Tag: marketing your self published book

Alternative Marketing Methods, Book Marketing, Kelly Speaks, Marketing Your Self-Published Book, Social Media Marketing

Marketing Missteps Episode 1: The Self-Centered Campaign

You’re a self-publishing author, recently come out with a new book, and you’ve already decided to throw yourself into marketing in a serious capacity.  So what next?  Finding that starting point is a tough first act, but it’s always helpful to know a couple of false starts that others have made before you, isn’t it?  That way, at least you know a couple of places not to start, and you can find a path to success that fits your own indie experience, bolstering your skills and steering clear of your weaknesses.

Today, I’m going to begin a new series that will take a close look at several of the most important marketing missteps to avoid; the story doesn’t end here, of course, but hopefully this series will prompt you away from the edge of a few abysses.  One or two of the mistakes I’ll point out may strike you as “common sense” points, but as my dad once whispered to ten-year-old me on a sidewalk corner facing a four-way stop in heavy traffic where nobody could quite figure out the correct right-of-way: “Common sense ain’t so common now, is it?”  Even if a mistake strikes you as obvious, every reminder is a good one!

This week’s post is going to examine one of the most pernicious of all marketing missteps: that of the self-centered campaign.  At its simplest distillation, the self-centered campaign will alienate you from your readers quicker than a ten-year-old at a traffic stop.  Why?  Because readers are smart.  (I find it’s a wise policy to always assume my readers are smarter than I am, and they always seem to notice even the tiniest of continuity errors in my work before I do!)  They will pick up on the arrogance–intentional or unconscious–of an author who makes their marketing campaign all about his or her excellence instead of shining the spotlight on the real stars of the show: the book itself, and the readers who have so cleverly fallen in love with it.

arrogance in marketing

Here’s a hard fact to swallow: Your readers won’t always care about you, the author.  You might be able to persuade them to, a little, over time, simply by virtue of writing excellent social media posts or demonstrating sensitivity to others.  One crucial misunderstanding that self-publishing authors make is believing that they and their readers value the same things.  Hopefully, your readers will care about your humanity and the work you produce, but beyond that is murky waters.  How do we un-murkify them?  By doing the work.  By doing the research.  By figuring out what you do for your readers that no one else can.

To successfully market your indie book, don’t sell the customer your product (or book) … sell them your solution to their needs.  What issues interest your readers?  What subjects compel them?  These are the basic components with which you can build a successful marketing campaign.

Market research, even basic, is more than just helpful.  It’s necessary.  It is the one magical ingredient that will move your strategy away from something self-centered and toward something that is product- and consumer-centered.

But how to get there?  What are the best strategies for research?  One consideration might be to craft a simple survey with SurveyMonkey, or to poll a small focus group.  I recommend steering clear of using friends or family as focus group members, since their personal connections to you will skew how they answer.  And besides, online crowd-sourcing platforms like the aforementioned SurveyMonkey (as well as Facebook Groups and Google Forms) make for an inexpensive replacement for focus groups.  What you ask depends on what you find useful, but it might be worth crafting a few questions that speak to your readers’ genres of interest, the amount of time they spend reading or on social media, and how they like best to engage with fellow fans and their favorite authors.

Whichever avenue you pursue, these basic data-gathering methods should give you new insight into your readers, and help you shape your marketing message to focus less on you and more on the them.

Thank you for reading!  If you have any questions, comments, suggestions, or contributions, please use the comment field below or drop us a line at selfpublishingadvice@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. ♠

KellyABOUT 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
from the archives, Kelly Speaks

From the Archives: “How to Promote Your Self Published Book Using Video”

Welcome back to our Tuesday segment, where we’ll be revisiting some of our most popular posts from the last few years.  What’s stayed the same?  And what’s changed?  We’ll be updating you on the facts, and taking a new (and hopefully refreshing) angle on a few timeless classics of Self Publishing Advisor.

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[ Originally posted: February 27th, 2013 ]

Video is one of the hottest tools in advertising and marketing right now. Thanks to YouTube and smart devices, people are watching tons of videos, and this tool offers great marketing opportunities for self publishing authors. Here are three ways you can use the power of video to market your book.

Create a book trailer

Book trailers are a hot marketing tool right now. They are like commercials for your book. They are a great item to include on your website and social media pages, and they often increase exposure because readers can easily share videos they enjoy with their friends, family and social media followers.

Record yourself

Video isn’t just used to sell your book; it can also be used to sell yourself as the author. This is especially useful if you write about a topic you are an expert in. For instance, if you wrote a book about weight loss, you could create videos sharing weight loss tips with your readers.

Make it funny

Many of the online videos that go viral include humor. While this technique isn’t appropriate for all books and authors, most people can improve their video ratings by including some humor in their videos. Don’t be afraid to look silly.

