Award-winning author Mike Kowis, Esq., has done it again, practicing what he so eloquently preaches.
He has rolled back the mysterious veil that has long kept many an independent writer from commercial success with his impressive new guide to help Indie authors market their books.
Called, appropriately enough, Smart Marketing for Indie Authors, this erudite little book packs a value-laden punch with almost every word.
It alternately encourages, cajoles, and instructs authors in the fine art of promoting and selling their work. And it peels back the layers of complexity that often makes writers think they cannot succeed in the crowded print-on-demand and instant-download world in which we live today.
Warming nicely to his theme in a clear, conversational voice, Kowis challenges Indie authors to stop muttering discouraging words about how woeful the task of self-promotion is, and do something about it.
For example, he suggests making good use of social media in promoting your book. In recent years, of course, the word “tweet” has entered the public lexicon as a savvy way of succinctly sending a pithy promotional message to a select — yet massive — audience instantaneously.
In another section, he examines the relative merits of a book’s informal “soft launch” versus a “hard launch,” offering a concise explanation of the difference between the two and why a soft launch might work more in favor of the Indie author.
Then, in short order, he delivers a verdict on the relative impact of such historically revered tools as the press release, and reviews by book bloggers — both of which may be falling out of favor with Indies as being too expensive, too unpredictable, and (in the case of bloggers) way too long to wait for feedback that might (or might not) do the author much good.
Finally, in amongst the many other tips, Kowis points out the importance of frequently checking sales data to maximize book sales — and tells exactly how to do that. Then, he offers advice about using online ads and public speeches to boost sales after you’ve launched your book. (He favors both marketing strategies and offers compelling data showing why.)
Seriously, this how-to guide is good — particularly for those seeking success in the nonfiction genres. However, fiction writers can benefit too by learning how to bond more effectively and directly with potential fans, and how to plan promotional events — such as book readings — to the most advantage.
It succeeds where other guides have failed because of Kowis’ strongest suit — the analysis of cold hard data in determining a viable marketing and promotional plan for your book.
We award it our highest five-star-plus rating and recommend that an eCopy find its way into every author’s Kindle, tablet or other digital download device this Christmas. (If you’re still terminally tactile, you can get a paperback copy also, but you’ll wait longer and it’s hard to click the hyperlinks when they’re in black and white…)