Do you write because it’s your hobby? If yes, you don’t have to spend a lot of time thinking about marketing. However, if you are writing to sell, you need to publish your book so that it can be accessed by as many people as people in your target market. You need to have clear goals at the start because marketing a book effectively requires planning and energy.
Marketing involves attracting and engaging your target audience by sharing more information about your book and yourself. Apart from communicating, you’ll have to do some work to get the desired results. The best part is, most of the best ways to promote a book are free (or close to free) of charge. All you need is enough time and willingness.
1. Launch a website or blog
You can start marketing your book even before you finish writing it. Having a website and updating with articles regularly that help your target market solve their problems will greatly improve your results. For instance, if you are writing about managing emotions, you need to discuss the latest developments in science in this field and your insights about the topic.
If what you are writing is fiction, you can consider reviewing the most popular books in this field together with characters. Before the launch date, you can get your readers to know more about your book by doing contests and giveaways. Posting high-quality content regularly will allow you to:
- Increase traffic
- Get more subscribers
Your new book can help you build an email list easily and improve the rankings of your site.
2. Create a YouTube channel
Videos have become quite popular in recent years. You can market your book for free by creating a YouTube channel where you talk about your new book, interview other authors, answer viewer or reader questions, and anything else that comes up. You can also create a slideshow that accompanies the reading of your work. In the videos, you can write a paragraph about yourself and provide a link where your viewers can get the book. The best part about creating a YouTube channel is that it’s free. And you can start earning an income on this platform.
3. Get some reviews
Another simple way to market your book for free is to ask for reviews, which you can get by approaching friends and family However, getting bonafide reviewers (from Amazon, GoodReads, etc). to read your book is a whole ‘nother post. You can also easily find paper writers who’ll help you complete this task for free.
4. Use a mailing list
You need to start building your email list immediately when you start writing. You need to get readers to start signing up. You should consider coming up with a short interesting story. And ensuring that the people who subscribe can access it easily. Once you have people on this list, you should start sending them emails about you and your book.
Take your time to answer their questions to keep them engaged. Remember, you are not writing for yourself. Therefore, treating the people who sign up like friends and keeping them informed about your work and life will pay off in spades in the long run.
5. Join readers’ groups online
While this method is free, it can be time-consuming and ineffective especially if you start sending spam messages with the words “purchase my book”. It’s way better if you join a small group and participate regularly to establish yourself. For instance, if you are writing a thriller, you should join groups where readers talk about films, books, TV shows for this genre. Joining the discussions will allow you to engage with others as a fan.
Once other participants trust you, that’s when you tell them about your profession and your work. If they start asking you about your book, you can send them a link. While most online groups prohibit advertising, they won’t mind you linking your work in response to participants asking questions. You have to be an active member for participants to know and read your book. If you overdo it, your marketing efforts can come across as scams. When you contribute and help other participants, they’ll be willing to support you.
6. Increase your distribution channels
The biggest retailer of print and digital books is Amazon. If you have been using their services for a while, you should consider increasing your distribution channels. You can include Apple’s iBook, KDP by Amazon, Kobo, and Barnes and Noble’s Nook in your plan. By doing this, you’ll cover all the channels that account for more than 90 percent of e-book sales.
While small retailers account for a tiny proportion of sales, they can help in increasing visibility. If you don’t like dealing with individual companies, you should consider publishing with an e-book aggregator. Ebook aggregators distribute to the biggest retailers and format books according to their requirements. You’ll get access to channels that you’d never access directly by choosing this path.
7. Increase your online presence
One of the easiest ways to market your book for free is by increasing your online presence. For instance, you should consider writing articles for popular websites that have huge traffic or participating in forums that discuss topics related to your book. You can also request popular websites or blogs to feature you in a guest post or interview. Always remember to include a link to your book, social media pages, or website in your byline.
8. Learn from the best
Look at the cover designs, titles, and typography of the best books in your genre. Look at the ones that you like or don’t like. You’ll learn a lot by studying the best books in your genre. When you do this, you’ll avoid making silly mistakes that can cost you a lot of time and energy in the long run.
Conclusion
As a self-published author, you’ll have to do all the marketing work. Fortunately, there are lots of easy ways to market your book thanks to rapid technological advancements. Which tip are you going to start using today?
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Thomas Jackson a professional freelance content writer at Top British Essays and thesis writing help. He is also an active member of several writing clubs in New York. He has written several songs since he was a child. He gets inspiration from the live concerts he does in front of close friends and family members.