A beginners guide to marketing your self published ebook ebook. A selfpublished author can quickly get their print and ebook distributed to the most important online retailers by using just a couple services, all of which have no or very low upfront costs. Selfpublishing and selling your books from your website. May 03, 2010 using blogs to announce your ebook and promote it. Nowadays, it really pays off to have a baseline knowledge of how the internet works. If you are just starting your selfpublishing journey you might as well get our 2018s best selfpublishing resources article. While selfpublishing has given authors and writers all the tools necessary to publish a quality ebook or paperback, there is one element that remains a stumbling block.
Marketing your book for selfpublishers and indie authors. Aug 30, 2019 a selfpublished author can quickly get their print and ebook distributed to the most important online retailers by using just a couple services, all of which have no or very low upfront costs. To convert your manuscript to the various ebook formats, and to distribute to the leading. How to self publish an ebook in this article, ill go through why self publishing an ebook is a good idea, how to format an ebook for publication, exclusivity vs going wide on multiple platforms, the specific sites available for self publishing ebooks and what information you need, thoughts on pricing, and piracy. A 2015 survey by library journal found that 94% of public libraries offer ebook checkouts and 39% of libraries either purchased or planned to purchase self published ebooks. Theres one crucial thing you must do if you expect to earn anything from your book, and thats to promote it. Before you begin writing your ebook, gentile says you need to figure out how your ebook will sync up with your business objectives.
There are thousands of new books being published every day, but many selfpublished books quickly sink to the bottom of the pile. Amazon provides free tools that you can use to convert your wordpagesopenoffice document to a mobi file. If this all seems like too much bother to take on yourself, dont rush to hire someone to do it for you. May 01, 2017 however, if you dont get the following nine basics right first, you could be wasting a lot of your time, energy and money. Identify your future readers so you can find the right way to reach them. How your book addresses the basic question of the readers you hope to sell it to will be crucial in how well its received in the market. Dont be fooled by expensive selfpublishing packages that claim to distribute your book to thousands of outlets.
Promoting occurs after your book is published and available for purchase. The key is to develop an audience so that on your launch day, you can sell enough copies to get your book to the top of amazon. After publishing your book, youll want to promote it to prospective readers. Grow marketing tools for your selfpublished book marketing your selfpublished book involves a lot of focused work, typically as much work as it took to write the book in the first place. As a writer, i have always been fascinated by the topic of selfpublishing. Marketing your book or ebook is probably the hardest part of successfully self publishing a book. If you are a selfpublished author, there is often some confusion about the difference between marketing and promoting a book. Marketing your selfpublished book the author platform. If youre a selfpublished author, the internet is going to be the number one way you sell your book. Until you know how to market your books, dont pay for a book marketing service. There are hundreds of free and paid ways to promote a book or ebook.
Using virtual book tours, thus using other peoples blogs to promote your book. But if youre willing to do the work, theres plenty of potential for success. Choosing a cheap provider can dramatically reduce your delivery rate, so don. Your book or author website andor blog should be a. How to market your kindle ebook in 10 steps business 2. Your book is finally written, and its freakin amazing if you say so yourself. Your marketing efforts will be focused on the most promising leads, and your. You keep more of the profits youll keep 90% of the profits, compared to at best, 70% if you sell through a retailer.
Then resist the temptation to sell your book to those people yourself. Youve created a kick ass cover that looks, well, bestsellerworthy. Jul 31, 20 get your free ebook about self publishing here. Alchemy, we discovered, has a lot of meanings or connotations, but we continue to run semiofficially with the merriamwebster definition of alchemy as a power or process that changes or transforms something in a mysterious or. Marketing books how to promote your selfpublished book updated february 19, 2020 derek haines 4660 views 0 comments if you are a selfpublished author, there is often some confusion about the difference between marketing and promoting a book. Use the search listing tools amazon gives you so readers can find your book. Another benefit to selfpublishing is that you have complete control over the way you market and sell ebooks. Five tips for marketing your selfpublished ebook to libraries. A 2015 survey by library journal found that 94% of public libraries offer ebook checkouts and 39% of libraries either purchased or planned to purchase selfpublished ebooks. The author has been an internet marketing consultant for over 10 years and this experience is conveyed in the book with clear stepbystep instruction on what to do to sell more of your books. The secret to selling selfpublished ebooks or any kind of ebook or print book, for that matter is to get your link on as many websites and blogs as you can an added bonus to this is that it raises your pr.
