20 Effective Book Marketing Strategies for Self-Published Authors
As a self-published author, you will have many limitations that could impede your publishing progress. This is understandable because you will have to do most of the work in order to get your book published.
Another aspect of the process though, is the book marketing process. It is during this time that you will show your book to potential readers, and compel them to purchase your book. Remember though that your budget may be limited, so you will need to be as creative as possible. Here are effective marketing strategies for self-published authors.
1. Settle on a budget for your book marketing
If there is one thing you should know about book marketing, it is that it could cost you a good amount of money. As a rule, you should assess how much money you have to spare, and then set your overall budget. While a good amount of money could help you in your book marketing, it is your ideas and determination that will get the job done.
2. Decide on your author brand
Before you start on your book marketing, it is important that you decide on your author brand. Your author brand will usually dictate how your potential readers will see you, and your book. If you don’t have an author brand, you and your work will become very easy to forget in the long run. When it comes to setting up an author brand, it is important that it is as unique and memorable as possible. Take your time with your author brand.
If you are going to decide on your author brand, you should check out other author brands. What makes their author brands unique? How do they portray themselves to the public? By taking note of these details, you’ll be able to construct an author brand that your potential readers will want to follow for years. This will also enhance your chances of forming a rapport with potential readers, and eventually form a fan base.
3. Set up an author blog
After you have decided on an author brand, you should set up an author blog as soon as possible. Think of the author platform as your main marketing platform. Through this platform, you will be able to market your books, post content, keep in contact with potential readers, and even set up an online bookstore as well. If you are going to design your author blog, you should base it on your author brand. It should match how you portray your work, and yourself to the public. It is also important that you have an author bio ready. That way your potential readers will know all they need to know about you.
On designing your author blog, it is always a good idea to hire a professional website designer. While you could set up your author blog yourself, there may be design and security aspects that you are not able to work on. Luckily, you could go to platforms such as Fiverr or LinkedIn to hire a freelance website designer. When you design your blog, you should decide on specific colors and motifs that will be used throughout the author blog. You should be sure to add images and excerpts on your author blog.
You should remember that your author blog is also meant to act as a platform from which you could keep in contact with potential readers. You should ensure that your blog is easy to reach and navigate through. To double your work’s chances of getting sold, you should also set up an online bookstore feature in your author blog. That way, they will be able to order and pay for a copy of your work as soon as possible.
4. Set up a YouTube channel
Aside from an author blog, you could never go wrong with setting up a YouTube channel. This is because YouTube is a very powerful platform that will allow you to post long videos for free. You could even stand to earn additional income if you gain enough subscribers in the long run. A good number of established authors such as Steven Pressfield have YouTube channels.
If you are going to set up a YouTube channel, you should make sure to decide on a unique concept that could readily be attributed to you and your work. Remember, the more unique your concept, the more chances your channel will be noticed by potential subscribers.
It may seem a bit daunting to start a YouTube channel of your very own, but it is relatively easy to set up a YouTube account. The most important thing to remember when running a YouTube channel as a self-published writer, is that you release quality videos on a regular basis. You should also ensure that any videos that you release follow the same concepts, and show aspects of your life as a writer.
5. Utilize various social media platforms
When it comes to book marketing in this day and age, it is very important that you use as many social media platforms as possible. The more social media platforms you have, the more chances you will have of expanding your overall influence. If you are going to use social media platforms, you should choose the most popular ones that have the most traffic. Here are some essential social media platforms that you should market your book on.
Facebook: When it comes to social media platforms, there are few that could rival the power of Facebook. It is potent because a multitude of people have a Facebook account. This is why many businesses have a Facebook page. If you are going to market your work through Facebook, you should ensure that you post as many links to your other book marketing platforms as possible. You may also post various content such as excerpts, articles and images of your books as well. With around 2.989 billion users, it is a very potent platform, and should be used as effectively as possible. Neil Gaiman’s Facebook account is a great example of an author’s Facebook page.
