Relationship Building the Key to Successful Marketing

by Diana Hurwitz

Key points:

• Start early
• Find your tribe
• Engagement is key
• Give more than receive

You’ve worked on your magnum opus for months, years, maybe a decade. You’ve rewritten, revised, edited, and polished it, and it is finally ready to be presented to the world. You may decide to self-publish and ponder how to advertise. Maybe you went the traditional route and the publisher is ready to release your book. Either way, it is time to shout from the rooftops that you have a book available to purchase. Waiting until the release date is far too late to start relationship building.

You’re excited. You might hate the idea of publicity, but you must do it. Your publisher may or may not provide unique opportunities and connections. You have to take the ball and run with it. They can’t do that for you. You have to talk to the book bloggers and influencers, perhaps do interviews on podcasts or even television, and travel if they insist. If you self-publish, you have to create those opportunities for yourself. It helps to build relationships before the release.

Many new writers sign up for social media sites and begin sharing posts that say, “buy my book!” on release day. They might sell a few copies. It is more likely no one knows them and the group does not appreciate the spam.

Social media sites solely focused on posting books for sale don’t work. They are akin to going to a venue where everyone has a copy of their book and shoves it in your face, asking you to buy it. No one wants to attend that party. Rarely do people go there to scroll through the spam.

Finding your tribe is key.

Genre is your friend, not a dirty word. You can’t sell peanuts to people who are allergic to them, no matter how many posts you share. It is critical to find your tribe, meaning writers in your genre and fans of your genre. Keywords and hashtags matter.

The rule of thumb on social media is to give more than you ask for. That means getting to know other fans and writers in your genre. You can join official groups like Romance Writers of America or Mystery Writers of America. There are organizations for Thriller, Horror, Historical Fiction, Science Fiction and Fantasy, and Memoir. They often have local and regional chapters and events.

Writers are fans.

I scroll through every Mystery Writers of America post about new books. I buy a great many of them. I like and share all the posts and follow my favorite mystery writers on Facebook. I like and share their announcements. I blog about them. I rave about them.

Comment, like, and share book bloggers, genre influencers, and reviewers. Like and share their YouTube podcasts and channels. If you support others, they will be more interested in promoting you. Never ever be insulting or snarky toward another author or writing-industry individual, no matter how tempted. There are podcasters who delight in trashing books; don’t go there. Be prepared for trolls. They are everywhere. Do not feed them, ever. That is what the block option is for. In this case, my granny’s advice still stands: if you can’t say anything nice, don’t say anything at all.

No one knows you, whether it is your very first book or your first book in that genre. They have no reason to take you seriously. Don’t be an interloper spamming them with notifications. You may get cut from the group. Always read group rules about self-promotion. Some allow them only on certain days or on certain threads. Others ban them entirely. Instead, become part of the community way in advance of your release. You can passively discuss writing and your book along the way.

Which brings me to a side issue. Your social media pages should be about writing, books, reading, and topics related to your research. You can share positive memes, cute kittens and puppies, beautiful flowers, or recipes. You can share cool trivia facts and writing memes. But do not bring the drama. Do not bitch about agents or publishers. Don’t whine about anything, especially religion or politics. Keep personal and family drama off your professional platforms. Make it private or close friends and family only if you have a personal page. In fact, on Facebook, you can set the audience for each post. All it takes is one toxic rant to turn readers against you permanently.

You should start relationship building at least a year before your release date. A brand-new writer can start building as soon as they begin their writing journey. It is never too early. The more solid your relationships, the better. Be selective about which online groups you join. You don’t need to belong to every social media site or every group. Make sure they are worth your time. Read through the discussions before deciding. Read the rules. See how many members and followers they have. Ten followers won’t help much.

Don’t spread yourself thin.

Pick a few days and set times to scroll through your social media. It is better to pick two platforms, like Facebook and TikTok or Instagram, and do it well. Post about your writing process and progress. Passively mentioning your project is a great way to build interest. Where did you get your idea? Why do you like your hero? What do you struggle with?

If you belong to sites where writers help writers, answer their questions and ask some of your own. You can say this is what I did in my book or when I encountered that issue. Post pictures that inspire you of characters, places, and trivia. Mention other writers and books in your genre you love. Cheer their releases. Share their announcements. You gain fans by being a fan

You can create a website or blog. Initially, you can talk about your progress and process until a title is published. Sharing other people’s news limits the amount of original content you need to come up with. If you don’t stay engaged with the groups and people you wish to commune with, you quickly fall off their notifications and are never seen again.

Provide a link to your website as a signature on your emails. The email may be to your service provider, but they might see your link and check it out. You should also have your Facebook or other social media address on your email signature. Mine says: Diana Hurwitz, author of Mythikas Island and Story Building Blocks with my website, Facebook link, and Amazon author page. Does my insurance agent care? Probably not, but you never know. Give people an opportunity to connect and follow you.

It takes time to build a following and grow relationships. Don’t wait until after your book goes live.

Diana Hurwitz is the author of the Story Building Blocks series on plotting, character building, and worldbuilding, the fantasy series Mythikas Island, and the Story Building Blocks blog.