1. Creating
a web presence with a website and blog
2. Building
your email list of true fans so you can stay in touch with them
3. Responsive
and regular activity on your favorite social media platform
4. Posting
your biographical profile wherever you can
5. Activity
in relevant forums and groups and commenting on appropriate blogs
6. Regular
cultivation of reviewers, bloggers, and journalists
7. Learning
from your peers
8. Turning
your readers into ambassadors
We’ll talk about each of these in more detail shortly. Some
will appeal to you more than others and could be considered optional. Some are
pretty essential. All can make a difference, and I’d suggest you do all of them
at one time or another.
But I’m an author, not a
marketer!
Sorry, but unless you’re a blockbuster best-selling author,
you’d better be both. Don’t let the idea scare you. Just think of every present
or future reader as a present or future friend, and you’ll grasp the right
mindset for relationship marketing: making authentic connections and nurturing
them until they become true fans.
Isn’t my publisher
supposed to market my book for me?
If you’re one of the relatively few published authors who
actually have a publisher, they may promote your book through ads and media. But more
and more, they rely on authors to work their own connections and relationships
to promote their books. In fact, many publishers will only sign on new authors
who bring an existing author platform with them.
Start marketing your book
before it’s finished
Whenever possible, build buzz before your book is even
available. Start talking about your book on your social media channels. You can
even create a Facebook page for the book to get conversations started early.
Some authors are brilliant at getting their fans involved in contributing ideas
or even direction and content for their book. When John Maxwell wrote Everyone
Communicates, Few Connect, he used his blog
to ask for stories and input from his readers for months before the book was
published. He didn’t include everyone’s comment, but he did list every person’s
name insider the cover. He even included a thumbnail photo of them.
Action steps to build a
robust author platform
1. Create a professional website/blog and keep it up to
date.
If you don’t have a website already, I highly recommend you
consider a Wordpress.org website. While you still have to purchase hosting and
a domain name, Wordpress itself is free, and it offers a very robust content
management system that makes it easy to create pages and blog posts and even
sell things from the site. You simply must have your own “digital real estate”
that you control yourself. More importantly, with just a bit of Wordpress
experience, you can add and change content yourself without having to hire a
webmaster to do it for you. It’s usually worth getting some professional help
with the set-up so it doesn’t look homespun, but why be at a webmaster’s mercy
for ongoing changes if you don’t have to?
Your website and the content you put on it will allow the
search engines to find you and become more visible online. Use keywords in your
headlines, pages and posts that match what your target market is looking for.
Make sure your website content “sounds” like you. I’m a fan
of Craig Johnson’s Longmire books, and his website
http://www.craigallenjohnson.com/
has several features that help the visitor get to know him. There are lots of
pictures and an “Interrogation” page that consists of an interview with the
author that is very revealing of his quirks and personality.
Here are some other website features than can help with the
site’s “stickiness” and increase your visibility:
·
Blog: If you
think you can post regularly to a blog (minimum monthly but better weekly), it
can be become a very effective way to increase your visibility. This is a great
place to answer reader questions (or imagined questions). You can also use it
to provide your back-story for your book. Don’t forget to list your blog on
Kindle so Kindle users can subscribe to it there: https://kindlepublishing.amazon.com.
·
Email opt-in box:
See #1 below for more on this. In addition to an opt-in box in your sidebar,
you might also want to create a whole landing page that incorporates an opt-in
box along with an invitation to your readers to get free updates or a special
offer. You can use a link to this page in your Facebook or other advertising.
·
Video: Video is
a powerful way to get people to build that “know, like, and trust” factor more
quickly. Think about it. When you go to a website and there is a short welcome
video from the author, especially when it’s sincere and warm, you start feeling
good about them and more interested in what they’ve written. You begin to feel
as though you know them personally. Virtually every cell phone, camera, and
computer now has video capability, so you no longer have to spend lots of money
to create a simple, effective video. Lou Bortone is my go-to
guy for video marketing information and training.
·
Media Page:
Make it easy for an interested person to get information about you, especially
journalists or bloggers. This might be on your Contact Page or it might be a
separate “Media” tab of your menu that takes a journalist or media
representative to lots of information they might need to write about you. This
could include biographical facts, recognitions, high-resolution photos, quotes,
and excerpts.
