Four Options For Book Marketing That Might Fit Your Budget.
The excuse of, “I’m a writer, not a sales person,” is not
valid in our current book market. With literally millions of books being
published each year, you have to learn to sell yourself and your books, or
drown in the rushing tide. And of course while you’re busy trying to figure out
how to market yourself and your books, you still need to write more. There are
no one-hit-wonders in self-publishing. Readers who love your first book will
demand more. And, if you don’t deliver, you will be forgotten.
I know what you’re thinking. How am I supposed to keep
writing books if I have to take that precious time to sell the ones I’ve just published?
I say the same thing every time I hit publish. With two
series under my belt I still struggle with the idea of selling books and trying
to keep up with reader demand for more. That’s when you might want to look into other
methods of promotion that take the weight off of your own shoulders.
Aside from the daily social media spam, there are a few
options you can take to help you with this.
Street Teams –Word
of mouth has been long touted as the best way to sell books and that is what a
street team is all about. Fans of your work sign up to be part of a group
marketing effort. The cost? Swag, free books, facetime with their favorite
author, chances to become a character. You can really get creative here, as
long as you keep your fans happy they will keep pimping your books.
Blog tours –
Relatively cheap. Tours vary based on length of time you want your book
promoted, and if you want reviews or not included. This is by no means a long
term marketing effort, but is a good and inexpensive idea for book releases.
Hire a P.A. – If you
can afford it, this option can really help take some of the pressure off. A
P.A. will help with whatever you need. You set the workload. Prices for their
services will have to be negotiated ahead of time.
Hire a Publicist –
This will be by far your most expensive option, but it can pay back in spades. They essentially hold your hand through the
process and help you develop not only a brand, but an excellent shot at getting
your book into the spotlight. You have to be willing to make the gamble though
as it will be initially a HUGE investment.
I’ve recently been introduced to a wonderful site with
freelancers who offer up services that fall into many of these general
categories. Have a peek around AuthorsAtlas
and see if you might find something here to assist you in your marketing needs.
http://www.authorsatlas.com/