The easiest book promotion idea isn’t always the best. Nor will the most elaborate idea necessarily result in the most success.
When I came out with my first two books of national/International interest in 1996, I planned to sell them through bookstores. Remember, we had a lot of independent bookstores then and it was a rare home office that had access to the Internet.
I sent out hundreds and hundreds of promotional packages to bookstores promoting both a metaphysical book and a specialty cookbook. And the results were zero! Zip! Nada!
So how did I promote those two books? I discovered that specialty metaphysical/spiritual stores were interested in Quest for Truth if I showed up in person with the book. And I sold many copies of the luau cookbook through cookbook stores, cooking and foods newsletters and barbecue organization newsletters, etc. I also took a trip to Hawaii and got the Hawaiian book placed in several stores there. A Hawaiian publishing house eventually contacted me about publishing the luau book and it became available through bookstores all over the islands and now online.
The point of my post today is to urge you to keep an open mind about promoting your book. While you might plan to create a fun website for your children’s book and put it on Amazon.com. You may not actually sell many copies until you get out and start reading it at story time at libraries and in schools.
You might plan to promote your nonfiction book through a few emailings to your 100 contacts, online book reviews, your blog and your social media sites. But it may not take off until you start building your credibility by going out and talking about it to your audience and writing articles for appropriate publications.
If you are confused about the best way to promote your particular fiction or nonfiction book or if you want some ideas for developing a promotional plan, be sure to order your copy of Promote Your Book, Over 250 Proven, Low-Cost Tips and Techniques for the Enterprising Author. It is at Amazon.com in print, ebook and audio. Also available at most other online and downtown bookstores.
What’s the best promotional tactic for selling this book? This blog, public speaking to authors and hopeful authors and articles to appropriate magazines.