Publicize Your Nomination and Award (Without Bragging): Bookselling Strategies

Being nominated for and/or receiving an award is an exciting accomplishment. It feels good to have your hard work and dedication recognised by prestigious organisations. Even more significant is the fact that, if properly publicised, nomination and award can serve as effective marketing tools.

You can (and should) share the news of your book’s accolades on your website, social media, email newsletter, and other customer touchpoints to ensure that your audience is aware.

The foundational ways are:

a. Sending an email.

Sending an email is an essential strategy for authors to reach their readers due to several key reasons:

1. Direct Communication
Emails provide a direct line of communication between authors and their readers. This allows authors to engage with their audience in a personalized manner, creating a sense of intimacy and connection.

2. Personalization
Emails can be tailored to individual readers, addressing them by name and offering content that is relevant to their interests and preferences. Personalized emails are more likely to capture attention and generate positive responses.

3. Regular Updates
Emails enable authors to keep their readers informed about new releases, book signings, events, and other important updates. Regular communication helps maintain interest and engagement over time.

4. Building a Loyal Reader Base
Consistent and meaningful email communication helps build a loyal reader base. Readers who feel connected to an author are more likely to become repeat customers and advocates for the author’s work.

5. Feedback and Interaction
Emails provide a platform for two-way communication, allowing readers to respond, ask questions, and provide feedback. This interaction can be invaluable for authors in understanding their audience and improving their work.

6. Promotion and Marketing
Emails are an effective tool for marketing and promotion. Authors can share exclusive content, special offers, and promotional campaigns directly with their readers, driving sales and increasing visibility.

7. Analytics and Insights
Email marketing platforms offer analytics and insights into reader behaviour. Authors can track open rates, click-through rates, and other metrics to understand what resonates with their audience and refine their strategies accordingly.

8. Control Over Audience
Unlike social media platforms, where algorithms control the visibility of posts, email gives authors full control over their communication with readers. This ensures that messages reach the intended audience without being filtered or lost in a feed.

9. Professionalism
A well-crafted email can enhance an author’s professional image. It demonstrates a commitment to keeping readers informed and engaged, which can build trust and credibility.

10. Cost-Effectiveness
Email marketing is a cost-effective way to reach a large audience. Compared to traditional advertising methods, it offers a high return on investment, making it an attractive option for authors with limited marketing budgets.

b. Posting the news on Facebook and other social media platforms.
This is tackled in details in previous trainings: https://kenyaclc.org/social-media-unpackaged-for-authors/

There are other ways to promote your accomplishments.

c. Brand your marketing materials, website, and social profiles.

This will help create a cohesive and professional image that showcases your book’s accolades. By indicating, ‘2023 nomination for African Christian Book Award’ you show others the book’s milestones. These can interest others to have a look at your book.

Include the award logo (when you get awarded) or mention the nomination in your email signature, and consider creating a dedicated landing page on your website to showcase your book’s achievements. Everyone wants to be associated with winning.

An example from renown authors include:

-New York’s Best Seller – This is widely considered the preeminent list of best-selling books in the United States since October 12, 1931.
-Sold a million copies world wide
-Translated into 10 languages worldwide etc

You can include:
-With permission, used by XYZ church for a 5-months campaign
-Adapted into Kenyan Set Books Curriculum for High School
-Now available as a podcast
-Now available as program
-Adapted into a play, movie, etc

If you take time to think of it, your book has achieved something you can let your readers know about. And if not yet achieved, strategise on one thing you can achieve each year and do it.

d. Media feature. You should consider reaching out to local media outlets or industry influencers to feature your nomination/award in articles or interviews or seek guest blog opportunities, thus increasing the visibility and credibility of your book.

e. Create engaging and shareable content related to your nomination/award, such as behind-the-scenes footage or interviews with key people involved. This can help generate buzz and attract even more attention from your audience and potential readers.

f. Experiment with the art of going live. Try sharing your exciting news with your readers, fans, and followers in real time. Include them in your special moment. This is now possible with minimal investment due to the benefits of technological access we have. With a standard phone and lighting, you can achieve much more.

Tips on self-recording:
i. Have your phone on landscape (as opposed to portrait)

ii. Have good lighting. Use outdoor if you don’t have sufficient lighting indoors

iii. Be in a quiet environment – sometimes shooting in specifics time of the day may work better ie early morning depending on your circumstances

iv. Don’t worry if you have to retake the same video so many times. Professionalism comes with exercise (by reason of use principle in Hebrews 5:14)

v. Don’t worry if the quality is not what you would want to have. The strength is in doing, get your bus moving- then resources and destiny connectors will find you along the way. The Bible calls them days of little beginnings that should not be despised (Zechariah 4:10)

vi. If content is king then consistency is queen. This is easier said than done but if you put yourself accountable to a group of people, you will get it done.