Several weeks back, we began this series by introducing the idea that marketingspecifically marketing as regards selfpublished booksis a kind of alchemy. That is the first, most essential step to marketing your book. However, if you dont get the following nine basics right first, you could be wasting a lot of your time, energy and money. You can promote your book yourself with email, websites, and other outreach. Marketing your selfpublished book is tough, hard work, competitive and cut throat. Publishing takes less than 5 minutes and your book appears on kindle stores worldwide within 2448 hours.
Most self publishing books on the market will scare a lot of new selfpublishers away. To put things into context first, here is one clear way of thinking about how to promote a selfpublished book. The benefits of selfpublishing from your own website as well as the big online book retailers include. How to market selfpublished books in the digital world. This can be a great way to sell selfpublished books. Public libraries represent a promising sales opportunity for selfpublished ebook authors.
Banding together with a few other selfpublished authors from the area, so that the stall is really inviting. Marketing your selfpublished book is a time consuming and difficult job. Self publishing is the publication of media by its author without the involvement of an established publisher. Many, if not most authors who selfpublish for the first time make. Ask them to wait to buy it from the store so that there is a history of good sales. In getting a traditional book deal after selfpublishing for her book, replacement child set for a march release from seal press mandel writes of knowing in advance that she had a tough sell on her hands.
Theres a big difference between making your own book and marketing it. With their advice, you can sell your print book or ebook, build a following, and selfpublish more titles for years to come. Self publishing, writing and marketing your own books and booklets is a complete, honest guide with valuable information on how to self publish, write, market and sell howto books and booklets through your own mail order home business. When you boost a post it is like giving your car a little extra gas to get up the hill. However, if your book is complex you may be forced to look elsewhere. Apr 28, 2015 some bookstores ask for fees to host events for self published authors. Weve also provided the programs in the table below to help you. Although it takes a fair amount of work to gather the knowledge and skills necessary to create effective online marketing campaigns.
How to selfpublish a bestseller the startup medium. Online, selfpublishers are more easily able to compete with fullfledged publishing companies. Getting a traditional book deal after selfpublishing judy. Many authors are frustrated because there are so many options for selfpublishing, and they dont know which one to choose or what will be best for their book. Learn why selfediting will only get you so far and why a professional editor is essential for selfpublished authors. It may also apply to albums, pamphlets, brochures, video content, and zines in the traditional publishing model, in which the. We distribute your ebook to the top ebook stores and you receive a high share of all sales. In essence, marketing should start after youve written your first draft, and well before you publish.
Ask the store to order your book from their distributors. There are two main methods for getting your book listed for sale on amazon, as well as a couple of ways to make your book more attractive to readers. Or, you could opt to have an initial print run of several hundred copies to help launch your book, in which case we are happy to quote on an individual basis. There are a variety of ways to advertise via facebook but today we will focus on the easiest and most effective. The art of book marketing is a really good guide book to marketing your self published book.
The reality is that most selfpublished ebooks are lucky to hit 100 sales sorry for that splash of cold water. Marketing selfpublished books explained in 9 basic steps. If the fee includes front of store display for your book and your event, we as publishers would consider that money well spent in terms of its publicity value since that bookstore event forms the cornerstone to the marketing and publicity efforts that follow. Well help you learn how to market a selfpublished book with these basic tips. Check out these tips and discover how to promote your book successfully. A valuable freebie to join your list is necessary if youre serious about selfpublishing. Self publishing tips on marketing your selfpublished. Marketing your selfpublished book self publishing advisor. Congratulations, now youre a selfpublished author with your book floating around in the world. One way to do this is to do ten to twenty guest posts for sites that your niche read. For a selfpublished author, marketing the book can be more important than writing it. So how do you promote your selfpublished book on facebook. Marketing books promote your selfpublished book better. Selfpublish ebooks and paperbacks for free with kindle direct publishing, and reach millions of readers on amazon.
Luckily for us all, the internet provides a relatively level playing field. Submit your book to sites that promote selfpublished books and have a large and engaged audience of people that buy books in your genre. But in answering the question, i will focus on the basics, and proven ways to spread the word and attract potential book buyers attention to help you gain book sales. We are now offering complete book marketing services based on our 101 book marketing ideas. Five tips on how to promote your selfpublished book. This is a fullservice where we work within your budget to get the most out of your promotional dollar. But the good news is that marketing is also about fostering connections and relationships, which can be rewarding to you and your fan base. If you price your ebook too lowsay, 99 centshe may think. There are hundreds of ways to market selfpublished books.
