As an author, it is extremely important that you are using the right online resources, and available marketing tips for authors, to help you get your name and book out to the general public. Depending on the type of work you do, the type of story lines you create, and what audience you are trying to reach out to, there are different resources for different authors to use. The end goal is they should want to build a following, and find the right niche reader.
Regardless of the type of work you do, or the kind of writing you do, today it is important to use all available resources, especially online resources. This way you can reach out to a diverse consumer and reader base, for a very low out of pocket cost, and in some cases, no out of pocket cost to market.
Social media sites –
Whether it is a tweet with the latest book title, a Facebook message talking about a new book you are planning on writing, or any other hints or messages about your new or up and coming work, social media sites are a hot bed when trying to reach the most people, and the right target audience. Today, nearly everyone online has at least one social media account, regardless of age and demographics. Therefore, as an author, creating a social media fan page, your own posts about your books, and other content related to your work, is one of the best things you can do online, when trying to promote the book. If you do choose to use social media you must:
– Create a relevant page, where those who follow you or are fans on your page know what you do, know about your work, and about the content you create.
– Offer people incentives to join your page; whether it is a free book to a random follower, or a signed copy to a random follower, these are some ways to draw in new followers to your page.
– If using sites like Twitter, make your tweets short, relevant, and meaningful; only tease the viewer, don’t give them a full synopsis in a tweet.
– With Facebook, interact. Replying to questions and talking to those that follow you is what social media is all about; if followers feel there is no benefit to following you, and keeping up with updates, it is going to be difficult to get people interested in your new work.
Email marketing –
More email addresses means more leads. If you know the email address of those who have purchased your work in the past, of those who follow you on social media, and those who read your blog, you have a pretty large email listing. From those names, you can get leads, and possible referrals, for others who might be interested in your work as well.
When you choose to send out news, information, or any new content about books, future release dates, signings or some kind of discount, make sure the email messages are meaningful. People are only going to give you their email address, if they are going to get something out of it. So, offer a free copy of an e book when its released, or provide those who give you their email address some kind of coupons or deal towards the next book they purchase.
No matter what it is, you must give them some kind of value; offering discounts, savings, promotions, or even free products, are all ways to get email addresses, to get leads, and to eventually build on sales.
Blog about it –
Using blogs is one of the best ways to interact; using a blog allows you to:
– Get instant feedback from reviews, and what those who read and respond to your blog post have to say about your work, and future work you have done.
– Keep in touch with your followers, and those who enjoy your work, by keeping them up to date on the latest news, changes in release dates, and any other information about the books.
– Learn what people think about your work by reading comments, and the interactions that are going on about your blogs; and,
– Allows you to give teasers, information, and newsworthy stories that you think your audience might enjoy, in a simple format online, and in a community that you have built for those who follow your work.
Integrate on and offline marketing –
If you have an older audience, or those who do not know about social media and other sites, you may still want to use offline marketing. Using something like a brochure, and adding your email address, and site URL to the brochure is a great idea. Or, creating a magazine page with your picture, book release date, and your site URL are some simple things you can do. This allows people to see what you are marketing in print, and it allows them to then go to your site for further or complimentary information and updates, if they are interested in learning more, keeping up, and possibly finding out when your book is being released, or if new information has come out about your book.
These simple marketing tips for authors allows you to reach out to a broad consumer base, to a wide age range, and to all demographics. By integrating on and offline marketing, not only does the author reach out to all potential readers, they are also able to focus their efforts on the niche that they feel is most likely to read their book, and the content that they create.
It does not matter if you are a fiction or non fiction writer, thrill or adventure writer, using the right tools to get your name out there, information about your content, and future books, is something all authors should do. By following these simple tips, you can reach your niche audience, as well as try to break in to a new niche, without having to spend extra money to market to those who already read your content and writing.
Submitting Your Book to Free Promotion Websites
There are many website where you can submit your book and get more readers. We have compiled a list of sites that take book submissions. These sites work by filling out a little bit of information about both the book and about the author.
Join Author Groups
You can learn a lot by discussing what works and more importantly what doesn’t work. There is a lot of authors out there and most have tried one thing or the other and they know what is just a waste of time. By participating in these groups you can learn a lot from others. Our author group on Facebook has a very diverse group of authors that can help you. I encourage you to join and ask questions.
Author Marketing Club
The best place we have found for authors is the Author Marketing Club. Jim Kukral has a ton of resources built into the site to help authors. I am a premium member myself and highly recommend it.