Note for nominees…

The social media team will help you to publicise your nomination

This coordinated effort is designed to maximize the visibility and impact of your achievement.

Details will be shared in your individual groups.

To ensure a well-organized and targeted approach, we will share specific details and instructions within your individual groups. These groups will receive tailored information relevant to the promotional activities and strategies planned.

Participate as guided
Your active participation is crucial for the success of this campaign. Please follow the guidance and instructions provided to you. By participating as directed, you can effectively contribute to creating a strong, unified promotional effort.

Let’s create a buzz around your book
Our collective goal is to generate excitement and widespread awareness about your book and the prestigious nomination you have received. By working together and leveraging our social media channels, we aim to create a significant buzz that will attract attention from potential readers, media outlets, and the broader literary community in and out of the continent.

Why This Approach is Important

Coordinated Effort: A planned and structured promotional campaign ensures that all activities are aligned and contribute to the overall goal of maximizing visibility for all nominated books.

Targeted Communication: Sharing details within individual groups allows for customized strategies that cater to the specific needs and characteristics of each group.

Active Participation: Engaging authors and team members in the promotional activities fosters a sense of ownership and enthusiasm, which can enhance the effectiveness of the campaign.

Maximizing Reach: Utilising social media platforms provides a powerful way to reach a large and diverse audience quickly and efficiently.

Leveraging Networks: By involving both the authors and the social media team, we can leverage various networks and connections to amplify the promotional message.

Building Momentum: Generating a buzz creates momentum that can lead to increased interest and engagement, potentially resulting in higher book sales and greater recognition.

At the end of the day, we want more readers to come to faith and maturity in our Lord Jesus (the great commission) and the wisdom given by God to us at CLC Kenya/ACABA is to recognise, celebrate and promote you and your books. Your part is to lift Jesus up through the content in your book. God’s part is to to draw men, women and children to Himself.

At the end of the day, all we want to hear is , “You good and faithful servants, join in your Master’s joy.”

Let’s get to work…

By God’s help and divine enablement, we can do this. It might take time: 2 years, 5 years, 10 years or our entire lifetime… But we have started and are hopeful to a reading continent that buys and consumes Christian literature authored by fellow Africans.

There are other incentives to help nominees this year get to work...Other soft awards as below:

ACABA Influencers and Initiators of the Year are those authors that actively work to promote and support the growth of the authorship landscape on the continent. They use their influence and platforms to inspire aspiring writers, encourage collaboration among authors, and advocate for diverse voices to be heard.

These influential authors understand the power of storytelling in shaping society and are dedicated to nurturing a vibrant literary community that reflects the richness and diversity of African culture. By recognising and celebrating these influencers and initiators, we can further encourage their important work and inspire others to join in building a thriving reading culture in the content and thus impact more lives for Jesus Christ.

These authors have played a pivotal role in amplifying CLC Kenya/ACABA’s message and extending our reach to a broader audience. Through their dedication, creativity, and influence, they have helped raise awareness about our books, publishing and literature initiatives and fostered a deeper engagement with our community.

These are visionary authors who have pioneered initiatives that unite and empower fellow writers. Through their innovative projects, they have not only enriched the literature landscape but also fostered collaboration and support within the author community in Africa. Their leadership and dedication have paved the way for collective efforts that promote literature, creativity, and mutual growth among writers.

These authors have demonstrated a profound commitment to using their writing as a tool for fostering dialogue, raising awareness, and inspiring positive change within our communities. Their impactful contributions on social media and in authors/nominees groups, have not only enriched the cultural and spiritual discourse but also strengthened the bond between literature and society.

Promoting African Christian Authors: These authors and children have shown commitment to inspiring readers across the continent. They actively contribute to increasing awareness of the significance of readership, authorship and Christian literature. Furthermore, they endeavour to foster curiosity among readers by advocating exploration of new books and the discovery of emerging authors.

This honour reflects the unwavering commitment of authors and their impactful influence on readers and fellow writers alike.

These authors continue to write and publish more books independently or with their publishers. The objective is to increase the number of Kingdom impactful books and content in Africa.

https://africanauthors.net/acaba-influencers-and-initiators/

You can find more information from the above link.