Setting Strategic Author Goals is So Important!
Unlocking Success: Why Strategic Author Goals Are Essential
First off, goals show you the way from idea to published and beyond. They help you develop a plan for the entire process of writing, publishing, and promoting your book. Goals help you tailor your content to fit both your personal and professional aspirations. Think of it as charting a course for your book that aligns perfectly with your life and business.
The Three Rs of Author Success
You are not just writing for yourself; you’re writing for your readers too. By understanding their needs and desires, you can create content that resonates with them. This ensures that your book isn’t just another title on the shelf, but one that readers are genuinely excited to read, review, and recommend to others. I call these the 3 Rs of author success.
Choosing the Right Publishing Path: Aligning Goals with Creative Control
When it comes to publishing decisions, different publishing paths offer unique opportunities and challenges, and strategic goals will help you navigate these choices with clarity. For example, if your goal is to maintain complete creative control, self-publishing will be the best route for you. If you’re aiming for widespread distribution and access to traditional marketing channels, pursuing a traditional publishing deal could be more suitable.
Goals Inform Promotional Strategies
Finally, your goals play a pivotal role in determining how you launch and promote your book so make them strategic. Whether it’s organizing book signings, leveraging social media, or reaching out to influencers, your goals provide the framework for your promotional efforts.
I’ll give you two examples.
Using a Book as a Lead Magnet in Your Business
If you’re integrating your self-published book into your business as a lead magnet, you can tailor your launch and promotion strategy to maximize its impact.
Leverage Your Existing Audience: Start by tapping into your current audience base, whether it’s through your email list, social media following, or website visitors. Let them know about your upcoming book and how it ties into your business offerings.
Offer Value-Driven Content: Highlight the unique insights and expertise presented in your book that align with your business objectives. Craft teaser content in the form of blog posts, videos, or podcasts, giving readers a preview of the valuable information they can expect.
Host a Virtual Launch Event: Organize a virtual launch event where you can engage with your audience live, discuss key themes from the book, and answer questions. To reward participation, you could consider providing exclusive bonuses or discounts for attendees.
Use Lead Magnets: Since your book serves as a lead magnet for your business, incorporate strategic calls-to-action within the book itself to drive readers to your business offerings. Provide extra materials like worksheets, checklists, or free consultations in return for contact details to nurture potential customers. How many times have I worked with an author who didn’t do that and lost out on so many opportunities?
You can integrate these strategies to effectively launch and promote your self-published book, making it a powerful lead magnet for your business.
Reaching a Wide Audience: Strategies Informed by Your Author Goals
What if you plan to launch and promote a series of books with the goal of reaching a wide audience through bookstores? This means depending on selling your book to earn back your investment. Traditional publishers have established distribution channels that self-published authors just don’t have.
Here’s are a few ways you could maximize the visibility and the sales potential of your book series:
Maximize Pre-Order Opportunities: Use the pre-order period to generate excitement and anticipation for your book series. Give readers who pre-order exclusive bonuses or incentives, like bonus content or limited edition merchandise.
Engage with Book Reviewers: Generate buzz and secure favorable reviews by sending advance review copies (ARCs) of your books to book bloggers, reviewers, and influencers in your genre. Engage with social media influencers and encourage them to share their thoughts about your series with their followers. Successful publishers will pay for professional reviews that will help build momentum.
Leverage Traditional Media: Pitch your book series to traditional media outlets, such as newspapers, magazines, and radio shows, for interviews, features, and reviews. Traditional publishers should have these relationships already built. Offer press releases and media kits to communicate key selling points and generate interest from journalists and purchasing editors (for libraries and bookstores).
Use Publisher Resources: Make the most of the marketing and promotional resources available from your publisher, which could include advertising options, author websites, and social media promotion. Collaborate closely with your publishing team to benefit from their experience and support in reaching a wide audience.
By implementing a strategic and coordinated marketing approach, you can effectively launch and promote your book series to reach a broad audience through traditional publishing channels with strategic author goals.
Why Choosing Strategies Makes Sense
I am not saying that both self-published and traditionally published authors can’t use all the strategies I have mentioned here. What I am saying is that with so many strategies to choose from to promote your book, your goals, especially your long-term goals can help you choose the most effective strategies and keep you from drifting aimlessly from one strategy to the next with no results to show for it. And that means setting strategic author goals from the beginning.
Optimizing Your Author Journey: Quick Action Steps for Success
Implementing the ideas will streamline your author journey. Here are three quick actions:
Set Long-Term Goals: Dedicate a moment to envision your ultimate goals for writing a book. This clarity will guide your decisions throughout the process.
Define Reader’s Needs: Take a few minutes to jot down why your ideal reader needs your book. Understanding their needs ensures your content resonates deeply.
Prioritize Strategic Goals: Download the Ultimate Planning Guide for Nonfiction Authors to start planning your book today.
If you’d like support in selecting the right strategies for you, get in touch.
Keep writing and keep thriving,
Melody Ann
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