A simple strategy to sell more books, get endorsements, land speaking engagements, and more

This is a permitted re-post of Stephanie Chandler’s post for the Nonfiction Authors Association.

For an author, having a platform means that you have an audience of people who want to buy your books, as well as any related products or services that you offer. Nobody is born with a platform; it’s something that you must build.

Here is some good news: Your platform is probably bigger than you think.

The fact is that you know more people than you realize, and when you spend time digging into your contacts, you might just strike gold. Your Community of Influence (COI) starts with people you already know who can help you spread the word about your books. They can also help you build your author business in ways you haven’t yet imagined.

Ways your community of influence can help

Book Sales: Purchase copies of your book during your launch campaign.

Endorsements: Well-known authors in your genre can provide testimonials for your book cover or contribute a foreword.

Book Reviews: Post reviews on Amazon, Goodreads, BN.com, etc.

Beta Reader Support: Provide editorial feedback, reviews, and promotion support.

Industry Promotion: Recommend your book in an industry blog, newsletter, or print publication.

Guest Blog Posts: Publish guest blog posts or book excerpts that you provide.

Social Media: Share book promotion messages across social media platforms.

Podcast: Feature you on an industry podcast, teleseminar, or webinar event.

Speaking Opportunities: Invite you to speak at a meeting, event, or conference.

Bulk Sales: Buy copies of your book in bulk to distribute to event attendees, staff, etc.

Sponsorship: Contribute to your book tour or campaign by donating funds or in-kind items, such as printing services or banners, in exchange for promotion.

Connections and Introductions: In addition to asking your community for the above support, you can also ask them, “Who do you know who can help?” Perhaps a former client has a great connection with a trade association, nonprofit, or an event planner for an upcoming conference. You will never know unless you ask!

Author Success Story

Occasionally, I get the opportunity to meet one of our members out in the wild, which is always a joy. I recently met up with Susie Kundrat, a member of the Nonfiction Authors Association for over three years and a past student in several of our courses. A year ago, Susie launched her book Eat, Move Groove: Unlock the Simple Steps to Lifelong Nutrition, Fitness, and Wellness, and has already sold over 2,000 copies.

A registered dietician and college professor, Susie has been touring the country in a camper van, delivering free and paid speaking engagements and working with several corporate sponsors. When she sat down to identify her COI, she realized she had a large list of connections she could reach out to and ask to support her book promotion efforts.

The following are some of the results she has achieved as a result of connecting with her COI.

Delivered dozens of speaking engagements and group training programs, both free and paid. She has ten more events scheduled in the next three months alone. By reaching out to those she knows, she has been able to schedule events in cities across the United States.

Generated several bulk sales of 100+ books. In one instance, she was asked to speak at an event that didn’t have a budget to pay the speaker. She asked if they would instead purchase 100 copies of her book to give to attendees, and the organization gladly complied. (Often times books and learning materials come from a different budget so be sure to ask!)

Landed a $10k corporate sponsorship in exchange for talking about the organization at her events and helping them build brand awareness as a good food option for wellness.

Captured dozens of photos and videos at events, giving her plenty of content to help grow her social media following and email list.

Has 15 interns (!!!) helping with marketing efforts. Most are getting school credit while also getting work experience.

Hosts a monthly Zoom happy hour featuring a guest speaker and keeping her audience engaged in the process.

Susie is also donating 22% of the book sales proceeds to local nutrition organizations and food banks in each of the communities she visits, which adds up to over $5,000 so far. The percentage is based on her unique “2211 Plan,” which encourages readers to exercise for at least 33 minutes per day with 22 minutes of cardio and 11 minutes of strength building.

Susie’s results are largely due to identifying and connecting with her COI. How can your COI help you reach your author goals?

Identify your COI

When I consult with new nonfiction authors, one of the first homework tasks I assign is to identify their COI. This is important whether you already have a platform or not, because you might be surprised by how many people you know who can help support your book and your overall author-career goals.

