Book promotion and marketing are just as important as writing the book itself.
As authors we love to believe our words can stand on their own two feet. However, there’s so much noise out there today, especially in the online space, if you want your book to be a success you need to be smart with your marketing.
If you’re a savvy author then you probably already have an established marketing strategy for each of your releases. But, if you’re constantly on the lookout for new opportunities for book promotion, then check out the five commonly overlooked marketing channels we highlight below.
1. Getting Interviewed on Podcasts
Podcasts are a great way to get you and your work out in front of a new audience. Podcasts have been exploding in popularity in recent years. Usually, podcasts are booked months in advance. So, if you’re trying to get your podcast interview scheduled during launch week make sure you devote time to pitching the host in advance.
When trying to select podcasts to possibly appear on, think about the audience. You’ll want to have overlap with the topic of your book and the topic of the podcast. Ideally, these very listeners are going to benefit from your book in the same way they benefit from listening to the podcast.
2. Guest Posting On Relevant Blogs
Guest posting has been around for a while as a traffic generation strategy. But, guest posting can also be used to promote your new book, and send traffic to your book page well after the launch.
Instead of writing a guest post to generate traffic for your business, you’ll be using it to send relevant traffic your book’s sales page.
If your book is written you’ll be giving readers a taste of the subject matter within your book. Make sure not to give everything away, but try to give readers enough to be useful, and have them wanting more.
3. Attending Conferences In Your Niche
Most writers are introverts at heart. This can make the thought of attending conferences and other meetups very unappealing. However, if you’re looking to connect with potential readers face-to-face, there’s nothing better.
Being able to hand out your book at a conference can go a long way towards building your authority. A book says a lot more than a business card.
Plus, being able to talk about your book in person creates a connection between you and the reader. One that makes them want to continue to read your work well into the future.
4. Posting In Relevant Online Communities
There are a ton of online communities for you to engage with prospective readers. For the sake of brevity we’re only going to focus on one of them. Reddit.
Reddit is an enormous online community that’s broken down into various sub-reddits based upon niche topics. Chances are there’s going to be a sub-reddit that’s devoted to the topic of your book.
A lot of authors have had success doing a Reddit AMA during their book launch. This is where you set a dedicated time to field questions from the community related to the topic of your book.
If your AMA receives a lot of traffic there’s always a chance for your post to rise to the front page, which will essentially send enough traffic to your book or website to make it go viral.
5. Writing Another Book
If you’ve been hitting all the marketing channels and have burnt yourself out on the marketing process, sometimes the best thing to do is write another book.
Self-publishing success Hugh Howey continued to write and publish books, even though, his first books didn’t gain any traction. Eventually, one of his titles struck it big and that new readership bought up his entire back catalog.
Marketing is a very important part of publishing your work. Learning how to promote your book effectively will take a lot of trail and error. But, by utilizing the techniques above you’ll be able to reach new segments of your market and grow your readership.
Kevin Wood is a published author & poet who helps other authors build movements around their books.
