Congratulations! You just won first place in a book awards contest!
Now what?
This post is about connecting the dots, oh, beautiful writer, connecting the dots of your success!
Let’s be clear: No, book awards don’t sell books—it’s what you do with them that sells books. It’s all about how hard you hustle to get the word out and use that award to boost your credibility. You are no longer an author, you are an award-winning author. This tells potential readers that a group of judges deemed your book better than all others in your category. This prestige instills a new level of trust in your potential readers, and yes, it matters when you are hustling to get the word out about your book.
Here are five things you can do to put that award to work for your marketing success!
- Update your bio. Tout it friend! You earned it.
And, to make it count, update every place online where your bio appears. Yes, everywhere. Remember all those bios you’ve posted over the years? Those ones. If you’re not sure where your bio lives online, then stop everything and go Google yourself right now, then, create a list of all the places where your bio represents you. You know: Linked In, your website, About.me, Author Central, any associations you belong to, etc. I have a spreadsheet you can use to make this easier to track. <Get it here.> And, bonus, you might even find new places to post your bio while you’re at it.
- Update your book description on Amazon (and any other place where your book is for sale).
- Invest in stickers and stick ‘em on your books! You typically have to buy them from the award giver.
FYI: Remember to think “future awards” when you are designing your book cover. Where will you place an award when the time comes? Always be prepared to connect the dots.
- Get a digital logo or badge from the award giver and put it on your website! This adds credibility to your story.
- Share it on Social! Your friends and fans will share it too, giving added visibility to your book, and a word-of-mouth-vote that tells people: “Hey, buy this book!” without actually saying, “hey, buy this book” (cause that’s annoying).
So, always be thinking ahead. Imagine yourself winning that award, and plan for what to do when the time comes!
Now you’re probably thinking, ‘Great, but where do I start?’. Well, I have good news. I wrote another blog post with a detailed list of more than 10 awards for your submission consideration! There are more awards out there than you can imagine, and you’re bound to discover one that’s a perfect fit for your book. Find one (or a few) HERE, and give it a shot!
