If you’re an author, especially an indie author, you should be actively marketing your book(s). Effective book marketing will increase your chances of sales and success. By regularly marketing online, you will help more readers to find your work and develop an interest in it. As an author, finding ways to sell your book can be challenging, but with effectual marketing, promotions and sales-related activities, your book can potentially find its way in the eager hands, or e-readers, of its ideal audience. If you’re an author and you want to learn more about book marketing, you can get started here and then follow the 3 things authors should know about book marketing below.
Build a Community Around Your Book
Building a community around your book is one of the most important things you can do as an author. It provides you with a connection to your audience, making it possible for you to get helpful and constructive feedback. Community is crucial in order to be a successful author. Having an audience that supports you through your writing journey and helps you to make progress with your writing craft is invaluable. In addition, a good book community (including a great ARC team) will happily assist with marketing, sales and reviews. This will make it even easier to share up to date book information online. Additionally, you can use social media to market your book and then attend various (online or in person) events to promote it. This is a great way to reach out to even more people who might enjoy your book.
Build a Strong Online Presence to Use as a Marketing Tool
There are a few important things to consider when building an online presence. The most important is understanding the purpose of the social media site that you prefer using. You need to know your goal(s) before planning a marketing campaign on social media sites like Instagram, Facebook or LinkedIn, and then tailor your content accordingly. Taking time to properly plan your content marketing strategy, aimed at your ideal readers, will ensure you start engaging your audience and building a strong online presence sooner rather than later.
Providing links to download free samples or reader magnets, or offering the full book for a promotional/introductory price can also be worthwhile strategies, and including links to websites with reviews and possibly interviews will ensure readers get to know you and exactly what to expect when buying a new release from you.
Create a Buzz about Your Book and Get Media Coverage in the Process
Getting media coverage for your book can be tricky and requires a lot of time, effort, and luck. Here are some tips to help you do it:
- Make sure you have a quality product to promote. It will be nearly impossible to garner interest in a book that hasn’t been properly edited or proofread, and/or doesn’t have a professional looking, genre relevant cover.
- Create a list of relevant journalists and/or book bloggers to contact, making sure you research what genres of books/types of authors they do and don’t work with.
- Craft a press release that communicates information about your book in a concise but impactful way. (Then proofread it carefully!)
- Make sure your chosen social media platforms are active and engaging and invite journalists/book bloggers to check you out online.
- Seek advice from marketing experts such as Errol Andam, who can give you insights into the latest marketing developments that can help you promote your book.
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