Why would I rip you from writerly reverie to talk about marketing, you might ask? Because the thing most people don’t know about getting a book published is that your work doesn’t end when you sell the book. 

In fact, the journey to having your book in a reader’s hands is just beginning. My debut romance, For Butter or Worse, came out this July, but I knew that a big part of my job would be to help sell it.

Part of that is because my background is in marketing and social. I used to market movies for Netflix and Amazon Prime Video, and I worked as Editorial Director for BuzzFeed for many years before that. In my experience, just because you make a movie doesn’t mean people will watch it. And simply writing an article doesn’t mean anyone will read it. The same way that selling a book doesn’t guarantee readers will flock to your work.

As writers, we all want people to read what we’ve worked so hard on, but they have to hear about your book before they’ll take the step of buying it. And that’s where marketing comes into play, because buying a book is a commitment—books are expensive, and require time. Convincing people, through marketing, that your book is worth their money and hours, is what will ultimately get them to pick it up.

On top of actually writing the book, it’s also in your best interest to learn how to help spread the word about it. Here are a few helpful things I’ve learned during this process, as someone with a marketing background trying to make my debut novel as big of a success as I can.

1. Befriend authors in your genre

If you’re an introverted, indoor cat (like me), then the prospect of making new friends can be daunting. The idea of approaching people you admire can be stressful. But making friends with authors debuting the same year as you, or authors whose work you deeply admire, can be one of the easiest and cheapest marketing tools at your disposal. 

Not only that, but writing a book is often lonely work, and being able to ping someone for advice, venting, or feedback on a chapter will be invaluable as your career grows. 

So, how do you go about doing this? 

A few ways I’ve made new writer friends includes following them on social media, going to author websites and reaching out via their contact form, and asking my editor to connect me with other authors she’s worked with in my genre. 

To put this in perspective, the worst thing that has happened to me was that one author I emailed just never responded to me—which is actually not such a big deal! 

The best things have been getting to become true friends with authors in my genre, authors offering to blurb my book, and seeing authors I deeply respect post about my book. 

Before For Butter or Worse was published, I made a plan to send many of my new author friends finished copies of my book, because they might just post about it on their social accounts, which would be a great word-of-mouth recommendation!

2. Research outside marketing help

Yes, a publisher will always hook you up with their internal marketing team. Best case scenario, they will be amazing! No outside help needed! 

But you want to go into this experience with as much information as you can. 

There are freelance marketers whose whole jobs are to help create social and marketing assets for your book. If you are feeling like your publisher’s team is stretched thin, then you’ll have outside resources you can hire to help you market your book. 

(This is also when your fellow author friends can come in handy, as you can send them the team’s plans for your book to see if it feels substantial or in need of some help!)

3. Reach out to bookstores

A great tip a new writer friend gave me was to reach out to bookstores with either a digital flyer of my book or send them a postcard with information. 

Maybe this seems obvious, but the more copies of your book that bookstores buy, the better! And if a bookseller receives a personal note from an author, they may be more inclined to feature your book, or recommend it. 

I went through and made a list of bookstores that either specialize in romance, or have curated romance sections, along with stores I’ve visited and loved. I compiled a list of fifty bookstores total and got responses from a few who want to order books and have me come in to sign copies. 

Not only will doing this step get you some great new bookstore contacts, but then you get to go in and sign copies (if you want!) and feel like the fancy author you are! 

4. Download the Canva app

I kind of hate this one, but it must be said because so much of publishing a book is about things that aren’t writing. And any author who isn’t currently a bestseller will know this truth—you will be making your own digital marketing graphics. 

What I mean is that, yes, your publisher will likely send you some graphics to use on social media (a handful). But to promote your book you’ll need more than a handful of graphics to help sustain buzz, build excitement, and spread the word about your new release (not to mention sending those digital fliers to bookstores). 

So do what all the debut authors do: Download Canva and get ready to earn your PhD in graphic design. If graphic design is really not your thing, then this is where those freelance marketers come in handy!

5. Get Great at One Social Platform

Social and marketing tend to be thought of as two separate things, but know where all those fancy graphics with blurbs of your book will live? On Instagram, Facebook, Twitter, or BookTok, that’s where. 

Mastering one of those platforms is a job all on its own, so take the pressure off and focus on the one you can consistently update and pay attention to. If you get great at one platform, then you can build an audience ready and excited to read your content and order your books.

Tell us in the comments: Which of these tips are you going to follow? 

Erin La Rosa is the author of the upcoming romance novel, For Butter or Worse. She’s previously written for BuzzFeed and Funny or Die. She worked as a social media manager for Netflix and Amazon Prime Video before quitting her day job to focus on writing books.

You can find her on her website, or follow her on Twitter or Instagram.

The post #5onFri: Five Ways to Help Market Your Book as a Debut Author appeared first on DIY MFA.

I’m thrilled to be joining you here at DIY MFA to share actionable insights.

Over the last year, we’ve discussed author brand, how to SPARC great book cover design, using LinkedIn as an author, the role of contests in marketing your work, and multiple other topics. Please check out these previous articles on DIYMFA.com.