Twitter: If you want to expand your book marketing range, you should use Twitter. This platform has around 450 million users, and is used by both individuals and companies to share their thoughts on various topics. As a self-published writer, this platform is very potent and budget friendly. You could share your perceptions on the world, and also share excerpts of your book. If you are going to use Twitter, it is important that your Tweets are as interesting as possible. Avoid making your Tweets too long though, because your readers may find it too long and get bored in the long run. The legendary horror story writer Stephen King is an avid user of Twitter, and his account has millions of followers.
TikTok: Tiktok is somewhat new compared to Facebook or Twitter, but it still has a huge number of users that reach around 1 billion monthly users. Twitter specializes in short form videos that have a limit of around 3 minutes. However, a myriad of people and businesses use Tiktok to expand their influence. This also goes for authors such as Lou Collins and Stacia Suzanne who have established a firm following on Tiktok.
Instagram: Although Instagram is usually used to show videos and images, it is still a potent platform from which you could market your book. This is especially true if your book is a picture book or children’s book. Of all the platforms, Instagram is amongst the most powerful with over 1.21 billion users. Some great examples of authors who use Instagram to expand their already established fan base are Dan Brown and John Green.
6. Use book reviews
Book reviews are a great way to show the merits of your book. This is because potential readers tend to look to book reviews for affirmation on whether to read a particular book or not. By using book reviews, you will be able to give your work more credibility. You will be able to post these positive book reviews on your website, or in front of your book.
Getting book reviews could be a bit tricky at first, but still quite possible. If you are going to get book reviews, a good option is friends and family. This is because friends and family are usually willing to write book reviews. However, their reviews don’t carry much weight. Should you want more powerful book reviews, you could reach out to established authors and editors to review your work. Please be reminded though that you will not always get positive book reviews.
There is a chance that your book review will not be positive, and even have notes on how you could improve your work. You could also pay a book review company to write a review for your book, however, you should not expect to get positive reviews as well. Overall, getting positive book reviews is very unpredictable. However, a positive book review could really do wonders for your book marketing.
7. Build an email list
Setting up an email list is also an important aspect of book marketing. Remember that email marketing is a way for businesses to send notifications to subscribers about new services and products. The same goes for authors. By having an email list, you will be able to keep the subscribers to your author blog and other platforms informed.
8. Make sure your book cover and other images are on point
If you want your book marketing to be as on point as possible, it is always a good idea to make your book cover and other images as high quality as possible. Remember that the more high quality your book cover, the more possibility there will be of readers noticing your book. The same goes for the images that you use in your other content and platforms.
9. Network with other writers
A great way to enhance your book marketing range is to network with other writers. Remember that the more writers that know you and your work, the more chances that they will mention you in their own social media platforms. Networking with writers may seem a bit tricky because you can’t just walk up to a person and ask if he or she is a writer. However, there are ways you can network without having to look for them in person. There are various writing groups that you could join online. Through these groups, you will be able to form strong and lasting friendships with fellow authors.
Aside from the marketing aspect of networking with other writers, they are also a great source of book reviews and advice on the overall book publishing process. This is especially true if your friends are already established as writers. They will be able to guide you through your own self-publishing journey and ensure that you are doing the right things.
10. Run a book launch event
While you could launch your book without an event, you should remember that you don’t launch a book every day. If you are going to have a book launch event, you should make sure that it is worth the time and money that you spend on it. Plan out the book launch event, and choose a main theme to follow throughout the whole event.
There are various ways you could run a book launch event. You could hold a book launch party, and invite fellow writer friends. An online book launch is also a good idea, because you could invite the people in your email list to the event.
11. Use Press Releases
Yet another effective way to enhance your book marketing, is to use press releases. What are press releases? These are official statements issued to newspapers on a specific matter. While it is difficult for a new self-published author to get featured in an international newspaper, you could start small. Send press releases to local newspapers and magazines. The more times your work is mentioned, the more effective your book marketing will be. While you could write your press release yourself, it is also a good idea to have another writer write your press release for you. You could have Press Release Writing companies such Send2Press and eReleases to name but a few.
