There’s a common myth about books: if my book is good, it will sell itself. Although, a great story is must have, even the most amazing books can go unnoticed without marketing. Another misconception is that only traditionally published books need marketing. In reality, self-published book marketing is even more important since you don’t have a publisher’s backing. Successful authors like Hugh Howey, E.L. James, and Mark Dawson have used strong marketing strategies to promote self-published books. Let’s explore different ways to market a self-published book, when to hire a marketer, and what they might cost you.
Book marketing is all about getting your book noticed by the right readers. It's a plan to sell more copies and build an audience. This plan includes many things, like writing exciting descriptions, creating attractive covers, using social media, and even hosting book signings. Basically, it's about making sure people know your book exists and want to read it.
Book marketing for self-published authors requires knowing who they are selling to. Authors and publishers use different tricks like ads, getting media attention, and creating interesting content to reach those readers. The goal is to get people talking about the book, make the author well-known, and build a relationship with readers. This will lead to more books being sold and a lasting career for the author.
How to Market a Self-Published Book Under a Budget
Marketing your self published book without spending a lot of money is possible with smart planning and a little creativity. Here's how to build your online presence cheaply:
Make Your Book Easy to Find
Use words people will search for in your book's title, subtitle, and description, especially on places like Amazon. Put your book in the right categories so people looking for that type of book can find it.
Use Social Media Wisely
- Pick one or two social media sites where your readers hang out.
- Instead of just posting ads, you can share interesting things related to your book.
- You can also use free tools like Canva to make your posts look good.
Get Email Subscribers
- Give away something free, like a short story, to get people to sign up for your email list.
- Send emails to your list about new books, deals, and special content.
Create a Website
- Make a simple website or blog to share information about your book and yourself as an author.
- Write blog posts about topics related to your book to attract readers.
Join Online Groups
- Join online groups and forums where readers of your type of book hang out.
- Talk about interesting things and share your knowledge, instead of just trying to sell your book.
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Use Cost-Effective Promotion
Get Book Reviews
- Ask bloggers and reviewers who like your type of book to read and review it.
- Use free review sites like Goodreads.
Use Affordable Book Promotion Sites
- Look for websites that offer cheap or free ways to promote your book.
Team Up With Other Authors
- Share each other's books in emails or on social media.
Use Amazon's Free Tools
- Use Amazon's free deals and promotions to make your book more visible.
Attend Local Events
- Go to book fairs, libraries, and bookstores to meet readers in person.
Like, E.L. James's "Fifty Shades of Grey" started as a story she posted online. Later, she made it into an e-book and printed copies herself. It became super popular because people talked about it online, especially women. The book's unusual story and its promotion on online book groups helped it become a huge hit. This proves that focusing on a specific group of readers can lead to big success, especially if that group isn't being served well.
Most efficient way to promote a self-published novel?
If you have self published a novel and want to know how you can market your book effectively. Then you have come to the right place.
Make Yourself Known
Go Online
The number one rule of effective marketing is to go online. Make a website and add all your book details in it to show off your book, give updates, and collect email addresses from interested readers.
Create Your Author Image
Brand. That's what readers search for. Think what kind of author you want to be and make sure that comes across in everything you do.
Connect with Readers
Use Social Media
Be active on sites where your readers are. Share snippets of your writing, talk about your book, and chat with people who follow you.
Have a Book Launch
Host an online or in-person event to celebrate your book's release. Use this to encourage people to buy your book early and write reviews.
Get People Talking About Your Book
Ask for Reviews
Good reviews are the first thing that readers read. They will either drop it or read it. So make sure you encourage readers to leave reviews on Amazon and Goodreads.
Get Famous People to Recommend It
Kayla, CriminOlly, Steve Donoghue, Ana Wallace Johnson, emmie, Jack Edward, and Daniel Greene are some famous book reviewers for a variety of genres. You can talk to them and ask for good videos or reviews of your book.
