A self-published author must wear many hats: writer, editor, proofreader, and, ultimately—book marketer. But, while you may know your way around plot lines and punctuation, most writers don’t know the first thing about selling their book. A smart way to maximize your marketing and promotional efforts is to team up with other self-published authors to create a power promo team!
What Is A Self-Publishing Power Promo Team?
Sometimes referred to as an author’s lifeboat team, your power promo team is a group of like-minded self-published authors who are willing to work together to support the sales efforts of each team member. A good power promo team is small enough to foster meaningful relationships, but large enough to get things done and make an impact on a grand scale.
You can think of your power promo team as the marketing and promotion equivalent of a writing group: You connect with members of your team to brainstorm marketing ideas for supporting each writer’s individual campaigns, and each member can boost the team’s total audience reach by using his or her social media profiles to cross-promote contests, events, and activities.
Whom Should You Invite To Join A Power Promo Team?
One option is to choose self-published authors who write in the same genre as yours. This way, no one in the group wastes time reaching out to readers who are never going to become buyers. Also, people who are writing in similar genres may have networks of business associates who focus on those genres, which can lead to a lot of networking opportunities.
Another option is to join forces with self-published authors who write in diverse genres. This prevents members of the group from cannibalizing each other’s audiences (and book sales!), and can bring an added level of creativity and energy to everyone’s marketing campaigns.
If you are going to create a power promo team, chemistry is important. Invite writers who will pull their own weight, focus on the big picture, and be team players.
Where Can Self-Published Writers Find Members To Join A Power Promo Team?
You can begin by joining a trade organization for authors of your genre—the organization does not necessarily have to focus on self-publishing in order for you to take advantage of networking opportunities! Along with attending the association’s writing conferences, you may be able to participate in local meetings. Find a great list of organizations for creative writers right here.
If you are unable to connect with other self-published writers in person, consider participating in an online group. Many professional trade organizations offer online forums where writers can chat, trade ideas, and discover collaborative opportunities.
Finally, try meeting writers at your local bookstore, library, or even through your social media profiles. Just be careful that you truly know the person you are inviting to join your team before you extend an invitation!
Now That You Have A Team Of Self-Published Authors Working Together—What’s Next?
- Tweet, post, and promote each other’s books on social media.
- Collaborate to host a combined book promotion contest and have everyone pitch in for a big splashy prize!
- Hold group book signings to reach bigger audiences and potential buyers.
- Organize a seminar featuring multiple authors from your group; then take your seminar on the road to libraries, schools, and other organizations. Ask each speaker to promote accordingly!
- Consider creating and self-publishing an anthology featuring novellas, poems, short stories, or other short works by members of the group.
- Reach out to common interest associations. Almost every topic has groups that may be interested in cross-promoting and working with your team.
- And much more!
Remember: If You Want A Great Team, Be A Great Team Player
If you’re going to join a power promo team of self-published authors or even start your own, remember that your behavior affects the group as a whole. At some point, members will disagree and tempers may flare. But if you can keep your cool and remind the writers in your group that you’re all working toward the same goals, everyone will come out a winner.
QUESTION: Have you ever teamed up with a group of self-published authors in order to cross-promote? What are your tips? Share them in our comments section.
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