Claudine Wolk & Julie Murkette’s
WOW! WOMEN ON WRITING TOUR
OF
Get Your Book Seen & Sold
Book Summary
It is easier than ever to publish a book, but many authors find out too late about the actual work-the book marketing-that needs to be done to achieve sizable book sales. Instead of embracing the opportunities to promote their books, authors are intimidated and shut down. Those days are over. This is the book authors MUST HAVE to give their books the best chance to be seen and sold.
In this essential, easy-to-read, and easy-to-understand guide, the author will work through the graphs, examples, and exercises in the book and learn:
- The fundamentals of book marketing: Message, Audience, and Hook
- How the book marketing fundamentals effortlessly feed into every aspect of book marketing
- The breadth of book marketing options and how book marketing works, with examples
- How book distribution IS a crucial part of book marketing
- To develop an elevator pitch and a formal pitch to media contacts
- To develop with a doable book marketing plan
- To develop media kit items for their book publicity efforts: Press Release, Author Bio, etc.
- The types of book reviews and how to get them
- To create a list of media contacts and how to use them
- To organize their new entrepreneurial business as book marketer/author
- Ideas to “shake their tree” to develop unique book marketing opportunities
- To examine the best social media channels to promote their books
- Where to put their book promotion dollars
- Most importantly, authors will learn something priceless…the correct starting point!
Authors, You CAN do right by your book! Go on and reach the book buyers that you had in mind when wrote your treasured manuscript and Get Your Book Seen and Sold today.
Publisher: Lost Valley Press (September 2023)
ISBN-10: 1935874446
ISBN-13: 978-1935874446
Print length: 122 pages
Purchase your copy on Amazon, Bookshop.org, or Barnes and Noble. Make sure you add it to your GoodReads list too.
Guest post: How To Pick And Choose Where To Focus Your Book Marketing
Book Marketing includes all of the things you can do to promote your book. How to choose where to spend time and money could mean the difference between a book that sells and a book that languishes on a bookshelf.
In this post, I’ll list some standard book promotion ideas that you could do and some that are must-do’s!
Identify your Message, Your Audience and Your Hook
This one is a must-do. Before any book promotion plans are made, an author must spend time identifying their book’s message, audience, and hook. It makes no difference if the book is non-fiction or fiction or if the book is traditionally published or self-published. Every author needs to identify these three things about their book – they are fundamental to all other book marketing.
Create a Media Kit
A must-do, however, you do not have to create all of the media kits items suggested, except for the headshot and the press release. A media kit is a collection of promotion industry tools that may include: a press release, a headshot image, an author bio, an endorsement sheet, a sell sheet, an interview question list, a postcard, and a brochure.
If you are traditionally published, your publisher will create these tools with your input. If self-published, you need to create them yourself or hire someone to put them together for you. Media Kit items will be used to pitch to media and let them know about your book in order to do a story, interview or mention of you or your book.
Create a Website
Another must-do. A website is important in the sense that need a basic one. Use your name as the website name. Keep it simple to start: your books and how to purchase them and where to find you for interview. Include links to your writings and social media if you have them.
Social Media
Pick one or two social media channels that you already spend time on and enjoy spending time on. Don’t go crazy on cost for a website at this point. Try to create one that can be expanded as your budget allows.
Promotion Opportunities: Pre-Launch, Launch, & Post Launch
Advanced Reader Copy (ARC) outreach to book industry reviewers and early endorsers is a great way to get the word out about your book early and to gather reviews. The process calls for a galley copy of the book to be created and submitted to book industry reviewers and potential endorsers.
Distributor pre–publication outreach – Depending on where your book and eBook is going to be distributed (sold), you may find pre-pub ad opportunities that your distributor offers. Take the time to research to decide if it makes sense for your book. When does it make sense? When the promotion specifically targets your audience, your readers.
Media Outreach for Review, Interview, or Mention
Use the media kit items to reach out to media contacts for review, interview or mention of you or your book or your book’s message via email or mail. Here is where the work you did in message, audience, and hook pays off. We are talking about pitching to media (newspaper, tv, radio, magazine, podcasts, and online outlets) to use your message as content for their publication in the form of a story or mention or review of your book. Yes, you have to research the media that you think might be interested in your message or book and then pitch to them. The media you select to pitch must have readers and listeners who are part of your target audience.
