Section 1: Executive Summary
• Synopsis of your plan for agent and publishers
• ONE PAGE or less
• Write this section LAST
Section 2: Product Overview & Fit
• State the type of books you write (PRODUCT)
• Target Audience description (PULL)
• State where your books fit commercially (PUSH)
• Mention peers and potential bookstore placement
• Describe your PERSONA
Section 3: Marketing Strategies
• Now that you defined your target audience in Section #2, describe their ‘natural habitat’ and how you are going to reach them
• Describe your WEBSITE Strategy
• Look and feel (BANNER)
• List of previous works (PRODUCT)
• Features your CURRENT work - front and center!
• Persona - ‘About the Author’ section (Media Kit)
• POP links – publisher and all retail sites
• PULL links – blog, discussion sites, reviews, newsletters
• PUSH links – Twitter, LinkIn, GoodReads
• Describe your BLOG strategy (PULL)
• What is your topic and style? (“the writer life” is SO overdone!)
• How will you keep your readers coming back for more
• In addition to frequent, scheduled, interesting posts - what else are you going to do? (Free reads, give aways, contests)
• Social Media (PUSH)
• Which outlets are you choosing and why?
• How will Social Media further the building of your PERSONA and promotion of your work
Section 4: Budget
• Describe how you are going to spend your money and your TIME on marketing
• If you plan on doing your own book tour and signings, where are you going to go and why?
• How much will it cost in both time and money
• Blog tour?
• Which blogs and why?
• How much TIME
Remember, your primary job is WRITING - spend only 10% of your writing time marketing
Please note: Our book, the "Author Marketing 101: Guide & Journal", contains two fictional author case studies with complete marketing plans. One case study focuses on the author persona. The second case study focuses on an individual book launch.
