by Penny Sansevieri
Unfortunately, I see many authors focusing on the wrong thing. I adore goal setting, and I’ve read tons of books on the topic, so this is sort of a real sweet spot for me.
It’s easy to get caught up in “all the things” because we all want to assume we’re going to finally figure out what sells more books or guarantees more reviews or secures more media attention. And it often feels like you have to do all of it at once, because there’s such an urgency to all of it, right?
We’re told to get busy with our marketing, but the issue is that brainstorming lots and lots of things isn’t really action, it’s inaction.
How to Effectively Brainstorm
At the end of the day, brainstorming makes us feel productive, and if we’re honest, it’s usually way more fun than actually doing the work.
So in the context of brainstorming and goals, let’s kind of break this down, because one thing I see goes hand in hand with brainstorming is vague, undefined goals. A lot of authors email us saying they want to be a bestseller, which is a great goal! But it’s also super vague. The reality is that effective brainstorming should also produce clear next steps to take.
Every big goal comes with a ton of smaller goals. Meaning, to get to that movie deal on Netflix, or that bestseller status, you need to focus on the small goals, the incremental steps to get you from point A to point Z.
Marketing Goals
We created our downloadable Monthly Book Marketing Planner because a lot of authors ask us, “What do I do next?” and getting things written down and planned out a few months in advance is one of the most straightforward ways to see how actions and goals build off each other.
Production Goals
You can’t forget how important the production is as well. Remember to include your editing, your interior and cover design, and your book description in your timeline and goals. I still can’t believe how many authors don’t perfect their description with a professional copy editor or marketing person prior to the release.
Then you want to consider what your building blocks are to success. So every goal, or most goals, have other micro goals that help drive them, too, and as you’re building your list it’s good to remember that so you allocate enough time to take these actions.
Time Considerations
Success is a marathon, not a sprint.
Developing a marketing plan that creates a visual timeline of each step along the way will not only help you reach your goals, but is a smart, productive way to stay focused and keep your expectations in check.
I also want to say that if you create these micro goals and you achieve them, it creates a momentum to keep pushing you forward. Which is awesome!
I hope this enlightened, and perhaps diverted some of you from getting trapped in an endless brainstorm of what you could do for your book, or what you hope to achieve, and instead convinced you it’s time to commit to next steps, the small steps that make a difference.
Penny Sansevieri, CEO and founder of Author Marketing Experts, Inc. (AME) and an adjunct professor at NYU, is a best-selling author and internationally recognized book marketing and media relations expert. Her company is one of the leaders in the publishing industry and has developed some of the most cutting-edge book marketing campaigns.