Remember: All media desires great content for their readers or listeners
What you want: Exposure for your book in the form of review, story or mention
Timing: Pitching to media is ongoing through pre-publication and publication.
Online Book Promotion Opportunities
BookBub collects information on authors and eBooks (exclusively) to share with its millions of subscribers. They offer a way for authors to promote their books through programs (Featured Deals and New Releases for Less) to the readers who have identified their specific genre. I love this promotion opportunity for authors because it is a targeted ad to readers who already buying and reading books in your genre.
Timing: “New Releases For Less” promotion should hit at book launch date or just after. “Featured Deals” should hit after the book has published.
Other Ad Opportunities
Many book industry organizations and book industry publications offer ad space for authors to purchase for placement in their catalogs, magazines, online sites. Each ad opportunity should be researched to see if it is a good fit for YOUR book and worth your Ad dollars (IBPA, Ingram Spark, Publishers Weekly, Writers Digest, Foreword Magazine).
Amazon, B&N, Book Bub, Facebook, and Instagram, etc offer ad opportunities, too. Ads are tricky. You have to create an image for the ad and then select the parameters for the ad placement (type, cost, length of time). I suggest learning about how to create the ads before you spend money on it.
Timing: Research and set up Ads in the pre-pub months to hit in the month of publication or after launch at any time.
Book Promotion Sites
There are many book promotion sites out there where you submit your book and for a fee, your book is listed for all of the world to see and purchase it. Wide audiences are promised. In some cases, you must offer your book for a heavy discount and in some cases, for free. The hope is that the massive exposure of your book will catapult book sales. These promotion site offers tend to help authors who promote a series of books (i.e., first book in the series is free) here are a few of the sites that offer deals as of this writing: Bargain Booksy, Fussy Librarian, Robin Reads, Book Gorilla.
Like social media ads, I feel that you really need to understand how these book promotion sites work to understand if they are a worthwhile fit for your marketing plan and budget.
Tailor Your Plan
Every book is different and every author is different. It is important to tailor your book promotion plan around your book and around you!
Once you have plan in place, keep revising and reevaluating it. You are never locked in… if something doesn’t work, try something else. Whenever you decide to spend money, think hard on the decision. Talk it through with someone first (a friend or colleague) and keep track of your results. Many of the best book promotion ideas come from research and creativity at little or no cost, except of course your valuable time! Good luck!
Claudine Wolk is co-author, Get Your Book Seen and Sold: The Essential Book Marketing and Publishing Guide. Find her writing/podcasts at ClaudineWolk.Substack.Com.
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About the Author
Claudine Wolk and Julie Murkette are experienced in sharing their knowledge of the publishing industry to give books the BEST chance to be sold. Julie is the long-time owner of Satya House Publications, which published and marketed the award-winning I See the Sun series of books, among others. Claudine Wolk is a published author, journalist, podcast host and book marketing consultant. You can find her writing in her weekly newsletter on Substack: Get Your Book Seen and Sold. Her book, It Gets Easier and Other Lies We Tell New Mothers, (Harper Collins) is translated into three languages and was released as an audiobook (Nov. 2022).
Find Claudine online at:
Substack: https://ClaudineWolk.Substack.com
Website: ClaudineWolk.com
Instagram: @ClaudineWolk
Facebook: Facebook.com/ClaudineWolk
Twitter: @help4newmoms
Blog Tour Calendar
September 18th @ The Muffin
Join us on The Muffin as we celebrate the launch of Claudine Wolk and Julie Murkette’s book Get Your Book Seen and Sold. You can also enter to win a copy for yourself!
https://muffin.wow-womenonwriting.com
September 19th @ Karen Brown Tyson’s blog
Join Karen as she reviews Get Your Book Seen and Sold. You can also win a copy for yourself!
https://karenbrowntyson.com/blog/
September 20th @ My Beauty, My Books
Join Nikki for her review of Get Your Book Seen and Sold.
