Posted on August 3, 2009 - by pcmccullough

You’re an Author…What’s Next?

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You’ve toiled at your story for months, sometimes years.  You write, edit, cut, paste, edit, write, edit, spell check, grammar check, edit, read, and reread a thousand times.  Then one day a voice inside your head tells you it’s time to let it go and you give the go-ahead to the printer. It’s a very liberating moment. You lean back in your chair, put your feet up on the desk, clasp your hands behind your head, exhale, and say to yourself, “Ahh, it’s done.”

In reality this is just beginning. The instant the first copy comes off the press, you are a published author, and if you’re like many other first-time published authors, only a handful of people know about your endeavor, and they know the story as well as you. So unless you want a garage filled with boxes filled with your voice in print, you’ll need to take off your author hat and put on your salesperson hat because sales is a contact sport and you just became a first-string player. There is much to be done.  More than can be covered in just a few paragraphs here. You can spend your time getting ready to get ready, or you can follow these simple steps and give yourself a leg up.

Think ahead — In The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People, Steven Covey tells us to “Begin with the end in mind.” That statement holds true for your writing projects as well. Before you put pen to paper – when your book is nothing more than an idea – in the “I’m going to write a book about that” phase – that is the time to think about the target audience for your book; who will want to read it and why. If you haven’t done that yet, it’s not too late.  Develop a list of possible readers.  Start with the big picture then narrow it down. For example, if your book is a how-to for real estate agents, start by listing real estate companies, then offices, then managers, and salespeople…you get the idea. Do the same for fiction, children’s books, etc.

Have a plan — If you’re like most new authors, you can’t quit your day job but if you don’t, how will you get it all done? Self-promotion and marketing take time, money, and some strategic planning.  Consider these:

1. How will you fund your effort and how much will you invest?
2. What is your marketing and promotions budget?
3. How will you generate income?

Oh, and don’t forget the cost of purchasing inventory for meet-the-author events, special appearances etc.

Prepare in advance – Write press releases, network, design artwork, order materials, schedule appearances, etc., well in advance so you are prepared when the book is released.

Get the word out – Who better to tell the world about your book than you…maybe. If you are uncomfortable talking about yourself and your book, practice, practice, practice.

1. Prepare your elevator speech and recite it over and over until it’s committed to memory.
2. Don’t try to tell the whole story every time you talk with someone.  Write down a few key points that you will use in press releases, interviews, ads, etc.
3. Take a public speaking class if necessary.  You are the expert on your book. Become an expert on talking about it.

Use technology — Make your website a high priority.  Will it be interactive? Will you have a blog? What products will you sell?  Which social networking sites will you use?

Think marketing, not advertising – There are a variety of ways to tell the world about your book. Think outside the box. Your efforts should be a combination of mass and target marketing.

Most of all stay focused.  Keep your eye on the ball…and on your goals at all times.

Best of luck!!