Only 4 days to go and the champagne is on ice (well it’s in the fridge).
I’ve been waiting for this day for as long as I can remember; to actually call myself a published author. But as we draw closer to the 16th November, I have to admit to the odd night of insomnia.
My marketing strategy, or lack of one, is the main source of my concern and the reason for this post. I would like to call on the blogging community for advice, and any tried and tested methods of reaching readers.
So far the ideas I have implemented are:
- A paid Ad in the Dec 2015 Mslexia magazine
- A feature in the Subscriber Spotlight Writing Magazine – the issue has yet to be confirmed.
- A fellow blogger, Thomas Brooke, has agreed to run a blog post on the day Visions of Zarua is released.
- I’ve ordered business cards with my book’s image, blurb and website etc. These have been lost in transit and re-ordered. I know they won’t help much, but I just wanted something physical to represent the book, and they are reasonably priced, if they ever turn up.
- I have set up author pages on Amazon, Smashwords and Goodreads. I have completed interviews on the sites where possible.
- I’ve tried to enrol in Amazon’s Search Inside, but something has delayed my application. Another thing to chase when I get the chance.
I’ve yet to call on any book reviewers – that will be my next step.
I also read a suggestion somewhere of setting up an author page on Amazon’s other sites i.e. .com .de .fr. So that is something else to look into.
Does anyone have any other suggestions? Or would anyone consider running a post about the book during the first few weeks of its release?
Thanks to those who have been sharing and spreading the word. I appreciate your efforts.
I’ll leave you with this picture, I know I’ve used it before, but I love it. And I’m sure she could do a better job at marketing than me.
Hi Suzanne, sounds as though you have a lot of good marketing lined up already! The only things I would add would be possibly a Goodreads Giveaway (if you’re doing a paperback) – I did get quite a few new readers and a review out of my last giveaway. And I’ve also had a lot of support from my local library – they ordered several copies and hosted me for several events with reading groups. Finally, I’d be very happy to post the link on my blog on your release day – good luck with it all!
LikeLike
I’ve looked into print books, but my word count doesn’t make it viable at the moment. It’s something I will look into again next year as it sounds as though it offers lots of opportunities.
It’s great your local library have supported you, and thanks for agreeing to share my link on your blog. Let me know if I need to provide you with anything.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Thanks Suzanne – I’m happy to promote your launch post, so I’ll reblog it when you go live if that suits you? And I would definitely agree that having your book in print does add to marketing opportunities, so it could be worth looking into in the future.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Thank you
LikeLiked by 1 person