How To Market A Self Published Book
Congratulations! If you are reading this, it means you've already taken the bold step of writing and self-publishing your book, which is amazing. But don’t forget, there's one more crucial step that you cannot afford to overlook - marketing! So if you wondering how to market a self published book to generate sales, this blog post is for you!
Marketing is one of the most important aspects of self-publishing your book. It doesn't matter how great your book is. If nobody knows about it, then it won't sell. As self-published authors, we don't have the luxury of a publishing house's marketing department to promote our books. It's up to us to get the word out.
Effective marketing can help you to build a strong author brand, expand your reach, and generate book sales. It's all about putting your book in front of the right people at the right time and in the right way
So, how can you effectively market a self published book? Well, that's exactly what we'll be discussing in this article. From building your author brand to developing a launch plan, expanding your reach, generating reviews, and beyond, we'll cover it all.
But for now, just remember that marketing is not just an optional extra - it's a crucial part of the self-publishing process. So, if you're serious about selling your book and building a successful author career, then buckle up and get ready to dive deep into the world of book marketing!
Pre-Publication Marketing
Pre-publication marketing is all about building anticipation and excitement for your book before it's even available for purchase. This is important because it helps to generate interest and pre-orders, which can give your book a boost in the rankings right from the start.
Building your author brand
Your author brand is essentially your personal brand. It's how you present yourself and your work to the world. Establishing a strong author brand can help you stand out in a crowded market and build a loyal fan base. This can involve things like creating a unique author logo, establishing a consistent tone and style in your marketing materials, and developing a recognizable author voice.
Some foundational aspects of a strong personal brand include:
Authenticity: At the end of the day, the most important aspect of building a personal brand is being true to yourself. Don't try to be someone you're not or adopt a persona that doesn't feel authentic. Readers will be drawn to writers who are genuine and passionate about their work.
Storytelling: At the heart of every great book is a compelling story. As a writer, your ability to craft a captivating narrative is a key aspect of your personal brand. Make sure your storytelling is consistent across all your writing, from your novels to your bio.
Consistency: Your writing voice and appearance online are reflections of your personality and style. Make sure to use a consistent tone, voice, and branding materials across all of your writing and communication channels, not only your books. For example, if you write young adult books, you need to convey that in all your material and avoid jumping between different narratives.
Creating a pre-launch buzz
So, when it comes to building excitement and anticipation for your book, there are a lot of things you can do even before your book is available for purchase.
For starters, social media is a great tool for teasing your book and building buzz around your launch. This can involve sharing snippets or teasers of your book, like short quotes or passages that give readers a taste of what's to come. You might also share behind-the-scenes glimpses of your writing process, like photos of your writing space or updates on your progress.
Another great way to build excitement is to run a countdown to the launch of your self-published book. You can create a series of posts or graphics that count down the days until your book goes on sale. You might even share a different quote or teaser each day to create a sense of anticipation!
Consider also hosting a launch party or book signing event, either online or in person. This can be a great way to connect with readers and generate excitement around your book or just get your friends and family together for a bit of support. You can offer your guests signed copies or exclusive merchandise to make it even more fun.
Preparing your book for publication
This involves making sure that your book is ready for publication in terms of formatting, editing, and cover design. Make sure that your book looks and reads professionally so that readers will be impressed and want to recommend it to others. Yes, that might sound boring, but this is as important as it gets. You don’t want to mess it up - reprinting your book will cost a lot.
Building a website or author platform
Think of your online platform as your personal corner of the internet, your own virtual home base! It could be a website, a blog, or a social media platform like Twitter, Facebook, or Instagram.
The main purpose of your online platform is to showcase your writing and promote your books to readers. It's also a great way to connect with your audience and interact with them in different ways. Whether you want to share behind-the-scenes glimpses of your writing process or answer questions from readers, your online platform is the perfect place to do it.
With so many different options to choose from, it can be overwhelming to decide which platform to use. But the good news is, there's no one-size-fits-all answer! It's important to choose a platform that works for you and your unique style. For example, if you enjoy writing longer-form content, a blog might be perfect for you. If you're more visually oriented, Instagram or YouTube could be a better fit. And don't forget, having a website is always a great idea as it gives you complete control over your content and branding.
