Book marketing is an arcane, occult, complicated endeavor the defies my understanding. I “get” some parts of it: blogging, tweets, blog swaps, book/author events, etc. I do some of it. I need help with all of it. Therefore, I’m in the market to hire a new book marketer.
First, let’s get this out of the way: I like the publicist I worked with for 4-1/2 years and have no complaints about her service. She did everything she promised and more. I understand that no publicist or marketing expert can guarantee sales. She did grow my Twitter following from nonexistent to a few thousand. She did grow my Facebook outreach. Her efforts increased visits to my website. She helped with placement on blogs and other author-shared promotional services. Between COVID-19 and dismal book sales, I discontinued her service; however, I have and continue to refer her to other authors whom she might benefit.
So, what am I looking for? Here’s a quick list:
- Marketing strategy. I need someone to help me analyze the market and audience and figure out the best venues for reaching them and how to reach them. Show me what needs to be done and when and probably how.
- Social media outreach. Put simply, I am not particularly versant with social media, nor do I want to be. I need someone who will take this over for me.
- Advertising expertise. I need someone who understands and and knows how to create and execute effective advertisement campaigns on Amazon, Facebook, and elsewhere. This will include helping with determining the best keywords for searches, how to get the “extra” categories on Amazon, and so forth.
- Connections. This requires a marketing expert who knows the right people in publishing and in the media, someone who can help place my book with bloggers–and maybe even celebrities–and persuade them to promote my book. Simply blasting a tweet or other message to a disinterested distribution list doesn’t do any good and may do harm, as such tactics come across as “spammy.” People who don’t read the genre in which I write don’t want to receive book promotions for my books. A good marketer knows this and has the right connections.
- Website expertise. This effort needs someone who will review my website, analyze it, and help me with revamping it to be more effective. That may or may not require someone who can get into the back-end programming and manipulate the code.
- Long-term. I need someone who isn’t thinking of a finite book marketing promotion to last a few weeks or just a few months. I’m looking to establish an ongoing, long-term relationship, because I realize that marketing is not a quick or one-time effort: it’s a long haul that requires sustained effort.
- Affordable rates. Yes, that’s where the rubber meets the road. The definition of “affordable” varies for everyone and I’m certainly not looking for the lowest-bid provider. I don’t want a low-bid provider, but a professional who knows his or her stuff and doesn’t charge A-list movie star rates that exceed the value of the service provided … and this is a valuable service crucial for any author. After all, if the goal is to generate book sales for which royalties will at least help me break even on marketing fees, then any marketer who succeeds in that will have my continued business.
I’ll continue to supplement the marketer’s work as I’ve always done. I’ll seek out podcast interviews and schedule them. I’ll seek out in-person author/book events, register, and participate in them. I’ll seek out blog tours that work with my genre. I’ll continue posting in this blog.
If you’re a book marketer or know of one who can help with the above tasks, please contact me at henhousepublishing@gmail.com.