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You put days, months, maybe even years into writing your book. You made sure every detail was perfect. Unfortunately, all of your efforts will be for nothing if no one ever reads your masterpiece. If you are like most budding authors, you don’t have much of a budget to get your book off the ground. The money you do have probably went towards editing and publishing. However, without marketing, it will all be for nothing. Luckily, there are quite a few ways you can market your book with minimal expenses.
Contact Your Local Media
Does your city have a local morning show? Most large cities do, and guess what, they are always looking for content to fill their shows. You need to contact these shows to let them know that you are a local author who has a new book coming out. Inform them you would love to talk about your book with them. It will be helpful if you can paint a picture for them on how you can make your book an interesting segment for their show. Do you have any props you can bring? Can you relate it to something in mainstream media? Simply send them an email (you can usually find contact information via the show’s website). You never know what will happen. Just keep in mind, if they do contact you, it will probably be very short notice, so be prepared to rearrange your schedule.
Use Social Media
Facebook is an integral part of any new author’s success. If you are not using this outlet, you are missing out on a valuable opportunity. You should create an account targeting the intended audience of your book. The page does not have to be strictly about your book, but you definitely need to advertise it there. As an example, if parents are your target audience, you will want to create a page offering parenting advice and stories. Get your followers intrigued, and then, every once in a while, market your book. However, you should always have a photograph of your book as one of the main images on your page. You also want to provide an easy-to-find link to where your book can be purchased. You may also want to explore other social media outlets to expand your contact base.
Schedule Book Signings
Stores are looking for events to create buzz just as much as you want to spread the word about your book. Contact your local library and bookstores to see if you can schedule a book signing. Keep in mind that you will probably have to provide your own books when you are first starting out. But you don’t want to stop there: Think outside the box. Once again, if your book targets parents, consider contacting a local toy store to set up a signing. Where does your target audience shop? Go there. When you do have a book signing scheduled, make sure to spread the word through friends, family, and any social media sites you have to get the word out.
Distribute Your Book to VIPs
One thing you do not want to underestimate is sending free copies of your book out to influential people. Think celebrities, talk show hosts, news anchors, etc. You want to get your book in the hands of anyone who can convince a large number of people to purchase your book. Most of them will not respond, but if just one of them does, it can make your book jump to the top of the charts.
When it comes to marketing your book, you need to get creative. Think of things that will make your book stand out. If you are committed to get the word out about your book, you are sure to find success.