“Part 8: The Real Beginning, Marketing” Guest Blogger: Kevin Cullis

By Jay Heinlein, on October 25th, 2010

As it has been said, 10 percent of your effort is in writing the book, the other 90 percent is in marketing, the same for starting a small business and authors are small businesses.

How does one market their book? Well, as I wrote in chapter four of my book, “How to Start a Business: Mac Version,” marketing is like fishing:

You have to know the “fish” that you are fishing for, whether it’s salmon, tuna, or trout. (Who is your ideal reader? Suspense? Romance? Science fiction? Nonfiction? Describe and narrow down who they are in some detail.)

You have to know where the right “fishing spots” are. (Where are your readers? Where do they visit, hang out, and connect with others of their reading tribe of connections? Graphic novel aficionados show up at Comicfest or Comic conferences. Romance enthusiasts will show up at their trade shows.)

You have to know the eating habits of your “fish.” (What do they like or dislike to “eat” about your book? Characters? Story plot? Illustrations?)

You have to have the right “bait.” (Why would your readers choose your book over a similar one? What makes your book different, better, or makes it stand out?)

You have to have the right technique to lure your “fish” (How do your readers make buying decisions about your book? What makes them tick about how they choose your book?)

You have to know the right time to “cast” your line. (When is the best time to promote your book to your reader? Holidays? Conferences? Trade shows? How often do you have to talk to your readers to get them to consider and then buy your book?)

As any new author will tell you, having “mercy” sales of your book to family and friends is great and enjoyable work, but some of us would love to move beyond this sphere and positively affect others with our efforts. During a recent meetup (Meetup.com) event a friend who was writing about her brain injury introduced herself and said, “I’m hoping to sell 5,000 books.” A person sitting next to me stood up and said, “You’re aiming too low for just about any market, you should looking at to sell at least 10,000 copies of any book.” Book sales numbers are a result of your marketing and getting your name out there.

If your book doesn’t sell well, where does your book end up? Take a dose of reality here: “Turning the page on the disposable book” ( http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/06/27/AR2008062702868_2.html ). As Jonathan Karp says, “Most authors want their work to be accessible to a typical educated reader, so the question really isn’t whether the work is highbrow or lowbrow or appeals to the masses or the elites; the question is whether the book is expedient or built to last. Are we going for the quick score or enduring value?”

As with any author, most of us begin in the “Long Tail” ( http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Long_Tail ) with our readers, selling only a few hundred or so at best. So what goal should we be looking for as an author? How about having 1000 Fans for your book ( http://www.kk.org/thetechnium/archives/2008/03/1000_true_fans.php )?

Here are the steps I plan on using (“3 Steps: Entrepreneurs, social media, and finding your 1000 fans” http://www.macgetit.com/2010/06/11/3-steps-entrepreneurs-social-media-and-finding-your-1000-fans/ ) to get my book off the ground. I’ll post more on my web site as I get feedback from customers and those that have questions.

Happy writing and marketing. Hope to see you on a best seller list some day.

Kevin’s Bio.

Kevin Cullis is a former Air Force officer. He has his Masters Degree in Administration, as well as over 12 years of face-to-face experience selling both Mac and PC hardware and software solutions to businesses. He loves helping entrepreneurs and small business owners integrate, utilize, and optimize the use of computers in their sales, marketing, and management processes. How to Start a Business: Mac Version ( https://www.createspace.com/3403435 ) is his first book. Contact him at kevin.cullis@gmail.com or visit his web site, http://wwww.macgetit.com.