years of practice leading teams for technology companies.
“Listen, Bryan; I didn’t sign up for this—press releases, blog posts, kowtowing on social media, butt kissing on talk radio, writing jacket blurbs. I’m not a marketer. The only thing I’m going to write is my story, and my ideas will sell themselves.”
I sighed, as I’d heard this story many times from authors across the globe. “I’m sure you can see that the work needs to be promoted,” I offered, thumbing the corner of his thick manuscript. The meeting had dragged on longer than I’d expected, and as I glanced at my watch, I noticed that the chic seafood restaurant was now empty of lunchtime traffic.
“You’re a promoter, and that’s what I’m evaluating you for, isn’t it?” he quipped.
“Um, actually I’m a publisher,” I retorted. “You see, my job is to move books through distribution channels in order to exponentially expose readers to your writing. “
“Fine. Whatever. You can do that too. I’m just not going to do anything but write my stories. I’ve been leading teams for 20 years, and I’m not going to change that now.” He took a sip of his iced tea. “I’ll leave the marketing up to you to figure out. My game is technology and leadership.”
The man was formidable. If it weren’t for the fact that he was referred by a high-profile friend, I would have called for the check and gone to my next meeting.
No, book marketing was definitely not his thing. While he went on with a voice of authority, I mused about how he would come across at a book signing event.
But there was something about Rod that made me stay... Maybe it was the quality of his work; it really was good.
“I’ll see what I can do.”
Of Jangled Nerves and Disruption
I’m telling you about Rod because his situation is common among writers. Doing the daily work of a publisher, it is typical to deal with two types of authors: those whose motto is “I breathe; therefore I speak,” and those whose motto is “I write; therefore I don’t need to speak.” One is outgoing; the other is not. One is people-oriented; the other is well qualified to work in a Forest Service fire watch tower—alone.
In both cases, their medium is words. And in both cases, “sale” is a four-letter word. Sales and marketing are the last things either of them wants to think about. They just want to work with the words they love.
In today’s publishing environment, a love for words just isn’t enough to get a finished book into the hands of readers. In fact, as I’ve said so often before, writing your book is only 10% of the work involved.
Unfortunately for authors like Rod, writing is all they know. The good news is that book publishers’ team of people handle the tasks of editing, book design, sales and distribution. So many self-published authors try to take on all of these tasks at once and succeed at only a few—if any. It’s just too much for one person to master.
New authors are a little less buffeted by the disruptive storms of change and technology than those who are more seasoned. But, anyone trying to keep up with a rapidly changing marketplace, like book publishing, has a case of jangled nerves. The average book launched will only go on to sell 500 copies (statistically), which is far below the expectations of people like Rod.
Selling the Sizzle
When structuring a marketing plan, one of the first questions to ask is, “Who is the audience for this book?” Your job is to seek out a segment of people who are hungry for your solutions or stories. It starts with assessing the playing field and crafting a story that resonates with a ready audience, ideally one that is accessible. How this story gets told is up to each author.
Here are a few examples of successful book marketing practices to get you started:
1 Blog tours: provide articles to high traffic bloggers
2 Radio shows: guest appearances on local or national radio shows
3 TV appearances: many New York Times best-selling authors get their start with appearances on Good Morning America
4 Social media: this is a great vehicle to build a big audience at a low cost
5 Bookstore signings: bookstores and libraries are great places to talk about your book
6 Speaking engagements: there is nothing more effective than sharing your ideas with a crowd to generate book orders
7 Advertising: it has never been easier than today to purchase advertising to a highly specific audience
8 Partnerships: professionals in this business build relationship with others who have large audiences, effectively structuring deals with the philosophy, “I’ll scratch your back if you scratch mine.”
What is noble about writing is putting ideas into the hands of readers around the world— readers who wouldn’t have access to these ideas without easy access to a book.
Whether it’s through libraries in Liberty, Kansas or on Kindles in the Amazon jungle, authors today have a reach that wouldn’t have been possible otherwise. It’s great to see them realize their goals.
For authors like Rod, a publishing relationship is a godsend. Now his business philosophies can be enjoyed everywhere, and his book sales show it. That’s something any author can sink their teeth into.
The Book Launch Formula – Becoming a Hometown Hero
Have you ever noticed that no matter how successful you become, there’s always someone who likes to knock you down a peg? Maybe it’s an older sibling, an in-law or a friend from your high school days.
