7 More Book Marketing Tips

#3  Marketing post

7 Weekly Book Marketing Goals You Can Adopt Today - (original post from Marketing Tips for Authors.)

Sometimes it seems like there are so many tips and suggestions for building sales of books that it is difficult to focus on anything. Several years ago this post arrived in my email inbox. When I have a great email like this, I usually put it in a folder in my email account marked as "best of marketing tips".

I know that I rarely open that folder, so I make myself write it down in a journal where I keep all things that are book related. That way, there is a chance that I actually will stumble upon it when I need a refresher course on what I need to be doing.

I suggest that you practice doing a few things well, before you try to tackle a whole book of things. The things that were suggested in the previous posts that I have written here are things that need to be done (website, postcards, relationships with authors and bookstores, etc) so don't throw those suggestions out. Theses are ideas that must be attended to each week:

1) Have a guest on your blog or be a guest on another blog. (This can be an interview of someone or an article someone writes for you.)

2) Comment on 10 blog posts. ( 10 different blogs) You only have to do 2 per day for 5 days.

3) Subscribe to 1 new blog per week to expand your knowledge base.

4) Implement 1 SEO strategy into your blog or website.

(SEO=Search Engine Optimization. It is important to make sure you are giving your blog or website the best chances at feeding the search engines. This is important to make sure searchers find your site when they are using keywords.

You don't have to be technical expert to implement simple SEO techniques. A quick visit to Google, YouTube, or even the search feature on your blog will give you easy things you can do each week for SEO.

This past week, I wrote an article for The Amarillo Christian Life Examiner. They were wanting content about people who are preparing for the end of the world in 2012. They said that writers didn't have to believe that the end was coming, but to do an article on your observations or beliefs...just something to do with this. The keyword they wanted us to use was 'preppers'. This would be a SEO. People who are looking for this kind of thing will see this article in the list of sites that have to do with this subject. Also, when I do an author interview, some of my keywords for the article to be found are always the author's name and titles as well as my name and genre. I will also include the words that describe the main points of the interview. This drives readers to my blog.

5) Help one author promote their book. (Share their book content on facebook, retweet a post about their book on twitter, do an interview, or do a review of their book on major book sites on the web.)

6) Introduce yourself to one new leader in your book's nich topic or genre.

Elaine Littau, author and book marketing coach 

Your Book's Not Selling!

Are you discouraged with your book sales? Have you been working extra hard to get the word out about what you've written ... yet it doesn't seem like there's much response? TAKE HEART! Be encouraged! Keep on keepin' on! Here's a story that relates:

I took an Executive Secretarial course in college. When I graduated ... guess what I thought I was going to be? It doesn't take a rocket scientist to figure that one out ... but guess what else? It didn't happen! I had to work my way up through the ranks, until eventually I got to the management level.

The same thing happened when I wrote my first book. I never had any thoughts at all about becoming a writer or an author. It happened by the grace of God (literally), through my studies to become a licensed belief therapist. Since I knew God was behind the writing of my first book, it followed in my mind that He would touch the hearts and minds of those He wanted to get the word to that He had planted in my heart.  Thus ... the sales would be there! But they weren't. (You'd have thought I would have learned my lesson with the Exec. Secretary job ... but nooooo!)  I literally spent almost all of my waking hours at my computer, marketing my book on line. So much so that God eventually had to say to me: "What's more important ... what you're doing or WHO you're doing it for!" (Notice that there's not a question mark at the end of the sentence. There's not an answer to be given. God was trying to tell me that even though I was working for Him, I was missing out on the most important aspect of life ... relationship with Him.)

I believe that at the time, I had the best marketing agent at Tate Publishing. Yet I'm now into writing my 5th book (as well as having written a behavioral management program for troubled teens, and that one's not published yet) and the sales still aren't there to any huge degree. Tate Publishing is really into recognizing and finding your "niche," which for the most part, at least up to this point, I thought I had. Marketing is definitely not my "niche." (My father was a salesman, and my son was in retail for a long time. But the gift bypassed me!) Yet I'm still marketing on line, as well as traveling to different trade shows, book festivals and book signing events. But still ... few sales.

Being an author is a very difficult field to be in. With a million new books published every year, there are a lot of us out there with something to say. Yet, I'm still working at it ... I have a book that was released  earlier this year (Here...Have A Miracle), and I have another in the production process as we speak. (Walking Toward the Light) And I'm into writing my next book after that. (My 3rd, 4th & 5th endeavors.)

I CAN'T STOP! Why? Because I believe that God is behind it. He's the One who gave me the talent, the words to say, and the ability and equipment to get the job done! He's the one who gave me the message. Sooooooo ... what's happening is that I'm "planting the seeds" and leaving the results up to God. (Check out I Corinthians 3: 6) It's the only way I can keep on doing what I'm doing. Depend on Him for the results.

I hope you will be encouraged with what I've said here. Let it soak in to your own writing career. One other thing that has helped me, is being in touch with other Tate authors. Following their tips, watching their events to see if there's one I might be able to join, and reading their encouraging posts.  I do wonder about the sales from time to time. But I'm going to keep on keeping on ... and I hope you will too!

5 Tips For Promoting Your Book(s)

I appreciate the opportunity to guest blog for author, Jane Harber. Hopefully, this will be a help to her readers. 

I have been asked by my author friends to give them a few tips on getting more book sales. Today I will give 5 tips. I will be giving 5 tips for book sales every week. Be sure to keep checking in to see the new posts.

1.    Don't be shy about telling people you know that you have a contract to have your book published. Have someone take a picture of you with your contract and include it with an article that you have written about your book and the process you have been through. This works really well in a small hometown paper. If you grew up in a small town, don't forget to send this to them also.

2.     If you don't have a facebook profile page, you really need to get one. Tell everyone about your book, but be sure to be yourself, also. Put your book title and your website address in your permanent information box under your profile picture. That way, you don't have to be "in your face" to people about your book.

3.     Send an email to your email contacts about your book. If it has been out a while, offer it at a discounted price. Paypal has a button you can put on a simple email so that those who would rather use a credit card to purchase can do so right on the email.

4.     Speaking of Paypal, go to paypal.com and study all of the options they have for you. I like them because they don't charge unless you have a sale. Then it is just a small percentage. They have so much to offer, you will need to take a little time to see how to best utilize everything. I put paypal buttons on my weekly newsletter and shopping carts on my website. It is handy for everyone.

5.    Subscribe to blogs that have helpful hints and marketing help. I have a dozen that I read every week. I take notes on the things that I think will work for me and delete the things I am not ready for. I have a folder in my email for those who are the best of the best ideas. I spend anywhere from 1 to 5 hrs a day marketing.

If you have questions about any of these 5 tips or want more details, leave a comment and I will get back to you.

I offer personal coaching to authors. The first week is $5. If you find my coaching helpful, the cost is $50 per month. Contact me at http://elainelittau.com/