·
Extra value content: Some authors use their website to enhance the value of their book by
adding more content just for readers. For fiction, this might be an author
interview about the book. A short prequel or sequel can be enticing, as can
some additional background information about your characters. For nonfiction,
your website could include additional information, charts, and graphs that
further elaborate on the topic of your book. Give readers a URL for this
information right at the end of your book.
Here’s a useful article called
“Ten
Author Websites That Really Do The Business” by Simon Appleby. It
spotlights ten effective author websites. Besides looking at the sites, read
the comments for each one to see what the article author considers pros and
cons.
2. Build an Email list
This should be a high priority for anyone with an online
presence. Denise Wakeman, co-founder of The Future of Ink website, considers it
among the top five essential elements for selling more books. As she stated in
a recent article,
“Without an email list of qualified prospects and
customers, you will always struggle to sell your book. The people who give you
their email address are telling you they value what you offer and want to hear
from you.”
A reputable email service provider will not only save you
time and headaches, but it will also ensure you don’t run afoul of spam
regulations. You can create customized lists if your wish (e.g. a separate list
for each book you write), and the tools offered by your provider will make it
easy to send messages, newsletters, or updates to your followers. I started
with MailChimp for free. Since I also do affiliate marketing, I have since
moved to Aweber. Other reputable email service providers include Constant
Contact, KickStartCart, and InsfusionSoft.
The email sign-up form (a.k.a. opt-in box) usually appears
in your website/blog sidebar. Wordpress makes this very easy with its sidebar
widget functionality. Sign-ups increase if you offer a free digital download in
return for your prospect giving you their first name and email. This could be
an excerpt from your latest book or a short report on the topic of your book.
This is sometimes referred to as “ethical bait.”
3. Get active on at least two or three social media
platforms.
As I write this article, the “big four” social media
platforms are Facebook, Twitter, YouTube, and LinkedIn, but Pinterest and
Google+ are not far behind. YouTube goes hand-in-hand with the others, because
it is the best place to upload your videos and then get YouTube’s embed code to
place them on your website or talk about them on your other social media
platforms.
Don’t get involved in more social media platforms than you
can handle, because it’s very important for you to monitor them and respond to
comments and questions from fans and readers. Learn how to “listen” to what’s
being said about you, your book, or the topic of your book. This article
“4
Steps to Create a Social Listening Strategy” by Sandy Carter on
SocialMediaExaminer.com can help you get started.
Never underestimate how thrilled your readers will be when
they can actually have a conversation directly with the book’s author. I write
a lot of book reviews on Amazon and Goodreads. Often an author will leave me a
message thanking me for my review. I’m always impressed and appreciative when
they make this kind of effort. They’re paying attention and they’re hustling.
You should be too.
Consider creating a Facebook Page for each one of your
books. This is the perfect place for fans to come and ask questions about the
plot or the characters, and this is where you can start conversations with your
fans that make them feel you are accessible and likable. I’ve listed an article
by Wes Locher in the Resources section below on other ways to use Facebook to
promote your book.
4. Post your biographical profile wherever you can
Every social media platform offers the ability to create a
detailed personal profile. Here’s your chance to shine! Be real and don’t be
afraid to be authentically quirky. If drinking a glass of red wine puts you in
the mood to write, tell your readers. It helps them know you and like you.
Don’t forget these important places for establishing your
presence with a profile.
·
Author Central on Amazon: Besides a
place to put biographical information, there is a great deal of functionality
here too, including the ability to add RSS feeds for your blog or other sites.
·
Google – if you use Gmail, you already have a Google
account, but if not, create one. Make sure you’ve filled out all the profile
information. When your Google name appears, it is clickable and goes to this
information. Learn more here: http://www.google.com/+/learnmore/profile/.
Even places like TripAdvisor and many other commercial sites
offer you a personal profiles when you register with them. Whenever you get a
chance, let people know you’re an author and how they can learn more about you.
You may also find some directories in which to add a listing by searching for
“directories for book authors” in your search engine’s search box.
