Do you believe that the writing aspect is the hardest part of your book’s creation?
Well, it could be… however, the work really begins when you market your book. I know, I know, nobody wants to hear that!
There’s no point in publishing your book if no one (apart from your best friend and your mother) reads it. World-changing books need to be read by as many people as possible.
So, what’s the best thing you can do to get your book into the hands of your perfect readers (potential clients)?
Well, you could – and should – implement many marketing activities, and if you have created a targeted marketing strategy then you’ll know which activities will have the most impact.
(Note: I help private clients to create comprehensive book-marketing plans, and members of my Publish in Style program receive my template and guidance.)
However, the very best thing you can do is to be consistent. Once you’ve decided on your targeted marketing activities, make the decision to do them consistently.
After the initial intense period of pre-launching and launching your book (which is when book marketing will eat up a good chunk of your work week), make sure your schedule includes a daily book-marketing activity.
Hey, here’s a golden tip for you. During the pre-launch and launch periods, keep things manageable and focused by implementing the “Rule of 5”. Jack Canfield and Mark Victor Hansen – of Chicken Soup for the Soul fame – coined this term when they set the goal of having their series reach number one on The New York Times’ bestseller list.
What is the Rule of 5? It’s easy. (Well, easy to say – not quite so easy to implement!) Every day, undertake five specific actions that move you towards your book-sales goal. I recommend batching the actions by type and making sure they’re added to your scheduling system.
You could:
- Send pitch emails to five podcast hosts
- Send your book to five influencers for them to review (or to give away to their followers)
- Create five social media posts for uploading over five days
- Send pitch emails to five traditional media organisations
There isn’t one activity that trumps all others – it depends on your market. Having said that, podcast guesting is hot for many markets right now.
After the launch period, consider easing back to doing just one book-marketing activity per day. Or, if you have the time and the bandwidth, keep doing five per day!
Look, I know that you still have your business to run – so, it may feel super-challenging to prioritise book-marketing actions. However, the rewards will be worth it. Remember, too, that it will start out as a sprint and then become a longer-term marathon. So, pace yourself!
Being consistent about getting your book out there is the very best thing you can do to get it into the hands, onto the screens and into the ears (if you create ebook and audiobook versions, as well as print) of the people who need to read it the most.
