As everyone knows, self publishing has become a huge business.I am not here to talk about self-publishing. But if you look at some successful self publishers, they sure do know how to market their books. They have to - no one does anything for them!
Did you know these authors were self published?
- A Time to Kill by John Grisham when no one wanted to take a chance on a legal mystery. He sold his first work out of the trunk of his car.
- Eragon by Christopher Paolini. He spent a year touring the country visiting libraries, bookstores and schools visits dressed in a medieval costume. http://www.alagaesia.com/index.php
- The Questory of Root Karbunkulus by Kamilla Reid. She created a live action trailer on her web site and launched an interactive book tour including props, costumes, video, and power point. All on her own. http://www.rootkarbunkulus.com/
They didn't get lucky, they marketed very well. They did it through persistence, creativity, and the Internet
I think one of the biggest mistake authors make when attempting to market their books is being unprepared to create the buzz. I have found that many authors do not even have a Web site or blog . This blog goes over great techniques for online marketing http://onlinepromotionmadeeasy.blogspot.com/
A few tips on marketing (as if you were a self publisher):
- Get reviews - besides the main stream periodicals like PW, Kirkus and Booklist, Try book Sense.
- Create different campaigns to target different audiences - target ezines, web sites and key influencers in each.
- Read the complete guide to internet publicity (www.patronsaintpr.com).
- Join LMP - they have a complete list of book clubs and contact people.
- Hook up with charities.
- Set up school bookings - try schoolbookings.com or authorandexperts.com
- Conferences/speaking engagements - what can you book teach/offer people
These are just a few ideas. For more read The Well Fed Self Publisher by Peter Bowerman. http://www.wellfedsp.com/
Would love to hear of other creative ideas!
Also - I saw an interview on The SWIVET today talking about social networking and self promotion. http://theswivet.blogspot.com/
Thanks for posting this stuff about marketing. I'm making notes for when I need it!
ReplyDeleteExcellent advice. I've often thought about marketing my story with a bit of humility and egotism. But once published, I feel like I will go (potentially) above and beyond to get my story out there to the audiences I think would enjoy it.
ReplyDeleteI knew that Eragon was self-published, but not A Time to Kill! So now I'm curious and started looking it up. The Joy of Cooking was also self-published; how crazy is that?
ReplyDeleteOMG, that "online promotions made easy blog" seems like a gold mine. Thanks for being so generous with the sharing of good info...
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