Book Marketing: Back to Basics

Book Marketing: Back to Basics

by Shannon Yarbrough  
of The LL Book Review

First, a big thanks to Jennifer for asking me to guest post on her blog today.  I know Jennifer has been working very hard on marketing her own book, The Pet Washer. As an independent author of three books myself, I know how discouraging that can be.  What I mean by that is as an independent author, we wear many hats. Not only are we the author, but we are often the editor, the book cover designer, the formatter, the distributor, the salesman, and the book marketer too! All of this can be quite a struggle. So, when Jennifer asked if I'd provide a few marketing tips for her and her readers, I was happy to help!

Before any author considers publishing independently, if they asked me for one piece of advice it would be to make sure their book is available as an Ebook and is formatted properly for E-distribution. Many reviewers these days use an Ereader and will accept a free PDF, mobi, or epub file so that you don't have to mail them a physical copy.  This saves you postage and saves you from having to invest in lots of physical copies. And with E-Publishing being the mainstream these days, your book should be available for all devices.  Kindle and Nook are the main two, but you can also make your book available on iTunes and other platforms just by publishing through www.smashwords.com. 

I'm not saying you shouldn't invest in any physical copies at all!  I'm a big believer in having copies of your own book on hand.  When I started marketing my most recent book, I went to www.goodreads.com and offered 5 copies as a give away. Almost 900 people signed up to win a copy!  And although the give away was in 2010, my book is still on 142 to-read lists at GoodReads to date. If even half of those 142 people eventually bought and read my book, and maybe posted a review of it on GoodReads, then I'd say the investment in those 5 copies was well worth it. For more tips on what to do with physical copies of your books, read this article I wrote for LL Book Review called Top 26 Places Where Your Book Should Be.

Speaking of GoodReads, if you aren't a member already then you should sign up.  It's like Facebook for readers and authors!  Authors can create their very own fan page and even Q&A forums for their readers.  Social networking sites like this, Facebook, and Twitter are essential when it comes to connecting with readers these days. My only advice here is to be interactive with your readers and subscribers, post regularly, and don't try to be a pushy businessman who’s just trying to sell books.  Keep things fresh and exciting to make your book stand out! Post about the writing process. Do interviews with your characters. One of my author friends tweets as the lead character of her YA series. Jennifer here has devoted her site to blogging about a marketing endeavor every day. Ideas like this definitely help to keep readers interested in you and your work.

Let's not forget that dreaded word: REVIEWS! Getting reviews for my book has always been a top priority on my list when it comes to marketing.  I've actively sought out reviews by contacting friends and colleagues, offering them a free Ebook or hardcopy.  I've also regularly contacted book blogs and reviewers at sites like bookblogs.ning. Whether they post their review on their own site or at Amazon, every review provides you an opportunity to tweet about the review, mention it on Facebook, or post on your blog.  In turn, you’re sending traffic to that reviewer's site and they are sending traffic to your book!

Based on the ideas I've given you today, I know what you are probably thinking: "We sure are giving a bunch of books away!" While marketing can be discouraging, an independent author should not get discouraged if they don't see an immediate return in sales. The joy of publishing your own book, first and foremost, should be that you've gotten someone to read it. As one of my favorite authors, W.H. Auden, once said, "A real book is not one that we read, but one that reads us."  Nothing excites me more than getting an email or talking to a reader who had a connection with one of my books or characters.  That's fuel enough to keep me going and it's nice to be reminded that you are a good writer. And that's a good enough reason not to give up.

Shannon Yarbrough is the author of three novels: The Other Side of What, Stealing Wishes, and Are You Sitting Down?.  He is also the founder and lead reviewer of The LL Book Review, an indie review site dedicated to self-published authors. Visit him online at www.shannonyarbrough.com.

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