Recently, I spoke about marketing to 35 Ozarks Romance Authors. Let me tell you something you probably already know: Writers and marketers are surly bedfellows. I'm not sure why that is but it's a fact. I've worked in many professions (banking, healthcare, hotels, education, and green heat) and I've never encountered this mindset in any other industry. It truly baffles me.
I'm happy to say my talk, "The Marketing Mindset & 60 FREE Ways To Market Your Book" was very well received. I heard phrases like "excellent presentation," "it built a fire under me," and "standing-ovation worthy." (That might be a stretch but was nice to hear!)
I know authors hunger for this information and I would too if I hadn't worked in marketing for 20 years. My professional experience has been very helpful to me as an author, and I want to help other writers/authors become informed marketers. During my talk, I discussed several topics including:
- How to Find Your Target Audience
- Using A Marketing Mix
- 60 FREE Ways to Market Your Book
- Building An Online Platform
- Developing A Business/Marketing Plan
I won't go into specifics here because I can see a great need for a marketing ebook for authors. I'm writing one now, and since this will be my first foray into a non-fiction book and into ebooks, I have some research to do. I plan to add several more chapters, some crazy stories from my marketing days and many examples. Trust me, marketing is fun.
I suspect authors and other artists struggle with marketing because it feels so much like we're marketing OURSELVES rather than a product. Yes, there is a product to sell, but it's a very personal one, born of our souls. Plus, our images as authors are an integral part of marketing those products. Now add in the fact that most authors are introverts, and it's easy to see why this is such a problem.
ReplyDeleteYour book plans sound fantastic. I'm looking forward to seeing how it comes together.