As a Rockstar Writer, you should always have your eyes peeled for ways to bump up your book marketing. That said, you should be picky when deciding which strategies to focus on.
I (personally) feel a good approach is to focus on strategies that feel easy and natural to you. The suggestions I’ve listed below are good starting points and may help you decide what to include in your marketing mix.
1. Find Out What Your Chosen Market Really Wants
I’m writing a book about market research and finding your target readers, but in the meantime, I want you to think about this: how do you know you’ve discovered what your market wants? If your book gives them exactly what they desire, you’ll have no problem creating buzz and having conversations about your book(s).
2. Hook People on Your Book Story
If readers relate to you and what pushed you to write your book, they’re more likely to remember you and snare your book when it releases.
But I want you to remember that no matter how personal your story may be, it’s truly all about your reader and their needs.
3. Become an Expert in Asking
Don’t assume readers who will help you automatically know how to do that. Any time you want a reader to help, get specific. Ask them to post reviews on Goodreads and Bookbub in addition to Amazon. Ask them to share your book on social media and share the details of a giveaway.
And don’t be hesitant! TELL them what you want them to do.
4. Don’t Write Text-Heavy, Long Non-Fiction Books
Readers who love non-fiction usually want to solve a problem right away. Keep your book concise, clear, and actionable. (I must remember this as I write for ya’ll. It’s hard because I’m naturally a wordy b*tch, but I’ll try.)
5. If You Are Speaking About Your Book, Visit the Venue in Advance
Know where to go, where to park, and how to get to the room you’re speaking in. Seeing what it looks like will help you visualize yourself speaking to a group and let you know if you need to bring anything with you to make your talk a success. It’ll also reduce your public speaking nerves.
Plenty of studies have shown that nervousness takes a nosedive in places we “know” rather than when we go in somewhere cold.
6. Register on Goodreads as an Author
Interact there, too. Make connections! That said, I stay away from reader reviews. I’m not too proud to admit that they scare me.
7. Pay Attention to Feedback
And I don’t just mean from your friends and beta readers. Cautiously (and with a thick skin) take a peek at reviews of your book(s), too.
Be sure to read your reviews with an impartial mindset. This will help you give your readers what they want so you can write bestselling books regularly.
8. Create a Hashtag for Your Book—and Get People to Use it
Before you decide on a hashtag, make sure you search social media for it first. You don’t want to hijack an existing tag (especially if it’s chock-full of posts and controversial).
9. Plan Your Launch Party
Don’t leave your launch party to succeed or fail based on fate. Plan games, giveaways, guest authors, events, prizes, and fun questions.
10. Keep Your Grand Prize to the End of the Party
Announce the big prize, but don’t give it away until the end. Let readers know that it’ll be awarded to the readers who stick it out until the end.
11. Include the Link to Your Sign-up Page on Your Amazon Author Page
If you’ve got a newsletter (so help me if you don’t!) you should include the link in your bio at Amazon. Read more about Making the Most of Your Amazon Author Page on the blog.
12. Create a Video Book Trailer—and Optimize it!
Keyword the heck out of your book trailer’s description and title on YouTube. Make sure you include a call-to-action at the end! You want readers to do something, so tell them.
13.Offer Different Formats of Your Book
Ask your alpha, beta, and review team readers what formats they prefer. Offer EPUB, MOBI, and/or PDF to make reviewing easier.
14.Make Sure Potential Blog Hosts are Active and Established
If you’re rocking a blog tour, take time to research the blogs before you ask to guest post or be interviewed. Your potential host should have about three years of posting history and, hopefully, have an audience and following that is stronger than your own.
15. Let Potential Hosts Know What You Will Do for Their People
When asking for blog space, let the host know how you can help their audience. Tell them how you’ll promote your appearance and how you’ll follow up with their readers.
16. Plan Your Next Book While You’re Blogging
While writing posts related to your current book, remember that you can take the posts and package them for your next book. (Doubly so if you can expand the info, address feedback, and give readers additional information and solutions.)
17. Research Other Authors in Your Niche
Take inspiration from other authors in your genre/niche. Make notes on tactics that might work for you and adapt that approach for your own marketing.
18. Plan to Advertise
Facebook tells you which of your posts get the most engagement. Listen to them because they want engagement as much as you! Plus, Facebook makes advertising with them easy and inexpensive.
19.Donate Your Products or Books to Other Author Giveaways
Become known in booklandia as a “fellow author” in your niche. Contributing prizes to other authors’ giveaways creates goodwill, which you can leverage when it’s time for your own launch. It’s an awesome way for other authors—and their readers—to remember you.
20. Remind Yourself to Send Reminders
This is a biggie for me because I always forget to do this. Make a plan and send reminders about your next “thing” to reviewers, beta readers, and mailing lists. Any time there’s an event connected to your book, they should get an email. That includes things like a launch party, promo days on KDP Select, guest interviews, and your actual launch. (Don’t forget to ask them to share the deets, too!)
21. Create Image Quotes from Your Book
This is super easy to do using a tool like Canva. Create a handful of beautiful images including the best quotes from your book—then post and invite people to share.
Above all: track your strategies so you know what works. Then you can repeat the most successful approaches with your next launch.
What are some of your favorite promo strategies? What has worked and what hasn’t? I’m always on the lookout for marketing tips and advice so be sure to share!
