So you finally finished and published that book! Let’s celebrate.
But remember that you still have work to do.
Now you need to market and promote your book. Otherwise, all your hard work will just go unnoticed.
Don’t let this happen! Follow these 10 steps to effectively get that great new book into the hands of your readers.
Have a clear plan and a budget. Even before the publication date, decide what you are going to do to promote your book. Come up with the best plan to reach your target audience. Figure out how much you are able to spend on things like research and advertising. Then write your plan down and stick with it.
Make your book searchable on Google. Ensure that your book can easily be found in a Google search. Send out a book press release with the title of your book in the headline.
Build a digital presence. Months or even years before your book comes out, build up your online presence. Connect to your target audience through Facebook, Google+, and other social media platforms popular with potential readers. Post to a blog regularly, and comment on other blogs too. In this way, your audience already knows your voice, so they will be interested when you announce your new book.
Get on major news networks. Inform the media about your book’s publication and let them know why it’s worth reading. The best way to do this is a simple book press release. A Premium Press Release for $129 from Press Release Jet will automatically distribute your book press release to all the top-tier (ABC, CBS, FOX, NBC and CW) for you.
Know your audience. Focus in on the people who will be most likely to read your book, and target your marketing to them. If your book is about trends in education, find the blogs and websites most used by teachers and target your efforts there. If it’s a recipe book, build interest by contributing to food blogs and posting recipes on Pinterest.
Get social proof. Share reviews from readers and target area experts. Quotes from these reviews in a book press release on the major networks (see point 4) will greatly increase chances of people viewing it and sharing on social media.
Build local connections. Don’t neglect local networking. Contact schools, libraries, churches, meet-up groups, and professional organizations for whom your book’s topic is relevant. Arrange book readings and signings. And be sure to spread the word offline among coworkers, friends and family.
Use target keywords in a press release. Take some time to figure out what keywords will most appeal to your target audience and use them in your blog posts and updates. Incorporate keywords that are relevant to the topic of your book, especially if those keywords are not in your book’s title. Sending out a book press release with those target keywords will really help get the attention of prospective buyers.
Advertise. Consider investing in some online advertising. Setting up an account in Google Adwords, or using the advertising available through Facebook, can get the word out to a large number of potential buyers while they are surfing the web.
Participate in a blog tour or contest. These are both low-cost ways of giving your book more visibility and making people want to read it.
Although you may feel overwhelmed at the idea of promoting your book, having a step-by-step, low-cost plan will help you get the word out, and get your book into the hands of your readers.
