BookMarketingBuzzBlog

Monday, May 13, 2024

39 Book Marketing Tricks For Beginners

Having posted nearly 5,000 times on this blog over the past 13 years, where 3.9 million pageviews have to take place, I can identify several dozen things most authors should be doing. If you are taking your first foray into marketing your book, you will need a lot of guidance. Below is a starting point. Get your journey started on the right step by doing the following:

1. Develop a book marketing plan. Define what will be done and by when? Identify your targeted reader, determine where they live and circulate, and have a direct way of reaching them.

2. Determine who will do what: by you or outsource or by a publisher (if you have one)? If outsourced, to whom? Set a budget and convey your expectations and an understanding of the scope of work.

3. Monitor and measure results and activities. Both need accountability. Hold yourself and others accountable. Take ownership of your marketing.

4. Develop a web site. Craft the core content: about you, about your books, contact info, appearances, media coverage and reviews, book excerpts, buy buttons, your own blog or podcasts, a sign-up for something, etc. Be sure to use images, video, or audio to engage many senses of the site ‘s visitor. Offer a free download of content that people to perceive to be of value. Have them provide their name and info in exchange of the content, which allows you to build your mailing list up.

5. Update your site regularly and look to expand what type of content will be showcased. Keep it easy-to-navigate, current, readable, and visually appealing. No dead links, small fonts, or obscuring typefaces.

6. Find book awards. Search for a list of awards that cover your book’s subject matter or honor authors from your geographic location.

7. Check the qualifying period (based on your publication date) of each book award and note the window of time each award accepts for applying.

8. Apply to as many awards and submit for multiple genres to give you the maximum chance to be a finalist or winner in one or more awards.

9. Know your key words and use them in everything, from your blog and newsletter, to your website, press kit, and social media profiles and posts.

10. Set up pre-orders of your book before it is even published.

11. Sign your book up for paid book reviews. It guarantees you will get reviewed. Ideally, do this three to four months before your book is published— this way you have time to excerpt from the reviews and use it on your front and back book covers, amazon page, social media, and web site. If your book was already published, it is not too late to get paid reviews.

12. Sign up for Goodreads and pursue book giveaways and book reviews there.

13. Livestream an event or run a contest or take a poll. Do something that gets people to tune in.

14. Find book clubs to adopt your book. Ask libraries and bookstores if they know of any. Search meetup.com for book clubs by city.

15. Create a fan club. Yes, develop your own groupies!

16. Use book promotion sites like Reddit, Reedsy, or BookBub.

17. Conduct book give-aways. You can lower your ebook price to zero for a short period of time. You can also join a number of free book sites and post your book there. You can participate in organized give-aways on sites such as LibraryThing.

18. Seek out a variety of speaking engagements, from bookstores and libraries to other conferences or relevant organizations.

19. Post regularly and consistently on social media. Where possible, offer links back to your site in your posts, in a non-commercial way.

20. Create your own blog. Post weekly about themes in your books, your area of expertise, and about being a writer

21. Guest-post on other people’s blogs so that your book can be plugged.

22. Interview people for your blog. They will share the interview link with their following, creating traffic for your blog.

23. Create your own podcast. Same idea as the blog.

24. Interview people on your podcast, just like the blog.

25. Have a YouTube channel. Short videos 60-120 seconds) on relevant subjects can help generate traffic to your website.

26. Have a presence on multiple social media platforms but just master one. Don’t let it drain you or suck all of your time, but do use one social media platform to assertively seek out new connections.

27. Publish your book in multiple formats (from audio and e-book to hardcover and trade paperback), make it available at multiple retail outlets (not just amazon) , and in multiple languages (such as Spanish).

28. Plan on creating a sequel, series, and spin-offs. Milk a good idea until you bleed it dry.

29. Trade with others for help. You can always pay people to help you but can you trade favors, access to something, or objects/services for something of value to you? Do joint promotions with other authors. Look for quid pro quo deals.

30. Bundle your book with additional books, services, and products. For instance, can you sell your book with a course? Can you discount your book if you sell it with another book?

