You are a fantastic writer, and you have just ventured into publishing your very first book – a big dream come true. But after publishing it, you’re worried about marketing it, and it may not sell as much as you want.
So what can you do to promote your first book? Read along to get twelve excellent tips to help you successfully promote your book and have great sales.
But remember, you have to start the steps to promotion months before the release to get your desired results!
1. Create a Solo Blog
If you want to let people know of your book and market effectively, then a personal blog, or a website, if you may, is a great option to create your brand.
Include your picture and bio, a link to your book, and include a review section. You can even share some stories that led you to your book’s idea.
You can also create a Facebook page to publish paragraphs from your book and write your thoughts. The more people read what you write, the more they’ll know about you, thus strengthening your brand. Alternatively, you can promote your brand through Instagram and perhaps get a boost from a service like Twicsy to help you get your name out there in amongst the competition and stand the best chance of reaching your potential readers.
2. Publish Under a Reputed Publisher
Do you want your book marketing to go smoothly? As you’re a new writer and this is your first book, it’s better if you publish it under an established, well-reputed publisher. They will help you with proper marketing tools like advertisement, distribution, and publishing.
The publisher will take care of whatever you need to do, from proofreading to editing, writing an attractive description to making an enticing book cover, and selling your book.
3. Market to Your Niche
Not all books are for every audience. There are categories for the audience you’ll cater to – children, adults, romantic readers, non-fictional readers, educational professionals, etc. Depending on the genre of your book, market your book primarily to your niche.
4. Sell to Your Devoted Followers
A lot of your target audience will have your devoted followers. Make sure you market your first book to them, be it with a special offer or any innovative way you want to sell.
5. Create a Visual Trailer
There was a time when people used to get attracted by static advertisements. But we have left those days far behind us. Moving, soothing, musical visuals attract people more in modern times.
So, get creative and make a visual trailer for your audience to let them know of your book. Make it cheerful and colorful or soothing to the eyes and ears. You can make it like a story, or a casual promotion, whichever you find better.
6. Record and Sell an Audiobook
More than reading, people nowadays prefer audiobooks. They can listen to the books anytime, anywhere, while driving to work or back home, or doing other activities. They don’t need dedicated time to read books for a few minutes.
If you narrate your book, make an audiobook of it, and sell it, people will understand it more clearly. It may lead them to buy your book as a collectible or gift to their beloveds. It’s an excellent promotion for your first book.
Students can listen and learn from your audiobook if your book is educational. It’ll help them process the words better while practicing listening as well.
7. Build Buzz With Preordered Copies
The fanbase that you have created through your solo website, most of them will buy your first book anyways as soon as you publish it. So, why do you need to promote through preordered copies?
With the option to preorder, you can give early bird discounts. You will also need your followers’ emails so that you can notify them as soon as the book is live. This way, they will feel special and will be eagerly looking forward to your next book. You can also send them newsletters if they want them.
Preorders will also let you know how many books you need to publish so that there is an adequate number of books available all the time.
8. Give a ‘call-to-action’ Button
Have a ‘call-to-action’ (CTA) button on your website, which will lead people to place a preorder for your book or buy it after its release. Instead of searching for books on the publisher’s website or browsing in the shops, they can easily order through your CTA button.
9. Host Promotional Events
One thing that never fails is hosting promotional events after authors release their books. You can host an event for your first book, where you will have a press conference for journalists to interview you, and you can talk about yourself and your book.
To attract people to buy your first book, you can have a small fair, where there will be a booth with a certain number of copies of your newly published book. A snack-and-read fair will be lovely in this case.
10. Connect With Bookstores
You can connect with your local bookstores and libraries to promote your first book further. Connect your publisher with them so the bookstores and libraries can have many copies of your book.
You can even collaborate with them and arrange advertisements to let people know which stores will have the copies available.
11. Get Reviews From People Who Know You
When you started writing, you must have let your close ones know about it, be it your family members, extended family, relatives, or friends and acquaintances. You probably even know a few book critics personally.
Get reviews from them about your writing and reviews on the book so that you can publish them on your website. The visitors to your website will read them, and you can convince them to buy your book as soon as it’s out.
12. Get Mentions From Other Authors
One of the crucial things to do as a new writer is to connect with well-known writers. You will not only get guidance from them, but they can also give you shoutouts about your book and how your write. Who knows, you may attract some valuable followers from their fanbase!
Conclusion
Bookworms always love reading books, whether from well-known authors or new ones. If you start early with these valuable tips discussed in this article, you’ll not fall short of your expectations and will promote your first book successfully.