Launch Strategies
Launch strategies are simply ways that authors can promote their self-published book during its release. The goal is to create excitement, get people talking about your book, and ultimately increase sales.
Start with a launch plan
Without a plan, it can be easy to miss important opportunities to engage with readers and generate buzz. Developing a launch plan will help you create a roadmap for promoting and selling your book, which helps ensure that your book gets the attention it deserves and maximizes your chances of success.
Here's how to develop a launch plan:
Set your launch date: Choosing the right launch date is important for a successful book launch. You want to choose a date that gives you enough time to prepare your book and marketing materials but not so far in the future that your readers lose interest. It's also important to avoid major holidays or other events that could distract from your launch.
Define your target audience: Identifying your target audience is essential for effective book marketing. By understanding who your ideal reader is, you can tailor your marketing messages and choose the best channels for promotion. This will help you to reach readers who are most likely to be interested in your book and connect with them.
Establish your goals: Setting clear goals for your book launch will help you to measure your success and make adjustments as needed. Do you want to sell a certain number of copies, get reviews, or generate buzz on social media? Having a clear understanding of your goals will help you to stay focused and achieve your desired outcome.
Create a launch team: A launch team can help you to spread the word about your book and generate buzz leading up to launch day. This could include friends, family, beta readers, and influencers in your genre. By building a team of supporters, you can leverage their networks and create a buzz around your book.
Choose your launch channels: There are many channels you can use to promote your book, including social media, email newsletters, book review sites, and blogs. It's important to choose the channels that will reach your target audience and align with your goals. By focusing your efforts on the right channels, you can maximize your impact and drive book sales.
Create your marketing materials: To promote your book effectively, you'll need a range of marketing materials, which could include a press kit, book trailer, social media graphics, and email templates. These materials should be professionally designed and aligned with your brand and messaging.
Schedule your promotions: Planning out your promotions in advance will help you to stay organized and maximize your impact. This could include running ads on social media, sending out review copies, and reaching out to book bloggers for reviews. By having a clear plan in place, you can ensure that your marketing efforts are consistent and effective.
Running giveaways and promotions
Giveaways and promotions can be an effective launch strategy for self-published authors because they can generate excitement and incentivize readers to purchase your book.
One way to run a giveaway is to offer a free copy of your book to a certain number of people who pre-order it. This not only creates excitement around the launch but also encourages early sales, which can help your book climb the bestseller charts. You could also offer a giveaway for readers who leave a review of your book on Amazon or other book review sites.
Another promotion idea is to bundle your book with other relevant items or offer a limited-time discount. For example, you could bundle your romance novel with a box of chocolates or a bouquet of flowers to create a romantic package deal. This can increase the perceived value of your book and make it a more appealing purchase for readers looking for a romantic escape. You could also offer a limited-time discount for Valentine's Day or other romantic holidays to tap into the holiday spirit and encourage readers to make a purchase.
Social media platforms such as Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram are great places to run promotions. You can ask your followers to share your post or tag their friends to enter a contest. For example, ask your followers to share a photo of themselves with your book or share a tweet about why they're excited to read it.
When running giveaways and promotions, remember to follow the rules and guidelines of the platforms you're using. Make sure to clearly communicate the terms and conditions of your giveaway or promotion, including the start and end dates, how winners will be chosen, and any restrictions or limitations.
Collaborating with other authors or businesses
Collaboration can be a great way to reach a wider audience and generate more sales for your book. Here are some examples of how to collaborate with other authors or businesses in your genre:
Joint promotions: Partner with another author or business to offer a joint promotion. For example, if you're a romance author, you could partner with a local florist to offer a "romance package" that includes your book and a bouquet of flowers. Mystery and thriller authors, on the other hand, can collaborate with escape rooms to offer a special promotion. The promotion could include a discount on the escape room experience for customers who purchase your book and a flyer promoting your book in the escape room's waiting area.
Cross-promotion: Cross-promote your book with other authors or businesses in your genre by featuring each other's products on your websites or social media channels. For example, you could feature other authors' books on your website and ask them to do the same for you.
Collaborative giveaways: Team up with other authors or businesses in your genre to host a collaborative giveaway. For example, you could offer a prize package that includes books from multiple authors in your genre, along with other relevant items.
