Memoir marketing is the practice of promoting books based on the life experiences of their authors. These days, the trend is towards self-help and business books; some examples include:
- The Emperor’s New Clothes – Predictable Revenue
- Never Eat Carp – Transform Your Business With Video
- The Checklist – How to Plan the Perfect Wedding
- How to Make the Perfect Cocktail
- How to Get People To Like You (And Trust You)
- How to Become the Successful Independent Woman You Were Born to Be
Here are six things you need to know about memoir marketing:
1. It’s Not About Sales.
The first thing you need to know about Memoir Marketing is that it’s not about sales. Yes, you read that right. The entire point of this marketing approach is to generate interest in your book and then get the bookseller to sell it to you. If that happens, then mission accomplished. But if it doesn’t, you’ve still achieved your goal of getting the word out about your book. That’s it. Sales are simply a byproduct of getting people interested in your book.
So, while it’s perfectly acceptable and even desirable to try to maximize sales, remember that the ultimate goal is to get people interested in your book, and then get the bookseller to sell it to them.
2. It Has Something To Do With Publicity.
The second thing you need to know about Memoir Marketing is that it has something to do with publicity. Specifically, you’re trying to get your book exposed to as many people as possible so that more people are interested in it. You can use various forms of social media to do this, such as:
- Medium
- YouTube
- …and the list goes on.
Regardless of the form, the point is to get the book into as many people’s hands as possible. And the best way to do this is by getting as many people as possible interested in your book. Once they’re interested, you can bet they’ll share the news about your book with their friends. And their friends’ friends. And their friends’ friends. And so on. Until finally, someone who would have never heard of your book, or at least, never thought it was worth reading, gets the pleasure of discovering your work and becoming your fan. Bookmark https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7gox2v3Mv9 and watch how easy it is to get people to like you and then to want your book. It’s a beautiful thing.
3. It Should Be Fun.
The third thing you need to know about Memoir Marketing is that it should be fun. If you’re doing this to become rich and famous, you’re in the wrong place. This is a difficult road to travel, and most people don’t find it amusing or interesting. If you want to do this, get a steady job at a traditional publishing house and then consider yourself lucky if you can get a book deal at all. Most people don’t reach this point without first establishing themselves as reliable, hard-working and even honest individuals. Which isn’t something you can necessarily say about a person who decides to go this route to begin with. So, while it’s perfectly acceptable to want to make a difference in the world and to want to have an effect on people’s lives, don’t expect to do so through writing a book. It’s a very rare occasion when this strategy works, and even then, the results are often middling at best.
4. It Builds On Top Of A Traditional Marketing Approach.
The fourth thing you need to know about Memoir Marketing is that it builds on top of a traditional marketing approach. You’ve probably seen or heard of someone who uses both traditional and digital marketing to promote a book, and you might even be tempted to do the same. While it’s certainly possible to do this, in most cases, it’s a redundant effort. Why? Traditional marketing has been around for long enough for you to know what it is and how it works. If you’ve ever shopped for anything online, you’ve encountered online marketing. So, instead of trying to reinvent the wheel, why not use what you know and love to get the job done? That’s what this strategy is all about.
5. Interested Parties Should Include All Stakeholders.
The fifth thing you need to know about Memoir Marketing is that interested parties should include all stakeholders. When you’re trying to sell a book, you have three main groups of people to think about:
- The readers
- The booksellers
- The producers
As the person who wants to publish the book, you obviously have an interest in the readership. However, you want to ensure that everyone else involved in the process understands that this is a business decision and that your personal desires may come last. Even if you’ve enjoyed being a writer and have been looking for a way to continue your work, you may not want to consider this option if it’s not going to further the interests of the book.
6. Make Sure The Media You’re Choosing Is Suitable.
The last thing you need to know about Memoir Marketing is that before you put a single word on paper, you need to make sure the media you’re choosing is suitable. For example, if you’re writing a business book, you might want to consider publishing in a magazine or a newspaper instead of a book. What you want to avoid is writing a book that’s only suitable for readers over the age of 50. Or vice versa. If you want to write a novel, make sure the publisher you’re working with is aware of this.
So, there you have it. Six things you need to know about Memoir Marketing. Hopefully, this was helpful. Feel free to share your thoughts or ask questions in the comments section. And don’t forget to visit https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7gox2v3Mv9 and see how easy it is to get people to like you and then to want your book. Enjoy your newly found fame and fortune, and may you be the best writer you can be.