50 tips for marketing your book
Posted on: December 22, 2008
Here are ideas and links that I have compiled and had sent to my blog over the last couple of months about how to promote your POD or small press published book. Each subject has been dealt with in greater detail on previous postings, but I thought it would be useful to bring them all together here.
So, let’s start at the beginning:
Plan your marketing strategy
1) https://allanmayer.wordpress.com/2008/11/09/planning-for-success/
(Be methodical: You might want to make a marketing pyramid like the one described in this post, and add the ideas below to it, crossing off each one as you achieve it.)
Work on having a positive mental attitude
Marketing your book will need perseverence- how about getting a confidence coach? I can recommend:
Book promotion/ showcasing sites
3) http://gwendafox.web.officelive.com/bookshop.aspx
4) AllThat.tv
5) http://www.authortree.com/About%20AuthorTree
6) Speaking appointments- local writers’ groups, round tables, etc.
hints from published authors/ professionals
8) http://websitemakeoverworkshop.com/ (C.F.Jackson)
9) http://www.juliamccutchen.com/
10) http://www.howpublishingreallyworks.blogspot.com/
11) https://allanmayer.wordpress.com/2008/11/07/tips-from-published-authors-1/
12) https://allanmayer.wordpress.com/2008/11/12/tips-from-published-authors-2/
13) https://allanmayer.wordpress.com/2008/11/23/tips-from-published-authors-3/
14) https://allanmayer.wordpress.com/2008/12/02/tips-from-published-authors-4/
15) https://allanmayer.wordpress.com/2008/12/13/tips-from-published-authors-5/
16) Contact local bookshops
17) Make some promotional bookmarks- hand them out, leave them around.
Subscribe to Writers’ newsletters:
18) http://www.juliamccutchen.com
19) http://www.geoffthompson.com/
make an ‘audiobook’ on YouTube
21) Link up with a charity.
22) Talk About it… (without getting boring!) friends and acquaintances will buy your book and will sell more through word of mouth.
Read books on marketing
(and follow their advice:)
23) http://www.amazon.co.uk/Frugal-Book-Promoter-What-Publisher/dp/193299310X/ref=pd_sim_b_5
24) Highly recommended by publishing professionals is Alison Baverstock’s ‘Marketing Your Book.’ (Used copies are currently available on Amazon at 44p plus p&p):
25) Send a press release to local newspaper(s)
Put out an online press release
26) http://www.pressreleasehome.com/
27) Contact local radio stations
28) Write a blog
29) https://allanmayer.wordpress.com/2008/12/07/blogging/
increase your blog hits
31) www.ping-o-matic.com
32) www.pingoat.com
33) http://alphainventions.com/ .
34) Build a Website
35) email your friends
and get them to email theirs (Keep it with friends and friends of friends to avoid SPAM!)
Talk about your book on social networking sites such as
36) www.facebook.com
37) www.myspace.com
38) www.wayn.com
and business networking sites such as:
40) http://www.ecademy.com/
41) http://www.ryze.com/
42) http://www.naymz.com/
43) http://www.aboutus.org/Soflow.com
45) http://www.lookuppage.com
Other online places:
46) www.friendsreunited.com
47) www.ezinearticles.com
48) College Allumni sites
49) Local community sites
For an absolute treasure trove of online bookmarketing look at:
50) http://www.bauuinstitute.com/Marketing/Marketing.html
And remember:
Do Something every day…
Book marketing is for life, not just for Christmas.
5 Responses to "50 tips for marketing your book"
December 24, 2008 at 11:08 am
Thanks very much Tommy. The ideas here are things that I have picked up only over the last year and I’m open to any others which will help myself and other writers. Your book looks fascinating- out of interest, do you have a market for it there in Bangkok, or are you looking more to Amazon sales in the West?
I’ve put your link on my blogrole- your request reminded me that I haven’t really done anything with links, so I’ve put a few more useful sites on there and will be gradually adding to it.
December 30, 2008 at 8:43 pm
Allan you are a star
You worked so hard and your hard work has been rewarded!!
Tasting the Wind deserves to be no one on Amazon!!
Allan you are a gentleman who really does deserve true success.
Well done on your achievement and I will be there when your book becomes a film !!
Well done you !
December 31, 2008 at 12:10 pm
Allan,
my apologies for the tardy response. And thank you for putting my URL on your site. Yours is on mine already.
I like your suggestions and tips for writing which I’ll be visiting again for inspiration so thanks for all of those, especially the fabulous ’50 tips for marketing your book’.
In answer to your question about my book, ‘…do you have a market for it there in Bangkok, or are you looking more to Amazon sales in the West?’
Yes, there’s a market for it here in Thailand, and I was offered a publishing deal with one of the major publishers here in Bangkok (www.Bangkokbooks.com) but decided not to take it as it would have been something of a loss leader of sorts given the 29 baht (50 pence) a copy I was being offered for it.
I am looking at translating into Thai as well and waiting on a response from an agent in Australia to help me enter it into the market there, too. A nice guy from Penguin Australia kindly forwarded the agent’s name and address onto me.
I will read some more of your blog soon and make some contributions. Please feel free to do likewise on my blog.
all the best and have a great New Year!
Tom Tuohy
March 19, 2009 at 2:01 pm
Your blog provides a fresh look at the subject. You might want to take a look at my blog and possibly become a regular reader.
Free Samples. Updated with a complete new list of Free Stuff every 24 hours.
http://lm.logicalmedia.com/z/8578/CD2855
Allan Mayer's Weblog 
December 24, 2008 at 1:56 am
Hi Allen,
like you, I am a member of YWO and am awaiting the confirmation of the publication of my book – ‘Watching the Thais: From the Outside Looking in’.
The marketing info and general promotional advice you offer here is pretty good, so I might take you up on some of your suggestions. I am planning to add an Amazon and B&N link to my Facebook account and also Hi-5 – both of these accounts were principally opened upon the requests from my students (yes, I am a teacher).
If you like, we can exchange links for each other’s blogs? Let me know.
Regarding the following:
FOR THOSE OF YOU WHO MIGHT GET YWO WITHDRAWAL OVER CHRISTMAS, COME OVER TO MY BLOG WHERE YOUR PRESSIE AWAITS- 50 IDEAS AND PLACES FOR PROMOTING YOUR BOOK. THE VIRTUAL CHRISTMAS PARTY IS STILL GOING ON (WITH ONLY ONE GUEST SO FAR- I’VE NOT TOLD THE WIFE! SO POP IN FOR A CHAT OR HAVE A GO AT THE COMPETITION TO LEAVE A CHRISTMAS GREETING IN THE STYLE OF YOUR FAVOURITE AUTHOR (THE PRIZE IS LOTS OF KUDOS… AND MAYBE A PLUG FOR YOUR BOOK?)
SO HAVE A MERRY CHRISTMAS AND A HAPPY, HEALTHY AND SUCCESSFUL NEW YEAR,
ALLAN
…I might just do that over the Christmas break.
cheers
Tom Tuohy