Have you ever thought that you’d like to share your knowledge through speaking? Today, we’ll cover how to get started with speaking at industry conferences and three benefits of doing so, which include: giving back, building your community, and tangible perks.

How did I start speaking at industry conferences?

Nearly a decade ago, I joined a writers’ group and attended their in-person session. When I introduced myself as a marketer working for Mars Incorporated, a gasp of delight rippled through the room. Initially, I thought they must really love chocolate. Pretty quickly, though, I realized they were eager to mine my knowledge of marketing! 

This group kicked off my speaking career by asking me to teach and share my expertise. I was passionate about the topic of brand, because I realized that not many had the perspective of a professional marketer, and people who were teaching the topic often conflated the concepts of brand with visual identity. These were my first two topics, and continue to be the most foundational presentations I give at industry conferences.

The Joy of Giving Back

In summary, I started speaking as a way to contribute to the writing communities that I’ve found to be incredibly generous.

This is the first benefit of speaking—the pure joy of seeing the impact of teaching. It’s a wonderful feeling to see how marketing knowledge can empower writers and publishers.

Nowadays, I often introduce my talks by acknowledging “Authors write for the love of the word and don’t always realize until later that they’re also expected to be marketers, businesspeople, and branding experts.”

Over the years, audiences have resonated again and again with my five core topics: Author Brand and Why Readers Care, Design as Art: Principles to Spark Brilliant Cover Design, Marketing like an Authorpreneur, Marketing Mindset, and Generational Insights into Millennial characters.

Conference attendees have said, “Carol inspires me and fires me up every time. I can’t wait to market my book and my why!” This is a great reason to speak at industry conferences—to give back, and witness the fulfillment that comes from making a difference for audiences.

Building Your Community

Secondly, I’ve found that the connections made at industry conferences last. 

I continue to be in contact with, and follow the work of, writers whom I met years ago at Writers’ Digest, Rutgers Writers’ Conference, NJ-SCBWI, Sisters in Crime, RWA, and other venues. 

A recent case in point: I spoke at the Independent Book Publisher Association’s Publishing University conference and was blown away by meeting publishers, authors, and other industry professionals. I loved presenting my book cover design insights. And multiple members of this warm, wonderful community have already reached out and connected!

Tangible Perks

Third, beyond networking, there are tangible benefits to speaking at industry conferences. Some events pay an honorarium, and/or provide speakers with free attendance, complimentary travel, the ability to sell books, or additional perks.

I truly treasure speaking at conferences, meeting new people, and making a difference in authors’ and publishers’ careers.

Simple Steps to Start Speaking at Industry Conferences

If speaking sounds appealing to you, start by identifying what topics you could uniquely teach. Ask yourself what you know deeply that others would like to learn. 

I’ve seen speakers present information on period costumes, medical details, productivity tools, story structure, editing, characterization, building conflict, great first sentences, social media, and much more. For instance, author K.M. Fawcett leans on her martial arts experience to teach classes on “Self-Defense” and “Writing Believable Fight Scenes.”

Once you have your concept, craft a logical flow, and a compelling course title and description. Research conferences in your area that you might like to attend, and submit proposals. Make sure to follow all their guidelines for submission.

After I submit a proposal, I hold the dates on my calendar until I hear back from the conference. As with many speaking gigs, conferences plan multiple months in advance, so expect events to put out a call for speakers six to nine months or more before the event.

Once you land a gig, ensure you (over)deliver. For me, I’m always striving to leave the audience with actionable takeaways, and that the talk is high energy and enjoyable. Make sure you know your content intimately enough to address questions well. Author Nancy Herkness says, “A well-organized, information-filled workshop sends me in search of the presenter’s books to buy, while a poorly prepared presentation leaves a bad taste in my mouth.”

Don’t forget common courtesy—make sure you’re responsive to communications, that you’re on time or early, and that you’re well-prepared for the talk. You can even help promote the event, and follow up the talk with a thank you note to the organizer along with suggestions for future topics.

Herkness, who speaks and attends industry conferences, says, “If you do a terrific job of presenting one workshop, word will spread of the value you deliver and invitations to speak at other conferences will follow. You can become an authority on your topic, which brings invaluable exposure for your brand, as well as creating an aura of quality around your books.”

One professional who provides useful tips is Grant Baldwin. His “The Speaker Lab” podcast and website provide helpful guidance on building your speaking career.

Benefits of Speaking

In summary, consider speaking at industry conferences as a great way to 1) give back, 2) expand your community, and 3) benefit from attending valuable events and being compensated. Once you decide to speak, pick a topic of expertise, pitch conferences, prepare, and overdeliver!

Please share your own experiences with speaking at conferences in the comments!

Carol Van Den Hende is the award-winning author of the Goodbye, Orchid series, a public speaker, and MBA with 20+ years’ experience in marketing, strategy and insights. Carol is passionate about simplifying marketing concepts into actionable steps that authors need for publishing success. Please sign up for Carol’s newsletter at https://carolvandenhende.com/contact or contact her at linktr.ee/cvdh

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