I get it. You love the whole creative writing process but when it comes to book promotion, you feel it’s a lengthy and uninspiring chore. However, you owe it to yourself to promote your book and to commit fully to the process because otherwise, your book is likely to sink without a trace. Even the best books need nurturing. If you consider that you have sweated blood and tears when writing your fiction or non-fiction book, why would you limit its progress and not do all you can to get the word out there so people can read it?
There is nothing as soul-destroying as seeing your book sliding down the Amazon sales chart. You may not have written your book with the intent of being a bestselling author but it would be nice if someone read it, right? We all want to know that our words are powerful. That they resonate with others and that the creative project that was once just a faint idea has now taken shape and is a viable, published entity. That’s powerful and amazing.
Promote your book regularly
It’s true if you want to promote your book, do so regularly. This means keeping one finger on the pulse of book marketing and promotion. It’s about learning and identifying what works and what does not. To promote your book, consider which marketing sites will do justice to your book, and this will, of course, be dependent on your marketing budget. You must also consider how much time you have although our add to sites service may be just what you are looking for.
If you want to promote your book successfully, create a plan of action. Start today. When you see your book being downloaded regularly, all the hard work will be worth it.
Summary
If you don’t know where to start, just ask us. We are happy to guide you. If you want us to take the strain out of your book marketing endeavours, we can do this too. We have numerous ways to help you and we go above and beyond many book marketing services.
Book marketing – for many authors is a necessary evil. Yet, it needn’t be a drama. One tip is to start the marketing process before you have even written the book. Create a checklist and refer to it often. Consider what you can do to give your book a lift and tick off each task as you complete it. By doing so, it enables proactive steps to the book promotion process. If you have already written your book, don’t worry, you can still incorporate book marketing into daily life, just do a little at a time. Plan ahead. Here’s how.
Book Marketing Tricks
The following are easy to implement book marketing tricks. Try some or all of them. You choose.
1. Set up a Twitter account and build up a following. Take time to engage with other writers or readers in your genre. You could soon be talking to writers and readers all around the globe. Get ideas, join creative forces, gain inspiration. These contacts can help you with book promotion by liking and sharing your tweets. Don’t forget to use the relevant hashtags so your book can be found.
2. Create a Facebook page other than your personal one and start to develop a following on there. Gradually, people will start to see your posts but here’s a word of warning, Facebook will restrict the times that your posts are seen unless you boost posts and run ads. It is still worth having a dedicated page. You should also consider setting up Facebook ads as they can be seen by the people who love your type of book.
3. Plan your book reviews now. Take a look at Amazon’s top 100 reviewers and narrow it down to your niche. This can be a bit time-consuming but it is worth doing as some quality reviews can really give your book a head start. Amazon does not support reviews for books on preorder but it is possible to get some great reviewers prepared – which in turn will help you to further your book promotion tasks.
4. If you are not a member of Goodreads yet, sign up now. You can organise a giveaway for your book to over 65 million members. Unlike Amazon, Goodreads will allow you to gain reviews during the preorder stage.
5. Consider a press release. If your book is newsworthy i.e. you have written it to coincide with a specific event or if it is topical, then, the media might be keen to interview you. Not sure how to get a press release, click here.
6. Share snippets of your book across all social media channels. Choose the snippets that incite interest and interaction. This is a great way for your book to be seen. Don’t forget the more followers you have, the more those snippets will be shared. If you are writing a book now, create some compelling snippets as you go. Strengthen those words. You can also create visual posts and these will stand out from any text promotions.
7. Use Amazon’s book promotion tools to help escalate your book up the Amazon rankings. It can take a lot of time to prepare for book promotion and to find sites that promote your book (free and paid) during the event. If the budget allows and if time is restricted, we can help you out. Why stress when you can have the work done for you?
Summary
So, that’s it. Some easy ways to approach the book marketing process. But don’t think you have to go it alone or that it is too difficult. It is a simple fact that authors have to go the extra mile to get their books noticed. Build it into your writing and publishing checklist and do a little at a time. You will get real results.
