Even during difficult times like these, your marketing team is working hard to get your books into readers’ hands. Read on for some tips on what you can do to support your marketer, now and in the future.
As our marketing teams continue to explore this new book publishing landscape, authors continue to be crucial partners. Here are five things you can do to give your team an edge on marketing your books.
Get comfortable with video platforms
Virtual events have become essential for authors promoting their books, so you’ll do yourself and your marketing team a service by learning the ins and outs of these programs. Zoom and Instagram Live are the predominant video platforms for publishers and authors, so familiarize yourself with how each one works.
Take a look at some recent marketing tips for more on how to get comfortable with these platforms:
- How to Use Live Social Video to Reach Your Readers
- Tech Tips for Participating in a Remote Video Interview
- How to Promote Your Virtual Event
Mine your contact list
If you have contacts that may be helpful in promoting your book, share that information with your marketer sooner rather than later. Your team is eager to take advantage of any potential opportunity, whether it’s a quick social media post or a virtual book event. Communicating with your marketer about your contacts and relationships is always important, but especially during this ever-changing landscape.
Similarly, if you have an email newsletter with subscribers or an equivalent audience who would be interested in hearing about the book, now would be a great time to reach out to them. Coordinate with your marketer to obtain eye-catching promotional images for use in your emails. Check out this piece to get some fresh ideas on effectively reaching readers with your newsletter.
Always include links
Posting links is key to getting readers interested in what you have to offer! When you post about your book, always include the link to its PRH.com landing page or the book’s page on your favorite indie bookstore’s site. If you’re driving to a media hit (a profile or interview that features you, a book review, etc.), also include the link to the article.
It’s even more important to include buy links for your book in your social media bios. Putting that link front and center on your Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, and even LinkedIn page will help readers find your book even more quickly.
Double down on your social media presence
With so many events and conversations are happening online right now, social media is a powerful channel in this climate. Growing an audience and spreading the word about your book on social is more advantageous than ever.
If you don’t currently use social media, setting up an account could be a great bonus way to attract readers. If you already have social accounts, but are not very active on them, consider setting a goal to increase your posts to a few times a week and to engage with readers and fellow authors. If you are already pretty active on platforms like Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and more, think about new ways to engage your audience. Can you experiment with short-form videos, memes, or other types of trendy content?
All that said, make sure you’re listening to the cultural conversation happening online. News and information is shared rapidly on platforms like Twitter and Instagram, and there may be cases where a particular news event dictates that you hit pause on content you were hoping to post. Be prepared to reconsider or reframe your content given the situation.
Here are some past marketing tips that delve into setting the right tone on your social accounts:
Stay flexible
2020 has been an unpredictable year, to say the least, and sometimes unforeseen events mean that your marketing team may have to adjust their timelines. Many of their plans are created with an eye toward staying as responsive as possible to the particular moment you’ll publish into.
Because consumer behavior is changing so rapidly, your team will be responding to market changes in real time in order to line up maximally effective campaigns. That means your marketer is being nimble and quick to adapt—which authors should be ready to do, too. Flexibility on your part will go a long way in creating a successful path for your book!
Neda Dallal is Senior Associate, Publishing Development and Author Platforms at Penguin Random House.