"Ideas" note stuck to wall (innovation business light bulb tips)If you've been writing a book that you intend to self-publish, you may have found your mind questioning just how you are going to get this book into the hands of people other than your family and friends. Marketing your book can be just as important as writing it — if you want to sell it, that is. Here are tips to get you started:

1. Establish an Online Presence
Authors today really need a web presence. This includes having a website with a blog, a Facebook page, a Twitter account, a Goodreads profile and a Google+ profile that links to Google Authorship.

Why a website? These days, many people do a little web searching before they purchase a book. You want your website to be the first thing they find so they can find out more about you and the background of the book. It's even better if they can purchase the book directly from you on your website and connect with you on your other social media profiles. Also, some readers, after they have finished an especially good book, will seek out a way to converse with the author. Having a website makes it much easier for them to do that and even share your book with THEIR friends and family.

Why a blog on your website? A blog allows you to showcase your writing talents and your interest in your genre. It also helps your website advance in the search engines as you add new content with keywords to the blog. In addition, a blog gives you good content to share out on your social media profiles.

If you have a blog and a Google+ account, you can link the two via the Google Authorship program. Read here for more about why this is important to authors.

2. Develop an Email List

Your website and blog should give people a way to opt-in to your email list. While you're writing your book, or while you're working on getting it published, you can offer a free chapter to people on your email list. People on your email list can also be updated as to when your book will be available for purchase, when you'll be doing a book signing, or when you get a great review. For more on smart modern marketing you might want to hire Black swan media boston ma.

There are several websites that offer fairly low-cost solutions to maintaining an email list and sending professional-looking emails. Connecting your list to your website with attractive "opt-in" boxes is also fairly easy, especially if you have a WordPress website.
Email services include:

  • MailChimp
  • Constant Contact
  • AWeber
  • InfusionSoft

3. Reach Out

Mostly likely there are many websites that deal with your book's genre or topic that would be happy to have you write a guest post. There are also cross-marketing groups on Facebook, Twitter and Google+ in which everyone in the group pledges to share each other's posts with their followers and friends. Such groups can be challenging to find, but they are out there. Reach out to other self-published authors and you'll often find that they are willing to share their marketing tips.

Promoting free copies of your book (in eBook form) for a time can be very helpful in
growing your audience. Websites such as Free eBooks Daily or FreeBooksy can give you a boost of readers who are not your friends and family.

4. Market Every Day

Authors usually exercise their writing "muscle" by writing every day. It's a good idea to exercise your marketing muscle daily as well. Don't let too much time go by between posting to your Facebook page, Twitter, your blog. Set up a calendar for an email campaign and then stick to it. Get involved in discussions on Facebook, Twitter or Google+ about your book's topic or genre or even another author's book. Comment on other authors' blogs.

Make marketing a part of every day and don't be afraid to try new things. Some ideas will work, and others won't. The main thing is to keep going.