Marketing plays a huge role in any book s success, but this is especially true for self published books. With a few key steps, an author can build a loyal following, get the word out about his or her work, and get people to. Marketing takes planning, organization, and consistent action. Youre welcome to promote your book through thirdparty websites and other services, but we encourage you to monitor the tactics they use to promote your books. Here are five tips on how to promote your selfpublished book. Apr 02, 2010 i just published a book available on my website and on amazon regarding a new twist to book signings that combines a common practice for network marketing companies with book signings. Publishing takes less than 5 minutes and your book appears on kindle. Check out these tips and discover how to promote your book successfully. Ive set up a facebook page where you are welcome to also advertise your book be it self published or traditional publishing.
I had specific design ideas that were completely created to my specifications. With my 2nd book, incredible business, the coauthors and i are conducting a virtual book launch and this is a great way to showcase your expertise and give people a taste of what they can find in your book. Self publishing and book marketing, a research guide by simona david provides aspiring authors with a functional roadmap of the quickly evolving publishing business in the digital age. Even if your book is the next great american novel, it wont be a success if it doesnt get into the collective conscious of the public. How to promote a selfpublished book the 9 basics medium. Crafting an appealing book is 90% of the marketing battle. Self publishing success stories are all around us but its not often we get a glimpse into how, exactly, these authors manage to sell so many books on amazon. That is perhaps the most important take away from danny inys post 7 book marketing lessons for the self published. There are hundreds of ways to market selfpublished books. How i sold over half a million books my self publishing story and my top tips for success i am so excited to be talking about this today, because i know a lot of you have. More importantly, you should start the marketing process well before you publish your book. Of all the tips above, i am of the belief that a free series starter is the most costeffective book promotion tool a selfpublished author can have. John kremer, author of 1001 ways to market your books and editor of the book marketing tip of the week newsletter. Where would you go to even begin selling a product that hasnt the backup from a traditional or otherwise publisher.
Marketing 7 book marketing lessons for the self published author what does it take to promote your self published book. I sometimes wonder if there as many books on marketing books as there are, ah, books. Smith publicity has promoted more selfpublished books than any book publicity agency. Marketing selfpublished books requires a great deal of effort, if youre one of the few who wont be put off by the work, then you already have an edge. I spoke with a few friends of mine who have managed to generate a thousand dollars or more in monthly sales for their books to get their take on marketing. The book marketing services at outskirts press help authors promote highquality books with exceptional book marketing services. Many, if not most authors who selfpublish for the first time make mistakes.
Dance because you can was represented at the national book fair in new york city. But youre right in that marketing and promoting your book is the next step so that you can stand out above the crowd of 4500 books published each day. Self published christian authors the book marketing network. Unit sales of traditionally published e books fell 10% in 2017, compared to 2016, according to figures released by pubtrack digital, part of the npd book group. How the selfpublishing industry changed, between my first. Book marketing help for writers publishnation self publishing. What does it take to promote your selfpublished book. Superhero marketing for selfpublished authors is intended to point authors in the right direction so they can become successful in three areas writing, understanding the selfpublishing and traditional. For many selfpublished authors, book marketing can be intimidating. Create professional quality hardcover and paperback books. If you want your book to be bought and read by the widest audience possible, you have to let readers know that its available and that means marketing your book. Book marketing services book promotion services bookbaby. I will begin my advice on how to promote a self published book with the three key elements a book needs to stand any chance or success.
Choose the book marketing services you need to help sell more books. A marketing manifesto for selfpublishers by bill quain. Alternative marketing methods, book marketing, elizabeth speaks, holiday marketing alchemy, in your corner, marketing your selfpublished book, uncategorized the alchemy of holiday marketing part i in my last post, i introduced the idea that marketingspecifically marketing as regards selfpublished booksis a kind of alchemy. Jan 08, 2016 8 powerful and efficient strategies for marketing your selfpublished book january 8, 2016 in writing for life with 4 comments todays guest post is by nicole boyer.
For the success of a book it is essential that it can be found through as many channels as possible. Marketing included for every selfpublished book at tredition. Aug 20, 2016 home book marketing how to write a book marketing plan the road map to your publishing success is guided by your book marketing plan. The book was also the 2019 evvy award winner for best selfhelp. When it comes to selfpublishing, marketing is half the battle. Marketing your self published book involves a lot of focused work, typically as much work as it took to write the book in the first place.
