Excellence in Marketing Awards for Authors

by Susan U. Neal RN, MBA, MHS @SusanNealYoga

The Christian Authors Network (CAN) is delighted to announce the CAN Excellence in Marketing Awards is open from Decmeber 1, 2022 to February 1, 2023. This special, one-of-a-kind contest recognizes and encourages excellence in marketing and promotion skills of Christian authors. Each participant will receive feedback on their marketing campaign. 

Winners of the marketing awards will be announced to 400 Christian media, including several TV networks; press releases will be sent to Publishers Weekly and ECPA. The top three winners will win a publicity packet including a book announcement (book cover, description, buy button) sent to 20,000 Christian readers, 1400 Christian retailers, and 400 book review bloggers. Winners will be featured on the Christian Authors Network blog and several other member blogs. Award trophies and certificates will be presented at at The Well Conference on April 22, 2023. More information about how to enter is at the end of this blog.

One area Christian authors struggle with is book marketing? Think about marketing as engaging, shareable, effective communication about your book, book series, or brand to readers, retailers, and/or librarians. How else would people find the book you worked hard to write? Don’t hide your light under a bushel! Shine light on that beautiful work of art through some simple marketing techniques as described below.

Each book, book series, and brand are unique. How do you know what to do to market your book? There are some standard ways to share your book and brand that come straight from the creative heart. Start with one or two of the items on the below list. Once you’ve completed one item, start on the next one.

Start you book marketing with a checklist or spreadsheet. A list simplifies and organizes your marketing. As you do more, add columns for dates, contact names of media, event places, speaking topics, or whatever you decide will help you manage your marketing campaign. Your marketing is how you share the heart of your work to benefit the reader. The buyer wants to know how your product benefits them. 

Work your way down this list. Start at the top and complete one item at a time. One by one, check an item you’ve completed for your marketing campaign. 

• Website: You need to create a website. You can use WordPress, Blogger, Wix, etc. Websites are an effective part of a marketing strategy.

• Email List: Create a free gift and add it to the top of the home page of your website. Everyone who signs up for the gift shoud be added to your email subscriber list.

• Newsletters: Write regular emails to your list that benefit the reader. Follow the 5 to 1 rule of sending the reader 5 topics of interest to every 1 email about promoting your book, course, or other product.

• Blogs: Blogs built into an author’s website can focus on brand while featuring special elements of research, characters, problem-solving, recipes, and creative ideas from or about your book. 

• Social Media: Real interaction with real people matters on social media. Create appealing memes. Be entertaining, engaging, encouraging…be real and involved.

• Physical media: Postcards, posters, flyers, and bookmarks can be excellent support for your marketing campaign. Wow your readers, retailers, and librarians with well-done pieces.

• Broadcast: Podcasts, Facebook Live, Instagram, TV, talk radio, iHeartRadio, YouTube, Vimeo, or any type of video/audio that helps get your message seen matters. Some authors have been able to build private groups that have a paying audience while others offer daily, weekly, or specially scheduled events. Your audience wants to see and hear you talk about your creative project, especially if you’re helping them. 

• Events: Book tours, signings, and speaking events allows the audience to get to know you better. Schedule these events.

Now that you’ve created a campaign, enter the CAN Excellence in Marketing Awards!

Who can enter the awards? Traditional and independent Christian authors are welcome to enter the awards with any book-length Christian fiction or nonfiction marketing campaign. The marketing campaign must have started between January 1, 2022 and December 31, 2022. (The campaign does not need to encompass the entire 12 month span, but it should begin with in those dates to be eligible.) The book itself is not judged, getting the word out about that Christian book is the contest goal.

Contest opens: December 1, 2022

Last day of entry: February 1, 2023

Finalists announced in March via Facebook Live at https://www.facebook.com/ChristianAuthorsNetwork.

Final Excellence in Marketing Awards presented on April 22, 2023 at The Well Conference. 

Enter the CAN Excellence in Marketing Awards! You can find more information about the awards at https://christianauthorsnetwork.com/marketing-award/. We look forward to seeing your marketing creativity!

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Excellence in Marketing Awards for Authors from Susan U. Neal, @SusanNealYoga on @EdieMelson (Click to Tweet)

Susan U. Neal, RN, MBA, MHS: Susan’s mission is to improve the health of the body of Christ. She has her RN and MBA degrees, as well as a master’s in health science. She is a CERTIFIED HEALTH AND WELLNESS COACHwith the American Association of Christian Counselors. She published five books, the Selah award winner 7 STEPS TO GET OFF SUGAR AND CARBOHYDRATES, CHRISTIAN STUDY GUIDE FOR 7 STEPS TO GET OFF SUGAR AND CARBOHYDRATES, HEALTHY LIVING JOURNAL, SCRIPTURE YOGAa #1 Amazon best-selling yoga book, and YOGA FOR BEGINNERSwhich ranked #3. She published two sets of Christian Yoga Card Decks and two Christian Yoga DVDs that are available at CHRISTINAYOGA.COM. Her digital product HOW TO PREVENT, IMPROVE, AND REVERSE ALZHEIMER’S AND DEMENTIA is a great resource. To learn more about Susan visit her website SUSANUNEAL.COM You can also connect with Susan on FACEBOOK, TWITTER, and INSTAGRAM.