Writing a Book? Here’s Five of the BIGGEST Book Marketing Mistakes [and what to do instead…]
We truly are in the Age of Information. While “the American Dream is now made in China” as far as manufacturing goes, the “expert economy” is still going strong. For those smart enough to realize that there are no more ‘gate-keepers,’ there are many opportunities ripe for the taking for coaches, consultants, speakers, authors, and others experts who are ready to be paid for their brain and not their hands.
With self-publishing costing little to nothing and zero barrier to entry — There is no better time to write a book.
A book is a wonderful way to add credibility and boost authority for your brand or business. However, whether you are going the self-publishing route or are one of the ‘chosen few’ to get a book deal, there is an increasing trend that not many are talking about. Authors are generally responsible for doing their own book marketing.
These are 5 of the BIGGEST book marketing mistakes authors make (and what to do instead):
[Side Note: I’ve been guilty of all of these mistakes! Live and learn, right?]
- Waiting until the book is finished to start marketing it — It’s natural to want to finish the book before you start promoting it, but this is possibly one of the deadliest mistakes authors make when marketing their book.
As with any “information product,” writing your book and then putting it out into the world hoping someone will find it is not a winning strategy. [In fact, marketing experts have coined the term, “hope marketing” to describe this phenomenon.]
Instead, you want to start building an audience and generating some buzz in preparation of your upcoming book launch. [Keep reading for strategies on how to do just that.]
2. Thinking the bulk of your money is going to come from book sales — Writing (and finishing) a book can be a labor of love. There is quite a bit of work that goes into it. It’s natural to want to get paid for it.
However, as with all media these days, a book is a platform to get your message out there, but it will not be the “end all be all” when it comes to your bottom line.
Unless you have an enormous following of raving fans who can’t wait to get their hands on your next book (e.g., Happy Potter fans wrapped around an entire building waiting for their next installment), you are better off making your book free or as cheap as possible to lower the barrier to entry and monetizing off the back-end of the book. [This is especially true for eBooks and digital content which costs you nothing to produce and fulfill.]
This “FREEMIUM” model of writing allows you to get your book into the hands of many, then offer them an incentive to get onto your mailing list to continue the conversation. The content and resources you send your audience, to take your book information further, could result in exponentially higher sales than the $7–10 you would have made off of your book.
Other ideas for monetizing your book on the back-end:
- Affiliate products and services — Do you know of any great resources that are relevant to your book and offer an affiliate marketing program? You could make a nice chunk of change by recommending these products and services and using affiliate links.
[Note: Make sure your links stay up-to-date or you will miss out on this revenue stream!]
- Offer a course which complements your book — There are so many platforms to create a course or program out of your book in a variety of price ranges (from FREE to $$$). A course, with a series of videos and actionable worksheets, can be the natural ‘next step’ for the reader to take to go from information to implementation.
[Creating an eBook from your course and offering it for free through Amazon.com can be the perfect lead magnet that essentially runs on a “free” ad 24/7.]
- At the very least, make sure you’re collecting subscribers for your email list — The conversation with you does not have to end just because your reader finished the book. This is actually the perfect time to offer them additional value, keep them up-to-date about new and upcoming books, and keep the conversation going.
[Note: Do not make the same mistake I did in my first book. Skip the cutesy, branded website names and build your list through yourname.com. Otherwise, your readers are going to find a bunch of dead and defunct links to URLs you no longer use.
The same thing goes for any email addresses you publish in the book for your readers to contact you, ask questions, and give feedback. Use an email address you’re going to use for the long haul!]
3. Trying to be a 1-person launch team — If you’re anything like me, there’s a sense of pride in trying to do everything yourself. [As a chronic DIY-er, I totally get it…] However, there is strength in numbers!
Instead, you want to leverage your current network (friends, family, readers).
Consider the following strategies:
- Create a landing page to sign up for a link to download a free copy of your eBook (before your book is even finished.) Start sharing this on your social networks and you may find friends and family share your post on their page as well.
- Create a viral giveaway using King Sumo or even Amazon.com. You’d be surprised the lengths people will go to win something! [Even if that something is a FREE eBook!]
- Get your current readers and followers excited about your upcoming book and recruit them to be a part of your “launch team.” You can offer them a free copy of the book and some fan merchandise (digital or otherwise) in exchange for their generosity.
