Ten Marketing Questions Authors are Asking

I've received a bunch of marketing questions from authors over the past few months. Let me take a stab at a random sample...

Jennifer wrote to ask, "What is the most important thing I need to know about marketing my book?"

To me, the most important thing for you to grasp as an author is that you are responsible for marketing your book. Not the publicist. Not the marketing manager. Not even the publishing house. YOU. Think of it this way: Who has the most at stake with this book, you or the publisher? (You do.) Who is more passionate about it, you or the publisher? (You are.) Who knows the message best, you or the publisher? (You.) I think an author should work with his or her publisher's marketing department as much as possible. Make yourself available. Say "yes" to everything they ask. Express appreciation every time they do something that helps market your book. But then go do everything as though it all depended on you, because it does. Whatever the publicist does for you is gravy. YOU are responsible for marketing your own book. Don't leave it to some young college grad who has 17 other projects to market. 

Clatrice asked this: "If I publish my book with a smaller publisher, will they set up radio and TV interviews for me? And can I expect them to set me up with newspaper interviews or book reviews?"

Here's my suggestion: When you first begin talking with the marketing department at your publisher, tell them how excited you are to work with them, explain that you'll do everything they ask of you, then ask this question: "Can you tell me what you'll be doing to market my book? I'll be working hard at marketing, and I don't want to duplicate efforts." Just try to get some sort of explanation about what they'll do -- even if it's minimal. Some will focus on media, others will send out review copies. Once you find out what they plan to do, you can begin to fill in the gaps with your own efforts. And don't have huge expectations of your publisher -- a smaller house may not have the resources to do a lot of marketing. The fact is, they are expecting the author to help them sell about half the copies of the book that will be sold. Half. No kidding. 

[And this is the perfect time to share my favorite marketing story. Years ago, when I was releasing one of my own books, I asked a very brainless marketing manager what she was planning to do on my book. "First, we're going to give it a great cover and title." I was VERY pleased about that, since I've noticed books without titles and covers don't sell. "Second, we're going to stick it in our catalog." This is something that only goes to bookstore owners, so that doesn't make a big difference when it comes to convincing readers to buy my title. "And third, we're going to give it to our crack sales team." I'm not making this up -- those were her three points. My response: "So... you're not really doing anything?" Which was fine, since I just wanted to know. Again, if you can find out what they're doing, you'll better know how to manage your own marketing plan.]

Dave asked, "Since it seems like anyone can get a book published today through self-publishers, how do I make sure my book gets the needed exposure?"

I'm one of those who thinks that most self-published books don't really count as being "published," Dave. Most people who self-pub lose money because they don't know how to market and sell their own book. So if you want to really sell some copies, whether you are self-pubbed or published through a regular royalty-paying publisher, you've got to understand basic marketing principles. I suggest authors purchase some basic marketing books (such as a textbook from Philip Kotler and Gary Armstrong, or Frances Brassington and Stephen Pettitt), in order to give them a conceptual framework for what marketing is. Maybe take a class at the local community college, or look for online marketing training. Then you can invest in some of the "how to market your book" titles available at Barnes & Noble. But the most important thing is to put together a planned strategy, so that you aren't just trying to think up stuff on the fly as your book releases.

The key principle for anybody doing marketing of their own book is simple: Figure out where your potential readers are going, then go get in front of them. If you're doing a book on lowering cholesterol, research to find out what websites people with high cholesterol are visiting, what blogs they're reading, what magazines and e-zines they're checking out, what the most popular sites for information sharing are. That's the first step. The second is to get yourself involved with those venues. 

On a related note, Greg wrote these words: "You have frequently told authors to find out where the potential readers are, then go get in front of them. How can an author find the target audience for his book?"