31. Use the book as a calling card, if you have something of greater value to sell. For instance, if you are a lawyer and you hope the book drums up more clients for you, then your priority is less the sale of the book but to give it out or to utilize it as a reason the news media will interview you.

32. Create supplemental products and services —mugs, webinars, and consulting.

33. Seek out news media exposure. Think globally, but first act locally. Create a press kit.

34. Network with those who can be of help to you. Join writer associations. Build up your social media followings and join groups on Facebook and LinkedIn.

35. Always seek to learn more about book marketing strategies and resources.

36. Always act with an opportunistic mindset. This means don’t sit back waiting for an opportunity to come to you. Initiate and create your own opportunity.

37. Don’t go heavy on pay-per-click advertising with Amazon, Facebook, or Google. Rarely do single-book authors profit from this.

38. Don’t spend much on book displays at big book exhibitions or conferences, such as The London Book Fair or American Library Association Conference. They rarely help get a book noticed.

39. Experiment and diversify your marketing efforts. Don’t lean too heavily on one area, such as social media, but rather spread out your efforts into a variety of key areas such as book awards, news media, speaking, and book conferences.

Need PR Help?

Brian Feinblum, the founder of this award-winning blog, with over 3.9 million page views, can be reached at brianfeinblum@gmail.com He is available to help authors promote their story, sell their book, and grow their brand. He has over 30 years of experience in successfully helping thousands of authors in all genres. Let him be your advocate, teacher, and motivator!

About Brian Feinblum

Brian Feinblum should be followed on www.linkedin.com/in/brianfeinblum. This is copyrighted by BookMarketingBuzzBlog ©2024. Born and raised in Brooklyn, he now resides in Westchester with his wife, two kids, and Ferris, a black lab rescue dog, and El Chapo, a pug rescue dog. His writings are often featured in The Writer and IBPA’s The Independent. This award-winning blog has generated over 3.9 million pageviews. With 4,900+ posts over the past dozen years, it was named one of the best book marketing blogs by BookBaby http://blog.bookbaby.com/2013/09/the-best-book-marketing-blogs and recognized by Feedspot in 2021 and 2018 as one of the top book marketing blogs. It was also named by www.WinningWriters.com as a "best resource.” For the past three decades, including 21 years as the head of marketing for the nation’s largest book publicity firm, and director of publicity positions at two independent presses, Brian has worked with many first-time, self-published, authors of all genres, right along with best-selling authors and celebrities such as: Dr. Ruth, Mark Victor Hansen, Joseph Finder, Katherine Spurway, Neil Rackham, Harvey Mackay, Ken Blanchard, Stephen Covey, Warren Adler, Cindy Adams, Todd Duncan, Susan RoAne, John C. Maxwell, Jeff Foxworthy, Seth Godin, and Henry Winkler. He hosted a panel on book publicity for Book Expo America several years ago, and has spoken at ASJA, Independent Book Publishers Association Sarah Lawrence College, Nonfiction Writers Association, Cape Cod Writers Association, Willamette (Portland) Writers Association, APEX, Morgan James Publishing, and Connecticut Authors and Publishers Association. His letters-to-the-editor have been published in The Wall Street Journal, USA Today, New York Post, NY Daily News, Newsday, The Journal News (Westchester) and The Washington Post. His first published book was The Florida Homeowner, Condo, & Co-Op Association Handbook. It was featured in The Sun Sentinel and Miami Herald.

Friday, May 10, 2024

Interview with Author Ian Heath

1. What inspired you to write this book?
It was the question “why do bad things happen to good people?”

2. What exactly is it about and who is it written for?
The book describes some ways in which the subconscious mind operates. The book is written for the intelligent lay person.

3. What do you hope readers will get out of reading your book?
The reader will get a better understanding of ways to handle the subconscious mind.

4. How did you decide on your book’s title and cover design?
I asked the publisher’s team to use the theme of water when selecting a picture in order to suggest a calm mood. The title was self-explanatory.

