How much TIME will you devote to marketing your book?

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In a recent post, we discussed the difference between being interested and being committed. It will come as no surprise that becoming an SBM* requires the latter: COMMITMENT. Today we’re going to talk about one of the biggest commitments you must make if you really want to get the World’s Best Book into the hands of as many readers as possible: TIME.

Ohhhh. I can hear the groans across the airwaves! “Time? That’s the thing I have the least of.” To quote Cher from Moonstruck: “Snap out of it!” Do you want to sell books or not?

OK, I’m really not diminishing the fact that you’re busy. Here I am typing this with one hand while holding my dog’s leash in the other and balancing a laundry basket on my head. I get busy! But busy is just life in our culture these days. What busy CANNOT be is an excuse not to carve out time to market your book.

I have a good friend who has an amazing book concept that has been in development … for more than FOUR years. The reason? Life keeps getting in the way. Don’t let this be you.

This is where a little thing called self-regulation comes in. According to a white paper by Roy F. Baumeister and Kathleen D. Vohs for Social and Personality Psychology Compass, “Self-regulation is the self ’s capacity for altering its behaviors.” Pretty simple definition for a complicated – but essential – learning and behavior process.

Here’s the thing to remember: Life isn’t going to get less busy because you’re embarking on a Savvy Book Marketing campaign. In all likelihood, it’s going to get busier. But if you understand that at the outset, you’ll be better able to manage all the other things that will pull at you when you’re setting your marketing schedule and goals.

Remember, you’ve already given yourself permission to sell your book. Now it’s time to make whatever time commitment it takes. If you don’t make your book your priority, no one else is going to do it for you.

See you Monday!

MARCIE

*Savvy Book Marketer

__________________

We’d love it if you’d take a few minutes to give us some feedback via SurveyMonkey about an upcoming Author Sales Training Webinar series we’ve got in the works. Anyone who completes the survey and provides a viable e-mail address will be eligible to win a $10 Amazon gift card.

__________________

We welcome and encourage your thoughtful, courteous comments below.

__________________

If you’d like us to add a link to your writing/self-publishing/book marketing blog, please send us a note. If we think it’s a good fit, we’ll be happy to add you. Of course, we’d appreciate the reciprocity of the same!

Additionally, Marcie would be happy to make a guest appearance on your writing/self-publishing/book marketing blog. Just let us know the theme or your idea (preferably including a 6-panel concept), and we’ll see what we can draft for you.

__________________

PREVIOUS POSTS

Monday, June 27 – Start with ONE book marketing strategy, and BE DILIGENT about it!

Thursday, June 23 – INTERESTED or COMMITTED – What’s the difference when it comes to book marketing?

Monday, June 20 – Take a page from the Boy Scouts: Always be PREPARED!

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AWESOME advice: Take the path of MOST resistance

AWESOME advice: Take the path of MOST resistance

OK — we’ve been talking most recently about choosing one book marketing strategy and just beginning somewhere. I stand by that. Seriously — you just need to get started. If that means starting with the low-hanging fruit (the easiest-to-implement strategy), do it. Just get going.

But later, there will be other choices. And that’s where this advice comes in. Darren Hardy, publisher of Success magazine, advocates the following in a recent post:

How do I know what the right choices are? Here’s a simple formula: When in doubt, just do what you don’t want to do—that’s usually exactly what you should do. Take the path of MOST resistance.

If you’ve been reading for a while, you should know what’s coming next.

Here’s the challenge:

Make a commitment that one day this week (and why not today?) you will follow the resistance. Do the hard thing, the challenging thing, the thing you most want to avoid. Then, come back and tell us about it. How did it feel to make the commitment? How did you get yourself to do it? How did you feel afterward? My guess is that Darren didn’t get to be the publisher of Success magazine for no reason.

Let’s share our successes!

Laura

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Visit Write | Market | Design to download your Marketing Skills Evaluation.

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We welcome and encourage your thoughtful, courteous comments below.

