Alternative Marketing Methods, Book Marketing, Kelly Speaks, Marketing Your Self-Published Book, Uncategorized

Six Steps to Hosting a Successful Book Reading Event!

As an established author, one may come to notice a seemingly inevitable plateau or decline in book sales as time goes on. There are ways, however, to re-engage your fan base and reinvigorate your marketing strategies. One terrific, simple way to do this is to arrange a book reading at your local bookstore, library, coffee shop, university or school, etc.

It is important–whether or not your book is hot off the press–to keep your audience engaged, but also to keep yourself actively engaged in promoting and selling your book. Not only do fans of your work want to see you in person, a book reading can also drum up potential fans who would not have otherwise heard of your piece!

So…the question you may have is, how does one prepare for a book reading?

Come Prepared

Pick 4 or 5 captivating passages to really draw in your audience. Practice reading these passages to friends, to a mirror, or even to your cat if you feel so inclined. If you want to utilize the camera feature on your smartphone or computer, you can even film yourself to see how your performance will appear to others.

Be Confident, Comfortable, and Relatable

A great way to relate to your potential readers is to provide your personal reasons for writing the story, or the inspiration behind it. Make sure to come up with key talking points if you’re going to take this approach so that you can talk freely without a script–appearing confident and comfortable will further inspire people to give your book a chance!

Keep Your Audience Engaged

Make sure to keep a close eye on your audience: if you’ve only made it through some of your material but notice that the crowd is getting restless or checking their phones, change gears and do a Q & A to keep them actively participating. If you’re too busy staring down at your script or book, you’ll miss important body language cues that could help you gauge where you should direct your attention, or perhaps encourage you to take up a more captivating tone or to make better eye contact.

Don’t waste a precious opening by reading out a long list of names, thanking those who helped you publish your book and risk putting your audience to sleep–instead, lure them in, grab their attention, answer their questions, THEN thank whoever you need to thank.

Anticipate Obvious Questions

Don’t fumble when people ask you “What does the title mean?” or “Was the character inspired by a real person?”, etc. etc.

Also, repeat the questions to the audience, you want everyone to know what you’re responding to, not just the person posing the question.

Don’t Be Afraid to Get Creative with Location

Remember that bookstores are not the only places to find potential readers. There are a myriad of potentially relevant locations for you to speak at which could span from a woman’s shelter to a community garden to a prison, etc. etc. If your book is about long distance hiking, try a local gear store. The key is, start close to home!

Get the contact information for whatever venue you’re looking to speak at: manager’s name, phone number, and email are great places to start! Describe how your book reading could benefit the business by drawing in customers, resonate with the store’s target customers, increase the likelihood that those there for the book reading will also shop at the store after the event.

Advertise Your Event!

Make sure to publicize your event: flyers, social media posts, mention it in your blog, send a press release to local shopping guides or community calendars.

Remember above all else, it is not up to book stores to sell books, but authors themselves! Be active in the process of marketing and selling your book and the success of your book sales will reflect your hard work!

[ book readings are a great way to drum up interest in your book! ]

Thank you for reading! If you have any questions, comments, suggestions, or contributions, please use the comment field below or drop us a line atselfpublishingadvice@gmail.com. And remember to check back each Wednesday for your weekly dose of marketing musings from one indie, hybrid, and self-published author to another. ♠

ABOUT KELLY SCHUKNECHT: Kelly Schuknecht is the Executive Vice President of Outskirts Press. In addition to her contributions to the Outskirts Press blog at blog.outskirtspress.com, Kelly and a group of talented marketing experts offer book marketing services, support, and products to not only published Outskirts Press authors, but to all authors and professionals who are interested in marketing their books and/or careers. Learn more about Kelly on her blog, kellyschuknecht.com. 10:00 AM

Book Marketing, Kelly Speaks, Marketing Your Self-Published Book, Uncategorized

Marketing Master Strokes Episode 5: Try Every New Thing

Five weeks ago, we started down this road: a road of positive thinking and proactive decision-making. A road upon which we agreed to stop thinking about the many ways we can mess up the marketing process (Marketing Missteps) and pivoted onto the front foot–to thinking, in short, about the many ways we can succeed instead. So far we’ve looked at four master strokes, and today we’ll add a fifth, but a word of warning: this one’s not for the faint of heart!

