Home   >   How to Get Published   >   Self-Published? Put These Marketing Strategies In Place And Sell More Books!

Self-Published? Put These Marketing Strategies In Place And Sell More Books!

By on July 1, 2017
Self-Published? Put These Marketing Strategies In Place And Sell More Books! - Writer's Life.org

All self-published authors know that simply putting their books on Amazon isn’t enough - not if they are hoping to sell more than a few copies of them anyway.

Marketing a self-published book takes time and dedication, and while there is lots you can do, if you aren’t willing or able to put the time and effort in, it can be very difficult to make a success of your book.

The trouble is that pretty much anyone who has written a book can self-publish, this means that there are literally millions of books out there - a wonderful thing indeed, but the result is that the reader is so overwhelmed with choice and the market so saturated, making your book stand out is a true challenge.

However, it is not impossible!

By being organised and informing yourself of the best tried and tested marketing strategies for your book, you can put yourself ahead of the curve and give your work the greatest chance of success.

Marketing your book can seem both overwhelming and intimidating. However, by following these useful tips you can make a real difference when it comes to making your book appealing and discoverable to your target audience.

Write well, and keep writing

Nothing beats a well-written book. So always wait until your book is in the best possible shape before you publish. Once you have finished one book, start on another right away. The more books you have published the more professional and trustworthy you will appear to be.

Identify your target audience and always keep them in mind

Always be specific in your marketing. If you try to appeal to a mass audience you could end up wasting your time. Think about who your book would appeal to. What interests do they have, what excites and inspires them, how old are they, where are they from, and what other books have they read? Get to know them intimately, and always use what you know in every aspect of your marketing. Use Amazon's tools to help categorise your work to make sure your book is where your reader will look for it too.

Be professional

Readers will spot a shoddy book a mile off. If your book isn’t professionally edited and doesn’t have a professionally designed cover, few people will buy it. It’s always worth investing time and money into these aspects of your book.

Be unique and create a brand

In order to stand out, you need to offer something different. The catchier your concept, the more intriguing your theme, the more distinguishable your work is from others in your genre - all of these aspects will help your work stand out from the crowd. The more you can set your work apart, the more people will be drawn to it. Make sure your author page is eye-catching, your synopsis is compelling and your social media accounts interesting and up to date.

Creating a brand also helps make you distinguishable from others - having good branding means that people will become familiar with you and your style, they will come to know what to expect from you and make you memorable for all the right reasons.

Build your reviews

The best advertising for your book is word of mouth. Always encourage readers to leave reviews of your book to build your reputation. If a reader contacts you, ask them to leave you a review. Remember, however, leaving fake reviews by getting all your family and friends to do it can see you penalised and devalues the rating system as a whole.

Remember, it takes time for your book to start selling well, and these strategies aren’t quick fixes. They are things you can keep working on and developing as you continue to write. If you do you should steadily see your book's popularity rise -and what could be better than that?

Bethany Cadman -author of 'Doctor Vanilla's Sunflowers'

Bethany Cadman -author of 'Doctor Vanilla's Sunflowers'

About Ty Cohen