It is a lot of work to write a book, so you might think it should be simple to sell it as well. Unfortunately, the truth is that a well-written book won’t sell if you aren’t marketing correctly, and a poorly-written book won’t sell just because you market it.
What you need is an exciting book with a strategically crafted marketing platform to get it going. You may be fortunate enough to already possess a following that you can sell your book to outright, but the majority of us will have to put in the legwork.
Not literally, of course. There are plenty of ways to sell your book without ever leaving your own home, given the right amount of time and knowledge.
1. Avoid Spam
Let’s get the serious stuff out of the way first.
Pay close attention to this step because it is relevant to all of the following. You should never spam potential customers with your products! It will only serve to turn them off.
The most common form of spam you may encounter is on Facebook groups and other message boards. The greatest offenders are the people who join the group just to market their book and don’t add anything of value to the conversation.
While they are not only turning off a small set of potential customers, they are likely only seen by other people doing the same thing.
Spam also includes spamming people’s email inboxes through repeated and unsolicited messages, which is shady and, in some cases, outright illegal. You should only be sending emails to people who have opted to receive them.
2. Get Reviews
With any book release, you will need someone to review it. But, of course, not everyone that you send your book to will have the time to do a review.
You will want to run off a few copies of the book to send to review to start. These are called galleys.
Once you have your galleys it’s always worth it to send a copy to larger reviewers such as The New York Times, Barnes & Nobles, and The Wall Street Journal. They might be too busy to get to your copy, but it is always worth the chance that they do. Keep in mind though that they’ll expect a review copy at least 4 months before release.
Ebooks are also great because they are a way to send out review copies with no overhead cost. There is no limit to how many copies of your ebook you can send out, and the reviewer might even prefer that format.
3. Time Your Release
While book launches within the industry can seem random, there is some merit to how you time it. The main things you will want to look out for are events that can be related to your book.
If possible time your release with these sorts of events, or if your book is already released then use it to re-generate some buzz. It is never too late to market your book.
4. Write A Press Release
A press release is not just a write-up of your book that you can send anywhere. It is a strategically planned sales pitch that should be newsworthy enough for any media outlet to pick up and use.
What is it about your book that makes it newsworthy? Answer that in one sentence or less, and you have yourself a headline. Then, write your body.
Hubspot has some great templates that you can use to design the perfect press release for any event to quickly design the perfect press release for any event.
Also, consider sending the press release out to some local news stations. A local author succeeding is always a good story.
5. Make A Website
When it comes to garnering massive attention for your launch, this may be the most critical step. Every author should have a website where they can be advertising their releases.
Each book should have its own product page on the site, and a way to purchase it. You should also include an About You page and some other helpful resources that your fans might find valuable.
Alongside all of this, set up a way for them to sign up for your email list. Every part of your marketing strategy should tie together to get the most out of your efforts.
Above all, your website should be functional and visually appealing. It may be the first impression that somebody has of you and your work, so do it well. Make sure that you register your domain name as well.
6. Get On Social Media
It may seem a bit intimidating to advertise yourself on social media, but it isn’t as difficult as you think. For one, it is a free and easy way to get your voice heard.
Look into each of the social platforms and find out which is the best for you. For example, Twitter and Facebook have generally been popular among authors because they rely a lot on text. On the other hand, Linkedin can be a great way to reach people, even though it is a largely business-to-business platform.
Your posts should be creative and show who you are. Try providing valuable content or information that people will enjoy. It will make them a lot more likely to check out your book once you market it.
But do not spam your audience! If all they ever see from you is pleads to buy your book, they will just unfollow.
7. Start Email Marketing
Your book doesn’t have to just be a product in itself. You can also use it as a free resource to build your email list.
Speakers and consultants can benefit from giving away their books for free to build their email lists, but it is not the right avenue for everyone.
If you are just trying to create buzz and make sales, then make sure that your emails are engaging to the recipient. Use subjects that are unique, active, and entertaining so that they’ll actually be opened in the first place.
Most importantly, as already mentioned, don’t spam people. Send emails only to people who have opted into your list. Also, remember that you must include some way for them to unsubscribe from your list within each email by law. It’s a simple mistake that could very well get you fined.
8. Write Guest Articles Or Blogs
There are always websites looking for writers to create content for them, and many will pay you for it.
While the posts you write will probably not be about your book, they are great ways to get your name out there. Then, you can mention your book in the author credits and provide a link to your website.
Look into websites looking for active submissions, and make sure you keep up with their guidelines. MyBlogGuest, for example, is a forum where you can search through requests and find ones relevant to your book.
9. Do Guest Podcasting
Another great avenue for visibility. You can appear on podcasts as a guest to talk about your book or just anything that you’re knowledgeable about.
When looking for podcasts to pitch yourself to, make sure you do your research. If a host gets the sense you’ve never even listened to their show, they will never have you on.
Likewise, target shows that are relevant in some way to your book. Some shows are looking to talk to authors, but most likely only if you already have some type of audience.
That doesn’t mean that you can’t appear on podcasts just because you’re a first-time author. You can go on to teach the audience about something within the same subject of your book. Then, while you’re there, you can market it as well.
Plus, having written a book in the first place will already make you a more credible source. One thing to keep in mind is that hosts prefer their guests to wait until the end of the show to advertise themselves.
They will be completely fine with you plugging your book but don’t shoehorn it into an irrelevant conversation every five minutes. It will seem disingenuous to the audience, and the host will not have you back.
10. Make A Book Trailer
People love video as a format, and this applies to advertising as well.
When making a book trailer, it could be anything, such as slides of artwork with a voice-over passage read from your book. Then, you can post the trailer to your website and social media and send it out to your email list.
Sit down and write some ideas—brainstorm about what kinds of ways you can visually represent your book. Then, look for the easiest way to make a video out of it. Don’t make it harder than it has to be.
11. Invest In Paid Advertising
Paid advertising is a direct way to advertise your book to people anywhere on the internet. The technology available makes these ads incredibly effective because of how targeted they are.
You can set up a Google Adsense account with a budget that stops the campaign once that amount of clicks have been reached, allowing you to easily remain within your price range.
Overall, you will want to think about how you will design your advertisements. It doesn’t matter how many people see your ads if nobody clicks on them.
12. Online/ Offline Book Tour
A book tour may seem old school, but it’s still a great way to create buzz surrounding your book. For an in-person tour, you could appear in local bookstores and coffee shops to offer signed copies or do a reading.
It can be a lot of work since you are your own manager as a self-published author, but also incredibly rewarding.
Online tours are easier and can be done from the comfort of your own home. Sign up as a speaker at events or start your own Facebook live call, anything that people can watch to learn about your book.