Maybe you are the exception, and you don’t have anyone who fits this description. But I imagine if you think hard enough, the odds are high that you’ll think of someone like this who is not too far from your inner circle.
The reason I bring it up is that, when it comes to your success as an author, this paradigm is repeated on a large scale in your hometown. The people who know you best, or for the longest time, are the ones who are least likely to give you the kudos you need to succeed on a grand scale.
There’s always going to be a clique in your neighborhood who believe they know you too well. They figure you’re a known quantity, and that there’s little mystery to be revealed where you’re concerned. These people don’t mean to be dismissive or disrespectful. It’s just human nature. It’s only when you’ve got your name in lights within someone else’s town that your neighbors will accept you as a success.
This means when it comes to your career, your hometown is the absolute best place to hone the skills it takes to successfully promote your book. It’s nice and safe. No matter what you do, the people close to home are going to love you anyway and hold to their stubborn opinions. This makes it an excellent place to take risks, refine your media publicity skills and do lots of live events.
Book signings, media interviews and keynote addresses are the recipe for becoming a hometown hero. As your skills get more refined, you can get your act together and take it on the road. That’s when your career will be ripe for that “overnight sensation” miracle we all read about in Huffington Post.
The Magic of Book Launch Events
If you’re an author, it’s essential to plan a series of promotional events in your local market to launch your book. Don’t just release your book and try to convince people to buy it. Create tension and excitement in advance, centered around the big day your book will finally be available.
Think about it. How many sunny days have you spent with your nose pressed against the window, tapping on your keyboard instead of playing volleyball on the beach? How many family gatherings have you attended where people have asked, “How’s your book coming along?” For that matter, how many events and celebrations have you missed because your writing came first?
There needs to be a payoff for the monumental investment of time, heart and soul that you’ve poured into your manuscript. Your fans and would-be followers want to share in the success of your book launch—which is why it needs to be a book launch instead of a book release.
Along with this launch comes the responsibility of having a series of appearances right in your hometown. It’s not all that difficult to schedule these events. Just call your local bookstore and ask. The worst odds you face are 50/50. It’s surprisingly easy to get your foot in the door, and many bookstore managers are hungry for authors to show up and create some buzz for their store.
In fact, Barnes & Noble stores have a position in each store called the “CRM” whose responsibility includes scheduling author signing events. So, ask for the “CRM” when requesting a signing in your local B&N store.
Libraries, schools, country clubs, civic organizations and social fraternities also make great venues for book signings. Usually, all it takes to schedule an event is making that initial phone call, then following the thread until your date is inked on the calendar.
Let the Local Media Be Your Mouthpiece
Once you schedule your book launch event, you’ll want to make sure you invite colleagues, friends and family. But don’t neglect the local media. This is a huge piece of the puzzle, yet so often it’s overlooked by humble authors with a “Who? Me?” attitude. This is true even of retired corporate executives, professional speakers and others who’ve enjoyed success but are still tentative about promoting themselves in the author space.
Yes—the fact that you’re having a book signing is a big event. Let the community share in your excitement. Put yourself out there, and you’ll be amazed by the return you get on your investment of time and heart.
Contact local media outlets such as radio, TV and publishers. Journalists are receptive to submissions, and many strongly support the work of local authors. Also, don’t be shy about reaching out to the media in neighboring cities as well. The farther afield you travel, the more likely you are to broaden the scope of your celebrity.
Local media coverage is not always easy to get, but it can be had for the right price. Often that price is simply your respect for their format. Look into the specific requirements of each of your local media outlets before you get in touch with them. You’ll find that they’re much the same across the board—with a few subtle variations on the theme. Make it easy for them to promote you, save them time, be interesting and be easy to reach.
A friend of mine got his product featured in the USA Today by counting the average number of words per article by the journalist who covers his topic. When he submitted his article, it took the journalist very little time to modify the article for publication to her tastes.
Working with the media is where having a press kit comes in handy.
When you have your author bio, book descriptions and press release prepared ahead of time, contacting the media is a breeze. And when you play by their format rules, you’re handing them every reason to cover your book launch events.
Combining book launch events with local media promotion is a great recipe for becoming a hometown hero—one that plants the seeds of red carpet celebrity and stellar book sales. I’ve seen this happen many times in my career as a publisher and look forward to reading about your success stories.
