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Authors
As Marketers
"I'm a writer — Not a businessman!"
Many authors feel that marketing is some arcane art that requires
some alien skill or mindset, or view marketing as something
carried out by people resembling the Marketing Trolls in Scott
Adam's Dilbert© comics. Some think their publishers should be
doing some or all of the work. Others don't like making public
appearances. Most see writing and marketing as two completely
separate things.
What if I told you that writing and promoting your book are two
parts of the very same process and one can't live without the
other? Here's a powerful concept that we sometimes forget: In all
the billions of years this universe has existed, there has never
been a person like you nor will there ever be again. You are,
have been, and always will be unique. People flock to museums to
see unique pieces of art. Doesn't yours deserve at least some
attention?
Marketing is an art like any other. Sure, there's science behind
it. There's science behind sculpture, architecture, painting,
music, and writing. Does your book follow grammatical rules?
Enough said. The whole point of marketing is to convey a message
about you and your book to people in a position to buy that book.
You already know how to create effective messages. After all,
what's your book but a collection of tens of thousands of words
that convey a message in the form of a story?
Now let's talk about organization. Your marketing message will be
confusing and lost unless it's well organized. You already know
how to organize like nobody's business. Your book is divided into
chapters, each telling part of the story much like a room
occupies part of a building. Whether you know it or not, you
created an outline or blueprint for your story to follow. Your
story is organized and structured on many levels. After all, it's
impossible to begin a project without even a vague idea of what
it should look like when completed.
Research: Whether you went to a library, surfed the internet,
and/or drew from life experience, your book contains the results
of varying extents of research. Research need not be formal to be
valid. One author I spoke with had been a police detective for
over 20 years before writing his first crime thriller. "I didn't
do any research," he told me. "You did 20 years with no time off
for good behavior," I replied.
Do you or have you worked in sales, marketing, advertising,
merchandising, design, or a similar field? All of those entail
creating enticing results that usually directly or indirectly
influence a purchasing decision. If you've already done it for
other goods and services, your book isn't much different.
You wrote a book containing thousands of words over a period of
time that holds the same train of thought all the way through to
completion. That takes concentration, drive, passion, enthusiasm,
belief in yourself, and a small amount of masochism — just the
right mix for marketing!
Don't forget emotional response: People usually buy products
because they evoke a conscious or unconscious emotional response.
Spend a few minutes looking at your books. Do you remember how
you felt as you read them? Books are all about emotional
experiences. You wrote a book. Ergo, you know how to elicit
emotional responses.
Let's talk about that masochism bit some more. Authors write
because they can't not write. Some overwhelming force drives them
onward. And writing is an isolating pursuit. Can you write while
carrying on a conversation with a room full of people? You
probably have a room or corner with a typewriter or computer
somewhere in your house. Your family or roommates long ago
learned to steer clear of that place, especially when you're
working. You either need deathly quiet or controlled noise such
as music while writing. Got friends over? Baby crying? Forget it.
Writing isolates you by definition. The only way to balance the
isolation of writing is by the exposure called marketing. The two
go together. Think of it like your arms and legs, which are all
part of your one body.
Let's summarize: You know how to create an organized message,
conduct research, and elicit emotional responses. You've got
concentration, drive, passion, enthusiasm, belief in yourself,
and love a little punishment. Wow — you've already got what it
takes to be a marketer and probably never even knew it! All you
need to do is put as much creativity into your marketing as you
do your writing and you're one big step ahead of the game.
Don't have lots of time and/or money to market your books?
There's an ancient tale of a church with a collection box out
front. Rich merchants dumped bags of gold into the box as they
entered. Then a poor widow put in two pennies. Who gave more?
Quantity-wise, the merchants. But what about quality? The
merchants' largeness was only a tiny fraction of their net worth
but the destitute widow gave all she had. Same with marketing; it
isn't so much about how much you throw at it as how earnestly.
One hundred wisely spent dollars can go further than ten thousand
squandered dollars. Do as much or as little as you can, but do
everything sincerely and determinedly. And remember the words of
Al Franken while playing Stuart Smalley on Saturday Night Live:
You're good enough, you're smart enough, and doggone it, people
like you"!
To market something effectively, you need to know exactly what it
is you're selling. As authors, the answer may seem obvious. But
is it? Stay tuned.
Just my 2 cents' worth!
Anthony Hernandez, creator of: Marketing Your Books: A
Holistic Approach & Getting Published: End To Beginning
& Selling Your Books: A Roadmap For Success endorsed
by Jay Conrad Levinson & Dan Poynter available from Dawnstar Books
Mr. Hernandez is a guest author for American Book Publishing.
© 2002
Anthony Hernandez *All other trademarks used by permission. All
rights reserved.
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