Appeal to people who would rather watch a DVD than read a book
Every book that hits the bestseller list does so in the first two weeks of release; every sale thereafter depends on how good a marketing plan you have executed at sustaining longevity, and in converting people who would rather watch a DVD than read a book.
It is much easier to create a buzz on a new book rather than an older one that has been gathering dust. Secondly, it is on the bestseller list because the author had taken the time months before release day to market and promote not only the book, but him or herself as a brand.
But you don’t want to make a ton of money in one week and then die a sudden, painful death without anyone remembering your name, right? You want your book to keep selling and to connect with more readers. You want your book and your name to live on in the minds of readers for generations to come.
The work starts months before the book is released.
A solid marketing campaign should kick off at least six months before your book is released. This is the time when you should be growing your name, recognition, credibility and visibility. This means garnering sales in advance, while you are still writing.
Easier said than done, isn’t it? How do you go about achieving this? Many best-selling authors haven’t necessarily sold books, but have sold themselves as brands and as a result sold thousands of books. They have positioned themselves as the go-to experts on the subject they have written about, indirectly promoting their books. This approach has given them a significant, competitive edge.
Selling yourself rather than your book gives your target audience an opportunity to know who you are, and inadvertently know about your work / book. This generates more exposure and can help drive sales. It also ensures you build a solid market and a loyal audience that will consume every book you write as soon as it tumbles off the assembly line. Longevity in the minds of readers.
Does the book have public appeal?
Your book has to appeal to a specific audience. You cannot sell to just about anyone. Does it meet your specific audience’s needs? If it does, you can rest assured than reviews from readers and word-of-mouth referrals will keep the readers trickling in. The more relevant your book is, the more likely people will recommend it to friends and family. Bestseller status takes more than just writing talent, it is as much about the writing as it is about marketing and promotion. When I released my first book, Out Of The Ashes, in 2017, it sold over 2000 copies in the first three months because the target audience was clearly defined from the word Go. It was aimed at politicians and political activists. An error made by a journalist who didn’t bother to read the book and misunderstood the press release, drove the sales even higher. He assumed the book was a real-life story, and mentioned former president Jacob Zuma in his article. Of course, I allowed the error to slide for a week before asking his editor to correct it.
My second book, A Woman’s Essence, is a real-life story of Grace Nkosi, a slay queen who discovered that a life of luxury always comes at a price. She is now serving a 25-year sentence for killing her wealthy lover. Pre-orders of the book reached the 1000 mark two weeks before the release date, because of the snippets and teaser chapters I had posted on the book’s Facebook page. The biggest sales of the book came from Grace’s hometown Osizweni, in Newcastle. The residents, most of them not even readers, bought the book because it resonated with them and were curious about the life story of one of their own.
Reviews
Create a result-driven review plan. If no one is talking about your book out there, no is going to know about it. If people are talking about it, it instills some kind of trust and tells readers that it would not be a waste of their hard-earned money. Goodreads is the best place to start. Giving away free copies of your book in return for a review also helps to get the word out.
Usually, the drop in sales, or no sales at all, can be attributed to authors who assumed that getting published is the beginning, middle and end, and that their books will simply sell like hot cakes. The rude-awakening that they aren’t really the next Stephen King, and that the world has not been eagerly awaiting them to drop their masterpieces, comes as a shock for some. For the rest, it is the discovery that they can’t really write.
The mistake made by new authors is to leave the marketing and promotion of their books to the day the book is published. There is no book promotion magic wand that will suddenly draw queues of eager readers to your doorstep, and there are no bookstores that will come knocking at your door to ask you to let them sell your book for you.
Start spreading the word about your book long before you launch it. Facebook is the best place to start to build your audience well in advance of the book launch, if you will be having one. Yes, everyone is doing it but start that author page. But don’t just invite the friends you already have on Facebook to like and follow your page. Chances are you didn’t become friends with them because you are a writer. They might have been your friends from your high school days and liked you for your fashion sense and not literature. Their hundreds of LIKES might boost your ego, but they will not translate to sales.
