One of the most common questions I receive from current and prospective authors is “How do I market my book?”. As a self-published author, you have to roll up your sleeves and do the work or hire someone. For your book to be successful you have to make it a success. And the way you do this is by thinking like a business.
A business is an organization or economic system where products and services are exchanged for money or other goods and services. When businesses launch their products, they invest time, energy, and resources into creating and marketing them. They have a clear purpose and goal for the product, and they understand the problems it solves for their target audience. Similarly, as an author, you should think of your book as your product and approach it in the same way that businesses approach theirs.
Why did you write your book? To make a profit? To position yourself as a creditable expert in your field? To build a brand, or build a career as an author? Maybe it was something else. One thing we can be sure of is that you wanted the readers to resonate with the book. In order to get to your audience, you need to understand who they are, what they do, and what they need. The harsh truth is that no one cares about your book - people care about what your book will do for them. Businesses understand this and they use it to streamline their marketing efforts with their products.
Your book is part of your product portfolio, and beyond the words on the page, there are other elements that make up your product. These include things like binding, trim size, and cover design. View these elements as similar to your product's packaging. Just like with any other product, you want your packaging to stand out and grab the attention of potential buyers. Getting your book professionally done is your quality assurance process.
Another important factor is pricing. Your book's price is not a reflection of your value, but that of the market. Do some research on what other books in your genre are selling for and be competitively priced. Remember, you want to make a profit, but you also want people to buy your book.
Promoting your book is the next step. Don't settle for just Amazon or Barnes & Noble. Think about how businesses market their products. What do they use? Websites, reviews, emails, and PR events. As a self-published author, these are powerful marketing tools that you cannot do without. Having a website can help potential readers learn more about your book, purchase it, and leave reviews. Don't be afraid to reach out to book bloggers and book reviewers to see if they'd be interested in reviewing your book. You need all the reviews you can get!
Email campaigns are also a great way to reach new readers and keep your existing ones engaged. Lastly, consider hosting events to promote your book. Book signings, book readings, and book clubs are all great ways to get people talking about your book.
As a self-published author, you have to draw advice and inspiration from as many sources as possible to make sure your book gets into the hands of your target audience. You have to think like a business marketer.
And as you start using the book marketing tips mentioned here, you'll discover even more ways to promote your book and reach more readers. Trust me, one thing will lead to another and you'll see your book gaining more exposure and readership.
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