Author Spotlight: What’s Working Now with Sarah Geringer

Don't you wish you could pick the brain of other authors to hear their tips and ‘been there done that' marketing advice?

That's what you'll get today! I can’t wait for you to hear this What's Working Now episode of Book Marketing Mania with my friend and guest, Sarah Geringer.

I first met Sarah online, and our relationship blossomed into a real-life connection built on mutual respect and shared interests. I just love Sarah's heart for serving others and meeting in person was icing on the cake!

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In this episode, Sarah shares:

• How the idea of her newest book for Teens came from popular request of her launch team
• How her discussion guide is attracting her younger demographic
• How she used her analytics to identify the target audience for her next book she's writing
• Her experience with both traditional and self-publishing
• How she forms her launch teams and loves on them well
• How she discovers new podcasts who interview guests and builds relationships with them (before pitching)

A Snapshot of Sarah's Author Journey

Sarah has published five books, blending traditional and self-publishing works. Her writing revolves around Christian meditation and practical applications of faith.

Sarah's dedication to understanding her audience through analytics has paid off significantly. Initially targeting women aged 30-65, Sarah noticed a shift in her readership over time. This insight came from observing which segments engaged most with her content across various platforms. 

Her forthcoming book for teen girls arose from her core audience's feedback—moms who found value in her earlier works and wanted similar content for their daughters.

Engaging a Teenage Audience

While Sarah admits to being out of her comfort zone with platforms like TikTok, she found innovative ways to reach her target demographic. Instead of direct outreach to teens, she connects with their influencers—moms, aunts, grandmothers, and youth group leaders. This strategy aligns with her strengths to make her marketing efforts more genuine, not forced.

Sarah emphasizes that Gen Z craves authenticity and vulnerability from adults. Sharing real, relatable experiences with them makes a significant impact. To do this, she created discussion guides to facilitate deep, meaningful conversations between moms or mentors and teen girls, making her books more of a collaborative reading experience.

Celebrating Wins: The Power of a Launch Team

Sarah passionately discussed how crucial her launch teams have been for her success. She shared how she forms these teams, nurtures them, and takes their feedback seriously. She even came up with the idea for her next book from the requests of her dedicated launch team members. 

One element that set Sarah’s book launches apart was her genuine connection with her launch team. She prayed for them, wrote personalized notes, and sent thoughtful gifts. This level of engagement fosters loyalty and encourages team members to leave valuable reviews when the book releases.

Sarah reached 100 Amazon reviews in just 37 days for her book *Transforming Your Thought Life* launch. This milestone boosted her book’s visibility on Amazon, thanks to its algorithm's preference for highly reviewed products.

Balancing Traditional and Self-Publishing

For messages requiring a broader reach, Sarah advises considering traditional publishing. It provides the infrastructure and expertise of a dedicated team who can guide the marketing and book distribution process. 

However, being teachable and open to feedback from your publishing team is crucial for success.

Whether you’re self-publishing or going the traditional route, Sarah recommends Michael Hyatt's book Platform, which helped her realize she wanted to blend both publishing methods to maximize her audience reach. 

Self-publishing allows for quick production and total creative control, but it requires investing in professional services like cover design and editing. Additionally, she stresses the importance of owning your ISBN as a self-published author  to facilitate local book signings.

Leverage Podcast Guesting as a Marketing Tool

Sarah has been a guest on many podcasts and considers guesting to be a key component of her marketing strategy. She actively engages in Christian podcasting communities, and is always generous with her time as a guest, regardless of the podcast's size. 

This openness and willingness to serve and promote her appearances across multiple platforms have earned her repeat invitations from hosts and expanded her reach to new audiences.

Sarah talks about her love for discovering new podcasts and building relationships with hosts, enabling her to share her message more broadly. She highlights that being relatable to both the host and listeners helps her connect better, ultimately marketing her message more effectively.

Final Thoughts 

Sarah leaves us with the reminder to stay flexible and open to God's calling, even when it shifts our original plans. 

Whether you're a new or seasoned author, Sarah’s insights offer practical tips for you to engage with your audience and successfully launch and market your book.

Cheering you on one podcast at a time,

💛 Kim

Transforming Your Thought Life for Teens: Renew Your Mind with God
Transforming Your Thought Life: Christian Meditation in Focus

Sarah's Website
Sarah's Instagram

Christian Podcast Guest group on Facebook

Sarah Geringer is a speaker, podcaster, artist and author of five books and Bible studies and is on the devotional writing teams for Proverbs 31 Ministries. She also manages launch teams for other authors too! When Sarah’s not reading over 100 books per year, she enjoys painting, baking, gardening, and playing the flute. 

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