Effective Writing and Marketing Strategies for Authors: Stay Motivated and Boost Visibility

Struggling with writing and book marketing? Let's discuss.

Photo by Mika Baumeister on Unsplash

Keeping ourselves motivated to write and market our work can be challenging, but there are several strategies and resources that might help maintain your momentum and enthusiasm.

Here are a few ideas I use and some sources where you can dive deeper into the topics.

My Top Eight Strategies

1. Set Clear Goals and Deadlines: Establishing specific, measurable, achievable, relevant, and time-bound (SMART) goals can give you a roadmap to follow and make the writing and marketing process feel more manageable.

   
   If that whole process sounds too corporate, try the baby step approach:

   Take just one SMART step (it doesn’t have to be in order) and write out all your thoughts, pros and cons, yays and nays. Make that one step your priority until you're ready to move on to the next one.
   
   Here’s what I do: break down larger tasks into smaller steps to avoid feeling overwhelmed.
   
   For example, if I’m scheduling social media posts for clients, I’ll choose one platform (e.g., Instagram) to focus on for a set period of time rather than trying to manage all platforms all at once.
   

2. Create a Routine: Developing a consistent routine can help you stay focused and productive. Find the time of day when you feel most energetic and creative, and make it your dedicated writing (or marketing) time.
   
   Literally, add WRITING TIME to your daily calendar or to-do list.
   
   Similarly, allocate specific times for marketing activities. When are you most productive? While I’ve fought an early wake time most of my life, as I’ve turned 60, I find I’m waking up earlier and earlier, so I’ve started taking advantage of that by working on difficult or challenging tasks first thing in the morning.
   
   One of my East Coast clients is up with the birds every morning at 4 a.m. to write before work and family responsibilities kick in. (4 a.m.? I could never.) Another writer friend only goes on her socials after she puts her kids to bed at 9 p.m.
   

3. Find Your Community: Joining writing groups or online communities can provide you with support and motivation. Sharing your progress and challenges with peers who understand your struggles can be incredibly encouraging.
   
   Sites like WritersCafe.org or the Books and Writers Community on Reddit can be good places to start.

   
   On social platforms like X(formerly Twitter), Facebook, and LinkedIn, you can join existing groups or start your own! Lots of opportunities here for building relationships, which is the main point of socials.
   
   Join my #BookMarketingChat community on X here.
   

4. Celebrate Small Wins: Every chapter completed, every piece of feedback incorporated, and every new follower gained is a step forward.
   
   Celebrating these milestones can boost our morale and keep us motivated. Share your achievements, large or small. Take the time to give yourself a pat on the back and remind yourself how truly awesome you are.
   
   Here’s one for me: I’ve written a newsletter every single week since August 2023. That’s a huge personal win for me, as writing newsletters in the past has been such a slog. But I love writing here and interacting with you all, which has kept me motivated.

   
   That and I have an advertising sponsor - thank you, Booklinker!

   

   Photo by Kelly Sikkema on Unsplash

5. Keep Learning: Continuously improving your craft can make writing more enjoyable and fulfilling. Similarly, learning new marketing strategies can make the process less daunting and more effective.
   
   Websites like Writer’s Digest offer tons of resources on both writing and marketing.
   

6. Use Tools and Apps: Leveraging tools like Trello for task management, Scrivener for writing, or Buffer for social media scheduling can streamline your processes and free up more time for creative thinking.
   
   I’m putting together a list of my favorite tools and apps for a future post. Be sure to subscribe if you haven’t so you don’t miss it!

7. Stay Inspired: Regularly consuming content that inspires you, whether it’s books, films, art, or other forms of media, can help fuel your creativity and drive.
   
   Become a sponge. I watch a lot of streaming shows to learn from the writing, production, style, visuals…all of it (okay, and some reality TV—Below Deck is a current favorite. It's so messy.)

   
   I keep watching dystopia for adults, such as The Leftovers and Station Eleven (both fantastic), because the weaving of all the various stories, characters, and plot points is beautifully seamless. (And the music is great as well.)
   
   Avoid doomscrolling. If you’re spending a lot of your writing and marketing time on social media, ask yourself this question: How is what I’m doing right now contributing to my success (achieving those goals), my mental health (watching those cat videos), or my inspiration (what am I most passionate about)?
   
   No guilt. More, accountability.
   

8. Take Care of Your Mental Health: Writing and marketing can be stressful, especially when dealing with rejection or criticism. And regular old life on top of all that. It’s a lot.
   
   Practicing self-care and possibly working with a therapist or trauma coach can help you maintain your mental health. I wrote about that here:

For more detailed advice and strategies, you might find these sources helpful:

• Writer’s Digest — Offers articles, workshops, and webinars on both writing and marketing. Visit Writer's Digest.

• Jane Friedman’s Blog — This blog provides an in-depth analysis of the current book publishing industry, including tips on marketing and writing. Explore Jane Friedman's blog.

• The Creative Penn — Joanna Penn shares tips on writing, publishing, and marketing books in the digital age.

• My own BadRedhead Media site - Tons of free articles and tips over my dozen years in this industry.

These resources can offer you a wealth of information and tips on staying motivated and successfully marketing your work. Please share what you find helps you stay motivated!

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If this all feels overwhelming, let’s chat! Mention this newsletter and receive 20% off all social media marketing and book marketing services! badredheadmedia@gmail.com. More here: badredheadmedia.com.

Recorded Space:

Listen to the replay: Hosted my monthly #BookMarketingChat on Wednesday, 4/3 at 2 pm pst/5 pm est on Twitter (now X) Spaces at @BadRedheadMedia with special guest, award-winning author Linda R. Sexton, who just published her first gorgeous book on open adoption, 𝑻𝒉𝒆 𝑩𝒓𝒂𝒏𝒄𝒉𝒆𝒔 𝑾𝒆 𝑪𝒉𝒆𝒓𝒊𝒔𝒉: 𝑨𝒏 𝑶𝒑𝒆𝒏 𝑨𝒅𝒐𝒑𝒕𝒊𝒐𝒏 𝑴𝒆𝒎𝒐𝒊𝒓.

Click here now to listen.

Upcoming Audio Spaces

• Join me for my monthly #BookMarketingChat Space on Wednesday, 5/1 at 2 pm pst/5 pm est. Click here now to set a reminder!

• #WriterLab Space with me and cohost @VennieKocsis! Join us on the last Tuesday of each month to discuss your author branding, socials, writing (of course), and marketing - FREE! Click here to set a reminder now.

Featured Author

If you’re a fan of gritty suspense thrillers, grab a copy of #1 bestselling author Vince deFilippo’s Nine Seconds. Read my review here.

Sponsor

💜 Thank you, Booklinker, my exclusive advertising sponsor for 2024! Free universal book links for all authors. Super easy to use. And they have a fantastic blog here.💜

See you next week, and happy writing!