Adding to Authors’ Marketing Toolkits
For Nicholas Erik, a USA Today bestselling fantasy and science fiction author and book marketing consultant, digital advertising—and the challenges it presents—is something authors can’t afford to overlook. “Digital advertising is an important component of the modern author’s marketing toolkit,” says Erik, who has written more than 20 novels and runs marketing campaigns for more than 30 authors in a variety of genres. “With the many changes to the advertising landscape over the past couple years, though, it’s been hard to keep up with what works and what doesn’t. That’s why I try to focus on principles as much as I can: my objectives for a campaign, a given platform’s strengths and weaknesses, and using the ads to not only generate returns in the moment but also help build a long-term fanbase.”
New York Times and USA Today bestselling author Erica Ridley also emphasizes the need for authors to keep abreast of the changing digital advertising space. “As a traditionally and independently published author who loves experimenting with and refining marketing strategies, I’ve adapted to countless platform and capability changes,” says Ridley, who is best known for witty, feel-good historical romances, such as the Dukes of War, Rogues to Riches, 12 Dukes of Christmas, and Wild Wynchesters series. “Despite some recent doom-and-gloom headlines, I’m excited about current opportunities and optimistic about the future. I’m looking forward to sharing actionable tactics and strategies in the current environment and discussing how to measure success.”
Helping Books Find Readers
Rochelle Clark, director of advertising for Pen- guin Random House’s consumer marketing team, has spent more than a decade getting books into the hands of the right readers. From title marketing and digital marketing to ad operations and paid media strategy, she’s done it all and hopes the panel will provide attendees with the information needed to make smart advertising decisions in a changing market.
“I’m looking forward to discussing the evolving digital advertising space with experts in the industry and hearing how others are currently navigating the persistent changes in data privacy and ad tech,” says Clark, who previously worked as the director of advertising and creative operations at the Random House Publishing Group. “There are so many options available to advertisers today that it can often be difficult to know where to dedicate our resources. I’m excited to dig into that decision-making process, the evaluation that follows, and the role that data plays in both.” For Kashmira Golatkar, digital advertising manager at Harlequin, it’s important for authors’ book marketers to remember that, in 2022, we’re living in a digital world. “We are living in times when the world is undeniably digital in almost every way,” says Golatkar, who has more than 13 years of experience in the digital marketing field and is an expert in performance marketing with a focus on data-driven advertising to deliver innovative media strategies. “The pandemic has not only forced businesses and advertisers to think ‘digital first’ but has also challenged them to up their game in just two years. The speed of change that we all are experiencing is mind-boggling. Add to this, major tech companies are updating their platforms to become less intrusive for their users—and rightfully so! It has become more important than ever for advertisers to fiercely guard an existing customer’s curiosity from competition and also ensure customer satisfaction. All of this needs to be achieved while keeping ‘digital ethics’ at the core of advertising.”
