by Cherrilynn Bisbano @BisbanoWrites
You, my writing friend, are a marketer!
Did I hear you scream, “Noooooo!”
I empathize. I hate proclaiming to the world, “I wrote a life-changing book and you should buy it.” As Christian we shouldn’t boast, right? Wrong!
God called us to write. He planted a specific message in each heart. He gave us individual personalities and writing styles to appeal to different audiences. When we communicate to the world we are an author and our books are available for purchase, we are not boasting of our talent, we are boasting in our Lord.
2 Corinthians 10:17-18 “But HE WHO BOASTS IS TO BOAST IN THE LORD. For it is not the one who commends himself who is approved, but the one whom the Lord commends.”
Psalm 34:2 “My soul will make its boast in the LORD; The humble will hear it and rejoice.”
Psalm 44:8 “In God we have boasted all day long, And we will give thanks to Your name forever. Selah.”
Psalm 20:7 “Some boast in chariots and some in horses, But we will boast in the name of the LORD, our God.”
Romans 15:17 “Therefore in Christ Jesus I have found reason for boasting in things pertaining to God.”
Whether we write fiction, non-fiction, or children’s books, the One who gave us the idea and power to pen the manuscript will provide the means and education to market His message. He also wants us to be prepared to present a professional book proposal.
The marketing section of a proposal seems to be the most difficult for my clients. I hear, “I don’t know that many people.” After brainstorming, the client realizes that he or she can reach more readers by making a list and a few phone calls.
Agents and publishers want to see numbers in this section. You must show that the book can sell five to eight thousand copies quickly. I created a list to jog your memory as to what agents and publishers look for in a marketing plan. This is not an exhaustive list.
- Organization and association memberships- College alumni, writing groups, military, and church
- Book signings- ask ahead to see if you can hold a signing at your local library or book store.
- Speaking engagements- add the total number of attendees of future events
- Street team- total all the followers of each team member
- Prayer Team- a group of prayer warriors
- Book Tours- Get book signings cross country or throughout your state
- Book Groups- Get small groups to use your book for a study or discussion.
- Workplace- Does your place of employment have a newsletter? Ask to place a press release in it.
- Advertising- List website, magazine, or newspaper and the number of readers
- Platform- the number of followers on each site
- Website -include a Press kit- check out this article from Writers Digest https://bit.ly/2R8VxJU Send the press release to your local newspapers
- Blog
- Blog tours- ask others to host you and your book info on their blog
When you contact your high school, college, or place of work to establish if they have an alumni newsletter, get the distribution total of the letter, and ask if you can send a book release or article. Schools, colleges, and large businesses love to brag on their people.
Avoid, “I will.” I will get a Facebook Page, website, speaking engagements, etc. Begin the work now. Let the world know that you are writing a book. Get a prayer team to support you as you write. Get a street team, a group that is dedicated to sharing your book on social media sites, once the book is published. Total your street teams number of followers on each social media site.
Promotion is predominately the responsibility of the author, so get educated. If your head is spinning and your stomach is in your throat with the thought of all the work, hire someone. As a former submission reader and junior literary agent, I longed to see an author annotate on their proposal that they hired a marketing person, when the writer didn’t have a strong marketing plan.
Marketing is tedious and many don’t know where to begin. The Mountainside Marketing retreat is on the horizon, why not attend? Here is the link
https://ridgecrestconferencecenter.org/event/mountainsidemarketing
Remember, God called you to write. He will not leave you stranded. He provides the tools and means to create a professional proposal. Don’t be afraid to ask for help. The Blue Ridge Conference blog is a great place to begin.
What part of the Marketing Plan do you find most difficult? Join the conversation.
Don’t Miss the Rest of the Series on Book Proposal Basics:
Part 1: Title Page, Table of Contents, and Sell Sheet
Part 3: Chapter Outline or Book Synopsis
Cherrilynn Bisbano is the founder of The Write Proposal book proposal services.
As managing editor of Almost an Author, she helped the website earn the #6 spot on the Top 100 best writing websites for 2018 by The Write Life and Top 101 Websites for writers with Writers Digest.
Cherrilynn is a speaker with Women Speakers. Her topics include leadership, book proposals, and the Bible. She is a member of American Christian Fiction Writers.
She is a two-time winner of Flash Fiction Weekly. You can find her published in Southern Writers, More to Life (MTL), Christian Rep, Christian Voice, Refresh and other online magazines. Cherrilynn is a contributor to Selah-nominated Breaking the Chains, Heart Reno, and Chicken Soup for the Soul-Miracles books.
No Comments