Have you written your first book?
Congratulations! All that hard work and those late nights at the keyboard are about to pay off. Before they do though, you’re going to need to put more time into marketing that book. After all, what’s the point if no one ever reads it? Here are some of the best tools and tips for marketing your first book.
Create Your Community
Before you do anything, you’ll need to build up a community that you can sell to. This takes some forward planning, so you’ll need to be thinking about this possibility when you’re still writing the book. Many publishers recommend putting the groundwork in six months before you actually publish.
Writer Andrea King at Australian Reviewer says ‘The sooner you create your community, the better. You can start interacting with your audience, and really get a feel for what they want in a book.’ This will help you market your book better when it does come out.
Know Your Audience
If you’re going to sell your book to your audience, you need to know what they want. For example, if you’re selling a romance novel, then you know that your audience is probably fans of the romance genre as a whole. How old are these fans? What do they do when they’re not reading romance novels? Sit down and really think about what they want.
Give Out Preview Copies
The best way to generate buzz about your book is to give out preview copies before the release date. Ask the people you give it to give honest reviews of your book. The more people who review it, the more people will hear about it. If you’re getting positive reviews, then you’ll see more sales coming in. It’s all about getting the word out there.
Make Sure You Have Your Press Release
If you’re going to be handing out those preview copies, then you’re going to need to have a press release with it. This will help recipients see what your book is all about and hype them up ready to read it. A good press release will give the reader enough information so they know what your book is about, but will hold enough back to they have to read it to get the rest. If you’ve never written a press release before, then you can hire a company such as Top Canadian Writers to help you get it done.
Don’t Ignore Social Media
Writers need to have a presence on social media these days. Fans and followers will expect to find you on the appropriate channels, and they’ll want to interact with you. ‘Keep your social media updated all year round, and not just when your book’s coming out’ says writer Penelope Yates from UK Services Reviews. ‘The more you keep in touch with followers, the more likely they are to buy from you when your book comes out.’ Share content with your followers that you think they’ll want to see, too. The more you stay in touch with them, the better.
Create Your Own Website
It’s tempting to skip this step, as you’d think social media would have everything covered. However, that isn’t the case. Your website should be the one stop shop for everything your customers will want from you. Keep it updated with good content regularly, whether it’s directly related to the book or not. The better content you write, the more readers you’ll bring in. Sites like Student Writing Services know all about what makes good content, and you can hire them in if you need help.
Optimize Your Amazon Page
You’re going to have an Amazon page as it’s the most popular place to buy books, so make sure your page is optimized correctly. Ensure that your book is in the right genre by drilling down through the subcategories. Enable the ‘look inside’ function, so potential buyers can read through a section before they make the purchase. Pursue reader reviews too, as they can convince a lot of people to buy.
With these tips, you can market your first book effectively. Remember, it’s about getting the word out there and getting people to try your book out. The more you engage with readers, the more books you’ll sell.
Author Bio:
Brenda Berg is a professional with over 15 years of experience in business management, marketing and entrepreneurship. Consultant and tutor for college students and entrepreneurs. She believes that constant learning is the only way to success. You can visit her personal blog at Letsgoandlearn.com
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