Remember, the key to a successful collaboration is to choose a partner that has a similar target audience to yours and to work together to create a promotion that provides value to both your customers.
Post-launch Marketing
Post-launch marketing is all about keeping the momentum going after your book has been released. It's important to continue promoting your book to maintain visibility and drive sales.
Build relationships with your readers
It's not enough to simply release a book and hope that people will find and read it. You need to actively engage with your readers and build a community around your work.
Why you should invest in building relationships with your readers:
It helps you understand your audience: By building relationships with your readers, you can get a better understanding of who they are, what they like, and what they're looking for in a book. This information can help you tailor your future work better to meet the needs and interests of your audience.
It creates a loyal fanbase: When readers feel like they have a personal connection with an author, they're more likely to become loyal fans. These fans will not only buy your current book but also eagerly anticipate your future releases and recommend your work to others.
It generates word-of-mouth buzz: When you have a community of engaged readers, they're likely to share their excitement about your book with their friends and family. This word-of-mouth buzz can help you reach new readers and grow your audience.
So, how can you build relationships with your readers? Here are a few tips:
Be accessible: Make it easy for readers to connect with you. Include your email address and social media handles in your book and on your website, and be responsive to messages and comments.
Engage with your audience: Take the time to respond to reader emails, comments, and social media posts. Ask for feedback and suggestions, and show your readers that you value their opinions.
Offer incentives: Consider offering bonuses or extras to readers who sign up for your newsletter or follow you on social media. This can help you build your community and keep readers engaged between book releases.
Attend events: When possible, attend book festivals, conventions, and other events where you can meet readers in person. This can help you build stronger connections with your audience and generate buzz for your work.
Leverage reviews
Reviews are social proof that your book is worth reading. Positive reviews can encourage potential readers to take a chance on your book, while negative reviews can turn them away.
Here are a few ideas on how to get reviews for your self-published book:
Ask friends and family: One of the easiest ways to get reviews is to ask friends and family to read your book and leave a review. Make sure they disclose the relationship in their review.
Reach out to book bloggers: There are many book bloggers and bookstagrammers who will read and review books. Do some research to find bloggers in your genre and reach out to them. Many bloggers will have a submission process on their websites.
Offer a free copy: You can offer a free copy of your book in exchange for an honest review. There are many websites and services that help connect authors with readers who are willing to read and review books.
Use social media: Promote your book on social media and ask your followers to read and review your book. You can also use hashtags to reach a wider audience.
Follow up: Once you've sent out review copies or asked for reviews, follow up with readers to remind them to leave a review. Be polite and respectful, and thank them for their time.
Run promotions
Promotions can still be effective after your book has been released. Consider running occasional promotions, such as limited-time discounts or giveaways, to keep your book top of mind and encourage new readers to give it a try.
Create additional content
Consider developing supplementary content related to your books, such as blog articles, podcasts, or videos. This includes author interviews, behind-the-scenes content, deleted scenes, character profiles, or even a sequel or spin-off. This can help maintain the interest of your existing readers while also attracting new ones to your work.
Engage with book clubs
Connecting with book clubs can be an effective way to promote your self-published book and reach new readers. Book clubs are groups of people who gather to discuss a book they have all read, and they can be found both online and offline.
To engage with book clubs, you can find book clubs that might be interested in your book. You can search for book clubs on social media platforms like Facebook, Twitter, and Goodreads, or you can reach out to local bookstores or libraries to see if they host book clubs.
Once you have identified potential book clubs, you can reach out to them and offer to provide copies of your book for them to read and discuss. You can also offer to participate in their discussion or answer any questions they may have about your book.
Engaging with book clubs can be highly beneficial for self-published authors. By doing so, you can generate buzz around your book and build a community of readers who are invested in your work. Furthermore, book clubs can provide valuable feedback that you can use to improve your writing and marketing strategies in the future.
Final thoughts
Remember, as a self-published author, marketing is not an optional extra - it's an essential part of the process that will help you build a strong author brand, expand your reach, and ultimately generate book sales.
So keep writing, keep publishing, and don't forget to market your work! Remember, you can promote your book and make it a success. With hard work, determination, and a solid marketing plan, your book can reach new heights and make a lasting impact on readers. Best of luck in your self-publishing journey!
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