Author Niloufar Lamakan shares her marketing tips following the successful launch of her debut novel, Aged to Perfection.
Q: Congratulations on having your first book published! Aged to Perfection reached number 9 in the Amazon Kindle charts for Women's Humour and number 1 in Hot New Releases in the Later-in-life Romance category. How did you approach marketing your work?
A: Marketing is a huge task and something that a lot of authors and readers don't appreciate. The myth that publishers do all the marketing and PR is just that, a myth. I approached the marketing like any other business. Most small companies have to invest a lot of time in marketing, so running my interior design business for many years gave me a good grounding. I knew I had to have a plan prepared and ready for action at least 3-4 months before publication, so I started putting together an action list at the same time as I was submitting for publication. There are lots of free webinars and advice online, which can help new authors understand more about marketing their books.
Q: How effective is social media and how much time did you spend on it?
A: Social media is great for making connections but it does drain your time. I'm often looking for marketing opportunities on Instagram late into the night or early mornings when I can't sleep! You need to get the connections working for you as well, rather than just concentrating on building up the number of followers. For example, if you find lovely Bookstagrammers to work with, they could read and review your book. They might have huge followings even if you don't.
Q: What did you find to be the most effective form of marketing?
A: Editorials in magazines and newspapers are usually better than advertising. I recently had an article in the Telegraph written by someone I met through a writing competition. It did wonders for my sales!
Q: Which was the least effective?
A: I sent press releases and launch invitations to many media outlets and journalists but had no replies. Finding the right people and their emails took up a lot of time. However, my thinking is that it got my name in front of these people if nothing else, so you never know: the second or third or fourth time they see my name, they might decide to approach me, so it's not a wasted effort.
Q: What do you wish you'd known before you started your marketing campaign?
A: I would have liked to have more contacts in the media, but I don't know how I could have done that. Yet! Maybe for my second book...
Q: What are your top marketing tips for new authors?
A: Use every opportunity to make connections with people who might support and promote you. Don't be afraid to ask for help when you make connections. Have a plan ready well in advance of your publication. Be aware that marketing your book is a long haul not just something to do around launch time. Make a note of what other people are doing successfully in your field: you'll soon have an action list. Offer to help other people, like volunteering at book festivals or supporting other authors by endorsing their books: you'll make new friends and they're more likely to help you when you promote your book.
Q: Which is better for finding new readers, library readings or book festivals?
A: I'm doing both in the next few months, so I'll tell you then! Details are on my website if your readers want to join me.
Q: How much do reviews matter?
A: It's so easy to become obsessed with reviews, and no matter how much you tell yourself that everyone gets some bad reviews, the really horrible 1 star ones can hurt. But I try not to get too bogged down if I can help it. Your overall review ranking/stars are very important as they drive purchase decisions for many readers. If you have a small number of reviews, then one bad one can bring down your average, so my advice is to try and get as many reviews as possible.
Q: What has been the most enjoyable part of marketing?
A: Meeting and collaborating with new people. Appearing in the Telegraph was also very exciting. And watching my Amazon rankings soar! I know, that's three fun things but I couldn't choose!
To find out more about Niloufar's work:
You can also find her on facebook and instagram: @nlamakan
Comments