Monday Morning Marketing Tip - November 28, 2011

Rob Eagar's Monday Morning Marketing Tip
is written to help authors, publishers, and organizations
spread their message like wildfire.

This week's focus:

The Top 10 Misconceptions
Authors Believe about Marketing

1. My publisher will market my book for me. That's wishful thinking. Unless you're an established bestselling author, publishers will do very little to market your book. You'll get placement in their catalogs and on their website, maybe a sales pitch to bookstore buyers. Otherwise, the media publicity, advertising campaigns, and book tours are reserved for the big dogs.

2. A good book doesn't need marketing. False. There are over a million new books produced each year in America, and thousands of great books get crowded out by the competition. Marketing is essential to making sure that the public knows your book exists. Out of sight...out of mind.

3. My website doesn't need to look professional. On the contrary, your website is a reflection of you. If your online presence looks shoddy, people won't take you seriously. But, if you appear reputable, you will attract more promotional opportunities to your book.

4. Social media is the best way to market a book. Not necessarily, because marketing success depends more on the content than the medium. Just because you have a Facebook or Twitter account doesn't mean you'll sell books. You must give people tangible value through those mediums before they'll become your "friend" or "follower."

5. Writing a self-published book means I'm a published author. Unless a legitimate publisher pays you money up-front (an advance) to write a book, you are not a published author. Self-publishing is growing in acceptance and quality, but it still doesn't mean you're published. To get published, pursue literary agents and acquisitions editors with a solid book proposal.

6. Amazon says my book is a bestseller. That's a misconception, because Amazon sales rankings only pertain to its own sales. They don't include other retailers. In addition, anyone can spike their way onto an Amazon bestseller list for a day or two by getting a bunch of friends to buy their book at the same time. That tactic doesn't qualify as a real bestseller.

7. Authors don't need a newsletter. That's bogus. When it comes time to promote a new book, you will desperately wish you had a large database of interested people who are ready to buy. Building a newsletter list over time is one of the best ways to position your book for success.

8. Authors just write books...they don't need to promote. Not anymore. There is very little money to be made writing books. To survive financially, authors must turn their intellectual property into multiple formats, such as audio, video, ebooks, speaking events, curriculum, movie rights, etc.

9. My book is for everyone. That's a nice fantasy, but it's a myth. Only the people who perceive the actual value of your book will buy it. If you want to sell more books, you must provide tangible benefit to a larger group of people.

10. I can figure out how to market a book by myself. Good luck. Learning how to market your book can be like trying to learn a foreign language. Your best bet is to take advice from an expert who has a real track record of success. You wouldn't take financial advice from someone in bankruptcy. Likewise, don't take marketing advice from someone who hasn't actually achieved the level of success you want to attain. That's why WildFire Marketing is a great place to fire up your educational process. Get started at: www.startawildfire.com

New Educational Opportunities for Authors:

Mp3 Audio - How to Sell Books in Any Market: Click here

Tutorials - Bestseller Website Template for Authors: Click here

Events - Writers Digest Author Conference in NYC - Jan. 20-22: Click here

To receive Rob's Monday Morning Marketing Tips directly in your email inbox,
click here

© Rob Eagar 2011.
All rights reserved.