No readership is identical. There are so many diverse book communities, and there is no one size fits all approach when it comes to book marketing. That’s in part what can make it intimidating, as so much individual attention needs to be paid to fostering these online communities. This is what creates what I perceive as the gap in book marketing, where many authors are left to be the main marketers of their books. I founded Bookish Media Strategy after a string of events that opened my eyes to this need for increased author support in promoting their books online. Bookish’s mission is to help authors grow their social media presences through the power of strategic marketing and to take a highly individualized approach while doing so.
Now I mean this as no shade towards the publishing industry at all, as it is simply impossible given the ratio of book marketers to books published for each book to be given the level of attention it needs to have the most success possible. This is especially true for indie and self-published authors, who often have less professional marketers at their disposal.
But here lies the problem: the vast majority of authors do not have the tools or background in marketing, especially in analysis and strategy, to confidently market their books. This is not to say that many don’t do a great job: they do. This is to say that the process of marketing your own books can be stressful, and many authors feel left in the dark on how to effectively do so. In an ideal world, the biggest chunk of an author’s time would be spent writing. In a realistic world, it is spent promoting their books. What their time should not be spent on is stressing about how to promote their books.
This is where Bookish comes in. To clarify, I by no means wish to personally market as many books as possible to alleviate the burden from authors, as I, alas, am only one person. Rather I wish to provide the insight and tools for authors to be their biggest promoters, all in a sustainable fashion. Through analysis, I’ve looked at what’s working, who the author’s audience is, and what other authors in their market are having success with. My approach to marketing and strategy follows the core values of appreciative inquiry, which means finding what’s working and expanding on that, rather than focusing on the negative.
I hope for Bookish to eventually start a community of its own, where authors can share with others their own tips and questions regarding book marketing. So many authors are having increasing success in the online space, and at the heart of this is avid and strategic self-promotion. By demystifying what it means to strategically market books through online community building, I hope for Bookish Media Strategy to start a conversation on how the avenues in which authors are supported in growing their readership.
If you’re interested in Bookish Media Strategy’s services, be it social media analysis, strategy, or management, email Maggie at bookishmediastrategy@gmail.com.
Bookish Media Strategy 