New Author Excitement & Overwhelm
“The End! Let’s celebrate!” Every new author says this at the completion of a book. You know the feeling of reaching this goal. It’s a new author masterful achievement.
And, if you’ve written over 1200 words per day for your book, you already understand this. New authors feel an excitement and overwhelm simultaneously.
The initial statements I hear when speaking to new authors are, “I just don’t know where to go from here! How and where do I begin marketing my new book?”
When the mind begins to flood with many ideas and plans, it can feel burdensome. To be new author secure in a writing craft or skill means you have put in hours and years to understand it.
You may be a writing expert in sports, coaching, consulting, building, technology, cooking, designing clothes, creating skin care products, prose, poetry, etc. but lack knowledge in the business arena.
New authors, I must break it to you. Once you’re published, you are officially an author business owner.
Feeling the business pressures are understandable, too. I felt the same way at one time, and honestly, it tries to force its way again into my emotions. I mean… the ideas can feel overwhelmingly beautiful.
They’re overwhelming because you don’t know what to do with all of this next business area and information. And, the ideas are gorgeous. Simply beautiful due to the creativity and images that come with the ideas.
New Author Book Marketing Idea
The confusion enters here.
You have both the idea and business aspect trying to live at one time in your brain. Your brain tries to process how to take the idea and execute it through marketing now your new business.
Add to this the fact that there is an entire sea worth of information from one single google search on “how to market my book” only increases the pressure.
Then, the question is, “how might I filter all of this information?” Most people only view pages one and two in the Google search engine and click on the first few articles.
Others will rely on the word of friends and individuals they trust for advice.
Interestingly, very few take the time to evaluate their sources. To assess means you make judgments on the information based off reviews and experiences.
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Lessons From Expert Authors
You mainly find the product or service that resonates best with you and your need. Two primary questions are married to needs assessments: how will this product or service benefit what I need as a new author trying to market my new book, and does this product or service resonate with what I need?
Don’t get me wrong.
Sometimes even the best author experts take risks when starting out. And, if the decision was not the best one for business implementation, the expert author looks at this encounter as a learning experience for growth.
Successful, expert authors understand what it means to take risks, and are not afraid to do so. They also grasp the knowledge of book marketing planning. No expert author dives into business without a plan or blueprint.
The Book Marketing Plan
There is one key ingredient that will knock your scattered thoughts or ideas into place. It is the one thing to do before launching your book, and before researching your ideal market.
The main flavor your missing as a new author is to “WRITE IT DOWN.” Write out your book marketing plan. Write out what you already know.
Trust me. When you write your marketing thoughts and all that comes to mind on paper, you will experience MORE in-depth understandings.
It will NOT feel as chaotic. Begin writing the idea most important. The one that stays heavy on your mind day and night is what you start to put on paper.
When I launched my first ebook, “Writing Your Way Through Fears,” I self-published and devised a pre-launch plan to create buzz for it. After its launch, my new book received 600 downloads.
Here’s a taste of what I did for my pre-launch written plan. Take your journal or create a file on your computer. Put the “title of your book and marketing plan” at the top of the page, and list the following with bullets. These are just a few ideas to get you started. If you’ve already published a book, still use these to rebrand and market it.
- Book launching Team of 20 People
- Give Sneak Previews on Social Media 30 days in advance
- Write Book Blurb angled for Niche
- Send out Newsletter to Email Addresses (you already have until you build your list) introducing the book
Another way to plan is to write the”title of your book and marketing plan” in the middle of the page. Circle it. Draw lines from the middle topic outwards and add other words that connect with the main topic in the center. The objective here is to map out the blueprint for your business.
New Author Website is A Must & Social Media Business Pages
Every author needs a website. Relying solely on social media channels is the biggest risk for your author brand and business. Owning your website as a new author means this is your “purchased” home paid in full. The other channels are rented property.
Here’s what you’ll need:
1. A domain and professional email. Most websites will offer a domain and email as a website package. Consider using GoDaddy to purchase a domain and business email. Your business domain and email should be your company’s or brand’s name:
- www.KEGraphics.com (Company/Brand Name)
- info@kegraphics.com, admin@kegraphics.com, or clientcare@kegraphics.com (business email)
- Your business email can also include your real name: JWilliams@kegraphics.com
2. Website Options. Here are the top four to choose for best optimization. I suggest WordPress, Squarespace, Shopify, and Wix–in that order. If your budget is small, look into free versions until you’re ready to upgrade. I highly recommend using WordPress to own your website and for better optimization.
3. Facebook Business Page. Do not promote business on your personal page. Facebook has a policy about this.
4. At least two additional social media accounts. I highly recommend Twitter and Instagram.
5. Include a blog on your author site. Blogging helps with your online marketing plan and strategy.
Before promoting your business, make sure your domain, business email, website and Facebook business page are up, looking polished and professional.
You can always add the other two social media accounts later. You launch the business after the site is complete. Your website is the primary “go to” source for content on your service and product.
More New Author Platform Advice from Expert Authors
Some experts highly suggest completion of an author website before publishing the first book. Doesn’t have to be very clever or beautiful in aesthetically, but at least a brochure type site could work.
You want this to mainly protect your brand name (so no one else gets your domain name). Your site can even be a one-pager with basic info and a short preview of your upcoming book. This can be a perfect way for people to sign up to your waiting list and collect emails.
Work on site updates and improvements little by little. As your brand awareness increases, you’ll want your site to change for the better as well.
Other experts say an author only needs brilliant books and a platform on which to sell them (e.g., Amazon), in the same way, that someone is starting up as a musician only needs songs and listeners.
With great odds, enough people will listen to you songs with the right exposure. By adding effective marketing to your platform, you increase the odds of success.
Books, mailing list, and a website are the minimum to use to support a long-term author career. All three of these are assets I own and control, not something you can say about your social media platforms.
A website with a mailing list is the single most important thing (right after the books themselves).
If the only connection to your readers is via a third party (like Amazon or social media), how will fans find you? Something could happen on Amazon or the other social media channels, or they could decide to close your account for whatever reason. Owning a direct way to your readers is critical.
Conclusion
Lastly, a website is HIGHLY encouraged if you’re a trad looking to sign an agent. These days they want you to already have a horde of fans and come with a platform.
I don’t know if it’s necessary for an indie author, but it’s great to have a place where you engage with readers so they feel like they “know” you a little.
It also makes for a great launch and subsequent following. A great website and a way to buy your books is all an author really needs.
The End.