ADVERTISING YOUR BOOK
to sell in the long-term
Finishing your book is only just the beginning of the path in becoming a successful author, once the manuscript is complete and all of the edits, rewrites and proof reading is done you’re ready to start promoting your book.
The promotion of a book (for some) is just uploading it onto Amazon and then sitting back with your fingers crossed, with over two and a half million books on just the Kindle platform alone this approach is a little unwise to say the least!
The promotion of a book (for some) is just uploading it onto Amazon and then sitting back with your fingers crossed, with over two and a half million books on just the Kindle platform alone this approach is a little unwise to say the least!
So what do the most successful authors do in the promotion of their work? Well, for most they’ll have designed a long-term strategy for the ongoing promotion of their book, this will continue as they write the next in the series at the same time (always good to multitask) with more than one novel on your Amazon page you’ll find it easier to attract traffic to your books.
Advertising a book has changed over time, where once it was taken care of by the publishing company we now see the rise of the Indie author who has complete control over all aspects of their book. The good news is that it’s now a lot easier to do but it still requires a great deal of focus, creativity and dedication.
You will need to consider what your digital platform will look like, having an author’s website will help to show any publishers and readers that you take your profession as a writer seriously, it will give you a great outlet to showcase your latest work and keep readers aware of promotions, launches and any other news. What’s more, with a website you have the opportunity to build a mailing list, these can prove invaluable to help you promote future books and offers.
Advertising a book has changed over time, where once it was taken care of by the publishing company we now see the rise of the Indie author who has complete control over all aspects of their book. The good news is that it’s now a lot easier to do but it still requires a great deal of focus, creativity and dedication.
You will need to consider what your digital platform will look like, having an author’s website will help to show any publishers and readers that you take your profession as a writer seriously, it will give you a great outlet to showcase your latest work and keep readers aware of promotions, launches and any other news. What’s more, with a website you have the opportunity to build a mailing list, these can prove invaluable to help you promote future books and offers.
Getting your own website is a lot easier than you may imagine with companies offering ‘build-your-own’ sites for minimal outlay, you can normally have a website up and running in hours (and without much technical knowledge either).
A long with a website you will need a Facebook page and also a Twitter account, these can be set up for free and again give you a fantastic opportunity to interact with your readers. Keep your posts professional and don’t go overboard with how frequently you post (especially Facebook), if you bombard your followers with updates every ten minutes you’ll lose them very quickly. Also ensure that your page looks like the page of an author, we create banners which can be used specifically for this and will help the reader/follower have a clear idea of your page from the second they look at it.
A long with a website you will need a Facebook page and also a Twitter account, these can be set up for free and again give you a fantastic opportunity to interact with your readers. Keep your posts professional and don’t go overboard with how frequently you post (especially Facebook), if you bombard your followers with updates every ten minutes you’ll lose them very quickly. Also ensure that your page looks like the page of an author, we create banners which can be used specifically for this and will help the reader/follower have a clear idea of your page from the second they look at it.
Having a blog is another great way to help promote yourself as an author, however, it’s worth taking into consideration that some of the best blogs don’t actively sell to their readers, they inform and as a consequence sales are self-generated by links to your website or sales page.
With the initial launch you may wish to consider a full party or event, we’ve written some articles on things that you may want to consider when launching a new book right here, the other option is to also attend book festivals and literary fares, these are great ways in which to meet other writers, publishers and potential readers. Make sure that you have business cards, flyers, bookmarks and copies of your book ready, you don’t know who you’ll end up talking to, so be prepared.
All of the hints above can make a great difference to your book sales as long as you apply them on a consistent and ongoing basis, the key in self-promotion is to keep doing it.
With the initial launch you may wish to consider a full party or event, we’ve written some articles on things that you may want to consider when launching a new book right here, the other option is to also attend book festivals and literary fares, these are great ways in which to meet other writers, publishers and potential readers. Make sure that you have business cards, flyers, bookmarks and copies of your book ready, you don’t know who you’ll end up talking to, so be prepared.
All of the hints above can make a great difference to your book sales as long as you apply them on a consistent and ongoing basis, the key in self-promotion is to keep doing it.
