Skip to main content

Online Marketing For Busy Authors



"There has never been a better time to be an author," says Fauzia Burke, "because for the first time authors have direct access to their readers. While there is more competition in the marketplace, there is also more opportunity."

However, "readers don't just expect a new book, they expect a community along with their book. You'll need to evolve your marketing to accommodate this new kind of reader: a reader whose loyalty you can have -- once you have earned it," explains Burke.

Because of this new dynamic and opportunity for authors, Burke, founder and president of FSB Associates, wrote her new book, Online Marketing for Busy Authors: A Step-by-Step Guide.

Burke has been promoting books online for twenty years and her book addresses the major concern of most authors: how to spend their time effectively promoting their book and expanding they brands online while writing the best book possible.

The book is organized in three phases:
  1. Understanding personal branding and why it is important to you.
  2. Turning your priorities into action.
  3. Staying the course and how to continue working without feeling burnout.
Burke covers these topics, as well:
  • Building your website
  • Blogging
  • Fan mailing lists
  • Social media and social networking
  • Promoting without being promotional
Today, Burke answered these questions about her book:

Question & Answer with Fauzia Burke


Author of Online Marketing for Busy Authors: A Step-by-Step Guide

Question: Do you believe many authors confuse the need for a blog versus the need for a website, and why is that?

Burke: I think there is a lot of confusing terminology and information on the web. It's easy for authors to get lost. My philosophy is authors need both a website to present the story of their career, and a blog to share the value of their expertise and writing style.

A website is an extension of a resume and it helps authors build trust with their readers. Which is why it is so important to have a professional website. People do judge a book by its cover, and they judge an author's professionalism and quality of writing by the look of their website. That's why I tell authors that it's better to not have a website than to have a poorly designed and outdated one.

Here's some good news though. Despite popular belief, a good website doesn't have to be expensive or complicated. Authors can keep it simple. WordPress is a great platform because it's author-friendly, easy-to-use and easy for people to find (good search capabilities). Some of my clients are starting to use Squarespace with some success.

Blogs continue to be the best way for authors to drive traffic to their website and build an author platform. A blog is also the foundation of an author's online marketing strategy because it helps people find and learn from that author. As I say to authors, "If people can't find you, they can't buy your books." Authors can blog on their own websites, or better yet, blog for a bigger site to get more exposure. LinkedIn and Medium make it easy for everyone to blog and build a following.

Question: What are the primary reasons for an author to engage a publicist even if they glean great tips and techniques from your book?

Burke: My book is an excellent place to start learning how to build an online platform. There are also many other good books on marketing and on DIY publicity. Book publicity is not rocket science, but it is time consuming and labor intensive. In my experience, most authors would rather write their next book than spend hours and hours chasing down publicity options.

Plus, marketing and publicity is more complicated today (even for professionals) due to numerous options and ever-changing social media landscape, but it is also more exciting and measurable than ever before. Ideally, where authors spend their money, time and talent should be a calculated and customized decision, and with the right advisor/publicist, it can be.

When you work directly with a publicity firm, you are paying for their time, expertise, advice and valuable access to media contacts and established relationships. With the right connections, you will get more quality media exposure for your book and in less time.



Question: Why is it so important to create the reader profile?

Burke: As authors we might hope the book we write appeals to the masses, but books and online marketing efforts are a lot more successful when we know the audience we are targeting. As I tell my clients, there is no everyone.com.

It's important for authors to know their audience, because then every piece of content they create will be on target with their readership. And when they begin to formulate their online marketing strategy they will have a better idea of where to find their audience and what that audience needs from them.

The identification of the majority of our readers is directly related to the quality of our marketing plan. Knowing your readers will save you valuable time and help you make better decisions with your time, resources and efforts.


Fauzia Burke is the founder and president of FSB Associates, an online publicity and marketing firm specializing in creating awareness for books and authors. 