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Start with ONE book marketing strategy, and BE DILIGENT about it!

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In our last post, we reenforced the understanding that becoming an SBM* is neither terribly complicated nor difficult. What it requires is creativity, strategy, and a significant commitment of time and energy. Book marketing strategies are probably as plentiful as the authors who employ them. Your goal should be to determine ONE strategy to begin with – email, social media, postcards, newsletter, phone calls, networking – and be faithful and diligent about it.

First, choose the strategy that makes the most sense to you. If you already have a sizable mailing list, an e-mail drip campaign might make sense. If you’ve got a good-sized social network, you may want to begin there. If you are building your platform from the ground up, a blog may be the best place to start.

Next, create a schedule and stick to it. Blog three days a week. Create a weekly e-mail drip campaign. Join two networking groups and attend every meeting faithfully – and then follow up religiously. Begin with ONE strategy, and master it. Then explore which strategy will best compliment your current effort and add another one, and do that regularly. And so on…  But start with one – the key word there being START!

See you Thursday!

MARCIE

*Savvy Book Marketer

__________________

We’d love it if you’d take a few minutes to give us some feedback via SurveyMonkey about an upcoming Author Sales Training Webinar series we’ve got in the works. Anyone who completes the survey and provides a viable e-mail address will be eligible to win a $10 Amazon gift card.

__________________

We welcome and encourage your thoughtful, courteous comments below.

__________________

If you’d like us to add a link to your writing/self-publishing/book marketing blog, please send us a note. If we think it’s a good fit, we’ll be happy to add you. Of course, we’d appreciate the reciprocity of the same!

Additionally, Marcie would be happy to make a guest appearance on your writing/self-publishing/book marketing blog. Just let us know the theme or your idea (preferably including a 6-panel concept), and we’ll see what we can draft for you.

__________________

PREVIOUS POSTS

Thursday, June 23 – INTERESTED or COMMITTED – What’s the difference when it comes to book marketing?

Monday, June 20 – Take a page from the Boy Scouts: Always be PREPARED!

Thursday, June 16 – Are you using the 80/20 RULE when it comes to marketing your books?

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Marcie Brock and Madonna, comic contemporaries

Marcie Brock and Madonna, comic contemporaries

Marcie Brock is about to be joined by very regal company. Galleycat announced in a June 24, 2011 post that Madonna is about to become a comic book star.

I remember it because it was the summer I met my best friend, Jane. Like a Virgin was released when I was 14, and the then unknown 19-year-old Madonna, seemingly of endless arrogance, declared she would one day be the biggest pop star in the world. At the time, I had no use for her music, and as her fame grew, I thought she was just a trashy sellout. How the years and a little perspective can change one’s POV.

Now I’m not saying I’d like to hang out with her, but I soooooo admire what Madonna not only declared, but accomplished. I don’t give a rat’s ass how she did it – she set a BIG fat hairy goal (also known as a BHAG), and then went out and accomplished it. I immensely admire her chutzpah, so  much so that she’s in my Success Book as one woman’s success I’d like to model.

Bluewater Productions, creator of the new Madonna comic, also features Hillary Clinton, Oprah Winfrey, and JK Rowling in its Female Force series – other women who appear in my Succes Book. 

If YOU want to accomplish something huge, set a big goal, tell people, and then take all the baby steps necessary to get there!

Laura

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Visit Write | Market | Design to download your Marketing Skills Evaluation.

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We welcome and encourage your thoughtful, courteous comments below.

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Interested or COMMITTED – what’s the difference when it comes to book marketing?

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Good morning, SBM’s and SBM’s-in-training!* I want to begin with a little question today:

Are you interested in marketing your books,
or are you committed to marketing your books?

As my friend Karen Gridley, the Excuse Removal Expert, says, there is a HUGE difference between being interested (“Yeah, I might pursue that if nothing more intriguing crosses my path in the meantime”) and committed (“I will do WHATEVER it takes to accomplish this goal.”)

