I need a “professional” to market my book is what too many authors think and say. That usually follows—I just want to write … I don’t want to market. Or, an I don’t know how to do any type of marketing.

Stop it.

Reframe your thinking and your marketing strategies. Whoever start the myth that you had to hire a “professional book marketer” is full of baloney … and I suspect other things. The belief is utter nonsense. Of course, you can market, and should, market your book.

• Who best knows it?
• Who best has the passion for it?
• Who best gets the agony and ecstasy?
• Who best understands why your protagonist did what he did?
• Who best can feel the desperation of a situation that you’ve become an expert in because of your personal experiences?
• Who best …?

YOU, that’s who. Who knows your book better than you? NO ONE! You may not have the perfect pitch down, but you will, with practice. Rethink, or “reframe” your position. Mostly likely, if you had your druthers, you would rather be writing your next book. I get that … and you can. Just not full time.  If ever the phrase,target marketing, pops up, it’s now.

What if your book relieves someone from the doldrums of a slow day, a bummer of a situation, the numbing of a commute or just tickles, entertains, thrills or has the reader marveling at the twists and turns, who best but YOU to let them know about the delights and hoots between the covers of your book? NO ONE!

What if your book delivers the answers to a problem or situation that is commonplace, or even not so common?

And what if you can explain why it is happening in a format that is easily grasped and then roll out the solution(s) in a one-two-three punch that the reader will do a happy dance to have at her fingertips?  

How did you get so smart?—I bet because you lived and experience it. You have a Ph.D. in life, or maybe the educational degree … and you know the rollercoaster that you went through. Who best but YOUto let others know about the ins and outs and how to relieve the pain, or get healthy, or find balance, or …? NO ONE!

Author Book Marketing is about sharing and telling people about what you care about, what you are passionate about.

It is work, yet it doesn’t have to be the drudge of it all. When you know that your poetry touches the hearts of many and seeds their inspiration; when you know that words tickle the funny bone; when you know that your storyline delivers an aha and OMG experience; when you know that your how-to is exactly what a specific workplace needs; when you know that you’ve created a unique twist for something/anything that affects many … who best to spearhead the book marketing than you, the author? NO ONE!

When the author talks about their book, its marketing. People will listen.

Book marketing today is like going to cereal aisle at a grocery store—all six shelves of it and consuming a 60-foot row, packed with every imaginable type of cereal. Some for kids; some for adults; some hot; some cold; some created for specific diets; some loaded with eye-candy—ingredients to get the consumers taste buds salivating. A lot of “somes.”

Today’s book marketing grocery store is centered on the Internet. Marketing is about connecting. Finding those who want to hear your story; need your insights, or just want a good read.

Your audience is clickable. They are hanging out on the Internet. The may be at a Meetup group around the corner or a café. They could be glued to a specific social media platform. They could belong to an association. They could be members of a string of book clubs that chatter about books that are hot. They could be anywhere and everywhere. You can hire someone to find them … but to connect and exchange ideas and thoughts, it’s YOU. NO ONE ELSE!  

Welcome to Book Marketing 101.

Judith Briles is a book publishing expert and coach. She empowers authors and is the Founder of AuthorU.org, a membership organization created for the serious author who wants to be seriously successful. She’s been writing about and conducting workshops on publishing since the ’80s. Judith is the author of 35 books including Author YOU: Creating and Building Your Author and Book Platforms (Foreword IndieFab Book of the Year), Snappy Sassy Salty: Wise Words for Authors and Writers and a speaker at publishing conferences. Book #35 was published in 2016: How to Avoid 101 Book Publishing Blunders, Bloopers & Boo-Boos. Get your copy now.

Each summer, she holds Judith Briles Book Publishing Unplugged, a three-day intensive limited to a small group of authors who want to be seriously successful. In 2017, the dates are June 22-24th.  Her audio and workbook series, Creating Your Book and Author Platform is now available. Join Judith live on Thursdays at 6 p.m. EST for “AuthorU-Your Guide to Book Publishing” on the Toginet Network at bit.ly/PublishingShow.

Follow @AuthorU and @MyBookShepherd on Twitter and do a “Like” at AuthorU, and join the Facebook group Book Publishing with The Book Shepherd. If you want to create a book that has no regrets, contact Judith at Judith@Briles.com.

Author U is a non-profit membership organization dedicated to the author who wants to be seriously successful. Monthly education programs delivered face-to-face and online, The Author Resource ezine, BookCamps, and the annual Author U Extravaganza are tools designed for authors pre-, during and post-publishing of their books. Join AuthorU.org today.

 If you are looking for FREE author and book coaching … call in to Judith’s Author Monday Morningsat NOON Eastern each Monday if you are an AuthorU.org GOLD member.