The Best Marketing Tip I Ever Heard:
Not every memoir writer truly cares how many books they’ll sell. Sometimes, a memoir is just something the author needed to write! It’s therapy. It’s self-affirmation. It’s memorializing a life. It fills an inner need.
But if you hope to eventually sell your memoir, you’ll need to think about marketing. And don’t wait until you’re typing “the end” to begin! The reason?? Chances are, your marketing concept will shape the content of your book.
So, first things first: what’s the key to successful marketing? One of the best tips I ever heard is to focus on being “relentlessly useful.” That shifts the spotlight, of course, from you to your reader. Which, quite honestly, is where the attention should be if book sales are your goal.
Exactly how to be “relentlessly useful” to your readers, of course, depends on the type of memoir you’re writing. Do you hope to entertain, encourage, or educate readers – or perhaps some combination of all three?
Here are a few ways (while you’re still writing) to enhance your memoir’s “usefulness”:
* Is your goal to entertain? Being “useful” to entertainment-seeking readers likely means keeping chapters short and sentences punchy. You’ll want to focus primarily on humorous or adventurous anecdotes. Consider adding engaging photos to boost your reader’s enjoyment.
* Hope to encourage? A “relentlessly useful” approach means speaking deliberately to your readers’ troubles, fears and worries. Perhaps each chapter might highlight a specific fear or problem you’ve faced, then identify the coping strategy that got you through it. Consider including real-life stories from other folks who’ve similarly succeeded as additional encouragement. And sprinkle bullet points, pull-quotes or sidebars through the text, sharing thoughts or affirmations your reader might find motivational.
* Plan to educate? Remember that a “relentlessly useful” approach goes beyond simply recounting your personal story. Consider sharing outside tools and educational resources a reader facing a similar situation might find helpful. Are there organizations or online groups that might be helpful? Can you create a useful checklist or beginner’s guide? How about an appendix listing support groups or hotlines? Or a self-study list of books or publications to help readers explore further?
Good marketing really is about intentionally focusing on how you can be most helpful. Got more ideas? I’d love to hear them!