Fauzia has promoted the books of authors such as Alan Alda, Arianna Huffington, Deepak Chopra, Melissa Francis, S. C. Gwynne, Mika Brzezinski, Charles Spencer and many more. A nationally recognized speaker and online branding expert, Fauzia writes for the Huffington Post, Maria Shriver and MindBodyGreen. For online marketing, book publishing and social media advice, follow Fauzia on Twitter (@FauziaBurke) and Facebook (Fauzia S. Burke). For more information on the book, please visit: www.FauziaBurke.com.

Comments

Popular posts from this blog

Effective Listening: Do's And Don'ts

Here are some great tips from Michelle Tillis Lederman's book, The 11 Laws of Likability .  They are all about: what to do and what not to do to be a leader who's an effective listener : Do : Maintain eye contact Limit your talking Focus on the speaker Ask questions Manage your emotions Listen with your eyes and ears Listen for ideas and opportunities Remain open to the conversation Confirm understanding, paraphrase Give nonverbal messages that you are listening (nod, smile) Ignore distractions Don't : Interrupt Show signs of impatience Judge or argue mentally Multitask during a conversation Project your ideas Think about what to say next Have expectations or preconceived ideas Become defensive or assume you are being attacked Use condescending, aggressive, or closed body language Listen with biases or closed to new ideas Jump to conclusions or finish someone's sentences

6 Ways To Seek Feedback To Improve Your Performance In The Workplace

Getting feedback is an important way to improve performance at work. But sometimes, it can be hard to seek out, and even harder to hear.  “Feedback is all around you. Your job is to find it, both through asking directly and observing it,” says David L. Van Rooy, author of the new book,  Trajectory: 7 Career Strategies to Take You From Where You Are to Where You Want to Be . As today's guest post, Van Rooy offers these  six tips for how to get the feedback you need to improve performance at work . Guest Post By David L. Van Rooy 1.       Don’t forget to as k :  One of the biggest mistakes people make is assuming things are going perfectly (until they make a catastrophic mistake). By not asking, you’re missing out on opportunities for deep feedback: the difficult, critical feedback that gives you constructive ways to improve. 2.       Make sure you listen :  Remember, getting feedback is about improving your performance, not turning it into a “you versus the

REI Sets The Example For Creating And Living Core Values

Are you a leader who is struggling with how to write your company's core values? You can learn from Recreational Equipment Incorporated , better known as REI -- an outdoor gear and apparel co-op.  As described in Amy Lyman's new book, The Trustworthy Leader , REI concisely articulates its core values in this series of statements: Authenticity -- We are true to the outdoors. Quality -- We provide trustworthy products and services Service -- We serve others with expertise and enthusiasm. Respect -- We listen and learn form each other. Integrity -- We live by a code of rock-solid ethics, honesty, and decency. Balance -- We encourage each other to enjoy all aspects of life. "The words contained in the values are not much different from those found in the value statements of any organization. So what makes it different at REI?  The people at REI actively seek to live out their values ," explains Lyman.

Good Sample Business Principles

I really like these 10 guiding business principles that San Antonio, TX headquartered insurance company  USAA  lives by: Exceed customer expectations Live the Golden Rule (treat others with courtesy and respect) Be a leader Participate and contribute Pursue excellence Work as a team Share knowledge Keep it simple (make it easy for customers to do business with us and for us to work together) Listen and communicate Have fun Too many companies don't make it simple for their customers to do business with them.  Is it easy for your customers to: Buy from you? Make returns? Get pricing and terms? Receive timely responses to their e-mails? Quickly get answers when phoning your company? You can find more examples of companies with impressive guiding principles in the book, 1001 Ways To Energize Employees .

