10 Secrets to Being Less Overwhelmed With Book Marketing
We can learn so much from one another.
Being an author often means we sit at our desk for hours on end, living in our imaginary worlds, creating conversations, and listening to the voices in our heads. It’s an isolating occupation!
But when we get out into the real world and interact with others, it can be glorious.
I recently had the privilege of talking to a group of authors during a five-day conference in the mountains of North Carolina. I love getting to meet authors face-to-face and spend quality time with them.
One of my favorite things to see at conferences is an author’s “aha moment” - that moment where they discover the answer to a problem or they learn something that will make their life so much easier.
I love to share those “aha moments” because it shows that you aren’t alone. You know there is someone else who has struggled with what you’re dealing with and there is an answer. And most of the time, the answer isn’t nearly as difficult as you might think!
I wanted to highlight the top 10 “aha moments” that will help you be less overwhelmed and see a bigger difference in your book marketing:
1) You don’t need to be everywhere online.
There is always a collective sigh of relief when authors hear this one! Here’s the truth: you only need to be where your readers are already hanging out. If you aren’t seeing engagement or activity on your Twitter account, you don’t need to spend any valuable time there. Focusing on a few key places online where your ideal reader is already hanging out will save you a ton of time and give you better results. Don’t spread yourself so thin! Use the time you have where it will make a difference.
2) There isn’t just one way to do book marketing.
You’re going to hear or read a lot of opinions from people saying you HAVE to do things this one way to see results. I don’t necessarily agree with that. First of all, there is no such thing as cookie cutter marketing - what works for one person isn’t always going to work for you. So here’s what I suggest you do: focus on your ideal reader and educate yourself. Find people that you like and trust and see how they do things. I know my way might not be your cup of tea, and that’s totally fine! There are other resources and companies out there that might be a better fit for you. You need to focus on what works best for you and your ideal reader.
3) Community is so important.
This is a biggie! Now, I know many of us are introverts (my hand is raised!) and the idea of putting myself out there makes us want curl into a ball. But nothing beats having a community of fellow authors behind you. We are all in the same boat, and our fellow authors can be an amazing source of encouragement, help, insight, and advice. Learning from and being there for one another is an amazing gift - to both give and receive! So I would encourage you to find a local community (try MeetUp.com), attend conferences, etc.
4) Successful book marketing is not about the numbers.
I’m going to relieve you of this stress right now - there is no such thing as a small audience. If you have two or three people subscribed to your newsletter, if you have a few people following you on social media, if you have two reviews on Amazon, you’re in the game! We all start at zero and you can only move up. Instead of focusing on the number of followers that you have, focus on the quality of your engagement. I would much rather you have 10 avid fans who are engaged, active, and attentive to your social media posts, instead of 100 that don’t do anything.
5) Focus on one person.
Knowing who your ideal reader is will literally change everything for your book marketing. I am a firm believer that any problem or question that you have with marketing, social media, or sales can be answered by looking at your ideal reader. When you can focus on talking to one person, you are able to find specific details that resonate with them. And details are what set you apart online. When you are general and broad in what you talk about, you end up getting lost in all the other noise that readers are exposed to online. Being intimately acquainted with your own ideal reader will help you stand out from everything else online and help you connect to people who want to hear from you.
6) Educate yourself.
In order to make progress and grow, you have to learn new information and skills. Invest in yourself and your work! Educating yourself doesn’t need to cost a lot (we have a TON of free content on our blog!) - but making even a small investment in learning how to best market your book will help you save money (and time!) in the long run, and it will help you get bigger results more quickly. This will ultimately help you sell more books, which will give you a return on your investment.
Our membership The Author Circle is one of the best ways you can put this into action. We provide you with a library of video lessons, tutorials, templates, guides, and more. It’s a game changer - and it’s only $27 a month!
7) Focus on fewer, higher quality tasks.
I hit on this a little earlier, but I want to dig a little deeper - and it’s an important point to make. We often feel like if we are running ourself ragged and doing a bunch of different things to market our book we will make a bigger impact. Actually, it’s just the opposite. When you have too much on your plate, you spread yourself way too thin. You’re not able to put your best behind each task. What I suggest you do is a good old brain dump. Think of everything you want to do (or feel like you have to do) and get it all down on paper. Then pick three (yes, just three!) tasks to focus on. Do those three things really well, and if you complete one and have time to do some more, add another task. Focus on quality over quantity.
8) Ask for help.
Ohhhh boy, this can be a tough one. But this also emphasizes the importance of community. Don’t be embarrassed or hesitant to ask for help. Tap into your community to ask your fellow authors for their advice or insight. Chances are they have been there before. And there’s nothing better than being able to pass along that knowledge and share it with a fellow author!
9) Find instructions on Google or YouTube.
Things are constantly changing online. Instagram, Facebook, how to upload video to YouTube - it’s always evolving and being updated. Don’t get lost or distracted in the details and let them hold you up! If you have a question, ask it on Google or look it up on YouTube. There are TONS of articles, videos, and how-to’s, to show you exactly what you need to do. Just make sure to check the date on what you find so you don’t waste time on outdated information!
10) Remember that your story matters.
Your story matters because YOU matter. When that little voice in your head pops in to say, “Why would you share that on social media? Who cares?!” Tell it to buzz off, and remember that our stories are what connect us to one another. We are all looking for connection - and what you share might be exactly what someone else is looking for!
I’d love to hear from you: what have YOU learned from your fellow authors or from your own experience? Let me know in the comments below. And let me know which of these 10 tips you’re going to apply to your book marketing today!
If you want to go a step further and get all of the tools, resources, and help that you need to market your book, grow on social media, and sell more books - join The Author Circle membership!
