Why writers need to take charge of their marketing
Recently, I spoke to an author by phone. She’d found my company’s website and was calling to find out what marketing services my company offered. I explained to her that she could either purchase the Marketing and Publicity for the author eBook or a phone consultation. I told her that the eBook was a quick read and most authors start there and if they have additional questions, I encourage them to take advantage of the one hour phone consultation.
“Can’t you just do it for me? The marketing that is…” she asked.
I laughed and explained to her that aside from a writer’s publishing team, writers are their own best spokesperson.
She then told me she was self-published. She’d released her book a few months prior, sold a few hundred books on her own but was looking for more exposure. She expressed the fact that she didn’t have time to read the eBook (which I must say is a quick read) and she didn’t have the time to implement any marketing strategies.
This is a common sentiment among authors. As a matter of fact, it was my sentiment very early on. It was one of the reasons why I wanted to be traditionally published at first. I didn’t have the time to devote to marketing. What with a full time job, freelancing, blogging, being a mother and the fifty eleven other things I do on a daily basis. Yeah I said fifty eleven. lol.
But that was three years ago and I want to share with you what I’ve learned since then. First, I want to reiterate:
You are your book’s best spokesperson!
Why?
Because you wrote it.
You are the most passionate about it.
You best understand the message your book is trying to convey.
You can best explain the process and the motivation behind it.
Now can someone else market your book and garner you greater exposure? Absolutely! But more often than not, I find authors who hire publicists and marketing teams and then are left feeling like they didn’t get their monies worth, when the marketing efforts don’t equal thousands of book sales.
So why should writers take charge of their marketing? If you are traditionally published you should be complimenting the efforts of your publishing company. If you are self-published, at the least you should be devoting a few hours each week marketing your title. This can be done through social media (Facebook, Twitter, blogging, etc.) or traditionally (book signings and interviews).
Authors should be mingling with the readers of their books, learning their likes and dislikes, reading the reviews and communicating regularly with the people who support them. Once a writer begins working on their next book, they’ll know what parts of their book compelled the reader, what parts made them cringe, and what parts kept them up at night.
Why should you take charge of your marketing?
Because it makes sense!
Do you have to handle ALL of your own marketing? Absolutely not! But just as you would have some input on any other career you embark upon, you should do the same with your writing career. After all, writing is very personal and who better to represent your artistry than you?
Do you handle your own book marketing? Please share in the comments section below.
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I think a lot of people lack the motivation to promote their work. They want a quick way out and they figure they can pay someone to do the hard work. you are correct in saying the author promotes the work the best.
Well said Stephanie! Writing a book is a long, drawn out process and takes commitment. Why would marketing it be quick and easy? But, it can be fun. If you have the passion to do the deed, then be proud and yell it from as many mountain tops as you can find!