Last weekend I taught at the Annual Conference on Creative Writing at Pacific. It was the first time I went to a writing conference not as a volunteer or attendee, but as a presenter. In the weeks leading up to the event, I felt a mix of excitement and nerves. Part of me was confident that my topic, marketing, was one I am extremely well-versed in. Another part of me felt like an imposter, teaching at a writing conference. But I told that voice to shut it, and listened to the first voice. I have a masters in marketing and do it for a living. I could do this!
Last weekend I taught at the Annual Conference on Creative Writing at Pacific. It was the first time I went to a writing conference not as a volunteer or attendee, but as a presenter. In the weeks leading up to the event, I felt a mix of excitement and nerves. Part of me was confident that my topic, marketing, was one I am extremely well-versed in. Another part of me felt like an imposter, teaching at a writing conference. But I told that voice to shut it, and listened to the first voice. After all, I have a masters in marketing and do it for a living.
I’m happy to report back that the conference was fantastic! I enjoyed teaching my seminars and the writers who attended seemed interested in what I had to say. As a bonus, I got to sit in on many other wonderful seminars throughout the weekend. Now I want to share three key elements of marketing from my seminar that you can use in your life as a writer.
Three Key Elements Of Marketing For A Writer
1. Build Awareness
Why is building awareness important? Think if a tree falls in a forest and no one is around, does it make a noise? If you have the best book, but people don’t know, will anyone read it? There are many ways to reach out to readers, such as giveaways, book bloggers, running social media ads and working with a book publicist. Once a reader reads one of your books and enjoys it, they will be more likely to read your second book.
2. To The Right People
Think of the right people as your target demographic. For readers, these are the people who want to read your book. One way to find these readers are look at the readers of successful books that are already published, and see what kind of people read those books. What sort of people follow the authors on their social media? What kind of people do you see at signing for that book? These are people that may also be interested in your book. Remember that not everyone wants to read your book, and that is a good thing. You only have a limited amount of time, energy, and money to market your book, so don’t waste it going after readers who won’t read your book.
Note for people looking to be traditionally published:
Your target demographic might include agents and publishers. Again, think about who would be interested in your book. If you write historical romance, don’t query an agent who only represents authors of nonfiction sports books. Do your research! Most agents’ and publishers’ sites list the genres they represent. I’ve seen agents posting on Twitter what they are currently looking for. Publications like Writer's Market will also provide this information.
3. By Showing Them Your Product Has Value
We all love our books (hopefully). But take a step back and consider the reading landscape from a reader’s point-of-view. There are many, many books that your target demographic reader can choose from. And remember there is a cost to the reader to read your book. It takes someone’s time and money. So, make sure you indicate why your book is worth their time and money. You want to show your target reader that your book is similar enough to the comp titles they already like that they will feel confident they will like your book, but also that your story will provide them with a unique experience. Some ways you can show them is to have an interesting synopsis, compelling key art, and a unique title.
The example I used in my seminar was Cinder, by Marissa Meyer. Look at the cover below. This book is a YA sci-fi retelling of Cinderella. Readers can see the hints at fairytale retellings, but also that there is something different about this story. You have a mix of something familiar and something unique.
Note for people looking to be traditionally published:
You want to show potential agents/publishers that both you and your book have value. Make the best book possible before your query. Make sure you show them that you are polite, professional, and basically someone they would want to work with. Follow their submission guidelines (they are different for each agency). Remember, they love books too, but this is a business for them. They need a business partner (that’s you) so they can make your book successful.