Author Marketing in a Web 2.0 World - Part 1
by Don Lafferty
My stressful Saturday morning melted into a tremendously positive afternoon after arriving late to Rosemont College for Philadelphia Stories’ one day writer’s conference, Push to Publish 2009: Strategies and Techniques to Get Your Work in Print and Online.
I met a bunch of cool local writers who reminded me again why I continue to bury myself with live events.
I participated in two jam-packed panel discussions, both focused on best practices in selling yourself - something I’m always willing to do at the drop of a hat.
Kelly Simmons moderated MARKETING: SELLING YOURSELF, with Rosemont College’s very own, author, Lynn Rosen; author/publisher/wonder woman, Karen E. Quinones Miller; and debut romance author, Lisa Dale.
For the final panel of the day, I moderated PROMOTING YOUR WORK IN A WEB 2.0 WORLD with the ¢entcible life blogger Kelly Whalen; poet and owner of the Barefoot Muse, Anna Evans; and children’s author, Nancy Viau.
Between the two panels we covered a ton of best practices for authors marketing themselves and their work. Here are our picks for the top ways and author can market their work in today’s Web 2.0 world.
1. Define your personal brand.
Do you write children’s books, steamy, sexy vampire tales, or political satire?
When agents, publishers and readers search for you on the ‘net, be sure the online presence they find showcases your expertise and clearly demonstrates your alignment with the other authors on that shelf.
Include the unique twist or angle that sets you apart from the pack, but frame it in such a way that your work compliments the other books in your space. A fresh take on a proven concept is easier to sell to most editors than a revolutionary new way of approaching the market.
2. Blog!
HEY! Don’t run away now. Get your head out of…the sand, and face the reality of being an author today. A blog is the number one way to drive social search. If you ignore this critical weapon in your marketing arsenal, you’re tying one hand and one leg behind you back before you even reach the starting line.
There are plenty of authors blogging out there, so browse until you find a style and structure that fits with your comfort level and copy it.
You do not have to blog every day; you simply need to create enough content, so when a potential agent, editor or reader finally takes ten precious seconds of their life to look at you, they get a quick, accurate feel for what you’re all about. If you’ve done your community-building homework, crafted a clear brand, and really understand your target connections, this is where you’ll convert casual interest to brand loyalty a.k.a. revenue, in the form of book deals, book sales, speaking engagements, teaching opportunities, job opportunities and other paying gigs.
3. Join Facebook.
Facebook is crushing MySpace. Facebook’s exploding demographics are growing younger and older, so get on Facebook. As weird as it may feel, authors should create a fan page in addition to their personal Facebook account, even if you don’t publish it right away. Facebook accounts have a limit of 5000 friends, while fan pages allow an unlimited number of fans. You’re shooting for the bestseller list, right?
4. Stalk the authors in your space.
Make a list of the top authors in your space, watch every move they make, and cozy up to them wherever you can. Once you’re there, you’ll find yourself surrounded by your potential readers, colleagues, and media.
You can do this online by joining in the conversation at their blog, and connecting in the Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn communities.
One creative, hard-working author (I promised I wouldn’t say who) tucked a postcard into every book by every similar author in every local bookstore, driving his self-published book to sales in excess of 25,000 units inside the first two months of publication. That’s pretty cozy.
5. All signs should point home.
Wrap your online strategy around your home base; your blog/website and building your email list. Facebook, MySpace, Twitter, LinkedIn and all the other online outposts should point back to your home page where your content will convert a casually interested visitor into a loyal reader.
Offer an incentive to trade for an email address. A free short story, a free how-to e-book or some other form of exclusive or premium content.
The final part of this article will appear Tuesday Dec. 1.
| Don Lafferty is a writer, lecturer and social media marketing consultant, and leads from the front lines of the Social Media space, defining effective strategies and tactics for clients, enabling them to capitalize on this exploding opportunity to connect with their customers like never before.
He’s the Social Media Director of the Web’s wackiest canine comedy series, It’s Todd’s Show, the social media director of the online literary magazine, Wild River Review, and a member of the Philly Liar’s Club. |
Tags: author marketing, self marketing, social media, web 2.0
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