Book marketing: You know more than you think you do!

A smart way to get the word out about your book is to position yourself as an expert in a particular subject. You can write a regular blog, contribute articles to magazines and websites, speak at events, and even make yourself available to the press to help with their stories.

However, when I suggest this approach to authors I’m often surprised at the response, which is usually something along the lines of this: “How can I do that? I don’t know enough to be considered an expert.”

Yes, you do!

The fact that you’ve written and published a book makes you an expert. If your book is about quilting, you’re an expert on quilting. If your book is a memoir about growing up on a farm or starting a business out of your house, you’re an expert on those topics. And if your book is fiction, you’re an expert on how to write a novel.

I’m not talking about teaching at the university level, just about providing snippets of useful information to those who could benefit from your insight. If you’re an indie author, step back and think about how much you could share with aspiring authors. You take what you’ve learned for granted, but there are a lot of people out there who would love to know what you do!

-Maria

Palo Alto native Maria Murnane is the best-selling author of the romantic comedies Perfect on Paper, It's a Waverly Life, and Honey on Your Mind. She also provides consulting services on book publishing and marketing. Learn more at www.mariamurnane.com.

This blog post originally appeared on CreateSpace.com. Reprinted with permission. © 2012 CreateSpace, a DBA of On-Demand Publishing, LLC. All rights reserved.