5. What advice or words of wisdom do you have for fellow writers – other than run!?
Ignore the influences of social media when writing your book. Just write the book the way you want to.

6. What trends in the book world do you see -- and where do you think the book publishing industry is heading?
This question does not interest me.

7. Were there experiences in your personal life or career that came in handy when writing this book?
My book is centred on my personal experiences.

8. How would you describe your writing style? Which writers or books is your writing similar to?
Psychology is a difficult subject. I spent a long time making my writing style as easy to understand as possible. My book is modelled on the aphoristic style of the philosopher Friedrich Nietzsche, and the clarity of Sigmund Freud’s writings really impressed me.

9. What challenges did you overcome in the writing of this book?
I kept to a neutral style of description even when I was embroiled in psychological tragedies. I did not allow negative emotions to influence my writing.

10. If people can buy or read one book this week or month, why should it be yours?
This question does not interest me.

About The Author: I am 79 years of age. I graduated from college with a physics degree in 1967. After a year in computing, this being the hippie years, I dropped out of a professional career and just did odd jobs. I finished my working life as a care assistant in various homes and hospitals. I started a psycho-analysis around 1988 and did it on my own. The analysis has continued with me for over 35 years, so I know a great deal about the workings of the mind. By nature, I am a free thinker, in the tradition of 18th and 19th century thinkers who could range over a number of disciplines. My interests include psychology, science, yoga, mysticism, health, history, sexuality, philosophy and ethics. For more info, please see: https://www.austinmacauley.co.uk/author/ian-heath

Need PR Help?

Brian Feinblum, the founder of this award-winning blog, with 3.6 million page views, can be reached at brianfeinblum@gmail.com He is available to help authors promote their story, sell their book, and grow their brand. He has over 30 years of experience in successfully helping thousands of authors in all genres. Let him be your advocate, teacher, and motivator!

About Brian Feinblum

Interview With Author William Ingleby

1. What inspired you to write this book? My own observation, assessment and some experience.

2. What exactly is it about and who is it written for? There are two parts. One is about three sisters' childhood in a remote WA township, their adolescence and scholarship in SA and their recruitment as young, extraordinarily qualified adults to a small task-force charged with counteracting PRC coercion and terrorist actions in the Indo-Pacific, particularly in South-east Asia. The other part is about the tasks they undertake in dangerous circumstances. It is for readers who may enjoy and perhaps relate to certain uncomfortable realities of our time. The paragraph on page 7 headed "Construct" outlines it well I believe.

3. What do you hope readers will get out of reading your book? Some information about this part of the world, as well as enjoyment, even though the subject reflects hard reality. A reader will not find the story pursues psychological, ideological, racial causes or focus on the softer themes of romance, gardening, cooking etc. all which seem to dominate book sales these days.

4. How did you decide on your book's title and cover design? The title seems self-evident. The cover design could have been better representative of the story (my fault). The book is not a war story.

5. What advice or words of wisdom for fellow writers -- other than run!? Research. Don't lose track if not writing to a schedule. Be simple (use The Fog Index, if necessary). Enjoy. Discipline, if money is the sole object.

6. What trends in the book world do you see -- and where do you see the book publishing industry is heading? Paper books don't seem to hold market interest for as long as they used to. Disappointingly, some worthy books sell by weight in news-agencies in Australia. Book stores here tend to discount books, sometimes up to 80%. Of course, library readers replace many buyers so launches at libraries can be questionable. Books published overseas have a cost problem -- postage. In my case postage is about the same as the purchase price wiping out an Australian market. Some promotion could be used to value content, rather than sellers focusing on pretty pictures and subject advertising, but this would be a very difficult proposition for the industry, if not impossible.

7. Were there experiences in your personal life or career that came in handy when writing this book? Yes: strategies and tactics. But I do not admit to the mandatory sexy bits!

8. How do you describe your writing style? Which writers or books is your writing similar to? Unfortunately, my style mirrors an ingrained newspaper and an economic report style, but it helps somewhat with clarity and brevity. Actually, I like my style and do not wish to change because it would be somewhat false.

