Authors need to wear multiple hats when marketing their books. In addition to writing, an author must serve as his own graphic designer, web developer, event planner and publicist. Each role plays a key part in creating a complete book marketing plan. The following is a breakdown of the essential skills required to perform each role.
The Graphic Designer – An author needs to learn something about graphic design to create a professional presence in the marketplace. An author needs to communicate his brand in a visual way. He needs to be able to design a logo, create professional flyers and plan a visually arresting website. Consider a company like LOGO Design Pros for creating your logo. You might try nextdayflyers for assistance in creating professional-looking flyers. Many authors choose to leave the design of their own websites to an author website company, such as Smart Author Sites.
Web Developer – An author needs to know how to create a website. Beyond being visually intriguing, the website needs to have search engine optimization (SEO), as well as organizational flow. A good site serves as a hub for social sites like Facebook and Twitter. It will incorporate a blog too. For do-it-yourself websites, try webhosting companies like Yahoo! Small Business and Go Daddy.
Event Planner – Authors often plan community events to generate press for their books. Much more than a book signing, this kind of event requires detailed planning. A venue must be secured. You will need to bring copies of books to the event. Many authors offer entertainment, refreshments, and bring in local press to one local event. Other authors coordinate events in a number of cities to reach as many readers as possible. This kind of event-planning consumes much time and effort. For resources, check out Evite, a free site that provides invitation and planning support for events. Some authors choose to hire support from companies that provide fee-based event-planning for authors.
Publicist – Self-published authors need to promote their work by acting as their own publicist. A publicist writes press releases, coordinates author signings, arranges handles media appearances. Publicists create a PR plan that often includes social media like Facebook and Twitter. The plan should also include an author video and sending our Advanced Reading Copies (ARCs) to reviewers and bloggers who might feature the book. This job requires extensive research and an extensive network. Some authors choose to do these things on their own, or at least to start with that approach. If and when you decide to hire a company to organize a campaign, search for organizations that specialize in helping authors. A search on “pr firms for authors”, for example, will yield many results, including sites that list service providers in this area.