As a self published author, you should know as much about marketing your book as you do about writing it. Marketing your book before its publication helps ensure there are readers ready to buy the book during its launch and beyond. Book marketing strategies and ideas for self published authors. Services like and amazons createspace mean its never been easier to become an author and publish a. The most effective way to use facebook groups is to find 23 active groups in your niche. Banding together with a few other selfpublished authors from the area, so that the stall is really.
Social media is a must to promote your book or short stories. Whether youre working with a traditional publisher or youre going the self publishing route, one things the same. Marketing your book for selfpublishers and indie authors. Some time ago, i published a piece telling aspiring authors ten reasons you should skip traditional publishers and selfpublish ebooks instead. Then do your very best to implement the basics of book. While writing will get your book published, promotion and marketing is what will get you sales and more readers. So make sure you have a fantastic book first and foremost. If youre in the process of writing a book, you should already be thinking about book promotion now. We have to do things right and set our efforts up for long term sales. My first suggestion for effectively marketing your book is to start with your closest connections. Weve also provided the programs in the table below. Include a teaser chapter for another of your e books at.
If you are just starting your selfpublishing journey you might as well get our 2018s best selfpublishing resources article. Chances are, youre working with a smaller publisher that has an even smaller marketing. Start with these tips and build your author brand over time, leading to more and more sales as you both your network and your backlist grow. Where possible, a local language translation of the book title should be in the book title, headline, or custom text. Self published book marketing for authors smith publicity. But if its your goal to reach readers other than friends and family, then selfpromotion is a. Love em or hate em, amazon is king, and your book needs to be listed there in order to get in front of readers. Apr 02, 2020 book marketing for selfpublished authors marketing takes planning, organization, and consistent action. Marketing is the one aspect authors, again and again, lament gives them the biggest headaches. When it comes to selfpublishing, marketing is half the battle. Nov 18, 2019 marketing your book before its publication helps ensure there are readers ready to buy the book during its launch and beyond. But however youre coming around to being an author, understanding the traditional functions of book marketing will help you navigate the publication of. The most effective way to use facebook groups is to find 23 active groups in your niche and interact to add value on a regular basis.
Apr 01, 2020 a good book cover sells, a great book cover sells better, and a smart author knows thats a big step in how to market a selfpublished book the right way. Just like learning to write well and honing your craft, marketing also takes education and preparation but iuniverse is here to help. The first thing authors should do before doing any type of marketing is to put together a marketing plan for their book. But if its your goal to reach readers other than friends and family, then selfpromotion is a must. This comprehensive guide is a gift to every book author who is considering selfpublishing.
There is the idea that book publishers will handle all the marketing. Five simple ways to promote your selfpublished book. Listed below are some book marketing ideas and strategies that you should take into consideration while marketing your selfpublished book. Well help you learn how to market a selfpublished book with these basic tips. But without marketing your book, no one beyond your friends and family will read it. Book marketing for selfpublished authors marketing takes planning, organization, and consistent action. Dance because you can was represented at the national book fair in new york city. Self publishing a book on amazon is perhaps the easiest way to publish your work as an indie author. Guide to selfpublishing your christian book page 6 of 7. This book blog may become the basis for the second edition of your book. Marketing selfpublished books explained in 9 basic steps. Start marketing your book early the balance careers. Marketing your selfpublished book involves a lot of focused work, typically as much work as it took to write the book in the first place. This can be a great way to sell selfpublished books.
Check out these tips and discover how to promote your book successfully. If youre in the process of writing a book, you should already be. Yet despite the clear advantages of indie over traditional publishing, the prospect of diy publishing still scares the hell out of many writers. Having all of your self published books available for sale. Developing a promotional strategy webinar recording youtube. In marketing my own selfpublished books, ive found a number of helpful and some not so helpful channels to get the word out which ill share in this article. Learn how to how to market a self published book with these basic tips for marketing your book to both existing and new audiences. Boost your books success and sell more copies of your book by following 20 marketing tips and tactics for selfpublishing authors. Book promotion is designed to get people to find your book, and not, to find people to get your book. Invest in proper editing im not going to spend a lot of time on this one except to say that everything is your resume.
