Book Promotion Strategies for Getting Discovered by Readers
After a self-publishing author has successfully published their book, what comes next? Because of the millions of titles available online and in stores, you need to find strategies for connecting readers with your new book. You have to spread the word about it. Book promotion is essential to getting it noticed not just by individual readers, but also by booksellers, libraries, universities, wholesalers, and distributors. Book promotion is, in other words, an advertising campaign to sell your book.
So what strategies will help you promote your book and connect potential readers with it? Unfortunately, there is no one-size-fits-all solution or a five-step process to guarantee book sales. But there are some suggested strategies for creating your own book promotion campaign and improving your book’s discoverability:
Attend conferences and organize events.
You are your best salesperson. It is important to attend writer’s conferences and other literary events so that you can talk to potential readers and network with other writers. You can also organize events, such as book signings at local bookshops, readings at libraries and schools, and appearances at book club meetings to get your book talked about.
Contact the media.
Get in touch with local newspapers and magazines. Whether they write a human-interest story about you or an article about your new book, the coverage will help generate interest and excitement about the book release. You can also contact radio shows. There are countless Internet, community and college radio shows that are always happy to interview writers.
Build a website.
Websites are one of the key ways people discover books. When a potential reader types an interest or a favorite genre into a search engine like Google, a well designed website with good search engine optimization will be the first thing to come up. That gives you visibility and the opportunity to grow and maintain your readership. Be sure to include your biography, links to your social media profiles, positive reviews, and a list of locations where readers can buy your book.
Maintain a social media presence.
Social media is a critical part of book promotion because it is an inexpensive, effective and popular way to reach potential readers. Many experts recommend choosing three social media platforms and devoting at least 20 minutes to those platforms each day. Don’t just consider Facebook and Twitter—there are other great social media sites where you can promote your book, including Pinterest and Goodreads.
As you begin promoting your book, keep in mind that you simply cannot follow every piece of advice available on marketing self-published books. Self-promotion involves a considerable amount of focused work to be effective, so choose the strategies that best suit you and the genre of your book.
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