Finishing writing your book’s manuscript is a monumental achievement—but the work is not yet finished. Now, it’s time to share your work with the world. Whether you pursue traditional or self-publishing, you’ll need to market your book to ensure it receives the attention it deserves. Marketing may seem daunting at first, but, with a little direction, you’ll likely realize you already have all the key components; all that remains is determining how to use those components strategically. This post is the first in an upcoming series where we’ll cover the basics of marketing your book throughout its production lifecycle and beyond.
Establishing an Author Platform
To market your book, you’ll need to focus not only on selling your work but also on selling yourself. This could mean establishing yourself as an expert on your title’s subject matter or demonstrating the unique perspective you bring to your book’s premise. Regardless, you’re using your author platform to show readers what qualifies you to write your book and why they should be interested what you have to say. If you’re pursuing traditional publishing, an engaging author platform can also show publishers that you’re committed to your book’s success, heightening their chances of accepting your submission. (For more tips on having your book accepted by a publisher, check out our post on How to Ace Your Query.)
As with all things in marketing, you should approach creating your author platform strategically. You don’t want to expend precious resources on curating a platform that doesn’t do you or your work justice—or reach the right audience. Fortunately, there are several options for building an author platform online, many of which are available at little to no cost. But how do you decide which are best for you?
- Identify Your Target Audience:
- Ask yourself who would be most interested in or benefit most from your book. “Learn all you can about your audience [and] find out where they hang out online.” Curate your brand identity to appeal to this audience and focus your efforts on their preferred platforms to gain the most return for your investment.
- Create (or Update) Your Author Website:
- Regardless of your book’s genre or target audience, you’ll benefit from having an author website. “An author website is your home base online, which makes it a foundational piece of your author platform.” Here, you can link all your relevant social media accounts, feature prior published or unpublished works, and host sign-ups to build your email list. You should also introduce yourself to your prospective readers with an author bio. For instruction on developing or improving yours, check out Reedsy’s guide on How to Write a Killer Author Bio (With Template).
- Engage With Your Community:
- While creating an author platform is a great start, simply having an online presence won’t garner all the attention your book deserves: “Building your platform isn’t just about broadcasting—it’s about connecting.” Make sure you’re being an active participant on all the platforms you’ve created, whether that’s your website, social media accounts, or even a podcast. The more you engage with your own platforms, the more likely others are to engage with them too.
Proactively Building Your Network
The ultimate goal of establishing an author platform is to gain traction for your title and credibility for yourself. Whether you’ve just come up with the idea for your upcoming title, you’re preparing to query a publisher, or you’re ready to self-publish, your author platform grants you an opportunity to expand your network. Keep in mind that your network isn’t limited to your title’s prospective readers; it can also include other authors or experts in your subject area who are willing to help promote your book—or publishers who are interested in acquiring it. The broader your network and the more engaged you are with it, the greater your title’s visibility.
Marketing your book doesn’t have to be intimidating. Making small steps throughout the production lifecycle—like creating an author platform and growing your community—rather than waiting till your title’s launch to begin can make a world of difference when it comes to your initial sales. You’ve put in the work, now it’s time to share it.
Keep up with our blog for more tips on how to manage your marketing strategy to ensure your book gets the attention it deserves, and let us know your questions about marketing your book before it’s published in the comments.
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