By Donna Weller
What was once considered a somewhat alternative form of publishing has gone mainstream, and self publishing is more popular than ever.
While traditional publishing houses continue to close the door on many hopeful authors by selecting only a few into their realm, thanks to the boom in digital and print publishing, anyone can see his or her book in print. The generation of the self-published author has arrived.
If you’re a self-published author, marketing your own book is a given, but before you can sell your book, you need to market it – and for a self-published author, marketing your book can be more important than actually writing it.
With a few key actions, you can build a loyal following, get the word out about your work and more importantly, get people to buy it.
Here are my three top tips to help you promote your next book;
1.Create a media kit. This PR tool will allow you to have your materials well organised. Before you can gain attention for your book, you should compile information about it that you can send out to the media. But you'll need to make sure you STAND OUT FROM THE CROWD to stand a chance at attracting attention..
2.Enter your book in competitions. Winning a competition is a major endorsement for your book; awards help with book publicity by verifying that your book is of great quality. Start by looking for contests that don't require steep entry fees.
3. Use Social Media. If you can’t afford much, do social media – It's FREE! Each social media platform offers a way to connect with others and share your ideas but choosing the right one or ones to meet your goals is important. Use Hashtags - It makes your content more searchable on the social networks. Hashtags can also be carried across social media platforms, such as Instagram, Facebook and Twitter, and have the potential to reach a wide audience. Increasing your author visibility through different online channels allows you to meet readers, cultivate an audience, and increase your discoverability to sell more books. The internet has created an environment in which authors can compete on a much more level playing field.
Donna Weller is the director and owner of DWD-igital, an integrated marketing organisation which offers a wide range of digital and offline marketing services. She also provides business blogging services for SMEs - via The Business Blogger.
What was once considered a somewhat alternative form of publishing has gone mainstream, and self publishing is more popular than ever.
While traditional publishing houses continue to close the door on many hopeful authors by selecting only a few into their realm, thanks to the boom in digital and print publishing, anyone can see his or her book in print. The generation of the self-published author has arrived.
If you’re a self-published author, marketing your own book is a given, but before you can sell your book, you need to market it – and for a self-published author, marketing your book can be more important than actually writing it.
With a few key actions, you can build a loyal following, get the word out about your work and more importantly, get people to buy it.
Here are my three top tips to help you promote your next book;
1.Create a media kit. This PR tool will allow you to have your materials well organised. Before you can gain attention for your book, you should compile information about it that you can send out to the media. But you'll need to make sure you STAND OUT FROM THE CROWD to stand a chance at attracting attention..
2.Enter your book in competitions. Winning a competition is a major endorsement for your book; awards help with book publicity by verifying that your book is of great quality. Start by looking for contests that don't require steep entry fees.
3. Use Social Media. If you can’t afford much, do social media – It's FREE! Each social media platform offers a way to connect with others and share your ideas but choosing the right one or ones to meet your goals is important. Use Hashtags - It makes your content more searchable on the social networks. Hashtags can also be carried across social media platforms, such as Instagram, Facebook and Twitter, and have the potential to reach a wide audience. Increasing your author visibility through different online channels allows you to meet readers, cultivate an audience, and increase your discoverability to sell more books. The internet has created an environment in which authors can compete on a much more level playing field.
Donna Weller is the director and owner of DWD-igital, an integrated marketing organisation which offers a wide range of digital and offline marketing services. She also provides business blogging services for SMEs - via The Business Blogger.
