(originally published by The Best Indie Books to Read 2/20/2015)
This one is not only my gift to all you published authors and soon-to-be published writers out there, but also to you wonderful readers who wish to chime in and share your thoughts and ideas with writers so we can learn how to make your reading experiences lots more fun.
TIP #1:
You’re a published author. You have a brand new shiny website you want to share with the world, and a novel or three you want readers to love. So you post a sample excerpt of your work on your website, an irresistible teaser to compel readers to read more, and buy your book. However... instead of doing that, post a link to the “Look Inside” feature on Amazon, or the “Preview” feature on Goodreads, which will take readers directly to the Sneak Preview on your product sales pages.
Readers take a look, start reading your work, and when they get to the end of your sample, they can’t stop! They want more. Voila, looky there: the “Buy now” button is right there behind the sample! Who can resist, once they’re hooked?
This is a great tool and method to drive up sales and increase your fan base, as well as generate interest in your future published works. The “Look Inside” feature on Amazon creates a separate link for your Sneak Preview, which is superimposed over your book’s product sales page.
Tweet the link with hashtags associated with your genre(s), and post it on your Facebook author/ fan pages and author-and-reader groups. Ask your readers, fans, and friends to share it with others, and watch your sales go up, your visibility as a published author increase, and your target audience/ fan base skyrocket.
You’re a published author. You have a brand new shiny website you want to share with the world, and a novel or three you want readers to love. So you post a sample excerpt of your work on your website, an irresistible teaser to compel readers to read more, and buy your book. However... instead of doing that, post a link to the “Look Inside” feature on Amazon, or the “Preview” feature on Goodreads, which will take readers directly to the Sneak Preview on your product sales pages.
Readers take a look, start reading your work, and when they get to the end of your sample, they can’t stop! They want more. Voila, looky there: the “Buy now” button is right there behind the sample! Who can resist, once they’re hooked?
This is a great tool and method to drive up sales and increase your fan base, as well as generate interest in your future published works. The “Look Inside” feature on Amazon creates a separate link for your Sneak Preview, which is superimposed over your book’s product sales page.
Tweet the link with hashtags associated with your genre(s), and post it on your Facebook author/ fan pages and author-and-reader groups. Ask your readers, fans, and friends to share it with others, and watch your sales go up, your visibility as a published author increase, and your target audience/ fan base skyrocket.
TIP #2:
Attend and participate as an author/ vendor in Book and Literary Festivals every chance you get. They’re easy to find: Just Google them or use your favorite search engine with the keywords “Book Festivals” and “Literary Festivals.” If you don’t have a big name publisher who arranges your book signing tours, contact local booksellers and set up signings. Get to know them and get them to know you, and increase your visibility. Check with your local libraries to see if you can participate in various local author events. Join a local Writers’ Club and learn all you can about how to market your work. Meet fellow local successful writers and learn how they make their work visible and increase their sales.
Make sure to publicize your scheduled appearances via your social media sites everywhere you can and every chance you get! I participated as a vendor/ author in the famous 2014 Decatur Book Festival, and at times could barely keep up with readers interested in purchasing a signed copy of my paranormal thriller Soulsnatcher. I’m scheduled to participate as a vendor/ author in the Dahlonega Literary Festival in Dahlonega, Georgia on March 28, 2015, where I’ll be selling and signing copies of my new post-apocalyptic sci-fi/ horror thriller Jagannath as well as Soulsnatcher, and mingling with fellow authors and readers.
Make your public appearances a success for you as well as for readers and fans both new and established!
Attend and participate as an author/ vendor in Book and Literary Festivals every chance you get. They’re easy to find: Just Google them or use your favorite search engine with the keywords “Book Festivals” and “Literary Festivals.” If you don’t have a big name publisher who arranges your book signing tours, contact local booksellers and set up signings. Get to know them and get them to know you, and increase your visibility. Check with your local libraries to see if you can participate in various local author events. Join a local Writers’ Club and learn all you can about how to market your work. Meet fellow local successful writers and learn how they make their work visible and increase their sales.
Make sure to publicize your scheduled appearances via your social media sites everywhere you can and every chance you get! I participated as a vendor/ author in the famous 2014 Decatur Book Festival, and at times could barely keep up with readers interested in purchasing a signed copy of my paranormal thriller Soulsnatcher. I’m scheduled to participate as a vendor/ author in the Dahlonega Literary Festival in Dahlonega, Georgia on March 28, 2015, where I’ll be selling and signing copies of my new post-apocalyptic sci-fi/ horror thriller Jagannath as well as Soulsnatcher, and mingling with fellow authors and readers.
Make your public appearances a success for you as well as for readers and fans both new and established!
The Kids' Tent at the Decatur Book Festival
TIP #3:
Write a Book Announcement Press Release for your book, and contact a professional press release distributor to distribute it to prominent journalists, reviewers, radio and podcast shows, and bloggers who will act on it and share the news with the world.
Don’t know how to write a Press Release? Sites abound on the Internet with instructions on how to create your own professional press release; just Google it and get started writing yours! Press Release Distribution Companies abound on the web. Find one that best suits your work and budget, contact them, and set up a plan to distribute your Press Release.
