The Feng Shui of Marketing Your Book: Which Elements Do You Use?

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Mother Nature is a powerful presence, as has been demonstrated: Earthquakes, tsunamis, hurricanes, and other natural events show us that we are not in charge here. But we are not separate from nature; nature is within us as well around us. Ancient philosophical and healing traditions teach us to work with the energy of nature in our bodies and in our environments. Having worked as an editor on several books about feng shui (including Nancy SantoPietro's book Feng Shui & Health) I feel inspired today to see if there might be something we can draw upon as we consider the daily activities involved in book promotion. The main thing to remember is that the four primary elements must always be harmonized. In deference to Hurricane Irene, let's start this exploration with the element of air.

Air: Air is the invisible element. As we breathe, it sustains us. The act of breathing is to take in and to expel, which is the most essential of patterns in our lives--receiving and then giving, and then receiving again. Without oxygen-rich air, we cannot generate energy. In writing we receive ideas and we give ideas; we circulate those ideas just as the wind circulates air throughout our planet's atmosphere. In terms of marketing, it is the capacity of air to be a medium for the transmission of sound waves that we need to think about: Where are we speaking?

Any balanced book marketing plan should include person-to-person communication. Whether that is a one-on-one talk with a reporter, lecturing to groups, or broadcasting your message on the radio or TV, speaking must be included in your plan. Just try not to be a blowhard, full of air without substance, or someone who never receives fresh input or inspiration.

Water: Flow is the primary quality of the element water. Persistent, drop by drop, immersive marketing takes place on the feeling level of our engagement with our readers. Beginning with our choice of the title of our book, our deep understanding of the needs of our target audience must always be considered as the basis of our efforts. In marketing behavior, water relates to the pace and frequency of interactions: steady and yet flexible, spontaneous and adaptive to market conditions. Learning to trust your instincts and impressions from your subconscious mind that show you what to do on a daily basis means you can swim and not drown in your efforts.

With your book promotion plan, seek to find the niches where you flow into--the spaces that are thirsty for some cool refreshment or the benefit of cleansing or immersion in what you offer.

Fire: The heat of passion and inspiration are the fire that keeps us going. In book marketing, there are always specific efforts made whose essential purpose is to light a fire in the potential book buyer. Think of these as calls to action, trigger points, decision points, offers that ignite. Ready, aim, fire! Push the button, click this link, sign up here. Come to this event. Use this coupon.

Another place where the element of fire is present is in electronic marketing efforts. Your plan must include online networking and spreading, through a combination of e-mails, social media interactions, blogging, and websites. Each of these tools gives you an opportunity to catalyze prospective readers to purchase your book and possibly engage with you further.

Earth: Stability and structure are earthly qualities. No determined book marketer can survive for long without establishing support systems and infrastructure. Fortunately, many of these systems are pre-existing and we can access them for a fee, or for free by the design of their creators. As an example, Amazon.com has created an infrastructure to support authors in marketing their books as a collaborative act because both the company and the author benefit whenever a book is sold on their website. The same is true for all other online bookstores: Most understand how valuable the author presence is to their success. Stability comes from having in place the right equipment (a computer, a smart phone, an online shopping cart), the right people to form your team (e.g., a virtual assistant, a search engine optimization expert, or a graphic designer), and the right plan of action to guide you. Without a skeleton the body would collapse. Without a strategy to follow as a framework for your activities your marketing will lead you to collapse. Amorphous marketing leads to amorphous results.

Any element alone is not sufficient. Passion without flow is an explosion waiting to happen. Flow without structure is like rain in a field of crops without irrigation channels. High winds that blow without ceasing in the mind dry up the juice of the imagination. Ideas that are disconnected from the heart cannot ever fulfill or soothe the soul. The elements temper one another.