Consider the following people:

Friends and family: These shouldn’t be your main review sources because you want your book reviews to come from objective readers. However, your closest family and friends may be able to connect you with people who can help you accomplish your goals.

Fellow authors: Authors in your industry who have a large platform can have a big impact on book sales simply by recommending your book to their community via social media or their own email lists.

Influencers in your target industry: This includes bloggers, podcast hosts, YouTubers, and social media stars.

Trade association leaders and members: Trade associations that reach your target audience can be a powerful place to build your community. Do you know someone who can recommend you as a speaker at an annual conference or a monthly meeting? Or help you contribute guest content to the association blog or newsletter?

Online groups: If you participate in groups that reach your target readers, ask the group owner if you can share book announcements or invite beta readers from the group. Facebook and LinkedIn groups that focus on your niche can be a fantastic place to build your readership.

Current and past coworkers: Perhaps you worked with someone ten years ago who now organizes big corporate events or is a leader in your industry.

Current and past clients: If someone has already enjoyed working with you in some way, they will likely be glad to support your new book launch.

Past readers: Readers who liked your previous book(s), they will certainly be interested in your next one!

Social media followers: This is one of the many reasons why authors should build a social media following. Think of this as a way to cultivate your author Community and build relationships with raving fans.

Email list subscribers: If you’re not yet building an email list, you should be. This is one of the best marketing tools you can have. Social media is passive, time-based, and takes place on rented real estate (it’s not a property you own and your account can go away at any time). Email is engaging and has a far greater success rate for selling books and other products.

Corporate and nonprofit contacts: Who do you know at corporations or nonprofits that could connect you with speaking opportunities, consulting opportunities, or bulk book sales?

Media pros: This includes journalists, reporters, editors, and producers on a local or national level, and those who cover topics related to your book.

Action challenge: build your lists of COI members

Brainstorm your lists of people you can contact and ask for support. You don’t have to know everyone on your list yet. Your list can include people you’d like to know, such as influential authors in your industry or event planners for a big conference where you would like to speak.

You can download a pre-formatted spreadsheet to help you organize your contacts here.

Review copy recipients and beta readers

• Industry influencers
• Mailing list subscribers
• Past readers
• Clients, peers, family, and friends
• Members of online groups
• Members of trade associations
• Media professionals
• Book reviewers
• Book review sites
• Trade association staff
• Any person or company mentioned in your book

Book endorsements

• Authors in your genre, including competitors
• Celebrities
• Corporate executives and other top professionals in your industry

Industry influencers who reach your target audience

• Bloggers
• Podcasters
• Fellow authors
• YouTubers
• Association executives
• Social media stars

Media professionals

• Reporters
• Editors
• Producers
• Hosts
• Local and national media outlets
• Industry-specific media outlets (trade publications)

Groups where your target readers spend time

• Trade associations
• Alumni groups
• Meetup groups
• Online groups (Facebook, LinkedIn, other forums)
• Nonprofits
• Sports organizations
• Religious/spiritual organizations

Connections to speaking engagement opportunities

• Association executives
• Association board members or volunteers
• Event planners
• Corporate contacts
• Trade show organizers
• Fellow speakers who can make introductions

Potential sponsors and bulk buyers

• Corporations
• Nonprofits
• Trade associations
• Past clients
• Current clients
• Schools
• Spiritual organizations

Once you populate your lists, your next step is to begin reaching out. Some people on your list should be contacted individually, while others can be contacted in groups. For example, you could reach out to members of an online forum you belong to and ask them to join your beta reader team. Or, you could reach out to a past client who works for a local nonprofit and ask for help getting booked as a speaker at their next meeting.

Remember this: People you know WANT to support you. Sometimes all you need to do is ask.

Need a book marketing strategist or publicist to help you market your book so you can get it in the hands of readers? Read more about my services here and contact me if you’re ready to begin!

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