September 21st @ Knotty Needle
Join Judy for her review of Get Your Book Seen and Sold.
https://knottyneedle.blogspot.com
September 22nd @ Word Magic
Visit Fiona’s blog for a guest post by Claudine about creating a list of media contacts and how to use them.
https://fionaingramauthor.blogspot.com
September 23rd @ Chapter Break
Visit Julie’s blog for a guest post by Claudine about how to pick and choose where to focus your book marketing.
September 25th @ My Heart is Booked
Don’t miss Danielle’s book review of Get Your Book Seen and Sold. You can also win a copy for yourself!
https://www.myheartisbooked.com/
September 28th @ Deborah Zenha-Adams’ blog
Deborah shares an excerpt from Get Your Book Seen and Sold. You also have a chance to win a copy of the book, too!
http://www.deborah-adams.com/blog/
September 29th @ Margay Leah Justice
Join Margay as she reviews Get Your Book Seen and Sold.
https://margayleahjustice.blogspot.com/
October 1st @ Balance and Joy
Join Sheri for her review of Get Your Book Seen and Sold.
https://www.balanceandjoy.com/
October 4th @ Author Anthony Avina’s blog
Join Anthony for a guest post by Claudine about the trick to a great interview.
https://authoranthonyavinablog.com/category/blog-tours/
October 6th @ Carole Writes
Join Carole for her review of Get Your Book Seen and Sold.
October 7th @ A Wonderful World of Books
Visit Joy’s blog for a guest post by Claudine Wolk about a popular book marketing roadmap.
https://awonderfulworldofwordsa.blogspot.com/
October 7th @ Of History and Kings
Join Hellen for her review of Get Your Book Seen and Sold.
https://ofhistoryandkings.blogspot.com/
October 10th @ What is That Book About
Visit Michelle’s blog for an excerpt from Get Your Book Seen and Sold.
https://www.whatisthatbookabout.com
October 13th @ CK Sorens
Visit Carrie’s page for her insights into Get Your Book Seen and Sold. You can also win a copy for yourself too.
https://www.instagram.com/ck_sorens/
October 15th @ Madeline Sharples’ blog
Join Madeline for a guest post by Claudine about how you can’t do everything. Don’t miss it!
https://www.madelinesharples.com/
October 15th @ The Mommies Review
Visit Glenda’s blog for her review of Get Your Book Seen and Sold.
http://www.themommiesreviews.com/
October 17th @ One Writer’s Journey
Join Sue for her review of Get Your Book Seen and Sold.
October 17th @ Just Katherine
Visit Katherine’s blog for a guest post by Claudine Wolk about how writing and book marketing are related.
https://justkatherineblog.wordpress.com/
October 18th @ A Storybook World
Visit Deirdra’s blog for a spotlight of Get Your Book Seen and Sold.
https://www.astorybookworld.com/
October 19th @ Pick a Good Book
Join Debbie for her review of Get Your Book Seen and Sold.
https://instagram.com/pickagoodbook
October 19th @ Book Reviews from an Avid Reader
Visit Joan’s blog for her review of Get Your Book Seen and Sold.
http://bookwomanjoan.blogspot.com/
October 20th @ Beverley A. Baird’s Blog
Join Beverley for her review of Get Your Book Seen and Sold by Claudine Wolk and Julie Murkette.
https://beverleyabaird.wordpress.com/
October 21st @ Free to be Me
Join Leslie for her review of Get Your Book Seen and Sold.
October 21st @ Editor 911
Visit Margo’s blog for a review of Get Your Book Seen and Sold.
October 22nd @ Beverley A. Baird’s Blog
Visit Beverley’s blog again for a guest post by Claudine Wolk about the top ten insider tips for self-publishing and book promotion.
https://beverleyabaird.wordpress.com/
October 22nd @ Jill Sheets’ blog
Visit Jill’s blog for her interview with author Claudine Wolk about her book Get Your Book Seen and Sold.
https://jillsheets.blogspot.com/
Great guest post!