You Need a Content Strategy
Let’s discuss why book editors need a content strategy in order to market their business effectively.
Why Book Editors Need a Content Strategy
A while back, I mentioned on a LinkedIn post that for years, my best-performing content for my personal website had been a screed about how I hated wind chimes. That post drew more people to my blog than almost everything else I’ve written. (“For Jessica” was the biggest – it broke my website a couple of times.)
Anyway, on that LI post, someone added a comment about how their biggest draw was a post on how to get a free illegal download of someone else’s intellectual property. I deleted the comment because “I hate wind chimes” and “I help people steal things” are not in the same universe, and please don’t pretend they are.
But it got me thinking about what that person was trying to accomplish. What was the purpose of offering free illegal downloads? Sure, it got people to visit his website, but . . . so what? These are not the kind of people who’ll turn into paying clients. And advertisers don’t want to be associated with scammy websites. So . . . what was the point? Other than to be a jackass?
One of the most essential things your content does, or should do, is attract the right kind of potential clients to your website (and your social media, etc.). What it shouldn’t do is attract the wrong kind of potential clients.
What does this mean in practice?
- If you’re hoping to land clients who want a gentle, understanding editor to help them improve their work, sarcastic zingers aimed at mistakes newbie authors make are a disconnect that will draw the wrong potential clients to you.
- If you aim to attract clients who can pay big bucks for an edit, don’t write posts about hiring an editor on a budget.
- If you’re trying to attract genre novelists, don’t spend all your time reviewing self-help books.
Make sure your content aligns with your vision for your ideal client. Write for that client.
Tips for Editors & Writers
-
Dealing with Imposter Syndrome and Related Problems
Newer editors often tell me something along the lines of “I feel like I have Imposter Syndrome. I don’t feel confident about approaching publishers or other potential clients.” So, clear your schedule and make a cup of tea because I want to talk about these challenges, and I have a lot to say! You’ve probably
-
Setting problems: lack of concrete locations
Writers often use setting like a painted backdrop to their stories, rather than as an integral element of their storytelling. As developmental editors, we can help them make the setting come to life. If we think of Wuthering Heights, we think of the Yorkshire moors. When we think of Moby Dick, it’s a whaler on
-
How Setting Can Reflect Character
Authors have a tendency to prefer focusing on character and/or plot at the expense of setting/world-building. (The exception is some SFF writers, who focus on setting and forget about plot and character.) So as editors we will often call that out and say something like, “Add a little description here. Otherwise it’s like Miles and
