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How to market your book as an independent author

I researched this subject because I have a new book coming out soon, a second edition of an earlier one, and a client with a new book almost ready for publication (exciting!) Once the writing’s done comes the task of marketing your book. Because if no one knows you wrote it, it’s not likely to get read.

Here are some proven marketing tips from successful authors’ blog posts and videos. All these writers wrote about these methods on their independent sites. And all are successful authors. These are not ads for apps. All are free and cost only a few minutes to set up or manage.

1. Gather reviews for your book. Reviews are probably the most important thing you will need for marketing your books. You can gather a few ahead of time from your beta readers if this is a new release. Aim for about twenty reviews the first week after publishing to kickstart Amazon’s algorithms.
2. Create an author website. You can set up your website or blog after you have your book cover, description, and author photo. Like everything else about promoting your book, your website needs to tell readers why they should read it and why you’re the right person to answer their questions or solve their problems. Search free website builders online, or start with a simple free Facebook business page.
3. Create an Author Central page. This gives you control over your Amazon book listing page. It also offers readers a way to follow you on Amazon. It’s a tremendously helpful marketing tool. Fill in all the information, including an author bio and photo. Amazon will showcase all your books for you automatically.
4. Add your book to your email. It’s one of the easiest things you can do as an author to promote your book. Add it to your automatic email signature. You can also include links. I’ve added an example from my email signature below.
5. Talk about your book. Is your book about something a local school, library, or church would be interested in, for example? If you’re not famous (yet), they will usually let you sell your books after the talk if you haven’t required a fee for speaking.
6. Write guest posts and articles. There’s no better way to get your book out there than to get people talking about it. Ask to be a guest blogger on someone else’s platform in your niche. This gets your book in front of vast groups of followers. Sometimes, bloggers are open to doing a blog swap.
7. Submit a request to be mentioned in a newsletter. Many authors and influencers will add someone else’s books or other work to their newsletter to offer their followers added value. Please give them a complimentary copy and offer another as a prize for one of their followers.  
8. Create a GoodReads profile. It’s a fantastic site for readers to find you, with many perks like countdowns and giveaways.
9. Send an announcement. If you’re marketing an already published book, send the news to your contacts that you’re doing a relaunch and ask if they would write a review if they’ve already read it. You can follow the steps to promote your book for a new book launch. You can offer a discount for a few days and inform your contacts that the book is available at a discounted price for a limited time. You can also ask them to write a review so others can find your book on Amazon.
10. Use your social media. Put your book in your profile on all your social media platforms. Add it to your Facebook business page so your followers see it. And remember to tell your personal Facebook friends about it, too. Instagram is another way to reach a wider audience with short videos and snapshots. And Pinterest business profiles are increasing in popularity as followers look to Pinterest for products to buy.

ScribeMedia has a blog about paid social media advertising if you’re ready to do that.

My social links and the link to my shop for writers from my signature in emails:

WEBSITE / MEDIUM / AMAZON / FACEBOOK / ETSY

Happy Writing!

~ Lynne

*This story was originally published in Writer’s Blokke on Medium.