Marketing Your Writing: The Basics of Selling Your Book
Marketing Your Writing: The Basics of Selling Your Book
Now that I’m in business for myself—and I need to make a living from my writing—I am constantly marketing. It’s just one of those things that we have to do. And it’s one of those things every writer should consider whenever he or she is thinking about writing a book. How are you going to reach your market and sell books?
Book Marketing 101
Marketing means, essentially, letting people know what you have and what you can do for them—reaching the market. And there’s a million ways to do it, the key is to know what you hope to accomplish and don’t let up until you get it.
So, why is marketing so important when you write a book? Because you want the book to sell, right? If you don’t let any potential readers know about your book, no one will know to buy it. Understand now—before you even start writing your book—that you will be responsible for marketing it and you should have some ideas of what you plan to do.
Does Selling Feel . . . Weird?
Yes, kind of, but that feeling goes away. Writers don’t always like the idea of selling their work because we’re not all natural salespeople. Most of us would rather write and let someone else handle the marketing (and that’s an option for those who can afford to hire help). Unfortunately, no matter what anyone says, marketing involves selling. Although you’re not soliciting people door-to-door, the ultimate goal is to sell books. But you’ve got to put yourself out there, and if you want to make money as a writer, then you have to take a business-minded approach.
Writing Your Marketing Plan
A marketing plan can include a number of things. Most marketing plans include both online (such as building a web site or blog, sending an e-zine, and article marketing) and offline (such as speaking events, workshops, readings, and book signings) strategies at their foundation. It also helps to constantly seek new opportunities by sending press releases to media outlets, publishing articles and/or selections from your book in print publications, advertising, and interviews and other publicity campaigns.
For new ideas to include in your marketing plan, check out Guerrilla Marketing for Writers by Jay Conrad Levinson, Rick Frishman, and Michael Larsen, and 1,001 Ways to Market Your Books by John Kremer.
Selling Those Books Now and in the Future
Sure, marketing may seem like a hassle. But it can be fun—and once those book orders start rolling in, you’ll see the value in every marketing effort you make.
Marketing Your Writing The Basics of Selling Your Book - To learn more about this author, visit Melinda Copp's Website.
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Marketing is important for all writers who hope to sell their work—whether that means books or articles or writing skills. I used to work for a book publishing company, and for several months I was in charge of marketing my boss’s book. It was a writing reference book, actually, and although I had no idea what I was doing when I took over the project, I learned fast and had a lot of fun doing it.
Now that I’m in business for myself—and I need to make a living from my writing—I am constantly marketing. It’s just one of those things that we have to do. And it’s one of those things every writer should consider whenever he or she is thinking about writing a book. How are you going to reach your market and sell books?
Book Marketing 101
Marketing means, essentially, letting people know what you have and what you can do for them—reaching the market. And there’s a million ways to do it, the key is to know what you hope to accomplish and don’t let up until you get it.
So, why is marketing so important when you write a book? Because you want the book to sell, right? If you don’t let any potential readers know about your book, no one will know to buy it. Understand now—before you even start writing your book—that you will be responsible for marketing it and you should have some ideas of what you plan to do.
Does Selling Feel . . . Weird?
Yes, kind of, but that feeling goes away. Writers don’t always like the idea of selling their work because we’re not all natural salespeople. Most of us would rather write and let someone else handle the marketing (and that’s an option for those who can afford to hire help). Unfortunately, no matter what anyone says, marketing involves selling. Although you’re not soliciting people door-to-door, the ultimate goal is to sell books. But you’ve got to put yourself out there, and if you want to make money as a writer, then you have to take a business-minded approach.
Writing Your Marketing Plan
A marketing plan can include a number of things. Most marketing plans include both online (such as building a web site or blog, sending an e-zine, and article marketing) and offline (such as speaking events, workshops, readings, and book signings) strategies at their foundation. It also helps to constantly seek new opportunities by sending press releases to media outlets, publishing articles and/or selections from your book in print publications, advertising, and interviews and other publicity campaigns.
For new ideas to include in your marketing plan, check out Guerrilla Marketing for Writers by Jay Conrad Levinson, Rick Frishman, and Michael Larsen, and 1,001 Ways to Market Your Books by John Kremer.
Selling Those Books Now and in the Future
Sure, marketing may seem like a hassle. But it can be fun—and once those book orders start rolling in, you’ll see the value in every marketing effort you make.
Marketing Your Writing The Basics of Selling Your Book - To learn more about this author, visit Melinda Copp's Website.
