What REALLY Happens When You’ve Finished Writing Your Book?

What REALLY Happens When You’ve Finished Writing Your Book?

Why everyone buys it, of course. You built it, put it on Amazon, and now they will come. To buy it. 

But what if they don’t?

People think the book is its own reward.

It is not.

The book is the beginning of a long journey on a road with a lot of potholes, but also a great many days full of sunshine.

If I had a dime (yes, it used to be a nickel, but inflation, you know) for every author I spoke with who thought putting their book up on Amazon meant sales were going to happen, I’d be able to…go to Paris on a long vacation.

Writing a book and selling a book are two different things.

“Write as if you mean it”

This was the advice Melanie Notkin gave in the interview I did with her on my podcast, Smart Conversations, in March of 2022.

Melanie is not someone who lets the grass grow beneath her feet. She’s energetic and full of the kind of spirit all authors need to promote themselves and their books. She created a movement around Savvy Auntie and continues to support her fans as they support her in her latest endeavor, Otherhood.

I understand you mean it when you write. But how much do you mean it?

I get that the writing part is the easy part – or maybe it’s a little bit hard because of all the revisions and rewriting – but it’s a tiny fraction of the actual work needed to make you and your book successful and learning from Melanie and others, especially Tom and I, is a positive step forward on this journey you’ve undertaken.

KNOW THIS: Your journey does NOT end with the publication of your book. No matter who publishes it.

Marketing and promotions begin the moment, the very moment your book is released (they should actually begin well before the book is published, but let’s focus on what happens the day of publication or release and afterward).

As soon as the link to it is posted on Amazon or your website or wherever you’re sharing it, your journey to success begins and you better have really comfortable walking shoes because this is a journey of a thousand miles. Or more.

What’s an Author To Do?

There are many, many things to do and I’ll list a few of them here to get you started, but first…

Let me share the 3 things you should NEVER Do – EVER! Please.

• Don’t throw your book at me on social media. Stop it. Stop telling me you wrote a book. Stop with the fancy cover photos and the, “I’m so proud of this accomplishment!” You get to do that the day of release and occasionally after, for a few days. That’s all.
• Don’t think someone else can do this for you. You may get help, paid help from professionals, please, but you must contribute and engage with your readers.
• Don’t think you’re done because you hit Best Seller status on Amazon. It’s a nice kudo, but it doesn’t last. To be a true best-seller requires work.

Now we can talk about what an author should do. Every day. Because that one day you don’t do these things could be the day that your biggest competitor grabs all the attention you should be getting.

At Master Book Builders we call this the Taylor Swift Model of Book Marketing.

It’s not original. Many others are writing about the powerhouse that is Taylor Swift and likening her methods of getting noticed to what they do, also. Especially to branding (which, as an author, you need to be aware of), to engagement (something all smart people do on their social channels), and to visibility (which starts with understanding yourself first).

If you want a really great overview of how Taylor Swift makes things happen, visit David Blier and his post “Unleashing the Taylor Swift Brand.”

For us, making it relevant to books and marketing/promotions/branding, let’s look at how to use Taylor Swift’s genius for you.

The Taylor Swift Model of Book Marketing in Six Steps

Taylor Swift understands her fans. Can you say the same? You had people in mind when you were writing your book, but have you made the effort to connect with them? To understand them? To find out what they want from you – because it’s more than just a good book.

• This list from the National Institutes of Health’s Plain Language page has some great advice for understanding and connecting with your fans. They aren’t specifically talking about writing a book, but the advice still stands. This especially:

Match your words to your audience

Thinkstock / Digital Vision.

You might be drawn to words that are common in your environment. But are they also common in your audience’s environment?

When you have a choice between words — especially when writing for non-specialists — use the common, everyday word.

This applies to both writing the book and to sharing content via your social channels or to speaking. Always use the vernacular of your audience.

• Being authentic. When Taylor Swift is interviewed, gives a show, is talking with fans, she’s not a persona. She’s who she is. Unfiltered and unvarnished. She is not afraid to speak out and speak up when she wants to.
  
  For you, your brand and marketing voice should match. You can’t be just you on LinkedIn, and then someone else on a podcast. Your readers don’t want a persona. They want you.
  
  
• Taylor Swift LOVES to build anticipation! She gives sneak previews of albums or interviews. She makes sure her fan base hears all the ‘dirt’ first, before sharing it with the rest of us. She creates mystery around her work.
  
  You can do this with your book, no matter what it’s about. You might need to get creative, but you can do it. Do it during the months leading up to the launch of the book. Get people talking. Create some buzz.
  
  
• Collaboration – this is a big part of the Taylor Swift model. How do you collaborate and with whom? Choose brands that give credence and respectability to you and your book. Tom and I have collaborated with two great voiceover actors (Michael Coleman and Liz Solar) for our audiobooks, and we have worked with a successful ghostwriter (Sherry Granader) along with Liz and Michael to create webinars discussing all aspects of writing/publishing/marketing a book.
  
  Taylor Swift has partnered with brands like Coca-Cola, Cover Girl, and with artists from different genres of music. She’s strategic about who she works with.
  
  For you and your book, consider other authors who share a vision and see if you can swap newsletter content. Find bloggers who do book reviews about your topic and offer to host a live Q&A session. Research LinkedIn and find an entrepreneur who has a following and serves your audience and see if you can do a webinar together.
  
  
• Take charge of your brand and your work. In recent years, Taylor Swift has taken a stand against industry practices she believes are unfair to artists. Her disputes are public and stand her in good stead. What aspects of your brand and your book are standing up for the little guy – for folks who don’t have deep pockets?
  
  If that’s not where you roll, where can you put a stake in the ground and say, “This is what I stand for whether it’s popular or not.”
  
  For us at Master Book Builders our stake in the ground is saying the Indie Advantage is the best way to write and publish a book. We don’t think authors need big publishing brands telling them how to write, what to write, how their cover should look, and then paying 7% in royalties. Not to mention, having them sign a contract granting the publisher exclusive rights to all or most of the author’s work.
  
  Some folks still go that route and that’s fine. Just understand, no one looks to see who published your book before they buy it. And, if you do a reputable, professional job writing and producing the book, your book will be just as good as theirs. Maybe even better (plus, authors still have to do most if not all of the marketing tasks talked about here, on their own).

The journey of writing, publishing, and marketing a book is a long one. It doesn’t stop a week after the book is out. Or a month after it’s out. It doesn’t stop a year after it’s out.

You must continue to apply The Taylor Swift Model of Book Marketing to your strategic plans when you first decide to write the book. A book cannot sell itself. Your book coach cannot sell your book (but she can help!). Your mother or friends or even your colleagues cannot sell your book. (but they can help, for sure!)

It’s up to you to sell it. And the workshops and webinars and other collateral work or material you develop around it to support your purpose and message.

It’s all up to you.

Put on your walking shoes – and pack an extra pair in your backpack. You’re going to need them.

Master Book Builders with Tom and Yvonne helps growth-oriented entrepreneurs and executives write and publish a book to create authority, generate leads & market their business using the Indie Advantage.

Our newest offering is Manuscript Assessment. If you have a manuscript you wish to have professionally reviewed, before publishing it, DM Yvonne on LinkedIn.

Tell us how you market your book, in the comments. We love new ideas! If you share something we’ve never heard before, you could win a free book consultation.