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Book Marketing can feel overwhelming. Here I offer practical, doable ideas to promote your books. 

Book Publicity

Embrace the Journey: A Guide to Author Empowerment and Book Marketing

Embrace the Journey: A Guide to Author Empowerment and Book Marketing
by Fauzia Burke

Did you know that books often face rejection simply because the author isn't enthusiastic about marketing them? It's true. In the vast landscape of publishing, where countless stories vie for attention, marketing plays a pivotal role in ensuring your book doesn't get lost in the shuffle. But fear not, fellow writers, for this blog is dedicated to empowering authors like you to embrace the journey of promoting your work and letting it shine!

Marketing Your First Novel: My Advice for Authors

Marketing Your First Novel: My Advice for Authors
by Fauzia Burke

Releasing a novel can feel overwhelming, especially when it comes to marketing. With so many authors and books competing for attention, how do you make sure your book gets noticed? I recently spoke with a new author who was feeling anxious about her upcoming book launching here are some of my recommendations for marketing a new novel.

Boost Your Book Sales with Podcast Interviews

Boost Your Book Sales with Podcast Interviews
by Fauzia Burke
[For your convenience, a summary is provided by Chat GPT: The blog provides tips for promoting a book on podcasts. Key points include researching suitable podcasts, pitching yourself as a guest, customizing your pitch, preparing for the interview, and being camera-ready, engaging, and authentic. Avoid hogging the conversation, and ensure you promote your book during the interview. Offer value to the host and audience, and use social media to promote your appearance. Finally, follow up after the interview to express gratitude and share the episode with your followers. By following these tips, you can connect with a broader audience and effectively promote your book.]
 

3 Reasons Why Book Publicity is More Important Than Ever

3 Reasons Why Book Publicity is More Important Than Ever
by Fauzia Burke

PR does not sell books. There I said it. If you are doing PR because you think you’ll sell enough copies to get a return on that investment, you are setting yourself up for disappointment. Most PR firms will require a financial commitment of thousands of dollars a month, plus require a 3-6 month minimum engagement. You’d have to sell a lot of books to get that investment back. Yet, here I am telling you it’s a worthy investment.

Sell More Books Even During a Crisis

by Fauzia Burke

One of the best ways publishers can sell more books is to help their authors become better marketers. Some publishers have already figured out that their best marketing assets are actually their authors. Of course, publishers need to do all the things that work on scale—distribution, general marketing, publicity to mainstream publications, radio and TV. However, authors have a unique advantage. They bring their deep subject matter knowledge, professional networks, and local community connections to the table. All of these are more important than ever as we see disruption in the traditional sales and marketing channels due to coronavirus.

What Makes a Successful Book Campaign?

What Makes a Successful Book Campaign?
by Fauzia Burke

One of the absolute best parts of my job is that I get to spend time talking with and meeting authors: amazing people who are truly passionate about their work. And while I work with writers across almost every subject area, one question remains the same, whether they are writing crime fiction or business self-help: What makes for a successful book campaign?

It’s a tough question, but one I’m going to try to answer here.

The Best Place to Promote Your Book is on the Web

The Best Place to Promote Your Book is on the Web
by Fauzia Burke
Now more than ever, it’s important for authors to prioritize online publicity to promote their books. Due to the pandemic, bookstore events have canceled, traditional media is being cannibalized by coverage of the coronavirus, and speaking engagements have vanished overnight. As scary as it is, it looks like our “new normal” is going to change the way we think about book publicity for a long time to come.
 

Book Promotion in the Time of Coronavirus

Book Promotion in the Time of Coronavirus
by Fauzia Burke
If you’re an author with a recently published or upcoming book, it’s time to regroup and assess the impact Coronavirus will have on your book promotional plans. Even if you’ve had to cancel scheduled events or planned media or promotions, there is still plenty you can do to help your book succeed. Most book tours at this time seem ill-advised. Even if you are willing to travel, you likely will not get much of an audience. TV, radio, and print media will be focusing on the news of the day, which is changing by the hour. By all accounts, the Coronavirus spread will get worse before it gets better, so you can expect this to dominate the news cycle for weeks and weeks.

Digital Life Worksheet for Authors

Digital Life Worksheet for Authors
by Fauzia Burke
We are living through unprecedented (can we retire this word already) times, and it is going to take all of us to get through it. Besides flattening the curve, this is a good time to get organized. At FSB, we are making contingency plans, and creating systems to ensure smooth sailing. Other than that, it is business as usual.
 

Why Authors Should Write Guest Blogs

Why Authors Should Write Guest Blogs
by Fauzia Burke
Blogging is a great way to share your ideas with your readers, and if you can commit to a regular schedule, I encourage all authors (and aspiring authors!) to host a blog on their websites. When you post, you should use your social media accounts and newsletter to amplify your blog, and get as many eyes on your piece as possible.

But what about reaching an even broader audience? Blogging for an established website is a great way to do this. Think about the increased exposure. You’ll reach readers who may not have been aware of you or your work before. It’s also a great way to get a placement on a site that doesn’t necessarily run book reviews.

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The Publishing Timeline

The Publishing Timeline
by Fauzia Burke
When I first started my career in publishing, I was surprised to learn how long it took to publish a book. More often than not, it took more than 12 months for a book to be published--from the time a project was acquired until it was a finished book, on the shelves and ready for purchase--and that didn’t even include the time it took to write the manuscript! 20+ years later, much has changed in the industry, particularly with the advent of self-publishing and the ebook model, but one thing that hasn’t is the time it takes to bring a book to market, and much of this has absolutely nothing to do with the production process.

Many of those who...

Supporting Authors in Online Marketing

Supporting Authors in Online Marketing
by Fauzia Burke
Mike Shatzkin said in his opening remarks at Digital Book World 2016, that publishers need to help authors with their marketing efforts.

“At the very least, every house should do a “digital audit” for every author they sign that includes concrete suggestions for filling in gaps and improving discoverability and engagement. To my knowledge, not one does.”

He also wrote an important blog on his site called: When it comes to supporting authors in marketing efforts, no publisher has it right yet. I hear his point, in fact, it is the reason I wrote Online Marketing for Busy Authors. It is an introductory book for authors who have been dragging their online marketing feet. However, expecting publishers to be able to help...

Busy Authors Guide to Online Marketing

Busy Authors Guide to Online Marketing
by Fauzia Burke
How do you market your book and still have time to write? It's a challenge a lot of authors face. The scope of needing a website and a social media plan to market your book can seem overwhelming. You are faced with a myriad of choices and not a lot of extra time. Like many things that first appear daunting, it's not so bad once you begin. Let me walk you through the steps of getting started with your online marketing.

Start now. You don't need a completed manuscript to start promoting your ideas, building your platform or creating buzz for your book. Once you have an idea for your book, you can start the conversation online. Finding your audience and...

6 Steps for Finding the Best PR Firm for You & Your Book

6 Steps for Finding the Best PR Firm for You & Your Book
by Fauzia Burke
By Fauzia Burke

Most authors know that a public relations effort for their book is essential for their success. In order to have a campaign to promote their book comprehensively, many look to augment their publisher's efforts by hiring a PR agency. But how do you choose the right PR firm for your book? Here are six steps to help make that choice easier:

Step 1: Needs and Goals

Before you begin your search, think about your PR goals. What is it that you want? Do you want to be on TV? Do you want reviews in newspapers? Or, do you want to build exposure online? Whom do you want to reach? Do you know your target demographic? How long do you want...