Annette J Beveridge is the author of 16 books in her own name and has ghost-written numerous books for clients worldwide. She is also the editor of Creative1 Publishing.
Any author will tell you that writing a book is seriously a labour of love. It tugs at your emotions, it sends you to the depths of despair when the words do not come and, you have to dig deep to harden your resolve to finish your book. But then, once you have typed that final word, elation like no other washes over you. WOW. You’ve done it. You have achieved your goal. But, then, the cold reality seeps in. Who is going to see it? How can you attract the right readers? This is a problem that affects most authors.
If your book promotion budget is limited, you have to be a little imaginative and be prepared to put in some ground work.
There’s no avoiding it. A solid book campaign is vital if you want to make your book rise to the lofty top 10 in any category and you can’t give up then and think those sales will continue to come, you must keep driving sales so to keep your book afloat. After all, other authors are going to do the same to promote their books. If you don’t go the extra mile, your book is likely to plummet like a stone. After all your hard work, that’s going to hurt.
So, here are a few great ways to boost your own book promotion campaign:
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This is our Facebook page with over 13,000 book enthusiasts and we are happy to promote your book for free. We are always looking for short author interviews so message us here.
Facebook videos
If you don’t mind being in the spotlight, do a Facebook video and time it with your book launch or book news.
YouTube – create your own YouTube channel and promote your book to a whole new audience. Have fun with it. Don’t just record yourself saying I have a great book, be a little quirky and develop your YouTube persona. Go dark, go extreme, be a little off the wall.
Want to keep readers enthused about your writing prior to the book launch? Use this great tool and gain real time support and enthusiastic readers.
Website promotions
Do you have your own website yet? If not, get one set up quickly. This is your author platform. It is the place that people will come to so to review your books or to find out more about upcoming books. Create downloadable PDF samples of your book and use it to get people to opt in for your author newsletter. You can also create a tweetable elevator pitch so that fans can share it. Not sure how? Use the Click to Tweet plugin for WordPress. You can also use quotes and blog posts to entice book enthusiasts.
Promotional tools
Create your own postcards, posters, book markers or even design a t-shirt and boldly promote your book on your chest. No doubt people will start to ask questions. Try to come up with eye-catching ways to make the book title or an image speak volumes about your book.
So there you are, some quirky book promotion tips that really work. But, remember, as time-consuming as it may be, you need to keep on top of your book promotion schedule otherwise your book placement will slip. If you don’t have time, we can help.
We’ve all been there. The writing is finished, you’ve spent a fortune on an editing service and now, you just want the book to be published. Sound familiar? But, it’s vital that you don’t rush the publicity process because your book needs it. As an author, there is much you can do to promote your own book and to start gaining interest from potential readers but, to do it properly, you will need a professional book publicity service.
Why have a professional book publicity campaign?
A professional publicist or company who specialises in this service will help the whole world to know about your book. A professional will look at it differently than you will, after all, it’s your baby and you have sweated blood and tears over it. But, from a professional viewpoint, your book will have unique aspects that you may not have even considered. A good publicist will be able to detect this and discuss its potential with you in media terms.
Successful books
Most of the books that you see listed as best-sellers would have a publicity campaign. Yes, there are always exceptions to the rule but, if you want your book to have a fighting chance in a highly-competitive marketplace, it makes sense to do so.
Publishing – as a business
It’s perhaps a sad truth that publishing is all about the business aspect of selling books. It’s not about a book that deserves to be published anymore. So, as an author and no doubt, creative being, you must adopt a business approach too. This can be hard for many to do. Most authors live and breathe the creative process and balk at the marketing processes that must follow however, if you want a successful book, you’ll do what is necessary.
Publicity and peace of mind
Hire a good book publicist and you’ll have peace of mind that your book is in good hands. Any publicist is going to tell you that it’s not just about the sales. It’s about you as a brand and it’s about, inciting continued interest in books you write thereafter. Ideally, you should approach a publicist prior to the book being . However, it is true that there are tricks of the trade that can spotlight a book with flagging sales.
