Branding is the secret to selling books

If you've ever wondered what motivates people to buy a book, consider this: consumers don't buy a book, they buy a brand or, as a friend of mine says, consumers crave a brand. This is true now more than ever. Why? Because people want consistency (think McDonald's), they want value, and they want to be entertained, enlightened, or educated. A brand, when done properly, can really pull in readers to your site, your message, and your book. Here's how to do it.

Brands, in their traditional form, are the things we think of like Coke, Kleenex, and Advil. These are big, robust brands that are recognizable both in messaging and packaging. The two key components in effective brand strategy are both of these things. If your message and package are different, or fragmented and not uniform, you will confuse your audience.

Regardless of whether you are fiction or non-fiction, a brand is a brand. Think Nora Roberts or Dan Brown, both of these authors are brands. Their messaging is consistent and their packaging uniform. The audience is told in word, color and image exactly what they are going to get and the "brand" does not disappoint. When creating a brand for yourself, here are a few things you should consider:

Understanding the "look" of the market: there is a look and feel to each market. For some markets it will be a consistency in color, messaging, or packaging, and for others, it's just a "feeling." For example, if you're a thriller writer, websites for thrillers tend to be dark and foreboding. There may not be a consistent message but the feel is the same: scary. Getting to know your market is the #1 thing you should do when you're thinking of developing your brand.

Identity crisis: who are you? So who are you, really? This isn't meant to be a psychological exam, but rather an in-depth look at your brand, your market, your current focus, and future goals. There's a saying that goes: "If you don't know what road you're on, any path will do." The same is true for your brand and your career. Define where you want to go and then build to that message.

Brainstorm your brand: if necessary, get some outside help. Branding doesn't have to be expensive, but it does have to be thorough. Understanding your brand and your message is important because if you don't control it, your consumer will. I spoke to an author the other day who had been propelled on her journey by her brother's suicide. From that, she learned, grew, and is now working to inspire others to overcome some of the most horrific challenges life can throw at you.

Platform building: building a strong brand is also about platform building. Understand that your platform can be a lot of things: the message and consistency of your blog, any book promotion you do, blogs you have a presence on. All of this is important, you want to get known in your market, and you want to lead with a strong and consistent message.

Consistent marketing materials: by this I mean business cards, letterhead if you have it, bookmarks, folders, etc. Again, don't scatter your efforts by having a hodgepodge of marketing materials that looks cobbled together. Everything is your resume. This is very true with anything you mail out or any "leave behinds," like bookmarks, postcards, and business cards.

Delivering on a promise: whatever you promise, you must deliver. In fact, promise less and deliver more. If you have promised the reader a "thrill ride," don't give them a soft-peddled story. If your message doesn't live up to its promise, you'll lose your reader. Probably forever.

The center of the universe: your website. An author's website is the single most important piece of your brand. Yes, your book is important, but before a reader gets there they will often find your website first. Make sure it's brand-focused and professional. Don't have someone design it who does not understand your market or your work. Make sure your site is professional and follows whatever "theme" you are trying to create.

Building a strong brand is more important than ever. A brand not only shows consistency but it shows you're serious about what you're doing; and if you show you're serious, your readers will take you seriously, too.

Reprinted with permission from "The Book Marketing Expert newsletter," a free ezine offering book promotion and publicity tips and techniques. http://www.amarketingexpert.com

10 mistakes first-time authors make

Finding that promoting your book is even harder than writing it? I certainly have. But luckily for me, my earlier career was in a newsroom where I learned the ins and outs of getting past the editor's desk and into print. As a result, I was able promote my historical fiction novel into the #1 spot on Amazon in the romance/historical/U.S. category.

There is more to book marketing than just press releases, so here are some of the mistakes I often see first-time authors make in book promotion.

1. They spend too much time chatting with other authors. Author groups are great for networking and commiserating, but you’re not selling books by chatting with other authors about how you’re not selling books.

2. They assume the store where they are signing books will advertise the event. Do your own publicity for every event. That could mean press releases to local papers, sending calendar items to publications, posters, postcards, radio interviews, etc.

3. They spend too much time on social networking sights that don’t produce results. It's easy to spend the better part of a day between twitter, facebook, linkedin and ning groups. They are an important part of marketing, but you should be wise with your time.

4. They don’t realize the power of the press release. You have a local paper, right? And there are tons of free Internet distribution sites out there. If you've sent less than four press releases in the last six months, you’re not effectively marketing your book.

5. They're not using key words and SEO effectively (which is why press releases and articles are so important). There is a learning curve to all this technology, but it’s necessary to know.

6. Back to the basics: They think their target market is "everybody."

7. They start trying to get reviews AFTER their book has been published. The big reviewers need the manuscript four to five months before the pub date. If you want the review to coincide with the launch, obviously you are going to have to get the book into reviewers hands early.

8. They rush their book to print before it's ready. It's hard to be patient, but hurrying the book into print will only cause headaches later.

9. They think they are going to be a guest on Oprah before they've even received an interview from their local paper. Start small, build buzz.

10. They're marketing plan (if they have one) is not multi-faceted. You can't rely on one type of marketing. Your plan should include print media, radio, blogs, websites and ezines, to name a few.

Good luck!

Welcome authors!

If you are a new published author - or any author who is struggling with getting your book noticed, you've come to the right place!

I started this blog as a way to help other authors get a little more exposure, and think I've come up with a pretty good package for those who need help with their book marketing.

As a way of introduction, I was a newspaper editor for 18 years before publishing my first novel in 2008. Thanks, I believe, to my newspaper experience, my expertise in writing press releases, and my diverse marketing plan, my Civil War novel climbed to #1 on Amazon's Best Seller list in the romance/historical category, beating the clasic Gone with the Wind.

After hearing from other authors who are fumbling around (like I did at first), I've decided to offer my marketing plan as a basic guide. I wish I could afford to offer it for free, but I think I'm making it affordable at $39.95. The plan took me two years to write and includes different facets of marketing like: PR/Publicity (press kits, reviews, endorsements, newspaper articles); Internet (social networking, web site, blogging); Joint Ventures/Cross Promotions; Special Promotions; Selling; Electronic Media; Paid Advertising: Other Promotional Events: and Msc.

As a bonus, I will include:

• A list of Internet services that will distribute your press releases.

As a thank-you I will throw in:

• A 94-page pdf called 154 Power-Packed PR and Marketing Tips by Gail Martin of Dreamspinner Communications.

And finally:

• Space and time permitting, I will spotlight the books/authors of those who participate in this offer on BookExposure.

Note: The marketing plan is written to promote my historical fiction book, but I believe the general components are fairly universal. If you have any questions, please email me at bookexposure(at) yahoo.com

Purchases may be made through Paypal at the above email address.