If you want to multiply your marketing efforts when you begin promoting your book or collection, consider starting your own power promo team. Promo teams are fantastic for cross-promotion and can help writers introduce one another to new audiences.
We’ve also heard power promo teams called “lifeboat” teams—the idea being that nobody wants to be stuck in a lifeboat alone. There’s always strength in numbers.
What Does A Promo Team Do?
Your promo team can work together in a number of different ways.
Here are just a few examples:
- Promote new book releases. When one member publishes a new book, all members tweet, post, and share the news. You can also share the press releases about your books.
- Promote events. When one member speaks at a library, gives a book signing, or offers a free e-book, all members share the news.
- Visit each other’s blogs. Each member can do a blog tour by blogging on other members’ sites. This helps everyone reach new readers.
- Blog together. When you create a group blog (where all bloggers post to the same central blog), you may be more likely to attract a larger audience. And all of the blog’s contributors benefit from increased exposure across the board.
- Create events together. Put together a group seminar or even a day-long conference. There’s strength in numbers when it comes to PR. Bonus points if you have a clear, clever hook.
Who Is On Your Power Promo Team?
Ideally, it may be best to choose authors who will help you establish a strong author brand. In other words, if you’re writing thoughtful literary fiction, you may want the members of your team to be in the same genre, reaching out to the same audience.
If you’re writing self-help, find authors whose work ties into yours, and create powerful seminars, resources, and offerings to get the word out.
By selecting writers within the same genre, you’ll have clearer branding and attract a very specific kind of reader: the kind who is most likely to buy your books.
That said, there’s certainly nothing wrong with inviting members in other genres to join your power promo team, especially if you’re working the lecture circuit. Each writer will bring his/her specific perspective to the table. This could possibly draw a wider audience.
However, keep in mind that the mystery writer will appeal primarily to mystery readers in the audience, and the poet to readers of poetry. The broader the audience, the less likely you’ll reach every person in attendance.
How To Start Up Your Power Promo Team
Don’t know many other writers? Don’t worry about it. The good news about writers is that most of us love meeting new friends.
Find a great list of organizations for writers on our Publishing Tool Kit pages. You’ll be able to start meeting writers who share your interests and who may want to join your power promo team.
QUESTION: Have you ever teamed up with another writer? Did you find it to be successful?
this is a great idea! i wanna team up with someone and i of course invite anyone to team up with me, too
Very practical.