Thousands of people want to be successful with their writing careers, but few succeed, and it is not for the reasons you may think. For many of today’s aspiring writers, talent has less to do with success than marketing does. Being able to string text together like a beautifully woven tapestry just is not enough, you have to be a savvy marketer too. But, how do you do it? While there are many ways to get on the path to writing success, there are four tried and roads that lead to writing riches.
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Get a Website
Every writer, professional and amateur alike, needs to have a website. To help their fans find them, many writers select their own name as their domain name. For example, popular writers like Anne Rice chose www.annerice.com. This way the authors can link to their books, eBooks and other bodies of work easily, aiding them in their self-promotion efforts. Of course, smart writers also know that every website also needs a compelling blog to keep their fans up to date on what they are doing, what they are working on and to help create some buzz about anything that they may have in the works – hint, hint.
Use Social Media as a Tool
Connecting with readers, fans and other authors using social media is an excellent way to promote your articles, books or eBooks for next to nothing, if not completely free. The trick is to promote your work selectively, and realize that social media is for more than just promoting your latest blog. Readers want a glimpse into your personal life, your thoughts and most are looking for something a little meatier than just updates on your work. Of course you should always link your best work, but also remember to give your fans little nuggets of wisdom and a few personal updates too. If you only promote items you write, you can come off more like a spammer and less like a legitimate author.
Network Constantly
Online and offline networking is essential to every author, regardless of venue. People buy people, not just words. When you make yourself accessible to readers and help them feel like they know you, they are much more inclined to buy what you are selling. Go to networking events, talk to other authors, follow other people’s blogs and never shy away from leaving a comment.
Scheduling your Marketing
Every good marketing plan needs a schedule. The most effective way to find a marketing schedule that works for you is to carve out some time each day that you can commit to devote to doing nothing but market yourself. This could be a few hours, or even an entire day. Of course, remember, the more you market yourself, the better your exposure, and that means more readers, more clicks and more sales of whatever you have in print or online.
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The bottom line is that if you want to achieve success as a writer, you have to know how to market yourself, and if you follow these four tips, you’ll be closer to success than ever before.