Building the Buzz: Day 31 Marketing is Never Done

We've finally reached the end of the month. Too bad you are no where near done.

Let's talk about your regularly scheduled programming of never ending marketing. Gah, please don't stab your eye out with a pencil. It would hurt and head wounds make a gigantic mess on your keyboard.

Here's the thing, unless your book takes on a life of its own ala Hunger Games or Harry Potter, it will only stay relevant as long as you keep it relevant. With new releases coming out all the time, your book has a shelf life. Without your help, it won't be very long.

But marketing is about more than just selling your book and keeping it in the public eye. It's about keeping you in the public eye. It means staying current so you don't have to start from scratch when your next book comes out.

You are going to write more books, right? Theoretically, the marketing should be easier each time as you build upon the previously established fan base. But this doesn't work if you let the fan base forget about you. Stay relevant with bonus content, twitter chats, and fan interaction. You don't have to be as present as during the initial marketing push, but don't disappear.

Also, spend this time between launches evaluating what worked and what didn't. Using your goals from yesterday, figure out what will stay on as part of your next marketing plan and what needs tweaking. It's never too early to start planning for the next book.

To make it as a writer, you need to treat your career like a business, because it is. Taking the time to evaluate and understand your marketing strategy is crucial in maintaining success.

I hope this month has given you new ideas and tips for your own marketing strategy. Take and use what works for you and toss out the rest. And when your neck deep in press releases, blog tour posts and arc requests, remind yourself that you're a writer. You have the best job on the planet.

For today's task, take a minute to appreciate that despite all the hard work, being an author is super cool. Then get back to work, you've got marketing plans to make. :)