If you’re an author, you’ll know how exciting it is to finish a book. All those hours plotting, typing, and, let’s be honest procrastinating have finally paid off. But as great as this feeling is, that instant voice pops up, “how am I going to get people to buy this?”
Whether you’ve just finished your first book or are a self-publishing pro, it’s never too early or too late to polish your book promotion skills. From traditional methods to more creative out-the-box ideas, as far as we’re concerned, there are endless opportunities to promote your work. If you’re keen to step up your marketing game, here are 20 book promotion ideas!
1. Website
Regardless of where you find readers, they’ll visit your website if they want to get to know you. Not only is a website essential to tell your story, and promote and sell your books, but it should also engage your readers and reflect your brand.
2. Add shop link to email signage
Think of every form of communication as a promotion opportunity, including email. Whether email marketing or regular business emails, make sure you link to your website and book store in your signature.
3. Join Amazon’s Author Central
If you’re selling books on Amazon but are not a member of their author central, you’re missing out. Setting up an author page in Amazon’s Author Central acts like your homepage within Amazon, helping new readers find you and get to know you.
4. Guest blogging
As a writer, this should be an easy and exciting option for promoting your book. Get in contact with blogs and websites within your niche and ask to write a free blog post in return for a link to your website and shop. It’s a double whammy, helping boost your SEO and promote yourself to their readers.
5. Facebook groups
Next time you’re on Facebook, search for groups in or related to your niche where you can regularly post content or add comments. The goal is not to directly promote your work but to build your profile – providing value without asking for anything in return.
6. Create on-brand Pinterest boards
Pinterest is estimated to have over 450 million monthly users, with many looking for inspiration and entertainment. Finding new readers through Pinterest, like Facebook, is not about directly promoting your books but offering value through fun, on-brand boards and pins related to your book’s topic, e.g. romance, travel etc.
7. Organise a workshop at your local bookstore
What better way to promote your book than through your local community. People are always looking for fun and creative workshops to do. Get in contact with your local bookstore and see if you can run a workshop, whether it’s on writing, plot formation or something else.
8. Join free PR sites
Journalists are constantly looking for expert opinions and comments. Joining free PR sites allows you to connect with publications, share your expertise and gain free publicity for yourself and your books – and the best part is it’s free!
9. Like & Comment on social media posts
While creating and sharing your own social media content is important, commenting and liking other authors’ content allows their readers to find you. You never know who’s scrolling the comments section.
10. Share positive reviews
Use your positive reviews and share them everywhere! Your website, social media, emails, amazon author central, books, branding kit, and anywhere else you can think of. They’re like virtual word of mouth!
11. Paid ads
When your organic marketing efforts aren’t hitting your targets, try your hand at paid ads. They’re a great way to find engaged readers through targeting gender, interests, location etc.
12. Go on podcasts
Podcasts are everything right now! Make a list of podcasts you think your readers might listen to and get in contact with the host. Come up with a creative and unique pitch of what you can offer to their podcast and lock in a date to chat with them.
13. Launch & Re-launch
While the best time to promote a book is when it’s hot off the press, theirs nothing wrong with re-launching months or years later.
14. Make merchandise
Forget t-shirts and socks. Think of things you can easily share and your readers can easily use, e.g. bookmarks, stickers, badges, pins.
15. Set up a market stall
Market stalls are a great way to find new readers and connect with your existing fan base. Contact your local council to find smaller markets, or keep an eye out for larger book fairs or events. The goal isn’t necessarily selling books but connecting IRL while giving out promotional material to help convert people into readers eventually.
16. Affiliate marketing (promo codes)
Connect with bloggers or influencers in your niche and provide them with an affiliate link (most likely a discount code) they can pass on to their audience.
17. Co-promote with other authors
Instead of thinking of other authors as competition, thinks of them as an opportunity. Readers don’t exclusively buy from one author. Try and make genuine connections with other authors and collaborate. Whether it’s going live together on Instagram or sharing a market stall. Nothing looks better than one author supporting another.
18. Go to Conventions and Conferences
Attend book fairs, conferences and events where you know your readers will be. You don’t need to have a stall; however, make sure you have promotional material to hand out wherever you can.
19. Apply for/Nominate Your Book for Awards
Nothing says credibility to a potential reader like an award or best seller title. Not only can you add these awards to your books and promotional materials, but the organisation giving the prizes will also be promoting you.
20. Use social media (it’s free)
If you’re not using social media to promote your books, start today! That doesn’t mean creating an account for every platform. Just pick the one you’re comfortable with and start sharing your books and your story. If you’re unsure which social media platform is right for you, check out our quiz – What’s the best social platform to attract your dream audience?
Do you need help executing your favourite book promotion ideas? At the Daring Press, we support indie authors with marketing so they have more creative freedom to write more books, if you’d like to see how we can help you book in a complimentary discovery call today.