As an Author Success Coach, I work with and daily chat online with hundreds of authors. Bar none, the most volatile topic is author marketing. We all have to do it no matter how we’re published. The problem isn’t marketing. It isn’t buyer hostility. It isn’t an inability to understand the techniques. The problem is far simpler than that, it’s nothing more than down and dirty fear.
“This sounds really hard to do … I’m creative and marketing is not … I tried this marketing thing, it doesn’t work!” These author laments are legitimate and prevalent. The sad thing is that until authors recognize the extraordinary creative process of marketing, they will forever imagine it to be outside their skill set. This all comes from fear.
I’ve given fear a name. Harvey. Harvey tells you all kinds of crazy, limiting, and knee rattling things to keep you in line. Harvey says, “You can’t do that … You will fail … Stick close to other authors because they all know so much more than poor dumb you … avoid risk at all cost … Never, ever step out on your own … Marketing is too dangerous and far too complex for the likes of you.”
Remember writing your book? Harvey tried to sidetrack you then, too, but you ignored him. You knew what you could do. You created something wonderful, imaginative, and strong. You knew you had the ability to write that book, and you know it’s a book worthy of sales success.
So why on earth are you listening to Harvey now that it’s time to market your book? He has no real power over you. More importantly, he’s ALWAYS wrong.
It’s seriously time to lock Harvey away in the closet for good. Let’s look at marketing in a whole new way! Here are a few tips to get your started:
HARVEY SAYS AUTHOR MARKETING IS NOT IN YOUR SKILL SET – He’s the one who told you that you are creative and marketing is not. Poppycock! I don’t know about you but in my reality, creativity is creativity. It isn’t restrictive in any way. It opens whole worlds for writing AND marketing. Once you cross over from fear of marketing into the reality of marketing, you will joyfully discover that it is everything you already know how to do, and do well, too! Marketing is within your skill set, and no one is more suited to market the book you wrote than you.
HARVEY SAYS STICK CLOSE TO OTHER AUTHORS – He tells you that they know more about this marketing thing than you do. That there’s safety in numbers. Where are we? In a war zone? And since when is it smarter to hang close to your competition, because that’s what other authors are—your competition. Yes other authors are great support and guidance while you’re learning to write and navigate the publication maze, but when it comes to marketing, step away. Do you really think the Hershey Chocolates marketing executives hang out with Mars Candy marketing executives on twitter, sharing promotional ideas and strategies? Other authors don’t know more about marketing than you do, and it never works when a promotion bombards an audience from several authors. Small pond, too many fishermen. Step away from the competition.
HARVEY SAYS NEVER TAKE RISKS – Risk is what builds the world! If you never take a risk, never step out on your own, you will never get further than the author beside you. Here’s a huge tip … you can not market like other authors simply because your book is not like other authors’ books. Everything you need to market successfully you’ve already written in your book. All the unique hooks, eager special audiences, and wonderful promotional directions are already in there! See, you’re a marketing genius and you never even knew it! All you need to do is stand apart and learn how to reach out and connect with audiences that will love your book. Not other author’s books … YOURS.
ABOUT THE BOOK
Write Brain/Left Brain:
Bridging the Gap between Creative Writer and Marketing Author
Marketing is a very scary prospect for authors. It seems like a foreign language meant to be spoken in a far off land without an embassy to help explain the culture. None of this is true. It isn’t marketing that’s the issue—it’s a fear and general misunderstanding of marketing in relation to an author’s talents and skill set.
It’s time to open the author’s mind to the purely creative aspects of marketing as it relates directly to their specific book and audience. WRITE BRAIN/LEFT BRAIN skillfully bridges the gap between creative writer and marketing author, and opens the wide road to sales success.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Deborah Riley-Magnus is an author and an Author Success Coach. She has a twenty-seven year professional background in marketing, advertising, and public relations as a writer for print, television, and radio. She writes fiction and non-fiction.
In 2013 her nonfiction, Finding Author Success (Second Edition), and Cross Marketing Magic for Authors were released. Her newest book, Write Brain/Left Brain, focuses on bridging the gap between the creative writer and the marketing author.
Deborah produces several pieces monthly for various websites and online publications. She writes an author industry blog and teaches online and live workshops as The Author Success Coach. She belongs to several writing and professional organizations.
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I should be sooo tired!