Writing a book is only the beginning. Once the final file is sent off to the printers, the real work begins.
The truth is, unless your name is Stephen King or Robert Kiyosaki, your book is unlikely to fly off the shelf. At least, not without some effort on your part. The good news is, marketing your book is just like marketing your business, and you’re a whiz at that, so this will be easy for you.
Get Social
First stop: Facebook. Your book deserves its own Facebook page. Share excerpts, reviews, interviews you’ve done, and even other books you love. A Facebook page will also give you the opportunity to build a custom audience of fans for ad targeting.
Instagram is another social site worth exploring. Create a hashtag just for your book, and share quotes and other graphics with your fans and followers. And, don’t neglect Twitter, where building a targeted following is fast and easy, and LinkedIn, where serious business owners mingle and get to know one another.
Blog About It
If you haven’t already, now is the time to start shouting about your book on your blog and to your email list. Fans will love to hear:
- Behind the scenes info on how the writing process works and what you’ve learned
- The struggles you faced trying to get your book written and published
- How you managed to find the time/energy to get your book finished
- How sales and marketing are going
Create a Book Trailer (or Two)
These fun, short videos create intrigue and interest about your book. You can create them with PowerPoint, outsource it to a professional, or just fire up your web cam and talk. It’s totally up to you.
When you’re finished, post it to YouTube, share it socially, embed it on your blog, and include it in your launch page. And while you’re posting to YouTube, don’t forget to put a link to your landing page in the description!
Host a Hangout (YouTube Live)
On launch day, invite your fans and friends to a “meet the author” chat on YouTube Live or other webinar platform. This can be as informal as a Q&A, or as structured as a training event, complete with slides, but don’t be afraid to just “open the phone lines” and invite your fans to share in your excitement.
Make the Guest Posting Rounds
Now is the time to be seen on other blogs, on podcasts, and anywhere your audience is hanging out. Have your VA send out an introductory email with a targeted post or interview proposal for best results. After all, no one wants to host yet another in a long line of “me too” interviews. Give them something customized to their audience, though, and you’ll hear a lot more yes’s!
Pro Tip: If you line up a series of guest posting rounds, you can market them all together as a “Virtual Book Tour”. You can enhance this by also doing a Q&A with each blogs audience. You can either do a livestream shortly after you post, or you can have them email you questions, which you can answer as part of, or in addition to, your guest post.
Marketing your book doesn’t have to be a time suck, and it isn’t hard. But it does require consistency and a bit of creativity. The results are well worth your effort, though, so follow up your publication with a well-planned marketing strategy, and reap the rewards. As with most things, make it fun, and you’ll see better results!
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