Our first four master strokes asked that we:

be all ears (listening to the stories of others, and keeping an open mind to actually changing your own approach),
be willing to reach our readers where they live (setting aside the ego in order to adapt our outreach methods to best suit our readers),
incentivize! (Or at least, find new ways to make your book look attractive.) And last but certainly not least, our penultimate master stroke requires us to …
play well with others.

But the fifth master stroke? Well, this is the hardest one of all. It’s the most difficult to (no pun intended … maybe) master because it requires the aspiring self-publishing author to let go a little. Okay, a lot. It requires a complete surrender of the ego, because the ego cannot survive the constant process of optimization, the acceptance that the self doesn’t have all the answers, and that the process of innovation and modification will endure as long as that author remains an author. Which we hope, of course, is forever.

So what is this mysterious fifth and final master stroke?

Climb Every Mountain, Ford Every Stream

Okay, okay. Just kidding. The real master stroke is:

Try Every New Thing. Try A New Thing Regularly. Daily. Always.

… and of course I might have summarized this as “optimize the crud out of your marketing process,” but that’s as clear as mud. What does it actually mean to “optimize”? It means to try new things. To try every new thing. To try a new thing regularly. To try it daily. To try it … always. And to observe, listen carefully to what the data is telling you, to use your intuition to sense when there’s a quantifiable trend and when the numbers are actually calling for a change in method. It requires us not to be afraid, to in point of fact be brave, and be brave often, to think creatively about every obstacle in our path. To push through self-doubt and disappointment. To see clearly amidst the blinding glitter of success.

To think about life and being an author and marketing as some kind of laboratory, where experimentation is the rule and not the exception–and where, like good scientists, we document our progress thoroughly so that we can track, exactly, which outcomes can be attributed to which changes in method.

Look, I realize I’m treading on unstable ground here. I don’t advocate authors give up on their own ideas altogether. Self-publishing is a safe-haven for those who want to hold true to their personal vision of what’s good and what’s right for them, in the face of a cynical world and the influences of a hostile traditional publishing institution. I think we need to protect and cultivate the ideas that are different, outside of the box, and unique to you. What I mean by “sacrificing the ego” and so on and so forth is that we give up on closing our minds off to the real heart of innovation. And the innovator’s approach, as you’ll already be well aware, is a joyful heart that embraces new approaches and new ideas–if they work. So let’s find out if they work! As your final master stroke, I challenge you to go out and try something new–whether it’s a new social media platform, a new promotional offer, a new collaboration, or any number of other ideas–every day of the week.

Go forth and innovate!

barnes and noble, Kelly Speaks, news from the self publishing world, self publishing news, Uncategorized

Self-Publishing News: 7.4.2016

Happy Independence Day, Everyone!

Here in the United States, we’re busy celebrating the hard work done by many people all over the world to ensure our freedoms, and planning how best to continue that work in the years to come. Now, we know it’s not Independence Day for everyone–and that many still live in poverty and even in modern forms of slavery–but we hope that what we do here on this blog every day throughout the year contributes, in some small way, to building hope and cultivating the conviction that independent thought and action is something to be admired, and supported.

And now for the news!

This week in the world of self-publishing:

How to Prepare for Self-Publishing: Marketing

This June 30th article by Catherine Dunn for Digital Book World continues a series being published to that website regarding the ins and outs of the self-publishing experience. The whole series, as we mentioned last week, is worth checking out and exploring–it’s packed with insight and thoroughly researched–but this week’s is perhaps more pertinent than ever, given that the topic is marketing. (And we really like talking about Marketing here on Self-Publishing Advisor, if you haven’t noticed!) This week, Dunn taps into some of the fundamentals of the marketing process: getting reviews, getting creative, leveraging social media and giveaways to meet your needs, how to watch your budget while marketing, how to keep the momentum going, and what to do next once you launch your book into the “real world”. All in all, it’s a tightly packed little essay on the process of marketing for indie and self-publishing authors, with a good dollop of common sense and a large serving of innovative thought. But what else would we expect from Digital Book World? We love those guys. They’re awesome. You can read the original article here.

