By Harriet Hodgson
Some authors are natural
sales people. I’m not. In fact, just saying the word marketing sends
shivers down my spine. My generation was taught be quiet, not to brag, and book
marketing seems like bragging. I shared this thought with my publisher, and her
reply was swift. “You’re not bragging,” she declared firmly. “You’re stating
facts.”
Publishers’ marketing
budgets seem to be shrinking. Most publishers, whether they are traditional, on
demand, independent, or hybrid, ask authors to help with marketing. It’s
expected. If you are totally self-published, marketing can be a huge hurdle,
one too high to vault. What does book marketing involve? How should you go
about it?
Despite the shivers, I
vowed to give marketing my intense, ongoing attention. I read marketing
articles, books, and observed other authors in action. Several months into 2017
I started keeping a marketing log. After the year ended I began a new log. When
I read the entries in my old log, the pluses of log-keeping became evident. A
book marketing log can also help you.
Daily tracking is the
most obvious benefit. As the months passed, my log became a marketing
motivator. When I noticed the entries were becoming shorter, I increased my
efforts, and set a goal of one marketing step per day. I’ve been a freelance
writer for 38 years, so I have a strong author platform. However, if you’re new
to writing, a log may help you begin or beef up an author platform.
Log entries may reveal
gaps that need to be filled. For example, my entries showed daily posts on
Twitter and Facebook, but few on other social media. I remedied this quickly. A
book marketing log may also serve as proof of your efforts. Best of all, the
log helps you build name recognition—or branding. Entries very, yet some themes
emerge:
· Names
to remember (publishing company owner, content editor, copy editor, etc.)
· Contact
information for these people
· Running
total of Twitter followers
· Twitter
readers in different countries
· Growing
number of readers
· Plans
you have set in motion
· The
actions you took on these plans
· Follow-up
comments on these plans
· Comments
you’ve posted on Internet articles
· Submissions
for book awards
· Marketing
expenses
Like a diary, a log is a
daily record, but that’s where the similarity ends. Book marketing log entries
are short, words and phrases, not sentences of paragraphs. Long entries are
better suited for journaling. Write just enough so you understand your entry
months later. Although you may list some fees, don’t turn your log into a
budget or tax document. These should be separate files.
A January entry in my
2018 log says I had a one-hour conference with my publisher. Later entries show
I followed her marketing tips. Another January entry says I appeared on a radio
talk show. A February entry says I was asked to write an article for a
prestigious medical clinic. Later entries say I ordered two book trailers and
was featured in a magazine.
Two April entries made
me smile. One says I arranged a book launch at the local senior center for my
36th book, So, You’re Raising Your Grandkids! The other says I have more than 4,000 Twitter followers, an
accomplishment for a marketing klutz like me. Reaching this number has taken
months, yet I reached it, and the number is shooting up.
I’m not a marketing
klutz anymore. Thanks in part to my log, I’m smarter, faster, and more
confident about book marketing. Keeping a log may do the same for you and I
hope you’ll consider the idea.
Yes, entries take time, but only a couple of
minutes. Keeping a book marketing log can boost self-esteem and become a way of
cheering for yourself. So cheer away and start your log today!
_____________________________________________________________________
Harriet Hodgson has
been a freelancer for 38 years, is the author of thousands of articles, and 36
books. In addition to writing for print media, she writes for three websites.
Hodgson has appeared on more than 185 radio talk shows and dozens of television
stations, including CNN. A popular speaker, she has given presentations at
public health, Alzheimer’s, bereavement, and caregiving conferences. Her work
is cited in Who’s Who of American Women, Contemporary Authors, and other
directories. Hodgson lives in Rochester, Minnesota with her husband John.
Visit www.harriethodgson.com for more
information about this busy wife, grandmother, caregiver, and author. Social Media: https://twitter.com/healthmn1
https://www.facebook.com/public/Harriet-Hodgson https://amazon.com/Family-Caregivers-Guide-Harriet-Hodgson/
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