So, you have a wonderful book, and you’re ready to find some readers. You should already know who your target audience is, but how do you actually reach them? You’re a writer, not an advertising specialist. While there is no quick and easy shortcut to effective marketing – just like there are no quick and easy shortcuts to writing a novel – these suggestions will all help you sell more books in the long run.
Have a Polished Product
The first and most important part of publishing, especially self-publishing, is delivering polished work. That means more than just editing your book. Make sure your book’s cover, description, ebook listing, and your author website all look professional. It’s a worthwhile investment of time and money to hire graphic artists and/or a web developer to help you do this well if it’s outside your area of expertise.
Team Up with Local Bookstores
Small bookstores rely on their local communities. Teaming up for a signing event, opening week discounts, etc. make sense for everyone. They get to taught you as a local celebrity and you get access to an entire reading community through one professional contact.
Sell Your Book in Different Formats
Physical books with pages you turn by hand are great, but they aren’t for everyone. You can sell far more ebooks (and even audiobooks!) than physical copies through platforms like Amazon. Make your book accessible to your entire audience, so offer various formats for sale.
Less Promoting – More Fandom
Social media is powerful, but maybe not in the way you think. If only a few of your posts get a lot of attention, pull back and refocus. Share yourself less and engage directly with your genre’s fandom. Be a visible fan of the things you love, and your name will get out there.
Donate Books and Offer Free Copies to Key Reviewers
You probably already know the second half of this point. Giving bloggers, critics, and review sites copies of your book helps get the word out. You can promote by word of mouth by making a few smart investments, though, in your local community. Write YA novels? Give some to your local high school, adolescent ward at the hospital, or contribute to a literacy campaign in your area. Find your readers and reach them where they are.
Update Keywords
Use social media with intention. Don’t throw out some random keywords and leave them attached to all of your metadata forever to rot and grow mold. Pay attention to what’s trending and plug in by changing your keywords appropriately.
Publish More Content
The best way to reach more fans is to create more opportunities for them to discover your work. How do you do that? You make more content. Write more novels. Guest post on blogs. Make your own blogs. Write an ebook about your insights on writing. If you can write it, and you have an audience for it, go for it!
Remember, the ultimate marketing tip is to identify the right audience. Once you’ve found them, use these tips to hook some sales and build your reputation as a writer. Get writing, and put on some polish! Your audience is waiting.
1 Comment
This article had a lot of insight. I like the part of using fandom on social media. I am somewhat of an introvert and can’t see myself partnering with a local bookstore to sell more books, but you never know, I might crawl out of my shell some day!