WHAT USED TO WORK IN SELLING YOUR BOOK DOESN'T

Not anymore.

http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00HIU5O38

 

Things have changed in the publishing world.  Things are STILL changing.

 

Have you ever sat in a movie theater and been driven to become Hannibal Lector

 

by some numb-skull louding straw-sipping on a drink that has long since been consumed?

 

THE CUP IS EMPTY, YOU MORON! is what you want to yell.

 

The same applies to what used to work in marketing our books.  The usefulness of certain endeavors is long past their expiration dates.

 

1. “Build a huge list” Won’t Work Anymore -

There was a time where the numbers mattered. Those days are long gone. If you focus on getting anyone and everyone on your email list, you won’t be able to market to them effectively.

Flinging your cyber-net to the whole world fills it with many who want nothing to do with the type of book you have written.

Think of the type of reader who would like to read your book.  Google sites where they might hang out.  Comment on those sites.  Let them become familiar with your name for a few weeks.  Casually mention in a comment that you have written a book on the subject being discussed.

Hard sell days are over.

2. “Get lots of page views” Won’t Work -

Remember what the late Zig Ziglar said, “You can get everything you want if you help enough people get what they want.”

Do NOT write BUY MY BOOK posts.  Write posts that help the kind of audience that you want to buy your book.  They will come, drawn by subjects that interest them and perhaps they will notice your books in your sidebar and gamble on your novel. 

If not, you still have won a friend -- which in today's cold world is a win all in itself.

Also - Do your keyword research, optimize your articles and share them with the world.

3. “Sell, Sell, Sell” Won’t Work -

As I said: BUY MY BOOK only turns off visitors.  You like those tele-soliciters that call you?  Yeah, no one does.

What works today? Build relationships. They’ll buy when they’re ready.  If they never do, you will have at least found a new friend.

4. “Shouting” Won’t Work

Today, Social Media is more crowded and noisy than New Year's Eve at Time's Square. 

Good marketing isn’t intrusive. Good marketing is useful.

Or as Jay Baer says, good marketing provides “Youtility.”

In other words good marketing is a service. 

When your blog figures out a way to be useful, then your novels will be viewed in a welcome light.

Need is the premise. Content is the medium. Consumption is your reward

when your Content answers Need.

Alex Cavanaugh pointed out to me a concrete example of all this

in Elizabeth S. Craig's fine post of today:

http://elizabethspanncraig.com/1735/tax-time-revelations-andis-writing-career-cant-retire/#more-1735