Aloha from Karen Whiting

Proposals are important even if you plan to self-publish. They layout a plan for the book and help you define the purpose, competition, and marketing plans. The marketing section of a proposal is becoming more important all the time, so let’s focus on that!

There are five main areas you can spend time and money on marketing:

•     Social networking
•     Online presence
•     Print-articles, rack cards, etc
•     Media
•     Speaking and events

In my proposals I try to touch on what I can do for the book specifically in each area.

Avoid stating you are willing to do something, like speaking or radio interviews. Instead, show your ability and experience. For example, state that you have had speaker training and list a few topics you will develop related to the book’s topic.

Do come up with unique plans for your book. So, if you plan to develop Pinterest boards for the book, you might plan board for each subtopic or a board that shows how churches can create an event (I developed a Princess Party board for My Princess Devotions book).

Let’s look at each area:

1. Social networking

Build a following, but try to find followers that will be your readers, not just any follower. It’s easy to have other authors follow you. Find followers through #s who share an interest in your topic or genre. Engage those readers with discussions and questions related to your books. Then you can mention that you are developing a targeted following. Note what posts garner the most interest and continue to post and retweet similar ones.

For blogs, it can be better to be part of a group of bloggers than a solo blogger. I am part of a Christian children’s blog and part of a blog for families (just18summers.com) because we have a collective group drawing followers.

It’s also good to find the curators who will mention you in their posts. A recommendation from a well-followed person can go a long way in promoting a book.

Social networking is interactive, so consider how to harness the power.

Thus, in the marketing proposal, you can state that you will:

• Develop Pinterest pages and have it ready to launch on the date of the release.
• Focus social media conversations on  ____________
• Continue to build follower. That you have XXXX number collectively from all your social outlets (FB+twitter+Pinterest+google, etc) or name the one that has at least 10K followers.

I’ll continue this on September 10th!

Karen Whiting