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What does a book marketing strategist do? 

Are you an author who wants to get your book out there? You’ve written your book, and you’re ready to get it out? But where do you start?

The world of book marketing is an exciting one, but it can be overwhelming. 

What kind of marketing tools should you use? How long will it take before people start buying your book? And what if they don’t buy anything at all?

If you’re new to the industry and don’t know where to start, I’ve got some tips for you – from my recent conversation with Becky Robinson of Book Marketing Action Plan

What is my role in working with authors?

It’s evolved and continues to evolve – but the journey typically looks like figuring out these stages – then creating strategy and plans about how to make it happen.

  1. Where are they in their author journey
  2. Where are they in their book journey
  3. What are their goals for book and beyond

Being alongside with the clients and establishing their plans, and their strategy on how they implemented all of these stages, is the way I picture myself working with them. Helping them execute and implement the plan.

When is the best time for someone to work with a marketing strategist?

It’s hard. It’s never too soon, ideally, at least six months before their publication date. 

What are the most important ways an author can prepare to market a book?

I like to think about it as building community – it can be less intimidating.

But getting really clear about what that community looks like – then figuring out how to most effectively and authentically reach them.

And getting support in the areas they aren’t skilled in.

What changes have occured book marketing over the past 10 years?

The spectrum of how to get your book published has grown exponentially!

What most excites you about helping authors with their marketing?

I believe that my interest in assisting others in spreading their messages is what initially prompted me to get involved.

I feel like helping people who have important messages that can change people’s lives is really important. And books still very much do that, as well as the content that they’re putting out into the world that supports that book. I learn new stuff every day from working with experts. So selfishly, I love that. And I think the reason I stayed in this genre or working with authors or being excited about books is the possibilities for what happens after you publish a book. 

Whether you did it as a content strategy, to promote yourself as a thought leader, or to simply tell your experience and perhaps influence someone’s life, I think it’s extremely essential. There is just something about being able to identify as an author that, in my opinion, opens up more doors for them in terms of interviews, appearances on stages, talks, and possibly even inclusion in other works. As a result, I find it fascinating that people who go to all this difficulty to write a book find that it simply opens up a lot of doors. This, in my opinion, should be the reward for all the effort.

Here are some of the most important things to keep in mind when building your author brand to reach more readers with your books. 

  1. Put together a list of people who know, love, and adore you and start sending them an email every now and then (with their permission). If you don’t have a plan for email, then it’s going to be really hard to build a community.
  2. Think about how you’re showing up online and Google yourself to see what you find. Make sure the story the online world is telling is the one you want to be told. 

For the entire conversation with Becky Robinson of Book Marketing Action Plan listen here!