We help you tell and sell your story.
Author Marketing Services
​Helping you sell more books
 Even authors who have done a great job of writing a book sometimes struggle with writing the copy that sells that book. It's no fault of theirs; writing marketing copy is a very different type of writing that requires specific training.
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A lot of authors are also uncomfortable with things like speaking or being interviewed by the media. And experts who could tell you everything you need to know about their own field are not necessarily experts in marketing.
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Thompson Writing & Editing can use its extensive network of creative professionals to help authors with these essential tasks. Scroll over the photos below to see more about our Author Marketing Services, or email us about the services that interest you.
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Up Your Marketing Game!
Previously available only to Thompson Writing & Editing's clients, now you, too, can get this valuable information And the new, updated Second Edition is now available!
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An Author's Guide to Online Marketing, Second Edition
Top Elements of Marketing on the Web and How You can Use Them to Sell More Books!
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You've written your book and it's being published; now what? How will you make your future readers aware of it? The Internet is a fabulous gift to authors looking to market their books at a reasonable cost, but the sheer array of choices can leave you feeling bewildered and uncertain of how and where to start.
Lynn's book walks you through each step of creating a cohesive online marketing program to grow your audience, sell more books, and present a professional image as an author. In no time, you'll be creating your own website, blog, and social media accounts built around your brand, tossing around jargon like a pro, and watching your book sales grow.
The world needs what you were born to share. Let them know it exists! Buy your copy today; available on Amazon as a print book ($14.95). E-book is coming soon. Click on the image at left for details!
Download a media kit for An Author's Guide to Online Marketing.
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Available February, 2023:
An Author's Guide to Literary Genres
Volume 1: Juvenile (Children's) Nonfiction
Into what genre does your book fall? Why does this matter? Because genres are how books get sold at the wholesale level. They're how bookstores and libraries shop for books and know where to put them on their shelves. Pick the wrong one as a self-published author, and you could be missing out on a lot of sales by targeting the wrong audience and making your book difficult for buyers to find!
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If you're an author seeking a traditional publisher, literary genres are important because agents and publishers all specialize in certain ones; nobody publishes all types of books on any subject. How do you know which agents or publishers to target with your queries if you don't know which literary genre your book falls into?
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Most authors don't have a clue about how many literary genres there are (thousands!) or how to differentiate between them. Lynn's new book series will provide definitions and lists of sample titles already being sold in each of them to help you distinguish between them and pick up on nuances that could greatly enhance your book sales.
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What's that? You work for a publisher or a literary agent and you also sometimes have a tough time differentiating between literary genres? That's understandable! Sometimes they're awfully similar to each other.
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Using information from the Book Industry Study Group, Baker & Taylor, Amazon, Goodreads, and many other sources, Lynn has been carefully researching and compiling information for An Author's Guide to Literary Genres. All the information is alphabetized and cross-referenced for easy location. This useful reference book will have a place on every publishing industry professional's shelf!
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More details and where-to-buy information coming soon!
Your book needs a marketing plan, even before it's written! Why? Because that plan could change the way the book is written. Publishers look for authors who have a good grip on what will be required of them to market their books. Having a marketing plan in place is an excellent tool for getting publishers interested in a new author. You also learn a lot about your book and the market for it, just by doing this legwork. But if you don't have the time to undertake this important first step, we do.
Every book needs a website to market it. Buyers for libraries and bookstores will look for a book's website to make sure the author has a personal commitment to market their book before investing any of their limited budget in it. You may also want to sell your book directly to the public through your site, or include your bio and photo, book press releases, a downloadable media kit, links to social media pages, a blog, or a calendar of upcoming appearances.
A publisher typically requires that the author supply the book summary and author bio to be printed on the book's cover. They may also ask for a one-sentence book summary that will be used in their own catalog to quickly tell buyers what your book is about. If you're having trouble coming up with this copy, we're quite good at it!
Feel like an infant in the social media world? You're not alone. The sheer number of social media sites, and the fact that the rules seem to be constantly changing, can be intimidating. But successfully marketing a book means you have to be there. We'll help you design a social media strategy, get you set up on the sites, and give you some pointers for engaging your followers there.
Publicity for a book needs to begin even before it's released. A big part of this is getting reviews of the book written and published in book industry and trade publications in the weeks leading up to the book's release. This requires that additional galley proofs of the book be ordered from the publisher and mailed to reviewers. Typically, it's done during the 3-month period when the book is being printed.
Most books are promoted through a variety of printed material. These could include bookmarks, post cards, flyers, business cards, signage, and other handouts. Sometimes it can even be a promotional item that ties into the book's theme. But having the skills to write a book doesn't mean you can also write sales copy; they're very different! Fortunately, we can help with these.
Public speaking is often cited as people's biggest fear...closely followed by being interviewed by the media! In TW&E's author consultations, we spend a half or full day with you, helping you develop your image and/or messages, teaching you how to control interviews with journalists or speak to groups of any size with poise and grace. We'll roleplay and film you, offering guidance and tips for perfecting your published author image!
Interviews with the media are critical for your book's success. But even traditional publishers provide only minimal support for their authors' books. When promoting your book to the media, a media kit is essential. This kit contains everything a show host or journalist needs to interview you or write about your book. They may not have time to read the book, but a good media kit will let them sound like they did...and they'll love you for that!
There will be several "events" in the life of your book that will warrant press releases: Your book website's launch, the book's release, your appearances at book signings or conferences, sales milestones, appearances on best-seller lists, awards you've won...but do you know how to develop a media list or tailor a press release to what an editor needs and speak to each publication's audience? We do!
A query letter is the first introduction of your book to prospective literary agents and publishers. There is a much-studied art to crafting a good one. The query letter is heavy sales copy, but can't sound like it. You'll also need to thank many people who help you along the way with your book. Letters are an excellent way to do this...and ensure that the recipient will still be on board for lending future help when needed again!
Your book release should be a huge event! A nice party where journalists, celebrities, and anyone connected with your book have a chance to meet you, hear you speak about your book, be among the first to buy it, and get it signed by you. There may also be elaborate food and drink, promotional items, live music, or other entertainment that ties in with your book's theme. Sound complicated to plan and execute? It is! Fortunately, we can do that for you.
While the death of e-mail marketing has been proclaimed by advocates for social media and blogging, there is still no better way to keep something in the minds of your existing fans than with an opt-in e-mail marketing program. They can cover things like appearances, reviews, awards, and more. We can produce them for you monthly in your chosen e-mail marketing system!