Book marketing is not rocket science – yes, that old cliche. But the words really apply here, in that marketing your book is neither terribly complicated nor difficult. It doesn’t even necessarily require a huge budget. The thing about book marketing – the process of getting your books in front of readers who will buy them – is that it does require creativity, strategy, and a significant commitment of time and energy.

The sooner you get started, the more effective you will be. Whether your book is still on post-it notes all over your dining room table or rolling off the presses tomorrow, NOW is the time to start forming your marketing plan and building your platform.

Are you simply interested in marketing your books, or are you truly committed to getting them into the hands of readers who will like them, recommend them, and anxiously await your next release? Only YOU can decide…

See you Monday!

MARCIE

*Savvy Book Marketer

__________________

We’d love it if you’d take a few minutes to give us some feedback via SurveyMonkey about an upcoming Author Sales Training Webinar series we’ve got in the works. Anyone who completes the survey and provides a viable e-mail address will be eligible to win a $10 Amazon gift card.

__________________

We welcome and encourage your thoughtful, courteous comments below.

__________________

If you’d like us to add a link to your writing/self-publishing/book marketing blog, please send us a note. If we think it’s a good fit, we’ll be happy to add you. Of course, we’d appreciate the reciprocity of the same!

Additionally, Marcie would be happy to make a guest appearance on your writing/self-publishing/book marketing blog. Just let us know the theme or your idea (preferably including a 6-panel concept), and we’ll see what we can draft for you.

__________________

PREVIOUS POSTS

Monday, June 20 – Take a page from the Boy Scouts: Always be PREPARED!

Thursday, June 16 – Are you using the 80/20 RULE when it comes to marketing your books?

Monday, June 13 – RELATIONSHIP marketing is the only way to SELL something personal like a book

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Is Fear of Failure Holding You Back?

The following is the first paragraph from Russell Bishop’s recent article regarding fear of failure. I guess I started reading this one in the middle, as you may be able to tell from comment (at the bottom in bold).

Still, I’d love to hear what he has to say on how the two are related.

– Laura

“Which do you fear most? Success or failure? Could it be that what holds you back in life is more about your fear of success than it is about your fear of failure? Before we can dig into the fear of success side of the equation, we need to address the more commonly thought-about fear of failure.”

__________

While this isn’t new material, it’s a great reminder for just about anyone who’s attempting to make progress in his/her life. I’ve often heard that the fear of success is an equally daunting saboteur as fear of failure. Would love to hear you address how they are similar, different, and related overall. Read the Article at HuffingtonPost

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Take a page from the Boy Scouts: Always be PREPARED!

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So now that we’re familiar with relationship marketing as it pertains to becoming an SBM* and have made that aspect of selling books part of our daily ritual, practice, and mantra, it’s time to start seizing the opportunities as they present themselves. I recommend taking a page out of the Boy Scouts’ playbook and always BE PREPARED.

Once you train yourself to recognize them, you will begin to notice opportunities everywhere. You will meet people in line at the grocery store or the DMV. Your spouse will come across someone who can help promote your book. You will attend a lecture and make connections who invite you to speak the next time. Whatever shape or form they take, make sure you’re ready to capitalize on these limitless opportunities!

It’s possible that right now you’re thinking, “What are you talking about, Marcie? I’ve NEVER met anyone who could help me market my book on Irish vegan wedding recipes.” Here’s the thing: the opportunities are out there, but you must learn to see them.

I had a mentor who was so good at seeing opportunities, I like to say that he was able to look at a plain white piece of paper and see 27 opportunities on it, while all I saw was a plain white piece of paper. But after spending time with him, I began to do a few things that allowed me to start seeing opportunities the same way he did:

1. I decided exactly what I wanted.
2. I figured out the kinds of help I would need to get there.
3. I learned to be a better listener.
4. I got over my fear of talking to people about my products and services.

