The Slow Build Approach to Book Marketing

Every author and publisher wants to make a big splash. Especially with the “launch” of a new book. Note the use of the word “launch” — it’s not called a book trot or a book flutter, or even a book sashay. It’s a LAUNCH! So macho. So full of vim and vigor — and testosterone.

There’s nothing wrong with that. Making a big splash can be a wonderful thing. But many authors and publishers make the big splash the basis of their entire marketing plan. And that’s a big mistake.

As Seth Godin wrote recently on his blog:

“Great publicity is a treasured gift. But it’s hardly necessary, and the search for it is often a significant distraction.”

The surest path to book marketing success — especially for independent authors and publishers with a limited budget — is the long-term layered approach. Getting your message in front of your target audience repeatedly, little by little, over a long period of time.

Of course, this path isn’t nearly as sexy. It may not have you yucking it up on the set with John Stewart or Larry King next week. But I guarantee this …

If you have a message that’s worth spreading, this slow-build, layered strategy works. It’s what has allowed me to make a living as an author.

So, what is this approach?

It involves little by little, time after time, getting multiple exposures to the people who fit the profile of your ideal reader. Each impression you make probably won’t reach millions, or even thousands, of people. But that’s okay.

One week you might reach 75 people on someone’s blog, 250 people on a book review site, and another 50 people on Facebook. The following week you might be interviewed on a podcast heard by 400 people and covered in your local community paper with a circulation of 5,000. And on and on it goes.

Every day you seek out more exposure opportunities and celebrate whatever coverage you get — no matter how small. You keep seeking, keep celebrating, and keep spreading what you have to share.

Before long, the multiple exposures build on top of one another and gain momentum. It may be slow at first, and it may have stops and starts along the way, but it grows as you continue to share your message.

So what would you rather have? A big book launch that may or may not last?

Or a slow book promotion build that grows into something meaningful and long-lasting?

Bob Baker is the author of “Self-Publishing Success Secrets,” “How to Create a Major Book Buzz Online,” and “Guerrilla Music Marketing Handbook.” He is a full-time author, past president of the St. Louis Publishers Association, and a regular presenter at IPBA’s Publishing University. Download a no-cost copy of his “Self-Publishing Confidential” report at www.FullTimeAuthor.com.

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Bob Baker

Bob Baker got bitten by the music bug at age 11, when he sang a collection of Elvis songs (Presley, not Costello) in a living room full of cheering relatives. Something clicked in his young mind. "Hey, this music thing can be fun." By high school Bob was jamming in rock bands and filling VFW hall kegger parties with classic songs by Led Zeppelin, Black Sabbath and Jethro Tull. (Okay, this was the '70s, mind you.) By the early '80s, Bob was providing lead vocals and guitar duties for nightclub bands in St. Louis and surrounding areas. In the years that followed, Bob also put a lot of effort into writing songs and was drawn to melodic pop artists such as Crowded House, Cheap Trick, Squeeze and Elvis (only it was Costello this time). Bands he's been in over the years have produced three independent releases, on which Bob was a primary singer and songwriter. In 1987, Bob combined his love of music and feature writing and founded a St. Louis music magazine called Spotlight. Unlike other local publications, Spotlight focused on local artists and their activities. Not having much money to work with, Bob promoted his magazine using creative marketing tactics. He was soon appearing regularly in the St. Louis media discussing local music issues and for four years hosted his own music video program. The popularity of Spotlight magazine grew and became Bob's primary business for 10 years. Rockpress Publishing liked one of Bob's book ideas and published 101 Ways to Make Money in the Music Business in 1993. (He's often joked that his next book should be titled 1,001 Ways to Lose Money in the Music Business.) Being a published author got Bob excited about information publishing. He started writing a regular column in his magazine filled with tips that musicians could use to promote themselves better. He offered the column to other music magazines around the U.S. The book and the columns allowed Bob to get his message to a national and international audience. From 1993 to 1997, Bob also served as director of the St. Louis Regional Music Showcase, the annual music conference he founded. Once a year for five years, more than 100 artists from a 10-state region convened in St. Louis for three nights of showcases and two days of industry workshops. Organizing the annual event became one of the most challenging and rewarding experiences of Bob's life. In 1994, Bob signed up for an AOL account and joined the wired world. He soon started publishing an e-mail newsletter filled with his music marketing tips -- one of the first e-zines of its kind on the Internet. Some time later The Buzz Factor web site was launched and Bob was hooked on the potential of the Net. Bob put Spotlight magazine to rest in 1997 and has since been pouring his energies into writing and marketing his indie music marketing expertise. Over the years he has self-published a number of how-to titles, including his bestselling book "Guerrilla Music Marketing Handbook" (which recently made an appearance in the major motion picture School of Rock). Bob has been a panelist at SXSW and the Nashville New Music Conference. He's been featured in Music Connection, VIBE, American Songwriter, Canadian Musician and Electronic Musician magazines, among others. In 2001, Top Floor Publishing released Bob's "Branding Yourself Online: How to Use the Internet to Become a Celebrity or Expert in Your Field." In 2003, Bob released his newest book, "Unleash the Artist Within: Four Weeks to Transforming Your Creative Talents Into More Recognition, More Profit and More Fun." In addition to writing and presenting workshops, today Bob spends a lot of time with his daughter, Kelli-Rae. He serves as president of the St. Louis Publishers Association, and continues to write and perform music as much as time allows. Curious about what Bob's music sounds like? Take a listen to his old band, Roomful of Jimmys.

