Diary of a Debut: Marketing
Welcome to my Diary of a Debut, documenting the ins and outs of my journey on the road to publication. This week: Marketing.
Ah, marketing. Back in the day a traditionally published author could sit back, pick up the pen, and start their next book, knowing that marketing was Somebody Else’s Job™. Those days, my friends, are over.
High profile authors are likely to get more support in this area. They might have people to help market their book, to plan their social media posts, to organise advertising campaigns. But even the most famous authors are expected to spend time on this - so for someone just starting out like me, I knew it was time to roll up my sleeves.
That doesn’t mean it wasn’t daunting - I’m not exactly an expert marketer, after all. Luckily I’d had some advice from author Marty Ambrose,who suggested picking one or two social accounts that you really click with. For me, I focus on Instagram and TikTok, though I do repost content to Facebook and Twitter. TikTok is definitely the most fun - finding trending sounds and making my own videos is definitely something I enjoy.
I was also lucky enough to have a book trailer made by a very good friend of mine. Book trailers are tricky things - some authors get creative with stock footage from ArtGrid and Pexels, others may take their trailer down a more movie-style path. We tried to strike the balance of looking like a film trailer but keeping that “bookish” feel, by including voiceover of the lines from the book rather than having the characters acting out the dialogue. We also didn’t want to show any character’s faces, since we want the readers to be able to imagine them for themselves.
Being authentic is a great way to ensure your marketing isn’t too exhausting, and is actually half-decent. By posting things that I would want to see myself, I am making sure that my audience genuinely connects with me, rather than just trying to tick the marketing boxes. That way your followers are more likely to actually enjoy your content - plus it’s much easier to be yourself than someone else.
Building up genuine online relationships is good, too. Following accounts of other authors and book reviewers is a great idea. If you comment and like other people’s content, they’re more likely to do the same for you. But don’t do it disingenuously - find accounts you really want to follow and engage with them. Soon enough, you won’t feel too lonely on BookTok, Bookstagram, or Twitter’s famous #WritingCommunity.
Next time: Anxiety.
The Diary of a Debut is written by Jenna Adams whose debut novel will be published in 2022 by Neem Tree Press. You can follow Jenna at @jennaadamsbooks and Neem Tree Press at @neemtreepress.