I’d love to know, how do you use video to promote your self published book?

– by Kelly Schuknecht

We’ve come a long way in three years!  Even in 2013, however, there was abundant evidence that video was rapidly becoming ubiquitous––becoming more than just another tool in the self-publishing author’s toolbox––and that authors like myself needed to catch up.  We now have an entire generation of megastars whose sole platform and original source of popularity was YouTube: Adam Montoya, Amber Lee Ettinger, Bethany Mota, Caspar Lee, and hundreds of others have now become household names in large part due to their savvy use of this one video platform.  If you needed proof that video really did kill the radio star, you have it.

Video is so ubiquitous, in fact, that you can now find embedded YouTube, Vimeo, and Instagram clips on every other social media site.  It’s easy to forget that YouTube is its own fully viable social media platform (for more on that, see my entry for YouTube in last year’s social media primer) because it is so fully conversant with Facebook, Twitter, Tumblr, and so on.  Videos can even be embedded into your Amazon author page, your email signature, and your personal website.  Basically, they can go everywhere and be everything to everyone.

youtube video illustration

In a sense, my original points remain relevant untouched.  They are not, however, entirely complete.  The world of video marketing for self-publishing authors has evolved well beyond where it was three years ago, and while to a certain extent it will always continue to be a moving target, I think it well worth a little time and care to catch up, and cultivate a video presence online.  In fact, I think I’ll make that one of my goals for 2016: in some way, shape, or form, I will boost my engagement with online video marketing.  And of course, I’ll update you on my progress here at Self Publishing Advisor!

In closing, I think the most important tip that I left out of my original list is this:

Marketing your book is all about human connection, and video marketing is no different.  Many of video’s greatest assets––its immediacy, its ability to convey a lot of information very succinctly and sometimes entirely through context––tap into the our deepest emotional centers.  Video has the power to move people.  It has the power to capture your readers’ attention but it must do so quickly, in the first few seconds, or else they will move on to other content.  Human communication is almost entirely non-verbal, and within seconds of clicking your YouTube or Vimeo link, people will decide whether they like and trust you.

That’s a lot of pressure, if you approach video marketing this way.  And while I certainly advocate for keeping these facts in mind, I don’t think fear should serve as your primary motivation.  Instead, think about video as a backstage pass into what you do as a writer, an all-access ticket to the theme park of your book’s greater universe.  No single video will make or break your online presence, so make as many as possible, catapulting off of the energy and enthusiasm you feel for our work, and share them across as many social media platforms as you feel comfortable using.  If posting a video clip feels as quick and simple as posting a Facebook update, you’re doing it right!

If you have any other ideas, I’d love to hear them.  Drop me a line in the comments section below and I’ll respond as quickly as I can.  ♠

KellyABOUT 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.
Alternative Marketing Methods, Book Marketing, elizabeth speaks, Marketing Your Self-Published Book, Social Media Marketing

In Your Corner : Celebrate National Reading Month With These Marketing Tips! (part one)

March is National Reading Awareness Month!  Here at Self-Publishing Advisor, we love the fact that there’s an entire month devoted to celebrating the written word–as well as the ways in which we can spread the joy of literacy–and I would like to invite you to join me in making reading a focus all month long, here in our Thursday blog post slot.  

As writers, we’re not just people who produce stories; we also consume them, share them, and advocate on their behalf.  As writers, March of 2016 is the ideal time for you to not only finish your book and start publishing it, but also to promote yourself and your book while encouraging everyone to read.  

Think this sounds like a challenge?  Maybe it is.  But I have some pointed ideas to get you started.  This is doable.  I promise you!  All you need to do is dedicate some time each day this month to pursuing the marketing and promotion tips I’ll be posting here for the next four weeks.

GETTING STARTED : Become the local expert.  

If you haven’t heard of National Reading Awareness Month or know the details of its longstanding connection to Dr. Seuss’ birthday, the history of the National Education Association, and how you can participate … well, it’s time to you pay a visit to the NEA’s website and browse through the plentiful promotional materials, media tips, press release tips and fact sheets the NEA has posted there in order to introduce you and other acolytes to the Read Across America celebration.  

Another tip?  It’s well worth offering to speak at local schools and NEA events, or to local organizations on the importance of childhood reading skills.  Many schools, libraries, bookstores, and other organizations welcome the outside help in putting on events of this kind, and yes–there’s something in it for you, too.  The more you make yourself indispensable to your local literary and literacy-building community, the more likely you are to be called on again in the future, and to get word of your own work before fresh eyes.  Best of all, there’s a great deal of satisfaction in knowing you’re helping to foster the next generation of readers–some of whom may go on to read your book!  Which leads me to ….

