Painting With Light

Annoying animation courtesy giphy.com

I know I’ve asked you this before. You’re an indie author who’s written a book. Now what?

Most indie authors think writing the book is the hard part … until they discover they also have to take on the job of marketing it.

Oops.

That’s usually when I hear: Where do I begin?

Advanced Review Copies (ARCs)
Advanced Review Copies, or ARCs for short, are bound and/or electronic copies of your completed book. You send them to book reviewers you’d like to have endorse it.

They supposedly help build buzz for your upcoming release and help you gain interesting blurbs to put on the cover.

With seven published books you’d think I would have already tried Advanced Review Copies. However, they are one of the few things with which I haven’t yet experimented.

I intend to start with my next book and, since I currently have three new novels (yes, three) in various stages of preparation, I should get to test the concept fairly soon.

What to Include on Your ARC
On the front cover add the words: “Advance Uncorrected Proof / Not for Sale.” On the back cover, put a brief book description (100-150 words) and author bio. At least half of the back cover should have information on the book’s promotion plan, including:

• Marketing Campaign: In a bulleted list, detail how the book will be marketed and promoted, both to the industry and to readers.
• Publication Information: List all the details related to publication, including formats and price points, ISBN numbers and category.
• Publicity Contact: The email for whoever is the primary contact for media should be listed.
• Ordering Information: Make it clear where and how the book will be available for sale.
• Website: Don’t forget to include your author website.

It should go without saying that every author needs a website, even if it is a single page with links to other social media. It is the go-to online space for readers to find out more about you and your work.

Your author website should be the base that links all your other social media accounts, news about your book, tour schedule if relevant, and links to book reviews.

Blog
Don’t just have one; add to it consistently. Adding a blog like this one that talks about your writing, or publishing in general, keeps your readers interested in you and your work.

Facebook, Twitter, Amazon Author Page, and Goodreads
Facebook, Twitter, an Amazon Author Page, and Goodreads are social media outlets where, as an author, you should have a presence. You might even want to upload book trailers to YouTube. The more hits and likes you garner, the more your book will get noticed.

You may be surprised to know you’ll need to build this platform with traditional publishers, too.

Book Publicity
Book publicity can make a big difference. TV, radio, and good-old-fashioned print reviews and interviews are invaluable components of a successful book marketing strategy.

If you have the budget, hire a professional.

If, like me, your budget is small or nonexistent, you can try to develop press releases on your own. Whether you take this step or not, you should also plan to have author events such as signings and/or talks at bookstores, other retailers, book clubs, writing groups, and events hosted by professional organizations.

Take the First Step
The most important thing about a book marketing strategy is to have one. It might seem overwhelming in the beginning, but taking the first step is the hardest part.

Don’t worry about making mistakes. Everyone does. It’s how we learn. What matters most is that you try. If you don’t, people won’t discover, buy or read your book.

So, go on … give your book a chance.

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As busy as I make myself sound, I took time out the other day to celebrate a milestone with my lovely bride…our 48th Wedding Anniversary. She’s the best thing to ever happen to me.

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Gentle Readers, my books have all garnered some terrific reviews. You can see all of them by using the Amazon link below. Check them out. Better yet, buy one and read it. You just might like it.

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You’re invited to visit my author’s website, BROKEN GLASS to hear the remarkable radio interview about my novel “Blood Lake” on The Authors Show. You can also like my Book of Face page, find me on Goodreads, or follow my shorter ramblings on The Twitter.

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On March 1, 2018, Rochester Media started publishing my articles about writing. The column will update about every three weeks. Take a look, leave a comment and let me know what you think.

On Sunday, July 15, 2018 I am privileged to join other local area writers at the Rochester Writers’ Table at the Detroit Bookfest at Eastern Market in Detroit.

On Tuesday, July 17, 2018 I will be at the Freelance Marketplace Writers’ Group meeting at Barnes & Noble in Rochester Hills.

On Saturday, July 28, 2018 I plan to participate in a book-signing during Sterlingfest, in Sterling Heights, Michigan.

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Comments posted below will be read, greatly appreciated and perhaps even answered.

Tags: book marketing, self-publishing, using social media

This entry was posted on July 3, 2018 at 10:45 am and is filed under Book Promotion, Independent Publishing, Market Your Book. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.