Marketing & Aftercare Service Details
Marketing your book can feel challenging, especially if you have never promoted a book before or you don't know where to start. That is why our internally published authors get free, ongoing assistance from our Marketing Advisors after their book is published!
You don't need to be a marketing expert to use the service. Our team can help you learn about your options, find where to focus your efforts and create a marketing plan that works for your book, your goals and budget.
Unlike other publishers, our support does not end once your book is published - some of our authors have kept working with the team for more than 10 years after publication!
Why is the service free?
The Marketing and Aftercare Service is paid for using book royalties of a separate fee.
While some publishers give authors 100% royalties they have reason to keep helping a book after it is published. Our royalty system means that both the author and the company benefit when a book does well, giving us a reason to keep helping you succeed over time.
Depending on your publication package authors now get 65% of royalties for print-on-demand packages and 80%, for packages with Rowanvale keeping the rest. These royalties help pay for the advice given by our Marketing Advisors.
While some publishers give authors 100% royalties they have reason to keep helping a book after it is published. Our royalty system means that both the author and the company benefit when a book does well, giving us a reason to keep helping you succeed over time.
Depending on your publication package authors now get 65% of royalties for print-on-demand packages and 80%, for packages with Rowanvale keeping the rest. These royalties help pay for the advice given by our Marketing Advisors.
How does the Marketing and Aftercare Team help?
Our Marketing & Aftercare team includes specialists who can provide effective guidance within different marketing activities, whether if it consists of online or offline activities. This includes support within social media platforms such as X, Facebook, TikTok, Instagram and Youtube.
We also provide online marketing help such as author websites and blogging and offline marketing such as ways to approach physical libraries, bookshops and author events.
The type of support will depend on your book, your goals and the level of the marketing experience. Therefore, if you are new to marketing we can help you understand where to start. However, if you already have experience in promoting your work, we can further help you refine and develop your existing approach and strategies.
We also provide online marketing help such as author websites and blogging and offline marketing such as ways to approach physical libraries, bookshops and author events.
The type of support will depend on your book, your goals and the level of the marketing experience. Therefore, if you are new to marketing we can help you understand where to start. However, if you already have experience in promoting your work, we can further help you refine and develop your existing approach and strategies.
Our Amazon Focus
Our marketing support strongly focuses on Amazon to increase your book rankings and visibility.
Amazon is one of the world’s largest booksellers, which gives the authors a major opportunity to reach potential target readers. Due to this reason, we recommend focusing your main initial marketing efforts into creating and building a consistent sales record on Amazon before expanding further attention into other retailers.
Our Marketing Advisors aim to help you understand ways in which to get the most from Amazon, such as improving your keywords and categories, encouraging reviews, understanding promotional opportunities and focusing your efforts into relevant strategies which can help your book’s sales and visibility.
Our Amazon Analysis Services forms a significant proportion of our Marketing & Aftercare Service. This analysis aims to provide an in-depth review of your current Amazon pages and uses professional keyword and category research to identify areas in which improvements may be possible to increase your book’s visibility and rankings further.
Amazon is one of the world’s largest booksellers, which gives the authors a major opportunity to reach potential target readers. Due to this reason, we recommend focusing your main initial marketing efforts into creating and building a consistent sales record on Amazon before expanding further attention into other retailers.
Our Marketing Advisors aim to help you understand ways in which to get the most from Amazon, such as improving your keywords and categories, encouraging reviews, understanding promotional opportunities and focusing your efforts into relevant strategies which can help your book’s sales and visibility.
Our Amazon Analysis Services forms a significant proportion of our Marketing & Aftercare Service. This analysis aims to provide an in-depth review of your current Amazon pages and uses professional keyword and category research to identify areas in which improvements may be possible to increase your book’s visibility and rankings further.
Hybrid Packages
Hybrid packages have the additional consideration of sales agencies: sales agencies require a PR plan and endorsements to pitch your book to physical retailers such as Waterstones. A PR plan and endorsements can help demonstrate why your book is worth choosing over another title in the same genre.
This is important for first-time authors, due to retailers requiring reasons to believe that the particular book is likely to attract readers and generate sales. For example, publicity gained through newspapers, television, radio, magazines or other media can demonstrate that potential readers are already aware of your book, giving retailers the confidence that there is an audience for the title.
In a similar way, endorsements provide concrete evidence from people who know more about the topic or genre that the retailer won't be wasting their money if they buy the book. Endorsements work the same way for your target audience (and links to why book reviews are so essential), giving credible proof to a reader deciding why they might like that book.
Endorsements from friends/family are not allowed, as they could obviously be biased! They are looking for endorsements from relatively well-known figures or sources. Endorsements do not need to be by people necessarily connected to your genre; it is just figures that are seen as credible. This is why influencers have become so highly paid over the last few years: influencers build up a following and, if they endorse a product (or a book, in this case) chances are it's likely to generate some sales.
Endorsements can be used in a number of ways, including book covers, retail pages such as Amazon A+ Content or the Editorial Reviews section, inside the book and across different social media platforms.
This is important for first-time authors, due to retailers requiring reasons to believe that the particular book is likely to attract readers and generate sales. For example, publicity gained through newspapers, television, radio, magazines or other media can demonstrate that potential readers are already aware of your book, giving retailers the confidence that there is an audience for the title.
In a similar way, endorsements provide concrete evidence from people who know more about the topic or genre that the retailer won't be wasting their money if they buy the book. Endorsements work the same way for your target audience (and links to why book reviews are so essential), giving credible proof to a reader deciding why they might like that book.
