book marketing: play ball

BOOK MARKETING:PLAY BALL!Presented by Magdalene Thomas

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HUDDLE UP

Book marketing has changed dramatically.

BOOK MARKETING: PLAY BALL

Book marketing, like the publishing industry, has seen a great amount of change in a relatively short amount of time. As technology has developed for both publishers and readers, we’ve seen new opportunities open up for authors.

An increased supply of books to the market has been met with an increased access to audiences. These audiences are more tech-savvy…and less patient.

WHAT THIS MEANS FOR YOU

• Self-publishing is a great option• Test your audiences,

competitors at low cost• You’ll need to refine

your pitch and product to stand out

• You know where to find your readers

• Audiences are online• Lead them to water• Expect to be told to

drink• Engaging with an

author costs them less• Don’t have to buy a

book to follow an author anymore

Technology


Audiences

PLAY BALL!

You’ve got the tools and opportunity. Now what?


Bases loaded

Predictable pitcher

Strong swing

PREDICTABLE PITCHER

• Your audience is NOT everyone• Primary, secondary audiences are focus of your

marketing• What are their pain points? How does your book solve

them?• Go where your readers go

• Easier to participate in a conversation than start one• Your assets should meet your audience’s

expectations• Fiction vs. nonfiction books

Know your audience


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PREDICTABLE PITCHER – CONT’D

• Competitors!• Beta readers• Social media targeting

• GoodReads• Facebook

• Online tools• Google Trends• Hash tags• News-jacking

How do you find your audience?


BASES LOADED

• Elevator pitch • Spoken vs. written

• Clear, engaging copy• SEO

• Author bio• This is marketing copy• Toot your own horn• Keep it short

• Author photo

• Website• Newsletter• Strategic social media• Swag

• Top of mind• Actionable

Book Assets


Author Assets

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BASES LOADED – CONT’D

• You don’t have to be everywhere all the time• Leadership book? LinkedIn and Twitter• Romance novel? Facebook and GoodReads• Cookbook? Pinterest and Instagram

• Having a plan mitigates stress• Consistency and quality over frequency• Twice per day? Once per week?

• 80/20 rule• Social media is not for selling; it’s for sharing• Shares beget shares

Content Strategy


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STRONG SWING

• Your plan depends on your goals• Want reviews? Focus on bloggers, individual readers• Want name recognition? Focus on strategic partners• Want sales? Focus on accretive, long-term strategies• Want speaking opportunities? Focus on trends

• Your plan should be deliberate• Lead a horse to water, prompt it to drink• What takeaways will drive your next initiative?

• Your plan should be flexible

Clear, cohesive marketing plan


STRONG SWING – CONT’D

• Paid• Who are strategic partners that share your target

audience?HBR, Inc magazineGoodReads

• Owned• How can you use your current assets?

Social media, website, newsletter• Earned

• Placements from PR• Word of mouth and social sharing

POEM: Paid Owned Earned Media


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STRONG SWING – CONT’D

• Your product must meet your readers’ expectations

• Plan months in advance• Make it easy to share on social

• Integrate hash tags to track, amplify• Data capture

• Information about your readers – so valuable!• Return to them with subsequent books, offers

• The power of free (or at least super cheap)• ARCs and excerpts

Turn a swing into a homerun


PLAY BALL!

The best time to start is NOW


Bases loaded

Predictable pitcher

Strong swing

Ideas [email protected]

book marketing: play ball

Small Business & Entrepreneurship