If you are in the middle of writing a book now, and still have some months before the book is even ready, this is the ultimate time to speak to a publicist. They will guide you through the process. The costs vary and so, it’s customary to send a quick email to explain what your book is about and when it is likely to be finished and they will clarify what they can do. It’s certainly worth opening up the lines of communication if you wish to accelerate the sales on your book. Want more information? Email: contact@creative1publishing.com please mark the subject line with book publicity
Most authors embark upon their dreams of writing a book without giving much consideration to book promotion. After all, that comes much later, right? Wrong. The best starting point for promoting your book is before you’ve even started writing it and of course, during the planning stage. It may sound as if you are in it for the long haul when it comes to book promotion but, without a doubt, the success of your book depends upon it. In the early stages, it’s all about the planning and if you can think like a marketing pro, your book sales will reward you.
Book promotion and the creative process
I have worked in the publishing industry for a great many years – yes, even before digital books exploded onto the scene, and a great many authors were waiting for this with baited-breath. Through my own mistakes, and, through studying and researching the publishing industry, one very important thing became apparent. The emphasis had to be on the author taking responsibility for book promotion. Why? Because the industry was changing rapidly and as a result, even traditional publishing had its wings clipped when it came to promotional funds.
Publishers stopped investing in unknown writers but promoted those who had already made it, after all, they were a safe bet in an industry that literally was evolving as everyone watched. As a result, many new authors or, those who were considered a risk, suddenly had to find their own way to make their books known and, suddenly, the creative process was not enough. Let’s be honest, you could write the best book ever but, unless you had money to throw at book promotion, it was obvious that your book could sink without trace.
Set the foundations of book promotion
When you start contemplating your book, this is the time to consider book promotion. Forge the foundations of it. By doing so, you create the mindset needed for success. You create the right approach considering where you could promote your book and what the marketing angle might be. You consider whether to have press releases or, to hire a company who specializes in book promotion. Or, you could look for free sites that may publish details of your book so to get the message out there. Each book may require a different approach, but you must formulate a plan otherwise, your wonderful book will just not be seen. That’s the harsh reality.
Don’t wait
The mistake I made with my first book was not investing enough time in the marketing process. Sadly, I rushed it and paid the price. This is a classic new author mistake. If you are reading this and nodding profusely, then, you’ll know the importance of a little strategic planning next time. At the time, self-publishing was all-new and success, not guaranteed. Marketing options were a little hit and miss but, opportunities for success were available.
Nowadays, you have to be ultra-smart. You may wish to utilize press releases for media attention. Or, you can submit your book to free marketing sites in the hopes they may promote. Equally, use paid-for advertising to get the word out there. But, don’t make the mistake in randomly selecting advertising methods. Think it through. It’s easy to spend a fortune and achieve absolutely nothing.
Ask any author who ventures into the self-publishing arena what the most difficult aspect of the publishing process was and they are likely to say book marketing. The reason for this is simple, most authors who are relatively new on the scene would admit that they know little about marketing. They may have spent years learning writing techniques to help engage their readers but, are suddenly thrust into the marketing arena when it comes to generating sales.
Think it through
If you want your book to do well, you have to consider what your overall goal is. What story are you telling? Are you sharing knowledge that will resonate with a great many? Understanding what your book is about on an analytical level will help you to develop a strong book marketing strategy.
It’s important to find a unique selling proposition (USP) and once you have achieved this, you can plan how to impart your key message to the world. You also need to know who your target audience is. Think about the age of your anticipated readers and the type of interests they might have. You need to create a book that will resonate with them.
Consider…………
How to generate awareness of you as the author
How to create events to market your book
How to get online and offline exposure
Book marketing – specialist or self-promotion?
You must also consider what budget you have at your disposal and also, the time factor too. Ideally, an ongoing marketing plan is vital but if you don’t have the time to commit to this, consider hiring a specialist company. Talk to the company about your goals and discuss an action plan. There are many things you can do to promote your book yourself so, don’t just sit back and let it happen. After all, if you have invested months or even, years of work in writing your book, go the extra mile. Give it the best send off possible.