First Lady Michelle Obama takes part in Read Across America 2012

TIP TWO: GET ‘EM WHILE THEY’RE YOUNG 

Yesterday was Read Across America Day!  Writers are some of the biggest supporters of this day and event.  While you may have missed the boat for 2016, there’s no better time to prepare for the next year than now, when the opportunities (even the missed ones) are fresh on parents’ and teachers’ minds.  Contact local schools, libraries, and nonprofits to find out how you can help promote reading, writing, and kindergarten readiness in general–not just today, but throughout the entire month of March.  Ask if you might partner with some of them in throwing an event next year, in 2017, and start lining up the logistics.  When it comes to scheduling things in March, which is testing season for many American schools, the earlier you get started the better an outcome you can expect.

Read Across America 2007

TIP THREE: CONSIDER ONLINE ADVERTISING  

The last two tips built upon a foundation of interpersonal networking–that is, meeting people face to face and using this method to benefit everyone.  But what about those readers beyond your immediate sphere of influence?  How can you get them reading–and reading your book in particular?  Here’s a thought: Once your book is published, consider whether it might benefit from any online advertising.  You can set up ads on sites like Facebook, Google and Goodreads easily, or with some assistance from your self-publishing company and the marketing consultants they likely keep on staff.  If you’ve published through a company like Outskirts Press (my own stomping grounds), you can count on their staff to help you make your book more discoverable on Google with something like the Google Books Preview Program.

Reading in Madrid

TIP FOUR: INTRODUCE NEW FORMATS OF YOUR BOOK 

You know how it goes: The more easy a thing is to buy, and the more accessible it is to a large number of people, the more sales of that thing will jump.  It’s a well-demonstrated fact that self-publishing authors can reach a larger audience of readers by offering additional formats such as Kindle, Apple iPad or NOOK editions of your book.  And if you’ve only ever published your book digitally, perhaps it’s time you branched out into Print on Demand (POD) copies of your masterpiece!  Consider which formats you want to offer and add them before or after your hardcover format hits the virtual shelves.  If you feel inexpert in how to make the most of a multiplatform, multiedition publication, don’t hesitate to turn to those with the most wisdom to share: your fellow self-publishing authors!  We’re here for you.

Always remember: you are not alone. ♣︎

ElizabethABOUT 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.
Alternative Marketing Methods, Book Marketing, Kelly Speaks, Marketing Your Self-Published Book, Social Media Marketing, Uncategorized

6 Tips to Combat the Marketing Blues

Chances are, you’ve probably already experienced the very real struggle that is the Marketing Blues––that nebulous cluster of miseries and disappointments that are unique to the self-publishing experience.  Going through the publishing process alone––much less the marketing one that follows––is bound to feel isolating or solitary at times.  After all, you’re doing a Big Thing indeed in self-publishing your book, and you’re investing a lot of elbow grease.

So how best to beat the blues?  Here are six tips to get you started:

  • FOCUS ON THE POSITIVE: Sounds straightforward, doesn’t it?  But it’s much, much harder than a simple phrase suggests: altering your perspective and slimming down your method to focus on the things you’re doing well–this is hard, hard stuff.  When I use the word “focus,” I mean it in both an emotional and a practical sense; you can’t afford to waste time on marketing strategies that you have already tried repeatedly in several different ways.  (This is, after all, the definition of “insanity.”)
  • KEEP WRITING: We’ve said it before here on Self-Publishing Advisor, but we should say it again: your best advertisement and your best marketing strategy is to write the next book.  Don’t lose what you love most in the midst of the marketing frenzy, and don’t allow the publication process and everything that goes along with it to lead you away from the person you want to be: an author.  Keep doing what you love; readers are drawn to that authenticity … not to mention the probability that they’ll have more to read from you in the future!
  • THINK LIKE A READER: Your readers aren’t agonizing over the gaps in your marketing strategy that they can’t see; and they’re definitely not looking for an author who isn’t listening to them and what they want.  They’re simply eager to discover new and wonderful things, to fall in love with the brave new worlds they find between the covers of a book.  And so, if you think like a reader, you’ll find new ways to put your book in front of fresh eyes day after day without fail.  Engage with your readers and demonstrate you’re not just another author looking to push your own sales!  How to do this?  Reach out to them where they live––on social media, or elsewhere.
  • TREAT YOURSELF: What’s fun for you?  Do that thing.  You can find ways to make your own passions intersect with your marketing strategy, sure, but if it’s not fun for you … it probably isn’t going to be fun for your readers, either–especially when we’re talking about what you put out through social media.  Ultimately, anecdotal evidence overwhelmingly indicates that the most sustainable marketing strategies are the ones that authors enjoyed implementing.  And sometimes, the only way to rescue a deadly dull one is to break the mold a little bit.
  • DON’T FIXATE: I’m talking about reviews, folks.  And other things, too.  But this principle applies to authors who have mostly positive OR mostly negative OR even very mixed reviews (on Amazon, Goodreads, blogs, and elsewhere).  Here’s a fact you should hear repeated often: accumulating positive reviews isn’t worth sacrificing your own emotional health over.  I’m not saying that reviews aren’t an important––an incredibly important––part of any decent marketing strategy.  I’m saying that fixating on any single aspect of the process can be toxic, if it tarnishes your enjoyment of the self-publishing experience.
  • FIND YOUR PEOPLE: Communities of like-minded individuals are our safe-havens, our ports in the storm.  There are countless self-publishing-centered communities out there on the web and in the offline world, and most of them are so easy to join and so welcoming that it seems almost a crime not to join one right away!  (It’s not a crime, I promise.  Especially if you’re not yet ready for others to read your work.)  If you’re feeling blue and struggling your way through the process of marketing your self-published book, having the emotional support of your fellow writers and drawing upon their infinite wisdom born from personal experience may be exactly what you need to kick your own experience back into gear!

