Gone Writing ...
Hey Guys -
just a few ideas that we thought would help you in your
marketing plan.
Read On -
Identify your audience Let's face it, your book likely won't appeal to everyone. A pre-teen romance novel and a book about political ideologies probably won't have the same readership. Therefore, an important initial step of a book promotion campaign is to identify your audience. Understand your readers, as well as their hobbies, interests and where they spend most of their time so you can employ strategic marketing techniques to target them.
Time your release - If you haven’t already launched your book, then you should time your release to receive maximum impact. Consider the best time of year to release your book, and then allow time for your book to generate buzz before its release.
Think like a journalist - When it comes to marketing your book, the media can be your best friend. Through media coverage, you can get your name out there, reach your audience and establish yourself as a leader within your genre or field. To land great media coverage, think like a journalist. Get creative with your media pitches and make them newsworthy. Your pitches shouldn't simply promote your book. For fiction books, create a pitch on a newsworthy topic related to your book's genre, theme, characters or setting. Non-fiction authors should stay up-to-date on what's trending in the news so they can create an interesting pitch that will grab the media's attention.
Create a media kit Attract media attention by creating a media kit. Your kit should make a strong, lasting impression and make reporters want to contact you for an interview. Stick to a traditional press kit that includes professionally printed business cards with your contact information and photo, a photo of your book cover, a brief author biography, a recent press release and/or media mention, and where to purchase your book.
Make an author website - It's essential for authors to have an author website. Your website is the first place readers, reporters, booksellers, book reviewers and publishers will turn to learn more about you and your book. Your website should be simple with a clean design and include links to important pages, including your blog, social media profiles, Amazon profile, online bookstore, and recent media mentions. Be sure to include a brief author biography, a short paragraph from your book to intrigue readers and critics, and information about where they can purchase your book.
Blog regularly - Writing is your area of expertise, so you should have no problem creating interesting blog posts on a frequent basis. Blogs are a simple and efficient way to reach your readership and build up your fan base. Do not write all your blog posts solely about your book. Instead, provide content that's interesting and meaningful to your audience. Use your genre, industry, and characters to come up with interesting topics for posts. Connect your blog to your website, social media profiles and Amazon page where your book can be purchased.
Write guest posts - Writing a guest blog post for a popular blogger who relates to your book can be a great way to gain exposure. The blogger will already have a wide audience that reads the blog, which will increase your visibility and attract more people to your own blog, website, and bookstore.
Utilize social media Social media sites, including Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram, are effective tools for promoting your book. You can engage your audience, media personnel, and fellow writers. Your social media channels are also a great way to spread the word about upcoming media coverage and promotions and share your blog posts.
Run a Facebook ad - Run an ad on Facebook to target your specific audience. You can use an ad to promote a special contest or giveaway. Or, if your book is centered on a specific event or time of year, you can run an ad right beforehand to spark interest in your book.
Post videos Sometimes videos can be more captivating than static content. Create a series of videos to share on your website, blog, social media profiles and YouTube channel. Provide your name, book title, bookstore, and website at the end of the video or in the description.
Generate book reviews - Readers and book reviewers often reference online book reviews before deciding to purchase a book. Amazon is the most popular site for reviews. Increase your rating on Amazon by asking 20 of your friends and colleagues to write an honest review of your book. For those who don't have your book, send them an online copy or even just the first few chapters. You could also offer a free giveaway to readers who write a review of your book to bump up your standing.
Create an e-mail list - Through an e-mail list you can connect with interested readers and keep them updated on your newest promotions, blog posts, media coverage, and public appearances. Use a service like iContact, MailChimp or Benchmark Email so you can easily track your mailing list and its performance.
Use your connections - Connecting with your fellow alumni can help boost your visibility. See if your college or high school has an alumni book listing and add yours to the list. Also, add your former schools to your media pitch and press release distribution list, so your alumni office can notify alumni and/or current students about your upcoming events and appearances. You could also offer to speak at the school or do a book signing.
Never stop promoting - Many authors work tirelessly promoting their book before and during its release but stop once the book is no longer new. Just because it wasn't recently released doesn't mean it's no longer relevant. Never stop promoting your book. Always look for new angles to make your book appear fresh and interesting.
Hold book readings - Establish a personal connection with your readers by holding an in-person book reading. Depending on your audience, you can have a book reading at a local school, hospital, library or bookstore. Set up a table where readers can meet you and purchase a signed book after the reading.
Just some ideas - we hope it help!
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