8 Ways Authors Stay Busy During the Coronavirus

With so many people under stay-at-home-orders and children learning from home, now is a perfect time for authors to focus on their work,  update their marketing plan and tastefully promote their books.  If done correctly and with care and compassion, authors can advance their cause while bringing joy to others. Authors should stay busy during the Coronavirus not only to keep their minds occupied, but to make the most of the downtime. In fact, we all should be doing the same. 

Here are 8 ways authors stay busy during the Coronavirus

Enhance your metadata- Make sure all of your metadata is correct by starting with the book categories. Review and enhance your bio and make sure you have a captivating description. Authors with books on Amazon should be taking advantage of all browse categories available for each version of your book. Do a generic search using your title or ISBN number to see where your book is being sold. Make sure they have all of your correct metadata. Make all changes through your publisher/printer.

Book readings-  reading your book over video or live on social media is a great way to promote your book and reach a broader audience. The easiest way to do this is by creating a series of short readings from your book or a question and answer segment to let readers know more about you and why you wrote the book. For children’s books, have fun reading or even acting out parts of the story. Parents and children will appreciate your generosity.

Apply to review and award companies- submitting your book for editorial, retail, and influencer reviews should be an ongoing strategy, however, now is a perfect time to find those people who typically are difficult to reach. Create a plan for each segment of reviews and chip away at this each day. Submit your book to the most appropriate book awards, and make sure you track the submission dates. Our monthly newsletter lists out which awards are coming due in the next few months. Feel free to sign up for the Stress Free Book Marketing Newsletter.

Enhance your social media profiles and platforms- with so much content being added to social media, it’s easy to feel lost, but now is a great time to clean up your platforms, add fresh content and build your audience. Don’t worry about the number of followers. Focus on what you can do with each follower to help expand your followers. Share relevant content with your audience. Be generous with your time and post thought-provoking content consistently throughout your platforms. When you share other content, don’t expect anything in return, but do know that each one of their followers can potentially follow you.

Find opportunities to promote your book– there is no shortage of radio shows and podcasts that look for relevant guests. Find the appropriate outlets to help promote your book. Then do your research on their audience and past shows, so when you approach them with a pitch, they can’t resist. It also makes sense to look for local media outlets (radio shows, newspapers, television stations) who support local authors and approach them with your tailored pitch.

Get up to speed with technology- many authors did not grow up with computers and struggle to keep up with all of the technology available to authors. Take some time to familiarize yourself with those tools needed to market and promote your book correctly. List out which ones you need the most help with and research the tutorials online. Daily practice over a short period will get you feeling empowered and proud of your progress.

Donate books- if you have a book series or want to be generous, donate your book / eBook to those in need. Create a post on social media offering healthcare workers or parents a free eBook. Create and promote a lead magnet on your website where you will give away a free eBook in exchange for an email address. Even if you don’t see a direct benefit from this action, you will feel like you are helping out in some way.

Write your next book- if you are thinking about that next book, think no more. Start writing today, and before you know it, you will be well on your way to publishing your next title. Work on your writing by seeking out writing webinars or workshops. Your fans and followers will love you for it!

Before we know it, life will become somewhat normal, whatever that looks like. During this time, we need to keep busy and feel productive. A lot of things are out of our control, but knowing that we have made the most of this time while helping others will be a great feeling.

Good luck, and stay safe!

Rick Lite of Stress Free Book Marketing, stands at the forefront of the ever-changing book industry. He is a seasoned book marketing professional with over 17 years of experience in the industry. Rick’s expertise comes from tirelessly working on new and innovative ways to market his own books and digital media with his company and parent company, Stress Free Kids. Embracing the core values of integrity, innovation, and growth, Rick works closely with authors to create custom, robust book marketing programs. His easy-going manner provides “stress-free” support and comfort to authors going through the book marketing process for the first time. Rick is quick to share his knowledge and “insider tips” for a successful marketing campaign that will lead to increased exposure, awareness and most importantly, sales.