Marketing for Self-Publishers: Get yourself out there!
Marketing plays a big part in getting a book out into the world. It does nothing to upload your masterpiece to a dusty corner of the internet where no one can find it. Whether you used an amazing ghostwriting service or did it alone, you’re going to have to market your work. Before you publish your book (or even complete it) it’s good to think about who you want your readers to be. Authors who utilize online digital marketing strategies will benefit from one thing and one thing only, a plan.
Think about your target audience, your budget and, most importantly, a timeline. Having a consistent strategy to follow will not only help you complete your work but will also help you build your audience along the way. Digital marketing, no matter the changes in trends, relies on one key component, consistency. You’ve got to wrestle those algorithms and get your name to the top of everyone’s feed. Constantly posting, interacting, getting reviews/comments/views, will open the web’s floodgates in your direction.
Start with a place for everyone land
An author’s website is like the front page brochure, the home of all the info about you or your alter ego. Setting up a site that connects all of your various media outlets and with links straight to your book will get that google tool noticing you! There are so many free options to build a website, you really don’t need a computer science degree. Ensure that you have good quality images and a clear description of what you and your book are about.
Blogs
Maintain a blog on your site. Write about anything! What has been your process of writing a book? Why is your genre important? How does one create a character? What did you eat for lunch to make you feel focussed? Really anything that helps guide people towards your page. It’s good to stay ‘on brand’, i.e. meaning to keep in alignment with what your message or your book's message is.
Stay Social
Now think about that target audience. Who do you want to read your book, is it middle-aged women? Then you need to focus on Facebook. You’re writing a YA, then you better learn TikTok. Instagram is a great tool to use too, you can find a lot of people there and Twitter is where you want to be if you want to connect with other authors or agents. Just remember, whatever socials you chose to focus on- be social! Comment, like, share- tell people about your book. Respond to everyone who sends you anything. Go out into that virtual-scape and find others who inspire you and tell them that they inspire you. It’s about interaction, consistency and having fun. Social media is daunting, but it can be a blast if you think about it as a wonderful way to speak directly to your fans.
Email Marketing
Newsletters and regular updates can establish regular communication with your audience. Update them on how episode 2 of your sexy space adventure is coming along. Tell them about deals, about your highlights over the past month. Email Marketing is a more curated info pack that goes straight into your reader’s inboxes, it should be interesting and tell them everything they need to know.
YouTube
BookTubers are a HUGE community on YouTube. They make videos about reviews, trends and even tips. The university of YouTube is an amazing place to learn something new but it is also a great place to share your book. Ask others to maybe read it and talk about it. Or get in front of that camera yourself! The more you create, the more you upload the more likely others will find you.
Book Ads
Once your book is ready to be beautified you can think of making a trailer (short vid) about it. These are great links across many platforms, they mainly serve to notify the audience you already have. Strong visuals, like amazing cover art, all help fuel attention towards your book. If you are using one of the best ghostwriting services, they offer these as ad-ons and should always be able to offer advice and help you create your plans.
So take a deep breath, and dive in. Start your plans, your strategies and start posting!
Photo by Clark Tibbs on Unsplash