Best Book Marketing Tips from NW Bookfest
By Margo Myers, Margo Myers Communications
The best book marketing tips from NW Bookfest are many, and I want to share some of the great information I learned from other presenters to help authors promote their books. Listening to Lillian Pearl Bridges tell her story was inspiring! Many of her tips are book marketing practices I recommend for my author clients. The exposure through media, speaking and teaching opportunities will help you sell books. Bridges has become the expert in Chinese Face Reading. (Just Google her – it says so). And she offers this advice to writers:
1. Write what you’re passionate about. You’re going to be spending a lot of time with this topic.
2. Don’t edit while you are writing. Let it flow. Just get the words down. Then go back and edit.
3. ALWAYS tell people what you do. If you are working on a book, tell them ‘I’m a writer.’ And then tell them what you are writing about. If you have published a book, self-published or traditional, tell them ‘I’m an author.’ And then tell them what your book is about. You’ll be amazed at how word of mouth helps get out the word about your book.
4. When you want to give up, push harder.
5. Always have a good editor edit your book. Your friends and family (unless they’re professional editors) won’t be critical or perhaps, knowledgeable enough about editing. You want the best book you can have.
6. When your book is ready, start promoting your book locally. For instance, ask to hold a book signing at your local bookstore.
7. Offer to hold a class for free. Remember, you are establishing credibility as an expert in your field.
8. Offer to speak for free, at least initially. Bridges recommends libraries and even book clubs. And these groups will often make recommendations for you, and help spread the word.
9. Don’t sell. Be passionate about what you do, and the sales will come. People will share in your enthusiasm (and likely buy your book to find out more).
10. Have faith that you have something important to say. Be confident about your knowledge and what YOU know.
11. Take other people’s opinions as just that – opinions.
12. If you are a perfectionist, your desire to be perfect is causing you to be a failure. Just do it. Good is often good enough, if it means the difference between getting your book out there, or not.
These are the ‘nuggets’ I took away from Bridges’ talk about writing and book marketing. I think it’s good advice for many writers who ‘live in our own heads.’ Writing is often solitary, but the marketing of a book is not. Even if you’re an introvert, there’s a time to be visible and tell your story!
Margo Myers, Principal
