Four weeks ago, I set out to gather together my absolute all-time favorite marketing advice––advice I have both given and received over my years as a self-publishing advocate working in sales and management––and today is a good day, because I get to look at it all together. Over the course of four Thursdays, I have laid out a map––a blueprint––for an indie author’s success on the marketing trail: Fourteen tips you can put to work as you decide upon your own personal priorities as an author and put together your own marketing campaign.
They are:
Part One:
- GETTING STARTED : Become the local expert.
- TIP TWO: Get ’em while they’re young
- TIP THREE: Consider online advertising
- TIP FOUR: Introduce new formats of your book
Part Two:
- TIP FIVE : Ask for book reviews
- TIP SIX: Request peer reviews
- TIP SEVEN : Create a mailing list or Facebook group
Part Three:
- TIP EIGHT : Craft a “keep in touch” plan
- TIP NINE : Go to the Press
- TIP TEN : Get your next manuscript off the drawing board
- TIP ELEVEN : The book must be blogged!
Part Four:
- TIP TWELVE : Give your blog or website a face lift
- TIP THIRTEEN : Play well with others
- TIP FOURTEEN : Take the Grand Tour
If you think this list is a long one, consider this: Marketing is no joke. It’s not an easy thing to do, especially if you’re embarking upon the journey solo. You’ve already done some mammoth work in finishing your manuscript––in being an author, period––and to be faced with a list like this might seem daunting. Which is why I didn’t really want to leave you with fourteen tips. What I really want is to leave you with one. And so, without further ado, I give you:
THE ONLY TIP YOU’LL EVER NEED: Let others help shoulder the burden
This is both the simplest and the hardest thing of all. We’re indie authors. We are accustomed not just to wanting to go it alone, but to having to go it alone. But the thing is, we’re at a critical and beautiful point in the self-publishing industry’s evolution: every door is open to us, and nobody is looking to slam them shut on someone just starting out, or on a veteran who needs to change things up. Take a breath. Take all the time you need. This is and always will be, your story. And it will be exactly what you want it to be, even if you have to ask for a little assistance along the way.
There are more resources than ever before available at your Google-savvy fingertips. There are hybrid self-publishing companies offering incredibly diverse kinds of assistance, tailored to your needs. There are advocates like me and like many of the people I work with at Outskirts Press who want nothing more than to help you achieve what you want to achieve. We’re here for you, and we’ll always be here for you.
Now more than ever before, one thing is true:
You are not alone. ♣︎
 ABOUT ELIZABETH JAVOR: With over 18 years of experience in sales and management, Elizabeth Javor works as the Manager of Author Services for Outskirts Press. The Author Services Department is composed of knowledgeable publishing consultants, pre-production specialists, customer service reps and book marketing specialists; together, they all focus on educating authors on the self-publishing process to help them publish the book of their dreams. Whether you are a professional looking to take your career to the next level with platform-driven non-fiction or a novelist seeking fame, fortune, and/or personal fulfillment, Elizabeth Javor can put you on the right path. |
Self Publishing Advisor 