10 Book Marketing Tips and Tactics for Self Publishing

You wrote a great book, now it is time to market the hell out of it. It’s understandable why most authors fail at marketing their books though, in the end, they are writers, not marketers. Worry not, you will get book marketing tips right here right now!

Truth be told, both books and ebooks pretty much amount to nothing if the author fails to market and promote it properly. If you wrote a book and you’re not getting the results you want, then this guide is for you. Boost your book’s success and sell more copies of your book by following 10 marketing tips and tactics for self-publishing authors.

1. Use Metadata to Sell More Books

Metadata is the piece of information that will differentiate your ebook from the rest and definitely should be part of your book marketing strategies. You will notice that while uploading a book to a publishing platform you will be asked for details like the book’s title, book’s author, book description, genre, etc. That information is your ebook’s metadata and metadata goes a long way.

2. Getting Media Coverage (Press) For Your Book

We still judge books by their cover. It doesn’t have to be the best cover but it definitely shouldn’t be the cheapest looking cover on the bookshelf. Make it enticing and provocative to boost click-through rates. A product’s appearance has a positive impact on consumer decision and implies superior quality. Because of this, it’s crucial that you design a book cover that looks professional and which can increase your book sales.

3. Getting Media Coverage (Press) For Your Book

Truth is, it is not easy to have mainstream press talking about your book when you are a newcomer indie author. People from the press become more accessible the more books you write. If you have a proven track record, and you are able to show your success to them then they will pay attention to you and your book and you will then be able to benefit from the mainstream press. In the meantime, aim for the small press. Get in touch with local newspapers and magazines, niche blogs, podcast interviews, etc. Ask to be part of book presentations, book fairs, cultural events, and such. Get the word out!

4. Talk To Top Book Reviewers

Writing a book that readers will enjoy and getting positive reviews are authors’ main concerns. You will want to pick the right reviewers for your book. Pick a reviewer that is accessible and is familiar with your genre. The Book Reviewer Yellow Pages is your start point to get the book reviews you need. A book reviewer will help you improve and promote your book’s sales.

5. Book Price vs Sales

Anything from $1.99 to $9.99 is a good price for your book. Pricing can be tricky though. If you price a book higher than your competition it could be perceived as of better quality and on the other side, it could discourage some because of the high price. You are the only one who really knows how much your book is worth.

6. Personal Branding Management

Let your users know what you are all about. Your values, interests, passion, and purpose. True authenticity is what readers love, be yourself and let your audience know what you stand for to connect with them. Be consistent in the message you spread, be it in Social Media, blog posts, your bio, or real life interactions.

7. Influencers Have Super Powers

Think about who you would like to be talking about your latest book. These individuals should have influence over your potential buyers. They don’t necessarily have to contribute with a book review, they rather should tweet or post on Instagram a status update showing that they are, for example, reading and loving your book. This way they advocate for your book. Their fans are heavily influenced by these influential people, if they are reading your book they feel they must definitely read it!

8. Join Reddit

It’s 2020 now, as a writer you must have heard about Reddit. Inside Reddit, you can join all kinds of controversial conversations, demonstrate expertise, and learn new stuff every day. Reddit is one of the domains with the most traffic on the internet which makes it a great place to network, don’t you think? Find your place inside the Reddit community, start here:

General Book Talk Subreddit Subreddits for Writers Subreddits for Ebooks Genre Subreddits

9. Facebook Groups For Writers

Another great place to interact with fellow self-publishers, develop contacts, ask for opinions, peer review, and exchange tips and tricks are Facebook Groups. Facebook Groups are monitored by administrators who shield groups from spam and foster group dialogue. You can use Facebook Groups to test ebook covers, put side to side two book cover designs and ask users for their opinion. And remember not just to ask questions, you should be actively responding to other users’ questions. Make new friends who will kindly read your next book. Here are few a few Facebook Group examples that will gladly welcome you.

“Author Support Network” Facebook Group (9,858 members) “For Writers, By Authors” Facebook Group (26,605 members) “Authors Ebooks” Facebook Group (New Group)

10. Get The Most Out Of Your Social Media Accounts

Readers expect to further connect with their favorite authors. When I read a book that I like I go online and search for more information about the author. I first follow them on Twitter, then I like their Facebook Page and finally, I search for the author on Goodreads to see what else the author has written and then I add those books to my “To-Read” list. This is a common bookworm behavior.

Tip:

These tips and tricks will help your book get noticed. As you write more and more books, the press will start paying more attention to you. There are a lot of thirsty readers craving original content. Promoting an ebook is not an easy task but it isn’t an impossible one either. If you need help with marketing your book and would like to reach new readers and communities, contact us here