The Business of Writing ~ Week Two

Week 2: Managing Your Product

When you decide to publish, the words you creatively scribbled on sticky notes and typed on your computer keys become something else entirely: a product. The goal now, is to sell it. As an author, I know that selling things isn’t probably what you signed up for, but it is, indeed, a part of your job if you want to grow your readership and make a career out of it. The reason: if you’re lucky, selling the books will hopefully pay your bills when you’ve cultivated a following, and sales will excite your publisher and/or agent and have them asking for your next book!

While your publisher will handle tasks such as marketing, advertising, coordinating reviews, media pitching, audiobook production, and managing subrights to promote your book, you as an author will also have your own part in the process.

The first order of business it to be open to your publishing team’s perspective regarding the product. They have tons of collective experience in selling books, and they have a wide perspective of what works and what doesn’t. If you need help, ask them! (And trust their answers.)

But once you have your product, the new goal is to get it in front of as many of the right people—your potential readers—as possible. There are some things you can do as an author to help sell your book. Here are a few of them to get you started:

1.     Post about your book on your social media channels. This doesn’t just mean fire off promotional posts. You can do that, but less is more. (At Harpeth Road, we handle a lot of the promotional posts and you can share those—please do!) Share all you can about your book, and if you use links, always use links that filter directly to the page on retailers. Here are some ideas to use on social media to promote your book in a way that will excite your reader (instead of spamming them):

·      Give the readers a behind-the-scenes look at your book.

·      Talk about how the seed of the idea began.

·      Show the location where you wrote it.

·      Talk about your publishing journey to get there.

·      Share some old titles or explain deleted scenes that you might have had in the writing process and how the book ended up in the form it’s in now.

·      Discuss what you love about the cover and how it relates to the story.

·      Explain the setting and why you chose it.

·      Tell how you’re similar and different from the main character.

·      If you have them, share some of your favorite reviews of your book.

·      If this book relates to the next one you’re writing, give a tiny teaser of both.

2.     In earlier lessons and posts, we’ve explained that building relationships with readers and other authors is important. Now’s the time to contact those authors you’ve been chatting with online. Here are some ideas:

·      Coordinate giveaways with another author (or authors) in your genre. While you could shoot for the stars and contact authors with massive platforms, you can also focus on authors that are similar to you in experience and size. (Be sure to check with each social media site’s terms and conditions for giveaways, along with your own state and various related regulations.)

·      Share your author friends’ promotional posts and message them to ask if they’d do the same for you.

·      Do a newsletter swap where you share another author’s book in your newsletter and they can share yours, along with buy links directly to the retailers (versus your website. You want as few clicks to get to the purchase as possible.). Be sure to only do this with an author or two so that you don’t have to send out an email to your followers with 15 other authors’ books—that can be a bit much for your subscribers.

·      Host Instagram, Facebook, or Zoom live with another author and plan out your questions for each other beforehand.

·      Ask other authors in your genre if they’d like to read your book and do the same for them; then coordinate posting about the other author’s book (and have them reciprocate).

3.     Make sure your audience knows the book is available on your website:

·      Immediately update your website. Put your new book right on the front page with buy links directly to the retailers. Add the new book to your books page. Be sure to include all the formats.

·      Send out the news in your newsletter.

·      Add the book to your blog.

·      Write additional blog posts with photos similar to what we suggested on social media—but in longer form. (You could even do the blog posts first and share the links on social media so you are reusing content.).

·      Make a list of book club discussion questions and post it on your website.

·      Be sure you have clickable links to every retailer page for your book.

4.     Book clubs are full of readers in your genre, and when they get to hear from you, it adds a personal element that makes them more curious about your books. Reach out to them.

·      Ask if they’d like to have you on their Facebook page.

·      Ask if they’d like you to visit them on video chat when they discuss your book.

·      Visit local book clubs in person. (Take photos and post them on social media after. Just get everyone’s permission before you put them online.)

·      Post in your neighborhood Facebook page that you have a novel out and you’d be more than happy to stop by local book clubs to chat about the book and sign copies.

5.     Celebrate! Host parties, giveaways, and appearances and speak on podcasts to spread the word.

·      Throw a party with your friends and family, eat cake, drink champagne (if that’s your thing), and celebrate your book. Ask them to tell their friends. You could even post photos of the party online and on your blog—anything to get people saying, “What’s her book about?” (Just get everyone’s permission to post their photos.)

·      Offer to give away a signed copy of your book. (If you’re on a budget, keep the giveaway limited to your country to avoid hefty shipping fees or give away an eBook.) Here’s a sample text to post:

Giveaway alert! I’m giving away [Insert Number] SIGNED copies of my novel [Insert Title] to [Insert Number] lucky winner(s)! Simply [Insert what you want them to do: sign up for your newsletter; like/share/comment on the post; tell you one thing they love about summer/Christmas/etc.] Open[Insert Country]; Closes [Insert Date] Winners chosen via [State how you’ll choose a winner]. [Include a fantastic photo of your book(s)!] ([Insert Social Media Channel] is not responsible for this giveaway [per each platform’s terms].)

*Decide how you will notify the winner and make sure it’s possible from the platform(s).

·      Contact any locations that might offer an opportunity to showcase you as a local author: county fairs, craft shows, your neighborhood parties! Anywhere you can set up a table and show off your work. (Just pre-plan with your publisher to be sure to have enough time to order the books and get them there.)

By following other prominent authors in your genre, you can see what things they do to promote their novels. And if you publish with Harpeth Road Press, we have a massive marketing plan to support your efforts.

Key questions to ask yourself in this lesson:

1.     What social media platforms do you feel comfortable managing?

2.     What authors in your genre do you know? What authors would you like to get to know? (Start commenting on their posts and making conversation.)

3.     What is your schedule for your next book? Do you have time worked in for promotion?

Once you’ve got all those sales rolling in, join us next week, so you’ll be ready to handle the nitty gritty operations of your business. See you then!

© Jenny Hale