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This week Amy and I are on cloud nine. The launch of Wise Ink as a full-service publishing option for authors is going swell. We’re working with authors and doing what we do best. In the process we’ve encountered more book marketing questions than ever.

Let’s just say this right off the bat: It’s hard to market anything. Book marketing is especially challenging for two reasons.

1. Competition is steep

and

2. The road to “success” is long (and slow)

One author I talked to recently was particularly frustrated that her marketing efforts weren’t working. “I’m giving up if something drastic doesn’t happen this year,” she said to me.

I understood where she was coming from. There’s that point when it clicks for most authors that their book is not just the baby they’ve brought into the world.

It’s a product. And some of us didn’t sign up for that. Some of us signed up for authorship. You know what we mean we say authorship:

• Grateful readers busting down our door
• Acclaim from reviewers, awards, and non-stop media coverage
• Sales, sales, and more sales

Sound familiar? We all want authorship. However, few of us embrace the road to authorship. If you remember one thing from this post, remember this:

Authorship is a journey, not a destination and marketing can be a delightful compass that guides you.

Here’s why what you’re doing to market your book isn’t landing you where you want to be:

1. You Haven’t Set Goals

Most authors want to sell books. But that’s not necessarily a goal. What was your purpose for writing your book?

You need to know why your book was written beyond the sales aspect. Did you write it to raise awareness about a topic, to launch your journey as a change maker, or grow your platform as a thought leader, to help a niche group with solutions to a problem? Your big-picture goal should be broad and audience-centric.

2. You Don’t Have a Plan

Set mini-goals that are reachable and measurable and put it in a plan. Plan for the number of events you want to participate in, the number of bloggers you want to target, signings you want scheduled, readings you want to give, awards you want to enter, reviewers you want to target. You get the gist. A plan helps you stay on track.

3. You Aren’t Thinking Long-Term

Missed opportunities occur when you become caught in the day-to-day of book marketing, focusing on the short-term tasks in front of you. Look the at the calendar a year out. What holidays are approaching, what conferences should you submit speaking proposals to, how long will it take to grow a readership for your blog?

It takes about 18 months for a book to filter to it’s appropriate audience and catch in the market. Also, authors of multiple books tend to create lasting and consistent sales traffic. That means the average successful author invests two to three years minimum.

4. You’re Not Interacting with Your Readers

Your readers belong to other authors and are likely reading lots of books at once. Facebook, Twitter, Goodreads, Pinterest, blogging, events, and networking are just a few ways to attract new readers and interact with old ones. It’s easy to lose steam after awhile and slack off here.

Try to keep yourself out there and active. The more you interact online, the more you’ll show up in search engine results. The more you’re participating in live events, the more you’ll discover opportunities you hadn’t anticipated.

5. You’re Marketing to the Wrong Audience

It’s easy to assume that T.V. appearances or a five star review in a national publication will lead to sales. Traditional media can be awesome, but maybe your perfect audience doesn’t read that national publication or watch the local news station where your interview aired. If you have a book written to grandparents, perhaps social media isn’t an appropriate marketing strategy.

Lots of authors focus on the quantity of marketing efforts. Don’t do that. It’s all about quality. Reach out to the places, people, and opportunities that attract your readers.

When I released The Indie Author Revolution, I sponsored Jane Friedman’s column, Writing on The Ether, because I knew Jane and I had a similar audience. I wrote guest posts for blogs that also attracted my audience. I didn’t go to events where I knew writers, authors, and book people wouldn’t frequent.

So what do you think? What would you add to the list. Part two posts Friday…stay tuned.

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