Time or Money?

Time or money? You must invest at least one to successfully market – and sell – your book.

When we are asked what is the “best” program for marketing books, the answer is most often that depends.

There are many great marketing programs and classes available to authors, but to make those programs worthwhile, authors will need to invest their own time, money or, for the best return on investment, both.

I strongly prefer when authors take an active approach to marketing and promotions for their book. That doesn’t necessarily mean taking the lead on their marketing plan or going it alone, but it does mean taking an active interest and going beyond shelling out money for a book promotion.

When we are asked what is the “best” program for marketing books, the answer is most often that depends.

How to tell the difference?

Here are a few things to keep in mind:

Does the program you are considering include follow up? Pitches to ANYONE do not work the first time. The secret to successful sales or PR pitches is in the follow-up. Paying for a one-shot mailing or a one-time push will most likely not result in the sales you are looking for.

In addition, the amount of money that you spend on a program can easily be saved if you are willing to spend time instead of money.

YOU can get reviews for your book.

YOU can pitch newspapers and magazines.

YOU can approach libraries and bookstores.

Consider spending a little time each day learning how to promote and participate in an active outreach plan. You might find that investing your TIME gets you a LOT more than investing your money.

That having been said, a great number of wonderful online and “real life” programs exist out there. I buy marketing, ads, and promotions all the time. I am just smart about which ones and never assume that my checkbook can completely replace my elbow grease.