Having posted nearly 5,000 times on this blog
over the past 13 years, where 3.9 million pageviews have to take place, I can
identify several dozen things most authors should be doing. 
If you are taking your first foray into
marketing your book, you will need a lot of guidance. Below is a starting point.
Get your journey started on the right step by doing the following:


1. Develop a book marketing plan. Define what will be done and by
when? Identify your targeted reader, determine where they live and circulate,
and have a direct way of reaching them.

2. Determine who will do what: by you or outsource or by a
publisher (if you have one)? If outsourced, to whom? Set a budget and convey
your expectations and an understanding of the scope of work.

3. Monitor and measure results and activities. Both need
accountability. Hold yourself and others accountable. Take ownership of your
marketing.

4. Develop a web site. Craft the core content: about you,
about your books, contact info, appearances, media coverage and reviews, book
excerpts, buy buttons, your own blog or podcasts, a sign-up for something, etc.
 Be sure to use images, video, or audio to engage many senses of the site
‘s visitor. Offer a free download of content that people to perceive to be of
value. Have them provide their name and info in exchange of the content, which
allows you to build your mailing list up.

5. Update your site regularly and look to expand what type of content
will be showcased
. Keep it easy-to-navigate, current, readable, and
visually appealing. No dead links, small fonts, or obscuring typefaces.

6. Find book awards. Search for a list of awards that cover your
book’s subject matter or honor authors from your geographic location. 

7. Check the qualifying period (based on your publication date) of each
book award 
and note the window of time each award accepts for
applying.

8. Apply to as many awards and submit for multiple genres to
give you the maximum chance to be a finalist or winner in one or more awards.

9. Know your key words and use them in everything, from your
blog and newsletter, to your website, press kit, and social media profiles and
posts.

10. Set up pre-orders of your book before it is even
published. 

11. Sign your book up for paid book
reviews
. It guarantees you will get reviewed. Ideally, do this three to
four months before your book is published— this way you have time to excerpt
from the reviews and use it on your front and back book covers, amazon page,
social media, and web site. If your book was already published, it is not too
late to get paid reviews. 
 

12. Sign up for Goodreads and
pursue book giveaways and book reviews there.
 

13. Livestream an event or run
a contest or take a poll. Do something that gets people to tune in.
 

14. Find book clubs to adopt your
book.
 Ask libraries and bookstores if they know of any. Search meetup.com for
book clubs by city.
 

15. Create a fan club. Yes,
develop your own groupies!


16. Use book promotion sites like Reddit, Reedsy, or
BookBub.
 

17. Conduct book give-aways. You
can lower your ebook price to zero for a short period of time. You can also
join a number of free book sites and post your book there. You can participate
in organized give-aways on sites such as LibraryThing.
 

18. Seek out a variety of speaking
engagements,
 from bookstores and libraries to other conferences or
relevant organizations.
 

19. Post
regularly and consistently on social media. 
Where possible, offer
links back to your site in your posts, in a non-commercial way. 

20. Create
your own blog
. Post weekly about themes in your books, your area of
expertise, and about being a writer

21. Guest-post
on other people’s blogs
 so that your book can be plugged.

22. Interview
people for your blog.
 They will share the interview link with their
following, creating traffic for your blog.

23. Create your own podcast. Same
idea as the blog. 
 

24. Interview
people on your podcast
, just like the blog.

25. Have a
YouTube channel
. Short videos 60-120 seconds) on relevant subjects can help
generate traffic to your website.

26. Have a
presence on multiple social media platforms but just master one
. Don’t let
it drain you or suck all of your time, but do use one social media platform to
assertively seek out new connections.

27. Publish your book in multiple formats (from audio and e-book
to hardcover and trade paperback), make it available at multiple retail outlets
(not just amazon) , and in multiple languages (such as Spanish).

