Marketing plan for fiction novel

Book description book synopsis, format, page count, isbn, etc. Instead of writing the entire book, then trying to interest an editor or agent which is how it works with novels, you write the proposal first. But these days, a solid online marketing plan is a logical and affordable place to start. A book marketing plan is a living document and its important to. I am a first time author writing a nonfiction, self help book to females on. Online and offline promotion strategies to build your audience and sell more books, and own your niche. The book is educational in that it exposes young children between ages four and seven to different cultural communities in canada. Three ways marketing fiction differs from marketing nonfiction by joanna penn writing editors note. A simple marketing plan outline for indie authors the wise. Spread the word with these simple book marketing ideas. The professional guide to profitable selfpublishing, the nonfiction book marketing plan.

Your book marketing plan should be designed to identify the revenue streams you plan to tap into. Every marketing plan is different, but here are the nuts and bolts of what should be included. This is a guest post from joanna penn, who is the author of career change and also writes the bestselling arkane thrillers under j. Weve written extensively about the importance of book marketing, how to promote a book and marketing a self published book. Mar 08, 2011 the following is a fictitious mini marketing plan i created for a publishing class while in university studying communication. Marketing your fiction frugally phyllis zimbler miller. Fiction book marketing and marketing for novels smith. This is a book marketing plan outline that you can use. If youre writing fiction you could write a short story set in the world of your book that introduces the characters. Jul 31, 2017 marketing plan template via the creative penn. Find out who your book appeals to, get to know those people well, and be where they are, both online and off.

May 28, 2017 a book proposal argues why your book idea is a salable, marketable product. That is the first, most essential step to marketing your book. Creating a detailed book marketing plan or author business plan will help you think about all the strategies and effort. What they dont know how to do as well depending on the publisher is everything else. Book marketing and promotion provide the most traction for your book, but most selfpublished authors and small independent publishers do not. Fiction book marketing and marketing for novels smith publicity. Three ways marketing fiction differs from marketing nonfiction. Palacios 2012 novel wonder continues to sell extremely well, helped by the release of the november 2017 feature film. If something is not working for you after you have given it a. You might want to believe that marketing language is different from fiction. Choose the right categories and keywords for your book.

I thought it would make a great sample of a mini marketing plan for businesses looking to develop one for themselves, especially book businesses. Book promotion strategies are changing all the time, so im giving you a leg up with these 19 rock solid ideas for strategically marketing your book. The novel marketing 5year plan to becoming a bestselling author. How to write a marketing plan for your book youtube. Aug 24, 2012 a simple marketing plan outline for indie authors. But nothing is more practical than seeing that plan come to life. We offer a range of book, ebook, and novel marketing services for fiction titles including. Every single time i teach one of my book marketing workshops, i get some form of this question. Fresh out of ideas on how to help your writing take off.

This part of a fiction book proposal should outline your ability to promote your novel, and a plan to do so. The ultimate book marketing timeline for indie authors ingramspark. Take this free piece of advice and think through about marketing as soon as you can. Novel marketing podcast hosted by thomas umstattd jr. Goals why did you write this book, what are you trying to accomplish, what are your sales goals 2.

If youre just writing as a hobby and dont plan to ever earn a. What to include in your book marketing strategy ingramspark. The best fiction book marketing programs require a varied and sustained approach. Oct 15, 2014 continuing with this weeks series on book marketing plans, its time for a freebie. Jan 02, 2010 below is a sample book marketing plan outline, to give you some ideas of what to include in the marketing plan for your book. No matter whether or not youre trying to do it yourself or plan to work with an expert book marketing agency like smith publicity, youll need a wellrounded program. By walking through two complete content marketing examples for authors one from a fiction writer lisa unger and the other from a nonfiction writer jacob mcmillen. How to create the ultimate book marketing plan free course.