This is a vital step in the promotion and marketing of your book, andif done rightwill make the rest of the process. While writing tends to be a solitary endeavor, marketing is the process of. There is no one way to promote your book, but one of the very best strategies is to simply keep on writing. If theres one question that is eternal and ongoing in our author community, then its how to sell more books sales are always on our mind and wherever we are in the bestseller chart, we look a little enviously at those above us in this article, we have ideas and solutions for you 50 of them in fact which should be more than enough ways to promote your book. For authors, marketing essentially involves drawing and engaging your target audience by sharing more about yourself and your book. Ten steps to marketing your selfpublished book whitefox. How to market selfpublished books in the digital world. After all, us authors already have one of the best possible marketing tools at our disposal. Promoting a self published book is hard work and there are no shortcuts. Authorhouse is whats known as a vanity or subsidy press, sally. For many authors, the idea of writing and publishing a book is an exciting prospect but rarely does the idea of marketing a book hold the same appeal.
Book promotion is designed to get people to find your book, and not, to find people to get your. In this post, well discuss top digital marketing strategies to include in your book marketing plan. Jul 23, 2015 20 facebook groups to promote christian books. What i have found is that most successful, selfpublished childrens book authors have more than one book, and maybe even a series or two. Services like and amazons createspace mean its never been easier to become an author and publish a book. Moreover, smith publicity is widely credited with pushing the credibility of selfpublished book authors to new levels. Jun 25, 2019 for self published books, some or all of the traditional book marketing functions may be made available from a self publishing service or from other book publishing consultants at a cost. And it is important, because the effectiveness of your marketing strategy will ultimately make or break your book sales. Theres a big difference between making your own book and marketing it.
Lets go through a quick list of some tips and tricks you can employ to help make marketing your book more successful. Write the best book you canthen, write your next one. Matador offers inhouse trade marketing and media and pr services for books and ebooks, based on. Book marketing for selfpublished authors best strategies. Get your detail page ready customers who click your ad will be taken to your book s product detail page, and a strong detail page can help convert the click into a sale.
Whether youre working with a traditional publisher or youre going the selfpublishing route, one things the same. After all, some of you make a living from your book. Marketing basics, launching your first book, and selling more internationally with joanna penn duration. Traditional publishers pay you, not the other way around, so what you are actually doing is selfpublishing your book. Jul 15, 2014 marketing a book is supposed to be the hardest part of self publishing. Mar 14, 2018 we have to do things right and set our efforts up for long term sales. For selfpublished books, some or all of the traditional book marketing functions may be made available from a selfpublishing service or from other book publishing consultants at a cost. The first step to ensure a great marketing plan is by writing a great book. It goes on to describe promoting your selfpublished book, including selling foreign rights. Over the next three days, self publishing news is going to discuss three different phases of successful book marketing that you can. Banding together with a few other self published authors from the area, so that the stall is really inviting.
Most importantly, have a fantastic cover, a killer book description, and get your categories and keywords. A good book cover sells, a great book cover sells better, and a smart author knows thats a big step in how to market a selfpublished book the right way. Mar 07, 2020 find out more about marketing and promotion for your self published book in this live video broadcast. The book was also the 2019 evvy award winner for best selfhelp. Find out more about marketing and promotion for your self published book in this live video broadcast. Include hotlinks in the back matter of each of your selfpublished ebooks to promote additional book sales. Marketing plays a huge role in any books success, but this is especially true for selfpublished books. Learning how to market a selfpublished book is no simple task, but the payoff can be well worth it.
