My newest book, Unshakable Faith: Living Strong in the Kingdom of God, launches on kindle tomorrow. It’s a Bible study that was essentially decades in the process—probably true for a lot of writers. Decades of walking with God, one year of studying and growing in the principles discussed, and one year of actual writing.
But even though it’s launching, I have struggled to put together a marketing plan.
I’ve been sidetracked with writing, getting the book formatted, proofreading, and creating bonus material for the launch. And in between all that, working to earn a living.
There’s no getting around it; writers wear a lot of hats, especially those who independently publish.
Even if you aren’t the one actually doing the layout and formatting, you have to find and hire someone to do it. Even if you are traditionally published, publishers expect authors to do the majority of the marketing.
That means we must be diligent with our planning and disciplined in how we spend our time.
No, I don’t have it all figured out yet. You’d think I would since this is my fifth book. I know by my sixth I’ll be better because I’ll apply what I learned this time around. Maybe by my tenth book, I’ll have it down pat.
In today’s changing world of marketing, none of us will probably ever be able to do this in our sleep.
This much I do know:
Thus says the LORD, your Redeemer,
The Holy One of Israel:
“I am the LORD your God,
Who teaches you to profit,
Who leads you by the way you should go.” Isaiah 48:17 NKJV
I seek the Lord every day, about everything. He’s given me a lot of ideas, the bonus material included, and I started working on that months ago.
Keep a Written List
More often than not, if it doesn’t get written down, it doesn’t get done. Spend some time over the course of a day or two (or more if needed) to plan your project.
- How long will it take to write your book? (Hint: it almost always takes longer than you anticipate.)
- Do you have a specific date you are hoping to have your book published? If so, then you’ll need to work backward from that date to schedule all that needs done.
If you are indie publishing…
- Are you going to do the actual work of layout?
- How much time can you realistically dedicate to that when the time comes?
- Are you going to create your own cover or hire a designer?
What kind of marketing do you plan to do?
- Will you hire a publicist?
- If you plan guest blog posts or podcast interviews, you need to be reaching out to those people at least 6 months in advance.
As you write, allow some time in your schedule every month to work on marketing prep. As release time draws near, you’ll need time each week to put toward marketing.
What does your author platform look like?
If you have none, how do you plan to reach your readers? (See “Three Key Questions to Ask Before Building Your Website” if you will be starting a website.)
Once you have the basics of these elements, write them down. Review the list often and adjust as you refine the plan and begin to fill in the details of each step.
Use this list each week as you create your weekly to-do list. This will ensure you are continually working piece by piece on each element of your book project.
Create a Budget
Start saving for your professional edit as soon you start writing.
- Include time to research editors as part of your project plan.
- Reach out to those you are considering and find out what kind of time they need to do the job. (I know editors who have worked booked out 2-3 months.)
This same strategy of saving as soon as you start writing applies to hiring a designer and formatter—and a publicist.
In fact, do your best to determine the potential costs for each of these so you aren’t taken by surprise at the last minute. If the costs are way out of your budget, then you can spend time on YouTube learning formatting when you need a break from writing.
Yes, I need to take my own advice! And I will, because I’m getting smarter with every project.
What part of this process gives you the most trouble and how do you tackle it?
Leave your comments below.