AFTER PUBLISHING, WHAT'S NEXT?

Congrats! You’ve written your book, edited the manuscript, chosen a format and completed the publishing process. Now, you want to know what the next step is. This is the time to figure out channels for marketing your book to make sales. As the author, it is up to you to decide the kind of impact you want to make with your published book and how best to get it done. A published author can have many options open to them through consistent steps of action, a strong promotion plan and passion for what they do and the topic they are sharing. 

So, the road doesn’t just end after your book is published. We have put together a list of the next steps to follow after publishing your book and they are: 

1. Marketing

A whole load of marketing will be done after your book is published (and in some cases, the marketing process starts before that). For your book to get to bookstores and be on shelves, a lot of work has to be put in. In most cases, there will be a marketing department, a sales representative, a book buyer and book reviewers that take part in the process. The process of book marketing may take time and to ensure that the people working behind the scenes do a great job, you have to actively promote yourself in as many channels as possible. Learn the best way to market your book here.

2. Book launch

It is a good idea to have a book launch. You choose a day that would suit you like a holiday. It has also been mentioned that Tuesdays are really busy days in bookstores so you might decide to launch your book on a Tuesday. Whatever day you choose, make sure you have everything in place: sales channels, proper coverage of the event etc. This is an added bonus as you get to interact with your readers face to face, something that won’t happen often. You can give out signed copies of your book or some other memento to remember the event. Learn the best way to market your book here.

3. Advertising

People are more likely to buy a book when they have an idea of who the author is. Social media is a great way to connect with people and as an author, your audience will be delighted to get to know you better. There is no need to fake it as being yourself is the best approach: announce your book launch in advance, show a behind the scenes of what goes on in your life…whatever you do, endeavor to keep your audience connected. With your presence on social media, your audience can easily spread the news about your work. Note that word of mouth adverts will go a long way in building trust among your audience. 

It is a huge mistake to assume that publishing is the end of the road as your book won’t sell itself or become a best-seller overnight. You should stay in touch with your publishers as birthing a book is a team effort. Also, keep in touch with your audience so that you know what they need and can always deliver that content to them.