I've been in this game for a while now and found some things are really helpful in raising my profile (not easy when you basically want to stay in your cave and write most of the time). Some very generous people have shared their ideas with me, so now I pass on what I know to you. And you don't have to pay a fee to know my secrets.
- Your platform - what is it? How you market
yourself will open doors. What do you want to be known for? Have a
media release ready (and regularly polished) to send out.
- Contact
other bloggers in your field of expertise/interest and offer to send a
copy of your book for them to review, in exchange for reviewing theirs.
- Promotional materials,
for business cards, posters of your book covers, bookmarks, banners,
freebees. Being an author is a business and you need the promotional tools handy. I use Vistaprint or make my own using MS publisher and Powerpoint.
- A
flyer with what you offer, ie: author talks, writing workshops, school
visits. these can be emailed and printed out to give when you are out
and about at festivals, libraries, schools, etc.
- Amazon author page. If
your books are available on Amazon, it is imperative that you have a
presence there. Its easy to do, just follow the prompts. You'll need to
write a blurb about yourself and your books. Hunt for them on Amazon and
then add to your author page.
- Slide shows of your books - how they were made, what influenced you, where you write etc. These are fabulous for school visits or conventions. People want to know WHY you wrote a book, not just about the content.
- Swap book reviews. Invite people to review your book on Amazon. 50 reviews gets attention from Amazon and help from their marketing juggernaut
- Blog
or website. My blog (blogger) functions as my website. Its free and I
have total control of content. The downside is I have to do it all
myself. but with labels on your blog posts you can attract attention to
your pages and books. Also, provide handy links for purchasing. If things
are one click away you'll get more sales. Every time I blog about my
books I get a spike in page views and then sales. Also, I have 10 pages of information on my blog, which also attracts people.
- Networking! Be part of groups with similar interests. These don't have to relate to your books, just to your interests. all sorts of conversations begin randomly, centred around mutual interests.
- Social Networking. Facebook - regular profile and separate pages for your books for people to 'like'. I don't do twitter or instagram. Haven't the time quite frankly! But it might work very well for you. Linked-In - this is an awesome way to network too and stay up to date with whats happening. Share your tips there and follow interesting people.
- Events. Conferences,
book days, conventions etc. pester (nicely) until they let you in, then
you can set up your own table with books and flyers etc.
- Blog
tours. I admit I don't do a lot of this. Wish I had the time! But they are brilliant and mutually beneficial for each person who swaps 'exposure' on
another person's blog.
There we go, lots of ideas for you to munch on. Good luck and keep writing!
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