Alrighty, we’ve laid the foundation for reader-centered marketing awesomenss by discussing the benefits (selling more books in less time) and principles (what’s that golden rule again?), but now it’s time to get down to business.
For the rest of the course, you’re going to be in the trenches, implementing the principles of reader-centered marketing and growing your crazy-dedicated fanbase! There’s much more goodness to come — patience, young grasshoppers!
Homework
- To get a jumpstart on maximizing your marketing time without sacrificing new writing projects, download our blank schedule in PDF or Excel format. Then, fill in all of your normal obligations (sleeping, work, eating and that all-important writing time). With the time left over, block out at least 3 chunks of time weekly to spend on marketing activities. Even if it’s 30 minutes, fill it in. Now, print out your schedule — you have marketing appointments!
[ Download Schedule: PDF | Excel (.xls) ] - Remember principle #2: make your work the best it can possibly be? If you haven’t had your book edited and cover designed by a pro, check out our resource directory of editors and designers. Is your wallet super-empty? Try to think of services you could barter (trade) for design or editing services. Or, roll through your mental rolodex to find friends (or friends of friends) who would be willing to pinch-hit in exchange for a home-cooked meal!
[ Visit Self-Publishing Resource Directory ] - You know that thing that’s better than target markets? You’ll be working on that next week, BUT, if you haven’t figured out your target market, use this worksheet (PDF) to do that now.
[ Download Find My Target Market (PDF) ]
Checklist
What’s Next
So far we’ve:
- Learned why this reader-centered marketing stuff rocks
- Discussed the seven principles that rule all reader-centered marketing activities
Next week we’ll:
- Learn why target markets are no longer the end-all, be-all of targeting readers
- Discover the awesomeness of centering all communication around a single reader
Later on in the course we’ll:
- Figure out where to find readers
- Decide which locations to target (so we don’t spend tons of time marketing)
- Create a strategy to drive those readers to you
- Turn those new readers into dedicated fans
Survey
How did you enjoy week one? Whether you loved or loathed it, please take a few moments to fill out the anonymous survey below. 
Be honest — I promise I won’t cry (hard)!
After you’ve finished, let me know ([email protected]) and I’ll send you a super-nifty printable ‘7 Principles of Reader-Centered Marketing’ cheat sheet as a thank you!
