Welcome to Self Publishing Tips

Free Self Publishing Promotion

Learn From the Street People

Sell! Sell! Sell! When you want to get your book out there, you have to focus on the obvious—selling the thing! Book marketing is all about sales so become a sales person (at least for a while). When you are at an event (fair, book signing, promotion, etc.) remember these tips:

• Be proactive—if a potential reader tries to walk by, don't let them! Try to engage them in a conversation.
• Give the people something (food, sticker, bookmark, whatever). People love to get things for free!
• Make sure your book cover is in clear view—and displayed neatly and nicely.
• Look approachable—smile, for goodness sake! No one wants a book written by a grump!

* Don't wait for them to say they want the book—assume they already do. Once you've had a conversation about the book, close the deal. Instead of asking if they want the book, say something like “Who would you like me to make the autograph out to?” or “Would you like that gift wrapped?”

Social Book Promotion

Author Booksignings

Free Self Publishing Promotion

Social Book Promotion

Develop a Show or Discussion Around your Book

Marketing to Trade Magazines

Another great ongoing book marketing tip is to write articles for newspapers, trade, and association magazines. These articles should always:

• Mention the book you self published
• Cover the topic of the book
• Include a small section of the book to get readers to want to read more (and hopefully buy it)

*Also, look to previous clients and customers for networking, in order to properly promote and market your self published book.

Get The Media Involved

How do you get the media involved in promoting your book?

• Schedule any radio, TV and newspaper interview that you can arrange to promote your book
• Send copies of your book to local radio personalities, newspaper book reviewers, and anyone else that might help you promote your book
• Let the media know you are willing to be interviewed whenever they need help with the topic of your book

* This is a great, ongoing book marketing tip, because if you become an expert in this topic, journalists will continue to call on you when they are reporting on anything to do with your book's topic and your field of expertise.

Interview on a Radio/TV Show

As part of your overall book marketing plan, do a radio and/or TV interview, promoting your book. The audience for these types of programs is so expansive that you can't help but gain the attention of potential new readers. It is also a great idea to let your readers actually hear your voice rather than just read your words—this will help them to feel like they know you better.

* During an interview, remember to mention the name of your book periodically throughout the show—listeners and viewers are likely to tune in and out throughout the program so make sure they hear the name of your book.

Why is your Book Different?

When marketing a book, you must convince readers, reviewers, and public relations people that your book is different and unique. If you don't know why your book is different, then neither will they! Here are some questions you might consider addressing when describing your book:

• Why your book handles an old topic with a new twist
• How your book serves a market other books in the category do not
• If your book isn't exceptionally different—why did you write it?

Your book has to have a reason for existing, so make sure you let readers and others know just why they should read your book, and what they will get from it. Your book needs to be new, different, fresh, and exciting, so make it so!

How to Do Street Marketing

Another good book marketing tip is to sell your self published book right on the streets of the town where you live. You'll have fun meeting people and you could make some money promoting and marketing your self published book at the same time. People are also more likely to buy something from someone with which they have something common (one successful poet sells 50-60 books per day on the streets of New York, where he lives).

*This is also a great way to market a self published guidebook or travel guide to your local area.

ABC of Books

Look to the movies for great marketing tips! There's a great motivational sales speech in the movie "Glengarry Glenn Ross." During a presentation to a group of real state salesmen, Alec Baldwin tells the group that the secret to sales is "ABC" (or Always Be Closing). This also holds true for the self publisher when marketing and promoting your book.

*Never miss an opportunity to sell your book. Everyone wants a copy of your book, they just may not realize it yet—that's your job.

Create a Contest for Your Book

Marketing a book is as creative and complex as writing a book. A creative book marketing technique is to offer a contest or promotion that includes your book. People love to win something! You could give away a copy of your book on your web site to encourage people to visit and register. This helps generate interest in your book and will help you develop a mailing list for future promotions, too.

* Also try bartering some of your books with a local merchant for a gift certificate, and give that away. Contests are fun and aren't that expensive to create.

Excellent Book Promotion Idea

A good book marketing tip to promote your book is to create and sell "spin-off" products using illustrations, quotes, and concepts from your book. You can self publish these spin-offs too, creating more interest in your book while you create extra income too. Some great ideas include:

• Selling mousepads with your favorite quote from a portion of your book
• Mini-posters with your book cover or photograph printed on them
• Coffee mugs with your book cover design or a favorite saying from your book engraved on them

*Giving away promotional materials can help create interest in your book, and keep the book fresh in the mind of your reader or bookseller.

Try a Book Fair

Another excellent tip for marketing a book is to hold a book fair! Book fairs are where publishers traditionally show their self published books. There are several different kinds of book fairs, including:

• Fairs for bookstore buyers
• Fairs for libraries
• Fairs for the general public
• International fairs
• Local fairs

Hold an Autograph Party!

Autograph parties or book signings are a form of book promotion not open to producers of other goods or services. Bookstores, both chain and independent, stage these events to draw potential customers into their stores.

*Have as many book signing in as many different locations as you can—they are great publicity. And, getting to know your readers will create a connection that will make them more likely to buy a book from you in the future.

Direct Mail Advertising

Direct mail advertising provides you with the opportunity to get your complete sales message to a specific potential buyer. But, you must be very selective in your choice of lists and you must direct the message in your cover letter toward the type of person on that list. Visit the main branch of a public library in a large city, go to the reference desk and ask for the Direct Mail List Rate & Data.

This directory lists every mailing list available together with its size, how it was assembled, the various ways it c