Marketing is key to success, author says

The author of the 'Chicken Soup' books gives some marketing strategies.
By LOUISE CAHILL-MASON
SPECIAL TO THE VINDICATOR
Let's say you've grabbed those old dusty manuscripts off the back shelf in your closet.
Or, you've unearthed from the basement the stories penned at the period in your life when you still knew you could change the world.
And, happily, you've got a reputable publishing house willing to invest its bucks to print your book
You're now on the way to becoming a successful author.
Well, almost -- according to Mark Victor Hansen, author of "Chicken Soup for the Soul" and other books. There's more to becoming a successful author than getting published.
The secret is marketing. The marketing strategies that an author uses determine a book's success, says Hansen.
Once the publisher sets the publishing date, Hansen says, a writer had better get ready to help with marketing. Stores will keep new books on their shelves for just one month. Sales of the books must reach a certain level. If that quota is not met, the books will be pulled from the shelves.
Hansen says there are 33 marketing strategies an author should employ. He shared five of them with The Vindicator in a recent phone interview from his office in California.
Five tips
The first rule of marketing a literary work is to have a great title.
The second is identifying "gatekeepers," those businesses or groups that would have an interest in the book, and letting them know about your book. For example, if the book is about religion, the author might want to lecture in churches or synagogues.
The third is what Hansen calls, "Grow rich in your niche." Hansen says all writers can find a niche to write about. "Find out what people want to read, and write about it," says Hansen. Then let people in that niche know about your book.
The fourth strategy is to make the book as "universal as possible or as specific as possible," so it will appeal to a wide audience, or become a must-read for a specific segment of the market.
The fifth and perhaps most important rule is rather all-encompassing: "Be an amazing promoter." Do everything possible to make the public aware of the book -- lecture, get on television or radio and get reviewed in newspapers and magazines.
Hansen believes promotion is so important to authors that he will offer what he calls a Mega Book Marketing University in Orlando, Fla., July 14-16. This will be a chance for aspiring and published authors and others interested in the literary world to hear him reveal the marketing strategies that have helped him sell over 100 million copies of his books.
Hansen won't be the only draw. The top 12 publishing houses, the top 10 best-selling authors of the year, and literary agents will speak to and meet with aspiring authors.
For more information about the event, call (949) 764-2640 or visit www.markvictorhansen.com
His latest book
Those attending also will learn the same strategies that he will use when he markets his newest book, "How to Make the Rest of Your Life the Best of Your Life."
Co-authored with Art Linkletter, the book is scheduled for publication July 17 -- Linkletter's birthday. No coincidence that.
As part of the marketing, the two authors will appear on "Larry King Live" that evening.
Writers are often advised to broaden their horizons and open their minds to new experiences.
When it comes to marketing a book, Hansen says, "The size of your thinking determines the size of your results."
Cahill-Mason is an educator and freelance writer living in the Mahoning Valley.