9. What challengers did you overcome in the writing of this book? In a family there can be a de-socialisation effect when a degree of isolation is necessary to complete a work. Otherwise, simply discipline.

10. If people can buy or read one book this week or month, why should it be yours? There are two stories in one -- character development and counter-terrorism action. Hopefully easy reading, despite the topic, may attract a reader. But I do not regard my book as "competing" with others.

About The Author: I was a metropolitan newspaper journalist in Sydney (four years), a Commonwealth senior information officer and press secretary to two Administrators in Papua New Guinea immediately prior to self-government (two years), a public relations consultant in Hong Kong (two years), managing director of a joint Australian-US public relations consultancy -- the US firm the largest in the world, outside government controlled establishments -- (four years), and seconded senior adviser and speech-writer for several Cabinet Ministers in the Suharto Government in Indonesia (one year). Intermittently, I was in these public relations roles in Australia (11 years) during which I undertook several overseas assignments in Indonesia, Hong Kong and Malaysia, some lasting up three months.

Overall, I was in public relations roles for nearly 20 years. All overseas postings were with my wife and daughters. On returning I set up my own consultancy and escorted private and government clients to Indonesia to investigate joint-venture and agency prospects, some involving Indonesian government and military contacts. Client interests included cadastral mapping and medical equipment. I also conducted brief lecture programs for the Commonwealth in Indonesia and The Solomon Islands, mainly in government information services and sometimes in response techniques to hostile media and other interviewers.

My writing experience is mainly in foreign investment promotion and corporate citizenship, none of which had anything to do with fiction. I am 86, retired, healthy and regularly engage with recognised dialogues on Australian defence and security but, unlike my colleagues, have no ADF experience. I have had two fiction books published and have a manuscript of a third partially finished. Facts are based on observation, assessment and reliable sources.

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Interview With Author Goran Žganec

1. What inspired you to write this book?

The Ship's life itself inspired me to write this book and motivate people to achieve their

biggest goals because I strongly believe that everything is possible if the person really wants

it. Situations that life gives you through the ´ship life´ to overcome, leave in you a rich picture

with many colors in many directions. Because of my soccer dream, I left the cruiser in 2016 together with Elizabeth from Peru (back then girlfriend, today my wife) and since 2017 we have been living in Munich, Germany. From the first day spent on the ship, during all the rich experiences and adventures until the last disembarkation, through magical Peru and a special proposal on the beautiful Machu Picchu to the current life in Germany, Goran continues to explore new places and shares his soccer passion everywhere he goes.

2. What exactly is it about and who is it written for?

How The Ship Changed My Life´ is about a temporary kind of life chosen by individuals for

one of the most amazing adventures that this life can offer us. Ship life is a life where all your

comfort zones fade away and become your strongest advantage. A place where you strengthen

the mental state of mind but also in some way rebuild your spiritual side. It´s a way of

educating yourself in the ways you will never learn from your comfortable home. Crucial

things in life that everyone should be aware of and things that open your eyes in a very wide

arc. Once you enter the ship life, you will be changed man from that point.

This book is mostly written as a guide for people who want to experience something new in

life. It is definitely for those who feel lost and see no clear direction on where to go in life.

I´m not claiming that ship life will reveal their destiny but I can guarantee that could be heck

of a great guidance. It is also strongly recommended for those who are passing many things in life, travelers, and adventurists because you never stop learning and discovering new things in life. In general, this book is intended for everyone who has a small humble wish to accomplish something huge in life, and I want to present my story as an inspirational example.

3. What do you hope readers will get out of reading your book?

The experience after experience that enriches the person is something that can’t be described

enough through the simple words on the paper. But reading those words can give the readers

at least a vision full of curiosity that feeds their imagination in the right direction through life

changes for the better. When a person imagines someone’s life from a different perspective,

that turns on the switch in his mind to become more open to the things he/she never

experienced before. It’s a life adventure. A remarkable journey.

