Hi friends,
True story:
Last month, I coached a writer who had zero trouble telling me exactly who her book was for, how she might reach those readers, and what they could expect from her.
But when it came to her proposal?
The marketing section? The promotion pages?
The About The Author, in which she could talk about why she was the expert?
None of it made it on to the page.
This is nothing unusual, of course. And it is certainly nothing to be ashamed of. It’s often easier to see how other people can sell, promote, and market their work than we can our own. Which is why this author wanted my thoughts on the matter.
What did I do?
I gave her a worksheet, I had her speak the answers to camera, and I had her transcribe the result.
(That 1-page worksheet is today’s bonus, by the way.)
The result?
She was able to answer the questions I asked, simply and succinctly, and by the time it was done, she had a 1-page platform building plan that helped both her and her agent (and hopefully publisher) see how she was going to approach the promotion of this book, and what steps she was already taking towards that goal.
Further, based on the questions I asked, she was able to QUANTIFY her audience and what her marketing efforts might result in.
This is crucial, especially when you’re trying to sell a book on proposal, to show that there is actually a market for this book.
The best thing about that plan, other than its simplicity, is that it provides clarity for you. Sure, impressing publishers is great, but we all forget that after all is said and done and the book deal is signed, you still have to do the hard work of getting these books into your readers’ hands.
What this worksheet does is it simplifies things for you.
It isn’t just about impressing publishers (though that helps get the book out), but about providing you with a roadmap to follow when the book is out and you’re thinking of how to reach readers.
Because selling the book is the first step. Publishing it is a whole other ballgame.
And if you don’t have a plan for how to promote your book, not only are you not going to hit your targets with this one, but you’ll be unable to get a publisher to sign off on your next.
If you’re an indie author, having this one-page plan is even more crucial because it’s how you’re going to sell your books. It’s the basis for how you even begin to start thinking about it.
Whether you publish traditionally or indie (and I’m hybrid, so I do both), the author is responsible for building an audience and bringing readers in. And so no matter how you plan to publish, you’re still going to need this.
My mantra is simplicity and ease.
I don’t want to do work for the sake of doing work. If I can do something in one page, find clarity in one page, then I don’t want to do twenty pages of it.
It’s what I’d like you to think about as well. The easier you make this stuff, the clearer you are about these parts of the process, the more you can go off and dream and write (or just live).
My goal over the next year is to work no more than 4 hours a day. It’s been a long time goal, but I’m committed to it now.
Which is why I’m simplifying EVERYTHING.
And you’re welcome to come along with me for the ride.
The Bookish Academy is open for business, and today’s bonus is this 1-page platform building plan.
Oh, and if you’d like to coach with me personally, I’ve currently got a few open spots for that as well. Details here.
More soon.
Cheers,
Natasha