How To Promote A Self-Published Book (aka, How To Accomplish The Unaccomplishable)

I’ll be honest: promoting a self-published book sucks. Local bookstores don’t want your book unless you get articles in local magazines/newspapers. And newspapers/magazines treat self-published authors like dirty beggars. This will change in time, but for now, self-publishing requires a massive dose of self-confidence, a lot of outside-the-box marketing efforts, and a ridiculous amount of hard work. I haven’t cracked the code yet on how to make mahself filthy rich, but I’ve done a few things that were successful. Part of me wanted to keep these successful efforts close to my chest, so that other people wouldn’t start doing what I’m doing and thereby dilute the power and uniqueness of my efforts. But then I realized that if I didn’t share my ideas, I’d be as much of a dickwad as the newspaper editors who don’t want to help self-published authors. So, here are my suggestions for self-pub book marketing. And please please PLEASE feel free to suggest other ideas – I need them!

1. Goodreads is phenomenal for self-promotion. You can offer your book as a “Giveaway,” and people will sign up to receive your book for free. Each time I sign up for a “Shadow Swans” giveaway, about 500 people apply for the free book, and about 100 of those people put my book on their “to-read” shelves. That’s great exposure, and only costs me one paperback copy plus postage. Once the giveaway is over, I write to the people who didn’t win the giveaway to tell them that my Kindle book is only 99 cents, and they can find that here: http://www.amazon.com/Shadow-Swans-eb... (see how I just threw in my own self-promotion there? ☺

2. Self-promote relentlessly. Make a list of every email address you have, friends, family, and coworkers, and send a note to all of those people with a short summary of your novel, a couple of impressive press quotes, and links where the book can be purchased online. I sold a few hundred copies right off the bat with that kind of email.

3. Author talks: as I mentioned, a lot of bookstores won’t want anything to do with you. BUT, your high school will be willing to hold an author talk for you. I sold a lot of books at an author talk at my high school, and it’s a fantastically supportive audience. Also community centers will host author talks. You can also do author talks in peoples’ homes.

4. Libraries: Most libraries will stock a copy of your book if you send it to them. This is a great way to get exposure and costs you next to nothing.

5. MOST IMPORTANTLY, network! I’m still working on this portion. I’m trying to meet anyone I can who works in publishing (if you work in publishing, please email me at laurabama@hotmail.com - I want to talk to you!). I want to meet magazine writers, book editors, bloggers. I’m signing up for writers’ conferences where I can meet publishers and editors and other writers.

I can vouch for the success of the first 4 things, and I’m hoping that #5 will take me even further than the first 4. Keep your fingers crossed for me. And your toes. Legs. Arms. Eyes, maybe even? Cross it all. I need it. And if you work in publishing, holla!!!!