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Book marketing is a major challenge. Are you following the crowd and focusing on the “big 3” social media sites: Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn? Are you trying to get your book into stores? Or are you sending out emails to friends and family asking them to buy your book?
If you’re doing any of these, are they working for you? If so, great! But if not, here are some other options to consider.
1. Blogs – Social media did not diminish the importance of blogging, so don’t miss out on using a blog to build your readership. How? Start your own blog, guest post on other blogs, use virtual tours to promote your book on several blogs over a week or month.
I’ll give you an example of how effective blogs are. My Secrets of Success blog was created in 2008. I accept guest posts on topics of interest to women entrepreneurs. Due to the informative content I’ve featured over the years, my blog has been linked to from publications such as the NY Times, Entrepreneur magazine and Alltop.com. This “free” PR promotes me and my books to my ideal reader.
2. Amazon.com author pages – If your book is on Amazon, don’t neglect your author page. It’s another opportunity to promote your website, your book signings, other books and products, your blog and social media links. You can also track book sales down to the geographic location. My author page on Amazon.com has links to my Twitter feed and shows posts from this blog.
3. Classes – If you have experience to share, why not present classes online or in-person? Are you an expert on a specific topic, or do you have tips and tricks that other writers are looking for? If so, you can share your expertise while you promote yourself as an author. I’ve given a few fiction writing classes for a local library. It turned out to be a great experience because the class the participants enjoyed it so much that they ended up forming their own writing group. The group meets regularly at the library and has been going strong for over two years now.
4. Articles – Find blogs that cater to the audience you want to reach, and query for their guidelines. Submitting articles is a way to increase your audience without having to physically be in multiple places at once. Include links to where your book can be found and a link back to your website. Trade blog posts with other writers who have blogs.
5. Internet radio – on my internet radio show, Women Entrepreneurs Radio, I interview many author entrepreneurs. It’s a great way to connect with a different audience. An added benefit is you get to talk about your book and discuss other topics you’re passionate about. It’s a quick way to form a lasting connection with listeners who may also become readers for your book.
Instead of following the crowd – and getting lost in the stampede – find a way to stand out by taking less-traveled marketing roads to get your books into the hands of your ideal readers.
