Hopefully you’ve read this past Tuesday’s post which was the first installment of this topic and covered: developing your author and book website, blog and media kit. That said, below I’ve provided the next 10 strategies and tips to help you market yourself and your book(s).
1. SEND A PRESS RELEASE TO MEDIA/BLOGGERS: Public relations and social media marketing provide a solid foundation and baseline for awareness and general marketing campaigns. A good press release will include the information needed for an editor, reporter or blogger to understand the news value of your story. It will generate awareness for your book and you as an author and can be used as a sales tool to generate sales.
2. NETWORKING: Positive word-of-mouth publicity is an essential part of any book marketing plan. Start by telling your friends and family about your book. Then broaden your reach to include coworkers and professional acquaintances.
- Contact genre experts and well known book review blogger sites.
- You can also network over the internet by searching for organizations interested in your book’s topic.
- Use your book’s theme, location, or time period for inspiration and making marketing connections. A character’s hobbies, occupation, lifestyle, values and interests can be jumping off points for developing promotional strategies.
- Introduce yourself and get to know the owners and staff at local, independent bookstores and relevant clubs and organizations.
3. ENTER A COMPETITION: Winning a competition is a major endorsement for your book; awards help with book publicity by verifying that your book is head and shoulders above many others. Start by looking for contests that don’t require steep entry fees or the submission of an inordinate number of books. It’s also best to find contests that are especially welcoming to independently published or print-on-demand books. You can find contests by searching the Internet or reading the monthly iUniverse Author Newsletter.
4. GET 20 AMAZON REVIEWS: Amazon reviews are amazingly effective. Everyone from book buyers to publishers reads them. Your goal is to get at least 20 reviews. Contact everyone you know and ask each of them if they would give your book an honest review. Let them know it can be brief. If they agree, send them either a a promotional copy of the book or a PDF containing a table of contents, two sample chapters, and your bio.
5. BOOK SIGNINGS AND READINGS: Bookstore signings are the lowest-paid but most guaranteed to work methods you have for promoting a really good book. If you do it 200 times a year, it will pay. For tips on book signings, check out Book Signings: Everything You Need to Know
6. SET UP BOOK GIVEAWAYS via Goodreads or try a member giveaway at LibrarayThing.
7. ESTABLISH A BUDGET & CREATE A MARKETING PLAN: How much money are you able and willing to spend marketing and promoting your book? Include everything from paid advertising to travel costs. How much time can you devote to establishing and maintaining your book promotion strategies? What marketing tactics do you intend on implementing first? What are your goals and how will you measure them? Don’t stop promoting one book to start writing another. The buzz and excitement of a launch can be exhilarating, but the marketing and promotional effort for a book must continue far beyond the initial days and weeks of ‘getting it out there’. Include in your marketing plan a schedule that allows for ongoing promotional activities of your previous work, while providing time to write your next bestseller as well.
8. BUILD YOUR EMAIL LIST: (See this link for more info – www.yourwriterplatform.com/writers-guide-to-an-email-list ). Invite people to subscribe, and make it worth their while by providing remarkable content. Use your list wisely to create and build buzz for your launch. Engage early, keep them ‘in-the-loop’, and ask for feedback so they become invested in the successful outcome of your book or project.
9. SCHEDULE SOCIAL MEDIA: Decide when and what you will share on your social media platforms. Optimize your profile on Twitter, Facebook, Google+, LinkedIn, Goodreads and Pinterest.
10. HOST & RECORD AUTHOR HANGOUTS ON GOOGLE+: Not sure how? Try this comprehensive post on demystifying Google+ hangouts from the Future of Ink – www.thefutureofink.com/google-hangouts-technology.
Next Tuesday I’ll provide the next and last 14 strategies and tips for marketing your new book. In the meantime, please feel free to send me an email with any questions you may have…I’m happy to help!
Danielle Foley, President ~ Foley Marketing Advisors
www.foleymarketingadvisors.com ~ dfoley@foleymarketingadvisors.com