Six things to do after you win a book award.
Book Award Pro
Striking while the iron’s hot
After you win a book award, what are the next steps? You got the award, it’s game over right? Not quite. Winning a book award is a big deal, and you can make it an even bigger one. A book award can be a promotional moment when an author knows what to do. When they don’t, it may only be a flash in the pan. Some award organizations do a terrific job of promoting you as an award-winning author. Others may just have a modest announcement on their website. Here’s some steps you can take right away to capitalize on your success.
Make some amazing social media posts
It goes without saying that you want to make a nice announcement for your social media channels. But a simple text update isn’t going to reach new people and open up opportunities.
Get your phone and a physical copy of your book. Thank your audience and your readers and tell them about the award and what makes it special. Just be genuine, you could even film yourself reading the announcement for the first time. Tell readers the name of your book and make sure they can see it.
And don’t stop there, it’d be good to make a few posts advertising your award, tagging different people and switching up the format. If you’re a Book Award Pro user, you can use the “Connect with Readers” area of your account to easily send a few posts on all the major platforms, including images and your custom text (or you can use our post templates).
Contact some local media
Do some google searches for local publications, websites, and social media groups that cover your area. Introduce yourself and the award you won. Share some material from your awards organization with them. Lastly, include a quality picture of yourself holding the award and your book.
Don’t let imposter syndrome make you feel guilty about this one either. Local areas are often more starved for content than national ones. An award-winning author living in town may be just what they need for a quick story or blog article. Remember, publications are also looking for content every single day. You’re doing them a favor!
You should also include local libraries and bookstores here. Even big corporate book chains like to highlight the local talent on store bookends.
Get on a podcast
You might be surprised at just how many podcast guests are receptive to this. Like everything else, podcast hosts need a steady stream of guests and ideas to produce a show, it’s often their single greatest challenge.
The key to getting on a podcast is to vet yourself for the host. First, introduce yourself and your work. Don’t wait to talk about your book award, it’s your number one social proof! Make sure you talk about the value that your story and interview would be to the show’s audience. Match the style and mood of the podcast. The host can (hopefully) imagine what an interview with you might feel like.
You should obviously look at author and writing podcasts. You might find success with genre specific podcasts. A little more outside-the-box are the many podcasts that have a local focus. NPR has a huge list of local podcasts here. Finally, some shows highlight writers from backgrounds like yours.
Organize a book signing
Ready to swing for the fences? A book signing is a fantasy most authors have daydreamed about. And they actually happen all the time. Reach out to local libraries, colleges, or bookstores and inquire. Share all the media you have done so far to establish your reach and credibility as an author.
Don’t assume the host will be able to draw an audience. Share the event on social media and ask friends to come and support you. Find another popular author and ask if you can team up with them. Finally, the day of the event, get pictures and add the event into your overall story marketing.
Don’t stop!
What is the only thing better than being an award-winning author? A multiple award-winner! You didn’t win an award, you won your first award. If you use Book Award Pro, our software will continue finding more awards you’re eligible for every month. We have more than 8,000 awards in our database, which should keep you busy for awhile. Imagine the power of having two or three book awards on your front cover or your book description.