Countdown to Launch! - Part 7 - Aiming for the Target
Hello, again, 919 friends! Welcome to the second-to-last post in my series counting down from rough ideas to published book...and beyond. Today is all about reaping the benefits of careful planning, specifically, knowing my book's target market.
Early in the countdown, my thoughts on book marketing were fueled by the wide-eyed excitement that comes when you've just put the finishing touches on a huge project (that could potentially help a lot of people). I started down the road of thinking, "Everybody is going to like this book! I need to tell the entire world about it!!!!" However, I know that "spray and pray" marketing doesn't work for my business, so why use it for my book? Although I had a general idea about who would enjoy my book, I needed to learn the specifics about my target market.
I sat down with a pen and paper and brainstormed, and researched online, and picked the brains of fellow businesspeople to learn about my target market. I asked, "What kind of women are going to dig my book?" "Where do they go?" "What do they like to do?" This work took several weeks to complete (and really, I'm still learning new things!), but those weeks were time well spent. Once I found people and places who really resonated with the book, marketing it was downright FUN!
Targeted Giftees:
Early in May, I sent out gift copies to major players in my target market. I went big--some of my favorite bestselling authors, our governor, and even Michelle Obama and Jill Biden. I also went strategic, sending copies to heads of arts organizations, creativity coaches, and other well-connected women around the country.
It was exciting when these people's replies started coming back! I got a nice letter from the governor, a card from my favorite author, and several upcoming reviews for my book. But most importantly, I got on the radar of well-connected women who really "get" what I'm doing, and who are willing to spread the word.
The Summer of Creativity:
After I figured out where my potential readers would most likely hang out, I did some online research and found these places--independent bookstores, coffeeshops, holistic gift shops, spas. I made a list of all these places and cold-called each one, an experience that could have been quite disheartening. But because of the work I put in to find the places that fit "just right", these calls were a pleasure.
After hanging up with several of these people, I felt like I'd made new friends in faraway places--great contacts who were excited about supporting both the book and the spread of creativity! By the time all the details are hammered out, I'll have a twelve-city book tour set up for the summer. :)
And the moral of the story is...
You don't need deep pockets or a huge publishing company to get your books into the hands of your readers. You just have to take the time to find your readers!
This will be the last "Countdown to Launch" post for now. I'll complete the series at the end of the summer with a look back at how things went, what worked, and what didn't. Thanks for reading this series, and I hope it's been helpful to everyone who has a book inside them, waiting to launch!
Early in the countdown, my thoughts on book marketing were fueled by the wide-eyed excitement that comes when you've just put the finishing touches on a huge project (that could potentially help a lot of people). I started down the road of thinking, "Everybody is going to like this book! I need to tell the entire world about it!!!!" However, I know that "spray and pray" marketing doesn't work for my business, so why use it for my book? Although I had a general idea about who would enjoy my book, I needed to learn the specifics about my target market.
I sat down with a pen and paper and brainstormed, and researched online, and picked the brains of fellow businesspeople to learn about my target market. I asked, "What kind of women are going to dig my book?" "Where do they go?" "What do they like to do?" This work took several weeks to complete (and really, I'm still learning new things!), but those weeks were time well spent. Once I found people and places who really resonated with the book, marketing it was downright FUN!
Targeted Giftees:
Early in May, I sent out gift copies to major players in my target market. I went big--some of my favorite bestselling authors, our governor, and even Michelle Obama and Jill Biden. I also went strategic, sending copies to heads of arts organizations, creativity coaches, and other well-connected women around the country.
It was exciting when these people's replies started coming back! I got a nice letter from the governor, a card from my favorite author, and several upcoming reviews for my book. But most importantly, I got on the radar of well-connected women who really "get" what I'm doing, and who are willing to spread the word.
The Summer of Creativity:
After I figured out where my potential readers would most likely hang out, I did some online research and found these places--independent bookstores, coffeeshops, holistic gift shops, spas. I made a list of all these places and cold-called each one, an experience that could have been quite disheartening. But because of the work I put in to find the places that fit "just right", these calls were a pleasure.
After hanging up with several of these people, I felt like I'd made new friends in faraway places--great contacts who were excited about supporting both the book and the spread of creativity! By the time all the details are hammered out, I'll have a twelve-city book tour set up for the summer. :)
And the moral of the story is...
You don't need deep pockets or a huge publishing company to get your books into the hands of your readers. You just have to take the time to find your readers!
This will be the last "Countdown to Launch" post for now. I'll complete the series at the end of the summer with a look back at how things went, what worked, and what didn't. Thanks for reading this series, and I hope it's been helpful to everyone who has a book inside them, waiting to launch!
Tags: books, creativity, marketing, self-publishing, summerglen
Comment
-
Comment by Nancy Shepherd MBA PhD on June 7, 2009 at 3:15pm - Congratulations Christina! I just saw today about your event and your book. I'm sure you will have a big turn-out. Your invitation was much appreciated. I also read your blog about your target market research and couldn't agree more with your point that this is a useful endeavor. I look forward to seeing your book some day in the near future. (I am also glad I connected in to see your music posts via the summerglen site.) Congratulations again on making your dreams come true.
Visit our Sponsors...
Media Partners...
What are they saying...
© 2009 Created by Pat Howlett
You need to be a member of inSide919 - A LOCAL Business & Social Network to add comments!
Join this Ning Network