There’s no doubt that blogging is huge and for some, it’s profitable too but, as an author, should you create your own blog? To determine this, it’s best to consider what you are trying to achieve and this way, you can plan a strategic rather than a creative approach to your blogging endeavors.
The blogging conundrum
Blogging has great potential. Many people love it because it gives them a chance to vent or share their thoughts by way of an online journal. But, is it really worth it? From an author’s perspective, it can be useful to create an online presence providing it is regular and you have a plan of action. When you consider the time spent to set up and provide content for your blog, any money that you expect to make is going to potentially be low in comparison to the amount of hours in which you are investing. So, this will be a labour of love in the first instance.
If you have little to no idea what you want to blog about, but, you fancy doing something creative, then, go ahead, a blog enables you to test your creativity but it’s also a sharp learning curve too. If you are a methodical, forward-planning individual, you may want to create your own blog for these reasons.
1. Create your own blog and form your writing platform
If you want to get yourself known as a writer, a blog can help you to do just that. Define your ideas, think about each post carefully and plan ahead. It makes sense to create quite a few blog posts and schedule them in advance. This takes the pressure off you when you don’t feel like writing or, if life gets in the way.
2. Create your own blog so to incite interest in your books
Yes, blogging can help you to get your audience interested in up and coming books. There’s no doubt about it. Blogging has a far reach providing you do it right. But, it’s not all about being creative. It’s about using keywords, yes, SEO (search engine optimisation) is still important. It’s about considering the steps towards your concept, the writing of a book and the whole marketing process.
A blog can act as a teaser, it can create hype, it can help you sell those books further down the line. It can also help you to organise your thoughts so that you know what you must do. But, a successful blog takes planning and preparation.
3. Create your own blog so to market your books
In the online world, there’s a fine line between writing, marketing and overdoing the whole SELL, SELL, SELL process. So, if you want to captivate and engage the readers, you need to be smart. Don’t make everything about your book, unless the whole purpose of the blog is to share your process, but rather, let readers into your life.
Share your thoughts and feelings and share your inspirations and those difficult to write days. There are ways and means in which to sell to others and the best way of doing so, is to reach out to them and to engage with them like..well, human beings. It works. Hard sales do not. Readers are savvy. They know when they are being over-sold something so, be careful.
4. Consider the longevity of your blog
Photo by rawpixel on Unsplash
What are you going to write about and does it have longevity? Can you sustain an ongoing blog about your subject? If you have set up an author site and your blog is a part of that, it can be on any aspect of your life giving the chance for readers to get to know you. But if you are writing just about your book, consider what you will write about when it is published. The blog content will also determine the title of your blog, so plan ahead.
Summary
Ultimately, having a blog can be a good thing for authors. But, plan it carefully before you start. Many people make the mistake of rushing into blogging but, don’t consider their long-term plans and that’s a mistake.
In my previous blog post, I mentioned the potential for being interviewed on local radio and I know this is something that many authors dread, that of self-promotion and having to embrace their time in the spotlight. But, the publishing industry has moved on so much in the last ten years and it’s a whole new beast to deal with if you wish to become a success, so book marketing these days is an essential component of getting the word out there.
I often have writers say to me that the words within their book speaks for them. Well, great, but, it’s worth noting that even if your book is the most amazing collection of words ever, the story is strong, the characters compelling, if no one knows of its existence, then, it will remain on the shelf and just grow dusty.
By actively seeking out and being prepared for an interview through radio or TV, this can really escalate your book sales and you will come across well. But, remember, your book alone will not get you the promotion you need to sell numerous copies. You are the one that people will want to talk to, they will want to understand who you are, your background, what made you write this book. They want to know about you and you need to engage with your potential readers and share a little of yourself. Make sure you know your stuff, be engaging, articulate and definitely entertaining.
Prepare a list of potential questions so you don’t feel under pressure or unprepared and do your best to enjoy it.
