A Chinese proverb states, "The journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step." The journey of book marketing can be seen in the same light. Instead of starting with huge goals, it may be better for your book–and you–to take baby steps in the marketing journey.
Before your book is published, start your marketing journey by telling friends and family about your book. Use them as practice while you fine-tune your conversation skills and develop your "elevator speech," or the concise description of your book. Pay attention to how your friends and family react to your descriptions. If they become bored, your description may be too long or may not contain the most exciting aspects of your book. Keep your friends and family excited about your book, and encourage them to get the word out to others.
Although it would be ideal to have a deep relationship with your intended audience from the get-go without much research, that's rarely the case. It is unrealistic to think that you can understand your audience without spending time getting to know them. After you define who you'd like to reach, learn everything you can. What are their likes? Dislikes? Tools like Facebook, Twitter, or other forms of social media can help you understand your audience and connect with them.
Most authors dream of seeing their book in a large bookstore chain. However, their bookshelves are more competitive than they seem. It is best to start with your small, local bookstore. Visit their shop and meet with the manager. Local bookstores are often looking to promote local authors. If you introduce yourself to them before your book is published, they may be more willing to sell your book in their store. Large bookstore chains often look to smaller, localized bookstores to find new books for their shelves. It allows bookstores to return their unsold titles. Be sure to stay on good terms with your local bookshop. They could prove helpful in the future.
Once your book is published, it is time to tell your local media. The media, however, are often poor listeners. The best way to reach them is through a press release. Press releases should be short–only one page–and should feature the most important information on top. Make sure you cover all the bases in your local media: radio stations, newspapers, TV news stations, and local magazines. The internet will also prove a helpful outlet. Find a local webzine or blog that will be interested in your book. If your book is about a specific topic, such as Canadian history, fishing, or financial analysis, check trade web sites that might be interested in featuring your book.
Launch parties provide an outlet for you to sell your book face-to-face, meet potential readers, and have them meet you. Most importantly, a launch party will allow you to celebrate your literary achievement. While an invitation-only launch party is very intimate, a public launch party can allow for more potential readers. If you aren't planning a launch party, now would be a good time to take a break from marketing and celebrate your work. Arrange something fun for yourself or your family.
Once your book is out, it is critical to communicate with your audience directly. They will clue you in on what they did and didn't enjoy about your book. One way to do this is through events like book signings, tradeshow appearances, author talks, and workshops. These events will also allow you to gain credibility, promote your book and your name, and will give you an opportunity to make direct sales. Contact the local bookshops you visited in The Third Step. Many local bookstores are open to hosting book signings, as it invites more customers into their store. After meeting your target audience, you will no doubt have a better understanding about how to market to them when you are ready to start marketing your next book!