As I shared in my previous post, carving out time to reach your goal of becoming a published author is essential. What has worked for me is blocking recurring time in my calendar to research, write, and have ongoing in-person meetings with my writing coach. To be clear, this is still a minimum time requirement of three hours a week, but treating this project like a recurring business meeting is, I believe, the only way to get the job done and make sure the right information is gathered to tell the story I want to tell.
Once a draft is ready, it is just the beginning of the in-depth process. If you have sales objectives, you should develop a time-bound integrated communications strategy with clear deadlines. Below are a few key actions to start thinking about.
Title and brand
Choosing a title and the look and feel of your brand as an author is essential. Your title must attract the right readers and communicate what the book will cover in just a sentence. Getting this right is challenging and takes time. The process includes repeated brainstorms that get you to a shortlist. Sometimes, I also like to ask my network for feedback via SurveyMonkey once I’ve refined top concepts.
Photography
Most books contain at least one image of the author, so good photography is vital. You are introducing yourself to the reader for the first time. Consider the style of photos you think will resonate, the mood that fits the story, how you reflect your personal style, and the colour palette. It all matters.
Website
Ensuring your website pre-promotes the book is essential, and once pre-sales are available, you should have a user-friendly buy now link that connects to Amazon or the retailer selling copies. You must have a page design ready to go well in advance, so you can just simply press go when the time is right.
Social media marketing
Social media is a phenomenal way to grow awareness through posts that tease your book’s content and promote pre-sales and sales. A link in the bio or buy-now option is essential and will vary based on the platform. If you are speaking to a business audience like me, do not underestimate the power of LinkedIn. It can be a major sales driver.
Launch event and public relations
Now, the fun stuff. Once your book is widely available, spreading the word is essential. This can be through a launch press release, targeted media pitches, book reviews, or generally, a launch event that might include a reading from the author. Using several tactics to maximise audience reach and thinking about the big picture is crucial. If you are selling internationally, the PR push will be time and resource-intensive, and you should consult an expert.
I hope these tips are helpful and look forward to continuing to share my writing journey with you.