Research, man. This will take time, but start checking out key words and topics. Find other books and sites that cover similar material and check them out. Start doing reviews on Amazon and TripAdvisor. Get involved with Digg and Flickr. Create del.icio.us bookmarks. Join Facebook and Twitter. Begin researching your topic and you'll soon discover interesting sites, as well as being steered toward other places people go. This takes time -- there's no hurry-up formula for getting this information. The key is to have multiple venues for finding new friends, and see it as "participation," not just "promotion." 

Fran wants to know, "Do I need both a website AND a blog? Or will just a website do?"

That's like asking, "Do I need to wear black to the meeting, or is color okay?" Depends on the meeting. If you're an author covering a current topic, you probably need to have a blog where you're sharing cutting-edge information. If you're a novelist who just wants readers to get to know you, maybe a basic website is enough. But there's a lesson here: The growth of the worldwide web offers you the chance to market your self and your book without having to rely on the old notions of "platform" -- you don't have to have a syndicated radio show, host a television talk show, or have a huge speaking schedule. Relying on social media can help you build a platform by creating a big network of online friends. 

Denise wrote this: "Is it important for an author to be involved in Facebook and Twitter? I HATE Twitter!

Yeah, I know what you mean. I've rolled my eyes too many time at tweets from people telling me "We had fish for dinner!" and "Petey got a new haircut." But what you're trying to do with social media is to expand your network of friends. And let's face it, we talk with friends about dinners and haircuts. So just acknowledge the dumb stuff comes with the territory. A better way to think about it is that you're trying to discover people who share your interests, so that you can eventually talk with them about YOUR book. That's why I always say to authors they need to offer strong content on their blogs. I don't care if you want to tell me about your new shoes, but eventually share something of value on the topic. Remember, the purpose of effective marketing is not just to "let people know I have a book out," but to move people to action and get them to buy your book. 

Mary noted, "I keep hearing about book trailers as marketing tools. I've watched a few, but most have been so corny they did NOT encourage me to read the book. In your opinion, how successful are book trailers for marketing books?"

To be honest, most book trailers I've seen are boring and amateurish. They are based on "image" advertising rather than "decision" advertising. They're put together by people who watch too much TV, so they look like mini-TV commercials. I'd rather chew an entire roll of tin foil than watch more dopey TV commercials. So I haven't been a fan. BUT I think the concept is sound, if the creators would put together something that touched my emotions. It needs to be funny or heartbreaking or reminiscent or memorable in some way, so that it gets onto YouTube and goes viral. If everybody is watching it and enjoying the story, then you'd have a book trailer that actually helped your title. 

In a related question, Eve asked, "Are book trailers helpful for nonfiction, or just for fiction titles?"

I would think they'd be helpful for fiction or nonfiction, if they were done well. [Finally! A short answer!]

Bob sent in this interesting note: "Is teaching at a writers' conference a good way to help market my book? I was just asked by a big conference to show up, teach two workshops, critique manuscripts, meet with a bunch of authors in one-on-ones, and help out as needed. It sounded like fun -- BUT the invitation noted that I had to pay my own way, pay the conference fee to attend, and pay for my room and board. They're offering me a stipend that will cover a portion of that expense, but I'd still owe them more than $400, plus my travel. Is that fair?"

I actually wrote to Bob, to make sure he wasn't pulling my leg. Sure enough, a writers' conference sent him a note, inviting him to be on faculty but explaining that he'd actually have to pay hundreds of dollars to participate. Um... you have GOT to be kidding me. I think a writing conference is a great place to network and let everybody know about your new book. But if it costs you $500 and they're going to wear you out as a faculty member, you might find a more useful venue for your five bills. Yeesh. 

Finally, Laura asked me, "Should I seek endorsements before I send my manuscript to a publisher?"

If you can get some great endorsements, by all means do so. The fact that a bestselling author or a recognizable celebrity is saying nice things about your book can't hurt. 