Think about the times people have asked you for help. If the request is reasonable, people are mostly willing to help. Now there’s one big caveat here: you do NOT want to go at people with your hand out the second you meet them. This is not about learning to use or manipulate the people you know. It’s about figuring out how to create mutually beneficial arrangements with them.

Nothing will come of any of the opportunities, though, if you aren’t prepared to leverage them.

• How are you at public speaking? If it’s less than stellar (or if you’re terrified of public speaking), join a Toastmasters Club today! 
• Do you have an article ready to go if someone were to ask you to submit one to their publication? How’s the resource box and your call to action?
• Is your media kit current?
• Are your bio, resume, and introduction updated?
• Have you rehearsed your 15-, 30-, and 60-second descriptions of your book so that they roll off your tongue?

As my friend, international sales trainer Connie Kadansky, always says: “Opportunities are never lost. They just go to the person who is ready to take advantage of them!”

See you Thursday!

MARCIE

*Savvy Book Marketer

__________________

We’d love it if you’d take a few minutes to give us some feedback via SurveyMonkey about an upcoming Author Sales Training Webinar series we’ve got in the works. Anyone who completes the survey and provides a viable e-mail address will be eligible to win a $10 Amazon gift card.

__________________

We welcome and encourage your thoughtful, courteous comments below.

__________________

If you’d like us to add a link to your writing/self-publishing/book marketing blog, please send us a note. If we think it’s a good fit, we’ll be happy to add you. Of course, we’d appreciate the reciprocity of the same!

Additionally, Marcie would be happy to make a guest appearance on your writing/self-publishing/book marketing blog. Just let us know the theme or your idea (preferably including a 6-panel concept), and we’ll see what we can draft for you.

__________________

PREVIOUS POSTS

Thursday, June 16 – Are you using the 80/20 RULE when it comes to marketing your books?

Monday, June 13 – RELATIONSHIP marketing is the only way to SELL something personal like a book

Thursday, June 9 – Savvy Book Marketing is all about the RELATIONSHIP

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Are you using the 80/20 RULE when it comes to marketing your books?

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Hello, my lovely SBMs, SBMs-in-training, and soon-to-be SBMs!* Today’s tip is quite simple, but please do not mistake simple for unimportant.

Chances are, you’re familiar with the 80/20 Rule. I used to hear it from my personal trainer: “Eat well 80 percent of the time; eat whatever you want the rest of the time.” I’ve heard it said about our closets: We wear 20 percent of our clothes 80 percent of the time. I’ve encountered it in productivity discussions: 20 percent of the people do 80 percent of the work. It just seems to be a breakdown that works in many situations. Book marketing is another really good example.

We’ve been talking over the last few posts about the need to BALANCE relationships with selling. This has never been more true than across the ubiquitous social media platforms. Want proof? How fast do you “unfollow,” block, or “unfriend” people who constantly spam your Twitter feed or Facebook wall with ads for their businesses or products? If you’re like me, the answer is: Immediately! Someone may have the best damn tire shop in Toledo, but if all they do is post ads for their wheels/rims specials and all-terrain tires, I’m just not interested. Especially since I live in Arizona!

Somehow, with all the buzz about the need for authors – and sellers of all stripes (a.k.a. just about every entrepreneur/business owner in existence) – to get into the social media game, one little details seems to be frequently overlooked: the first word in “social media” is SOCIAL!

Of course, each person’s concept of social – and therefore social media – is going to be a little bit different. However, there are some universal truths. Would you marry someone after the first date? Probably not. So why would you even consider trying to sell your book to a brand new online friend, unless you already have a relationship with them? One of the most beautiful aspects of social media is its global reach. Remember the ancient days of pen pals? Today, we can interact with friends all over the world!

But interaction means just that – getting to know them on a one-on-one basis. Exchanging conversations with them. Sharing news, ideas, and information. And … if and when the timing is right … marketing your book to them. Take a look at your personal campaigns as well as your overall strategy, and keep the 80/20 rule in mind!

See you Monday!