Endorsements from friends/family are not allowed, as they could obviously be biased! They are looking for endorsements from relatively well-known figures or sources. Endorsements do not need to be by people necessarily connected to your genre; it is just figures that are seen as credible. This is why influencers have become so highly paid over the last few years: influencers build up a following and, if they endorse a product (or a book, in this case) chances are it's likely to generate some sales.
Endorsements can be used in a number of ways, including book covers, retail pages such as Amazon A+ Content or the Editorial Reviews section, inside the book and across different social media platforms.
What is a PR plan?
A PR plan is a specific list of media and journalist contacts gathered by you and/or the PR company you are looking to work with, in order to increase awareness and generate more book sales.
This includes radio stations, newspapers, magazines, television or other media outlets. Local publicity is also valuable, specifically for authors who have connections within their local area or community.
You don’t necessarily need to use a PR company to carry out any publicity. Many authors tend to choose their own PR, and our Marketing Advisors can help you understand how to identify opportunities and approach relevant contacts.
This includes radio stations, newspapers, magazines, television or other media outlets. Local publicity is also valuable, specifically for authors who have connections within their local area or community.
You don’t necessarily need to use a PR company to carry out any publicity. Many authors tend to choose their own PR, and our Marketing Advisors can help you understand how to identify opportunities and approach relevant contacts.
What can the Marketing & Aftercare Team do and what do they not do?
It is important to note that the Marketing & Aftercare Service is predominantly an advisory and support service to help authors with their marketing. To get the most out of the service, it is important to actively engage with the team and carry out their suggestions. A lot of the focus is on assisting the author with building up a brand presence on Amazon, social media and online marketing methods.
The team are also trialling aspects of "hands-off" marketing, whereby they carry out some tasks, including content creation and social media, with minimal author input. This means that the service is not only about giving you advice and leaving you to do everything by yourself, however the level of hand-on support available may vary.
For the best impact, the Marketing & Aftercare Service should be used in conjunction either with a PR company or the author carrying out their own PR activities, but with the assistance of the Marketing Advisors.
For example, the Marketing Advisors can help you with how to go about contacting influencers and trying to obtain endorsements, as well as how you might go about contacting local newspaper/radio stations etc, however we would not contact these media outlets for you as this is what a PR company does.
If a company tries to do too many things then they are a “jack of all trades, master of none”, which is why we work with other PR companies that are specialists in what they do. You can read more about this here: https://www.rowanvalebooks.com/pr-services.html#/
PR companies already have an existing network of media and journalism contacts that they can use to arrange publicity. They may arrange book tours, interviews, press releases and media attention. Their purpose is to tell the wider world about the publication of a new book and reach as many potential readers as possible. It is more than possible for an author to do their own publicity, especially with the Marketing Advisors’ help; however, if you do not want to do this yourself, we recommend you use a PR company. We work closely with several PR companies and, as a Rowanvale published author, you will be entitled to a discount off their services.
If you do wish to obtain PR and endorsements yourself, then the M&A team can advise you on what might be the best way to do this, such as how to find people to endorse the book and how to contact your local media.
The team are also trialling aspects of "hands-off" marketing, whereby they carry out some tasks, including content creation and social media, with minimal author input. This means that the service is not only about giving you advice and leaving you to do everything by yourself, however the level of hand-on support available may vary.
For the best impact, the Marketing & Aftercare Service should be used in conjunction either with a PR company or the author carrying out their own PR activities, but with the assistance of the Marketing Advisors.
For example, the Marketing Advisors can help you with how to go about contacting influencers and trying to obtain endorsements, as well as how you might go about contacting local newspaper/radio stations etc, however we would not contact these media outlets for you as this is what a PR company does.
If a company tries to do too many things then they are a “jack of all trades, master of none”, which is why we work with other PR companies that are specialists in what they do. You can read more about this here: https://www.rowanvalebooks.com/pr-services.html#/
PR companies already have an existing network of media and journalism contacts that they can use to arrange publicity. They may arrange book tours, interviews, press releases and media attention. Their purpose is to tell the wider world about the publication of a new book and reach as many potential readers as possible. It is more than possible for an author to do their own publicity, especially with the Marketing Advisors’ help; however, if you do not want to do this yourself, we recommend you use a PR company. We work closely with several PR companies and, as a Rowanvale published author, you will be entitled to a discount off their services.
If you do wish to obtain PR and endorsements yourself, then the M&A team can advise you on what might be the best way to do this, such as how to find people to endorse the book and how to contact your local media.
Getting the most from the Marketing and Aftercare service
The Marketing & Aftercare Service is designed to give you ongoing support rather than just a one-off consultation. Your marketing needs may change depending on your book gaining readers, your author profile develops and you discover which strategy or approach works the best for your work - our Marketing Advisors will be there through it all to support you.
You don’t need to have everything figured out before speaking to our Marketing Advisors; they will help you work out your next steps.
The more you engage with the service, the more tailored the support can be toward your work. Our goal is to help you develop a sustainable and practical approach throughout your publishing journey.
Please follow this link for more details: https://www.rowanvalebooks.com/marketing-and-aftercare.html
You don’t need to have everything figured out before speaking to our Marketing Advisors; they will help you work out your next steps.
The more you engage with the service, the more tailored the support can be toward your work. Our goal is to help you develop a sustainable and practical approach throughout your publishing journey.
Please follow this link for more details: https://www.rowanvalebooks.com/marketing-and-aftercare.html
