Excerpted from Promote Your Book, Over 250 Proven, Low-Cost Tips and Techniques for the Enterprising Author. http://www.matilijapress.com/PromoteYourBook.html
Most authors approach book promotion with more hope than skills—more dreams than savvy. Universally, marketing is not the author’s strong suit. That’s why I compiled these 250- plus low and no cost promotional ideas. The following tips should greatly enhance your ability to apply numbers of them to your current and future book projects.
Join Trade/Genre Organizations
So now you are an expert in your field or genre. The last thing you want to do is shut out other experts or those from whom you can learn.
Join clubs and organizations related to the genre or subject/theme of your book. You’ll learn new stuff, gain new perspectives, meet people you can interview or quote, obtain leads for speaking engagements and more. Plus, this affiliation will add to your credibility in this field or genre.
Study Trends in Your Field or Genre
It is important that you know what’s going on within your field or genre so that, when you are interviewed about your book, or you’re fielding questions while speaking, your responses are up-to-date and reliable.
Once you’ve produced a book on a certain topic, you become known as an expert. Don’t disappoint your readers and other followers. Keep abreast of new concepts in your area of expertise. You can’t expect to write a book that is the “last word” on pets, publishing, quilting, cooking, parenting, health and fitness or even raising goats. In this fast-paced world, within every topic/genre there are changes, new developments, innovative products and original concepts.
Perhaps your book covers artwork in public buildings within your city or state. What could change about this topic? Art is stolen or damaged in natural disasters or it is replaced. New facts sometimes come to light on various pieces of art. It’s important for you to keep up on these occurrences and facts and share them with your audience. In fact, that’s the beauty of a blog or a newsletter.
I speak and write about publishing. And we all know how dramatically the publishing industry has changed within the last decade and, by the way, continues to change. There is something new to report about the industry, the key players, the playing field, individual companies and authors and so forth practically daily. And it is important that I keep up on what is transpiring. I urge you to do the same within your field or genre.
Continue Reading about Book Promotion
Never stop studying the complex subject of book promotion. Subscribe to Fran Silverman’s Book Promotion Newsletter. I also recommend Publishing Basics Newsletter and the SPAWN Market Update (for SPAWN members only). IBPA and SPAN also have informative newsletters for members.
Join Publishing Organizations and Clubs
To learn more about what’s going on in the publishing industry, join trade, professional and networking organizations such as IBPA (Independent Book Publishers Association), SPAN (Small Publishers, Association of North America) and SPAWN (Small Publishers, Artists and Writers Network).
There are also many regional publishing organizations and writers’ groups. The folks at IBPA have affiliated with many regional organizations. Check with them to find one in your area. I occasionally list regional organizations in the SPAWN Market Update (posted monthly in the member area of the SPAWN website). So check with me—I might be able to help you find one. Also do a Google search to find a writers’ group or publishing organization near you.
As a hopeful author and especially as a published author, you should be participating in organizations for authors and publishers. Here is where you’ll learn the business. You’ll be privy to trends, you’ll be exposed to book promotion ideas and resources and you’ll probably be able to network with other authors.
While there are regional publishing organizations that meet face-to-face, the major publishing organizations are online.
http://www.spawn.org
http://www.ibpa-online.org
http://www.spannet.org
Do a Google search using keywords, “publishing organization” or “author group” + your city, county or state. For example: “Author group Nashville,” or “publishing organization Los Angeles.”