MARCIE

*Savvy Book Marketers

__________________

We’d love it if you’d take a few minutes to give us some feedback via SurveyMonkey about an upcoming Author Sales Training Webinar series we’ve got in the works. Anyone who completes the survey and provides a viable e-mail address will be eligible to win a $10 Amazon gift card.

__________________

We welcome and encourage your thoughtful, courteous comments below.

__________________

If you’d like us to add a link to your writing/self-publishing/book marketing blog, please send us a note. If we think it’s a good fit, we’ll be happy to add you. Of course, we’d appreciate the reciprocity of the same!

Additionally, Marcie would be happy to make a guest appearance on your writing/self-publishing/book marketing blog. Just let us know the theme or your idea (preferably including a 6-panel concept), and we’ll see what we can draft for you.

__________________

PREVIOUS POSTS

Monday, June 13 – RELATIONSHIP marketing is the only way to SELL something personal like a book

Thursday, June 9 – Savvy Book Marketing is all about the RELATIONSHIP

Monday, June 6 – Give yourself PERMISSION to market your books

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RELATIONSHIP marketing is the only way to SELL something personal like a book

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I can hear the cries already: “Marcie, you’re schizophrenic. One day you tell us marketing is all about the RELATIONSHIP; the next day you tell us it’s about SELLING BOOKS. What, exactly are you trying to teach us here?”

The answer  is: BOTH of these things! Relationship marketing is the best way to sell anything, especially something personal like a book. Don’t think a book is personal? Think again. It’s one of the most personal products in the world, because in most cases, a single person created it. Not a business. Not a larger corporation or massive entity. One person, who is probably a lot like his or her potential readers.

Marketing can be defined as the process of introducing and interesting potential buyers in your products or services. So, Savvy Book Marketing is the process of introducing YOUR BOOK to your clearly defined TARGET  audience (i.e., people who want to BUY and READ your book).

We talked last time about how companies used to use advertising as their key means of launching a product. Companies used to rely almost exclusively on a sales strategy to create demand for their products whereby they essentially chased customers, “pushing” their products/services at prospective buyers. Relationship marketing has turned that old style of selling on its ugly little head.

Today, the kind of selling that works best is “pull marketing,” campaigns that draw buyers (a.k.a. readers) to you by engaging them, getting to know them, creating RELATIONSHIPS with them. However, once you engage and connect with them, your goal is still to SELL your book to them.

We’ve been hammering this point for a while now, so here’s a little homework assignment for you. Answer the following question:

Who is YOUR ideal reader, and what are you doing
to connect and create relationships with them?

If you’re feeling bold, share your comments below. (As an SBM* or an SBM-in-Training, I sure hope you’re getting bolder!) This isn’t all about me lecturing you. I know we’ve got some very Savvy Book Marketers* out there with great ideas we can all learn from.

See you Thursday!

MARCIE

__________________

We’d love it if you’d take a few minutes to give us some feedback via SurveyMonkey about an upcoming Author Sales Training Webinar series we’ve got in the works. Anyone who completes the survey and provides a viable e-mail address will be eligible to win a $10 Amazon gift card.

__________________

We welcome and encourage your thoughtful, courteous comments below.

__________________

If you’d like us to add a link to your writing/self-publishing/book marketing blog, please send us a note. If we think it’s a good fit, we’ll be happy to add you. Of course, we’d appreciate the reciprocity of the same!

Additionally, Marcie would be happy to make a guest appearance on your writing/self-publishing/book marketing blog. Just let us know the theme or your idea (preferably including a 6-panel concept), and we’ll see what we can draft for you.

__________________

PREVIOUS POSTS

Thursday, June 9 – Savvy Book Marketing is all about the RELATIONSHIP

Monday, June 6 – Give yourself PERMISSION to market your books

Thursday, June 2 – You’ve got to develop a thick skin if you’re going to get SERIOUS about SELLING your books

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Savvy Book Marketing is always about the RELATIONSHIP

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It would make my little Savvy Book Marketing heart sing if most people who read the headline on this post think, “Duh!” But I’ve found that whenever it seems like everyone should know something, that’s the perfect time to reiterate the point.

