Takeaways from London Book Fair 2024

Last week I had the immense pleasure of attending the London Book Fair, meeting with some old and new friends, attending sessions, and meeting with indie publishers.

Throughout the show I jotted down some notes that I think will be relevant for authors...

General Publishing Takeaways

• Be open to feedback: Whether it's in the editing stage, cover design, or marketing, be receptive to what others (I.e. professionals or readers) have to say. Sometimes holding on too tightly can limit the potential of your book.
• Find a team: This could be a family member, close friend, virtual assistant, paid professional, etc. This team should be one that supports you, one that you can bounce ideas off of, one that helps you implement the business side of writing, or one that helps you implement marketing and promotion. Or maybe a combination of these things.
• It's okay if growth is gradual: In fact, expect growth to be gradual. The authors and books that seem to shoot off like a rocket are the minority. Be okay with the slow burn, because it's better to build a community of quality readers even if it's at a slower pace.

Social Media Takeaways

• Think about where your readers are: You do not need to be everywhere all at once. For example, if your target readers are professionals, stick to LinkedIn. If your target is avid fiction readers, test out TikTok or IG. If your target readers are rabid fans of a certain TV shows or games, explore Reddit or Discord.
• Authenticity is the most important thing to implement: Readers are humans who just want to connect with another human and when you are authentic on social media readers appreciate it. It's important to speak your truth and be who you are.
• Video is the second most important thing to implement: It doesn't need to be some polished and ultra edited video. You can make videos that feel authentic to you and allow your reader to get to know you and your message/story.
• You need to feed the beast: Consistency is key! To be "successful" on social media you need to commit to creating. So it's important that you are picking content types (videos, graphics, etc.) that you can create with ease.
• Get creative with groups and chats: If your audience is on Instagram, consider starting a closed group chat for fans. This can help increase engagement and give super fans access to you and exclusive content.
• Don't be afraid to rely on technology: Utilize programs like ChatGPT for social media content ideas and prompts. Utilize programs like Later.com or Buffer.com for scheduling content and also getting insights into current trends.

General Marketing Takeaways

• Think about yourself as a brand: This is especially true if you are a nonfiction author who wants to be a thought leader OR if you're a fiction author planning on releasing multiple books.
• As you are writing, set aside a marketing budget: It's important to have a budget to invest in professional editing and design, and then also to invest in promotion opportunities or training in different marketing strategies.
• You need to understand marketing: Just like people can't write your book for you, they can't organize your marketing for you. You absolutely can hire an individual or a team to help, but you (as the author and CEO of your brand) need to understand the process and the overall strategy.
• You don't need to outsource forever: Maybe there are busy periods where you need to bring in extra help, or maybe periods where you want to learn how to do things so you can eventually sustain yourself. There is power in being able to steer your own ship, so realize that you don't need to budget for outsourcing long term.
• Google yourself: It's important that when you're Googling your name you see things that you "own" in the search results. This could be a website, social media channel, media articles, etc. If you don't see these things, you either need to create them (like a website), update the SEO, and/or start getting consistent with content creation on these sites.

Which of these takeaways do you find most helpful?

Whenever you're ready...

There are a couple of ways I'm here to support you in your book marketing journey:

1. Book Rockstar All-Access Pass: This is a self-paced online course that teaches you book marketing strategies used by bestselling authors. Click here to see a breakdown of all of the lessons, tutorials, and templates that are included in this DIY course.
2. Book Rockstar VIP Experience: This is my 1:1 marketing program where I work directly with you to create a marketing plan for your book, and also ensure you have the right strategies in place to reach your goals. Click here to see a breakdown of this 8-week program and book a discovery call.

PS. Would you be interested in learning expert book marketing strategies in group class setting? This would be a program that falls in between the two programs mentioned above. It would give you the same expert insights plus access to work with me in real-time and ask questions specifically about your book. Click here if this sounds like a program you'd want to join.

Keep rocking!

Aryn Van Dyke

Founder, Book Rockstar