You have finished your book. You have it published. Do you wait for the royalty checks to come rolling in? Do you purchase a subscription to the New York Times and wait to see your book climb to the top of the list? Or do you take positive, proactive steps to help it along?
“Things may come to those who wait, but only things left by those who hustle." Abraham Lincoln
E K. Barber is the pen name of Professor and Entrepreneur Elaine Estervig Beaubien. (www.elainetrain.com). Elaine, who is a successful business woman and has been teaching marketing, management and economics to graduate and undergraduate students for over two decades, whispers words of advice to her alter ego on the marketing of her book. She has written a 25 page business plan to accompany her 388 page romance novel. She is employing the same marketing skills and entrepreneurial zest she used when building her corporate business. From using focus groups (E. K. sent her manuscript to a group of readers reflecting her target market) to having a mission statement (“E. K. Barber will write books she would like to read.”) to having an internet presence (www.ekbarber.com) to “sampling” (Chapter One and excerpts are found on her website) to finding her niche in an undifferentiated market, E. K. implements all the principles and concepts of marketing.
“No one ever pulled a rabbit out of a hat without putting one in there in the first place! I know that the first step to marketing a successful product is to have an excellent, high quality product. This E. K. Barber provides. The Flight series is a great set of books with wonderful, strong characters, rich dialogue, and a plot that keeps the reader turning the pages. But purchasing doesn’t follow production unless there is a robust promotion and an excellent marketing plan.” Professor and Corporate Trainer, Elaine Estervig Beaubien