Book Promotion on a Budget

One of the most daunting questions a newly published author has is, "Okay, the book's sold - now how do I promote it?"Well, there are as many different ways for authors to promote their books as there are budgets. That said, but the sake of this article, the focus will stay on the new author whose new budget is minimal at best. By minimal, think non-existent to around $450.00, maybe less. What can you get for that nowadays?

More than you think, especially if you plan carefully, use your creativity to its fullest potential and do a lot of the legwork yourself.Start with basics and freebies. Today, one of the easiest ways to get your name mentioned is through the Internet. So build yourself a web page with one of the many free web host programs out there. While you may have to put up with pop up ads, it's better than nothing. These web sites have web building tools and templates that basically do the work for you. You pick and chose what you want and where you want it, and after hitting the refresh button, what you see is what you get.Solicit book reviews and search the web for book reviewers who focus on the type of book you've written and email them with a request to review your book. All you pay is postage, but don't forget that SASE if you want your book returned.

To keep costs down, mark one or two books as reviewer copies and ask for them back. They won't think less of you for it.Moving on, what's next? What about business cards? Do you need them? Yes! After all, your book is your business. Writing is your business, so you must advertise your talent. There are sites on the net that charge very little to print up business cards, but even so, you must choose one of their templates and color schemes. Try designing your own using Microsoft Word, or if you're fortunate enough, Photo Shop or some other graphics program. Add the pertinent information, save the document, and then go to the local Office Depot and grab a pack of business card forms that can be used with your printer. Or go for the ordered package from your local Depot, Staples or Kinkos... they're relatively inexpensive.

Put one in your press kit, or include them with your book when you send it out for a review.Create a mailing list. Start with the easy ones; friends, family, acquaintances. Broaden your list with addresses of bookstores and your local newspapers and periodicals. Send out a one-page announcement introducing your book, just like you would a real live addition to your family. Any time you contact someone in reference to your book, take it as an opportunity to promote yourself. With a simple and inexpensive labels software program, you can create address labels and shipping size labels for your correspondence. Put the title of your book and import a .jpg of your book cover onto shipping labels. Play with it and come up with something attractive and compelling.

Make your own letterhead stationary using your Word program and print up your own with prepackaged paper from your local stationary store. Make your own bookmarks as well. Again, using word, make a template utilizing a graphic or a blurb about your book, with contact info, book info and any other info you want to include. Copy that template five or six times, one beneath the other, until you fill a blank page. You can probably get five bookmarks on one piece of 81/2 x 11 inch paper. Copy that, then take it to your stationary store and have them print several hundred black and white copies, to keep the cost down. Cut them out at home while you're watching T.V. Then 'laminate' them. You can use book that self adhesive transparent paper your kids use to cover their schoolbooks... it works great and costs pennies when you get it on sale.

Add a ribbon if you want, or some other frou-frou and you have a great promotional tool at a very low cost. With a little ingenuity and elbow grease, you can save your money for the higher end items, if you wish. Some other ideas? Try these: (You can have camera-ready templates ready for them to copy for you) Post-It Notes, Door Hangers, Memo Pads, Mouse Pads, Business Card Magnets. Of course, these are just a few ideas. Think on these... stress balls, key chains, pens, pencils mugs, tee shirts. The possibilities are endless, but, alas, many are cost prohibitive to many fledgling and new authors without a budget. Still, if you have the gumption and take the time, many of your items can be made at home and on a very low budget. The sky's the limit if you have the desire. So get out there and market your baby!