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
Solving a Common Coaching Problem
In my inbox: “I’ve coached a first time writer from outline to first draft completion. Along the way, I explained concepts like show vs. tell and point of view. Last month, I helped him to draft questions to solicit objective feedback about his story and recommended some beta readers. Now he has lots of feedback…
Tell your clients what coaching is
Define your coaching services When I first began offering coaching to writer clients, I had copy on my website that said something like, “I offer coaching services for all aspects of writing and publishing.” If a potential client got in touch to ask me what coaching was, I would say something like, “Anything that is…
Editing for a Satisfying Story Resolution
I’m not talking about those resolutions we all make on January 1. I mean the way a story ends: how the plot comes together, and the character arcs are ended. Authors often struggle to end their stories in a way that readers will find satisfying. As a developmental editor, you can help. What is a…