How To Be A Modern Day Legacy Builder

Legacy in the Making is the fascinating book where authors Mark Miller and Lucas Conley provide readers a toolkit for how to be a modern day legacy builder for your company/brand.   The tool kit provides the roadmap for leaders who can harness the power of long-term thinking in a short-term world; the skill needed to create a modern day legacy. The fascinating part of the book is the stories from the authors’ exclusive interviews with modern legacy thinkers who are transforming business as we know it – stories from The Honest Company , Grey Goose , Taylor Guitars , Girls Who Code , and the San Diego Zoo . “These are the legacy builders that are out-performing rivals, attracting and keeping the best talent, and changing the way others engage with their work and think about their own legacies in the making,” explain the authors. Modern day legacy building is a new kind of legacy creation that simultaneously encompasses what was and what will be

Regularly Ask Your Employees These Six Questions

As explained in  John Baldoni 's, book,   Lead With Purpose ,  Marshall Goldsmith  suggests all leaders make it a habit to regularly ask their employees these  six questions : Where do you think we should be going? Where do you think you and your part of the business should be going? What do you think you're doing well? If you were the leader, what ideas would you have for you? How can I help? What suggestions or ideas do you have for me?

Sample Of Solid Business Guiding Principles

I really like these  10 guiding business principles  that San Antonio, TX headquartered insurance company  USAA has lived by: Exceed customer expectations Live the Golden Rule (treat others with courtesy and respect) Be a leader Participate and contribute Pursue excellence Work as a team Share knowledge Keep it simple (make it easy for customers to do business with us and for us to work together) Listen and communicate Have fun Too many companies don't make it simple for their customers to do business with them. Is it easy for your customers to: Buy from you? Make returns? Get pricing and terms? Receive timely responses to their e-mails? Quickly get answers when phoning your company? You can find more examples of companies with impressive guiding principles in the book,  1001 Ways To Energize Employee s .

Your New Leader 100-Day Action Plan

  There are  seven major onboarding land mines that you are likely to come across as a new leader  and there are specific points in the  first 100 days  where you are most likely to encounter them, explain authors: George Brant Jayme A. Check Jorge Pedraza ...in their third edition of,  The New Leader's 100-Day Action Plan . Ill-prepared, without a plan, and lacking proper onboarding, the land mines will get you. And, if you miss one or more of the critical tasks that must be accomplished in your first 100 days, you'll likely fail. The book is packed with: Examples and case studies Action plans Tools, techniques and tricks of the trade The authors also explain why  you need to start even before your official first day on the job . For example: Cultural engagement  is extremely important in a successful transition; and it is essential that you know what your cultural engagement plan will be  before  walking in the door for Day One. A new leader's role begins as soon as you a

How To Create A More Inclusive Workplace

In her new book, Rising Together , Sally Helgesen draws on three decades of work with leaders and aspiring leaders around the world to offer practical ways to build more inclusive relationships, teams and workplaces.   The first part of the book identifies eight common triggers that undermine our ability to connect with people whole history and values may be different from our own. The second part of the book offers simple and very specific everyday practices that enable us—as individuals, in our organizations, on our teams—to create cultures of belonging.   Helgesen defines a culture of belonging is one in which the largest possible percentage of people:   Feel ownership in the organization, viewing it as “we,” and “they.” Believe they are valued for their potential as well as their contributions. Perceive that how they matter is not strictly tied to their positional power.   Rising Together is for readers at every stage and level in their careers who recognize that buil

The Six Dimensions Of A Healthy Leader

In  Bob Rosen ’s book,  Grounded: How Leaders Stay Rooted In An Uncertain World , he explains that there are  six dimensions of being a healthy leader : Physical health : how you live. How you manage your mind and body – managing your energy and living a peak performance lifestyle. Emotional health : how you feel. This is about being self-aware and having positive emotions and the ability to be resilient, catching yourself when you have a counterproductive thought. This also includes seeking feedback from others about how you act and trying to be more reflective. Intellectual health : how you think. This is about asking questions, being deeply curious and seeing changes as an opportunity to grow, learn and reassess the way you see and talk about the world. Social health : how you interact. This is about authenticity. How do you build relationships? Are you being honest about yourself? Are you comfortable being vulnerable? Do you consider other people’s viewpoints? Vocational health : h