Use Deals and Ads
Offer Discounts
Who doesn't like discounts or free giveaways? Almost everyone. So avail this for your book. Lower the price of your book for a short time to get the attention of readers.
Pay for Ads
Although ads are annoying and many people usually remove them. But, you can use these ads to promote your book. How? By writing the catchy description of your book with a photo that portrays the scene. Amazon and Facebook can help you with that. Start with a small budget and see what works best.
Connect with Others
Join Writer Groups
You can also join writing groups. You can take inspiration from groups like The Inklings, The Bloomsbury Group and The Dymock Poets to get tips.
Work with Online Influencers
You can also partner with influencers to market your book online and connect with bloggers or social media stars.
Ways to Market a Book on Amazon
If you want to market your book on Amazon then you need to make sure to follow the correct strategies that are listed below:
Make a Great Cover
Your book cover should look professional and grab people's attention. So you need to use formatting like bold text and bullet points to make your book's description easy to read and exciting. Also, choose words people will search for to find books like yours.
Use Amazon's Advertising Tools
You can create ads by using Amazon’s Advertising Tools that target specific groups of readers. You can use Ace Book Publishers marketing services to promote your book using Amazon Ads.
Offer Deals and Promotions
You can use online book marketing Amazon's special deals like Kindle Countdown Deals and free book promotions to get more people to see your book.
Pro Tip: Ace Book Publishers provide expert book marketing for self published authors on Amazon which include Amazon ads, social media marketing and more. They can also help you in publishing your book from A to Z on Amazon.
How to Market Your Book Without Social Media
Many authors believe that without social media, marketing a book is impossible. However, this isn’t true. While social media has made self publishing book marketing easier, there are many other effective ways to promote your book without it. Let’s explore those strategies with examples.
Lisa Genova is a self-published author who released her book "Still Alice" on Amazon after traditional publishers said no. She didn't use social media for marketing her book. She went directly to book clubs, libraries, and bookstores to promote her book. In result, her hard work paid off, and it became a bestseller and a movie. This shows how powerful it is to market directly to readers and to never give up.
Another example is Michael J. Sullivan who built his fanbase for "The Riyria Revelations" by participating with online communities and relying on readers to spread the word. Also, Hugh Howey's success with "Wool" was due to him marketing on Amazon KDP and making smart choices about his book's rights.
In short, marketing your book through libraries, Amazon marketing services, bookstores, and word of mouth is all possible without using social media.
How much does it cost to hire a book marketer?
It depends on what kind of help you need, how experienced the marketer is, and how big your marketing plan is. Here's a general idea:
Simple Help
You can pay from $50 to $4000 for basic marketing tasks.
Hourly Pay
If you pay by the hour, it's usually around $50, but it could be between $35 and $65.
Set Prices for Tasks
If you're looking for a full marketing plan that will cost around $1,180. If you want to set up ad campaigns it could be about $910. Next, making your book's information easy to find online might cost around $665.
Ongoing Help
Some marketers offer monthly plans starting around $1,000, which is useful for things like getting media attention and managing social media.
Budgeting
For simple marketing, plan to spend between $500 and $1,000 each month. For bigger, more complete marketing plans, you might need to spend several thousand dollars.
Is Literally Agent and Book Marketer same?
In simple words, no. Literary agent and marketer are two different jobs.
Literary Agents
- They help authors get their books published.
- They find publishers, negotiate contracts, and help improve the book before it's submitted.
- They're important in the early stages of an author's career.
Book Marketing Agents
- They help promote books that are already published.
- They create marketing plans, organize events, manage media, and try to get more people to notice the book.
- One of the companies for book marketing for self published authors is Ace Book Publishers.
Affordable Book Marketing Services
If you're a new author, and you're looking for ways to market your book without breaking the bank. Then you are lucky to find this guide. Here are some affordable book marketing services available for you:
Ace Book Publishers
You can hire book marketing company like Ace Book Publishers to get the best promotions. They provide best quality services including SEO optimization, social media marketing, email marketing, author website and long term partnership at affordable prices.