Self-published comics are changing an aging industry—for the better

This piece by Caitlin Rosberg went live on The A.V. Club on June 30th as well, and from its title you might have guessed that it has a little something to do with the world of self-published comics–a growing market niche we’ve commented on here and there at Self-Publishing Advisor in months past. According to Rosberg, our attention has been well-allocated, since changing the way comics are published (or at the very least, providing a viable “other way” for them to be published) benefits everyone involved in the self-publishing industry, from authors to illustrators to readers. Spurred by her dissatisfaction with this year’s Eisner list of award nominees–none of which were self-published, for reasons we’ve discussed elsewhere (*coughcoughSTIGMAcoughREPUTATIONcough*)–Rosberg unveils a few of her favorite self-published comics as well as the ways in which they’re changing the comic landscape. She drops a lot of names (Smut Peddler, anyone?) and her points hit home. To read the full article, drop on by The A.V. Club article here.

Barnes & Noble makes belated effort to attract self-publishers, launches NOOK Press

What we have here may be something less than an article and something more along the lines of a press release, but it’s big news nonetheless: on June 28th, Barnes & Noble declared several groundbreaking (and ground-shaking) changes to its lineup of products and services. The main event is the unveiling of NOOK Press, which B&N is launching in order “to provide NOOK Press authors with an easy-to-use, self-service program that enables them to create hardcover and paperback books for customer purchase.” The new platform will allow eligible NOOK Press authors (conditions apply) to “have the opportunity to sell their print books at Barnes & Noble stores across the country on a local, regional or national level, and online at BN.com. Authors can also qualify for the opportunity to participate at in-store events including book signings and discussions, where they will be able to sell their print books and meet fans.” There’s a lot to chew on here, but the moral of the story seems to be: if Amazon does something for half a decade and finds success, maybe it’s time to take note and jump on a similar train. To read the full press release, follow the link!

As a self-publishing author, you may find it helpful to stay up-to-date on the trends and news related to the self-publishing industry.This will help you make informed decisions before, during and after the self-publishing process, which will lead to a greater self-publishing experience. To help you stay current on self-publishing topics, simply visit our blog every Monday to find out the hottest news. If you have other big news to share, please comment below.

Conversations with a Self-Publishing Writer, Royalene Speaks, Uncategorized

Conversations: 7/1/2016

WISE COUNSEL—WITH MUSCLE I

You’ve probably heard the phrase, “Writers write because they have to.” If you’re reading this blog, I know you’ve not only heard this statement, you’re feeling it right now. So it is that the world will never be without writers and the works they produce. Sadly, however, too many of these excellent and noteworthy pieces may never reach the hands of the Readers who will enjoy them and/or benefit from them. Why? Because we’re writers not publishers or marketing experts.

Not long ago, I was talking with a friend about my newly self-published book which took me nine (9) years to finish. He asked me for my business card so he could remember the title and purchase it online. Business card? I wrote the title on a sticky note and we parted as he congratulated me on completing such an extensive project. Today, I have a business card showing the cover of my book on one side, the title and my contact info on the other side.

That conversation really got me motivated to get my book marketing plan on track. But, of course, first I had to develop one! I did a quick google search, and found this illustration. I’m one of those visual/tactical learners, so this picture of what I needed to do has really helped me. I hope it will give you some focus, too.

Immediately, my eye went to the circled word: SUCCESS. Yep, that’s a main goal I’m reaching for. And the next word I noticed is the underlined word strategy. Okay, I know the definition of the word—to develop a plan, or approach. However, my writer’s idea box about just how to go about doing that was empty. And all those other words listed on this illustration intimidate me even more—except for the word PEOPLE. A definite goal of mine is to introduce this book to everyone!

Reviewing the remaining words, I took a yellow notepad and started making a list. Media. Promotion. Campaign. Advertisement. Branding. Communication. Business/Profit/Budget. Research. Sales. Customers. When I reached the word SOLUTION, I realized that I was not the solution to my marketing dilemma. Even if I went back to school and took hours of marketing classes, I realized that marketing is not my natural gift. I needed specialized assistance and I needed it now. Then I recalled a conversation I’d had with my publishing consultant when self-published my book. She told me that she could help me connect with one of their Marketing Specialist! Why I hadn’t thought of that before, I don’t know. But I was already feeling a big sense of relief.

