You’ve finished your book. You’re sure it’s going to be a bestseller because why wouldn’t everyone want to read it? Maybe you’re right. But your book isn’t going to sell itself, and if no one hears about it, no one is going to buy it. Influencers, however, can change that.
Let’s start with the fact that if you’re like a lot of authors, the last thing you really want to do is market your work. You just spent months, if not years, writing the darn thing. Isn’t that enough?
Nope. It’s not.
Fortunately, you don’t have to push your own book as hard if you line up influencers to do that for you.
So who are influencers?
Yes, influencers include those online types who get tons of cash and goods to pedal their opinions. But they can also include everyone and everything from individuals to businesses and organizations.
On the people front, we have:
Authors who write books like yours and have big readerships
Bloggers, podcasters, or even individuals who focus on an issue that relates to your book
Book reviewers, librarians and bookstore owners
Teachers
And folks who for whatever reason have acquired a following.
But groups, business entities, and even large corporations can spread the word. If you’re writing a book that features a specific geographic area, you could do worse than dropping by the local Visitor’s Bureau with copies of your book. Do you write about mental health? Then approach mental health centers and associations as potential markets and marketers. Do your research. Businesses geared toward the same audience you’re writing for could do great things for you. Ditto for “forums and websites dedicated to the same topic/event/theme explored in the author’s book,” writes author Angela Ackerman in “How to Find and Reach Influencers to Help Promote Your Book.”
As Angela points out, once you identify potential influencers, you need to get on their radar–and not as yet another stranger asking for a favor. As you’ll see in Angela’s post, you need to establish a relationship with potential influencers well before you try to peddle your book. And you need to give as good as you get. That means figuring out how you can help them.
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