Start your marketing and sales strategy before your acim bookstore is actually published; about three months. Fortunately, writers are known to be out-of-the-box thinkers which is a good thing because it’s time to get creative again. Use your talents to create interest in your book.
Example Of Points You Might Want To Include In A Book Marketing Plan (Strategy):
- Write down your goals; explain why you wrote this book, what are your sales goals. Are you only interested in your family and friends reading what you have to say or do you want to become commercially successful enough to make your living as a writer, maybe even end up on a bestseller list?
- Note the book description – book synopsis, format, page count, ISBN, etc.
- List the features and benefits of your book: Define what the book covers and how it benefits readers; is it fiction or non-fiction, expected to entertain or teach?
- Target Your Audience – You’ll want to cultivate a specific market and identify the niche markets; the readers characteristics, wants and needs; where and how to reach them. Will the book be intended for a pre-made group such as those interested in alternative health care, travel enthusiasts or avid fans of historical fantasy? Is it meant to be enjoyed by young readers or adults?
- Note Possible Sales Channels – distributors, wholesalers, retail bookstores, online bookstores, direct sales, bulk sales, other channels.
- Finance Points – pricing, re-seller discounts (includes affiliates), payment methods, order processing.
- List of one or two word tags you would use to describe your book for instance words like mystery, fiction, fantasy, mother’s love, dystopia, New York, mental illness.
- You’ll want a calendar (diary, journal) of events and planned promotions. Schedule daily or weekly marketing approaches such as a 15 minute daily block of time set aside for social media networking or writing a guest blog post.
- Methods you’ll use to reach your targeted readers, for example, press releases, radio interviews, blog tours, book reviews, book trailers.
Marketing plans cannot be ‘one size fits all’. Each one should be customized to the individual and the book. Be creative when it comes to your marketing methods and tools; thoughts and ideas pop up all the time. Listen to that nagging little voice in the back of your mind and share with the rest of us.
For Example: Imagine someone logs onto eBay with no particular goal in mind, they’re there to browse and since one of their interests is motorcycles they decide to see what they can find for the cross-country trip they’ve been dreaming about. So there they are scrolling through the motorcycle accessories and they stumble across your book entitled. Hey, something they have to have!
By thinking outside-of-the-box and offering your book for sale in an unexpected location you’ve mastered a new sales and marketing approach.
Lynnette Phillips of ‘Lynnette’s Book World’ has written reviews for numerous novels and short stories and has established relationships with many authors and publishers. She has recently launched a sister site highlight her book marketing tips, ‘Lynnette’s Book Marketing’.