Book Marketing Strategies for Self-Published Authors

With major publishing houses growing ever more remote and inaccessible - to the detriment of themselves as well as authors and readers - may upcoming writers are making the choice to take their creative destiny into their own hands and either self-publish or pay a relatively small fee for a Print-On-Demand (POD) publisher to make their books available for sale. This is a new kind of grass-roots movement that has slowly begun to transform the publishing climate in America.

Unfortunately, not everyone has embraced the trend. Many bookstores still refuse to carry self-published books, and it is a rare reviewer who will give one a write up. The percentage of independently produced books that are poorly written and riddled with errors (they are inevitable) give the whole market a bad name in certain circles. So, if you are a self-published author you may find that your initial elation in seeing your work in print is short lived. You can't get it on the shelves, nor land a single review. Many POD publishers will make your book available at online retailers - typically, Amazon and Barnes & Noble - but the problem is that no one would know to look for your titles there in the first place. This scenario is not the rule, but it is fairly common. If you want your work to be noticed, you'll have to find a way to put it before people's eyes.

Well, grass roots means starting small. Your initial readership may consist of a close circle of family members and friends. If their response to the book you've published is favorable, though, this will be a base to work from. Praise from loved ones can be a good stroke for the ego, but if you want to jump-start your promotional campaign then you should persuade them to put their opinions into writing somehow. Encourage them to post a reader review of Amazon. Again, people won't likely see this - they won't know to look for you in the first place! - but it will provide you with something you can use. Print out anything that is written in regards to your book, online or otherwise. Make copies, and digital files. These will come in handy when you approach other outside your immediate circle. You'll be armed with something other than your own high opinion of your book.

There are a number of interest groups that congregate online. Many may be interested in the topic of your book. In order to find them, you'll need to distill your book's essence down to a few key words - the most essential matter. If your book is composed of beard grooming tips aimed at female Dwarfs, then you've got a pretty well defined niche already. Otherwise, you may have to delve a bit to find a tag that not only captures the spirit of the book but also defines what sets it apart.

Then use this tagline to search the Internet to find any interest groups that gather together to discuss such matter. See if you can identify a moderator's contact info. Approach the person with an offer: a free copy of your book if s/he would be willing to read it and review or otherwise mention it on their site. In your cover letter, you can include all those glowing reviews that you've garnered thus far as an added enticement. The cost of giving away free copies can be reimbursed many times over if it leads to some good PR.

Local papers are often no easier to approach for reviews than larger publications. The reason for this is that they usually only discuss books that are in some way tied in with an event. That's why doing book signings in stores and other places can be so important. You might think, "But I'm only likely to sell maybe a handful of copies for a night's appearance." But...the event itself can be listed in your community (Weekly) paper, perhaps accompanied by a review (if you notify the people there before the event). A book signing in your own town or city can even attract the attention of local/college radio stations. This could lead to interviews, etc.

There are many ways to make connections online that can lead to book sales. Two prime examples are blog sites and forums. In either of these places, you'll usually have the freedom to make liberal use of a byline at the end of everything you post (with, of course, a link to someplace where your book can be purchased). Again, your knowledge of the core themes of your book will be your key to finding the right sites where people share your interest - perhaps, enough so that they'll want to get their hands on what you've written about it.