In Addition...What Might Have Been in Marketing Your Book on a Budget

I have recently connected with a great group on Facebook. It's called Review Seekers. Just two days later I have 4 new reviews published and more to come.

Since obtaining honest reviews (and that means not paying for them) is a struggle at times, it's good when you have a place to get them.

But, as I've said before, a review (even a good review) will not only tell you what the reviewer liked, but what they found missing. And this was the case with one review in particular. The two questions unanswered were basically:

1: How do you get speaking engagements? I know you should have them but how do you get them?
2: How do you make the most of a radio show? I would have liked to have seen some pointers.

Let's tackle #1. Getting speaking engagements isn't always easy. And even if you get that speaking engagement, it isn't always easy to bring in the numbers. This is what I've done.

First, I piggyback with a well-known conference. For example, to get in to the last LDS Storymakers conference, I found out through a web search who was in charge. I emailed them, spelling out what classes I offered. They were interested in one of them and replied, stating that they could only pay a small amount to have me come but that I could sell my books. This conference caps at 400 attendees, so I knew the numbers would be there. The conference was well worth my time. I met some great people, sold some books, and even got away with my husband for a little honeymoon.

Second, I make sure that my website lists classes I offer and that my contact information is easy to find.

Third, I make up postcards to hand out where I can. I use these postcards all of the time. That means whenever there's even a slight chance of someone asking me to speak (even to a small group) I hand them a card. If I can get their information, even better. A follow up call or email will sometimes yield a speaking engagement.

On to #2. Radio shows are not easy to get, but blog radio shows aren't too difficult. Look for folks who are just beginning their radio stint and are hungry for interviewee's. Join writer oriented social networking groups and keep tabs on those who ask for authors to interview. During the interview, be honest. Try to relax. This isn't always easy, so tell yourself you're just talking to a friend. Selling tons of copies of your book after the program shouldn't be as important as helping fulfill the needs of your readers. For example, one radio program I was on wanted to know about my book, Scrambled. I brought out that although it was fiction, the main character, Susan, goes through much of what women go through when trying to decide whether to remain with their husband or leave him.

Make your book relevant to the lives of your readers and you will gain interest and possibly some new sales.

What I've learned about writing a book is that you won't please everyone. The good news is that, especially with my marketing book, where yearly updates are the rule, I can always improve upon what is currently working for writers and make it better.

Something we all want.