The old adage, “Hindsight is 20/20,” is so right. For anyone who is considering self-publishing, it’s best to start marketing your book before it’s published. Tech savvy, I’m not. So, my learning curve is high. If Amazon is your publisher, they have a host of aids one might find helpful. I have not taken advantage of these, but do plan to do so.
Juggling everyday obligations, writing my next book and marketing the published book can be daunting. However, in order to be successful, a writer must build a platform of readers, and marketing is the gateway. One way of doing that is to start a website. I found this to be a difficult task and employed the expertise of a friend. Sales were pretty good after I launched my book. Now, after nearly a year, I need to boost my sales and marketing is the only way.
To be consistent, I’ve decided to designate certain days for certain tasks. Monday is for Marketing. I started by writing a list of marketing ideas. Each week, I will choose one or two to pursue. To increase my visibility, I’ve decided to publish more articles in my local community paper to attract more readers. Once I find out when the article will be published, I send emails to my immediate friends and family. My next step is to post it on Facebook and Twitter. This past October, I wrote an article for Front Porch, titled “Suffragists Pursue Right to Vote.” https://issuu.com/frontporchfredericksburg/docs/fpfoct2020/s/11084807
At the end of the article is a short bio along with the name of my book and where to purchase it. This month, I was the subject in the daily newspaper in the Author’s Spotlight segment. https://fredericksburg.com/entertainment/arts/books/local-author-spotlight-malanna-carey-henderson/article_535e57d2-c7e1-5bf8-a029-dbc7d4f73aea.html?utm_medium=social&utm_source=email&utm_campaign=user-share
I have received feedback from those I had contacted. A few said they will purchase my book. Another gave a short but very effective review, praising my writing skills and the books ingenuity.
There’s a website called Indibound.org which list independent bookstores. It’s also a book distributor through it’s partnership with Ingram and AddLibra. Getting my book listed with Indibound.org is one of my next marketing goals.
An excellent book on marketing a book is one by Joanna Penn, the indie writer and marketing guru, “How to Market a Book.”
Fellow indie writers good luck and if you have any marketing ideas, please share.
