Plan Your Book Marketing Strategy in Advance

Writing a book is a journey of self-exploration. The purpose of writing a book is not so much about you as it is for the readers whose lives you touch. While that is the long view, it's something you should be thinking about along your entire journey.

There's enough to think about during the book-writing process, and many authors can't see beyond getting to the finish line. It's a magical feeling to finally publish a book, but for it to serve the world people need to know that it's available.

This is why you should have a solid promotional strategy in place before you hit the publish button on Amazon.com. Once your book is available online, you should be ready and waiting to put a marketing plan into action and start attracting orders.

Make Your Book Stand Out

You may have written the best book, one full of high-value information that your readers will absolutely love. The issue is that you're most likely not the only one writing a powerful book around your topic. It doesn’t matter what your book is about, most likely there are already a slew of other books out there that address the same topic as yours. This doesn't mean that yours is any lesser; it just means that you have to be intentional about readers choosing yours over theirs.

A good marketing strategy is the crucial element that gets your book noticed above all the others.

Go Beyond Your Bubble

The main goal of your marketing is to tell your potential readers that you have a book for them. You find out where they hang out online and then get your book in front of them. Just posting your book on your website and on amazon.com does not ensure that your current followers, clients, and ideal readers will see it.

Once your friends and family buy your book, then what? 

You've got to reach outside of your bubble and be intentional about finding more potential readers. That's how you make an impact in the world. 

Focus, Don't Splatter

The primary reason you need a marketing plan is that you have to do some careful work to identify your ideal readers so you can focus on them. The “splatter” approach is a drain on resources that doesn’t bring back much of an ROI. When you try to please everyone you end up serving no one, and your book simply won’t appeal to everyone. If you spend time and money getting it in front of the wrong people, you're wasting time and money and, worse, you're not reaching the people who do need to read it.

Clarify Your Intention

• What is your intention for writing your book? Is it to position you as an expert? That's pretty much a given, but what is it beyond that? To receive passive income? Is it to spread awareness of your program or brand, and attract people to contact you? Is it to find new clients who will hire you for continued long-term work? Your intention will guide your marketing plan from start to finish.
• Who is your ideal reader? Who will benefit from your book most? Who is your book written for? Depending on your goals for your book, you might ask, Who needs to read my book? How do I want them to feel after reading it? What actions do I want them to take? 
• What does your ideal reader want from reading your book? What problems do they need solved, that your book can help them with? What questions are they asking that your book has the answers to? What support are they looking for that your book can give them?

Writers are not necessarily marketers, and a marketing plan doesn’t have to be complicated. You should have some type of plan in place before you start writing your book.

In my book-writing program, Just Do It, Write Now, I have my authors journal on the transformation they want to occur in becoming a published author. They find clarity on the purpose of their book before they start writing it. Having a vision for their book helps to drive their writing and their message. 

I firmly believe that if you feel drawn to writing a book, that it is your responsibility, your purpose, to write it. And I always say that your purpose is not about you, it's about how you can use it to help others.  

A Book Opens Doors

Writing a book is one of the best ways to get your message out into the world. There aren't many other platforms that enable you to reach so many people. 

A book is your calling card to media appearances, podcast interviews, and much, much more. But it's up to you to take the lead. Spend some time thinking about what you want your book to do for you - beyond Amazon.com - the more you get seen, the more readers your book will touch. 

And that's what it's all about in the end. Isn't it?

Want to learn more about how you can get started writing your book? Download my free resource, 5 Steps to Becoming a Published Author in 20 Minutes a Day. Just go here.

Carol Ann DeSimine is a Creative Business Coach and Book Mentor and the Founder of align.believe.create on-purpose coaching and The Goddess Way to Thrive in Business. Her signature process, Just Do It, Write Now! Start Your Movement 90-day Book Plan helps aspiring authors go 'from concept to completion' to write and publish a powerful book.