How to Market a Book
Recognize that the best marketing campaigns began long before the book is published., Think about one to two specific groups of people your writing is geared towards., Provide twice weekly blogs, photos, tweets, or other content to build a fan...
Step-by-Step Guide
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Step 1: Recognize that the best marketing campaigns began long before the book is published.
The truth is that you will be fighting an uphill battle if you don't start building a following long in advance.
Remember that market requires both a strategy, as outlined above, and an actual market of people to implement that strategy on.Though there is no magic formula, try taking one to two hours of writing time a week and turn them into "book marketing" time.
As the book gets closer to publication, you can ramp up the hours spent marketing. -
Step 2: Think about one to two specific groups of people your writing is geared towards.
You do not have the time or resources to market to every single person on the planet.
Nor should you.
Think instead of the groups of people who most likely want your book.
What else do they read? What websites do they visit? What is the best way to reach these people? Know your exact markets to make every hour and dollar spent more effective:
Romance writers naturally skew towards female readers, particularly older women.
Sci-fi and horror writers have dedicated online forums and communities where people share stories and ideas, which is a great place to market/gain feedback.
Literary Fiction writers often have a hard time marketing their books, but should dive deeper into the subject matter.
For example, if your book features a Jewish protagonist, the Jewish Book Council often offers free marketing to their followers., Twice a week is your bare minimum
-- daily is far more effective.
The more you show people that you create amazing work, the more likely they will be to pay for it later.
There are thousands of bloggers writing daily, keeping their name on their followers feeds.
If you decide to release your book without any sort of online presence, how can you expect readers to trust you over a writer they've read daily for six months? Don't try to manage Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, Pinterest, LinkedIn, and others all at once.
Choose the one to two sites that best fits your and your followers, then pour your time into dominating that market.
The line between working on your blog and working on your novel is a tough one to draw.
However, the general rule is to transition to more online writing as you get closer to publication. , Collect all of the emails you can, using a service like MailChimp to keep them all straight and in one location.
The sooner you begin this, the better
-- it is your number one way to directly reach fans and potential buyers.Put a "Sign Up for our Mailing List!" section on your website.
Even better, have it pop up when the site loads.
Don't spam or overwrite your email contacts.
One email a month is usually the maximum people have patience for., Word of mouth is still the single most important marketing strategy out there.
It is just the hardest to implement.
People recommend books to friends when they feel comfortable, love the work, and trust the author.
So answer comments on your blog or twitter feed, write an article or small story for someone else's blog, go to local events and readings, and be a mainstay on online forums related to your writing.Search for a sub-Reddit related to your community online.
If you're starting out, /r/writers is an open and generous space to share writing articles and discussion.
Never underestimate an in-person connection.
Become a mainstay at all your local bookstores, reading series, and other literary events., Leave a stack of these at the cash register counter of a nearby bookstore and watch your book sales pile up.
Also, use these as handouts at your next book-signing event, or give them out to family, friends and colleagues.
It is said that it takes 10 attempts for someone to recognize a name or brand.
Get a head start now.
Give away copies of your last book as "promotions" for the new one.
Send authors and publications copies of your books as a gift.
Even getting one big endorsement will help.
If you have a big social media presence, free giveaways are a great way to build engagement., If you can sell some books before they've even been printed, you're assured of at least some positive buzz the day it is released.
Offering a discounted pre-order sale may not always work if you're an unknown writer, but well-connected or established authors can see some benefits. -
Step 3: Provide twice weekly blogs
-
Step 4: photos
-
Step 5: tweets
-
Step 6: or other content to build a fan base.
-
Step 7: Build a mailing list online
-
Step 8: through your website
-
Step 9: or in-person at reading events.
-
Step 10: Nurture a following in your community long before asking them to buy your book.
-
Step 11: Give away printed and physical materials (postcards
-
Step 12: bookmarks
-
Step 13: posters
-
Step 14: business cards) to put your name out there.
-
Step 15: Consider offering pre-orders if your community seems interested.
Detailed Guide
The truth is that you will be fighting an uphill battle if you don't start building a following long in advance.
Remember that market requires both a strategy, as outlined above, and an actual market of people to implement that strategy on.Though there is no magic formula, try taking one to two hours of writing time a week and turn them into "book marketing" time.
As the book gets closer to publication, you can ramp up the hours spent marketing.
You do not have the time or resources to market to every single person on the planet.
Nor should you.
Think instead of the groups of people who most likely want your book.
What else do they read? What websites do they visit? What is the best way to reach these people? Know your exact markets to make every hour and dollar spent more effective:
Romance writers naturally skew towards female readers, particularly older women.
Sci-fi and horror writers have dedicated online forums and communities where people share stories and ideas, which is a great place to market/gain feedback.
Literary Fiction writers often have a hard time marketing their books, but should dive deeper into the subject matter.
For example, if your book features a Jewish protagonist, the Jewish Book Council often offers free marketing to their followers., Twice a week is your bare minimum
-- daily is far more effective.
The more you show people that you create amazing work, the more likely they will be to pay for it later.
There are thousands of bloggers writing daily, keeping their name on their followers feeds.
If you decide to release your book without any sort of online presence, how can you expect readers to trust you over a writer they've read daily for six months? Don't try to manage Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, Pinterest, LinkedIn, and others all at once.
Choose the one to two sites that best fits your and your followers, then pour your time into dominating that market.
The line between working on your blog and working on your novel is a tough one to draw.
However, the general rule is to transition to more online writing as you get closer to publication. , Collect all of the emails you can, using a service like MailChimp to keep them all straight and in one location.
The sooner you begin this, the better
-- it is your number one way to directly reach fans and potential buyers.Put a "Sign Up for our Mailing List!" section on your website.
Even better, have it pop up when the site loads.
Don't spam or overwrite your email contacts.
One email a month is usually the maximum people have patience for., Word of mouth is still the single most important marketing strategy out there.
It is just the hardest to implement.
People recommend books to friends when they feel comfortable, love the work, and trust the author.
So answer comments on your blog or twitter feed, write an article or small story for someone else's blog, go to local events and readings, and be a mainstay on online forums related to your writing.Search for a sub-Reddit related to your community online.
If you're starting out, /r/writers is an open and generous space to share writing articles and discussion.
Never underestimate an in-person connection.
Become a mainstay at all your local bookstores, reading series, and other literary events., Leave a stack of these at the cash register counter of a nearby bookstore and watch your book sales pile up.
Also, use these as handouts at your next book-signing event, or give them out to family, friends and colleagues.
It is said that it takes 10 attempts for someone to recognize a name or brand.
Get a head start now.
Give away copies of your last book as "promotions" for the new one.
Send authors and publications copies of your books as a gift.
Even getting one big endorsement will help.
If you have a big social media presence, free giveaways are a great way to build engagement., If you can sell some books before they've even been printed, you're assured of at least some positive buzz the day it is released.
Offering a discounted pre-order sale may not always work if you're an unknown writer, but well-connected or established authors can see some benefits.
About the Author
Amanda Wilson
A passionate writer with expertise in DIY projects topics. Loves sharing practical knowledge.
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