Let’s start by taking a trip in Marcie’s Time Machine. Buckle up, ’cause here we go.

A l-o-n-g time ago, when there were many fewer mediums than exist in today’s hyper-connected world, it was enough for a company to launch a new product with an ad on the TV machine or the radio box. Fewer companies + fewer ads = lots more attention paid to each product featured.

Today, it’s estimated that we come across between 3,000 and 5,000 marketing messages in a single DAY. Think about it: license plates and frames, sides of cars and trucks and buses, bus stops, real estate signs, billboards, product placement in movies, let alone radio, TV, print media, and the Internet. Here’s the thing: Ads might amuse us, but what they don’t do is cause us to connect with the company/service provider. That’s where the relationship comes in.

And that’s what you want to start thinking about as soon as you begin writing your book. Who will read it – and how can you create a connection with them? Social networking isn’t about selling – remember to put the emphasis on the first word: SOCIAL. Do the same in your face-to-face networking and with your e-mail list. Notice the individual.

Use Twitter to get to know agents and publishers – WITHOUT asking anything from them. Send birthday, anniversary, congratulations, and most importantly, thank you cards. Respond personally to people who reach out to you first. Cultivating the relationship is the single most profitable thing you can do to market yourself as an aspiring author.

See you Monday!

MARCIE

__________________

We’d love it if you’d take a few minutes to give us some feedback via SurveyMonkey about an upcoming Author Sales Training Webinar series we’ve got in the works. Anyone who completes the survey and provides a viable e-mail address will be eligible to win a $10 Amazon gift card.

__________________

We welcome and encourage your thoughtful, courteous comments below.

__________________

If you’d like us to add a link to your writing/self-publishing/book marketing blog, please send us a note. If we think it’s a good fit, we’ll be happy to add you. Of course, we’d appreciate the reciprocity of the same!

Additionally, Marcie would be happy to make a guest appearance on your writing/self-publishing/book marketing blog. Just let us know the theme or your idea (preferably including a 6-panel concept), and we’ll see what we can draft for you.

__________________

PREVIOUS POSTS

Monday, June 6 – Give yourself PERMISSION to market your books

Thursday, June 2 – You’ve got to develop a thick skin if you’re going to get SERIOUS about SELLING your books

Monday, May 30 – If you REALLY want to sell books, you’ve got to learn to start thinking like a marketer

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Give yourself PERMISSION to market your books

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I know, I know – the title on this post sounds somewhat ridiculous. Why would authors have to give themselves permission to market their own books? The books are THEIR books, aren’t they? Who’s going to stop them from marketing those books? Aha – now we’re getting somewhere. Who IS going to stop you, the author, from marketing your own book? Would you believe me if I told you that YOU are the most likely culprit?

It’s all about a little thing my good friend Therese Skelly likes to call mindset. And if you mean to become an SBM* and get really good at marketing your books, you must first master your mindset. This means embracing the role of marketer and salesperson, confident that you have an excellent product (your book) to sell to your very hungry market (your potential readers).

In all my years participating in the Phoenix networking and business development circle, one thing that still amazes me is how difficult it is for many people to promote themselves and their businesses. They just have a huge hesitation to say, “Here’s what I do, and you should hire/buy from me because I’m pretty good at it.” Unfortunately, many authors struggle from the same challenges.

What’s behind this fear of self-promotion? Lots of things, most likely – but the biggest one appears to be a hugely emotional fear of rejection. “What if they don’t like my book?” Last post, I encouraged you to develop a thick skin. Now I’m STRONGLY encouraging you to give yourself permission to promote your book. Take a page out of Debbie Allen‘s playbook and become a shameless self-promoter.

