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Self-publishing is a viable option for many authors these days who do not want to deal with the hassle and expense of working with a major publishing company. After you have gone through the self-publishing process, however, and you hold your book in all its bound and printed glory, your real work begins. You should not expect the profits to simply come rolling in once the book is in print and available for sale. Instead, being truly successful in terms of book sales requires a great deal of savvy, targeted marketing. Of course, authors can always hire a marketing company for these purposes, but for if you want to avoid those additional costs, it is possible to successfully market a self-published book on your own.
Of course, it should be noted that marketing your own book will take up a good chunk of your time and will require a lot of dedication. However, taking the time to market and promote your own work can result in a more successful career, more widespread readership and a more dedicated fan base. In addition, for many authors, handling this type of marketing work personally rather than hiring a marketing company to do so for them is much more appealing and personal. That is not to say, however, that the marketing process might not initially feel rather overwhelming if you are not sure what to expect. Fortunately, these tips can help you successfully market your own self-published book.
# 1: Create a Blog or Website
These days, readers want to know more about their favorite authors than ever before. When they pick up a book to read, they want to know not only the name of the author who created it, but also details about the author’s inspiration for the book and other personal, biographical information about him or her. For this reason, it is a good idea for all self-published authors to create a blog or personal website with a static URL that can be printed on all copies of the book. The website should contain more information about the inspiration behind the book, other books that you have written and biographical information about you. You may even wish to consider linking to your personal Facebook page, Twitter profile and other social media accounts.
# 2: Give Out Free Copies
The idea of giving out free copies of your books may seem to run against your business savvy, since you likely hope to make a profit from of your book by selling as many copies as possible. However, giving away a few free copies of your self-published book to select individuals can often generate more sales for you in the long run. You should especially consider giving copies of your book to well-known book bloggers. If they post positive reviews about your title, their readers will be much more likely to pick up a copy of the book at full price.
# 3: Go Public
You can begin to build a reputation in your local community by scheduling book readings and signings with nearby book stores and libraries. These can be great opportunities not only for you to promote your book, but for you to personally meet with some of your biggest fans and win over some new ones in the process. In some cases, venues may even pay you to make an appearance at their stores. Eventually, of course, you may reach the point where venues in major metropolitan areas bring you in for this type of event – but you have to start small. You might be surprised just how much you can accomplish with a little determination and creativity.