Marketing? Who, me? You’ve got to be kidding. I’m a writer.

When I first began writing I wanted nothing to do with marketing. Marketing was for people in the advertising business, sales people, people who owned LARGE businesses. I was just getting started and I wanted to write for fun. Who cared about marketing?

Sadly, business doesn’t go anywhere if you don’t market. I (or you) may have the best books in the world, but if no one else knows about them, people won’t buy them and read them and share them. And what’s the point of writing if others don’t read what you write?

In the golden days of publishing, you sold your book to a publishing house and the publishing house took care of the marketing. They assigned you a publicist, you went on tour, they created advertising and press releases and promoted your book in the bookstores. Alas, the age of high technology and social media has arrived, along with self-publishing. Publishing houses only want you if you’re a big name or certain to create lots of sales. And if they take on your book, they expect YOU to market the hell out of it, which means doing your own publicity and advertising. 

Marketing is not my thing. I’d much rather sit back and watch someone else take charge. But even if I hire a marketing person, I still have to promote my books. And as a publisher, it’s important that I know how to support my clients and what to recommend. So, it’s time to learn how.

My chiropractor (of all people) led me to a Social Media expert named Matthew Loop. If you go to his website (http://dcincome.com/blog/), you can sign up for his newsletter and get his FREE Blogging Success Blueprint. He strongly (urgently) recommends that everyone have a blog, and that your blog be a Wordpress blog. Several years ago I tried my hand at Wordpress and hated it. It confused me, frustrated me, and irritated me to no end. So I gave up and went to Weebly. Weebly is fun, easy to use, and it’s worked so far, but Google doesn’t love Weebly. Google loves Wordpress. And in the vein of being a good marketer I’m thinking —seriously—of switching to Wordpress. Sigh. Double sigh. Triple sigh.

If you’re writing just for fun, you can ignore everything I’ve said. But if writing is your business, or if you’ve written a book and don’t know what to do with it, then join me and learn how to market. Step 1 – get Matthew Loop’s Blogging Success Blueprint. I really like what I’ve read so far. I think you will too.

The publishing process can be a mystery to most writers. Your focus is on telling the story. What comes after that feels way down the road and unimportant. But writing your book is just one step. You also need to prepare your book for sale. That’s where the professionals come in.

There are four crucial steps after you finish your manuscript: editing, layout and graphic design, printing and proofreading, and publishing and promotion.

Editing
Your story can be the greatest story on earth, but if your writing style doesn’t reach your audience, no one will know. Don’t get bogged down in boring information or tired clichés. Make your writing sparkle so your readers are amazed. The way to do that is with professional editing. 

Developmental editing looks at the overall structure and flow of the book. Copy editing studies grammar, punctuation, spelling, and clarity. All authors need professional editing and Words of Passion utilizes both types to ensure your book is the best it can be.

Layout and Graphic Design 
Layout is about the inside appearance of your book. You want your masterpiece to be clean and attractive. Work directly with experts who will match your vision and create the book of your dreams. You'll decide on font choice, headers and footers, margin size, chapter headings, paper type, book size, and more.

The cover is what initially attracts your readers. Your book has one chance to make a good first impression. You want it to be stunning! Working with a great designer will bring your vision to life.

Printing and Proofreading
Once the layout and graphic design are finished, your manuscript draft and cover are sent to the printer to produce a sample of your book that looks exactly as it will in the final stage. This is the copy that is “proofread,” hence the term “proof” copy. Proof copies or Advanced Reading Copies help you garner great reviews while the editor notes corrections and changes to the interior and cover. Once corrections are approved the editor sends them to layout for a new draft and cover which are submitted to the printer. Then final copies are printed.

Publishing and Promotion
Many authors use online sites (like Amazon) as a platform for promoting their books. You want to have a place where people can buy both print and eBook versions of your book. But just putting your book online doesn’t guarantee sales. You also need a marketing plan that builds awareness and uses social media. Engage a marketing expert to provide a step-by-step plan for your book launch that will get you noticed.

Words of Passion is proud to offer a team of experts to assist you every step of the way from editing to promotion. For more information email me or call 770.623.8303.