Search elsewhere for readers. Search for groups that are specific to your genre. Talk about your book there, drop excerpts with links to your page. Join Facebook bookclubs and post regular updates. Visit other author pages and befriend those readers who engage the most with the story and who offer the most feedback. Chances are they have friends who share similar interests in literature, and will alert them to your work.
Online Presence
Create every online account there is and pile them rotten with content. Start a blog, website, Twitter and Instagram accounts. Follow accounts and blogs you have literature in common with. It will soon become clear where your audience really is, or where you are connecting more with readers. Don’t dump the other accounts just because Twitter gives you the best results. Continue building them into an audience, even though they give you a few or no sales. Interaction alone is currency, an investment that will mature over time.
Post teaser excerpts to generate reader interest and anticipation. Many people appeal to photographs accompanying the text often, the picture draws them to want to read what the book is all about. If it is your book cover you will be using along with the teaser, put as much effort into it as you would the story. Your book is made or broken by the cover and blurb, simply because these are the first interactions the reader will have with your work. It is your ‘hello, how do you do’.
Proposal Sheets
Create advance proposal sheets and send to media houses to ask if theyd like to review your book. Yes, book stores aren’t too keen to stock self-published books, but do send the advance proposal sheets. If they bite, great! If they don’t, at least you tried. Your media and online presence might change their minds over time, and get them to order a few copies from you. Remember that they are a business and will only reserve shelf space to books that are in demand. It is nothing personal. Get in touch with independent bookstores and interest them into holding book readings at their premises. They rarely say ‘no’. Any book-related activity is welcome because it generates traffic through their doors.
Network With Fellow Authors
How many author friends do you have? How often do you network with them? It does not have to be face-to-face engagements. The web and social media has made the world so small a place, I have made friends and constantly interact with authors from all of Africa and the Diaspora, as well as Europe and the United States. They have introduced me to ways of promoting my work effectively online, on their own pages, groups and other social media platforms that I didn’t even know about.
Local Events
If you prefer face-to-face engagements, try checking up on local events, and find a way to be a part of it. Event organisers always welcome ideas that will draw in numbers, even if it is just ten people. Ask that you be included in the program as a local author who has released a book. Your book launch can happen every time there’s a music show in your area, or a community meeting, or a community outreach program. Be unashamed. You have books to sell. Keep your eye on current events and latch on to topics that are closely related to your book.
Radio Stations
Contact local radio stations and ask if they would let you speak about your book. I have found that proposing a topic that will benefit their readership, rather than just you speaking about your book, appeals to local radio station programme managers. The 15-minute interview could then reserve the last five minutes to your work, and the lion’s share of the time to the topic at hand. Be certain that you propose a topic that you are well versed in, so that in the end it will be mentioned that the guest is the author of such and such book, which is now available for purchase. The topic, obviously, should be closely related to the theme/genre/subject of your book.
Newspapers / Magazines
Call on magazines and newspapers, both community and national rags. Don’t just assume that they will say ‘no’. In 2006, I had never written a sponsorship proposal but my then editor gave me the responsibility to ask local businesses to fund a project for local schools to visit our offices and learn how the newspaper is made; from gathering news, advertising, to layout and eventually printing and distribution. I obviously suffered a debilitating stage fright. What if they say no? I wouldn’t only be letting down a bunch of school kids, but also my boss who trusted me with such a mammoth task.
But I found that not only were some people within the businesses willing to assist, but went a step further to giving me ideas on how to draft a killer pitch that will appeal to their bosses, and to other executives anywhere. Ever since, I had assisted and been part of planning of regional and national seminars and awards ceremonies, each one of them proving to be successful. All it takes is the willingness to try. If it fails, you would have learned a few lessons along the way.
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PUBLISH'D AFRIKA 