Promoting and marketing your book can be terrifying for authors and writers who are not web-savvy or who don't have a marketing and promotion background.
Whether you aim to be traditionally published through a literary agent (check out our fabulous range of literary agents judging our 2021 awards) or if you're going to self-publish your writing, you need to build a platform to connect to readers.
Some people in the publishing industry call this a 'writer's platform' which is akin to a stage where you as a writer and author will share news about your book. Some call it a 'readers platform' where you do the same thing. Either way, all writers and authors need to have a 'place' to shout about their books. And learning how to build such a promotion and marketing stage can be mind-boggling.
Why Do You Need A Writer's Platform?
Many, many book deals fall through when publishers find out that the writer doesn't have a platform or place to connect with their readers. You certainly don't want that to happen when you get so close to the final deal going through.
Nor do you want to self-publish your book and then sit back and wait for sales to come in. They won't! You need a platform from which to share your writing. Call it a platform, or a stage or just simply a place where you can connect with readers who will love your book and want to read it.
The word 'platform' is an old traditional way of saying 'a place' or a 'connection' to readers. There are several ways to do this, from where you can share your book launch, your daily or weekly writing, and any details to get book sales and more importantly, get readers interested in reading your writing.
And if you're considering independent publishing, you need a Writer's Platform more than you need that slice of peanut butter toast you had this morning!
So, how do you create a Writer's Platform and start promoting and marketing your books?
Join this workshop to find out!
Or see our other Writer and Author Workshops.
Build A Writer's and Readers Platform Workshop To Promote Your Books
Over the years of running book promotions and steadily building my readers list I have been asked by authors and writers to run a workshop. I finally gave in, and I am now running this on-demand workshop to help writers and authors to build a huge list of readers to whom they can promote and market their books. With my various entrepreneurial businesses I don't have time to do this again. So if you want to emulate how I have built a huge list of 75K readers, please hurry to book this workshop as there are limited places.
This Promoting and Marketing Your Books Boot Camp has been set up in a chronological order for you to know what you should be doing before, during and after you launch your books to connect with readers. The writing workshop is divided into three sections, and in each there are heading topics and numbered lists. Easy!
Who Should Attend?
- Writers just starting out in their writing journey who want to develop a platform to connect with readers
- Writers with a literary agent who are working on their manuscript and want to impress a publisher when the agent is ready to propose the book to publishers
- Established writers and authors who want to ensure their novels reach a wide range of readers
- Authors and writers who need to learn more about marketing their book (s)
What You Will Learn
Promoting and Marketing Your Books Boot Camp will show you:
- Book Marketing Before, During and After A Book Launch
- What to do while you're writing your book
- How to set up various book marketing activities you'll need at the various stages of marketing your book
- How to build a list of reader subscribers long before your book is ready
- What to do when you launch your book
- How to get a buzz going among your new subscribers
- How to tap into Amazon, so they help you market your book
- How to work with other authors to find new readers
- How to engage with these new readers, so they tell others about your book
- How to keep the sales momentum going and get into the bestseller charts
- All the steps needed to make your book a success, from the day you start writing!
WARNING ALERT: Be prepared to be rammed with actions! There are more than 100 activities to be crammed into this intensive five-session Boot Camp. You don't have to do them all, but as with everything in life, doing something as you learn it is always the best way. No pressure will be put on you, but if you're up for fast learning, this 'Create A Writer's Platform' Boot Camp will enhance your writing career in leaps and bounds.
Interactive Learning
Each week you will be given 'homework' to do based on that week's learning. If you don't complete it, no worries, we all live busy lives made busier with C19 restrictions. The homework is there for you to create your Writer's Platform, so that at the end of the Boot Camp you will have a Writer's Platform to start sharing your writing journey or to shout about the books you are publishing.
You don't have to feedback each week but if you would like to, you can take the 'stage' for a few minutes and share with the group what 'homework' you've done. Or you can ask questions about a challenge and receive group feedback.
This is NOT meant to be intimidating or daunting! Instead, for those who are not web-savvy, it will be like a butterfly coming out of its cocoon. And web-savvy writers who are thrilled to crack an activity in the homework, can share what they did and how.
On-demand
If you prefer to learn in your own time, you can select an option to receive this training workshop for authors and writers through an on-demand option. Please select this when making your booking.
About Workshop Tutor Paula Wynne
As an award-winning entrepreneur (eight business awards) Paula Wynne has appeared on TV several times, including breakfast shows and has been featured in various magazines and national newspapers.
Paula and her husband Ken starred in the BBC Show, Escape to the Continent, which showed their quest to live in Spain so Paula could become a full time writer.
For many years Paula has been obsessed with learning everything to improve her writing. She has acquired a bookshelf of excellent reference books by highly acclaimed authors, so she wrote Pimp My Fiction: Secrets of How to Write a Novel. This inspired a Writers’ Resource Series with 101 Writers’ Scene Settings and A~Z Writers’ Character Quirks.
Paula received an ‘Honourable Mention’ in the 75th Annual Writers Digest Writing Competition for two unpublished novels, which inspired her to continue writing. She went on to win the People's Book Prize for her debut novel, The Grotto's Secret. That award inspired Paula to create her own unique writing contest, which became The Page Turner Awards.
Paula has been featured on Sky News, Radio 2 and is often asked to comment on BBC radio stations. She has appeared in The Independent on Sunday, Financial Times, The Guardian, Red Magazine, Berkshire Life, Country Life, Start Your Own Business, People Today, People Management, OnRec, Management Today, Country Living, Pay Monthly and Financial Mail, along with numerous regional and local publications across the country. She also been on the morning TV breakfast shows a couple of times to discuss various topics. When she is not ‘head-down’ focusing on writing, Paula also speaks at seminars across the UK.
Workshop Inspiration
Marketing is first and foremost about connecting ~ Wendy Paine Miller
Note from Paula Wynne: The Book Marketing world is flooded with lots of noise from successful authors and publishers. Most new authors dipping their toes in this world are daunted and scared and I know why. When I started marketing my first novel (not my first book) it was mind-boggling trying to figure out what to do first and next and after that.
I've created this workshop to guide new authors (and established authors who still struggle with the complexities of book marketing) through each step of book marketing during the book writing and launch process.
All the way through you need to maintain an active author presence online. Online is the 'key' word here. That means being in the public eye via your website and social media networks.
Being the author of a bestselling book about digital marketing (Pimp My Site published by Wiley) did NOT mean I knew how to market my first novel. Sure, there’s a lot of stuff that I already know that will help to promote my novels, but the indie publishing industry is a fast-changing environment and even the savviest of author marketers have to keep abreast of new trends to get their books sold.
Marketing a novel is completely different to marketing a business book. So here I was, in my fifties, and starting a whole new learning curve. Learning new stuff all over again. Phew, does learning ever end?
It’s exciting. Daunting. Nerve-wracking. Nail-biting. Time-consuming. All of that, but so worth it when I saw my first novel, The Grotto’s Secret, making sales and hitting the paid bestselling charts, and winning The People's Book Prize. Even more awesome than seeing sales, is having a reader tell you how much they loved your book. Watching the reviews coming in and seeing what readers are saying about your book is the best thing since Crunchy Peanut Butter!
Dates
This Book Marketing Workshop is on-demand to watch and learn in your own time.
