Creating an Author Marketing Plan
It's more important to your success than you think!
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Hi Authors!
A marketing plan not only helps you promote your book and build your brand, but it also puts you in the mindset of being an author. The purpose of a marketing plan is simple:
Create discoverability of you and your book.
Get your book into the marketplace.
Create interest so readers will buy it.
You’d be surprised how many authors don’t have a marketing plan. We see this time and again. Without a plan, authors flounder and marketing doesn’t happen… or they end up marketing their book in a piecemeal manner (which usually isn’t effective).
Marketing doesn’t just happen. It needs to be planned and created in some kind of document. Marketing your book will take time, planning, and patience. Your marketing plan is a reference guide of the items you need to do to market your book and a timeframe in which they should be done.
What Should Go In Your Marketing Plan
A marketing plan is unique and personalized for every author, but here are some of things you’ll want to include in your plan/calendar for the year:
How much time will you spend on social media? Will you do the postings, or will you hire someone for that?
How often will you update your website?
When and how often will you buy marketing collateral?
How often will you send out your newsletter?
What events do you plan to attend?
Will you do book signings? How about a book tour?
How often will you update your author profile on sites like Amazon and Goodreads?
Will you do a book trailer? If so, when?
How many marketing videos will you create, and where will you distribute them?
When and where will you send in award program entries?
Will you do giveaways and when?
The list above is just a sample of the items to consider as you create your marketing plan.
Where to Begin
A marketing plan doesn’t have to be fancy or done in a certain format; it simply has to be effective for you. Here are some things to consider as you begin:
