Book Promo101 by Nikki Leigh
Advice on How To Learn The Basics of Book Promotion
Historic-Romance-suspense writer Nikki Leigh has put together an invaluable book of advice from published writers for authors on how to effectively promote their new work
This is a summary and review of Book Promo101 by Nikki Leigh, a promotional resource aimed both at new and established authors. Book Promo101 is available in e-book format (e-booksonthe.net, 420pp, ISBN 1-59431-498-5) , and will soon be published as a POD paperback (Writewords inc, 210pp, 978-1594314698 ).
The How To Promote Your Book SeriesLeigh has realized that there is a niche for a composite guide. With more and more major publishers cutting back on their Marketing Departments, and with ever more small press publishers springing up that are wholly reliant on authors actively promoting their own books, there is a glut of books clamourring for attention, and a dearth of expertise. Leigh has pooled the thoughts and experiences of dozens of authors (the credits run to over ten pages) to provide a resource for the fledgeling promoter.
Nikki Leigh Author
Author Nikki Leigh's background is in marketing, with over fifteen years experience of creating demand for products as diverse as pizza and web design. The principles are the same, Leigh says, regardless of the sector. Leigh herself is the author of Lilah and the Locket and her novels set on the Cape Ann coast in the 1950s and 4 business books. These are e-books and print - some hard cover, some soft cover booksso she knows how difficult it is for authors to learn the tricks of promoting their books.
The key factor in the utility of Book Promo101 is that Leigh has taken the experiences of dozens of authors and using both her marketing and authorial experience, collated those disparate experiences into one useful whole.
Book Marketing Plans
Leigh starts the book by suggesting the first process is for the author to develop a marketing mind-set, and then asking the question, "Is it Ever Too Early to Begin Promotion?" (p.22). She suggests that it is not, that the author should in some instances start as soon as they've signed a contract with the publisher; Leigh also stresses the importance of cover design., and asks whether it is necessary to hire a Publicist. For the author who can't afford it, she shows how to create a Marketing Plan, Press Kits and Press Releases.
Book Promotion
A fundamental aspect of book promotion is Branding, and Leigh suggests that the author uses five words to best describe his or her books, and involves "getting out there in the community and building reader awareness." (p137). This involves getting reviewed, building or creating author web sites, or even whether to source promotional items such as bookmarks or postcards.
Signings and Newsletters
Leigh suggests that "many authors think marketing and promotion are beyond their abilities." (p21) but shows how -- via bookstores and signings, finding alternate avenues through which to sell their books, such as author blogs, e-mails and newsletters, almost any author can learn how to market and sell their books.
This is an almost invaluable resource for any author who wants to think like a professional, and to make money from their book-writing.
