In my last blog post, we looked at some of the marketing methods that you can use for your nonfiction book, specifically those in the time leading up to the launch. In this blog post, we will be jumping forward to after the launch and the different types of marketing that you can use then. Nevertheless, you will still want to have these methods set up and ready to go before the launch, so it is worth planning well in advance.
Why is Nonfiction Different?
Marketing a nonfiction book isn’t the same as working to market a fiction one. You want to make sure you appeal to your chosen audience and need the right way to be found, so you will need to use a different approach for a nonfiction book.
Firstly, the way readers find your book will be different. Fiction readers will often find a new book by looking at suggestions generated by online selling platforms such as Amazon or be looking for a particular genre. This means that they can stumble across your book by chance and then get hooked by an intriguing description and cover.
However, if your book is nonfiction, there is much less chance of finding new readers this way. People tend to know exactly what they are looking for with a nonfiction book, so you will need to give extra attention to your keywords to make sure they are accurate.
The other way marketing nonfiction is different is that you can’t really rely on price promotions. Many fiction books have offers to gather reviews and rise in the search results. If there is a series, the first book is often free to encourage new readers. Nonfiction books tend to be more expensive to begin with and stay at this price.
Marketing Your Book
The first step is to have an ongoing plan ready for after the launch. You don’t want to have a great launch, but nothing planned for after this so that your book loses any momentum it gained. Again, think about who your audience is and how you can get your book to them. These might not necessarily be the same people who buy your book at the launch.
Maybe your goal is actually to boost your own name by selling your book, rather than making a profit on it. In this way, you can see your book as a sort of investment in business cards, making sure people discover and remember you. If this is your goal, you could consider giving your book away to gain new clients, who will presumably bring in money to balance out the loss you are making on the book.
There are a few different ways you can keep up interest in your book, which we will look at below.
Mailing List
One of the most important ways to reach your audience is to build a mailing list. You will want one before you launch your book anyway but try to keep expanding it even after you have published. Make sure you have an obvious link to it on your website. You could try offering an incentive to people to encourage them to sign up, such as access to additional resources. You can then use your mailing list to promote your book, perhaps sending out extracts or offering a discount on the cover price.
Speaking Engagements
You can also try to get a spot in conferences or panels. First, research where your readers will be. If your book is about gardening, for example, you would want to approach local gardening clubs.
Once you have an engagement, plan what you are going to say! Try to focus on this rather than how many copies you might sell. Make your speech as interesting as possible and sales should follow without you having to mention your book too often. Once in your introduction and again at the end should be fine.
In addition, make sure you contact organisers in plenty of time. This means that they will be more likely to have a slot and take anything you need into account. It also gives you more time to prepare and advertise to your audience.
Videos
Another good way to market your nonfiction book is to make videos about your subject area. If possible, you can use your book to help you plan these. If you create free resources targeted at your audience, they should find these and then consider buying your book for more detail and information on different areas.
Wrapping Up
I hope that you now have some post-launch plans in place. In my next blog post, we will be considering how you can self-edit your nonfiction book before professional editing, so come back in two weeks for that!
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