4. How did you decide on your book’s title and cover design?

About both, I didn´t waste too much time. It came to me instantly. When I decided to write a

book about it, I knew I needed to start with simplicity. The name of the title sounded to me

very easily approachable and attractive. The cover design is a bit different story. One day

when we were enjoying hot Mexico, I felt the moment and asked for a picture in the front of

the ship. My intuition was very strong and loud, as I knew I would need that particular picture

for something big and special in the near future.

5. What advice or words of wisdom do you have for fellow writers – other than

run!?

Since this is my first published book, I don´t consider myself a professional writer yet, so my

advice is simple but direct. Just ´go through the flow´. Don´t confuse the reader with too

much information. Be natural and all good things will come from it. The audience will

recognize your honesty and hard work. Work on yourself, but the final version of you always

needs to be natural.

6. What trends in the book world do you see -- and where do you think the book

publishing industry is heading?

To be honest, I don´t worry about it. I´m not stressing myself with such things. Yes, I wish for

my book to reach wide success but If my priority of writing this book were financial profit, I

don´t believe I would find so good words for this book. My intention came from the heart

with the main purpose of trying to open people's eyes more to certain things. To guide them, to help them, to become a spark of hope for them. If you want to achieve your dream, start with helping others achieve their first.

7. Were there experiences in your personal life or career that came in handy when

writing this book?

Well, most of my life experiences came from a ship life so there I´m putting all focus. This

book would never have been created if I never stepped on the ship. For me that ´sailor step´

was crucial for my life to see things differently and do things differently as well.

8. How would you describe your writing style? Which writers or books is your

writing similar to?

I would really not know the answer to that one. The only that comes to my mind is to say –

natural style.

9. What challenges did you overcome in the writing of this book?

The only challenge was an available time of dedication to this book. Between working,

training soccer, and writing the book was difficult, but when COVID-19 appeared with

lockdowns around the world, I used that as a perfect opportunity to finish the book that I´m so

proud of it.

10. If people can buy or read one book this week or month, why should it be yours?

That really depends on their own ambitions in life, and which direction they choose. My book

can give them different points of view on certain things and with that maybe create better

habits of thinking. So, my final message to them is: If there is something born in your heart that wishes to be accomplished, don’t be afraid to take the first steps. Don’t ever be afraid or allow yourself to be distracted by your current circumstances.

Your life was given to you with a strong reason. You need to wake up and open your eyes,

change, and build a different mindset because staying the same person with the same habits,

same wisdom, and same lifestyle is not what life is about. Push yourself outside of that

comfort zone and be amazed by how much and with what things life will bless you.

You need to follow what you feel because your world depends on your own imagination.

Seek for everything that will enrich your wisdom and your life will be grateful to you because

of it. Your life will reward you with a dream you had wished to accomplish for so long.

About The Author: He was born (1989) and raised in Croatia. At the age of 23, seeking life adventures, he went to work on a cruise ship where he had difficult but also most valuable experiences. Due to his soccer dream persuasion, he left the cruiser in 2016 and moved to Germany. All those adventures inspired him to write this book and motivate people to achieve their goals and dreams. He continues to travel the world and hunt for every opportunity and experience that enriches him even more. How the Ship Changed My Life is his first book. For more info, please see: https://goranzganec.ampbk.com/#author

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Interview With Elle Marr, Author of THE ALONE TIME

1. What inspired you to write your newest book, THE ALONE TIME? Can you top your last book, an Amazon best-seller? Like every author out there, I hope the world falls in love with my book – but I wrote The Alone Time for a specific niche of people: Thriller lovers; the kind of readers that love a good scare and savor the anticipation of imminent danger for characters they’ve become invested in. I always write for me, first and foremost, because I know that if I’m not entranced by a story, other readers will have a hard time spending hundreds of pages with it, too. And that’s why I’m hopeful The Alone Time will be well received—because I was inspired by my own experience with a plane crash when I wrote the initial chapters.