28. Plan on
creating a sequel, series, and spin-offs
. Milk a good idea until you bleed
it dry.

29. Trade with others for help. You
can always pay people to help you but can you trade favors, access to
something, or objects/services for something of value to you? 
Do joint promotions with other authors. Look
for quid pro quo deals.
 

30. Bundle
your book with additional books
, services, and products. For instance, can
you sell your book with a course? Can you discount your book if you sell it
with another book?

31. Use the
book as a calling card
, if you have something of greater value to sell. For
instance, if you are a lawyer and you hope the book drums up more clients for
you, then your priority is less the sale of the book but to give it out or to
utilize it as a reason the news media will interview you.

32. Create supplemental products and services —mugs, webinars, and consulting.

33. Seek out news media exposure. Think globally, but first act
locally.  Create a press kit. 


34. Network with those who can be of help to you. Join
writer associations. Build up your social media followings and join groups on
Facebook and LinkedIn. 
 

35. Always
seek to learn
 more about book marketing strategies and resources.

36. Always act with an opportunistic
mindset
. This means don’t sit back waiting for an opportunity to come to
you. Initiate and create your own opportunity.

37. Don’t go heavy on pay-per-click advertising with Amazon,
Facebook, or Google. Rarely do single-book authors profit from this.  


38. Don’t spend much on book displays at big book exhibitions or
conferences
, such as The London Book Fair or American Library Association
Conference. They rarely help get a book noticed. 


39. Experiment and diversify your marketing efforts. Don’t
lean too heavily on one area, such as social media, but rather spread out your
efforts into a variety of key areas such as book awards, news media, speaking,
and book conferences.

Need PR Help?

Brian
Feinblum, the founder of this award-winning blog, with over 3.9 million page
views, can be reached at 
[email protected]  He is available to help authors promote their story,
sell their book, and grow their brand. He has over 30 years of experience in
successfully helping thousands of authors in all genres. Let him be your
advocate, teacher, and motivator!

 

About Brian
Feinblum

Brian Feinblum should be
followed on
www.linkedin.com/in/brianfeinblum. This is
copyrighted by BookMarketingBuzzBlog ©2024. Born and raised in Brooklyn, he now
resides in Westchester with his wife, two kids, and Ferris, a black lab rescue
dog, and El Chapo, a pug rescue dog. His writings are often featured in The
Writer and IBPA’s The Independent.  This
award-winning blog has generated over 3.9 million pageviews. With 4,900+ posts
over the past dozen years, it was named one of the best book marketing blogs by
BookBaby 
http://blog.bookbaby.com/2013/09/the-best-book-marketing-blogs  and recognized by Feedspot in 2021 and 2018
as one of the top book marketing blogs. It was also named by
www.WinningWriters.com as a “best resource.” For the past three decades,
including 21 years as the head of marketing for the nation’s largest book
publicity firm, and director of publicity positions at two independent presses,
Brian has worked with many first-time, self-published, authors of all genres,
right along with best-selling authors and celebrities such as: Dr. Ruth, Mark
Victor Hansen, Joseph Finder, Katherine Spurway, Neil Rackham, Harvey Mackay,
Ken Blanchard, Stephen Covey, Warren Adler, Cindy Adams, Todd Duncan, Susan
RoAne, John C. Maxwell, Jeff Foxworthy, Seth Godin, and Henry Winkler. He
hosted a panel on book publicity for Book Expo America several years ago, and
has spoken at ASJA, Independent Book Publishers Association Sarah Lawrence
College, Nonfiction Writers Association, Cape Cod Writers Association,
Willamette (Portland) Writers Association, APEX, Morgan James Publishing, and
Connecticut Authors and Publishers Association. His letters-to-the-editor have
been published in The Wall Street Journal, USA Today, New York Post, NY
Daily News, Newsday, The Journal News
(Westchester) and The Washington
Post
. His first published book was The Florida Homeowner, Condo, &
Co-Op Association Handbook
.  It was featured
in The Sun Sentinel and Miami Herald.