marketing blues

Of course, I rather hope that you don’t ever experience the Marketing Blues.  I know that escaping unscathed is rather unlikely, but having been there, I know what it’s like.  It’s rough.  It is also, however, temporary.  It will pass … and we will still be here, you and I, doing what we love.

Thank you for reading!  If you have any questions, comments, suggestions, or contributions, please use the comment field below or drop us a line at selfpublishingadvice@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. ♠

KellyABOUT 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.
Alternative Marketing Methods, Book Marketing, Kelly Speaks, Marketing Your Self-Published Book

Marketing BASICS : Silencing Your Own Inner Critic

In this, my last post in this Marketing B.A.S.I.C.S. series, I’m going to keep things simple.  Or rather, I’m going to keep them as simple as is possible when dealing with a highly complicated situation.  Marketing, as you’re most likely very well aware already, is no joke.  It’s not easy.  It’s not even moderately difficult.  It’s hard.  Especially for the fledgling self-publishing author who’s looking to make a break from the traditional mode and its dependence on the commercial machine.

 

The Recap

Five weeks ago I launched the Marketing B.A.S.I.C.S. series with this introductory post, followed by posts that broke it down letter by letter:

… and last but not least, as you no doubt have already guessed, we’ll be looking at:

  • S. “Silencing Your Own Inner Critic.”
You’ve probably heard it said:

We are our own worst critics.  As authors, we demand perfection from the words we spill in pen and pixels across the blank page and screen.  We hold ourselves to impossibly high standards that we subject no other person in the world to, except perhaps our religious and sporting icons.  But even then, quirks and flaws tend to round out the narratives we love to follow.  Only, not in our own writing.  The tiniest error, the slightest imperfection, the minutest of mistakes, and we latch on like barnacles to a cargo ship’s hull.  And, well, barnacles are a terrible nuisance.

The error-fixating mindset to which authors are prone isn’t confined to the writing process, either.  It bleeds beyond the margins and into the world of marketing, especially when we consider marketing from a self-publishing standpoint.  The buck stops here, an indie author might say, because I’m the only one in this self-publishing machine.  If I want it done, I have to go out and do it, by golly.  And while that may be true to an extent, there’s venom in the assumption that marketing your self-published book has to be an exhausting and isolating experience.  As we’ve already discussed in previous posts, there’s both a paid professional community and a thriving social network that feeds the self-publishing industry.  You’re not alone, and recognizing this is key to silencing your own inner self-critic.  Knowing that there are resources out there to lean on to strengthen your work and your marketing strategy takes a load off … as long as you’re open to accepting outside help.

How else can we silence that inner critic?

I find the best way to move forward is, well, to move forward.  To willingly put on the blinkers to any and all negative voices that might wander through our minds and lead to self-doubt, distraction, and stagnancy.  We must fill the silence with the sound of our progress, and deafen our doubts by continuing to do what we love most: writing.  Never forget that you are, first and foremost, a writer!

silencing your own inner critic

Silencing your inner critic is wonderful.  But your critic is, often, just a reflection of the highly critical world we live in, where expressing dissatisfaction has become high fashion.  Perhaps we should all do as Israelmore Ayivor recommends and “Don’t agree to accept what critics say; be prepared to silence them by doing what they think you can’t do!”  Silence your own inner critic, and all the world’s many malcontents, by loving what you do so much that you don’t even see the obstacles in your way–and you’ll fly right through them like quantum particles burning through the universe.

Thank you for reading!  If you have any questions, comments, suggestions, or contributions, please use the comment field below or drop us a line at selfpublishingadvice@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. ♠

KellyABOUT 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.