Memoir Marketing Campaign

HARD LABOUR Book: Hard Labour: A Boy's Journey Through Adversity to Resilience Author: Peter Nickless Main sales channel: Amazon UK Main marketing channel: Facebook Author Page Marketing budget: Initially Under £100 per month, excluding freelancer fees. The aim is to get people to read the book not to raise royalties, any royalties will be returned to the marketing budget. 1. THE OBJECTIVE Published last year, Hard Labour has sold hundreds of copies and attracted nearly 100 four and five-star reviews on Amazon and Goodreads. However, sales have slowed, and I want to revitalise marketing to attract new readers and maintain sales. I am looking for a freelance book marketer to plan, create, manage and monitor a consistent campaign. It begins in a Yorkshire mining community, where childhood is remembered with warmth, simplicity and belonging. Following his parents' separation, the boy moves to inner-city Manchester, where he experiences poverty, loss, family difficulties, hunger and humiliation. However, this is not simply a story of hardship. It also contains humour, childhood adventures, friendships, kindness and, ultimately, resilience. Its distinctive feature is that much of the story is told through the eyes and understanding of the child experiencing events, rather than adult hindsight. 3. TARGET AUDIENCE Primary audience: • Men and women aged approximately 55+. • People who grew up in Britain during the 1950s, 1960s and 1970s. • Readers interested in working-class communities, mining villages and post-war Britain. • People interested in family and social history. Secondary audience: • Memoir and autobiography readers. • People interested in childhood adversity and overcoming hardship. • Readers who enjoy emotional stories about ordinary people. The marketer should research where these audiences spend time online and how best to reach them. 4. THE MARKETING MESSAGE The book should be marketed as an engaging human story, not simply another autobiography. Key themes: • Childhood innocence confronted by adult problems. • Growing up in Britain's working-class communities. • Family relationships, separation and loss. • Humour and adventures of 1950s and 1960s childhood. • How childhood experiences shape adulthood. • Overcoming adversity through resilience. Possible promotional hooks: • What does it take for a child to survive a childhood of hardship? • Do you remember growing up in the 1950s and 1960s? • Childhood memories can stay with us for a lifetime. • Behind every childhood is a story. Some are harder than others. • One boy. Two very different childhoods. A lifetime of memories. Develop and test additional hooks to discover what generates interest and sales. 5. FACEBOOK MARKETING – MAIN PRIORITY Facebook is my principal promotional platform. I want the freelancer to manage and develop my Author Page. Aim for three quality posts per week, including: • Short memoir extracts and childhood memories. • Amusing childhood experiences and adventures. • Emotional stories about family, hardship and relationships. • Appropriate historical photographs and illustrations. • Reader reviews and testimonials. • Direct promotional posts encouraging book purchases. Childhood Eyes campaign Develop a regular series of short posts written from the young boy's perspective. These should be engaging, sometimes humorous and allow readers to experience the world as the child saw it. Reflections on Hard Labour Develop another series exploring the deeper meaning of childhood memories and how my understanding of people and events changed with age. Book promotion Regularly remind readers that the book is available on Amazon in Kindle and paperback editions. Include a clear purchasing link. Maintain a balance between entertaining, engaging and selling rather than making every post a hard sell. 6. VISUAL MARKETING I already have childhood photographs, historical-style illustrations and promotional images. The marketer should: • Use the actual book cover where appropriate. • Create professional, attractive Facebook graphics. • Use short, powerful headlines. • Avoid overcrowding images with text. • Use historically appropriate 1950s and 1960s imagery. • Maintain a consistent visual identity. • Ensure images work well on mobile screens. Visuals should create curiosity and encourage people to stop scrolling. 7. AMAZON SALES STRATEGY Review the existing Amazon listing and identify improvements, including: • Book description and sales copy. • Presentation of Kindle and paperback editions. • Effective use of existing five-star reviews. • Appropriate Amazon categories and keywords. • Opportunities for Amazon advertising. • Available sales and advertising data. Existing reviews are valuable marketing assets. Use genuine testimonials without altering or inventing quotations. Submit proposed listing changes for my approval. 8. PAID ADVERTISING The monthly advertising budget is under £100, so spending must be carefully controlled. Investigate: • Small, targeted Facebook advertising campaigns. • Amazon sponsored advertising, where appropriate. • Retargeting opportunities, where practical. Start with small experiments. Every campaign must have a defined audience, message, budget and measurable objective. No advertising expenditure without my prior approval. 9. OTHER MARKETING OPPORTUNITIES Investigate opportunities beyond Facebook, including: • Memoir and autobiography reading groups. • 1950s and 1960s social history communities. • Working-class history and mining heritage groups. • Local newspapers, magazines and radio. • Libraries and reading groups. • Relevant podcasts, book blogs and reviewers. Respect group rules and avoid inappropriate promotional activity. 10. WEEKLY RESPONSIBILITIES The freelancer should actively manage the campaign, not simply provide occasional advice. Weekly duties: 1. Plan the following week's activity. 2. Write and prepare three Facebook posts. 3. Source or create suitable visuals. 4. Schedule and pub