Book marketing secrets from 18 experts

What’s the best book marketing advice you’ve ever received?

Chances are, you’ll recognize it in the helpful article, “18 Book Marketing Experts Reveal Secrets That Boost Recognition, Get New Readers, and Increase Sales,” on the eReleases.com blog.

I’m one of the 18 surveyed for the article (scroll down for my input). I did my best to offer advice that I think will truly make a difference for your book’s success.

I hope you’ll read through all of the comments to find a gem or two that strikes a chord with you today. I particularly liked Penny Sansevieri’s distinction between “fans” and “super fans” and Louise Myers’ reminder to use visual images in book marketing (because it’s SO MUCH FUN!).

More than one said . . .

I spotted a few patterns in the responses, too.

• A few noted that you should publish several books before you start promoting any of them. While they didn’t say so, I believe this advice is targeted to fiction writers. The advice-givers noted that when someone loves one your books, they immediately look for more of what you’ve written. This happens less with nonfiction. It’s also less important with nonfiction, because with the right topic and the right author, you can build an entire career out of one nonfiction book when you factor in consulting and paid speaking engagements.
• Building an e-mail list is essential. For more on that, read “Building your author e-mail list.“
• You need to know your target audience — those people most likely to love your book — and figure out what they read, watch, and listen to as well as where they hang out online.

While seemingly geared to self-published authors, “18 Book Marketing Experts Reveal Secrets That Boost Recognition, Get New Readers, and Increase Sales,” offers solid advice for all authors. I hope you’ll take a few minutes to read what the experts shared.

What “aha!” did you pull from the article? Please share it in a comment.