Friday Speak Out!: The Book Marketer’s Toolbox

by Claudine Wolk

A book marketer, like any good artisan, has a tool box. Her tools, once prepared, will be selected for the specific purpose with which they are needed. A plumber’s tools might include a wrench, a plunger, or some duct tape. A carpenter’s tool box would certainly include a hammer, some nails, and a reliable level.

Similarly, a book marketer’s tool box would include a strong query and book proposal plus the items that are considered part of a book media kit: a press release, an author bio, a book one-page, an endorsements page, an interview q&a, a book cover jpg and an author jpg. The book marketer selects these tools or parts of these tools when they go to work to find interviews, reviews, mentions, or advertising for their author’s book.

Each of the tools is industry-standard and is expected to look a certain way and to include certain elements. They are each potent and powerful and are prepared with as much care as any valuable tool is crafted. The marketer’s tools will be used again and again throughout the life of the book and therefore must be prepared with diligence, thoughtfulness and care.

Where to Start to Create the Best Book Marketing Tools

Whether you have a traditional publisher or you are self-publishing it will pay off if you take the time and treasure needed to create the best “tools.” If you are with a traditional publisher, they will most likely prepare many media kit items. However, your input will be invaluable. As a self-publisher, you may be starting from scratch or perhaps you will hire someone to help you to create industry-standard media kit items. Your input will be crucial in this scenario as well.

Now that you know how important these “tools” are, you may be wondering where to get started to provide the content for these all-important items. I suggest that authors start to create their tools by answering three crucial questions. The answers to these three questions will start you on your way to create the best book marketing tools.

Question One: Who is your audience?

Who, specifically, will buy your book? What I mean is not who might pick up the book or may find it useful but who did you have in mind when you wrote this book? Take a few minutes to write down some of the characteristics of your quintessential book buyer.

Question Two: What problem does your book solve? What is your message?

You wrote this book for a reason. You have a message, a message that was so important that you needed to write a whole book to get your message out there and to reach the rest of the world.

Question Three: Why are you the person to write this book?

Why are you uniquely qualified to share this message? What is special about you, your method, your experience, or your ideas that make you the perfect person to write this book?

Answer the above three questions, honestly and thoughtfully and you will be on your way to creating the best tools for your book marketer’s tool box.

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Claudine Wolk is an author, podcast host, and radio host. Follow her substack newsletter Get Your Book Seen and Sold or visit ClaudineWolk.com. Claudine lives with her husband, Joe, in Bucks County, PA and is working on her next book.
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