2. What exactly is it about and who is it written for? This story is about two sisters who survived a plane crash that killed their parents twenty-five years ago. They must face the secrets they left buried in the woods when a true crime documentary filmmaker begins digging into the past. It’s for anyone who has ever been on a plane and wondered what might happen if they crash-landed somewhere remote—then lived to return to society and recount their version of the truth.

3. What do you hope readers will get out of reading your book? The Alone Time is about confronting ourselves and our actions, no matter how many years have passed—and then accepting the consequences. I hope readers walk away from this book questioning the choices they would have made in the same impossible situations that Fiona and Violet endure. And if they do, I hope readers are honest with themselves. After all, the truth always comes out in the end.

4. How did you decide on your book’s title and cover design? The title is a phrase I actually use with my kid, to describe whenever he needs space to collect himself (and calm down); “Maybe you should take some alone time.” As I was brainstorming titles for this story, I thought of that phrase, and also how ominous it would sound if the alone time were forced upon someone, particularly a young child. The more I sat with that idea, the more “The Alone Time” seemed like a perfect fit. The cover design is the brilliant work of my publisher, Thomas & Mercer, and I absolutely love what they came up with. The book cover image is evocative of the suspense, the unknown, and the anxiety my characters endure while they are stranded in the wild—as well as when they reach adulthood while back in society, and must wrestle with their residual feelings of isolation.

5. What advice or words of wisdom do you have for fellow writers – other than run!? Don’t undertake this writing thing lightly; come to the table with your ideas prepared—and at least well considered, if you’re not into outlining. I think everyone’s process is valid (lots of writers I know are pantsers); but for anyone struggling with time management, mentally preparing yourself in advance to write a story is so key. Most of us write because we love it, right? Lean into that and don’t forget it. Especially on the hard days when the words are stubborn.

6. What trends in the book world do you see -- and where do you think the book publishing industry is heading? I’m certainly no expert, but I’m noticing more Romantasy trends in fiction—seeing it everywhere, really. Regarding where the industry is headed as a whole, you’ll have to ask AI for me. J

7. Were there experiences in your personal life or career that came in handy when writing this book? Yes, as I shared above, I was in a plane crash when I was a kid. My dad was piloting a small passenger plane when the gas cap came unscrewed and all our fuel leaked out over the clouds. We crash-landed safely in a mountain range in Southern California, but it was easily the most harrowing experience of my life. I drew on those memories when I was writing the opening chapters of The Alone Time, and I hope readers get the benefit of experiencing the adrenaline without living through it themselves.

8. How would you describe your writing style? Which writers or books is your writing similar to? My writing style is sharp and emotion-driven. I try to create vivid scenes that pique a reader’s senses, while also steeping a reader in heightened emotions, depending on the environment a character enters. I deal heavily in family relationships—which are the basis for so many of our quirks as adults and in our romantic relationships. My writing might be similar to the styles of Lucy Foley or Riley Sager.

9. What challenges did you overcome in the writing of this book? I didn’t know the ending when I began writing this story. Rather, I thought I did. But by the time I reached the final chapters, the characters were telling me someone new and surprising was the antagonist. I could have stuck to the original plan, but my gut told me this change was too good to pass by. I’m glad I remained flexible enough to lean into what my story was telling me.

10. If people can buy or read one book this week or month, why should it be yours? The Alone Time is immersive, escapism thriller fiction that checks all the boxes for suspense readers: Secrets hidden in the past? Check; Dueling, estranged sisters? Check; True crime documentary? Check; Revelations from the wild returning to upend the carefully constructed lives of the adult sisters in the present? Oh, yes. Double check.

ABOUT ELLE MARR:

Elle Marr is the #1 Amazon Charts bestselling author of The Family Bones, Strangers We Know, Lies We Bury, and The Missing Sister. Originally from Sacramento, Elle graduated from UC San Diego before moving to France, where she earned a master’s degree from the

Sorbonne University in Paris. She now lives and writes in Oregon with her family. For more information, check out Elle Marr on Instagram, TikTok & Facebook: ellemarrauthor Twitter: ellemarr_ and on her website: www.ellemarr.com.

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