A refresher on marketing for authors

VANESSA GROSSETT

is a literary agent at The Authors Care Agency. For more information, visit www.theauthorscareagency.co.uk

Marketing should be every author’s good dream, but for most it’s the total opposite.

Writers just want to do what they love best: to write and forget about the rest, but marketing is a necessity to get you noticed by your target audience, and contributes to your product sales.

I believe it isn’t that writers don’t want to market; some don’t have the confidence. They believe they won’t do it effectively and lack the knowledge how to. Even if you define yourself as having an introverted personality, you can still market.

It is also important to have belief in yourself and your product in order to be effective. Don’t allow other people’s perceptions of your creativity to put you off; know with God all things are possible.

Here are the main marketing tips to help you get started in the right direction.

Learn about your target audience

Where do they mostly socialise, especially on social media? Learning about your target audience could help you structure your marketing plan in the right direction and help you to focus and pinpoint where to introduce your product effectively.

Learn about the subject

There is nothing wrong in gaining knowledge on a subject you might not be familiar with. There could be valuable pointers you could pick up along the way or which may constructively redirect your plans. There are marketing courses online, or you could even ask fellow writers for advice. Don’t be afraid to expand your knowledge in this area.

Have a marketing expenditure

Most authors don’t want to spend money, especially if they are self-published. But if you can find someone or a company who can help you further your product, then there is nothing wrong in paying for that service. You can’t do everything by yourself; sometimes you need that extra push to help you along the way. Yes, do your research - especially if you’re looking into book publicists, and what you feel represents value or are comfortable to pay - but don’t always go it alone or do it for free, sometimes the free stuff won’t always give you the extra boost you need.

Have fun, fun, fun

This is very important. Don’t see marketing as a chore; enjoy the experience. You may make some mistakes along the way but see it as a lesson, not as something to beat yourself up or get frustrated about. If you see it as a chore, you will make it an unpleasant experience and it really doesn’t need to be. Happy marketing!

Collaborate with others

The great news is that writers are starting to collaborate with each other and doing multi-author projects. Previously this wasn’t the case, but I believe writers are now starting to see the importance of unity and supporting each other and are no longer looking at the others as competition. Everyone has their own unique way of doing things, and success is there for everyone for the taking. Collaborating with others can also help grow your credibility and your brand.