Writers Must Have a Marketing Platform for Their Books

I’m querying literary agents and have found the process to be quite interesting. No two literary agent submission guidelines are alike! It will behoove you to know what your marketing platform is because some literary agencies will ask you to explain your platform in your query letter. For example, one agency I queried is Books & Such Literary Agency. They require you to explain how you’ll market your book. I outlined my marketing platform in my query letter and made it clear that I’m committed to my project. It took me over one year to complete the first draft of my book; I mean business.

Tips to building a marketing platform

• Get social. Social media sites such as Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn, and other sites are good places to start. You can ‘tweet’ blog posts or articles that relate to your book along with helpful tips and tricks. Keep it short and sweet.
• Conduct a teleseminar or webinar on your topic. Hold a 60 to 90 minute teleseminar or webinar. Please make sure you add value to peoples’ lives and don’t waste their time. Give them good information that will help now and will entice them buy your book.
• Get on a radio show. The best time to be on the ‘local drive time’ is between 7 am and 9 am; people usually have the radio on while they drive to work. This is a prime opportunity to capture the attention of listeners. Tip: When you submit your press kit to radio stations, make sure your folder is a bold color like red, blue, orange, purple, fuchsia, or bright yellow. This way it will stand out from the crowd.
• Book signings. Contact your local bookstore (if you self-published your nook) and hold a book signing. The more chances people get to know you the better.
• Conduct a live seminar or workshop. Contact your local chamber of commerce to see if they can help you with this. This is your chance to get to know your community members. They’ll get to know you and what you’re promoting.
• Use BlogTalk Radio. Create your own weekly radio show and use your book as your platform. For example, the book I wrote is ‘Teens break the cycle of family alcoholism.’ This is a working title. I’ll use my BlogTalk Radio show to get my message out that the cycle of family alcoholism can be broken. I’ll tell ‘my story’ but will have guests on my show that will assist listeners with their struggle to break the cycle and to understand it. Listeners can in to the show and share their stories. The point of the show will be to help parents and teens break the cycle of family alcoholism and know that they’re not alone.

Writers, start thinking about your marketing platform because a literary agent may ask you for it. If you don’t know how to market your book, you could lose a deal. Sales and marketing is apart of the publishing industry. Most writers don’t think about this because they assume someone else will take care of it. Even if your book is published with a traditional publisher, you’ll be required to contribute to your marketing platform. Start working on your platform now and you’ll be ahead of the game later. Good luck!

Rebecca

What is your marketing platform for your book? Share.