Dec 16, 20 ive recently self published my book and have been struggling to get free marketing advertising. Weve written extensively about the importance of book marketing, how to promote a book and marketing a self published book. Post across the internet when you are doing anything around your book marketing. Before you publish a book or before you even start writing it.
Go pro 7 steps to becoming a network marketing professional by eric worre, your first year in network marketing. And here at self publishing school, you first have to learn the truth before taking action. When to start marketing your book and how to balance your time. How to market your self published book by alex palmer jun 03, 20 for a self published author, marketing the book can be more important than writing it. He tells all his fortyplus authors sell one book at a time. After publication, a personalized press release announcing the publication of your book will be available in your publishing center. Technology has created a wide variety of ways to reach audiences all over the world.
Until you know how to market your books, dont pay for a book marketing service. Book marketing is letting people know your book exists, book promotion is specific salesdriven activity. But if its your goal to reach readers other than friends and family, then selfpromotion is a. Selfpromotion, spam and irrelevant links arent allowed. Congratulations, now youre a selfpublished author with your book floating around in the world. Five simple ways to promote your selfpublished book. Here are 9 uncommon tips that ive used to turn my books into bestsellers, including my self published. Her book is meticulously researched and well organized with extensive footnotes.
Only several weeks after its publication, a book published by tredition can be found over a thousand times within many search engines. This guide will walk you through the 5 most successful steps to marketing your book. Jul 06, 2011 guerilla marketing n the art of promoting your book in ways that revolve around ingenuity rather than money if you have read our newsletter for any length of time, you know we frequently comment on how a selfpublished authors work on their book does not stop when the writing is done. The book marketing strategy i used to sell over 400 books in 10 days. Marketing your book or ebook is probably the hardest part of successfully self publishing a book. That is perhaps the most important take away from danny inys post 7 book marketing lessons for the selfpublished author on. Please message me or look me up at caroline j williams author page on. Outskirts press self publishing packages help authors develop and publish highquality books by offering exceptional design, printing, publishing, distribution, and book marketing services. So i apologize to all those who have asked me these two. Whether youre about to publish or youre published already, publishnation can raise the profile of your book and help bring readers to your amazon page. Dont be fooled by expensive self publishing packages that claim to distribute your book.
Print your own book single book printing one off book. So, youve written a book and youre planning to selfpublish. Our professional marketing strategies guarantee that the book titles are easily traced through search engines. Of course, to have amazon self publishing create a steady income for you, you do need to take some steps. The service, which tracks sales from about 450 publishers, said e book. How to promote a selfpublished ebook selling books. Kindle direct publishing kdp empowers you to do just thatits an easytouse self publishing platform that lets anyone who has a story publish it. For a selfpublished author, marketing the book can be more important than writing it. We are now offering complete book marketing services based on our 101 book marketing ideas. Mary, first of all, congrats on selfpublishing your work. May 01, 2017 i mention these issues because i will begin my advice on how to promote a self published book with the three key elements a book needs to stand any chance or success.
Everything you need to know about local, online and nationwide marketing strategies as well as selfemployment taxes. On the other hand, ive seen great books succeed with little or no marketing. I tried many network marketing companies and received all of their training, but i wasnt passionate enough about their products to make it work for me. Selfpublishing and book marketing public group facebook.
How i sold over half a million books selfpublishing youtube. The title of this post should be credited because i have been asked how to market a selfpublished book or how to promote a book, so many times. It costs nothing, and it will be promoting your book day in and day out on all your retailers. This is a fullservice where we work within your budget to get. Marketing a self published book online my business presence. How to market selfpublished books in the digital world. Make it easy for your target readers to find your book by categorizing it strategically on amazon. Right off the bat, i knew that i was going to like this book. How to selfpublish a bestseller the startup medium. Dont post up links to your interviews with authors. Ive written a lot on what you can do to market your book. Explore your future through our page dedicated to the indie publishing life, or find out more about book marketing in our book marketing tag. Printing a book is no small feat, and bookbaby is here to make your dream come true. Selfpublish ebooks and paperbacks for free with kindle direct publishing, and reach millions of readers on amazon.