5. Find forums and groups in your field and comment on
relevant blogs
This may be more useful for nonfiction books, but if you can
find a forum where people are discussing topics related to your book, you may
have an opportunity to add value to their community and become known for your
expertise by the forum members. Use Google or another search engine to search
for “forum+your topic or niche.”
It’s extremely important to abide by forum rules. While most
will prohibit direct promotion, many do allow you to create a signature that
shows up every time you write a post. Here’s an example:
Jane Doe
Contributing author, Book Title
Facebook and LinkedIn both have hundreds of groups you may
ask to join. In both cases, log in first, and then use the platform search box
to enter keywords such as “book marketing” or “book promotion.” In LinkedIn,
you can select “Groups” from the drop down box to the left of the search box.
Most groups will require you to request to join.
Commenting on other blogs can be a surprisingly effective
strategy, especially if it’s done thoughtfully and respectfully, without
pushing your book. Be sure you have a Gravatar.com account that links your
thumbnail photo with any emails you might use when you register at a blog. When
you leave a comment, not only will your picture show up, but your user name
will be a live link to whatever website URL you have entered in your
registration. If your comments are interesting and thought provoking, readers
may become interested enough to click on the link and learn more about you.
6. Cultivate reviewers, bloggers, and journalists
Every time you are mentioned in an article, a blog post, a
Facebook post, or a tweet—either positively or negatively—it increases your
visibility to an entirely new group of people. It makes sense to cultivate
relationships with those who have their own large audience and who can help you
spread the word. Reviewers, bloggers, and journalists are at the top of this
list.
In #5 above, I mentioned the importance of leaving comments
on other blogs, including blogs that review books. Bloggers love to get
substantive comments that add value to the conversation about their post. If
you become a regular commenter, believe me, most bloggers will notice.
In #4 above, I included links for getting on listed on
Amazon, Goodreads, and Shelfari. These links also include information about how
to leverage those sites and their easy access to readers and reviewers to get
more visibility.
HARO (Help a Reporter
Out) is a great way to learn about journalists who are looking for
information or people to interview for an article they’re writing. It’s free to
sign up, and you can select getting notices in specific categories. These are
usually quite time-sensitive, so check them regularly.
7. Learn from your peers
This overlaps with other items on this list, but it bears
repeating. Don’t reinvent the wheel when you can learn what has worked for
others trying to do the same thing you are. Interact with peers in groups,
forums, and online webinars. I’ve listed some terrific resources below that
will get you started.
8. Turn your readers into ambassadors
Many authors forget to do one simple thing that can make a
big difference in sales: ask the reader who has just finished your book to tell
their friends via social media or word-of-mouth. Right then…while they’re
thinking about it.
Virtually all the strategies I’ve discussed in this article
can contribute to building relationships with your readers and turning them
into true fans. Then they become an invisible sales team, telling others about
you while you sleep!
Don’t let yourself get
overwhelmed!
This may all feel like more than you can do, but don’t let
it discourage you. Not all of these things will be relevant to your particular
situation or suit your particular personality or modus operandi. Just do something—take baby steps—on a regular
basis to build your author platform, and a year from now, you’ll be amazed at
the results. Of course, if you decide to take massive action, you’ll get
results even more quickly.
And remember, whatever effort you make to build your author
platform will help position you to get much faster results when you publish
your next book!
What tips for building an author platform can you share with
readers of this blog? Please comment below.
Resources for book
marketing
Book Marketing Made Easy website:
D’vorah Lansky is both an author and a book marketing wizard. She brings in
experts to contribute to her blog and does terrific industry expert interviews
that are informative and helpful for authors trying to increase their
visibility.
The Publicity Hound
website: Joan Stewart offers a tremendous amount of information, both free
and paid, on every aspect of marketing and publicity imaginable.
Social Media
Examiner website:
http://socialmediaexaminer.com:
“Your guide to the social media jungle.” Founded by Michael Stelzner, this
searchable site has everything you ever wanted to know about how to use social
media properly and effectively. Guest bloggers include industry experts, and
their training events are always value-packed.
Author’s Note: Some links are the author’s affiliate
links, but she only recommends people or products she has used herself, and in
no instance would your purchase cost more than if you used a regular link.
