So You Have a Book; Now What?
Online Book Promotion That Doesn't Break the Bank
The old saying, "if you build it they will come" does not apply in the world of book publishing. You can have the greatest book in the world, but if no one knows about it, no one will buy it.
Every year literally hundreds of thousands of books are printed, yet a whole lot of them don't sell many copies. In an increasingly competitive marketplace, you have to work to get people's attention.
The Publishing Industry Has Changed
As a non-fiction self-publisher, you may have looked into traditional book marketing techniques, such as doing book signings and tours. But then you read all the depressing statistics about how people spend hours setting up a signing, only to sit at a table at the back of a bookstore all by themselves.
As a reader and book-lover yourself, think about how you learned about and purchased your most recent book. Did you hear about it online? Did you BUY it online?
Online promotion is the least expensive, and possibly the most effective, way to get the word out about your book. On the Internet, groups of people with similar interests congregate. If you can find them and introduce them to the information in your book, some may buy.
Follow These Steps to Promote Your Book
Gather Marketing Ideas and Get a Web Site
As a self-publisher, you've probably looked into various ways of using the Internet to market your book. If you are feeling overwhelmed, start with our free Promote Your Book FAQ, which answers the questions we get most often about book marketing and promotion.
Of course any online marketing effort requires a Web site. But that process can be confusing.
Generally, you need to hire a Web site designer. Assuming you can find a competent one (not a given), that person still may or may not understand that a book Web site has unique needs (as noted in this article).
Some "book sites" really are just a page or subdomain on someone else's book clearinghouse site. It's not easy to market using a long unmemorable URL like http://MyBook.SomeBigSite.com. Plus, your page will be one of many that all look the same.
Ideally, you want a stand-alone solution that is specifically designed for promoting a book, yet customized for your book in particular.
One way to get a book site done quickly is to incorporate a blog platform like WordPress. If you do that, the main thing is to have a few static pages for content that shouldn't change like the page that tells people what the book is about.
If your needs are extremely simple, we can suggest a few affordable solutions for those people who need a site. (We wrote a book called Web Business Success: The Entrepreneur's Guide to Web Sites That Work that has more detailed information.)
If you already have a site and feel like it's not working, you may also want to check out these options for expert advice and solutions:
- Web Site Critique - If you have discovered that your Web site isn't working, but you don't know why get an outside, objective expert opinion.
- Web Site SEO Review - If your Web site is "invisible" online, our Web Site SEO Review is an affordable way to get your site back on track.
Go Where the Market Is
Realistically, the marketing techniques for fiction and non-fiction are different. If you are a non-fiction writer publishing about a specialized topic, the techniques a mystery writer uses to sell books won't apply to you. The way you get a non-fiction book in front of your audience is not the same as it is for mass-market fiction.
Finding assistance with the specific problems associated with promoting non-fiction works can be a challenge. And figuring out where your readers are hanging online can be time-consuming. If you are feeling lost, you can take advantage of a Book Brainstorm Consultation call with us. This hour-long session can help you get your questions answered and map out a promotion strategy.
If you need more detailed help, you may want to consider our Non-Fiction Book Marketing Plan, which is a fully customized marketing plan for your non-fiction book. The plan details the online marketing methods and strategies you need to use to get your book in front of readers.
"After getting off the phone with you today, I started sending out emails locally to reporters I've dealt with in the past. I already have reviews lined up in The Buffalo News, Buffalo Business First and The Lancaster Bee. Yea! Plus, I have a few national leads already too! Not bad for an afternoon's work."
~ Maria Pascucci, Campus Calm
(read more testimonials)
Use Time-Tested Ethical Online Marketing Methods
As soon as you enter the rarified world of Web marketing and Internet development, you find tons of information. Unfortunately, it's hard to discern how much of it is any good. Interspersed in with realistic practical solutions, you'll find conflicting, confusing, ultra-nerdy, and sometimes downright unethical advice. Yes, tons of information exists online about marketing, but quite a bit of it doesn't apply to marketing physical products, much less publishing.
If you veer away from the Internet Marketing crowd, and head for publishing circles instead, you'd find a lot of people who are great at dealing with the editing, layout, and print materials, but many of these book coaches and packagers are over their heads technically when it comes to the Web.
After all, Wouldn't you like to work with someone who has already sifted through the massive amounts of information in marketing books and found the ones that take full advantage of the Internet? (As noted, we wrote our own book called Web Business Success: The Entrepreneur's Guide to Web Sites That Work.)
Wouldn't you like to work with another self-publisher who also happens to be experienced with Internet technology?
We can also show you how to:
- Take advantage of the access you already have to your audience.
- Make "virtual" appearances through the Internet so you can market your book without having to travel.
- Help you with content for Internet marketing
tools such as online newsletters, autoresponders, and Web site copy.
Get a FREE Consultation Now!
Submit our Book Marketing Questionnaire with no obligation, we'll talk with you personally about your self-publishing plans and needs.
Book Promotion that Works Online
As a self-publisher of non-fiction books, you need to work with someone who understands the unique requirements of marketing your work through the Internet using non-traditional means.
No matter where you are in your online adventures, we can help you get where you want to go.
We can help you because we are you.
We self-publish our own line of non-fiction books (10 so far). We understand the problems you face because we have faced many of them ourselves. But one advantage we have that you may not is years and years of Web site development experience. We took all we had learned from years of developing sites online for other people and put them to work on our own series of book sites.
We can do the same thing for you.
We built our business around the Internet and we have the skills and resources necessary to deliver the best solution for the problems you face as an infopreneur. Imagine how you would feel knowing that your book promotion strategy presence is being assembled by someone who really understands what you need?
What to Do Next
If you are ready to take the next step and learn more about our online marketing products and services, please fill out our Book Marketing Questionnaire. We'll get in contact with you to discuss your situation, and you'll be under no obligation to buy. In fact, you may learn more about your needs just by filling out the questionnaire.
If you aren't ready to move forward just yet, but you would like to learn more about self-publishing, please do sign up for our free weekly Publishize Newsletter or podcast.
Each week the newsletter provides a new tip on how to write, publish, or market your books. Visit the Publishize newsletter archive to get a feel for the valuable information you will learn when you sign up.
Get a Free 15-Minute Consultation on Your Book Project by Filling Out Our Book Marketing Questionnaire
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Please answer each question as completely as possible so we can better understand your project.