Be prepared to act promptly on the responses you get! These are professional contacts that you can utilize in all your marketing campaigns. Develop amicable but professional working relationships with these contacts, and watch your visibility and recognition soar.
Write a Book Announcement Press Release for your book, and contact a professional press release distributor to distribute it to prominent journalists, reviewers, radio and podcast shows, and bloggers who will act on it and share the news with the world.
Don’t know how to write a Press Release? Sites abound on the Internet with instructions on how to create your own professional press release; just Google it and get started writing yours! Press Release Distribution Companies abound on the web. Find one that best suits your work and budget, contact them, and set up a plan to distribute your Press Release.
Be prepared to act promptly on the responses you get! These are professional contacts that you can utilize in all your marketing campaigns. Develop amicable but professional working relationships with these contacts, and watch your visibility and recognition soar.
TIP #4:
If you’re a writer, whether published or seeking to be published, you MUST have an author website! Don’t wait to get started creating one until you’re published: Do it now!
If you don’t know how to create and maintain your own site, seek professional help (from designers, not therapists, lol). Website designers abound on the Internet. Contact fellow authors, study their sites, and ask them for help and advice in designing yours. Most authors are happy to share a tip or two, or at least share links where you can learn more about how to create and maintain your own site.
Feel free to check out my author website Kerry Alan Denney is The Reality Bender (here at www.kerrydenney.com), and see how I set up my various pages, along with my blog, and how I make navigating from page to page not only easy, but also fun. I got my website free through weebly.com, and only pay about $26 every two years to keep the domain name, but there are an infinite number of website providers available, many of them for free.
Remember to develop and maintain friendly relationships with your fellow authors, and you will be inundated with ideas and suggestions on how to make your website work for you.
If you’re a writer, whether published or seeking to be published, you MUST have an author website! Don’t wait to get started creating one until you’re published: Do it now!
If you don’t know how to create and maintain your own site, seek professional help (from designers, not therapists, lol). Website designers abound on the Internet. Contact fellow authors, study their sites, and ask them for help and advice in designing yours. Most authors are happy to share a tip or two, or at least share links where you can learn more about how to create and maintain your own site.
Feel free to check out my author website Kerry Alan Denney is The Reality Bender (here at www.kerrydenney.com), and see how I set up my various pages, along with my blog, and how I make navigating from page to page not only easy, but also fun. I got my website free through weebly.com, and only pay about $26 every two years to keep the domain name, but there are an infinite number of website providers available, many of them for free.
Remember to develop and maintain friendly relationships with your fellow authors, and you will be inundated with ideas and suggestions on how to make your website work for you.
Future reader at the Decatur Book Festival
TIP #5:
I can’t stress this last tip enough: Develop and maintain friendly relationships with prominent bloggers and reviewers in your genre(s). These are the book-loving people who will help get your work seen, read, and spread all over the world. There may very well be no greater publicity for your work than to have positive reviews posted on blogger and reviewer sites in your genre(s).
Be sure to thank them for every post they share on your work! And whenever they do post reviews of your work, be sure to share their direct links on all your social media sites, including your website (see mine for examples under the “Reviews” tab here). Note how I always provide links to the blogger’s site!
By doing this, you will not only direct Internet traffic to the bloggers’ and reviewers’ sites, you will also ingratiate yourself with them for increasing their SEO (Search Engine Optimization), which increases visitors to their sites and often brings them new subscribers to their email newsletters and creates new fans of their hard work... most of which they do for FREE out of their love of reading. They love having their featured authors and subscribing readers share their links with others, and it’s a mutually beneficial endeavor!
I can’t stress this last tip enough: Develop and maintain friendly relationships with prominent bloggers and reviewers in your genre(s). These are the book-loving people who will help get your work seen, read, and spread all over the world. There may very well be no greater publicity for your work than to have positive reviews posted on blogger and reviewer sites in your genre(s).
Be sure to thank them for every post they share on your work! And whenever they do post reviews of your work, be sure to share their direct links on all your social media sites, including your website (see mine for examples under the “Reviews” tab here). Note how I always provide links to the blogger’s site!
By doing this, you will not only direct Internet traffic to the bloggers’ and reviewers’ sites, you will also ingratiate yourself with them for increasing their SEO (Search Engine Optimization), which increases visitors to their sites and often brings them new subscribers to their email newsletters and creates new fans of their hard work... most of which they do for FREE out of their love of reading. They love having their featured authors and subscribing readers share their links with others, and it’s a mutually beneficial endeavor!
I hope these tips are helpful in giving you a jump start on your own professional marketing campaign. Feel free to share your thoughts, ideas, and suggestions in the Comments section below.
I’m always happy to hear from readers, fans, colleagues, authors, reviewers, and bloggers, and best wishes to you all for unlimited success in your promotional efforts and writing and publication adventures.
Happy writing and reading to you all!
I’m always happy to hear from readers, fans, colleagues, authors, reviewers, and bloggers, and best wishes to you all for unlimited success in your promotional efforts and writing and publication adventures.
Happy writing and reading to you all!
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