Step 6. Sell Your Book.

While the subject of marketing is worth a book all its own, for now, we have the following recommendations:

• • Seriously consider hiring a publicity firm to market your book. At first, this was something we rarely recommended because it seemed as if so many “marketing packages” simply consisted of business cards and bookmarks. Chances are, you can do that yourself much cheaper (www.vistaprint.com). Publicity is an entirely different thing that can include a marketing team working on your behalf to get the word out about your book. Trying to market yourself is VERY hard work. It’s not enough anymore to just set up a Facebook page and Goodreads account and call it done. You need to network, get book reviews, figure out how to boost your Amazon sales rank, and far more. A good team can be worth the money.
  • If you are doing it on your own, start local. Try to get press, connect with local events that are relevant, and get exposure! Set up book signing events. Network in your community.
  • The Internet is now a critical part of marketing. In this day and age, you should have your own author domain name and website. In addition, although it’s not the ONLY thing you should be focused on, don’t forget Social Networking. You should have a presence on Facebook, Goodreads, and Twitter.
  • Consider blogging. If you’re willing to be consistent, and you have something beneficial to share with your readers on a regular basis, this can eventually bring you traffic—and sales!

If you’ve just finished reading this guide and you’re feeling overwhelmed, don’t worry! There are wonderful resources available to self-publishing authors, which can help you every step of the way. We are one of them. We continue to offer free publishing consultations and would be happy to talk with you about the process and answer any questions you may have.

Write Your Own Success!