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Dave KurlanDave Kurlan is the founder and CEO of Objective Management Group, Inc., the industry leader in sales assessments and sales force evaluations, and the CEO of David Kurlan & Associates, Inc., a consulting firm specializing in sales force development. Dave has been a top rated speaker at Inc. Magazine's Conference on Growing the Company, the Sales & Marketing Management Conference and the Gazelles Sales & Marketing Summit. He has been featured on radio and TV, including World Business Review with General Norman Schwarzkopf, in Inc. Magazine, Selling Power Magazine, Sales & Marketing Management Magazine and Incentive Magazine. He is the author of Mindless Selling and Baseline Selling – How to Become a Sales Superstar by Using What You Already Know about the Game of Baseball. He created and wrote STAR, a proprietary recruiting process for hiring great salespeople, and he writes Understanding the Sales Force, a popular business Blog and is a contributing author to The Death of 20th Century Selling and 101 Great Ways to Improve Your Life, Volume 2. - Visit Dave Kurlan's Website |
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Linda RichardsonLinda Richardson is the Founder and Executive Chairwoman of Richardson, a global sales training and performance improvement company. As a recognized leader in the industry, she has won the coveted Stevie Award for Lifetime Achievement in Sales Excellence and she was identified by Training Industry, Inc. as one of the “Top 20 Most Influential Training Professionals.” Ms. Richardson is credited with the movement to Consultative Selling and is the author of ten books on selling and sales management, including Sales Coaching — Making the Great Leap from Sales Manager to Sales Coach, and Stop Telling, Start Selling. She teaches sales and management at the Wharton Graduate School of the University of Pennsylvania and the Wharton Executive Development Center. Linda is a frequent speaker at industry and client conferences, has been published extensively in industry and training journals, and has been featured in numerous publications, including The Wall Street Journal, Forbes, Nation’s Business, Selling Power, Success, and The Conference Board Magazine. Learn more about Richardson's sales training and performance improvement solutions at http://www.richardson.com web - Visit Linda Richardson's Website |
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John PowerJohn Power, founder of Biltmore Franchise Consulting, has extensive experience developing and marketing franchises and business opportunities. He has been in and around franchising for over twenty years. From 1980 through 1990 he conceptualized, organized, and developed the American Video Association. He grew AVA to 2,000 national members, before selling the company it 1990. It was later merged into another home video marketing company. From 2000 to 2005 he worked as a contract marketing and human resources consultant to several local and national companies. In 2005 Mr. Power began working as a franchise development consultant on a full-time basis. Since that time he has helped more than three dozen companies initiate and develop their franchising program. He notes that there are many companies interested in developing a franchise program, and who need his specialized assistance. Mr. Power is a “hands-on” franchise consultant. He said, “I am the ‘nuts and bolts’ person who tends to the details for my clients.” Mr. Power holds a B.S. degree with a major in Marketing. See: www.biltmorefranchise.com You may contact Mr. Power at: jpower@biltmorefranchise.co - Visit John Power's Website |
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Leanne Hoagland-SmithAre your sales where you want them to be? Will you be one of the few who achieves sales or business success or one of the many who have failed to change? Are you tired of being told you are like everyone else? Then you may find my first book on sales of interest. Be the Red Jacket in the Sea of Gray Suits, The Keys to Unlocking Sales available at Amazon or at http://www.processspecialist.com/red-jacket.htm. This book is a reflection of my no-nonsense approach to improving sales to overall business results. If you are truly committed to making sustainable changes, then I can help you secure a positive return on your investment because I focus on executable solutions not telling you the problems you already know you have. From training to corporate (group) coaching to executive one on one coaching, my approach is to assess, create awareness, build a goal driven action plan and then execute. The bottom line question is "Not do you or your employees know it, but do you or they want to do it?" Please call for a free strategy session at 219.759.5601. - Visit Leanne Hoagland-Smith's Website |
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George LudwigGeorge Ludwig is a recognized authority on sales strategy and peak performance psychology. An international speaker, trainer, and corporate consultant, he helps clients like Johnson & Johnson, Abbott Laboratories, Northwestern Mutual, CIGNA, and numerous others improve sales force effectiveness and performance. Though it's George's strategies and processes that help corporations increase productivity and performance, it's his tremendous energy and dynamism that spark the transformation. Again and again, clients remark on his amazing ability to unleash human capacity and inspire men and women to break out of their comfort zones. The result is a whole new type of salesperson. His customized presentations teach achievers to make stunning advances in their lives. From helping salespeople realize cherished dreams to helping corporations exponentially accelerate revenue streams, George Ludwig leaves audiences and individuals empowered, emboldened, and clamoring for more. George is the best-selling author of Power Selling: Seven Strategies for Cracking the Sales Code and Wise Moves: 60 Quick Tips to Improve Your Position in Life & Business. - Visit George Ludwig's Website |
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Jay Kubassek(Jay's Full Bio: EvanCarmichael.com/jaykubassek) In five years, Canadian-born entrepreneur Jay Kubassek went from selling mufflers at a Midas franchise to revolutionizing Internet marketing with the 2004 launch of CarbonCopyPRO, a online marketing education company, now worth over $20 million with customers in over 160 countries.
As an independent film producer, his upstart film fund Aliquot Films is currently producing a films with Spike Lee and Abel Fererra (starring Ethan Hawke and Dennis Hopper.)
Jay's entrepreneurial spirit is irrepressible. He’s the owner of five companies, a professional speaker and trainer, international real estate developer/investor, extreme sport enthusiast and emerging philanthropist. Jay resides in NYC with his wife Jamie, son Milo and dog Cooper. Visit Jay's official website: www.JayKubassek.com - Visit Jay Kubassek's Website |
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Jeff FosterWebBizIdeas.com is a Minneapolis website design company founded to help people start an internet business by providing them with website, business, and internet resources that help foster the growth of successful online businesses and develop innovative Internet business ideas. We specialize in internet consulting & internet marketing. - Visit Jeff Foster's Website |
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Stephanie RobeyStephanie Robey is President and CoFounder of Pivot Positive, LLC - an Internet marketing business focused on helping people start work at home ventures. Previously, she was employed at The Search Agency with over 20 years experience in graphic design and 10 years experience in online marketing. She was responsible for launching the Conversion Path Optimization (CPO) unit where she and her team have conducted hundreds of optimization tests for online companies across multiple verticals. She is a successful entrepreneur having started and sold 2 companies and remains on the board of directors of the third, PhotoSpin.com Stephanie began her career in the direct marketing realm creating and producing direct mail for many of the major cable television companies and directly attributes her understanding of Internet marketing to those early offline experiences. Stephanie is a graduate of San Diego State University with a BFA in Graphic Arts and also holds an Executive MBA from the Graziadio School of Business and Management at Pepperdine University. Read Steph's Blog Meet Steph and Dave Sign up for our Free 7-Day BootCamp: Self Employed & Rich - Visit Stephanie Robey's Website |
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