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Rob Eagar

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Mar 12 2010

Book Marketing Q&A: How much should an author spend on their marketing?

Question: According to your advice about an author Website, I should spend about $5000 minimum for my sight. If I expect to use a publisher that will print about 5000 copies of my book and at the rate of $1 per book for the author, you are saying I should expect to break even, right? (Katharine)


Answer: Katharine, thanks for your question. According to your math, you will actually lose money, because you’ll need to spend more than just $5,000 on a website. You’ll need to create other marketing materials, such as newsletters, speaking demos, etc. I’ve heard some literary agents say that authors should expect to spend around $10,000 – 15,000 to fully help promote their book. That’s the bad news.

The good news is that you can probably get a website done for less than $5,000 if you shop the project around to several designers. Also, your book is really a “loss-leader” to generate more profitable spin-off products, such as speaking engagements, audio and video teaching products, teleseminars, coaching, etc. When I was a full-time author, over half my income came from speaking and spin-off products. You’ve got to sell a lot of books to make a living…that’s why it’s important for authors to create multiple revenue streams.

For more information on this topic, check out my article called “Think Outside the Book” at: http://www.startawildfire.com/thinkoutside.html

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Written by Rob Eagar · Categorized: Book Marketing Questions

About Rob Eagar

Rob Eagar is the founder of WildFire Marketing, a consulting practice that helps authors and publishers sell more books and spread their message like wildfire. He is one of the rare consultants to help both fiction and nonfiction books hit The New York Times bestsellers list. Rob has consulted with numerous publishers and trained over 1,000 authors. He is the creator of The Author's Guide Series, a comprehensive collection of resources that teaches authors how to sell more books. Find out more at: WildFire Marketing and follow Rob on Twitter.

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