No matter if you are writing your book or you’re near the end of the publishing phase, it’s time to begin marketing your book. I think one of the biggest fallacies about marketing a book is you market your book after you’ve written it. That is categorically false. Don’t listen to people who say this. In fact, I read an article just today, and it started out, “Once you’ve done the hard work of writing and publishing your book…” and they go on to talk about some ways you can market your book. It is never too early to begin marketing you and your book. While there are many ways you can market your book, I want to focus today on events for authors.
Your book(s) are not the only marketable part of your book; in fact I would go as far as to say it’s not the most important part of marketing. The author, aka, you, are the most marketable part of your book. Let me ask you something to illustrate what I mean. Who is your favorite author? When they released their latest book, what did you know about the book? I know the last time I bought a James Patterson novel I bought it because I knew who he was. Does it help that he has a marketing machine behind him and numerous books he has already published? Yeah a bit, but what’s holding you back from doing exactly what he does? Let’s look a little deeper then into how you can market yourself.
The three events for authors to find more readers
The goal of marketing your book is to reach more readers. Now whether you plan to make money just off of book sales or you plan to make money off of the business you generate from reaching new clients is up to you. However, the goal is still the same; reach more readers. There are many ways to reach your readers but the best way to market you and your book is to do different events so people start to learn about you, the author. These events range from small and intimate to large and intimidating. There are three event types every author can benefit from.
- Launch events/Book readings/Book signings
- Conference speaking
- Media engagements
Launch Event/Book readings/Book signings
Much like a space shuttle, your book can soar through a launch.
I lumped these three styles together as they are all similar in nature. For example, while you can have either a book reading or a book signing many times you will see an author do both together. Real quick let’s do a review of each of these styles.
- Launch events are events where your book is on sale for the first time to the general public. These can be one event or they can include a series of events spanning different locations.
- Book readings and signings are exactly what they sound like. An author goes to a venue, reads a selection from their book or signs copies of their book. Since all these are connected, in the future I will use these terms interchangeably.
Authors at these events can meet with their fans and readers in person. A book launch event pays off in two major ways. First off, you want to be sure during one of these events you can sell your book. A book signing is a great way to sell 10-50-100 or more books! Second, these events are great ways to leave a lasting impression on your fans, and a book reading can pay off months or years down the road.
If you leave a lasting impression on someone, you better believe they are going to keep you in mind the next time you release a book. The key is to find a way to keep these fans engaged after the event. These three events for authors are some of the best ways to sell your book and make a lasting impression on your readers.
Conference Speaking
This event is another wide topic and I want to speak more in-depth about this in a future blog; however, today I want to focus on the business authors. If you are an entrepreneur or a coach a great way to become known is by speaking at conferences in your field. These events are wide spread, and there is one for each and everyone looking to attend. When you know your audience, finding a conference to speak at can easily boost your sales. How, you might ask.
First off, imagine you are looking to speak at a conference with 100 people in attendance. The first thing you want to do is talk with the event planner to see if the organization will partner with you to buy 100 copies of your book for the audience. Imagine that, 100 people who, after listening to your speech, are much further along knowing, liking, and trusting you; the relationship has started. This works great for those of you trying to profit off the book itself. It also helps those of you looking to profit off of the potential clients your book will bring in. Remember, you need to move people along the know, like, and trust process before they invest in you and your services.
Media Engagements
Events for authors are varied and wide-ranging and while media engagements are not necessarily an event where you will fill seats, they are one of the easiest ways to reach a large audience. They include a wide array of different outlets such radio, TV, and print media. Watch a morning news show next week, and keep track of how many authors they have on these shows. Barring any big news stories, they speak with on average three authors a week.
Now, the authors you see are the Stephen Kings of the world. There is a lesson there too; these authors have to spread the word about their book. You can do the same thing in your local region and even in other media markets. Media outlets are looking for content to fill their air, and local news stations love to speak with people who are members of the community they serve.
Media engagements are great ways to spread your message, for free, to a large audience. These may grow your sales directly, but it will resonate with viewers and readers into the future. I guarantee you someone will remember you from your appearance and make sure to check out your book. An interview could lead you to becoming top of mind, the go-to expert, for your field of expertise. Media companies are always looking to grow their reach. That means, if you resonate with their audience, they will make sure to do their best to share your story.
The key to remember: there are many news organizations out there. The media stations are going to bring their audience what they want to see, read, and hear. It may take some trial and error but you will find the right match. If you do well for one station, you have a better chance to be picked up by others.
What to do now
It’s never too soon to start marketing yourself. Remember, people are going to buy your book, but it will be a lot easier to sell your book if your readers know you. These three events for authors are not the be all, end all of the marketing world, but they are a great way to learn about your audience and know them. A personal connection with an author will do wonders when it comes to readers.
Over the next couple of weeks here on the blog and on our social media channels, check for more information on how you can market yourself and your book. Be notified as soon as our next blog goes live by signing up for our newsletter in the box at the bottom of the page. If you have any questions on how you can take advantage of any of these events for authors be sure to contact us.
Until next time I’ll leave you with this question: How are you going to go out and make yourself known?
Remember, #WriteYourWay
– Peter
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