Week 10: The marketing plan is starting to look like a plan.
If you would like to follow from the beginning, start here.
It was easier than I thought to get working on my book promotion plan.
What I Did this Week
Last week I said that I would start giving shape to my book marketing plan. The funny thing is, I felt resistant to that task but once I started it, I was fine. Do you ever have that happen to you? For some reason you are telling yourself about an experience before it happens and you either taint it or set up unrealistic expectations. Then when you get to it, the experience is so different than what you set yourself up for.
Yeah, that’s what I did to myself this week.
Beta Reader Update
I was thrown for a loop this week when one of my beta readers who is also a professional in the publishing world suggested that I not self-publish. The advice was to go through a traditional publisher so the book receives more attention than it would if I went the self-publishing route. Now I admit, I spent a couple of hours looking at traditional publishers. Then I decided to put that idea aside and work on my marketing plan. Even if I decided to go the traditional publishing route, going through the process of developing a marketing plan will be good for me.
A book proposal needs to have many of the same items that a book marketing plan has so it can only be good for me to create it, no matter how I publish. I am still thinking on this and will discuss it more in another post.
My Book Marketing Plan
I worked on the basics, including bio, description, audience, positioning, author platform and so forth. Then I looked at all the promotion activities I had been brainstorming and listing out. I decided which ones I am more interested in for launch vs. ongoing marketing, and which ones I’ll do for both.
The launch will take more resources, although I don’t have plans for a big launch. Launches always take more resources and energy than ongoing promotion. I am pondering the idea of a book trailer, which would be fun. And a larger tour than I would do on an ongoing basis.
And then some things take set up time, like email lists, and cross promotions. I need to decide what that looks like for me, and what gift I might give readers who sign up to my list. Plus, a list means ongoing work… regular emails, with something interesting to say so, this is something to think about. I don’t want to overstretch myself, so what can I do with my time and energy, what can I give, who do I want to work with, lots of questions.
In the end, this was the right time for me to start breaking down ideas into launch vs. ongoing marketing. And since I have had some momentum in this area, I will continue working on it.
Are You Feeling Behind?
Earlier today I was speaking with an author in my community, and she was saying that she felt like she was behind. And I said, behind what? I understood what she meant. She’s not alone in feeling like she isn’t far enough ahead, or that she should be doing more. I feel like that too, not always, but sometimes.
When you add a book and a marketing plan, and a book launch to an already busy schedule, well, that feeling can rise up. I get it. So if you too are feeling like that this week, ask yourself, behind what? You are in the right place, keep going.
What I Am Doing this Week
Next week I am going to keep going with my marketing, even though I feel a pull toward revising and editing. The pull towards revising comes from a place of feeling behind, so I am going tell myself that I am in the right place. Working on my marketing is a good plan.
Would You Like Help with Your Book Promotion Plan?
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Have a great week. I’ll see you next Monday!
– Keep writing
Melody Ann
Author Nation is your go-to resource for becoming a successful nonfiction author, from planning to promotion and everything in between.