written by: Jody Jessup-Anger & Mimi Benjamin, Co-Editors, ACPA Books
You successfully completed the writing, editing, and revision process, reviewed the page proofs and cover art, finished the index, and your book is in press. Congratulations! But you aren’t done with the process yet. Now it is time to think about marketing your book effectively to get it into the hands of people who will benefit from reading it. Two things to be mindful of as you step into this next phase of your book publishing journey are raising awareness for your book and helping it gain a reputation for excellence.
Raising Awareness
In our information age, with people being constantly bombarded with information, it can be difficult to rise above the fray and get noticed. That said, there are ways to be strategic and help your book gain attention, especially by people who would benefit from its content. First, consider timing conference presentations around the release of your book. When submitting conference proposals, it is important to have a good sense of when the book is coming out. You want to be sure that the book is in print when you present about it so that you can refer your audience to the expo hall and encourage them to buy it. Better yet, have some flyers with discount codes, or even a table with books for purchase, at your presentation. That way, when the audience is excited about your topic, they can immediately purchase the book.
Another way to raise awareness about your book is to share the release with the people’s whose hands you want it in. Consider what listservs, social media groups, and other affinity groups are closely associated with your topic and send them advertising about your book. Your efforts may be more targeted and personalized than your publisher’s efforts, and thus, will likely be more fruitful. Also, consider your institution’s marketing and communications team as allies in promoting your book. They may want to feature your work in publications or on social media. You also might consider putting information about the book in your signature line of your email and social media accounts so that people who engage with your frequently can learn more about it.
Gaining a Reputation
In addition to raising awareness about your book, it is important to help shepherd its reputation for excellence. One easy way to do so is to encourage people who share with you that they liked your book to write a review for it on amazon, google, and other review sites. These ratings will encourage other people who stumble on your book, but don’t necessarily know your work, to take a chance and buy it. In addition, you might consider how to get the book reviewed by a journal. A bit of internet research may be required to see if a journal collect books for review. Your publisher also might be able to provide guidance on effective ways to encourage reviews of your book.
Finally, as you move from publishing to marketing, it is important to keep in touch with your publisher. Let the publisher know what conferences you are attending so that you can mutually capitalize on any opportunities to partner in raising awareness about your book.