Let's get right to the good stuff....here are the top three elements you need to secure your spot on the bestseller lists.
Be persistent. You have to be persistent and willing to do the homework. You have to find your purpose. I recently spoke at the 21st Century Book Marketing Event in San Diego, CA and while I was sitting in the back of the room listening to the other presenters I thought, all of the authors in the audience don't have to go any further than that room for resources, information, affiliate partners, etc. Find out what other people are offering, what they need and how the two of you could support each other. Don't wait for your supporters and partners to come to you.
Be creative. I see a lot of authors attempting to follow the book launch strategy exactly the way other people are doing theirs. This is a mistake. Yes, there are certain elements that you need to do that are important such as getting the right partners, having the right copy, etc. But I don't see creativity built in. You have to get creative with what you're offering. If people see the same old bonus gifts from you that they've been offered from others, they will be bored and see no value in them. People aren't interested in buying anyone's book just to get the same old bonus gifts over and over again. So be creative. Find and offer something new.
One of the things I did was create unique bonus gifts for my book launches that you can't get anywhere else. Here are 2 examples.
When you look at my offer you realize that you could not get that particular program or content anywhere else but as part of that package. That's an example of being creative. I'm not talking about majorly creative, just some little subtle ideas.
If you are new to the idea of bonus gifts or even if you have done it before and know how much work goes into them, you should check out what Judy O'Beirn at Hasmark Services is doing. She helped launch many books to the New York Times bestseller list. She gets it. She knows what programs to pair with each other. She knows how to be creative and innovative.
Take action. Take action through focused marketing. If you want to get your book on the best seller list then create a time frame and create a plan so that when you launch your book you get the most exposure that you possibly can with these opportunities. E-mail blasts with partners is the biggest traction I have seen that gets results. But you need to combine that effort with other elements of your marketing plan.
Get people on Facebook to support you. Get people on Twitter to support you. Get people on LinkedIn. Create a blog. Write a blog in other people's blogs as well. Create videos for your YouTube channel and your website that are so engaging and so entertaining that people want to send to someone else -- that's viral!
If you want to make a success for yourself, you have to be willing to do the work and in a way that sets you apart from other people. Remember, writing the book is only 5% of becoming a well-known author, 95% is marketing. So follow The Law of GOYA as described by my friend and bestselling author, John Assaraf -- The Law of Get Off Your A... (assets?)
What can you do today, who can you talk to and what ideas are swimming around in your head? Ask your questions and share your insights here in the Comments section. You never know who might reach out and become a valuable resource to you. Not to mention who you might inspire!
Peggy McColl is a New York Times best-selling author and an internationally recognized expert in the field of personal and professional development and Internet marketing. As an entrepreneur, business owner, mentor and professional speaker Peggy has been inspiring individuals to pursue their personal and business objectives and achieve ultimate success. She provides effective Internet marketing solutions for entrepreneurs, authors, publishers, professionals, and business owners, who want to establish an online presence, achieve bestseller status, build their brand, grow and/or expand their business online. You can find out more about Peggy at her website, Destinies.com.