Book Marketing Tips Self Publishers Must Know

If you've written a 'how to' book you'll find people are always seeking 'how to' information making your book easy to sell; in fact the most sought after items on the Internet are information products. Authors, self publishers and book publishers can be very unhappy when they see boxes of books delivered from the printer, loaded onto pallets in their garage and not have any idea on how they're going to sell them; don't let this happen to you -- be prepared. Ensuring the success of any book is something even the biggest publishers have never been able to guarantee, but with a good book, a little or a lot of money, and just plain hard work the odds are in your favor; many have done it.

Your book press release should not be written as you would a sales letter or flier, it should be written for the editor and tell about your book in a factual way, no opinion or glowing remarks. When picked up by wire services, a press release can easily end up generating hundreds of mentions for your book. Make sure you have at least one good press release, written in AP style that you can send out for the lifetime of your book.

Send out at least 10 press releases to the print and broadcast media in your area every month. Don't underestimate the value of a good press release for making book sales. Make sure your press release spells out the 'who, what, where, when, and why.'

Press releases can generate thousands of dollars in sales when picked up by national trade or print media. Mail a press release to at least 1000 print and broadcast contacts just prior to publishing your title and again and again after you publish; you can never send too many.

I've not found that book signings sell many books for publishers and are often a waste of time; better to spend it elsewhere. I've seen publishers lose a lot of money paying for expensive display ads, so beware if you do this; I don't advise it in the beginning -- get your feet wet first so you know what you're doing. Find a non-exclusive distributor with a good reputation to carry your book for the book store trade, as well as for other retailers.

Print and online publications provide longevity to your marketing campaign in terms of having something tangible for people to reference ongoing. It's important to publish a website that focuses on your title; you'll be able to refer editors and customers and all interested parties to your book information with the click of a mouse. When you get a nice write up or feature about you and/or your book, have it laminated and set it up on an easel at trade shows.

Build a web site that provides another avenue for ordering, a virtual online press kit and link exchanges with sites that relate to your topic. Be your own publicist and send a press release along with a review copy of your book to publications in your book's genre and to book review magazines. Make sure to promote and market your book each and every day, both online and offline.

Local radio shows and television appearances are good but are often forgotten within hours of the broadcast; make sure to make or get a copy of any television broadcast for future promotions. If your book fits a specialty market, find a store that fits the genre and offer to leave books on consignment; many publishers have sold thousands of books this way. Create an online contest and list it in online contest directories to drive traffic to your website.

Make sure your sales letter or flier is first class; this is your formal presentation of your title to the prospective buyer. Every day it's important to focus on a variety of marketing approaches.

Market your book to your number one market first, and then go after the secondary markets. Contact any companies, corporations or organizations that might use your book for promotions; offer significant discounts for volume orders or for thousands of copies offer a specified amount above book production costs.

One of the biggest problems self publishers and book publishers tell me about is the hundreds of books they have in inventory they haven't set up a marketing plan for; don't let this happen to you -- get prepared now. Now promote, promote, and promote your book some more! Make sure do some serious marketing and promotion every single day, no excuses.