Today, author Lori Roeleveld gives us a picture of her view of marketing books. Are you using the storytelling method of promoting your work? -- Sandy
Lori: When I realized that being a published author involved
marketing, I had flashbacks to elementary school when my parents had to
purchase all the stationary and wrapping paper from my school fundraiser kit.
As a salesperson, I was a failure. If writing were only about me, I would have
walked away at that point.
My drive to write, however, has to do with communicating
truth about God, furthering His kingdom on earth, and drawing people into the
adventure of Jesus Christ. If learning about marketing is necessary to do that,
I knew God would teach me. So, I launched into intensive independent study on
marketing books.
I was excited to learn that marketing is really
storytelling. It occurred to me that marketing could be as easy as telling the
story of why I’ve written this book and why I believe there are readers who
need the message contained within its pages. I’m not selling myself, I’m
communicating the message God’s given me to write.
The hardest work of marketing was wrestling through with God
and a trusted advisor who knows my writing, exactly what the message is I have
to tell. This wrestling resulted in my tagline, “Disturber of Hobbits.” In
those three words, I’m able to convey that my writing is about reaching people
who are comfortable where they are, people who like their meals on time and
books by the fire but who may be sensing a restless need for adventure if
someone would just knock on their door. My book is that knock on their door,
that invitation to the open road with Jesus.
Once I knew my message, it was vital that I also prayed
about who my reader might be. This was, again, something I discussed with God
and my advisor (a coach versed in marketing and writing). Besides that, I
surveyed my blog readers (easy using Survey Monkey) and asked them to tell me
about themselves. I requested basic demographic information (age, gender,
location) but also asked questions about their spiritual lives. How long had
they been Christian? What did they feel were their primary needs from books or
blogs? I used that information to create a specific fictional primary reader
named Karen and a secondary reader, her pastor, Don. I aim everything I write specifically
at Karen and Don.
Personalizing my readers motivates me to overcome my
self-consciousness about marketing and be about the business of spreading the
message God’s given me to spread. It was through prayer that God led me to
write my book. I pray for all who will read my book – specifically that He’ll
put it into the right hands at the right times. Moreover, I pray for creativity
and courage in marketing.
That’s how a failed sales girl finds the boldness to market.
