Category: Marketing

January 2024 - New Year's Resolutions for Marketing & Promotion

1/31/2024

When it comes to New Year's resolutions, "write a book" and "get published" are consistently some of the most popular. But what if you've already written a book and gotten it published? This month, we turn to our PR Manager, Ceci Hughes, to discuss New Year's resolutions for what comes next!

Q: What are some manageable, bite-sized first steps a new author can take to market and promote their work, if they don't know where to start?

A: Publicity and marketing can often seem daunting for first-time authors. If you’re feeling anxious, I recommend starting by asking yourself how much time you can realistically devote to promoting your book. Lots of authors have full-time jobs outside writing and promoting their books, so it’s important to be realistic about your goals. You might also consider asking family members and friends, or even hiring an intern to help you with book promotion if you're completely swamped.

Once you’ve decided what is manageable for you, I recommend focusing on four areas: your online presence, events, reviews, and media appearances. Out of those four, I believe building an online presence is one of the most important (and thankfully, the least time consuming). If you can devote ten or fifteen minutes every day to making a social media post, writing a newsletter to send via email, updating your website, or engaging with your followers, you’ll have better luck getting people to pay attention to your events, reviews, and media appearances. A devoted audience is one of the most helpful things for succeeding at book promotion.

Q: Can you give some examples of how authors can organically build their audience?

A: I know it’s all well and good to say an audience is important for book promotion, so of course, the next logical question is: How do you build your audience?

When it comes to social media, think about what your audience would like to see. Obviously, they’re interested in you and your books, but what other content do they engage with? For instance, if you've published a children’s book about dogs, consider sharing content about your pets. Or, if you’ve written a mystery novel, your followers might be interested in what other mystery books you enjoy reading.

One of the best ways to build an audience is to engage with other authors. Other authors are in the same boat as you, and they can be great for brainstorming new publicity ideas. Other authors might also be interested in reviewing your book if you review theirs, making social media posts about your book if you post about theirs, and so on. You might also consider setting up events with other authors to draw a larger crowd.

Q: How do you suggest authors set realistic goals for their promotional efforts?

A: This comes back to considering how much time you can put into promoting your book before making grand plans—after all, you don’t want to stress yourself out! I recommend setting aside some time each day (or each week, if you’re very busy) to focus on book promotion, even if it’s only half an hour. Then, set goals for that designated time: for instance, “This week, I will submit my book to five awards,” or “I will reach out to three influencers this week to see if they will share my book with their followers.”

Once you’ve set a goal, try to stick to it. It’s easy to tell yourself that since you set the goal for yourself, it's okay to let it slide, but when it comes to book promotion, perhaps nothing is more important to achieving success than dedication and persistence!

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November 2022 - Soliciting Book Reviews from Lesser-Known Sources

11/18/2022

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During a recent marketing session on accruing book reviews, I encouraged authors to build business relationships with booksellers, reviewers, and media. In response, attendees asked one key question: How can a relatively unknown author compete with major marketing firms, big publishing houses, and PR companies, all of which have deep pockets and established connections with media and booksellers?

One way to achieve success in the face of this seemingly overwhelming competition is by using an old-school method that has recently lost favor, especially among younger authors. While it's true that in today's world, book marketing happens largely via email and online contact forms, this alternative approach can still see success: making connections with editors and reviewers via phone calls, or even in-person visits. Authors might make these connections with smaller, local media outlets rather than with a major publication like the Washington Post or the New York Times—but at the same time, the editor of a smaller publication may be more likely to write a review. Authors who do their research to learn what genres a reviewer is interested in and the titles he or she is currently reviewing are more likely to receive a coveted "Yes!" to their requests.

I also challenge authors to invite local or even national celebrities, corporate leaders, and other influencers outside the book world to write and post reviews for their book on Amazon and other major retailers' websites. Such reviews can be persuasive—sometimes more so than reviews from lesser-known reviewers in the publishing industry. Authors can establish connections with these reviewers in the same way one builds any relationship: saying hello, making conversation, and being friendly and excited about their ideas, fields, and books.

Authors have to be bold and courageous in these efforts. They also have to wear their armor when they do this—because for every success, some rejection is inevitable. Busy and overwhelmed bookstore owners will turn you away; an executive's secretary may refuse to connect you to the CEO; an editor may be rude—but on occasion, you might be fortunate enough to reach the right person at the right time.

Ultimately, depending solely on social media or emails to spread the word about your book may not be enough. To give your book the best chance, you have to take risks and challenge yourself to reach out to people you never imagined contacting. Stand strong, and be endlessly persistent—and you might just be surprised!

written by Robert Pruett, publisher

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October 2022 - The Language of Publishing

10/24/2022

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I’ve always believed that if you learn the vocabulary of a profession or field, you can understand it much better—and this is certainly true of publishing. Publishers often use language unfamiliar to laymen—terms like developmental editing, line editing, and copy editing; soft proofs, hard proofs, interior proofs, and cover proofs, and others.

Often, some of the most confusing terms for new authors are those that involve the period between the moment they finish working with their publisher to edit and revise their book, and its actual publication. When all files are approved and the author has no further changes or corrections to make to their book, the publisher will usually ask them to sign a print release—essentially a form declaring, “I’m ready to print my book!” Once the print release is signed, the publisher sets a release date three to six months in the future, to mark when the book will be shipped to the booksellers and customers who preorder it.

