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With the upcoming release of Carol Stratton's debut novel, she's been knee-deep in promotion. Today, she encourages us to think of marketing more as a fun, public service than self-promotion. -- Sandy
Carol: So… you’ve written your first book. And the next step…marketing.
Carol: So… you’ve written your first book. And the next step…marketing.
Marketing is important as a writer. If we’ve spent a year or
two creating a book, and no one buys it, that’s a waste of time. Marketing our book
insures readers will be able to find our book and purchase it.
“But I hate self-promotion,” you say.
Guilt-free promotion
Well, let’s think of it differently. You and I may have
invested a percentage of our life creating something with a good message. Maybe
our message might even be life-changing for someone. So really it’s not
self-promoting, it’s message promoting.
Does that help?
We aren’t bragging about our work when we market. Instead we
are sharing it, hoping to bring joy from a story, or useful information from a
nonfiction book that might:
- Inspire
- Help
- Encourage
- Entertain
- And add a few laughs.
You do believe in your message, don’t you? Well, then what’s
wrong with adding a few of those things to the world?
Finding our helpers.
Once we wrap our mind around marketing as an honorable and
necessary activity to sell our book, we need to find those who will support our
launch.
I’ve been surprised.
Those friends and family who we think will be right with us
on the starting line, sometimes don’t show up. So we can’t be disappointed.
Instead, we pay attention to those who have been our Barnabas in our writing. Who comments on your blog? Who has written a review for our book? Who sends us
encouraging emails wanting updates on your progress? What other writers have we
helped?
Those are the people to invite to our tribe. God doesn’t
call us to the difficult assignment alone. He will provide people along the
way. If we pay attention, we will find plenty of cheerleaders out there as we
first launch our book. I’ve had people I’ve only met once at a conference who
are on the front line helping me get out the word. I believe God sent them to me.
Ask
Don’t be afraid to ask. People love the excitement of
launching a book especially if they aren’t in the writing world. Keep your
launch fun and the enthusiasm will spread. And, you will start to see sales.
For you, what is the hardest part about marketing a book? Were you surprised by anything you hadn't expected? How can you apply Carol's advice to your book?
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Carol G. Stratton has written hundred articles for publications
that include InTouch magazine, CBN.com, and Kyria, and has been interviewed on several programs such as Moody
Radio Midday Connection, Army Wife, Joyfully Living Free radio shows and
Friends and Neighbors television show. Currently she is a staff writer for Lake
Norman Publications. She has a degree in Recreation Therapy and has worked with
autistic children in a classroom, an experience that inspired her to write
about a woman with an autistic son.
She has spoken at national writing conferences as well as
MOPS and other women’s groups about personality temperaments, friendship and
encouraging yourself. Her second book, Lake Surrender will be coming out Sept
23rd.
Carol is married and has four grown children and four
grandchildren. Currently she and her husband, John, live in Mooresville, North
Carolina where she loves to hike and play guitar and mandolin while learning to
love liver mush.
Website:
Email: carolgstratton@gmail.com
