There are as many ways to sell a book as there are people who write them. The one thing that is common among all book selling approaches is that you match the right book with the right buyer.
If your book is written typically for a female reader it makes sense to direct your book selling efforts to the places that women tend to congregate. The following seven tips are perfect for locating new readers for books written for women.
1. Women’s magazines. As a writer, try to get an article published in a women’s magazine. While it may be difficult to get accepted in the beginning by the top magazines in this field (Better Homes & Gardens, Good Housekeeping and Woman’s Day), it is still well worth your time to get published in smaller outlets that reach out to women. Work your way up by starting with magazines that have smaller circulations and you can increase your odds of breaking into the field. Once you have a few successes, it is an easier step up to try for the top ones.
2. Blogs for Women. The best thing about tapping into women’s blogs is that many, such as 5minutesformom.com , are open to guest posting. One way to find out is to search online for the name of the blog and add “+ guest post” in the search query. This will tell you in a second if the blog accepts guest posts. Most blogs that do accept guest posting will have guidelines to follow that make it easy to create a post that will be a perfect fit.
3. Women’s Clubs. Once your book is published, it’s a great idea to get a few speaking engagements for spreading the word about your book. Start by connecting with women’s groups in your local area including garden clubs, church groups, women’s book clubs, volunteer organizations or women’s community groups listed by meetup.com.
4. Shops where women shop. This one makes so much sense but many authors do not think about this simple strategy. Where are the places that women in your book target group go to buy things? Whether it’s a store for food, clothing, hair, or pedicure nail art, try to start up a conversation with the owner if it’s a local place and ask if they would be open to selling your book (with commission perhaps) in their outlet. Offer a free book for the owner and leave a free readers copy on a table with coupon and information for purchasing inside.
5. Women’s Holidays: Mother’s Day, Valentine’s Day and Christmas are all great book gifting holidays. You can go the quick and easy route by spending a few advertising dollars or come up with a fun and informative three-to-five minute radio talk geared around the holiday and get on the radio. Submitting an article to your local newspaper that focuses on unique gifts for the woman in your life is another way to get great media coverage around holiday time.
6. Women’s Conventions. These are wonderful places to make book selling connections. If you are lucky enough to be a speaker, you will be able to connect to potential fans, but even as an attendee, you can meet other women and make a friend or two that could lead to book marketing opportunities. Women love helping other women. Find ways to help out and you will have a golden opportunity to slip something about your book into the course of conversation. One source to find women’s conventions is at eventsinamerica.com. There are 56 women networking events listed for 2014.
7. Women Authors. Don’t forget your comrades in writing! Put aside your fears about competition and instead think of ways to team up with fellow authors to create a bigger splash. Get together and brainstorm ideas and possibilities. Listen to what other authors have done and what works and what doesn’t in your area. Find out where other authors have successfully held book events and what they have done to sell books. Be generous in sharing your own successes and failures as it will generate reciprocal sharing.
Once you start thinking in terms of connecting with your female readers, more ideas will come to mind. When they do, write them down and be open to trying them out. If no one else is doing it, it may be the perfect opportunity for you. You’ll never know unless you try.
