First of all, thank you so much for being a reader of my posts, whether you’re here for the first time or you’ve been reading my words for years. This wouldn’t be a blog community without you.
A few weeks ago, someone commented to the effect that publishers expect an awful lot of authors as far as marketing. The author wants to spend time writing. As someone who wrote books for publication for many years, I get it!
You See Marketing Every Day, in Every Business
We don’t think about how businesses market to us because their ads are not our problem. Except for the ad we HATED the first time and keep seeing on TV until we want to throw a tomato at the set. Or the ad that was cute the first 600 times but has worn out its welcome. Of course, the argument can be made to cut off the TV!
Regardless, when you think about it, all businesses need and expect marketing.
Do you own a national franchise? You may be asked to pay a fee for ads they run for the brand.
See celebrities being interviewed on television three or four times a day for several weeks? They have a movie or show to pitch.
Politicians? They are selling their ideas.
And, finally, authors make appearances to – guess what? Promote their books. No doubt many of them wish they could be typing away, or writing a plot, or developing characters. This can be done while wearing favorite casual clothes and listening to preferred tunes. But, no, they need to go out in public to answer questions about themselves and their books. If everyone would just buy the book and read it, everyone’s life would be easier, right?
Your Audience Must Learn about Your Book
Perhaps, but it doesn’t work that way. However, there’s a light at the end of the proverbial tunnel; and it’s not a locomotive. There are ways an author can cut down on the amount of marketing he needs to do. Next week, I’ll explore a path to consider.
Your turn:
How did you learn about the book you are currently reading?
What is the most surprising way you learned about a particular book?
