Dear Writer, I hope you had a beautiful week and enjoyed our gatekeeper series! If you missed it, you can catch the blog posts here! This week, we’re going to revisit marketing. Specifically, how to develop a marketing mindset.
You see, writer, whether you self publish or traditionally publish, everyone needs to know a little bit about marketing. Because here’s the thing. Marketing is simply learning to connect with readers. We have a short series on that topic here. But if marketing still seems daunting, these next few posts are to help you develop the mindset to chart the marketing waters with confidence.
The first mindset we’ll discuss will help lay the foundation for all your marketing efforts. This first mindset is a learning mindset…
Learning in History
Thomas A. Edison had a vision to get electric lights into every home. While he had a clear grasp of what people needed, it was his learning mindset that enabled him to get that idea from his head and into the homes of Americans across the nation and eventually in homes across the world. Edison’s learning mindset enabled him not to view each failure along the way as an opportunity for growth.
You see, writer, as we begin our marketing journey, everything will be new. There will be a fair amount of trial and error at the start, as we get to know our readers and which avenues best reach them. Adopting a learning mindset helps us not to be discouraged by bumps in the road along the way.
Learning in the Bible
David is another great example of a learning mindset. When King Saul began to hunt David as a threat to his crown, David—who had been Saul’s captain—found creative ways to keep Israel safe. David and his men rescued one town directly when it was attacked and Saul was absent. Later, when they hid among the Philistines, they raided Israel’s enemies. David even sent a gift to elders of Israel from his spoils of war when they overthrew the Amalekite army.
You see, writer, sometimes the marketing world can seem overwhelming, and certain aspects may feel inaccessible. But as we adopt a learning mindset, we can often find creative and unusual ways to reach our readers.
Learning in Life
I adopted a learning mindset early as a newlywed establishing a new household. Though I worked part time from home without children, I struggled to keep the house clean. Our home felt like it was a constant obstacle to the work and relationship God had given me. So I started researching how to manage a home.
As I studied, over time, I learned so much more than organization tips and routine building habits. I also discovered the unique family calling and purpose our home has. As a result, I was able to tailor our home’s design to that calling. Now, my home is an environment that fuels our ministry and mission and provides support and refreshment for Jared and I and for others, too.
Learning in Your Life
You see, writer, marketing is rarely a one-size-fits all proposition. Taking time to discover how to leverage your unique story to meet the unique needs of your readers, over time, will help you see an create clearer and clearer pathways to reach them. And you don’t have to take my word for it. Let me show you…
Wondering if it’s worth the effort to add your own learning to the marketing efforts for your book? Let me show you…
- A voice cries: “In the wilderness prepare the way of the Lord; make straight in the desert a highway for our God. Every valley shall be lifted up, and every mountain and hill be made low; the uneven ground shall become level, and the rough places a plain. And the glory of the Lord shall be revealed, and all flesh shall see it together, for the mouth of the Lord has spoken.” – Isaiah 40:3-5
- How beautiful upon the mountains are the feet of him who brings good news, who publishes peace, who brings good news of happiness, who publishes salvation, who says to Zion, “Your God reigns.” – Isaiah 52:7
- Do your best to present yourself to God as one approved, a worker
who has no need to be ashamed, rightly handling the word of truth. – 2 Timothy 2:15 - The Sovereign LORD has given me a well-instructed tongue, to know the word that sustains the weary. He wakens me morning by morning, wakens my ear to listen like one being instructed. – Isaiah 50:4
You see, writer, adopting a learning mindset helps us discover and clear a path for our readers by removing the obstacles on their behalf. At heart, developing a learning attitude in marketing is about adopting the same mindset as our Father, whom we love because He first loved us. In the same way, we can love our readers by learning how to reach out and make that connection easy rather than expecting or hoping they will discover us.
Where to Start with Learning
So are you interested in developing a learning mindset to help reach your readers? Here are a few ideas to get you going…
- Know Your Readers. Learning to market is about exploration. The first step of that exploration is taking time to get to know your readers lives and needs. Often, some simple Google searches will help get that discovery process going. Talking to friends and acquaintances from that audience group is even better.
- Explore the Channels. Once you know who your readers are, get to know the marketing landscape and what opportunities are available. Kindleprenuer, Author Media, and Reedsy are all helpful marketing resources. Plus there are a host of online courses, webinars, blog posts, and podcasts on the subject. Keep an eye out for marketing presentations at local writers groups as well, and don’t forget to ask those other authors about their experiences. Then….
- See what Suits. Here’s the thing. Marketing is about making connections. The key to doing that well is to find where your readers needs overlap with your interests and gifting. After all, if you hate public speaking, trying to reach readers through podcast might be a bad idea. You could consider doing a “blog swap with a fellow author instead. Finding areas that play to your strengths and interests is important because…
- Consistency is Key. You see, reaching readers is about building relationships, and relationships thrive on consistency. As you begin to experiment, you need to ensure you’ve given each attempt enough time be able to accurately evaluate how well it works. This is can learn from it and adapt or shift gears!
- Pray. Throughout this process be sure to seek the Lord. There are sometimes we count ourselves out of certain arenas because we don’t know ourselves or our story like the Lord does. So be sensitive and open to His guidance as you go! And here’s the thing…
Marketing and connecting with readers is actually something we do for the long haul. That’s why learning is so vital. If you’ll notice, it took years for Edison to get light into every American home. David’s journey also took years, but his consistent goodwill helped smooth the way for his transfer into Kingship as he untied the fractured nation. It also took years before things in my house really started to “sing.” But here’s the real deal…’’
If you’ll notice, in every case the investment in learning resulted in something very large. For Edison, it was transformation in American life and culture. For David, it was the inheritance of a Kingdom. For me, it was freedom to fully engage in the life and ministry that impacts others. And here’s the other thing…
In each case, something of God’s heart was released into the world in a way that could never be reversed. Because he’ the real deal. Any type of learning we embrace is an investment into who we are and into God’s ability to move in and through us to touch the lives of others.
So I encourage you today, if you’ve not done so before, to consider exploring the great wide world of marketing. As you embrace this learning mindset, you will not only begin to find ways to reach those on His heart with His message, you’ll also begin to develop a mindset that opens your eyes to new possibility in other areas of life an relationship, too.
#learning #mindset #love #growth #EveryWriterWriting
