This is a guest post by JP Jones of LifeAfterPublishing.com
That dreaded “M” word. Marketing.
Ew, it just tastes bad on your lips, right? A lot of writers feel this way.
Whether you’re writing the next great American Novel or writing technical posts for a computer company, marketing is one of the necessary evils to really taking your career as a writer to the next level. Isn’t it time you buried the hatchet and declared a truce with the marketing side of writing?
Let’s look at three ways to do that.
1. Make Friends with Marketing.
I like to tell authors that they first have to make friends with marketing. Don’t be afraid of it, marketing CAN be your friend.
But, first you have to come to grips with the fact that on some level and too some degree you do need to market your writing or even simply yourself as a writer.
2. Don’t Let it Control You.
One of the easiest mistakes to make when you embark upon a new marketing strategy is to accidentally let it take over your life. First and foremost you’re a writer, so you have to write, but that doesn’t mean you can’t still manage to make some time for marketing—but start slow.
Don’t decide to rush out, sign up for eight social media networks, start two blogs and schedule yourself for a book tour all at one time—you’ll be burned out by the end of the first day.
Start with one of those things and get it under control before adding something new. If you will manage our marketing strategy as such, then you can manage it without it managing you!
3. Take Advantage of the Freebies First.
I always tell my marketing clients that the first thing they want to do before they begin investing a lot of money in marketing campaigns to promote their writing is to confirm that they are in fact, taking advantage of the free marketing tools and resources that are available to them.
Marketing certainly doesn’t have to break your budget. In our current online revolution it’s easier than ever to spread the word about your books or your writing via the internet.
Make sure you are taking advantage of the following:
- Social Media Sites: Twitter, Facebook, Pinterest, LinkedIn, etc — They are all free to sign up with and with small investments of time can really pay off big for your PR efforts!
- Guest Blogging: One of the first things writers rush out and do is start their own blog, and that’s great, but don’t overlook the value of submitting guest blogs to other established bloggers that will in turn provide links back to you, not to mention help you get some great exposure and increase your ‘published’ portfolio. Specifically look for blogs that are related to your writing niche—not necessarily blogs about writing, but if you wrote a book that centers around a railroad, then look for train related blogs, etc.
- Use your Mouth: Word of mouth marketing is perhaps one of the easiest overlooked avenues of marketing that there is. But make sure you take advantage of it, remembering that it has to start with YOUR mouth! Be sure when you meet new people, talk to an old friend or wait at the doctors office you are actively talking about and promoting your writing.
Once you and your marketing efforts stop squaring off and begin to work together you will quickly start to see the results pay off. It’s not an overnight process by any means but the more you work it it WILL work for you.
Life After Publishing
For those that are serious about learning how to really implement more marketing into their writing careers I invite you to join me and other speakers at the next Life After Publishing event on October 20. This year, we are holding the event solely online and will be able to accommodate writers and authors from any location!
Registration is already open at www.lifeafterpublishing.com.
Regardless of where you are on your writing journey, it’s not to early to implement the tips you’ll glean as we show you how to make the most of Life After Publishing!
About the Author: JP Jones is a writer, marketer and web designer who works with clients all over the world to propel their platforms to the next level. Jones is one of the hosts of the annual Life After Publishing marketing event aimed towards authors to help them learn the nuts and bolts of marketing.
