I get involved with authors when their books are ready to go to print and receive their release date. When I make my first introductory phone call to the author, one of the most common things I hear them say is "I love writing, but I don't know a THING about marketing books." Sure, I'm there to help the author and assist them with the marketing and promotion of their book, but authors must be involved in the marketing of their book. No matter who the publisher of the book is, authors are always an important part of the marketing equation. Some publishers are bluntly telling their authors they are responsible for doing most of the heavy lifting when it comes to marketing their own book. Authors need to be savvy about publishing, the marketplace, and how to promote themselves. With that in mind, I have a list of five books that I consider required reading for authors who are looking for an edge when it comes to promoting their own books.
1. Amen: A Simple Guide to Self-Marketing Your Christian Book - I have had the pleasure of sitting in on one of Leon Mentzer's presentations for authors about self-marketing. Even though I have been in the business awhile, I learned some new things myself. Leon condenses his knowledge about marketing and promotion into this book, which could be used by any author, not just authors of Christian books. Leon's mantra: "I just concern myself with selling one book at a time."
2. 1001 Ways to Market Your Books - I purchased a copy of this book, read it cover-to-cover, and then one of my co-workers "borrowed" it and I haven't seen it since. I can't blame them. There is a lot of great advice in this book, and you're sure to find some marketing ideas you hadn't considered before. In my opinion, this book is really written with the self-published author in mind, so some of the book's advice won't apply to every author, but there is a lot of good info in this book that can be used by any author.
3. Beyond the Bookstore: How to Sell More Books Profitably to Non-Bookstore Markets - If you're looking for a good resource about niche marketing for books, this is it. Brian Jud points out the many lucrative markets that exist for authors outside of regular bookstore channels. The book even includes a CD-rom to help authors map out a marketing plan for their book using niche marketing channels.
4. Guerilla Marketing for Writers: 100 Weapons to Help Sell Your Work - This book is straightforward and blunt, which I like. "Guerilla Marketing for Writers" states that writers need to take the future of their book sales into their own hands, and it details several ideas to help writers move copies of their book. Many of the ideas in the book are free for the author to implement. If you want to sell books, you'll want to buy this one.
5. Social Media Marketing for Dummies - It's a fact of life; If you want to market your book these days, you need to know something about social media. Blogs, Facebook, Twitter...they are all being used by authors and publishers as a means of marketing and promoting their books. Social media works, but only if it is done well and done right. This book is a good crash course about how to use social media to your advantage for marketing and promotion.
1. Amen: A Simple Guide to Self-Marketing Your Christian Book - I have had the pleasure of sitting in on one of Leon Mentzer's presentations for authors about self-marketing. Even though I have been in the business awhile, I learned some new things myself. Leon condenses his knowledge about marketing and promotion into this book, which could be used by any author, not just authors of Christian books. Leon's mantra: "I just concern myself with selling one book at a time."
2. 1001 Ways to Market Your Books - I purchased a copy of this book, read it cover-to-cover, and then one of my co-workers "borrowed" it and I haven't seen it since. I can't blame them. There is a lot of great advice in this book, and you're sure to find some marketing ideas you hadn't considered before. In my opinion, this book is really written with the self-published author in mind, so some of the book's advice won't apply to every author, but there is a lot of good info in this book that can be used by any author.
3. Beyond the Bookstore: How to Sell More Books Profitably to Non-Bookstore Markets - If you're looking for a good resource about niche marketing for books, this is it. Brian Jud points out the many lucrative markets that exist for authors outside of regular bookstore channels. The book even includes a CD-rom to help authors map out a marketing plan for their book using niche marketing channels.
4. Guerilla Marketing for Writers: 100 Weapons to Help Sell Your Work - This book is straightforward and blunt, which I like. "Guerilla Marketing for Writers" states that writers need to take the future of their book sales into their own hands, and it details several ideas to help writers move copies of their book. Many of the ideas in the book are free for the author to implement. If you want to sell books, you'll want to buy this one.
5. Social Media Marketing for Dummies - It's a fact of life; If you want to market your book these days, you need to know something about social media. Blogs, Facebook, Twitter...they are all being used by authors and publishers as a means of marketing and promoting their books. Social media works, but only if it is done well and done right. This book is a good crash course about how to use social media to your advantage for marketing and promotion.
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