What Authors Need to Know to Succeed

For most authors, writing the book is the easy part. Knowing how to market, gain visibility and sell books is what often stops potentially successful authors from reaching their greatest potential.
Here are just a few things to consider as you move forward…
You have to be able to engage your ideal readers so they WANT to finish each chapter. The more engaged they are, the more likely it will be that they will buy your next book.
You also need to know how to position your message, build credibility and become the trusted “go to” person in your field. When you know how to do this, lots of great opportunities, like speaking engagements and consulting gigs, show up.
Then there are distribution channels for your book. Do you know where to focus time, attention and resources?
Add to that the mobile, digital, social and online shopping locations. Whether you like it or not, the new model for word-of-mouth involves computers. Are you where you need to be in the ever changing world of ecommerce for authors?
In years past authors would dream of going on tour with their books. Making a sweep of cities and visiting as many bookstores as possible was a “must do.” Today, you can actually do a tour from the comfort of your home or office with a well-planned book blog tour.
Then there’s knowing how to get your book in a great position on online booksellers such as Amazon. It’s one thing to write your book to position yourself as an expert. It’s something completely different to rise to the top of every Amazon category your book is listed in. When you Hit #1 in every category, you have incredible opportunities to gain more visibility, get more qualified leads and generate more revenue as an expert and author.
What about copy writing? You have a choice when it comes to writing your copy (copy writing is writing promotional materials, nothing to do with putting a copyright on something or protecting your intellectual property) and marketing your book and business. You can choose fear-based (i.e. more traditional copy writing that sounds hype-y, slime-y and inauthentic) or love-based, where you can attract, inspire and invite your ideal readers.
For most authors, writing the book is the easy part. Knowing how to market, gain visibility and sell books is what often stops potentially successful authors from reaching their greatest potential.
Here are just a few things to consider as you move forward…
You have to be able to engage your ideal readers so they WANT to finish each chapter. The more engaged they are, the more likely it will be that they will buy your next book.
You also need to know how to position your message, build credibility and become the trusted “go to” person in your field. When you know how to do this, lots of great opportunities, like speaking engagements and consulting gigs, show up.
Then there are distribution channels for your book. Do you know where to focus time, attention and resources?
Add to that the mobile, digital, social and online shopping locations. Whether you like it or not, the new model for word-of-mouth involves computers. Are you where you need to be in the ever changing world of e-commerce for authors?
In years past authors would dream of going on tour with their books. Making a sweep of cities and visiting as many bookstores as possible was a “must do.” Today, you can actually do a tour from the comfort of your home or office with a well-planned book blog tour.
Then there’s knowing how to get your book in a great position on online booksellers such as Amazon. It’s one thing to write your book to position yourself as an expert. It’s something completely different to rise to the top of every Amazon category your book is listed in. When you Hit #1 in every category, you have incredible opportunities to gain more visibility, get more qualified leads and generate more revenue as an expert and author.
What about copy writing? You have a choice when it comes to writing your copy (copy writing is writing promotional materials, nothing to do with putting a copyright on something or protecting your intellectual property) and marketing your book and business. You can choose fear-based (i.e. more traditional copy writing that sounds hype-y, slime-y and inauthentic) or love-based, where you can attract, inspire and invite your ideal readers.
There is a lot to consider as an author, but don’t feel overwhelmed. Take it one step at a time and you will succeed!