January 11, 2020– A few days ago we spoke about the importance of author platform and how it connects us with our audience. As an author, you are essentially a brand; how you dress, speak, engage with your readers, the way your website looks, how your table is set up for shows, your social media posts and presence, etc. are all tiny pieces that fit together to make up your author brand. Just a reminder that you cannot become a best-selling author if you don’t have an audience!
Long ago, before the internet, we only had a certain amount of reach. If you wanted to promote your books, you hopped into some mode of transportation with a briefcase full of books and went from town to town talking about your newest novel. Perhaps you scheduled some library talks, some school visits, and maybe a local writers group chapter. There were only so many hours in a day. But, with the advancement of technology, bringing your books and brand to readers en masse, is no longer an exhausting feat.
So, if we are a brand, how do we get more customers? The more people can connect with us and our books, the more likely they are to purchase from us. Here are some great ways to get your global audience excited and spread the word about your work around the world!
- Virtual visits. With the global pandemic happening right now, thank goodness for technology that keeps us in touch with friends and family. But why not use Zoom, Google Hangouts, or Facetime to connect with classrooms and boardrooms? I’ve used Zoom to read my books to kids in classrooms and answer their questions (virtual author visits), and I’ve used it to run marketing lectures for entrepreneurs and business folks. Virtual visits get your face out there and let people know who you are and what you do. Last year I did a Virtual Author Visit for a grade 1 class located in London, England and a lecture on Metadata for Self-Published Authors for a writer’s group in Florida.
- Facebook Live. Every Friday at 11 am, we have Pandamonium Publishing House International Book Club. In this weekly session, we discuss the book of the month that we’re reading. We talk about characters, themes, and take questions from readers. Facebook also lets you connect your online store to your author business page making it easy for readers to find what they’re looking for! Facebook Live is a wonderful tool to spread the word about your books because it lets you interact with readers in real-time.
- YouTube. Record excerpts from your book, respond to comments on previous videos, teach a class, run a tutorial on how to do something, put up trailers for your latest books, etc. YouTube is a great tool to help you get in front of readers and share your skills.
- Instagram Live. IGTV is Instagram Television where you can do live videos. It’s similar to Facebook Live as it lets you interact with participants in real-time. Do a raffle or draw, quiz readers on characters based on your book, read an excerpt of your work, host a contest, hold a weekly chat or book club. The possibilities are endless.
The list goes on, but in short, the more places readers can find you and interact with you, the better! Think globally!
To join our Best Seller Bootcamp, where we explore topics like this in-depth, click here: Best-Seller Bootcamp January 4th-31st – Pandamonium Publishing House
