All posts in Marketing Your Book

Myths about self-publishing

Think you know what it means to self-publish? Do you have a preconception in your mind about the ‘standard’ of a self published book or book cover, the ‘quality’ of the writing, or the credibility of the author?

In this day and age, lots of the things you already think you know about self-publishing are actually unwarranted.

Many people have a gut reaction when they hear about self-publishing. They think it’s somehow traditional publishing’s ‘poor relation’. That it’s what you do if you can’t get an agent, or your work isn’t good enough to entice a traditional publisher into backing you.

But this simply isn’t true any more.

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The one thing that’ll make your book stand out from the crowd

Most people think that having a big publisher, an unlimited advertising budget, a PR consultant on speed dial, and a flashy cover are the things that can help you find success with your book.

And while these factors, if you’re lucky enough to have them, can no doubt contribute to your success, there is ONE simple (and free) thing that the majority of authors overlook.

It’s a very simple thing that you can do in a few minutes, with just a little research. And overlooking it can certainly make your sales suffer, without you really knowing why.

What is it?

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Six top tips for organising your book promotions

We talk a lot on our blog about how to promote your book once it’s been published.

There’s a good reason for this. So many authors spend months and years working very hard on completing and publishing a book.

But their downfall is actually selling their book.

When it doesn’t sell, they think there must be something wrong with the book itself; the quality of the writing, the planning of the plotline, the believability of the characters.

But it’s likely to be none of these things.

There’s usually only one reason a book doesn’t sell:

Bad promotion.

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How to bridge the gap between being a writer, and being an author

For the purposes of this blogpost, I am drawing a distinction between these two terms.

Let’s look at the dictionary definitions:

Writer
noun
noun: writer; plural noun: writers
a person who has written something

Author
noun
noun: author; plural noun: authors
someone who writes books as a profession

There you have it. The crucial difference between the two.

Now, not every writer wants to become a professional, and this is fine. Some writers are publishing academic papers, or a family history only intended for a select group of people.

But if you’re a writer who dreams of calling it your career in a few years, there are certain steps you need to take. You need to build a bridge to get from being someone who writes, to being someone who writes as a profession.

Here are nine suggestions to help you make that leap.

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Email marketing – how to attract more readers and sell more books

One of the best ways to sell more books is to build a relationship with your audience. Once they engage with you, your stories, and your characters, readers are much more likely to continue to buy your work, and will become lifelong fans, just waiting for your next publication.

Email-marketing-for-authors

 

A great way to communicate with your readers is by email.

You can set up a form on your website to capture visitors’ email addresses. Then you will be able to keep in touch, and build your relationship with them. Here’s how to do it:

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How to generate book reviews with the least amount of stress

A couple of months ago we bought a new TV for our front room. We went to the shop and looked at all the TVs, the different sizes and prices. And then what? We came home and looked at all the reviews on Amazon.

What better way to find out the quirks and quibbles of a range of items than by looking on Amazon at the reviews?

The views of ordinary people like you and I, with no vested interest in convincing you to buy a product, just their honest opinion on what they thought.

book reviews

When readers are browsing online, they will do exactly the same for your book. They’ll look at its reviews for the social proof – should they buy it, or not. Bad or negative reviews are bound to put potential readers off.

So, can you do more to encourage positive reviews on your book? Of course you can. Here’s how.

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Seven ways to build your audience in less than 30 minutes a day

It’s the holy grail for busy writers. Building your audience in advance of publication, so that when you launch your book, there’s a steady stream of interest and sales.

But for self-published writers who have day-jobs, kids, and a million other things going on, this can seem like a mammoth task. Without chunks of time to devote to plans and action, how can you go about building your audience?

Don’t despair. You can make an impact in as little as 30 minutes a day. Here’s how.

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How to make your Amazon author page work hard for you

Once your book is for sale on Amazon, your author page is a fantastic tool to help you promote your book.

Firstly, you’ll have an advantage, as lots of authors don’t know how to make the most from their author page, or just skip this step entirely, as they’re focused on getting their book out there for sale.

your author page

It really pays to spend some time making sure the information Amazon lets you add (for free) is complete.

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Three ways to use Twitter to spread the word about your book, without being salesy

Like many authors, you may be worrying that using social media sites to promote your books will look too much like cheap advertising. You don’t want to seem pushy and salesy. You’re uncomfortable trying to sell your books, as you don’t see yourself as salesperson – you’re a writer after all!

But if you’re serious about writing as a career, you also need to be serious about how you’re going to pay the bills. There’s nothing to be embarrassed about. Think of all the brands that market to you on a daily basis – Starbucks, Coca Cola, Kelloggs. They’re not worried about trying to sell you their products in case it puts you off and you think they’re too pushy.

There are many simple ways you can promote your book to make it easy for your fans to find. And Twitter is one of them.

Here are three ways you can use Twitter to help spread the word about your book, without being too pushy.

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