Earlier publishing a book meant spending lots of time running behind publishers to accept your manuscript and self-publishing a book was a risky task as all the channels to promote and market it were dominated by publishers. Today the scenario has changed and it has become relatively easier to self-publish a successful book. Follow these key marketing strategies to make your self-published book a success:
- Writing a riveting read covers the first 90% of all the work. It is the hardest and most painstaking part. Write the best book you can and then try to promote it via word of mouth. No matter how much money you put into marketing a book, if it is not written well it will not be well received by the audience. An even better option is to prepare the manuscript for a series; this establishes your name as a serious author who has stepped into this field with a purpose.
Identifying your target audience is the next biggest challenge. Analyse your manuscript and according to that decide your target demographic. When you have a target demographic in mind, find out what they like and accordingly make changes to your manuscript to make the book more relevant to the audience. Choosing a niche market might mean less profits but it will definitely solidify your image as an author. Once you have that you can diversify your portfolio and cater to other genres as well.
Be professional in all aspects of your writing. Try to avoid amateurish writing and if needed hire a professional to edit and proofread your book. Have a trusted confidant review your book before it is published and ask for constructive criticism which will definitely help you work upon the manuscript further.
Create a brand for yourself as an author and a niche for your book. Find a catchy and distinctive concept that works for you and capitalize on it. Use the brand image that you create universally across your work be it the book, cover, photos, blog design, social media, etc.
Study the market and accordingly decide the price of your book. Make sure it is neither too low nor too high. A strategically competitive price point attracts more people to purchase your book. After you earn a big name you can price your book to your whims.
Make sure the content that you use for marketing over social media and across the internet has the same consistent brilliance which you exhibited in your book. Some authors put all their effort into writing their book and pay no heed to the marketing content. Remember that it is because of the marketing content a person will end up buying your book so make sure it reflects what’s inside the book.
Make your book easy to find by categorizing it to a distinguished genre. If there are too many themes in your book try and highlight one of the prominent themes and classify your book accordingly
While marketing your book online via social media try not to spam the readers. One post a day is fine but if you fill the readers timelines with your post each day it may annoy them and they might end up not buying the book altogether. Good reviews mean more readers. If you have any satisfied readers then encourage them to leave reviews about your book on different platforms. It will add credibility to your book and will encourage new readers to purchase and give it a read.
Utilize online marketing tools specific to self-publishers to maximize your outreach. One such platform is Amazon, which provides a host of tools to maximize their visibility and reach.
If you follow the above steps carefully you are bound to achieve success as an author. Best of luck!
