When you are juggling a day job and working on your next book, it can feel like there is never any free time to market the book that you currently have available for purchase. Who has the time to do everything that is recommended, all while finding time to craft captivating dialog and suspenseful plot twists? Here are a few methods that I have found that have helped me to market both of my books while I have been working on the third:

 

1. Set a schedule for when to do you “book work”– When I was writing my first book, Nailbiters,  I set aside time every day to write. Now I set aside time every day for what I call “book work.” This can be writing a chapter for my latest book, updating the tracking document that I have set up for royalty payments, or scheduling out some ads for my current books. No matter what it is, if it relates to my life as an author it goes into “book work.” time

2. When you are inspired/motivated to write get that done– The most important thing as a writer is to actually sit down and write. About 75%-80% of my “book work” time is spent writing.

3. When writer’s block sets in hustle on your books– Inevitably, we all experience some kind of writer’s block. I have never held myself to the idea that I have to write so many words in a given setting. If I’m not feeling particularly inspired then I will shift my focus to marketing my other books. This means I am reaching out to blogs who offer to review books or host author interviews. I try to do as much outreach as possible during my writer’s block time that can help me promote the books that I have in-market. The more I can do in that one sitting the better.

 

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4. Check your reviews every morning– It doesn’t take long but it is always nice to see a new one. Copy quotes from these reviews and set a schedule for when to post them. Facebook allows you to pre-plan your posts so that you can make sure something still goes out, even when you are deep into writing your next book.

5. Automate where you can – If I build out several promotional pieces I can pre-schedule them out for the next month or so. When I can select the time for an interview to go live I usually try to push it out for a month or two. Ideally, I want to have one new piece in market each week, whether it is a new review or interview. This doesn’t always happen, but by looking ahead on the calendar or pre-setting some posts I can make sure that something goes live when I haven’t worked on marketing for a few weeks. Let the time that you spend on marketing now, work for you in the future.

6. One great book leads to another– A good following from your first book will pay off in additional interest in your next book. It’s a beautiful cycle when you can find the balance. While it may be easier said than done, your focus and attention to detail on the book that you are writing will be the best method for marketing your current books. When a reader enjoys reading one of your books, that will make them want to check out the other works in your collection.

Best of luck on your journey!

 

 

M.K. Williams is the author of Nailbiters, a sci-fi thriller, and The Games You Cannot Win, a collection of contemporary short stories.