Self publishing tips on marketing your selfpublished book. Some bookstores ask for fees to host events for selfpublished authors. How to list and sell your selfpublished book on amazon. Follow the wise and considered words of advice from irish indie author orna ross, founderdirector of the alliance of independent authors alli, in her post self publishers. Self publishing, writing and marketing your own books and. The idea that anybody with something to say can reach hundreds, even thousands, of readers through epublishingand thanks to the existence of bookselling websites such as amazonis absolutely fascinating to me. A guide for self publishing writers to understand the best. Ask your friends, neighbors, family, and coworkersto request the book at their local bookstores. Jan 08, 2016 4 responses to 8 powerful and efficient strategies for marketing your selfpublished book eileen dandashi january 11, 2016 at 10. Speaking of amazon amazon is the number one place for readers to find books, so your marketing plan should detail how to market your book on amazon. Matador offers inhouse trade marketing and media and pr services for books and ebooks, based on many years of active marketing knowledge and experience. Just as with a printed book, if you want to sell your selfpublished ebook, you need to spend some time and effort on marketing.
Book marketing for self published authors marketing takes planning, organization, and consistent action. You can find these readers by looking at popular keywords for your niche. There are absolutely no costs to you and you can cancel the distribution at any time. Dec 12, 2012 in getting a traditional book deal after selfpublishing for her book, replacement child set for a march release from seal press mandel writes of knowing in advance that she had a tough sell on her hands. How to create your arc cover by joel friedlander on september 21, 2009 26 comments this bookstore was famous for the range of subjects it carried, its steady inflow of new books, and the lively and sometimes erudite people you could meet browsing the narrow aisles looking for an out of print book or a bargain read. Boost your books success and sell more copies of your book by following 20 marketing tips and tactics for selfpublishing authors. The term usually refers to written media, such as books and magazines, either as an ebook or as a physical copy using pod print on demand technology. Do you want to successfully selfpublish in ebook, print and audiobook formats. What does it take to promote your selfpublished book. Ebooks are an alternative or complementary approach to getting your book published. In this post, well discuss top digital marketing strategies to include in your book marketing plan.
Metadata is the piece of information that will differentiate your ebook from the rest and definitely should be part of your book marketing strategies. Selfpublished ebook awards are the perfect way to get your book the attention and acclaim it deservesnot to mention sweet cash prizes. Dec 10, 2012 5 ways to promote your self published ebook turgay birand on december 10, 2012 now that your book is published, you can just sit back, relax, and watch the sales come in. But if you are publishing by yourself and wish to be read by as many among your. I knew i wanted an agent and a traditional publisher, but i also knew that as an unknown memoirist, it would be a tough road. Providing an editor was the role of publishing houses, but now that authors can do direct to consumer, it falls on them to find and hire.
The first thing authors should do before doing any type of marketing is to put together a marketing plan for their book. Getting a traditional book deal after selfpublishing. Five simple ways to promote your selfpublished book. Five tips for marketing your selfpublished ebook to. Earn up to 70% royalty on sales to customers in the us, canada, uk, germany, india. Dec 04, 2014 learn why self editing will only get you so far and why a professional editor is essential for self published authors.
Congratulations, now youre a selfpublished author with your book floating around in. Promoting your selfpublished book on facebook halo. Use a reputable email marketing service like aweber or mailchimp to make sure your readers can easily sign up or unsubscribe from your list. If your book is a simple text document then kdp might be the perfect solution.
There are more than 9,000 public libraries in the u. After that just follow the plan, make adjustments when necessary, and listen to your readers. With a few key steps, an author can build a loyal following, get the word out about his or her work, and get. How to self publish and market a childrens book with karen inglis duration. If playback doesnt begin shortly, try restarting your device. Sep 15, 2014 grow marketing tools for your self published book marketing your self published book involves a lot of focused work, typically as much work as it took to write the book in the first place. Selfpublishing is the publication of media by its author without the involvement of an established publisher. Having all of your selfpublished books available for sale. Youve sent it off to the editor for a spit and shine. Jul 12, 2018 if you would like to sell your self published book on amazon, youll need to know how to get it listed for sale on the website. There is no secret to marketing a selfpublished book online. How to market your selfpublished book why selfpublishing is a longtail business.
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