Your book has been published, now what?

How do you let everyone who you think needs a copy know about it and convince them that they need to buy it?

With all the new technology out there, this is easier than ever.

1.  Once you join some groups and/or associations online and offline you will have started a mailing list.  You may already have a list of folks who have purchased your book to add to that list.

2.  Come up with some great copy that will grab your readers attention and get some postcards made up (I use Vista Print) then print some labels.

3.  You want to make a plan for sending out your postcards and sending out emails to anyone on your mailing list, this included your local press.

4.  Ask a question that you know would be answered yes for the headline of your email or postcard.  For example, when I was trying to sell my book about collecting money to business owners my headline read:  “Do customers owe you money? Do you want it?” this grabbed my target audiences attention and they wanted to read more and learn how to do this.

5.  Stagger your direct mailing of your postcards so that you send an email about a week later.  Answer a question for your target audience and they will see that you know what you are talking about and they may visit your website, or purchase a book. If you
write romance for example, you can ask “Want to escape with a hot hunk this summer?” With the introduction of social media added into the mix, this is an easy way for people to share your information and to get more people talking about your book.

Networking online and off line is so important to an authors success.  When you join your local chamber of commerce or any group or association, you will get a membership list with contact information, which is a benefit of joining groups and associations.  Some
people join just to get those lists.

1.  This is your first mailing list, send everyone on the list a letter with your postcard and/or business card introducing yourself, and your books and tell them you are a new member of this group and look forward to getting to know everyone.

2.  Attend functions they put on, some may be online and some may be in person – make it a point to attend and get to know the other  members.  They are there for the same reason you are – to get to know the other members and learn about what they do.

3.  Attend online webinars (many are free!) and tele-seminars and make sure you follow up with the presenter, and maybe post about the event on your blog.

4.  If you belong to any social media sites make sure to tweet or update your network about the event and that you are attending.  This can lead to some important viral marketing that will help spread the word about you and your book reaching a wider audience you would otherwise never have found.

Are you still shying away from using social media as a marketing tool?  Here are some things social media has done for me that might change your mind:

Social marketing is really working out well for me, when I can’t afford to travel for expo’s, conventions or networking.  I have met many new people, had more opportunities and more people know about me and my books.

Remember, when using social media, consistency is key, just like with a blog. Keep ‘em coming back by posting regularly and with helpful information!

What is a platform? A platform is something that can take years to build up, it is your customer base or fan club. It is the relationships and mailing lists you have created by networking and marketing before and while you were writing your book. If you don’t have a platform, many publishers will not take a chance with you.

Most people write about things they know or love. If this is the case for you, you may already have a platform started. For example, I worked in accounts receivable for a few years and then became a credit manager. I worked at a few companies as a credit manager and eventually started a collection agency from home. I worked as a bill collector for 17 years. I wrote books about starting a collection agency and other credit management manuals. When I started my own business in that industry there were not a lot of resources available so I created a website with all the information I was finding out and posting it online so it would be available if anyone else needed it. That was my Credit & Collections Association which has now been around for 10 years and has over 1000 members. I never even thought about it as a platform, but that is exactly what it is. You can do the same in any genre. You can do it much more quickly by starting locally and going out and meeting people in person, giving talks, handing out business cards and getting to know people.

When trying to promote anything, yourself, your business, your book  – you must start locally and then spread out from there to have success.

• Try covering a 100-mile radius of your location or a location where you might sell books, have a book signing or teach classes.
• Try donating copies of your book as a door prize at conventionsna dlocal auctions or events.
• Minimize expenses while maximizing exposure, for example use the internet instead of traveling.

I took a poll of over 150 authors and writers and these are the things that were the most commonly successful for them in order to build up their platform and to sell more books, I hope that you will do one or more of these things so you can be as successful!