Most authors write because they want someone to read what they have to say. But what do you do once you’ve fleshed out all of your ideas and written your book? How do you get it into your readers’ hands?
Aspiring authors need to understand the importance of book promotion and how to successfully market your book.
Former media professional and Master Writing Coach™ Dawn Josephson reveals the secrets to successful book promotion in her book Putting It On Paper: The Ground Rules for Creating Promotional Pieces that Sell Books (Ground Rules Press, $19.95, ISBN 0-9744966-1-8). She states:
The first step in book marketing is to create a press kit, or media kit, for your book. While each kit will vary in complexity depending on the book’s subject matter, the overall goal is to highlight what your book is about, why your message is important, who you are as an author, how you will help your readers, and how you’re marketing your book.
Josephson has interviewed buyers from major bookstore chains, distribution houses, and top book reviewers, so she knows what decision makers want to see in a book press kit. To help authors, Josephson details how to create each piece of the book press kit according to the decision makers’ guidelines so it gets a favorable response. She also includes examples of powerful and effective promotional materials that have helped authors propel their book sales.
Is Josephson’s book aimed primarily at nonfiction? I ask because I’ve looked at JUMP START YOUR BOOK SALES and a few others, and they lean heavily that way.
Fiction and nonfiction are distinct animals requiring different approaches to marketing. The goal is the same, obviously. I’m especially interested in the unique aspects of marketing fiction. I have a book coming out from Barbour in October, a middle-grade adventure called LANDON SNOW AND THE AUCTOR’S RIDDLE. I’m doing marketing already, and absorbing ideas wherever I can find them to put into practice.
Thanks for posting on interesting topics.