Marketing: 9 Ways To Market Your Book [Self-Publishing Basics]

Note: For an updated version of the information below, download Self-Publishing Basic Training for FREE (you’ll also get some nifty extras)!

Photo: Robert Scoble | Flickr

Ahhhhhhhh. Breathe a sigh of relief.

You’ve planned, written, edited, designed and made decision after decision and now, finally, your book is available for purchase.

Prop your feet up and relax — all the hard work is over…right? Right?

WRONG.

Your work is just beginning.

Now that your book is out, it’s time to sell some (okay, hopefully, MANY) copies. This is the longest (and most arduous) part of the self-publishing process. It’s hard. You’ll want to give up; throw in the towel; say that self-publishing was a horrible idea — DON’T do it!

It’s hard work, to be sure, but it’s also a total blast — after all, you’re finally getting to experience the moment many authors deram of: to see readers pick up and purchase copies of their book. This is where you gain lifetime fans and readers. This is where it all comes together!

After all, marketing isn’t about the traditional book tour anymore (thanks to Nicole at It’s All About Writing):

Luckily for us, those days are (mostly) over. It’s 2010, and there are more ways than ever to market your book. Whether you’re an introvert, extrovert, traditional or a little wacky there’s a method of marketing that’s right for you (and your book). Check out these nine ideas for starters:

9 Ways to Market Your Book

1. Start in your own “backyard.”
   We’re talking “backyard” in the loosest sense of the term here — whether it’s your physical backyard (friends/contacts in your city/town) or your virtual backyard (Twitter followers, Facebook friends, blog buddies), begin the tough process of marketing by reaching out to those who know you. Selling to them will allow you to build your confidence and (hopefully) rack up some easy sales (and reviews).
2. Build your fan base BEFORE your book release.
   The bigger your “backyard” is, the easier it is to sell, so start early (during or even before the writing process) to build your following (online and offline). Online, start that Twitter or Facebook account, visit writing forums, or begin blogging. Offline, join a writing critique group, become friendly with your local independent bookstore, or start a relationship with your local newspaper’s book reporter.
3. Take pre-orders.
   Build up anticipation (and boost your sales) by taking pre-orders for your book. Whet your following’s appetite with sample pages or chapters and, as an incentive, give a discount to those who pre-order.
4. Consider a blog tour or interview.
   Many writing and publishing blogs are eager to hear from new authors — contact a few of them before your book is released and see if they’d consider having you stop in for a blog tour or interview. You’ll be helping them create engrossing content and they’ll help you by introducing you to a new audience.
5. Mobilize friends and family.
   Cast a wider social net by asking friends and family to recommend your book to those they know. Word-of-mouth can be the best selling tool!
6. Solicit independent reviews.
   We all love receiving glowing reviews from friends and family, but independent reviews from respected reviewers can go a long way toward convincing readers to give your book a try. Whether it’s your local paper’s book reviewer or top reviewers on Amazon, start early to rack up these reviews — plus, they look great on a book cover, press release or website!
7. Hold Contests or Giveaways.
   People love free stuff. Promise to give away copies of your book on Twitter or your blog and watch the comments fly in! It’s great publicity and, again, can get your name out to a wider audience.
8. Write a press release.
   We discussed this a while back, but writing a press release is an easy way to get news of your book’s release out to local media outlets. And, as a bonus — it looks very professional on your website.
9. Create a self-hosted, professional website.
   Speaking of websites, you do have one right? A Twitter profile, Facebook page, blogger.com, or wordpress.com account doesn’t suffice! If you want your web presence to be taken seriously, cough up the $10/yr for a domain and $5ish/mo for hosting. You’ll have total control over your web presence and a more professional image to boot. If you need help with this process, give us a shout or stay tuned to the blog — I’ll have a post next week walking you through the process.

Resources:

• Pre-publication Book Marketing Tips
• Blog Tour Primer
• Marketing Your Book By Giving Away Free Stuff

Do you have any other inventive ways to promote your book? Which method has worked best for you? Let us know in the comments!

This was the last post in our Self-Publishing Basics series. THANK YOU to all of our readers for making it so wonderful!  Subscribe to our RSS feed or sign up via e-mail to receive notifications of future posts from Duolit.