It is one thing to write a book, but an entirely different thing to write one that is salable, viable, and marketable. Assuming you’re a self-publisher or a book publisher and you’ve already published your book, you should immediately implement a strong and no-holds-barred book marketing and promotion strategy to sell your books fast. Planning for book sales, marketing, and promotion should begin before the manuscript is complete.
The use of press releases can be a very effective marketing tool if used correctly. Make sure your press release details ‘who, what, where, when and why’. Press releases can generate thousands of dollars in sales when picked up by the national print or commercial media.
Make sure you have at least one good press release, written in AP style, that you can send out during the life of your book. Submit a press release to every trade magazine in your field over and over again; you can use the same version. Learning to write and use powerful and optimized press releases can often drive tons of traffic to your website while providing multiple backlinks that can lead to higher page rank and numerous top ten search engine rankings for your specific keywords.
Send out a press release to at least 1,000 press and outreach contacts right before you publish your headline and again and again after publishing; you can never send too many. Using press releases to market or promote your book or book website has become increasingly popular as publishers discover the powerful benefits of using press releases.
Market your book to your number one market first, and then go after secondary markets. I’ve seen publishers lose a lot of money paying for expensive display ads, so be careful if you do this; I don’t advise it at first – wet your feet first so you know what you’re doing. Make five phone calls a day related to marketing your book.
If your book solves a problem, focus on this in your marketing. Every day it is important to focus on a variety of marketing approaches. If your book fits a niche market, find a genre-friendly store and offer to drop off books on consignment; many publishers have sold thousands of books this way.
Print and online publications provide longevity to your marketing campaign in terms of having something tangible for people to refer to on-going. Offer to switch by writing a monthly column in a trade publication in the genre of their books, in exchange for showing ads on the same page. Periodically place free ads for your book website on Craigslist in different categories to drive even more traffic to your website.
I have not found that book signings sell many books for publishers and that they are often a waste of time; better spend it elsewhere. Get as many testimonials about your book as possible, from experts in the field related to your title, not from clients; use it on your flyers and on the back of books. Remember to make sure your book is included in Books-in-Print; don’t assume it’s already on the list.
Arrange to speak at local, regional, and national events related to the topic of your book; bring books and have an associate sell them in the back of the room. Contact any business, corporation, or organization that may use your book for promotions; offer significant discounts for volume orders or for thousands of copies offer a specific amount above the production costs of the book.
Local radio shows and TV appearances are good, but are often forgotten within hours of broadcast; be sure to make or obtain a copy of any television broadcast for future promotions. Be sure to promote and market your book every day, both online and offline.
The success of any book marketing effort depends on a good book and just plain hard work; It’s been done many times before and you can do it too. With well-chosen online and offline book marketing and book promotion, you’ll reap the benefits you deserve for your efforts across the Internet and in your mailbox. Do not delay another day if you have stayed on the road; Be sure to focus on promoting, selling, and marketing your book every day.