If you feel uncomfortable being in the spotlight, then, get friends and family to interview you so you feel more comfortable being asked questions and with the attention fully on you. Have them video you so you are used to cameras. This will help you to feel more natural on screen or, even prepare you if you are participating in a radio interview. Ultimately, it’s about making these opportunities work for you.
Image courtesy of [Stuart Miles] at FreeDigitalPhotos.net
When it comes to book promotion, you may well be one of a large group of authors who like to bury their heads in the sand but, newsflash, procrastinating, hiding or refusing to join the self-promotion bandwagon will get you precisely nowhere.
As a publisher and author, I know how important your book is to you. You wouldn’t have written it if it didn’t mean something. But, your book is just one among masses, not just competing for physical book space but, for digital space too. So, remember, you only have a short space of time to make an impact for your book and this should start long before the publishing date. You can pay for publicity, have someone set up ads for you, create flyers, etc. But, there are things you can do for FREE and it makes sense to make the most of any publicity available. But, you had best get your timing right.
I am a firm believer in the power of the press release. Even if you don’t use one of the professional distributors, you can still write a press release and distribute it to your local newspapers. Make it concise and play the local angle. Start promoting your book approximately two months in advance. So, send announcements to your local radio and TV stations, newspapers, book distributors and so on.
When your book is published i.e. you have a physical copy in your hands, send an updated press release along with a copy of your book to some or all of those you had contacted previously. You may not hear anything or, you may find yourself contacted for interviews or even book signings. Don’t faint at the thought. Try to enjoy your moment in the spotlight. You can also have fliers made of the book jacket and ask local bookshops if they will display it near the till point. But don’t just leave it there, give them some copies of the book too – try the Sale or Return angle. If they decline, give them a copy and ask them to read it and encourage their friends to buy it.
Are your friends avid readers? Ask them to talk about your book (be fair, only when they have read it and liked it) word of mouth is a really powerful way to promote and if they talk about it enough, others are likely to buy a copy. Ask your local library or doctors or dentists if they will stock your promotional fliers. When people are bored, nervous or sick, they will want to distract themselves and your colourful looking promotional literature may incite interest.
Is your book about a subject that local people will really want to see? Is your book about something that local groups will be interested in? If you have written a book on Yorkshire Terriers and there happens to be a specific group of dedicated enthusiasts regarding this breed of dog, well, drop them a line. You must always look for the angle.
Local interest is a great way to promote for free but you must be prepared to put yourself out there and promote with enthusiasm. Don’t be shy. Self-promotion is essential these days. If you want to be an author, you must also be a marketer. Accept it, relish it and now promote like crazy.
No doubt about it, the book marketing process causes more grey hairs and worry lines than the whole writing process. New authors fear it and less-than dedicated authors give up. It’s important to see the whole marketing process as a business and where possible to enjoy it rather than it being a ‘dread-doing’ but must do’ scenario each day. If you want to seriously promote your book, here are a few ideas that you may not have yet considered.
1. If your book is based on a local area topic, this makes it easier to market to those who live in your town or city because you can visit your local newspaper, (hand in a press release) advertise locally and become somewhat of a local expert. This latter point is particularly relevant if you have written a non-fiction book and it affects those who live in the area.
2. If you have written a novel and you have based it in key areas of your town or city, ask local businesses to promote it for you. Ask local hotels or bed and breakfasts if they will keep some paperback books in their reception area and leave on a sale or return basis.
3. Offer some sample chapters out to readers. If you have a website and plenty of followers, this can generate some serious sales. You can also leave leaflets at your local book shops or, at the library offering free sample chapters. This is a great way to capitalise in your local area. Of course, your opening chapters must be really strong and highly-compelling. If you are not sure about how good your opening pages are, click HERE.
4. One of the main reasons why authors struggle to market their books is because they don’t enjoy their time in the spotlight. So, the thought of having that spotlight shining very brightly on them is far too daunting. But, if you can take the plunge and contact your local radio station, they may be all too happy to do an interview with you. This can lead to book sales so don’t shy away from it.
Do you need help with any aspect of the publishing process? Click HERE
by Annette Young
