Traditional Publishing and Getting More Marketing Help

by Karen Whiting @KarenHWhiting

Authors may complain that publishers don’t do enough, but traditional publishers really want to come alongside their authors to help with marketing. It needs to be a team effort. The biggest key to success is communication. For authors, that means to connect with the publicist or marketing department and let them know about your promotional activities. 

Marketing from Reader Feedback

by Karen Whiting @KarenHWhiting

Social media, focus groups, beta readers, and online reviews create plenty of reader feedback. Those words provide fodder for marketing.

Tips to Add Marketing Pizzazz to Your Publishing Plan, Part 2

by Karen Whiting @KarenHWhiting

In my last post on Marketing Pizzazz, we looked at how Disney developed marketing ideas to keep customers loyal as outlined in their book Be Our Guest. Disney developed marketing ideas to keep customers loyal. Let’s look at a few more ways to apply Disney’s promotional concepts to books. Disney considers it all customer service, and we should too.

Tips to Add Marketing Pizzazz to Your Publishing Plan, Part 1

by Karen Whiting @KarenHWhiting

No one adds sparkle, pizzazz, or builds experiences that beckon us to return like Disney. Be Our Guest: Perfecting the Art of Customer Service written by the Disney Institute shares secrets of success for their marketing to customers. Let’s apply those ideas to book marketing to add WOW factors of service, cast, setting, and more. 

Book Launch Tips for Authors

by Karen Whiting @KarenHWhiting

A book launch encompasses all the activity around the release of a book. The plans are as varied as authors and their titles. The following are two snapshots of single activities. One took a lot of planning and the other took a few minutes. They were both part of a larger plan.

Developing a Winning Marketing Campaign: 3 True Accounts

by Karen Whiting @KarenHWhiting

Christian Authors Network (CAN) awarded the first CAN Crown Marketing Gold Awards to three recipients, each in a different marketing category (visual, web, and broadcast marketing). I recently interviewed each to glean ideas on what makes a great marketing campaign with tips on  improving your promotion efforts.

Connect with Readers through Closed Facebook Groups

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

Would you like to develop relationships with your readers? You can through closed Facebook groups. Many writers have created Facebook author pages, but in a closed group, only group members can see the posts. The focus of these groups is about how the author can benefit the reader who chooses to join the group. Think of it as a Bible study in your home. You are the host who offers valuable content. During the study a relationship develops between members as you get to know one another. Facebook groups can be mutually beneficial for the reader and the author.

7 Ways to Use Bookmarks for Marketing Your Book

by Karen Whiting @KarenHWhiting

Bookmarks are inexpensive and make great marketing tools. Each one is a blank canvas that you design to showcase you, your books, and your brand or services. Plan the content carefully to get the best mileage out of it. That can vary depending on how you will use the bookmarks.