Book Promotion: 3 Phases for Success

Dec 4, 2018 | Profit

Once upon a time, long, long ago, in the very galaxy we inhabit, books went out of print. Those times might as well be ancient history. If you publish a book today, it’s likely to be available for years. Promote your book as long as it’s available. Here are the three phases of eternal book promotion.

Boom

When your book is shiny and new and freshly-published, it’s time for the Boom Phase of book marketing. Your goal is to make a lot of noise and let lots of people know about your book, how wonderful is, and what a fine author you are.

The Boom Phase is the time for creative, intensive, and synchronized efforts to let the world know about you and yoru book. You might get professional help. Someone should coordinate all of this. That person might be you, someone on your staff, or someone you hire. In the Boom Phase, you want to make as much noise as you can and attract as much attention as you can.

Drip

You will finish the Boom Phase a few months after you publish your book, it’s time for some drip marketing. Drip marketing is small but constant efforts to sell your book and you to everyone you can think of.

Mention the book in all your marketing materials. That includes your business cards, email signature, advertisements, marketing mailings, and just about anything else. If you write an article, your bio should identify you as the author of your book.

Promote your book on social media. Give away a copy of your book at speeches. Donate a few copies to charity auctions. You’ll think of more things you can do.

Drip marketing is important to build recognition and awareness of you and your book. You could go on dripping forever, but you can get more value from your drip marketing if you implement a third book marketing phase.

Echo

When you launched your book, you did it with a great big boom. Then, drip marketing gave you lots of reminders and ways to keep your book in people’s consciousness. The Echo Phase is a small version of the boom phase.

In the Echo Phase, you do a special promotion of your book and your authorship. It doesn’t need the fanfare or expense of the Boom Phase, but it should be intense. Consider one intensive marketing effort for a month every year after you publish your book.

Bottom Line

One thing’s for sure, books don’t sell themselves. It’s up to you to promote your book and you as an author. The Boom Phase is the big noise you make when you first launch your book. Follow that up with months of drip marketing, punctuated by an occasional echo.