As you may remember in my other article, How to Get Your Story Heard, we touched on five compelling yet easy steps that you can take to get your story heard. In this article, you will learn some best practices on how to get your story noticed through a hybrid of grassroots and traditional marketing efforts.

First, let’s perform a quick recap from the article, How to Get Your Story Heard, to provide you with more clarity for creating your marketing piece. It is imperative that you work through the following steps first before you begin the marketing process:

#1 Know your target audience. This will help to maintain your focus on your chosen genre.

#2 Create a synopsis of the book and send it out to about 7-10 people, to get their input. The synopsis outlines the contents of the book, and you will see it on the back of any book, along with the author’s biography.

#3 Perform some research and study the creativity of your favorite author. What is it about their work that interests you?  

#4 Make the book relevant for the reader. Set the stage and create the environment. Give the reader something that interests them.

#5 Set out to tell a compelling story. Focus on the content and not the number of pages.

While there are various ways to market your business, from making the right connections to grassroots marketing, one thing to remember is that others are interested in what you have to say. Authors such as Joyce Meyers and Stephen King touch the essence of their readers with their messages; from spirituality to horror, suspense and sci-fi/fantasy. In order to get noticed, here are a few easy steps to get your book in front of your readers.

#1 Be ready to take the challenge.

Even if you have a team, you will still have to wear many hats because it’s your story. It is important to have an idea as to how you want your image and message to be conveyed. This is the first key to your success.

#2 Who is your target audience?

How do you connect with them? Learning about the demographics of your target audience will help you to determine how to market to them. Are they Baby Boomers or millennials?  Would they find you by word-of-mouth or primarily through social media?

#3 Create an action plan.

Whether you self-publish or decide to partner with a national publisher, like Simon & Schuster, you must have a plan of action. In most cases, a national publisher, as well as a retailer, requires a marketing plan before working with you.

#4 Gather a team to help you turn your plans into action.

Obtain professional services from a copy editor to a graphic designer to help you to develop your finished product.

These are some of the same steps that your favorite well-known authors are performing to get their stories noticed. Remember, whether it is an e-book, audiobook or printed book, the processes are all the same. As a novice author, you are competing in the open marketplace with millions of artists, even your favorite authors.

Make your work stand out by operating as a professional and your story will be heard.