Marketing Mistakes by Writers

April 14, 2014 – Written by Corina Martinez Chaudhry

The 64,000 dollar question is: “What’s the single biggest marketing mistake authors make?” There really isn’t one mistake per se; however, one mistake can really sabotage the success of your book. Whenever beginning your marketing book campaign, start looking at the various angles of marketing and don’t just focus on one area.

employee team marketing There are many “dos” and “don’ts” in the writing world, so we’ve listed some of the more fatal mistakes that can really tank your book. Don’t be afraid to take risks, but just be aware that there are good and not-so- good marketing strategies. We constantly hear from writers and authors that they don’t have time to work on marketing because they are busy writing; however, both of these professions are equally important in the literary world. If you don’t have the time to put together and execute a good marketing plan for your book, then you might as well not write your book unless you are writing for family and friends. Here are some of the things to be aware of when marketing your book.

Not having enough content in social media networks to promote your book. In today’s world, we are bombarded with various social media networks. Creating content to market your book in these mediums is as important as writing your manuscript. If you don’t have time to do this, then you probably shouldn’t be doing this as a profession. Creating good content to market your book is the single biggest thing you can do to drive traffic to your site or to get people interested in your book.

Some of the social networks to use are Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, and especially blogging. But remember, you should pick three or four and concentrate on those. Being on too many social media networks can stretch you thin and may not be as effective if the content you are putting out is not great. Concentrate on a few and make those work for you.

Understanding the current trends in the literary world. This is extremely important. You can’t just write a book and not be aware of what is going on in the publishing world. These trends could impact your bottom line and knowing this will help you refocus your strategies. Ignoring or not putting time into what’s happening in the industry is a big mistake many authors make.

Not responding to your readers on social media. This is a task that some authors tend to overlook. They are so inundated with information and get so busy marketing and writing that they forget about their fans. This can be detrimental. Many fans will lose interest and possibly fade away. This is not good if you plan on being successful in this business. Always, always, always, respond to your readers.

Thinking rules just don’t apply to you. Many times authors believe their topic is such a hot topic that they don’t feel the need to promote their book. This is further from the truth. You may have a book that covers a hot topic, but if people don’t know about it, you will have lost many readers. Promoting your book is important no matter what the topic – hot or not. If the topic is not “in the frying pan,” it will need even more promotion. Marketing rules apply to everyone.

Overwhelmed and thinking you have to do everything. First, make a plan on what your marketing strategy will be and stick to it. Don’t get inundated with all the social medias and blogging that is to be done. Absolutely you need to do these, but you have to have a successful marketing campaign plan on using your time wisely. Again, pick a few social medias that you will use for marketing and concentrate on those. If you can solicit help from friends and family that’s even better. Don’t become overwhelmed with everything that has to be done.

In a hurry to get your book out. While we all know there are deadlines and it’s important to adhere to these, getting a product out that is not fully edited is not going to be good. It’s important to ensure that the product you put out is thoroughly edited and conveys your absolute best work. You will be judged in the literary world as well as by your readers. Remember, just because you can publish something quickly in this day and age, this is not always the best way to go.

Asking for what you want from publishers and readers. Many times, authors are afraid to ask their readers for reviews on their books. This will help set you apart from other authors and can help to propel your sales. In addition, it’s just as important for authors to ask their publishers (if they are going through a publishing house) to give them assistance and guidance on how to best promote their books. Working with a publisher is a two-way street and they are just as excited to help you get your sales up because this also benefits them. Both your readers and your publisher want you to succeed. Don’t be afraid to ask.

Not being proactive with your sales. Many times authors will put out a book with the hope that it will make it big. This is the worst thing you can do. Taking a wait-and-see attitude is not good for book sales. Of course there are times when you will try things to see if they work or not, but this should be coming from a proactive stance versus tossing your book out to the world with no pre thought of strategy. Whatever you do, it should be measurable. This is the most important thing. This way if something is working well, you can then use it more often or you can apply it to your next marketing campaign. Keeping track of strategies that work and don’t work is just as important as writing your book.

Making quick/fast money. You often hear that people want to publish a book to make some fast cash. This thought process is so far from the truth, but you would be surprised to hear how many people believe this. If you are a “real” author, then you know that this doesn’t work for the majority of people. Of course there are some books that have been successful at the onset, but those are the exception; this does not happen to many books. Your focus should be on writing a great book that you are passionate about. This will take you further than trying to make some quick cash with a mediocre book.

Not having a website and waiting till the last minute to launch it. This is probably the single most troublesome issue for authors. Many authors don’t have a website and believe they can do this at the last minute. BIG BIG BIG mistake! What many authors don’t realize is that it takes a while for search engines to pick up your website and build up traffic. This can take months and sometimes years to build up. During this time you are wasting valuable time especially if your book is written about a timely issue. In addition, many of your readers will not be able to find you and they may get frustrated if they can’t contact you. This is the biggest complaint that we hear about from readers. Being aware of some of these marketing mistakes will help you focus on a strategy to ensure that you have a successful book. It is all these details that can help you become that next best seller. This is definitely not a comprehensive list; however, it’s a start. The more you know about the literary business and the approaches taken by successful authors, the better you can customize what works best for you.