Marketing for Writers – Guest Post by Bill Arnott
You may not be aware of it but if you’re a writer, you’re an entrepreneur. Whether you publish traditionally or do it yourself, you own a business, and every business owner needs to know their market, as well as create and promote their brand. Here are some marketing essentials – the key elements – every author should know, along with actionable items you can implement now.
The Key Elements of a Marketing Plan:
Do a SWOT Analysis. Identify your Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities, and Threats. Specifically, know what you do well, what needs to improve, where you can excel, and your competition. Apply this to your own situation, as a writer, and as an ongoing business concern. Identify your market, including prospective readers and books you compete with. Knowing your voice as a writer is critical. Don’t be tempted to chase trends. If it’s hot, it’s probably past.
Create a Strategic Vision Statement. From big picture, long term strategies to tactical, short term goals. Dream big then implement with precision. Understanding WHY you do what you do is more important than knowing HOW. The ‘how’ can be learned. Only you know your ‘why.’
Design SMART Goals. Make your forecasts, goals, and objectives Specific, Measurable, Attainable (with effort), Relevant, and Timely (with deadlines). It’s imperative you be able to qualify and quantify your goals. Intangible (unquantified) goals are unattainable.
Make a Budget. Recognize the costs associated with your business. Knowing your numbers sets you apart from a scrambling entrepreneur wanna-be. Your revenue and expense records might be simple, but they can effectively identify your cost components – software subscriptions, hardware upgrades, courses, research material, travelling to and from reading events and writing groups, and the promotional pieces you finance, with or without a publisher.
These elements represent a primer, the essentials required to ensure you as a writer are a thriving business entity. Even with a publishing, publicity, and distribution team, understanding what you need to do and how to do it can only improve your writing career. Your success is up to you.
Bill Arnott is the bestselling author of the Gone Viking travel memoirs. @billarnott_aps
