It's World Book Day!!!
And nope, we're not going to let the COVID-19 get us down. For authors...especially those who need to actively promote right now (don't we always need to promote?)... this means difficult times. PR by the Book's Author to Influencer Accelerator reached out to me with 5-Tips they have for authors during this time.
So, I thought I'd help them spread the word and share.
5 Tips for Authors to Promote during COVID-19
- Pitch to media strategically
Despite the total saturation of the media, there are still ways that you can break through the noise with your pitches. People are looking for distractions from the scary hard news and many will spend extra time at home reading books, getting caught up on their wishlist of titles, so play to this need.
- Engage with your fans on social media
People are spending much more time on social media. This creates an opportunity for social media promotions with lots of “lives” since people at home will be scrolling through Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.
- Audit content that you have put out in the past
Most people have never heard of a social media audit. But, how can you know what content to post if you don’t know how your content is performing? Most social media platforms make it easy to look at metrics, so you shouldn’t have to spend too much time tracking down numbers.
Once you know which types of content are performing the best, then you can tailor your future content and post more of what resonates with your audience.
- Take time to develop new content
When you have extra time on your hands – like now, one of the best things you can do is create content that you can release in the future. Consider breaking down your book’s major points into bite size pieces. You shouldn’t give away all your book’s secrets, but you can share important bits of information to entice readers into wanting more and positioning yourself as an authority in those areas.
- Build out a content calendar
Once you have content ready to go, it’s best to organize it by using a content calendar. If you plan out what you are posting in advance, releasing content on a daily basis won’t be nearly as overwhelming.
Are you in Texas? Ah, neither am I... BUT if you are...
You can join in celebrating Texas Writers Month this May. Texas Writer’s Month began in 1994 as an effort to get Texas bookstores and media outlets to feature their local authors more prominently and a way for the community at large to celebrate the craft of writing and the work that goes into publishing books.
They've also launched the Author to Influencer Accelerator, a DIY membership community for authors who don’t have the budget to hire a professional to take them from preparation through promotion on their book journey. The Author to Influencer Accelerator offers an ideal way for authors to tap into what they need to do during this time of quarantine. These tips are based on lessons that our members are learning in the accelerator to promote their books.
About the Author to Influencer Accelerator:
Doing their part to promote a digital learning platform and community during this time of sheltering-in-place, PR by the Book has launched a DIY membership community for authors who don’t have the budget to hire a professional to take them from preparation through promotion on their book journey. Due to folks being at home, able to spend more time online, learning and applying those skills, PR by the Book cut the price in half for the month of April.
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AND THERE'S MORE...
My publisher, Dancing Lemur Press LLC's own Diane L. Wolfe, is offering a How To Publish Your Book Now Webinar!
You can find out more information about this one here!
So, how's this entire 'stay-at-home' period treating you and your writing? I hope you're getting more done that I am (I've written an entire 500 words in 3 weeks.) Are you trying to promote right now? Have you heard any great tips lately or had a few ideas yourself?