This truth applies just as much to self published digital book sales even more so than a product you can see and actually hold in your hand. If you read many of them you will spot a sameness that can be grating if you are looking for original ideas. If your book isnt exactly to your liking, well make it right. Having a book published, even if self published, can establish your reputation as a writer serious about your work and as an expert in your field. Fiction and nonfiction writers alike can create, print, and sell their books through all major retail channels. Follow the wise and considered words of advice from irish indie author orna ross, founderdirector of the alliance of independent authors alli, in her post self publishers. On the other hand, ive seen great books succeed with little or no marketing push. Author and publisher michael wiese has been writing and marketing books successfully for over three decades. Marketing your selfpublished book self publishing advisor. Choose the right categories and keywords for your book. The digital revolution has changed all of that and many of the most successful self published authors achieve huge success promoting their books online. How to write a book marketing plan for publishing success. May 05, 2010 one of the mostasked questions i get from writers who have never written and published an ebook before is, how would you promote a selfpublished ebook.
What bestselling authors can teach you about marketing. Oct 10, 2016 if this all seems like too much bother to take on yourself, dont rush to hire someone to do it for you. Marketing selfpublished books explained in 9 basic steps. I wont, however, because it would end up being a very long list of credits. Amazon is the 800pound gorilla of online book marketing. This is why you need good book marketing tactics to back it up.
The first thing authors should do before doing any type of marketing is to put together a marketing plan for their book. Aug 12, 20 self publishing offers several advantages. How this selfpublished author sold 800,000 copies of her. Ten steps to marketing your selfpublished book whitefox. Still, this is one of the better books on marketing books. What bestselling authors can teach you about marketing self. While writing tends to be a solitary endeavor, marketing is the process of. Submit your book to sites that promote self published books and have a large and engaged. What distinguishes jan yagers how to self publish your book from other books on self publishing are the sections on writing, editing, getting permissions, creating sell sheets, and designing your book.
After i published my first book, it took six years before i published my second book. Here are the 7 critical steps for marketing a self published book we created for our promotional strategy. Our 5step book marketing guide can increase your books success, helping you to generate buzz, make connections in the industry, and break into foreign markets. We believe that if you write a book, you should be able to publish it. History of publishing, an account of the selection, preparation, and marketing of printed matter from its origins in ancient times to the present. To build my email list, i offer readers a free download of a self publishing checklist that will further help them with publishing and marketing their book. Explore your future through our page dedicated to the indie publishing life, or find out more about book marketing in our book marketing. Self published christian authors sharing their published works, all aspects of publishing, author promotions and book marketing. No amount of marketing ingenuity will help an unappealing book succeed. It takes is a little thinking outside the box and you can market a self published book in creative, affordable and impactful ways. To help readers find the books they like, amazon provides a host of book categories and subcategories, distinguished by genres and subgenres, each with its own bestseller list. Marketing self published books requires a great deal of effort, if youre one of the few who wont be put off by the work, then you already have an edge. Attract readers with a great book sales description. Only the unpaid moderators are allowed to post up promotional items or links.
Contact us and discover how we make indie authors newsworthy. This is a fullservice where we work within your budget to get the most out of your promotional dollar. Your book trips, travels and dreams how lsd saved me entered in the life stories category was included in the 2019 writers digest 28th annual self published book awards and was considered. This post is about the more nebulous marketing and pr side of things. When authors have just published, having finished first the writing, then the production of a book. Download it once and read it on your kindle device, pc, phones or tablets. The book marketing bible is a book by norm schriever that focuses on marketing strategies for self published authors to get their books out there. If you think your book fails on any of the first three points, you will probably be wasting your time trying to implement the remaining book marketing tips and advice. Marketing your book for selfpublishers and indie authors. Matador offers inhouse trade marketing and media and pr services for books and ebooks, based on many years of active marketing knowledge and experience. We are open and staying safe during the covid19 crisis to make sure your book.
But if you are publishing by yourself and wish to be read by as many among your target audience as possible, you will have to learn an additional skillhow to market your books. Book marketing and selfpromotion resources iuniverse. Of course, self publishing a book is only the first step. Let bookbaby do the book marketing and book promotion for you. Many selfpublished authors have no interest in sales, advertising, or business in general, as they tend to be altruistically artistic. Exclusively available to outskirts press authors is the trademarked marketing coach, offering creative online assistance, coaching and help via email for years after your book is published. Today, only six months after publishing my second book, im publishing my fourth book ive self published three books. How this self published author sold 800,000 copies of her books. However, if you dont get the following nine marketing strategy basics right first, you could be wasting a lot of your time, energy and money. As with any other product, books must be marketed and promoted. Easily publish textbooks, course materials, and research. A self published author can quickly get their print and ebook distributed to the most important online retailers by using just a couple services, all of which have no or very low upfront costs.