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Comments

Bookmarketing Noob says:

November 15, 2008 at 9:09 am

Good article. This is the approach I have been using, just trying to do a little marketing every day. I don’t want to stop writing, so this balanced approach seems to fit me and my abilities the best. Good to know others find it appropriate as well.
Walt Shiel says:

November 16, 2008 at 2:48 pm

I agree 100%, Bob.

I usually try to refocus people from aiming for that big “flash in the pan” approach to one involving endurance, believing wholeheartedly that self- and micro-publishers make money by continuing to promote what the NYC Big Seven would call their backlists than by putting all their efforts on trying to make one book into an “instant” success.

In fact, I blogged about it last year under the heading Flash in the Pan or Endurance?.

It’s not always easy to persuade people to go for the long, slow, steady approach, however.

Walt Shiel
Publisher
Slipdown Mountain Publications LLC
Elaine Williams says:

November 17, 2008 at 9:10 pm

Great article. I’ve been working on this approach. I started blogging in January 2008, and at the time I didn’t know what facebook or social networking was on the internet. Now, after writing almost 50 articles on loss and grief, syndicating the articles and placing them on the top article sites, my articles are showing up everywhere. I’ve been asked to contribute to ezines and regular publications. It’s been a slow process, but it’s garnered an interview in US News and World Report and almost a dozen radio interviews. In January, if you googled my name, there was nothing. Now, you can still find my name on the 8th page of a google search.
D.K. Causey says:

November 18, 2008 at 11:01 am

Good article Bob… I would add that in these times the author must view him or herself as a promoter and that the blogs and internet communities are an important–but maybe not quite as much as good old-fashioned pressing the flesh… I’m not talking about going door-to-door, rather using the same creativity that produced the book as means to market it…

In my case, I take Taxman to Starbucks coffee houses where I buy a ten dollar Starbucks card in exchange for a chance to do booksignings… At the book signings I encourage buyers to go the website and write a review (taxmanthenovel.com), explaining that we give away a couple of Starbucks cards in random drawings of those who have written reviews… These events only sell about a dozen copies of the book, but the buzz potential of those reviews is huge…

D.K. Causey
Author
Taxman
Mike Shreve says:

November 27, 2008 at 7:47 pm

I tried to download your book “How to create a book buzz online” and got partially throught the process. You may have already charged my credit card but I did not get through the files. Please contact me at 423-991-6862.
Janet White says:

December 9, 2008 at 2:41 pm

As a former business to business publicist and now author of the world’s first manual to using the Law of Attraction (“The Secret”) to getting the job you want, all I can say to your post is “Hallelujah! Someone else gets it!”

Traditional book marketing is focused on the “splash” method of publicity simply because it is geared towards the traditional book publishing mechanism: you gotta drive sales because if the books don’t sell, the book stores send ‘em back.

But since self-published authors like me do most of their sales outside of bookstores, the “drip” method of slowly building a following is much more effective if you want long term success. It’s true for books and businesses as well.

Janet White
Secrets of the Hidden Job Market: Change Your Thinking to Get the Job of Your Dreams
http://www.jobmarketsecrets.com
E. Ritz says:

December 30, 2008 at 4:57 pm

Love the article. I totally agree with Bob. I am just starting out in the publishing world and I am finding the slow build approach quite daunting. Is there a site or a book that lists the steps to take to market a book successfully. I am doing all the things listed in the article, but I am not sure if I am doing things correctly. I have read a quite a bit on the internet, but everything seems kinda vague. As much as I love making mistakes, I would love to have a better map to follow.

E. Ritz
Author/Publisher
http://www.deansdiggers.com
Design Revolutions Media, LLC