By BookBaby author Brian Jud

There are two ways first-time authors can plan their book marketing activities. The first is discovery-driven planning, which evolves through trial and error. A second technique views planning as narrative, conducted as you would when writing a novel.

Now is the time to plan your marketing activities for the end-of-year holiday blitz, but many authors and publishers avoid planning in general because they do not know how to do it. Those who do know typically use a conventional, platform-based marketing plan that builds upon previous experience, with goals described as an increase over last year’s achievements. Planners know what did and did not work in the past, so their lists of strategies and actions are based on that familiarity.

Of course, first-time authors have no history of marketing and selling their books, and this inexperience often leads to “winging it.” The results are usually underwhelming because the neophyte author does not sufficiently understand the publishing business.

There are two different ways for inexperienced authors to plan their future marketing actions. One solution is discovery-driven planning in which much is assumed, but the plan evolves over time through trial and error. A second technique views planning as narrative, conducted as you would when writing a novel.