Think Like an Author, Act Like a Marketer

Posted by Pam on Apr 30, 2012 in Career Development | 0 comments

In my last post I wrote, 10 reasons why you should write a book.

And I recently saw the Steve Harvey blockbuster hit movie, Think Like a Man.  Based on Steve Harvey’s best-selling book,  “Act Like a Lady, Think Like a Man.”

The movie follows four interconnected and diverse men whose love lives are shaken up after the ladies they are pursuing buy Harvey’s book and start taking his advice to heart. When the band of brothers realize they have been betrayed by one of their own, they conspire using the book’s insider information to turn the tables and teach the women a lesson of their own.

Funny movie. Great cast.  Had me thinking. What if an author really wanted to be a “best seller” – they can’t just have the mind of an author. They have to have the chutzpah and ACT LIKE A MARKETER!

Steve Harvey is an entertainer, national radio personality, TV game show host, comedian, actor, author and NOW a film producer.  But he can do all these things successfully because he is a marketer.

Unless you were living in a cave, you could not miss the marketing machine in motion for this movie: ads in every major magazine, newspaper, urban magazine cover stories featuring the actors in the movie, radio interviews, TV ads plus major social media.  Their facebook page was blowing up!    They have more than 784,000 folks that “liked” the movie’s FB Page – and it’s still growing!

So how does an author “act like a marketer” and get their book SOLD so they claim the title of “best seller?”

Here’s some steps for an author to follow to nab the “prize” of best seller title:

1. Build a list. Every author must build an email list and/or a mailing list of folks that are interested in what you write. A good goal would be to have at least 1,000 true “raving” fans.  Once you have an email list that you communicate regularly with (writing personal emails to),  you can then move forward and launch a marketing campaign that will get some traction.

2. Create a Social Media Brand and Identity. Now this is where your “superstar” personality must shine online. Create an awesome Facebook cover, Twitter background, stellar bio and great head shot. I know this has nothing to do with writing the book, but trust me, this has everything to do with SELLING the book.  (Especially if you are a first time author and no one knows you – yet).

3. Host a Series of Events. Speak for free. Yes, run your mouth. Most authors just want to write in a cave and appear when the book is published and on the shelves.  But that’s not how it works! You have to pre-promote the book and talk it up months before it’s even done.  Promoting the book at least six months before it’s published is not too soon. So, set up events where you speak at conferences, schools, churches – anywhere and everywhere – and tell folks you have a book coming out!  (And don’t forget to get their email addresses).

4. Get Endorsements.The sooner you get your synopsis together, go out and ask other “superstar” authors to write an endorsement for your book. These endorsements will be in the first few pages of the book or placed on the back cover of the book.  Either way, these are clues to a potential reader that you a “superstar” too. The more well-known your endorsers, the better chance you’ll sell more books.  So, it a pays to really start early to identify your ideal endorsers – and create a relationship with them.

5. Build an Author Website. This is the hub of your brand.  As soon as you have the title and the book cover – get this site up!  This is where folks will find your bio, fab photos, social media handles and they can opt-in to your email list (and get a free chapter). This is the main way you will build your list. Drive traffic via social media back to this site so you get those 1,000 true fans.

Now, you may think like an author -  putting all your effort into crafting a really good book – and that is important… but if you want SEAL THE DEAL, you have to act like a marketer.

That’s what sells the book. You can have an excellent book – but it’s the marketing that lets people know it’s there – and to BUY it.

Check out what sells movies – and you be the judge on how you want to position yourself for your next book launch.

‘Think Like a Man’ star Kevin Hart: How Twitter, Facebook, and my NBA outburst helped my movie open at No. 1

 Pam Perry a social media pundit, follow her on Twitter and Pinterest.

She loves to laugh, have fun and help authors be #1. Get a free e-course, www.PerryWilliamson.com