I am now happily back to work on my next book. No longer am I anxious about spending all my time plotting and planning the ways and means of promoting my book. Plus, with everything my Marketing Assistant—and new friend—is doing, I’m learning more about being an Author Entrepreneur. Much like my neighbor, who is a photography artist, I’m now showcasing my work in multiple unique book galleries. Those PEOPLE I was hoping to connect with are now reading my book. Being a writer/author has become fun again. ⚓︎

ABOUT ROYALENE DOYLE: Royalene has been writing something since before kindergarten days and continues to love the process. Through her small business—DOYLE WRITING SERVICES—she brings more than 40 years of writing experience to authors who need “just a little assistance” with completing their projects. This is a nice fit as she develops these blogs for Outskirts Press (OP) a leading self-publisher, and occasionally accepts a ghostwriting project from one of their clients. Her recent book release (with OP) titled FIREPROOF PROVERBS, A Writer’s Study of Words, is already receiving excellent reviews including several professional writer’s endorsements given on the book’s back cover.

Royalene’s writing experience grew through a wide variety of positions from Office Manager and Administrative Assistant to Teacher of Literature and Advanced Writing courses and editor/writer for an International Christian ministry. Her willingness to listen to struggling authors, learn their goals and expectations and discern their writing voice has brought many manuscripts into the published books arena.

Alternative Marketing Methods, Book Marketing, Kelly Speaks, Marketing Your Self-Published Book, Uncategorized

Marketing Master Strokes Episode 4: Play Well With Others

We launched into a new series three weeks ago, the moment when we agreed to stop thinking about the many ways we can mess up the marketing process (Marketing Missteps) and pivoted instead to thinking about the many ways we can succeed instead (hence, this series: Marketing Master Strokes). Our first master stroke required us to be all ears (listening to the stories of others, and keeping an open mind to actually changing your own approach), and our second required us to be willing to reach our readers where they live (setting aside the ego in order to adapt our outreach methods to best suit our readers), and our third master stroke was all about the incentives! Or rather, why making your work look appealing as a product using special deals, discounts, and giveaways is a good idea.

But that’s all boilerplate. What you’re really here for–what you’re really interested in this week–is figuring out what our fourth master stroke will be. And no beating around the bush, here it is:

Playing Well With Others

“It is a truth universally acknowledged, that a single man in possession of a good fortune must be in want of a wife,” wrote Jane Austen in the opening lines of Pride and Prejudice. But an even more pertinent truth, one that is in fact played out over the course of Austen’s novel and every other masterpiece of the global literary canon is this: Success, no matter how a person defines it, relies upon building human connections. Smart men and women, business leaders, and CEOs of major corporations know that this means playing well with others–even though this doesn’t mean pandering or compromising your vision and work ethic.

So what does this look like for the self-publishing author? Building personal connections with fans and fellow authors and industry experts over social media is one thing, but that isn’t all a person can do, right? Partnership is more than just tweeting at each other occasionally and tagging each other on Facebook posts.

Partnership Means Collaboration–Real Collaboration

And most self-publishing authors, no matter where they’re at in their publishing journey, could benefit from strong, dynamic, and useful collaboration. It’s important not to neglect social media–it’s a vital and important step in reaching out to other authors and figuring out what your common interests are–and there’s a lot to be said for other surface-level inquiries to local bookstores, libraries, and event venues. (And don’t neglect nonprofits, PEO groups, and other passion/interest groups–they may not have a permanent physical address, but if they choose to back you as an author, there’s no one better to have in your corner than a set of really capable, really driven people–like those who run these groups!)

Collaboration can look like:

pairing up with another author or multiple authors to host a book discussion or workshop together;
gathering several other authors together and applying to run a booth at a local book fair, or a panel at a “con” (convention);
conducting interviews with other authors and sharing them on each other’s websites, providing insight into the authorial process; and
co-writing short stories or novellas together, to be distributed as giveaways or free to the public online.

I’m sure you can think of many other good ideas! The point is to think outside of the box, and to predict what your readers will want before they want it–and of course, to have a lot of fun while at it. There’s nothing more refreshing than discovering like-minded authors and building a community that supports and champions each others’ work. Trust me: even the most introverted and anti-social author needs people, and on terms that benefit everyone. Playing well with others isn’t just some buzzword or catchphrase to get your attention. Successful authors all point to collaboration and partnership as one of the hallmarks of their process, and that’s why it ranks as one of our master strokes.

Tag: marketing your self published book