For a self published author, marketing the book can be more important than writing it. Marketing your christian book is an essential part of the self publishing process. How to sell more books on amazon self publishing school. Matador offers inhouse trade marketing and media and pr services for books and ebooks, based on many years of active marketing knowledge and experience. Without the proper promotional tools and strategies, the effectiveness of your marketing efforts will be greatly. With a few key steps, an author can build a loyal following, get the word out about his or her work, and get. But if you are publishing by yourself and wish to be read by as. And it is important, because the effectiveness of your marketing strategy will. Most published authors, especially of the first time variety, wont have access to a fullsuite of marketing.
Without the proper promotional tools and strategies, the effectiveness of your marketing efforts will be greatly diminished. Include a teaser chapter for another of your ebooks at. What does it take to promote your selfpublished book. A book blog, in which you write updates, corrections, errata and respond to reader comments and suggestions. Many selfpublished authors have no interest in sales, advertising, or business in general, as they tend to be altruistically artistic. Then do your very best to implement the basics of book promotion that i have outlined above. For a selfpublished author, marketing the book can be more important than writing it. Nov 18, 2014 marketing your self published book involves a lot of focused work, typically as much work as it took to write the book in the first place. Dec 14, 2016 marketing basics, launching your first book, and selling more internationally with joanna penn duration.
Find out who your book appeals to, get to know those people well, and be where they are, both online and off. Whether youre a seasoned author or a firsttime novelist, youre going to need to tap into your entrepreneurial authorpreneurial. Marketing your christian book is an essential part of the selfpublishing process. Weve also provided the programs in the table below to help you.
But the good news is that marketing is also about fostering. Sep 12, 2019 boost your books success and sell more copies of your book by following 20 marketing tips and tactics for selfpublishing authors. You pay a fee to have your book published and usually get little help with distribution, book marketing or publicity. Brian jud, book marketing consultant, executive director of apss association of publishers for special sales, and author of how to make real money selling. Marketing your book or ebook is probably the hardest part of successfully self publishing a book. But the good news is that marketing is also about fostering connections and relationships, which can be rewarding to you and your fan base. If you are posting the same thing in all groups it wont be as effective. Mar 23, 2016 for a selfpublished author, marketing may seem like a daunting taskits at least half the work of selfpublishing. Here are five tips for using the power of the pen to market your book, even as an unknown, self published author. To put things into context first, here is one clear way of thinking about how to promote a selfpublished book.
You can promote your book yourself with email, websites, and other outreach. Five tips on how to promote your selfpublished book. Your book or author website andor blog should be a. As a selfpublished author, you should know as much about marketing your book as you do about writing it. With a quick internet search, youre sure to find lots of clever marketing advice, hacks, and tricks, but the. For many selfpublished authors, book marketing can be intimidating. For a selfpublished author, marketing may seem like a daunting taskits at least half the work of selfpublishing. Book marketing and selfpromotion resources iuniverse. Book marketing consultant tim grahl defines your platform as whatever plan and methods you use to connect with readers and sell books. Aug 16, 2018 well help you learn how to market a selfpublished book with these basic tips. This is a vital step in the promotion and marketing of your book, andif done rightwill make the rest of the process infinitely easier. After publishing your book, youll want to promote it to prospective readers.
If you are just starting your selfpublishing journey you. Promoting a selfpublished book is hard work and there are no shortcuts. How to market your selfpublished book without a budget or. Aug 01, 20 promote and market your book like a master. Learn how to publish books that sell when you subscribe to this channel at. Most published authors, especially of the first time variety. Marketing a book on amazon is a very specific task and can be different from general book marketing, since you have to play by amazons rules. Xulon press is committed to offering successful marketing and promotional solutions that work. From many years agowhen we became the very first book marketing company to secure. Get your detail page ready customers who click your ad will be taken to your books. Listed below are some book marketing ideas and strategies that you should take into consideration while marketing your self published book on your own, 1. In marketing my own self published books, ive found a number of helpful and some not so helpful channels to get the word out which ill share in this article. From many years agowhen we became the very first book marketing company to secure a fullpage feature story about a selfpublished novel in the new york times, to the everevolving book publicity strategies we continually develop for selfpublished authorswe have earned. Its a great way to get some backlinks to your site and maybe.
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