OK so a month ago - I said I was going to do 30 days to marketing - covering different topics. I got side-tracked with the Comment Contest and some health hurdles.So I am back with Day 5!Here are the first 4 days if you want to review them.
- Day 1: Build Your Author Brand/Platform
- Day 2: Analyze Your Audience
- Day 3: Think about Your Online Presence
- Day 4: EZ Web Sites
Day 5: Tips for Book Tours
- Put your money where your book is? - how much is your publisher going to spend (if anything) and what can you spend. This should all be part of your marketing strategy.
- Where are you going to go? Is this a regional tour or national. If regional, plan out your trip - is a car cheaper vs a plane. If it is national - stick to larger cities - NY, LA, Chicago, San, Fran etc
- Who are you going to visit? Make a list of venues. You don't have to just focus on bookstores. You may want to focus on Libraries, Schools, Indies, Large stores, or maybe even art galleries.It all depends on your book. Pick the right market.
- Find the right partners. Look for events or authors or other artists to pair up with. This can increase the traffic/attendance and help you sell more books.
- Get the word out. Never leave advertising to the venue. Find out what they will do and do more yourself. Call the local paper to see if you can get a story or contact the local radio station for an interview.
- Don't forget to use your network. Make sure your friends in other cities know about your book. See if they have any local contacts at schools, bookstores, etc
- Seek out organizations. What about calling your college alumni contact or your sorority/fraternity? What about other organizations are you apart of?
- Prepare something. At any signing, you should try and find a way to connect to your audience. Read an excerpt and take questions. Talk about the craft of writing or tell your story. People are more apt to buy your book if they connect to you.
- Be polite. Always follow up with venue organizer to thank them for assisting you. Give them a small token so they remember you. A table topper for their counter with your book on it. Pens. book bag etc.
Coming up in the series: Blog Tours and Virtual Tours
Feel free to email me with marketing topics you are interested in hearing about.
