The past years have seen an influx of independent, upcoming authors emerging in the writing community as the shifting trends of marketing strategies continue to boom, diversifying and reshaping the publishing industry’s landscape as a whole. As a result, the change in environment manifested a much wider and more cohesive scope of marketing flexibility for newer authors on the come up – resulting in a surplus of brilliant minds among a sea of many, with fresh ideas and innovative styles brimming with potential, in a day and age when almost anyone with the right skills and knowledge can succeed in the industry if they play their cards right.
The more oversaturated the market becomes, the more these strategies continue to shift and evolve, urging indie authors to consistently observe and adapt to these changes to remain relevant and on top. As more and more self-publishing opportunities become easily accessible to just about anyone, there’s definitely a lot of things that need to be done in order to stand out among the crowd. Here are some tips to level up your book marketing game this 2021.
Make this new decade your time to shine. If you’re a confident, upcoming author with a solid book (or books) on the market, start your year right by focusing consistent promotional effort on your best work, and organize a marketing calendar if you have multiple books.
Innovate your style. All book marketers will be using the momentum of the new year to execute their strategies, so observe the trends and find a way to add a unique twist on it – an eye-catching change in tone, approach, or delivery goes a long way in an over-saturated market.
Give back to your fans more often, in ways that other authors don’t.
Some authors think gaining fans takes forever. In truth, well-curated promotion and showing genuine love to the writing community itself are surefire ways to gain your own little following, which will grow the more you give back to them. Again, innovation is key.
Never stop researching. The double-edged sword of easy indie-publishing is the hassle of staying updated on current marketing trends – however, it’s not a hassle if you’re dedicated to what you do. Always do your research – never stop looking for ways to innovate current formulas for success.
Work on yourself. Every step of the way to success may have episodes of self-doubt, but when they seem overwhelming, remind yourself why you started in the first place, then reflect on your goals for the future. Never give up!
Entertain feedback. Working on yourself also means upping your writing game. Any indie author with a book (or books) on the market should be reaching out to their readers and finding out what and how they should improve. If you have a fan base, their insights are gold – treat them well.
Have a healthy attitude towards constructive criticism. We’re all proud of our own work, and even the most down-to-earth people can feel intruded and a little offended about negative feedback or ridicule. Remember, outright bashing is ignorable toxicity, which is easy to spot – but criticism with good intentions is worthy of appreciation.
Keep the content flowing. In today’s marketing environment, consistent delivery of content is key, and one-hit-wonders are rare. Even if you don’t plan on writing another book, you should consider doing so in between promotions to setup another well-planned release.
Diversify. The rising pandemic has rapidly changed the way we consume books. Consider venturing into the world of e-books and audiobooks, as more and more readers conglomerate in this medium of reading while stuck at home. In fact, try to consistently integrate as many other mediums as you can.
Be organized. A well-planned and well-curated marketing strategy is nothing without good organization skills. Do your best (or hire somebody) to keep track of and organize every aspect of your strategy at each step using calendars, trackers, and consumer insight.
No matter what 2021 has in store for us, one thing is for sure. As applicable it is to any thriving and competitive industry in modern reality, innovation is and always will be gospel. It’s up to us to consistently curate and maintain a unique strategy that transcends all other copycats of the same idea. After all, no art is original – everything is just an improved idea of a preexisting concept, and in book marketing, the formula remains constant.
This infographic was made possible by www.readersmagnet.com.
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