Got a publishing or writing question? Send it along and I'll offer some perspective. -Chip

Comments

[Timothy Fish]

Concerning non-fiction vs. fiction trailers, my experience has been that they are more affective for non-fiction than they are with fiction, not the other way around. With non-fiction, it is easier to use video to show the result of reading the book. With fiction, I have yet to see a video that has made me want to read the book.

[Serena Woods]

Thank you for this! I am self-published through Lightning Source and I read how you feel about self-published books. :) I just take this indie route to mean that I am more passionate about my message and see more potential in my book than the mainstream industry did. Word of mouth has pushed my booksales past 200 nation wide in the past few months, but I need this info you just shared as I put my book on Amazon and others.

[Sandi]

Good stuff, Chip. Thanks!

[S. Pierce Johnson]

As usual, great recommendations Chip. (Thanks for sharing your expertise.) One small correction: the last name of the marketing textbook author named Philip should be spelled Kotler not Gotler.

[Pam Halter]

Bob, if you're on faculty for a conference, you should never, EVER have to pay for anything. Run away!!

[Sharon A Lavy]

Thanks for sharing some wisdom. God bless~~

[genny]

I learned a lot from this. Thanks!

[Valerie Anne Faulkner]

This blog is great...I have been working as a writer, promoting myself, and wearing many hats, so to speak. Sometimes 'it' all seems so overwhelming. I have to remind myself often, ‘patience is a virtue!’ You’ve reinforced what I’ve been trying to do, along with a number of excellent tips. Thank you so much!

[Linda Yezak]

Just so I understand, when I query MacGregor Literary, and include in my letter my marketing vision, I can mention my membership to several social sites-- including Facebook and Twitter--with a straight face? I can proudly announce that I have two blogs and am a contributor to an e-zine, and be confident I'm answering the marketing question? If so, *Hot Diggity!!!* I'm so relieved!

In all honesty, I've been sweating that question. I have no clue how to answer what my marketing vision is.

Help!

[Tam]

This is a great post and answers some important questions. I'm now thinking about how I can use a trailer to promote my teen book. Thanks!

[Nicole O'Dell]

You mentioned talking with your publicist in order to avoid dupilcating efforts. I agree in theory but just last week I found out that my publicist scheduled a blog tour for me after I had already arranged my own. Would I have still put the effort in to finding 30 blogs to review my books if I had known she was going to set it up for me? Perhaps not. Now I get double exposure and I'm thrilled about it!

But, I wouldn't advocate not communicating just for the off chance of a surprise like that.

Also, about the book trailer...I was seriously dreading the idea of trying to put one together. And I'm sure many would put mine in the cheesy category. But now that I'm done with it, I'm really glad I did it. I felt like if I didn't at least try to do one, I'd be leaving a marketing avenue on the table that might have helped in some way.

[chip responds]

Hi Linda - You can definitely mention all you social media contacts in the marketing portion of your proposal. A publisher is basically looking for the number of connections you've got. So first make it strong, then make sure to mention it. -Chip

[Lori A. May]

I'm glad I stumbled upon your blog. I heard about it through the WD 'best tweets of the week,' via twitter.

Really great tips and reminders. Thanks!

Lori A. May
http://loriamay.blogspot.com
www.loriamay.com
http://twitter.com/loriamay

[Livia]

Yeah, I don't quite get the book trailer thing. I wonder how many people actually watch them.

[Laura Manivong]

Thanks for the info...it comes at a perfect time for me, except um, the book trailer part which I already labored over for an end product that's 30 seconds long. And I DO make TV commercials for a living!!

[D.I. Telbat]

Thanks for your helpful, practical info! I appreciate your time.

[twitter.com/IntimacyRetreat]

"the purpose of marketing is ... to move people to action." That's what links marketing to sales. It's a fine line yet sometimes a huge gap to move someone from just learning about what you offer to actually signing up or making a purchase. That's where real skill shows up. I look forward to reading your other posts, thanks!

Diana Daffner
http://www.IntimacyRetreats.com
http://www.TantraforBusyCouples.com