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Marketing! Marketing! Marketing!
By William Mills
Publishers require authors to perform a lot of the marketing
themselves. Marketing does not come naturally to most authors
since many of us are introverts, like me. We would rather spend
all day in libraries or taking long walks in the woods mulling
over plot or character development than hawking our stories.
Below is a list of what I did for marketing A 30 Day Retreat:
A Guide to Spiritual Renewal. I continue to spend at least one
hour per day marketing my book. A 30 Day Retreat deals with
Christian spirituality and is written for a wide ecumenical
audience.
When reading think of your book and how you can approach
your marketing plan with your particular themes in mind.
My list:
1. Contracted to have a professional website created with
Novelwebsite Design,
www.novelwebsitedesign.com . Cost = $600 plus
$90 per year for service (includes free email account, monthly
updating, and a blog link).
2. Contacted Vista Print, www.vistaprint.com
, to have color
4x6 postcards with the cover of my book on the front and my
website URL and a short blurb on the back; great for bookmarks
or for promotional handouts. Had color business cards made, too.
3. Created a short “intro email” which I personalized each time
I used it. I included my name, one or two sentences about me, my
website URL, and my book title and publisher information. This
letter became the foundation for the rest of my contacts.
4. Contacted every library in the county system as well as my
alma mater college library and the two college libraries where I
teach part time. I received very positive responses. Libraries
want to carry books by local authors.
5. Contacted every Independent Bookstore within a 400-mile radius
of my home after visiting the Independent Books website,
www.indiebound.com . Results? Three
author readings/book signings
lined up from June-Oct in NC and four other stores are stocking
my book.
6. Contacted Christian retreat centers in NC, SC, VA, TN, and GA.
Many retreat centers also have bookstores/gift shops. I received
very positive replies and several have agreed to stock copies of
my book. Since they know that I also lead retreats for Christian
groups, they may ask me to host a retreat later on.
7. Contacted everyone on my email address list, Christmas card list,
former friends, classmates, dentist, doctor, CPA, and insurance
agent. Yes, you may laugh, but they may not know you are an author.
Even if they do not buy your book, they pass on the info to friends
and family.
8. I could not do everything myself so I hired a freelance publicist.
Cost = $1,000. Freelancers range between $1K-$5K per project
depending on marketing plan. What did I get for that money? A color
Press Kit (which is on my website—check it out!!!), 100 contacts for
print, radio, and blog; and a three-month follow-up for book reviews
or author interviews.
9. Contacted Christian-based blogs that I read and asked if they
would review my book. Results? You betcha, five agreed to review
the book. It’s free PR.
10. Four years ago my wife and I traveled to England and Scotland,
and I noticed that every Cathedral has a bookshop or gift shop.
Online I found a Cathedral directory for the UK and used the same
“intro email” that I used for my other contacts. Results? You bet.
Six Cathedrals agreed to stock copies of my book.
All of you new authors out there, get out your address books,
lists, and contacts and start marketing. It's not overwhelming.
In fact, it's simple common sense.
Good luck.
BIO
William C. Mills - Author of A 30 Day Retreat: A Personal Guide
to Spiritual Renewal (Paulist Press, 2010)
www.williamcmills.com
www.williamcmills.blogspot.com
Walking with God blog
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