The Secret to Selling More Books: Book Marketing Podcast Recap

by | Dec 2, 2021 | Podcast for Authors

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The Secret to Selling More Books, is a recap of “Why Gratitude Marketing is the Secret Sauce to Success and More Book Sales,” a recent episode on our Book Marketing Tips & Author Success podcast.

We delve deeper into our discussion about this important topic for authors trying to figure out the ins and outs of gratitude marketing, so be sure to download and listen to the show for all the details, recommendations and considerations!

Gratitude is a huge piece of being a successful author. And we’re not just talking about saying thank you- we’re talking about appreciation marketing, reader gratitude, vendor gratitude, all of it!

Because yes, we talk about book marketing and that’s all important, but book marketing speaks at people, while gratitude or appreciation marketing speaks with people.

In this post, we’re going to breakdown appreciation marketing, and talk about some of the things you can do not only for readers, but also for the people you work with.

Keeping the Right Perspective with Gratitude Marketing

What I mean is, books typically aren’t expensive, they’re not high ticket items in the big scheme of things, and I think that’s why a lot of authors get so frustrated when sales are lagging. But instead of the price point, think about what you’re really asking for.

You’re asking for their time. In most cases many hours of their time!

Honestly, my time is so much more valuable to me than $20, so when I’m introduced to a new title or author and I’m thinking about whether or not to buy it, the biggest deciding factor is if I have time to read it. This is also a good time to remind everyone why timing matters, and why consistency in marketing matters.

Maybe I land on a book page on a day where I’m just overwhelmed with everything on my plate – I won’t be buying a book that day. But the next time I see the book on say, a BookBub email, if I’m in a better place mentally, I may snag it!

Acknowledge Those Who Acknowledge You

One of maybe the easiest things to check off your list is to acknowledge anyone who featured you this year. For those who did a review on their blog, or featured you on their social media– send a handwritten thank you note. This is such a lost art and I love doing handwritten notes.

Being memorable is important, and these small but meaningful efforts are key for establishing a positive working relationship with thought leaders, and they’ll really make a difference when you go back to that person for your next release.

You don’t want to just hit up bloggers and such when you need something. Make sure that you acknowledge and thank them for their contribution to your success- this is so important.

And don’t forget, you can (and should) always show your gratitude by supporting their platform as well. So share their site on social, in your newsletter, sign up for their newsletter, follow their social accounts, help support what they do.

Don’t Forget The People You Work With

Think about your cover person, who was tremendously helpful, or your editor that you love so much, or whoever you’ve worked with.

We naturally want to support and prioritize people who we have positive relationships with, and gratitude is at the top of the list for creating a positive working relationship. I’ll be honest, I am ten times more likely to bend over backwards and look for special opportunities for clients who have positive attitudes and show their appreciation for our team’s time and efforts. We’ve sent clients opportunities long after their campaigns closed when they were awesome to work with!

And Finally, Readers and Gratitude Marketing

So let’s dig into readers now, because we could all use more of those, too. And reader gratitude can be all sorts of things, so I know we’re going to run through some ideas – but I think it’s important to remember your readers with a little something – like offering to send autographed book plates to anyone who bought your book, even an eBook, because readers love these.

Swag rocks! Everyone LOVES a surprise. We have decals now that say “Ask Me About My Book” that can go on your laptop, your water bottle, car window, anywhere you want to strike up a conversation about your book, and they weren’t crazy expensive but they’re so “on brand” for us and people love them.

I think it’s worth mentioning here that gratitude marketing doesn’t always have to be about sending readers something, sometimes it’s just about saying a ‘thank you’ when someone shares your post, or a response when someone sends you a DM on social media.

The trend here with all these ideas is a willingness to get creative, and your attitude. If your path to success includes the others around you, it will make all the difference in the world.

Resources and Free Downloads

Check Out More Episodes of Our Book Marketing Podcast

Blog Outreach Tracker

How Can I Sell More Books

22 Must-Have Resources for Book Marketers in 2022

Check out the IBPA for publishing industry news

1 Comment

  1. Kayleen Reusser

    With inspiration from this blog post and its corresponding podcast I have sent coffee gift cards to my Super Fans of my books this Christmas. It has been a joyful experience and I thank you for encouraging us to do ‘gratitude marketing.’ I feel like Santa Claus!

    Reply

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