Creating a Book Marketing Plan: How to Authentically Promote Your Book and Engage Your Community with Eleanor Whitney

Whether your book is about to be published, or you’re developing a book proposal, or learning about the publishing process as you write, the question of how to market your book can feel confusing or intimidating. No matter the size of the press you are working with, authors are expected to bring their audience to the publisher and take an active, and often leading, role in promoting their book. So what, exactly, do you need to do? And do you really need to be on all those social media platforms? Book promotion doesn’t have to be a burden. In fact, it can be fun, sustainable, and a chance to strengthen your community and writing life.

Course Overview

Through big and small group discussions, brainstorms, writing prompts, and real life examples, we will explore how to strengthen your community, identify your book’s audience, and create a plan to connect with your readers. We will cover strategies to communicate about your book effectively and you will leave with a marketing plan outline. You will be able to apply the work you create in this class to a book proposal, or use it to promote a forthcoming book, or employ it as a tool kit to build your community and presence as a writer. Published authors and those just starting their career as writers in all genres are welcome – when it comes to marketing we all always have more to learn, especially because media, technology, and culture are always evolving, and it’s more fun to learn together!

Course Outline

• Day 1: Defining your audience and preparing your platform
  • Introductions and connecting with your why: What are your goals for learning about book marketing?
  • Book marketing plan overview
  • Identifying your literary community and audience for your book
  • Finding your voice as a marketer: How do we translate our writing voice into our marketing?
  • Defining your platform: How to reach out and connect with your audience and stay in touch with your community
  • Assessing your options for a digital presence: Website, social media, newsletter
  • Making a digital presence plan
  • Reflection, wrap-up, and questions
• Day 2: Getting your book into the world and connecting with your community
  • Press, publicity, and pitching: Understanding different types of coverage: reviews, author interviews, excerpts, or articles related to your book and how to approach, prioritize, and pitch these for your book
  • Planning, and setting up book events, including identifying and pitching venues and other speakers
  • Creative, long-term ways to promote your book, including podcasts, courses, and workshops
  • Discussion about sustainability and keeping promotion in perspective
  • Putting your plan together and next steps
  • Reflection, wrap-up, and questions

Capacity: 20