Marketing Resources for Writers

You’ve published a book, and now you want to market it, but you can’t figure out how. So where do you go for marketing advice?

Books are always a good place to start. Here are a few suggestions:

·       Sell Your Book Like Wildfire: The Writer’s Guide to Marketing & Publicity by Rob Eagar (Writer’s Digest Books, 2012);

·       Guerrilla Marketing for Writers by Jay Conrad Levinson, Rick Frishman, Michael Larsen, and David L. Hancock (Morgan James Publishing, 2010); and

·       Publicize Your Book! by Jacqueline Deval (TarcherPerigee, 2008).

Much as the IWC loves books, though, they can get out of date, especially when it comes to today’s fast-moving technology. The Internet is usually the best place for current advice on social media marketing. Here are some relevant online articles:

·       “Marketing Advice from a Publishing Pro: Jane Friedman Shares Her Best Tips,” at http://www.socialmediajustforwriters.com/marketing-advice-from-a-publishing-pro-jane-friedman-shares-her-best-tips/;

·        “5 Marketing Strategies for Writers Who Hate Promoting Their Own Work” by Hugh O. Smith at http://thewritelife.com/marketing-strategies-for-writers/; and

·       “Marketing for Writers: 19 Top Writers On Their Greatest Challenges” at http://becomeawritertoday.com/marketing-for-writers/. Some of the authors who were interviewed spout generalized platitudes, but Ellie Campbell and Jennifer Foehner Wells give specific advice, and a recurring theme among the writers is that the best advertisement for a first book is a second one, so keep writing.

Then there is that third, often-neglected, resource, which can be the most helpful of all. If you have friends and acquaintances that have successfully marketed their books, ask for their advice and help. No approach works for everyone, and the best plan will consider both your personality and the nature of your product. The author of the marketing book or blog doesn’t know you. Your friends do.

In the end, trial and error is the best way to discover what works for you. Even so, you need ideas, and books, the Internet, and friends are a good place to start. So listen to their advice.

Then get out there and market.