Welcome to Ron’s Tuesday’s Tip. Every Tuesday I will share a tip with you. This week is about: Local Marketing.
Last week we
looked at Indie Publishing, but today we’re looking at Local Marketing. You
could also call it Indie Marketing.
The truth is you’re a marketer from the moment you decide to write your book. You need to think like a marketer even as you select your genre and your book. As you get near to your publishing date there are marketing actions you or your publisher can take (reviews, preorders, and more). But over 16 years in the writing business has taught me that marketing locally is a must. Here are some ideas.
Having a website these days is a must
whether it is internal marketing, national marketing, state-wide marketing, or
local marketing. That doesn’t mean you have to have a website with a 100-pages
or more.
I once had such a site because I was
selling items right on the sight itself. It was a store. And it was growing. But
when we moved down here time, energy, and money were constrained due to the
care of my mother-in-law (one of the finest ladies I’ve ever known). So we had
to close it down, but I’ve always maintained a website.
Our current website provides a place
where people can find and/or purchase any books by me or my wife (you are taken
directly to the appropriate book page where you can purchase the paperback or
digital).
No matter what type of marketing you
do, a website is a must!
- Book signing at local bookstores
Think out of the box. Nowadays many of
your bigger stores require you to contact their corporate office which you
should consider doing. But smaller bookstores, retail stores, and more might be
open to you doing a book signing.
They may require you to provide the
books, with them getting a percentage of the price, but the key is to get
noticed. Sales are always great to have but getting known locally is an asset.
I’ve done book signings where 20 or
more books were autographed and sold. That is not a lot when compared to
nationally known authors. But you have to start somewhere. Here’s a tip: don’t
let bad weather stop you. When people can’t be outside, they tend to enter
stores and that creates more opportunities!
Depending on your genre you may be
able to find businesses, nonprofits, and clubs where you can speak (don’t
forget to take copies of your book with you).
In your community you may have several
newspapers big and small. It’s a good way to get your name out there.
These are harder to get. There are
radio stations that want authors. You won’t get paid, but you may get
substantial airtime and that can be profitable.
A USP is the anagram for Unique
Selling Proposition. You can also think of this as your motto. Ours is “We
edit, proof, and publish the book within you” and appears on most, if not all,
our marketing materials.
Your USP should be short, memorable,
and repeatable.
This is a short message that is longer
than the USP but can be delivered in a time span no longer than an elevator
ride. It could be an expanded version of your USP.
These are just a few ideas that may work for you. The key
is to think of your local area as your marketing zone. It’s not the big markets
on the internet and around the globe, but some writers do quite well
emphasizing the local market.
Speaking personally, I am reevaluating my marketing. With
my wife’s health and my health not what they used to be there is a need to stay
local. Staying local is not only more convenient health-wise, but it is less expensive and less stressful.
For information on TR Writing Services (“we edit, proof, and publish
the book within you”) contact us at marketing@tr-indbkstore.com.
We have a Free booklet telling you about our services. And we are upfront on
our prices (all are low).
VISIT MY AUTHOR’S PAGE TODAY: amazon.com/author/rfrederickriddle.
ARE YOU A BOOK REVIEWER? I am
always looking for book reviews. Whether it is Perished The World That Was
(Book One), World of Noah and the Ark (Book Two), World of Shem
(Book Three), World of Abraham (Book Four) or Death Ship (Book One), Pauline A New Home (Book Two), Task
Force Hunter (Book Three), Black Death (Book Four), or Rise of
I.C.E.S. (Book Five), I value your reviews.
If you would like to review any of these books contact me at marketing@tr-indbkstore.com with the subject line indicating that desire. An example of an
appropriate subject line would be: ‘Seek to review [book Title].’ In the email
make sure to indicate your email address, your name, and the choice of copy
(PDF or ePub).
– – – – – – –
R Frederick Riddle is the Editor of TR Writing Services providing help to struggling and/or new authors to write and publish their books. In addition he is the author of several books and is best known for Christian Historical and Speculative Fiction. For more information on him or his books visit his Amazon Authors Page. He is also co-founder and Vice President of T&R Independent Books where his books are featured. To reply to any blog you have the option of commenting on a blog and/or sending an email to marketing@tr-indbkstore.com. You may also be interested in his Facebook page at RFrederickRiddlesWorld.
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