If it’s a good book that can help people, you owe it to them to let them know about it. If it’s a fictional work that will truly move your readers, don’t you think they want the opportunity to read it? Get over your fear, false humility, or whatever is holding you back and get out there to toot your own horn! Because here’s the deal – it will be difficult to impossible to get anyone else to promote your book for you or with you if you don’t take the lead by passionately promoting it yourself.

See you Thursday!

MARCIE

*Savvy Book Marketer

__________________

We’d love it if you’d take a few minutes to give us some feedback via SurveyMonkey about an upcoming Author Sales Training Webinar series we’ve got in the works. Anyone who completes the survey and provides a viable e-mail address will be eligible to win a $10 Amazon gift card.

__________________

We welcome and encourage your thoughtful, courteous comments below.

__________________

If you’d like us to add a link to your writing/self-publishing/book marketing blog, please send us a note. If we think it’s a good fit, we’ll be happy to add you. Of course, we’d appreciate the reciprocity of the same!

Additionally, Marcie would be happy to make a guest appearance on your writing/self-publishing/book marketing blog. Just let us know the theme or your idea (preferably including a 6-panel concept), and we’ll see what we can draft for you.

__________________

PREVIOUS POSTS

Thursday, June 2 – You’ve got to develop a thick skin if you’re going to get SERIOUS about SELLING your books

Monday, May 30 – If you REALLY want to sell books, you’ve got to learn to start thinking like a marketer

Thursday, May 26 – You must know why YOU are writing this book – and be able to talk about it

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You’ve got to develop a thick skin if you’re going to get SERIOUS about SELLING books

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OK, so you’ve been listening and paying attention to our little blog. You’re even starting to enjoy wearing your SBM Hat*. Unfortunately, I’ve got to throw just a little cold water on you right now, before we take another step forward. I’ve got some news that may hurt, so I want you to hear it from me first: Not everybody is going to like your book. I’m sorry to be the bearer of such dastardly news – but that’s just a fact.

HOWEVER, the point I want you to take from this is that it’s best to get used to that idea NOW, and move on, rather than have it punch you in the gut later.

This situation reminds me of a conversation I once had with a friend who was startled because someone in her office did not get along with her. “But everybody likes me,” she wailed. It seemed strange for a woman in her late 20s to be coming to the realization that, in fact, everyone did NOT like her. The same is true for your writing. The cold, hard fact is that no matter how good your book is, there will be someone who doesn’t like it. It may truly be the World’s Best Book, but still there will be people out there who simply do not care for it.

Writing is an art, a passion, a devotion – and to do it well, the writer exposes a piece of her soul. She puts her thoughts, ideas, creations into words and onto paper … and if she means it to have impact beyond her own personal catharsis, she will release her creation for the world to see. And comment upon. Putting your writing out there exposes you to the reaction of your readers, both positive, and not so positive.

If you’re going to sell this book, though, you’ve got to put aside the detractors, find the people who love and support your work, and cultivate them. Avoid getting hung up on the one reviewer who didn’t like your book, focusing instead on building your platform with readers who are clamoring for more.

See you Monday!

MARCIE

*Savvy Book Marketer

__________________

Visit Write | Market | Design to download your Marketing Skills Evaluation. This will help you determine how close you are to SBM status, and where you may need a little extra boost.

__________________

We welcome and encourage your thoughtful, courteous comments below.

__________________

If you’d like us to add a link to your writing/self-publishing/book marketing blog, please send us a note. If we think it’s a good fit, we’ll be happy to add you. Of course, we’d appreciate the reciprocity of the same!

Additionally, Marcie would be happy to make a guest appearance on your writing/self-publishing/book marketing blog. Just let us know the theme or your idea (preferably including a 6-panel concept), and we’ll see what we can draft for you.

__________________

PREVIOUS POSTS

Monday, May 30 – If you REALLY want to sell books, you’ve got to learn to start thinking like a marketer

Thursday, May 26 – You must know why YOU are writing this book – and be able to talk about it

Monday, May 23 – You can’t build your platform if you don’t KNOW your reader

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