In today’s Publetariat Dispatch, Savvy Book Marketer Dana Lynn Smith shares tips for identifying and overcoming obstacles in your book marketing effort.
Many authors consider book marketing a necessary evil – they would rather be writing! But of course it’s essential to promote your book if you want to actually sell it.
Here are five common roadblocks to successful book sales:
- Starting too late – Ideally, your marketing journey should begin the minute you decide to write a book. You want to consider whether there’s a viable market for the book and also tailor the book to meet the needs of a specific audience. But wherever you are in your publishing journey, NOW is the time to get serious about marketing your book.
- Inertia – You can overcome inertia by setting goals and taking positive action each day to meet those goals.
- Lack of direction – Many authors just aren’t sure how to promote a book or how to prioritize the numerous tasks involved in book promotion. Lots of authors feel overwhelmed or jump from one activity to another without any clear plan. A good book marketing plan gives you a blueprint for promoting your book.
- Lack of knowledge – Marketing requires a different still set from writing a book. Many authors have no background in marketing and they need to learn new skills. There are numerous books, blogs, podcasts, teleseminars and other resources available to authors. Many resources are free, but it’s a good idea to invest in training in the areas you most need to learn about.
- Lack of time – Many authors are surprised at the amount of time and effort required to promote their books. This can be especially challenging for those who have full time jobs and family responsibilities on top of their writing and publishing venture. Having a good book marketing plan helps you to budget your time most effectively.
Book Marketing Plan = Success
As you can see, a book marketing plan will help you overcome the most common roadblocks to book promotion. But your plan must be:
- Well thought-out and in writing
- Customized for your book and your audience
- Reflect your own skills, budget and time constraints
Book marketing can seem daunting, but I guarantee that having a plan will make it less daunting!
Your book marketing plan will help to keep you from feeling overwhelmed or paralyzed. Just put one foot in front of the other – take at least one action every day, no matter how small, and you will make progress.
To learn what goes into a good book marketing plan, download my free report, Create a Book Marketing Plan That Sells Books. For step-by-step guidance in how to develop your own customized plan, check out the Ultimate Book Marketing Plan Workshop.
This is a reprint from Dana Lynn Smith‘s The Savvy Book Marketer.
