8 Questions to Ask Before Hiring A Book Marketing Service

You’re an author seeking help marketing your exciting new book. But how do you pick the best book marketing service to hire? Asking smart questions upfront helps decide if a potential book marketing service fits your situation and book’s needs. We compiled key questions that authors should ask before officially beginning their journey with a book marketing company. 

What Past Book Genre Experience Do They Have?

Kick off your chat by confirming precise expertise aligned to books just like yours – romance novels, business leadership guides, middle grade mysteries etc. Niche audience nuances, trends and challenges differ greatly across categories making precise comparable experience a crucial indicator upfront. Dig in on their proven specialty areas driving author results already.  

How Do You Customize Marketing Plans?  

Ideal book marketing services also explain how they uniquely tailor author action plans based on each book’s content, voice and fans versus pushing generic, one-size-fits all packages ignorantly. Customized brainstorming conversing together yields better ideas tailored to your existing platform, resources and growth goals rather than just hard selling pre-existing services blindly. 

What’s Your Big Picture Marketing Philosophy?  

Getting the inside scoop on their underlying conceptual philosophy and multi-channel framework helps too. For example, discussing ideal ecosystem blending copywriting, publicity pitching, social media, paid ads, email nurturing and offline events creates clarity on workflow priorities and opportunities to thread your participation throughout the broader sequenced process.

Can I See Examples of Past Campaign Success?   

Of course verify through quantifiable outcomes from past book campaigns also – increased ratings, escalated sales totals after marketing launches, website visitor growth, email list sign up lifts, lucrative book contracts after bestseller status etc. Real numbers talk louder quantifying abilities you’ll soon trust executing for your book too.  

What Early Strategic Ideas Do You Have For Me?

Another telling exercise is asking their spontaneous initial brainstorm ideas for your book based on existing understanding before later follow up conversations. This shows strategic reflex instincts taking your unique situation into account rather just than brushing off planning prematurely. First impressions creativity hints at overall approach.  

How Would Pricing Breakdown For My Goals?   

Pricing structure openness proves important too. Having transparent conversations around investment options based on your scope expectations shows adaptability aligning affordable packages to authors launching first books vs proven best sellers able to fund more. Discuss tiered bundles, pay-as-you-go rates and royalty splits to determine comfortable costs. 

What Communication/Accountability Flows Exist?  

Verify scheduling mechanisms too regarding consistent client communications keeping authors in loop on initiative updates plus sharing access to real-time analytics evaluating campaign traction by agreed thresholds. Even with delegated work, authors remain integral partners through transparent rhythms ensuring coordination and accountability to mutual objectives. 

Ask About Their Experience With Other Authors?  

Nothing substitutes first-hand current client experiences though. Requesting contact info to freely ask a candid perspective from a reputable author partnered with the marketing firm makes the best reference check. Pre-filtered testimonials on a company website often lack authenticity so off-the-record conversations prove most insightful before signing your own contract.  

Conclusion:  

In summary, evaluating ideal book marketing services includes probing operational expertise, customization abilities, big picture strategy vision, examples quantifying past campaign success, early ideas specific to your project, flexible pricing models, communication flows and author references encapsulating service relationships in action. Trust your instincts on fit too!

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