How to Promote a Book with Carrie Severson & Rhea Allen

You should write a book.

Has anyone ever told you that before?

Or have you ever thought to yourself that you’d like to write a book, or have you had a great idea for a book, but just don’t know how to go about getting it promoted?

It can feel very intimidating, and without a doubt, it can take a lot of effort (ever wonder why those reclusive author types are always holed up somewhere in Maine with a typewriter, a cat, and a bottle of imbibement for years on end?) but it’s totally doable when you break it down into reasonable, actionable steps!

The Marketing Expedition Podcast was lucky to have published author and CEO of the Unapologetic Voice House and independent publishing agency, Carrie Severson, on as a guest with Rhea Allen, the CEO of Peppershock Media and the founder of The Marketing Expedition Community.

Carrie herself went through the arduous highs and lows of attempting to get published the “traditional route” before starting her own independent publishing house in order to help more women like herself. After two decades in the storytelling world, she knows how to get a book promoted and out into the world.

Where do I start??

So here’s a checklist of all the things that you need to have in order to successfully promote your book, and get it into the hands and hearts of your readers!

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01) A BOOK OUTLINE

A good book starts with a roadmap. Writers should know the major lessons they are including in the book before they begin. If you need help creating a book outline, get in touch with Carrie.

02) A COPYEDITOR

When you have your first draft completed and you feel pretty good about it, the next step is to send it to a copyeditor to put your book under a microscope, and make suggestions, edits, and corrections to your copy.

03) BOOK COVER?

This will vary depending on genre because your cover is what will capture your reader’s attention and invite them to want to learn more. It’s also important to know what colors, fonts, and finishes work best, and this is an area where you really want to defer to an expert!

04) THE KEY TO A GREAT BOOK TITLE

Short titles are better than long titles, and don’t forget about subtitles too! They enable you to use a title that might already be in use and can give the main title more context or impact. Remember, 5 words or less is best!

05) FORMATTING MATTERS

Especially if you are doing many of these things yourself, keep in mind that you need to leave space for bar codes for example and that it will need different formatting for ebooks, etc.

06) VOICE-OVER TALENT

You might be a great author, but are you a great actor? For voice-over talent and more, it pays to go pro! Don’t go it alone. As soon as you have a finished manuscript, you need to have your audio team ready to go if you are planning to have an audiobook!

07) KNOW HOW/WHEN TO PROMOTE

Depending on your format, it’s important to know what your lead time is for pre-sale, and will vary between the formats. It also helps if you have a clear understanding of who your main audience is for each format type.

08) BETA READERS!

This group of readers is trusted partners who want the best for your book. They review it as it’s still in a copy editing phase to provide you with feedback on the overall story, voice, lessons, takeaways, and so on.

09) PRE-SALE LAUNCH

Don’t make promises that you can’t keep (especially in times of disrupted supply chains!), and don’t discount your presale. If you don’t value it, they won’t value it! The retailer will always take the biggest cut no matter how you promote, so price accordingly!

10) FIND YOUR NICHE

The most saturated market in publishing is self-help, followed by romance. So give yourself a fighting chance to be a top seller, and find a smaller niche to place yourself in, within those genres. Define and refine your audience so you can target them more accurately.

11) PROMOTE YOUR BOOK BY FINDING YOUR AUDIENCE

Look at book clubs, networking groups, online readings, etc. When you understand your reader, it can be easier to locate them and get in front of them. Think grassroots, think social media, think genuine and real!

12) KNOW HOW YOU INTEND TO LAUNCH YOUR BOOK

Launching a book during a pandemic has enabled many authors to embrace virtual book launches, and they will still have a role to play in the future.

13) MARKETING BUDGET FOR YOUR BOOK

First, you must know the difference between how much effort will be required to launch your book, vs. sustaining momentum for your book. It pays to have a plan created to address pre-sale, launch, and beyond.

14) KNOW HOW TO DEAL WITH AMAZON AND APPLE, ETC

There are formatting nuances that need to be understood and embraced ahead of time in order to play well with these big players. You also must know what the word counts are for your genre as well as your different retailers, and keep up to date on trends and industry changes that will impact your ability to profitably sell your book.

15) KNOW WHY YOU ARE PROMOTING

Keep your expectations in alignment. Promoting is a tough game, and so you want to have a thick skin!

What are the most important things that I need to do/have in order to promote my book?

01) ADVANCE READERS

Advanced readers are influencers in a sense, that you have developed a partnership or relationship with, and help you promote your book!

02) A BOOK TRAILER

This is your opportunity to share something meaningful about the story you are going to tell, and capture your reader’s attention! Your book trailer is also great for retailers, social media, and more.

03) A WEBSITE

Your website will allow readers to contact and connect with you, capture leads, and serve as a place for your advanced readers to send traffic.

To enlist Carrie’s help in promoting your next book visit: https://theunapologeticvoicehouse.com/

To gain more marketing tips, tactics, tools and more subscribe to https://themarketingexpedition.com/ powered by Peppershock Media, to become a premium member and gain invaluable marketing insights, ideas, and inspiration.

Be sure to subscribe to the Free Marketing Expedition Podcast, ranked one of the top 10% most popular podcasts globally by ListenScore.com, and join the free Marketing Expedition Members' private Facebook group!

Lastly, join the Marketing Expedition Club on Clubhouse for weekly rooms moderated by Rhea Allen and other amazing moderators! www.marketingexpedition.clubhouse.club

Enjoy the journey!

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FREE consultation with Rhea Allen

If you need help, want to learn more, or need to hire someone to create the things we have mentioned above, please don’t hesitate to reach out and schedule a 15-minute FREE consultation with Rhea Allen, CEO and co-founder of Peppershock Media!

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