Half a Dozen Superb Ways [I have discovered this time around] to market my book

As I was thinking about what I might share with you today it came to me that I have done a few things differently this time around to market my book. I have always marketed, but I haven't always wanted to spend any money doing it. I figured there were enough FREE places to get my name out there that I didn't need to spend any money to do it.

What I have discovered this time around is that I still need to be careful with my money, but that, with a little research, I can get my name out there forking out a few bucks. 

Photo by Visual Stories || Micheile on Unsplash

The first thing I read is that I needed to get reviewers before my book came out. I'd heard this before, but the sage advice added something I'd never heard before. Make a goal. They suggested a minimum of 30 reviewers in place before the release date. 

Can I tell you, this was a lot of work! As of yesterday, I am in need of 4, and my formal release date is August 30, so I feel like I still have some time. [Maybe you can help?]

I began to find reviewers asking people I knew personally, then online and from my list of followers, both on my blog and on my newsletter. And then I looked at blogs that had a list of book reviewers on their blog tour! On one particular blog, I received 6 yesses from the book tours listed, so that tells me something! [Though not all of them reviewed, they did give a thumbs up to post my book on their blog]. Unfortunately, I don't have the link for you. Fortunately, I have the list of the six blogs. They are A Blue Million Books, Wall-to-Wall Books; foreverreading@gmailcom [future post in the works], Novels Alive, Quiet Fury Books, B for Bookreview, and Margaret Yelton; mafyelton@msn.com; facebook.com/margaretfyelton.

One of the memes created by Novels Alive

From this list, I paid $25 to have Novels Alive create some memes for me and to post throughout the day on Twitter; something I have never done. Everything else was free. I currently have over 200 entries for the contest, and among the final count, one winner will receive a $25 Amazon gift card and a paperback copy of my book. I wrote a blog post and shared an excerpt from my book, and was given an "About the Book" section, book description bio, links, and author photo opportunity.

 Photo by Katie Harp on Unsplash

Another thing I have done is to go through my list of #hashtags. I have been collecting hashtag ideas for a long while but have used them rarely. I am trying to use them when I send out my social media.

On the day my book was released, I sent out a new

book trailer with short quotes from reviews I'd received. Although I have done this before, I had never thought to release the video on the release date. I pay a yearly fee to Animoto.com for the service to create these book trailers. They are easy to do. I am no techie and they make the process simple.

Another thing I have done this time is to offer my previous eBook, "Enlightened: My Personal Journey with Christ Through Scripture Journaling" for FREE. [You have through the 30th of August if you'd like a copy]. Often, if readers can get a free book, and they love it, they will more than likely purchase your new book.

Yes, marketing your book takes a lot of time and work, but I have found [once again] there are many people out there, both authors and readers, who want to help you - even if it's for a few additional bucks. 

 

Marketing Your Book on a Budget 2014, NOW AVAILABLE IN PAPERBACK!

Read most of your books the old-fashioned way?

Then you'll be interested to know that Marketing Your Book on a Budget 2014 is now available in paperback. You can get it here.

As usual, I am also interested in obtaining some reviews, so let me know if you'd like to help with that.

Thanks, and happy marketing!

Kathryn

Marketing Your Book on a Budget 2014

If you haven't yet heard the news, here it is again...

My newly updated book, Marketing Your Book on a Budget, will be available this month! My initial goal was the 15th of this month, and the book may yet come out at that time, but we have had some last minute issues come up.

Suffice it to say, Marketing Your Book on a Budget 2014, needs to be in tip-top shape before it's released. So I'm working hard on making that happen.

Here's the cover:

Chapter headings include:

Reviews
Interviews
Blogs: Yours & Others
Social Media
Speak for Free
Offer Your Book for Free
Get Some Free Advertising

Book Trailers

Do Some Unheard of Book Signings

Carry it with You

Offer a Free eBook or Paperback in a Contest

Use Postcards Instead of Business Cards to Promote Your Work

New ideas included!

I could use some REVIEWS so let me know if you'd like to review this updated book!

                    

5 Ways You Know You've Become a Marketing Guru

For those of you who know me, and perhaps, those who are just getting to know me, you may have already discovered my secret to book selling success.

For those of you who have just discovered this site, you may have already figured out the answer simply because of the heading to this particular post.

Photo by: J. Paxon Reyes, courtesy of Flickr

Yes, book selling success comes because I've marketed. Am I a guru?

Perhaps. But you may be as well and not even know it. You know you're a guru at marketing if:

1. You keep marketing even when you're sick and tired of it. A good rule of thumb. Write more than you market, but don't forget to market on a daily basis. Put out at least 5 marketing feelers each day and that can include a blog post, a tweet, a Facebook image, a video, even a response to a LinkedIn question.

2. You try various marketing ideas, and stick to the ones that work. You know if they work when you get responses from the public, when you look at your stats and see an increase of visitors to your site, when your book sales increase after a particular promotion. Do what works; what doesn't (at least for you) allow to slide by the way side.

3. You're not upset for days by a negative book review, an evil comment to your blog post, or lack of correspondence when you offer a contest and very little readers seem interested. You keep going even when the rudeness continues because you know there is a light at the end of the tunnel. Yes, the tunnel might be a long one, but you see the light.

4.  You begin to have enough knowledge about marketing that when another author asks you about it, you have quite a bit to say without struggling for the words. In January of 2014, my newest Marketing Your Book on a Budget will be out, and double the size of last year's book; that tells you how much more I've learned in just one year!

5. You have learned that marketing is the only way anyone will ever know about your book. You do more than have it up on Amazon. You have your own website/blog, initiate in social media, keep to a speaking schedule, share your book at conferences and craft shows; in a nutshell, market your book when the opportunity presents itself and the timing is right. This week: Wednesday through Saturday, I'm at the Simple Treasures gift show in Farmington, Utah.

For some writers, they feel overwhelmed about marketing, so much so, they never get started. If this is you, start with reviews and then tackle other areas one at a time.

Will this make you a marketing guru?

You bet.

Going Steady With Your Books

Okay, so the book I'm reading right now, Memory Lake, is really bringing stuff up from my past. And let's just say that I'm thinking more about marketing and how much it really means in the success of my books.

I'd like to think that everyone will pick up Marketing Your Book on a Budget, but I know that's not being realistic. What's more realistic, is the thought that I continue to do all I can to get it out there, and those who are interested will purchase it or borrow it from a writer friend.

You're heard it before, but the words bear repeating: It's important that you know your audience. After that, it's all about marketing your book to those in your audience. It's as simple as that.

Yes, marketing takes a lot of time. But it is also worth it. I have seen results in the forms of new connections, more money, and even (dare I say it) more opportunities to review books and write guest posts, and do more interviews.

What is specifically happening may not surprise you, but it did me.

The more I've gotten out there, unafraid to share my work (no matter the positive and not so positive reviews I've received) the better I do.

I do online stuff like blog writing.
Old-fashioned marketing stuff like book signings.
Even stuff unheard of for most people, like selling books at a hair salon.

Photo by: ahhyeah, courtesy of Flickr

And it all works. Some better than others, but it all works.

If I sat in a room all day with my books boxed and never told anyone about them, now, that would be a tragedy. Selling only two books at a signing?

Nope.

Because I sold 2 books!

Going steady with your book is better than going steady with that boy in high school, BECAUSE your books will never leave you! You can do whatever it takes (maybe even make a few mistakes), and the name, published author, will always be yours!

Always!

Enough said.