simpsonkeith9
Dreamer
besides going through amazon B+N ads etc what are other ways that arent a waste of time for marketing a new book?
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marketing for self published book
- Thread starter simpsonkeith9
- Start date
pmmg
Myth Weaver
Hard to say what is a waste of time. Some have a very low probability of success, but if one hits...
Just some I could list:
Win awards
Get noticed on blogs of other noticed people
Find a fantasy convention and buy a table
start a video blog
Have a good cover
Have lots of reviews
Do something at your library
Have a website
Have a newsletter
Be active in social media
be active on author and fantasy sites.
Just some I could list:
Win awards
Get noticed on blogs of other noticed people
Find a fantasy convention and buy a table
start a video blog
Have a good cover
Have lots of reviews
Do something at your library
Have a website
Have a newsletter
Be active in social media
be active on author and fantasy sites.
Reviews help. I had the most success with the review groups on Goodreads.
Most of the book promotion sites are not worthwhile. Still, if you find one for like fifteen or twenty bucks...maybe?
What worked for me - for a while, anyhow - was plain old ordinary posts on Facebook Book groups. Not ads or boosted posts, just plain old posts.
Most of the book promotion sites are not worthwhile. Still, if you find one for like fifteen or twenty bucks...maybe?
What worked for me - for a while, anyhow - was plain old ordinary posts on Facebook Book groups. Not ads or boosted posts, just plain old posts.
I'd be interested to know two things from the OP.
1. What would the OP consider to be a waste of time?
2. How would the OP measure wasted time?
I don't want to skew the reply, but simply to illustrate what I mean, perhaps I might (as the OP) say that wasted time would mean money spent but zero sales made. As a measure, maybe I'd have some sort of ratio, like $100 spent must result in ten books sold. Or something like that. The measure wouldn't have to be money; I just reached for the easiest measure.
1. What would the OP consider to be a waste of time?
2. How would the OP measure wasted time?
I don't want to skew the reply, but simply to illustrate what I mean, perhaps I might (as the OP) say that wasted time would mean money spent but zero sales made. As a measure, maybe I'd have some sort of ratio, like $100 spent must result in ten books sold. Or something like that. The measure wouldn't have to be money; I just reached for the easiest measure.
Foxkeyes
Minstrel
'This is Marketing' by Seth Godin is a good book explaining marketing principles. Applies to all marketing.
Jason
Scribe
Thanks, ThinkerX for the prompt - set up my Goodreads author profile.
Any tips for the next steps?
How much have you read on how to market books? There's a huge variety, with a variety of advice. I would ignore anything older than three years, and maybe even older than a year, because the landscape changes quickly. Even at that, you have many, many hours of reading ahead of you.
You have to read much and widely because you're only going to adopt some of it. Some won't make any sense to you at all. Some will feel overwhelming. Some will seem exactly right. Keep your list of reading and keep adding to it, because what did and did not resonate with you now is going to be different six months from now and then again two years from now. Not only does the market change, you change as well, as does your position within it.
To put it differently, what makes sense to me very likely won't entirely make sense to you. So it's best to carve your own path. What I've found helpful is to read this or that, then come to groups like this one, say what I just read, and ask what others think of that specific tactic. I've had very good feedback at that.
You have to read much and widely because you're only going to adopt some of it. Some won't make any sense to you at all. Some will feel overwhelming. Some will seem exactly right. Keep your list of reading and keep adding to it, because what did and did not resonate with you now is going to be different six months from now and then again two years from now. Not only does the market change, you change as well, as does your position within it.
To put it differently, what makes sense to me very likely won't entirely make sense to you. So it's best to carve your own path. What I've found helpful is to read this or that, then come to groups like this one, say what I just read, and ask what others think of that specific tactic. I've had very good feedback at that.
Just find the appropriate group and submit your book.
These work on a 10 / 4 system - ten people per group. You read and review four books within a certain time limit - mine included a book of poetry, a self-help book, a murder mystery, and a fictionalized account of childhood trauma. Four people also review your book (not the same ones).
Ned Marcus
Maester
Selling short stories to fantasy magazines can help make your name better known too.
Ned Marcus
Maester
Winning awards is probably a good one—you can stick them on your cover—but hard to arrange. Do you know anyone who's bought a table at a fantasy convention and had good results?
pmmg
Myth Weaver
Me personally?
Well, I have been to some conventions where books were sold, but never to an actual book or publishing convention. I've also never rented a table. I am not sure where I picked that up. I think it might be from some of the marketing vids on youtube.
If I was to personally to this, I would want a big attractive banner, and or merch to sell (small things like a button, or a magnet, or a bookmark) and I would probably have my book at a severe discount, or even just a freebie (book 1...not book 2+). The idea being, to talk it up and get readers who might then post reviews. I would also want to give them something that had a web address and listed other stuff they might want. For this, I might go in expecting to take a loss for the reviews to make it up later.
Thinking on this some more, I believe Malik has said he had success with this. Malik has mentioned that he is a good promoter. I probably am not, but I think my daughter would be. Either way, I would want to bring someone who could work my table better than me.
I had wanted to go to Ad-astra in Toronto, but life changed. I would like to do it once and see whats there. Maybe closer to home....but not too close
Well, I have been to some conventions where books were sold, but never to an actual book or publishing convention. I've also never rented a table. I am not sure where I picked that up. I think it might be from some of the marketing vids on youtube.
If I was to personally to this, I would want a big attractive banner, and or merch to sell (small things like a button, or a magnet, or a bookmark) and I would probably have my book at a severe discount, or even just a freebie (book 1...not book 2+). The idea being, to talk it up and get readers who might then post reviews. I would also want to give them something that had a web address and listed other stuff they might want. For this, I might go in expecting to take a loss for the reviews to make it up later.
Thinking on this some more, I believe Malik has said he had success with this. Malik has mentioned that he is a good promoter. I probably am not, but I think my daughter would be. Either way, I would want to bring someone who could work my table better than me.
I had wanted to go to Ad-astra in Toronto, but life changed. I would like to do it once and see whats there. Maybe closer to home....but not too close
As far as actual money made, I had my best results selling author copies to local bookstores. Usually, the author copies cost me five or six bucks with shipping, the retail price is $14 - $22, so I sell them for ten or twelve bucks, coming out about five bucks ahead. I almost went the booth route...but my area lacks the population for that.Me personally?
Well, I have been to some conventions where books were sold, but never to an actual book or publishing convention. I've also never rented a table. I am not sure where I picked that up. I think it might be from some of the marketing vids on youtube.
If I was to personally to this, I would want a big attractive banner, and or merch to sell (small things like a button, or a magnet, or a bookmark) and I would probably have my book at a severe discount, or even just a freebie (book 1...not book 2+). The idea being, to talk it up and get readers who might then post reviews. I would also want to give them something that had a web address and listed other stuff they might want. For this, I might go in expecting to take a loss for the reviews to make it up later.
Thinking on this some more, I believe Malik has said he had success with this. Malik has mentioned that he is a good promoter. I probably am not, but I think my daughter would be. Either way, I would want to bring someone who could work my table better than me.
I had wanted to go to Ad-astra in Toronto, but life changed. I would like to do it once and see whats there. Maybe closer to home....but not too close
pmmg
Myth Weaver
I think you have go where the population is.
For me, it would just be a weekend adventure. If it dont work out, I would still see what I think of an authors convention.
For me, it would just be a weekend adventure. If it dont work out, I would still see what I think of an authors convention.
