What Are Your Book Marketing Strategies?

[JaWar]

Self-Publish Your Own Book Tips

What branding, marketing and promotional strategies do you use to spread the word about your book?

Some of the things I use include:

Being an active member in online forums.
Setting up a website specifically for my books.
Putting my web address on all marketing and promotional material.
Uploading video to Youtube and other video networking sites.
Speaking at seminars, workshops and conferences related to my books.
Optimizing my websites and blogs for higher search engine ranking.
Creating a number of press releases.

[JaWar]

Tara thank you for being the first person to respond to this forum. Sometimes it's a bit of a challenge to get people to respond. With the right mind set, practical plan and executing that plan a change will occur.

Now, about self-promotions and your book. Think of your end result. For example, selling 1,000 downloads of your ebook at $9.95 each over the next six months or selling 100 paperback books every month for the next six months. Next think about who your target market is and where you are most likely to find them both online and off. Then create marketing and promotional material to inform them about your release. Include all of the things you mentioned and a whole lot more. Additionally, you'll want to include Myspace and your on website address into the mix (see above for registering your own domain name).

Donald Trump, Oprah Winfrey, Henry Ford, Steve Jobs, Michael Dell, Sam Walton are all/were self-promoters. Self-marketing is a systematic process that starts from within -within your mind. You must see yourself actively accomplishing your goal and realizing your potential, it is paramount in your pursuit of excellence. Anything less than this is futile and doesn't deserve your time, energy and thought.

May I suggest revisiting Self-Publish Your Own Book Site.

Now what other concerns and questions do you have?

[JaWar]

That's right. The only thing stopping you from accomplishing your goals and realizing your potential is you. As a matter of fact you will be to blame for your success in riches, wealth and fame. :-)

[P. Gordon Kennedy]

I post information about my book and links to online stores selling it across the internet. I maintain pages on authorsden.com and booksie.com and I'm an active member of the Published Authors' Forum. Oh yah, and I like to tell people about my book.

[JaWar]

Thank you for giving websites that you use. I'm sure it will be of help to some of the writers on this site. How does one access the Published Author's Forum?

[JaWar]

Kat what has been your approach for contacting organizations such as the Lyon's or Rotary Clubs?

[JaWar]

Thanks for chiming in on the discussion. Would you mind sharing a 3 point plan of action or so for getting interviews with various media outlets?

[Amber Stults]

I don't have any published books but one of the authors in my area had postcards printed up. One side is the cover of her book. The other side has the title, synopsis, review blurbs and ordering information. She's handed them out when she meets new people and brings them when she does talks.

[Lacresha Hayes]

There is a marketing theory of "love at 5th sight" which simply means that only .5% will buy upon first contact. It rises about 2% after each following contact, but that if you can get your material, presented differently and in a helpful manner before the same people five times, the number rises to nearly 90% for purchases. WOW, huh?

I like the idea I learned with Avon called "the power of 3" prospecting strategy. It actually works, but I'm more of a 100 person. So, each day, I talk to 100 people about myself, not my book. I mention my book but only as it relates to me. I don't sell a book. I have too many. I sell myself as a friend, a counselor, an advisor, a consultant, a minister, a publisher, and an author. I sell what I have and even when they don't buy my book, I gain an associate or friend. What more could anyone ask for?

[Amber Stults]

I think Mary Kay's more successful consultants meet one new person a day to grow the number of people they meet and make connections in new places.

I agree that part of selling includes selling yourself. If you come across as incompetent or not trustworthy the person is going to put a lot more thought into plunking down $10 for a book you wrote.

[Marilyn Meredith]

Have to comment here as I agree wholeheartedly with what you said. I recently did an art festival where I noticed most of the vendors sat behind their tables or talked with other vendors.

I gave my card out or tried to engage people as they passed in conversation. One lady bought two books from me because she said I was the only friendly vendor in the place. That certainly says a lot.

You have to get on your feet, smile and talk if you want to sell books.

[Marilyn Meredith]

I don't self-publish, but my publisher is a small, independent e-publisher and marketing and promoting is a very important part of what I do as an author.

With a new book, I always have some sort of book launch, my latest Deputy Tempe Crabtree mystery is being launched at a Victoria Bed and Breakfast in Crescent City where half of the book is set. I'll also be giving a talk at the Crescent City library the next day. (Anyone wanting details can email me at [e-mail].)

For this book besides all the Internet blogs, My Space, blog tour etc., I'm going to be a speaker at three writer's conferences, having a booth or table at three book festivals or craft fairs (for me these are usually better than book store signings though I have two independent bookstores scheduled for this year.)

I love to give talks about writing to writers groups and have done a lot of that over the years.

Marilyn