The intervening months, or pre-release period, allow the author and publisher time to promote the book. The promotion accomplished during this period is similar to a preview announcing the release of an upcoming film: it introduces the work to its intended audience—and to the press, reviewers, and bloggers—to inspire them to talk and write about the work in advance of its release. Like filmmakers, authors hope that when the fruit of their labor is finally released into the world, hundreds or thousands of potential audience members will be moved or persuaded to purchase their work: if a filmmaker’s marketing is successful, tickets will be sold, and the theater will be packed at the premier; and if an author’s marketing is successful, their book will fly off the shelves.

At Brandylane, we know that this outcome is what every author wants. We believe that forewarned is forearmed, and that it’s never too early for an author to learn about every aspect of publishing. That’s why we do our best to provide our clients and readers alike with jargon-free instructions and explanations about the publishing process—a process that can sometimes be complex and intimidating, especially for new authors. If you have questions about the lexicon of the publishing world—whether you’ve already written a book or not—feel free to call or email us. Answering questions is one of our specialties—and we do it in simple language.

written by Robert Pruett, publisher

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June 2022 - The Path to Traditional Publication

6/30/2022

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Almost every author would love for their book to be published by one of the Big Five—HarperCollins, Macmillan, Simon & Schuster, Hachette, and Penguin Random House, the five largest publishing houses in the US. This is the holy grail, a prize coveted by authors in every genre. But unknown—and even veteran!—authors have a slim chance of being signed by one of these houses. Their acquisitions editors refuse unsolicited manuscripts, so authors must first find an agent willing to represent them—and these agents are also highly selective. They require authors to submit a query and an impressive professional proposal, and to have a substantial following or track record of success from previously published books. And of course, they also require an author to have a compelling manuscript—or at least some portion of it. Authors also need lots of patience in pursuing an agent, as these professionals are notoriously slow to respond—if they respond at all.

Even if an author finds they are one of the chosen few, this may be a less satisfying position than they originally expected. Unless you’re an award-winning author like Stephen King or Cormac McCarthy, a popular political figure, or a Pulitzer prize-winning journalist, you may have very little involvement in the production of your book. Your manuscript may be restructured and developed in a way that is completely contrary to your vision—and you may not even see your book’s cover until it’s published, let alone have the opportunity to offer your input!

In addition, the big houses are always looking for a quick success. With traditional publication, the publisher invests one hundred percent of the cost a book—and an unknown author with no track record poses a significant financial risk. Given this, it’s understandable that publishers are wary and cautious when it comes to signing a new author. If a book doesn’t perform successfully within four to six months, the publisher’s promotional efforts will likely wind down, or even cease completely. One author I know who was published by one of the major houses was expected to hire her own private publicist, fund her own travel, and build her promotional effort largely on her own. And though the young, inexperienced, overworked in-house publicist who was promoting her book was available at its launch, four months after her book was released, the publicist stopped calling. Why? Because her book hadn’t sold five thousand copies, only four hundred—not unusual for a new author.

So if you are a hopeful new author who expects to sit back, hold a few book signings, and wallow in your success after your book is published, waiting for royalty checks to pour in, take a moment to research the industry, and traditional publication. You may find you wish to consider another path to publication—one that might be more realistic and attainable. At Brandylane, we don’t require an agent; we stick with our authors for the long run; and our authors have the opportunity to work cooperatively with talented editors, designers, and an active PR team ready to support them. Let us know how we can help you!

written by Robert Pruett, Publisher

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March 2022 - Getting the Word Out - and Getting Your Book onto Bookstore Shelves

3/31/2022

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Publishing industry veterans know there’s a big difference between making a book available in the marketplace and making readers aware that it’s available. Many first-time authors believe that if their title appears on Amazon or on a bookstore shelf, people will come across it by default, and word will quickly spread. In reality, this couldn’t be further from the truth—and in fact, this usually happens in reverse!

While readers can discover books by accident when browsing through Amazon, for such a circumstance to occur in the physical world, Barnes & Noble or a local bookseller must first choose to carry and sell that book. For that to happen, a bookseller must first know about the book themselves, and then be convinced that it will sell.

How are booksellers convinced of this? Often, an already existing demand for the book will do the job. Booksellers comb through industry data, which reflects the activity surrounding a title—social media buzz, reviews in printed publications, or a combination of the two. They also take into account requests from people who come to their stores. The more people are asking for and talking about a book, the more likely it is to win a coveted spot on a bookstore's shelf.

Often, a perfect storm of these influences is required for a new title by a first-time author to make its way to the shelf. But it might also happen because an author has walked into a bookstore, introduced himself to the manager, and shared his very worthy book, his passion, and his platform directly.

Ultimately, there are no secret formulas or magic potions that win the hearts and minds of booksellers or book lovers—but we do know that in all cases, you should start with a professionally edited, designed, and packaged book. We also know that alongside our efforts, a committed, passionate, energetic author who builds an online following can find an audience—though it may take months, or even years. When it comes to publishing a bestseller, only celebrities can boast overnight success stories. The rest of us have to keep our shoulders to the wheel, and never give up.

written by Robert Pruett, Publisher

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January 2024 - New Year's Resolutions for Marketing & Promotion

November 2022 - Soliciting Book Reviews from Lesser-Known Sources

October 2022 - The Language of Publishing

June 2022 - The Path to Traditional Publication

March 2022 - Getting the Word Out - and Getting Your Book onto Bookstore Shelves

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