12. Choose the right pricing for your books
Aside from advertising and discoverability, it is also important that you choose the right pricing for your books. You should choose a balance between your book being too expensive for readers to buy, and the book being too cheap for you to make a profit. Overall, choosing a good and eye-catching price for your book is a great way to enhance your overall book marketing.
13. Hire a professional book marketer
Even though you should be in full control of the book marketing process, there may be times where you will feel overwhelmed. Remember that you will have multiple book marketing platforms to manage, and this could be overwhelming in the long run. To take off the slack, you should hire a professional book marketer. These publishing professionals are usually very efficient and know how to manage the overall book marketing process with ease. If you want to hire quality publishing professionals you can hire them through LinkedIn, Reedsy, or Fiverr. These platforms are a haven for willing and skilled publishing professionals.
14. Reach out to influencers
In the past decades, the role of influencers has been fleshed out. Influencers are individuals that have a great deal of influence on various social media platforms, and they have the ability to sway public opinion to a particular point of view. This is why businesses sponsor influencers to use and review their products. From a book marketing point of view, influencers are a great way to enhance your marketing reach.
For example, you could hire a literary influencer on Tiktok to review your book, and post the review on their Tiktok account. Some great Tiktok influencers that you should try to reach out to are Janelle of janellelovesbooks.com and Melissa Blair of Melissas bookshelf. They offer interesting and immersive book reviews, and could really enhance your book’s overall appeal.
15. Use sites such as Reddit or Medium
A great way to improve your book marketing methods is to use sites such as Reddit or Medium. These two sites are particularly effective for establishing a fan base for your work.
Reddit is effective because it allows you to trade insights with other users about various concepts. The topics in Reddit are very multifaceted, and there are controversial topics that are discussed there every day. However, if you are able to start a following in Reddit, your fan base will be quite multifaceted as well.
You could also post articles on the Medium social media site. The platform is easy to use, and you will also be able to set up a loyal following in the long run.
16. Run an online contest
If you want to enhance your book marketing is to run an online contest. Think of this as giving away freebies to the subscribers of your various social media platforms. This is a great way to create anticipation for your book release, or at the very least make potential readers excited for your work.
The act of running an online contest is relatively easy. All you need to do is announce the contest and the prizes to be won on your social media platforms. Give out conditions for joining the contest. After that, just set the exact date of the contest. For choosing the contest winners, you could just use an online contest app. Some great examples of online contest apps are Sweepwidget, Wishpond, Outgrow and Woorise to name but a few.
17. Use 3D eBook Mockups
A great way to enhance your book marketing methods is to use 3D eBook mockups. These are high-fidelity renderings of your book, and will show how your finished book will look. By using 3D eBook mockups, you will have beautifully designed eBook covers that you make use of during your book marketing campaigns. With this great bit of technology, you’ll be able to share them through social media, your author blog, or through email. If you want to get quality 3D eBook mockups for your work, you could try out diybookcovers.com and Smart Mockups.
18. Always have a target market in mind
When it comes to book marketing, it is always important that you have a target market in mind. Your target market is the demographic of people that you will base your overall marketing strategy on. By knowing your target market, you will be able to ensure that your book marketing strategies are specially designed to attract and compel this target market to buy your book.
19. Make sure your readers like you as both a writer and a person
When you market a book, you should not only take your work into account, but your overall image as a writer as well. Remember that many readers will read a book, not only because they liked the book, but also because they liked the author as well. As a rule, you should write your author bio in a way that your readers will like you as a person.
20. Be consistent with your book marketing strategies
When it comes to book marketing, it is very important that you stay consistent with your book marketing strategies. Remember that it takes time for any book marketing strategy to bear fruit. While you should not stick to a losing strategy that has not gained any success for months, you should also not be too fast to disregard marketing strategies. Choose a marketing strategy, and put in the time and work. Overall, consistency is a key ingredient to gaining book marketing success.
Conclusion
A difficult aspect of self-publishing is book marketing. This is because book marketing entails you to show your work off to potential readers, and entice them to buy your work. This may seem easy, but it takes a long time to do successfully. With these effective marketing strategies, you’ll be able to market your work in the most efficient and effective way possible