PaperTrue
You can get started with them for as little as $200. They'll help you shape your book's message to connect with your readers, and they offer things like press kits, social media campaigns, and targeted emails.
BookBaby
They offer marketing services starting at $399. You'll get social media promotion, email campaigns, and your book will be featured in their online bookstore.
Elite Authors
For $249 and up, you can get help with things like cover design, marketing plans, social media, and press releases.
The Bookish Elf
If you're looking for creative social media marketing, they're a good option. They can create engaging content and run targeted ads, and they have options for various budgets.
Written Word Media
They specialize in email blasts and promotions aimed at specific genres.
Reedsy
You can use Reedsy to find experienced marketing professionals who specialize in your genre.
Can you hire someone to market your book?
Absolutely, you can find help marketing your book! Here's how:
Freelancers
You can find book marketers on sites like Guru and Upwork. These freelancers can create marketing plans, run ads, and manage your social media to fit your book's specific needs.
Marketing Companies
Companies like BookBaby and The Book Marketer offer full marketing packages. They can handle everything from social media to Amazon optimization and press releases. Their prices usually range from $200 to $999, depending on what you need.
Fiverr
You can also find affordable options on Fiverr. Prices vary a lot, so you can choose a marketer based on their reviews and how much you want to spend.
Targeted Help
You can find marketers who specialize in specific areas, like making your book easier to find online (SEO), running online ads, or getting book reviews. Services like Bookmarketeers can help you build a strong online presence for your book.
What to consider when hiring a marketer
When you're looking to hire someone to market your book, here's what you should keep in mind to find the right person:
Look at Their Past
- Do they have success stories? Ask them for examples of books they've helped promote, especially in your genre. You want to see proof they know what they're doing.
- Do they know the book world? They should understand how the publishing industry works and be up-to-date on the latest marketing trends. They need to know their way around places like Amazon, Goodreads, and social media.
Check Their Skills
- Can they make a plan? They should be able to create a full marketing plan that's just right for your book and the people you want to read it.
- Are they good at online marketing? They should know how to use things like SEO, email marketing, social media, and online ads.
- Can they write well? They need to be able to write exciting book descriptions, press releases, and other things that will get people interested in your book.
Consider Their Personality
- Are they easy to talk To? Good communication is key. They should be friendly and respond to your questions and concerns.
- Are they creative? You want someone who can come up with fresh and exciting ideas to make your book stand out.
- Do they know the right people? A marketer with connections in the publishing world can open doors for you, like getting your book mentioned in the media or finding people to work with.
What Do Others Say?
Look for reviews and testimonials from their past clients. This will give you an idea of how well they work and if they're dependable.
Wrapping Up
With this guide, you can easily market your self-published book on Amazon and other platforms. Social media, book fairs, book events, author websites, are good in book marketing for self-published authors. If you are not a professional marketer then you can hire one from a reputable company like Ace Book Publishers. Remember, marketing requires one time investment to run for a long time. So what are you doing? Start smart marketing today!
Frequently Asked Questions
If you're thinking about self-publishing your book then great it means you'll be in charge of everything, writing, editing, and selling without needing a traditional publisher's approval. Best way to self publish a book is through Amazon using its platform KDP free of cost.
To get your book noticed on Amazon, you'll want to make sure your book's page is working hard for you. Start by using keywords that people will search for, and write a description that makes them want to read your book. Then, think about using Amazon Ads to show your book to the right readers. And don't forget, ask your readers to leave reviews! Good reviews can make a big difference in whether someone decides to buy your book.
You can use social media to get people excited about your book! It's all about connecting with potential readers through well-planned campaigns. Share behind-the-scenes glimpses of your writing process, discuss the themes in your book, and team up with influencers to reach even more people.
You might find hiring a book marketer really helpful, especially if you're not comfortable with marketing or if you're short on time. A good book marketer can create a marketing plan for you, handle your advertising, and manage your social media. Before you decide, think about how much you want to spend and what kind of help you need.