The following is a marketing plan developed for a new collection of childrens bedtime stories called goodnight canada. The truth is, its even easier for fiction authors to earn a fulltime income from book royalties than for nonfiction authors. It acts as a business case or business plan for your book that persuades a publisher to make an investment. This document should be an outline of how you will achieve your income or sales goals, and it should identify in detail the market youre targeting. The media and digital worlds change and evolve each day, and every book and author are unique. That sounds great, but does it work for fiction authors. How to write a book marketing plan for publishing success. Identify your future readers so you can find the right way to reach them. The program includes book marketing advice specifically for fiction. Jay lemming provides some strategies that have worked for him, as an indie author of literary fiction, and encourages other literary authors to follow suit.

Engaging your audience by asking for their input about your book characters if its fiction such as a choice your main character must make. Jul 09, 20 stephanie chandler is the author of several books including the nonfiction book publishing plan. After that just follow the plan, make adjustments when necessary, and listen to your readers. If youve dreamed of having your book in bookstores, enrolling in the traditional distribution program at mill city press, where your book marketing plan for distribution will be presented to book retailers and wholesalers, is a great first step. Rob eagar has coached over 450 authors and helped books hit the new york times bestseller list three different ways, including fiction, nonfiction, and backlist. Apr, 2020 novel marketing, the longestrunning book marketing podcast, helps authors build their platforms and sell more books with writing worth talking about. Spend time going through every item on this checklist, so that you get a feel for all of the options that are available to you. Before your book launch, you need a book marketing plan. A publishers marketing budget, if there is one, for a first novel by an unknown author will probably range in the low fivedigit. How to write a book marketing plan in easy steps 1.

Joannas blog, the creative penn is one of the best blogs anywhere for writers, and her new book is the best work on book marketing ive seen in quite a while. Today shes going to show us how fiction authors can use some of the tools of book marketing. Abby mcaden, associate publisher at scholastic, agrees that the marketing of middle grade books is multifaceted in terms of its targets. Ask a handful of bestselling novelists how long it took them to go from aspiring writer to bestselling novelist. A marketing plan from an author assumes the publisher knows how to get books to those big vendors. The first thing authors should do before doing any type of marketing is to put together a marketing plan for their book. Jul 08, 2009 a comprehensive marketing plan involves both online and offline efforts to use and broaden your existing platform to promote your book. Create a book marketing plan that sells books nonfiction writers.

A simple marketing plan for fiction authors book launch. An agent who wants a marketing plan for a novel at the query stage has the cart before the horse. Your book marketing plan for distribution setup guide. Marketing your book for selfpublishers and indie authors. You can also assume they know how to get books to libraries, and indie stores. Were authors carolyn howardjohnson and phyllis zimbler miller, and this is our nonfiction book proposal for marketing your fiction frugally with the huge upswing in ebooks and amazon and other ebook retailers constantly and continually changing the opportunities for book authors we want to share with you what we have been learning. When to start marketing your book and how to balance your time. Here are the biggest lessons ive learned for fiction authors when it comes to earning a serious income. Aug 20, 2016 home book marketing how to write a book marketing plan the road map to your publishing success is guided by your book marketing plan. Here are 9 uncommon tips that ive used to turn my books into bestsellers, including my selfpublished wall. Marketing plans for novels janet reid, literary agent.

Here are our recommended book marketing strategies and what you need for each. This plan is meant to get you started, but effective marketing requires flexibility. Why are agents constantly scheming to make us crazy. Book marketing plan the definitive checklist book launch. As part of its ongoing support for the book, random house childrens. The 22 best marketing books you need to read in 2019. Apr 02, 2020 having a quick overview of exactly what you can do and how much time and effort each will take can help you better plan for your book marketing plan.

Maybe, but unless you already have a proven track record of sales that indicate a substantial following, its not likely. Its time to get busy on your marketing plan for the book. This is a vital step in the promotion and marketing of your book, andif done rightwill make the rest of the process infinitely easier. Weve compiled a list of 89 book marketing ideas that will change your life, build your brand, and sell your book. Oct 23, 2017 marketing is one of the biggest challenges facing selfpublishing authors of literary fiction. Attract readers with a great book sales description.