If you’re an author promoting a book, you need to develop book marketing strategies that go way beyond book sales.
To help you build an author brand that is much bigger than your book, Goody Business Book Awards recommends these 3 New Book Marketing Strategies.
As an author, you need to create a book business plan to generate income beyond royalties. Let’s get real. It’s hard to sell books and royalties are now only a few dollars – maybe – per book. So start brainstorming, and think about other ways to generate revenue based on your book.
Have you seen an author movie on The Hallmark Channel that highlights their cross-country book tour and writing career based solely on book sales? The reality is those days are over, unless you are a celebrity, or you hit the lottery with a book(s) that goes viral.
To be really successful as an author today, you want to dig deep into your WHY for writing your book. And then develop book marketing strategies to sustain your goals and dreams as a writer.
1. Include a Thought Leader Plan in Your Book Marketing Strategies
As an expert, you want to be recognized as a thought leader in your niche subject area to attract media interviews, speaking engagements and book sales. And if you’re a doctor, lawyer, therapist, entrepreneur, CEO or speaker, there are literally thousands of other experts in your field, so this is not as easy as it sounds.
One of the best ways to stand out get as a thought leader is to win a book award in your subject area. And with 46 million books on Amazon right now, it is really hard to compete in your genre. So being an award-winning author is a great way to get recognized as a credible expert.
2. Include a Business Plan with Multiple Streams of Income in Your Book Marketing Strategies
In addition to having a strong author brand, your book marketing strategies should include a business plan behind your book that generates multiple streams of income.
Mark Victor Hansen and Jack Canfield, who are the Mega Bestselling Co-Authors of the “Chicken Soup for the Soul” Series that sold 100+ million copies emphasized in book marketing seminars that we attended, “Your book is a business card in the door.”
What they teach is that you always want to leverage your book to generate income way beyond book sales. So think about how can you use your book as a lead generator to sell other services and products, which may include consulting services, a course, a game, or whatever you think your target market needs. And get creative so it’s unique content that draws more eyeballs to your book, website and videos.
3. Identify Ways Your Book is Helping Others in Your Book Marketing Strategies
In addition to becoming a thought leader with a business plan behind your book, your book marketing strategies should include ways that your book is helping others. This step is so important because readers always want to know – What’s In It For Me? (WIIFM).
And if you can improve their life, people will be much more interested in not only buying your book, but they will also be much more like to buy your products and services.
Your message to help others also needs to be sincere and come from the heart. When you have media interviews, people will be able to tell if you mean it. So go for a walk and brainstorm how your words can have a positive impact on others.
You can also select a charity that you want to support, and then add it to your website. For example, we have a loved one on the autism spectrum, so we donate a portion of our how-to book profits for 8-Second PR: New Public Relations Crash Course to autism charities every year.
The Goody Business Book Awards was created to shine a light on authors making a difference with words. Think about the social impact of your book, and then start communicating it everywhere in your book, social media, videos and media interviews.
Nominate Your Book
And as part of your book marketing strategies, consider nominating your book to book awards. Authors, Publicists, Agents, Publishers and even fans can nominate any book for a Goody Business Book Awards in 1-50 categories in 8 genres, including: Business, Entrepreneur, Health, Leadership, Marketing, Money and Wealth, Self-Help, and Technology here.
