A few weeks ago, I finished the book manuscript and now have 9 months until it hits the book stores. You would think this would be the time to take a much needed vacation, catch up on the social networking circuit and sit tight waiting for my book to be listed in Amazon. This great Book 2.0 Launch video says it all:
The reason my publisher wanted to publish my book is because of my 20-page marketing plan. As Seth Godin says, “the best time to start promoting your book is three years before it comes out.”
I’m surprised how many people still believe the publishing company takes care of the marketing and promotions of your book. That is absolutely not the case unless you have a huge following. No- it’s just me and my trusty 20-page marketing plan that have to make it happen.
The days of hiring one agency to manage everything are over. These agencies are out there but they are not equipped to manage everything and certainly not designed for the little guys. The marketing umbrella is huge- it includes branding, identity, search, analytics, publicity, social media, and traditional marketing. So before I revamp my web site, blog, podcasts, eblast templates- this must be aligned. And before I contribute content and start massaging the media and book myself for radio interviews and hit the speaking circuit- I must determine my unique angle. Who are these people I’m marketing to anyways and what are their habits? Last but not least, it I drive all this traffic to finally come, what do they leave with?
The days of writing my 73,000 word manuscript seem easy compared to this. Have I forgotten anything?
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