Book Marketing

Savvy self-published authors understand that publishing their book is just the start of their journey. Most authors have written and published their book with the intent of it being read. They usually have an idea about who they wrote it for (the target audience), but effectively sharing the fact that their professional quality ebook exists is the purpose of book marketing/publicity.

Sometimes your affordable book publishing service will be able to organise book marketing/publicity support for you, just as they would with book cover designs and their book typesetting service. But often authors will need to either source their own book publicist or look after these functions themselves.

The place to begin, when creating your marketing and publicity plan, is with determining your target reader audience and where to reach them. For example, if you have published a children's book, you will promote it very differently than a business book. Whether available via Print on Demand and ebook distribution or for sale via your own website, your approach should focus more on where you know you can access the attention of your target audience.

Some simple research should help you determine exactly what media your target readers consume. Someone who will buy a children's book is likely to consume parenting media. On the other hand, if you are keen to reach business owners, they are more likely to read business publications like Australian Financial Review and relevant industry news outlets, both printed and online.

Once you know how to reach your prospective customers, you need to create a compelling message to encourage the publication to share the news about your book being published. What is your book's point of difference? What is special about it, when compared with other similar books currently available? There are thousands of business books for sale on Amazon why is yours different? It could be about the book itself, the way its written, or even your author profile (if you are an expert with a high profile already on your topic of interest).

Find a media release template online and follow this style to pitch your book launch to the publication you are targeting. A phone call or a quick search on their website will help you identify who exactly to send your media release to. It could be the Editor, book editor or a section editor. If you have managed to create an enticing pitch about your new book, the desired result is the publication writing about it and sharing the details of your book with their readership.

Remember that the traditional media isn't the only place you can find your audience. Social media like facebook is a great way to spread the word about your book. Another method is going directly to the place your target audience gathers workplaces, kindergartens, associations, interest groups. Talk to the organiser or manager and ask about the possibility of sharing an article or advertisement about your book to their members, or even offer a special discount just for them.

There are lots of different ways to promote and market your new book be prepared to be creative and think outside the box. If you are time poor or have run out of ideas, consider engaging a professional to breathe some life into the sales and popularity of your book.