promoting your poetry book
a step by step guide to create your own marketing strategy for your poetry book
photo by Lauren mancke on unsplash
Marketing is one of the biggest obstacles that indie authors and poets face. You’ve spent so much time writing your book, editing it, getting feedback, but how do you get it out there in front of readers? Thankfully there are many resources to assist you in this, and it doesn’t have to be intimidating. Here are a few steps to take during the marketing process to ensure your book gains interest!
Think about your ideal reader
The first thing you need to do once you’ve completed the writing process is figure out who your ideal reader is, and how you’ll get your book in front of them. Who are they? What are their interests? Age demographic plays a big role in this step, but you can think of other categories as well if they apply such as nationality, gender, sexuality, etc.
Pre-launch
Next, you’ll need to gather a team of readers who would enjoy your book and ask for an early review in exchange for a free ebook or physical copy. Amazon and Goodreads are the most common places people leave reviews, but you could suggest social media and personal blogs if they’d like as well! You could also identify any mutual followers or people in your network and see if they’d be interested in receiving a free copy for promotional purposes.
Once you’ve defined your ideal reader, determine where they are
What platforms do your ideal readers use? Thankfully in the digital age, we have many options of platforms and social media sites to use for marketing, but you want to ensure that you’re posting where your ideal readers will see it so you can grab their attention and hopefully make some sales! Conduct some research on websites, blogs, or podcasts that might appeal to your ideal reader.
Outreach
using what you gathered in the previous step, identify a few different ways you can promote your book to your ideal readers. Here are a few options to consider:
Social media - What content can you create that will attract your target readers? Come up with hashtags and trends that are used in the target demographic.
Podcasts / blogs - Can you be a guest on a podcast or a blog that is likely to reach your ideal reader? Find a few platforms looking for guests and send them a pitch email. include your bio, why you’re a good fit for their audience, and a few topic ideas of what you could talk about that is relevant to their blog/podcast.
Local - host a book launch or signing at a local bookstore or library. many local independent bookstores love working with local authors!
Virtual- Host a virtual livestream or event. this could be collaborative with other writers in your genre to reach a wider audience, or a solo event hosted on instagram, facebook, or a webinar like Zoom.
Analyze
When it comes to marketing, it’s important to take the time to regularly revise your promotion strategy to ensure that your book is getting seen, and purchased, by your target audience. Figure out what’s working well, and what you might need to adjust to get better results. It’s okay to change things up if you’re not getting the sales you want, don’t be afraid to make changes!
By implementing this step-by-step process, you can create your own marketing strategy and effectively sell your poetry book to new readers!
If you’re looking for a poetry community to help you write and publish your own book, with marketing tips from bestselling poets, look no further than the poetry club!
Don’t let marketing stop you from achieving the sales your books deserve.
Happy writing!