Note: You might have noticed the increasing popularity of joint-venture books (or book collaborations). There is strength in numbers when 20+ individuals each contribute a chapter and are promoting the same book to their audiences at the same time. [Can we say ‘guaranteed best-seller?’ at least on Amazon.com.]
4. Not beginning with the end in mind — Of course, writing a book is always a worthwhile endeavor (and sometimes starting the book can be the hardest part!) However, you do not want to haphazardly throw something up on Amazon.com without planning ahead.
Instead, you want to ‘begin with the end in mind.’
- What do you hope to accomplish with your book?
- What do you want your readers to do after reading your book?
- What is the logical “next step” for your reader after they download your book?
- What is the offer (or offers) at the end of the tunnel? (or funnel)
Note: One of the best things you can do is create your book AFTER you have a course, program, or service mapped out. You can transcribe videos or recordings from your course or program to include in your book. Then, use your eBook as a lead magnet into your existing offers.
Because readers are searching for your specific solution through Amazon.com, a free or inexpensive eBook can be much more effective than a paid ad on another platform.
5. Not giving any thought to the ‘front matter’ — Of course, we want our book to have substance (not just style). However, most people will judge a book by its cover!
Instead, you want to make sure to do some market research and give the following serious thought before you press ‘publish.’
- The cover — Make sure your cover is attractive and easy to read. This is the perfect opportunity to put a couple options up on social media and ask your friends and fans, “which cover do you like the best?”
- The title — Make sure your title is compelling, easy-to-understand, and entices your readers to want to download your book. [I had the worst timing naming my first book, What to Do When You Feel Stuck in Your Career. I’m still not happy with that name…] However, I am not making the same mistake with my next book, Coaching Packages That Sell [Even if you hate selling].
- Keywords — Because almost 3 million books are published annually, it is becoming even more important that you include as many relevant keywords in your title, subtitle, and book description. Find out “from the horse’s mouth” (i.e., your ideal clients) the EXACT words they would use to describe their challenges, pain points, desired results, etc.
- Intro — The average attention span is for an adult human is now less than a goldfish! You’ve only got a few sentences to really grab your reader’s attention and convince them to keep reading. Make sure you spend time crafting the KILLER intro!
- Editing — Although editing applies throughout your book, make sure you get some ‘critical eyes’ on your book! There’s nothing worse than getting all excited about receiving a review, only to find out someone pointed out a spelling or formatting error. Enlist some trusted friends or hire a professional. [The same goes for formatting your book for digital publication.]
[Yes, essentially have to SELL your reader on the idea of reading your book, even if you gave it away for free!]
While I do not consider myself the foremost authority on book launches, I can speak from the mistakes I’ve made (and see others making).
Recap —
The 5 biggest book marketing mistakes (and what to do instead):
- Waiting until the book is finished to start marketing it
Instead, you want to start engaging your audience and generating buzz as part of your pre-launch strategy before you even start writing!
2. Thinking the bulk of your money is going to come from book sales —
Unless you have a giant following or raving army of fans waiting to purchase your book, consider adopting the ‘FREEMIUM’ method of writing where you give away your book for free (or cheap) and profit off the back-end.
3. Trying to be a 1-person launch team —
There is strength in numbers. Instead, ask your network (friends, family, fans) to help you promote your book. You may even want to collaborating on writing a book to leverage the audience of others.
4. Not beginning with the end in mind —
Although starting the book can be the most difficult part, you want to know ahead of time what you want your book to do for you and what you want to funnel your readers into after they finish the book.
5. Not giving enough thought to the ‘front matter’ —
Remember, readers will judge a book by its cover! Make sure to give some serious though to (and do market research on) the cover, title, keywords, and the introduction. You are responsible for selling your reader on purchasing, downloading, and reading your book [even if you gave it away for free!]
Dr. Melissa Slawsky is an academic turned Business & Marketing Strategist for Coaches, Consultants, & Creative Entrepreneurs. She is the author of What to Do When You Feel Stuck in Your Career: Getting off the Hamster Wheel and out of the Box and Coaching Packages That Sell [Even if you hate selling].
She is currently seeking co-authors for 3 Joint-Venture Collaboration books including The Coaching Confidential, Mentors on a Mission, and Let(s) Go: To Answer “the Call” to Something More. For details on this authority and list-building opportunity, visit https://www.melissaslawsky.com/book-collaborations/.
