5 Ways to Prepare to Market Your Book While You’re Still Writing It

If you’re waiting until your book is out in the world to star marketing, you’re already so far behind. It doesn’t matter where you are on your book’s journey, NOW is the time to start marketing.

This week on RT TV we talked about 5 Ways to Prepare To Market Your Book While You’re Still Writing It. Check out the episode here:

 

And here’s the short and sweet version:

 

So let’s get to it. How do you market a book you are still writing? Actually, it’s pretty simple AND it will make your life SO. MUCH. EASIER. later on, so here it is:

 

Step 1.) Photograph everything.

I’m talking your writing desk, the poolside chair you’re sitting in as you edit, the latte you drank while writing the fight scene, the leaf that fell on your notebook while you were mapping out your story, the waterfall you visited on that research trip, the hotel room you were staying in when you wrote the ending, the dog sitting on your foot when you wrote the first time your characters met, the selfie you took sitting in your car when your beta read told you they loved it, and the pen you used to write your list of ideas for titles. Every. Thing.

You’re going to then use these later, so create a file for these photos and keep them in one place. Label them if you’re worried you’ll forget what it is (let’s pretend publishing takes more than a few days lol)

These are things you’ll pull out for interviews, your Instagram page, your blog, or as extra special stories for your street team.

 

Step2.) Video everything.

Want the list again? No?

I want you to videotape everything. Flip your phone camera to record and film yourself writing and talking. Film scenery that looks like something from your book. Describe where you see the scene playing out in the one you are recording. Take fans on a tour of your writing space. Film yourself talking about the book. Film yourself walking through the cool scene you found on your research trip.

Even if you’re nervous about being on film, do it anyway. Just because it’s filmed doesn’t mean you have to use it, but if you don’t film it, you can never use it if you change your mind. At the very least, you’ll have a cool memento for yourself.

Create a folder and keep everything together. Pull it out for interviews, behind the scenes on your website, or use small clips for social media.

 

Step 3.) Create a side document with stories and facts about your book.

Write down any facts that didn’t make it in the book. List deleted scenes. Write down a fact you meant to write about your main guy, forgot, wrote around, and then couldn’t work back in later. List the time you spilled your coffee and it miraculously missed your laptop, saving your scene. Put the time you did something silly that inspired that scene in your book. Make note of the way your dog always knew when you were getting to the best part of the scene and would come over and whine until you played with them. Write the behind the scenes story of how a particular scene came to be. Talk about the character you didn’t know would exist, how they forced their way into your story, demanded a bigger part, and then changed everything you had planned. Now tell me your nickname for them when you were complaining to your writer friend about the character.

Every little thing you don’t think is important is going to become a story you’re going to cherish when you look back on all of this. Oh yeah, and it’s great for interviews.

BONUS DOWNLOADABLE FREEBIE

Because I never leave you to do this on your own, I’ve got a free PDF for you full of questions to answer about your book that will give you an awesome list of stories and facts for every manuscript you write. Grab it free by jumping onto shownotes.readingtransforms.com

blog-important-stories-and-facts-for-every-manuscript-you-write

Step 4.) Make a list of photo props.

Because #bookstagram.

Not even joking.

List every item that comes up in your book as you write it. This will save you from having to go back and search later. Does your character eat an apple? On the list. Does someone use a knife? Add it to the list. Do they walk through a forest? Grab a succulent and get it on the list. Do you mention the fall leaves once? On. The. List.

It doesn’t mater how small or insignificant, there are uses (like a really great connection image or social media scavenger hunt game) make sure it’s on the list. Write notes about where to find it (page numbers are good, chapters are good, scenes are good) and why it’s important. The more information you give yourself, the better off you will be later on. And just because something is on the list, doesn’t mean you have to use it. It’s all about giving yourself info for later and saving time.

Then use it to create bookstagram style marketing graphics, IG Stories games, connection images, etc

 

Step 5.) Collect things that remind you of your book.

Anything that reminds you of your book should go somewhere were you can find it. Does that necklace remind you of your main character? Is that rock the exact shape of the one the villain was knocked out with? Does that old hand written letter remind you of something on main character’s father’s desk?

Keeping a collection of items that remind you of your book, even if it’s not connected to your book will help you later when you’re creating marketing graphics, planning ideas, decorating your release day celebration, etc.

Maybe it doesn’t have anything to do with your story but if it reminds you of a scene or character in your book, hang on to it.

Keep it in one central location so you can always find it. Create a box or bin. Dedicate a shelf in your hutch to it. Keep it all in a desk drawer. Just keep it safe.

Then use it to create marketing graphics, pretty pictures of your books, some up with ideas for social media games, etc.

 

 

When you spend time preparing AS YOU ARE WRITING your book, it saves you time later. You don’t have to go back and find things…the work is already done. You’ll know it’s accurate because you wrote it down as you were creating it and not as you were thinking back and remembering it later on. You’ll know exactly where to find it, why it’s important, and the words surrounding it.

 

Use it in your marketing on social media, in your blog interviews, and within your newsletter and blog posts.

 


******Just because you have something, doesn’t mean you have to use it. But if you don’t have it, you can never use it.******


 

Better to be prepared and not end up using it, then scrambling and hoping you can pull it together later.

 

Jump down into the comments and leave me the top five things you could collect as photo props for your books…and then keep working on your list on your end of things.

 

Stay inspired,

-K.M.

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