So you are in the process of publishing a book and now, you have suddenly realised that you need to start marketing it. But how? There are so many options available to authors these days but the cost of publishing a book and making it visible to potential buyers can be quite high if you rush into the process without having a plan.
Writing, publishing and marketing generally can seem a little overwhelming if you are fairly new to the industry but don’t worry, instead of trying to do a little of everything, choose two or three book marketing plans and build your strategy around them.
Press releases can be surprisingly useful when it comes to book marketing but often, new authors fail to use a press release because they do not consider it suitable for the average person. Press releases may appear synonymous with celebrities or for large corporate companies but the average person, yes, the humble author can make use of them too.
Press releases must be written in a specific way. There is little point just announcing that you have a new book, the response may well be, so what? You must be very clear as to why it might be of interest to the media. If you were writing a book about cycling and the Tour de France was about to happen, you could aim to publish the book and press release around this time, so that it becomes associated with the buzz and hype of such a popular event. This is just one example of course, but you must always have a very specific angle in mind.
As well as being distributed professionally, you should also send the press release to your local newspapers and, you are much more likely to gain an enthusiastic response as newspapers are always searching for local news. This could well lead to lots more sales as others who live in your town may be intrigued and buy your book. It’s also worth having a word with your local bookstore and explaining that your book is about to be published and you are investing heavily in book marketing. They may be happy to take a set number of your paperback books in the store on a sale or return basis and to have a book signing. The good news is that they will promote this too.
Send a link to your press release via social media. This way, it can be published and seen on a worldwide basis. A well-written press release should be an integral part of your book marketing strategy. One press release can go a long, long way and it makes sense to use it. While there are no guarantees, let’s be honest, if you don’t use a press release, you miss out on any chance of the media picking up the story.
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