Some Ways of Promoting a Novel
My debut YA Science Fiction novel: Disconnect was released at the end of January 2013, and although I know that I have poured a lot into getting it polished, none of that matters when you consider the overcrowding that now exists in the publishing world. Novel are released everyday, and the number is increasing. Just because I’ve released a novel, it doesn’t mean anything unless some form of promoting and marketing takes place.
Let’s get one thing straight – I’m not in it for the money. My primary goal is to build a fan base and to hope that readers will want more from me. After that, world domination and a direct link to the Mars Rover to build a base there… Ahem… [Clears throat].
Another thing – what you read below is subjective to what I experienced, and if you have an alternate view, please do comment. Right … Read on to find out about the various schemes I used to market Disconnect, and which worked… or not 
I’ll Advertise your Novel for a Fee.
Did I use: No.
Verdict: I never will.
The biggest scam of the lot.
You will find lots of site that claim to have lots of Twitter Followers and how when they tweet you, your novel will be thrust into the timelines of many. DO NOT hand over your money to them. All they will do is send a tweet with a link to your novel. Will it guarantee sales? Probably not. Okay … some of you are telling me that you know of some advertisers that have 100k followers…. urm… yes… but I bet they also follow 100k. Half of the followers might be fake accounts, or just the you-follow-me-and-I will-follow-you routine. Here’s a tip. When you find someone that claims to have a great hit rate for advertising on Twitter, do a search of their timeline for novels they have promoted. From research I have found that the only person who Favourites and Retweets these adverts are the author him/her/themselves.
Save your money for other schemes.
Book Promotion Sites: Cover Reveals + Blog Tours.
Did I use: Yes.
Verdict: Will use again.
Where a site has built up a reputation of reviewing books in your genre, they usually branch out into organising Blog Tours and Cover Reveals. None guarantee sales, but they will have a wide spread of coverage and can really get your name out there. Plus, whenever a blog (that agrees to participate) posts your cover or an excerpt of your novel – they usually tweet as well. Think about it. Would you rather spend money on a genre-less advertiser (see above) or a genre-focussed promo service? Prices can range from $10 to $300
I used http://www.xpressoreads.com and will use them again. It’s the simplest way to get people excited about your upcoming novel. Of course, you could arrange it yourself, but having someone do the asking and chasing was good for me. Also, you can create a Rafflecoptor prize giveaway where people can win e.g.: $100 Amazon Voucher, a Kindle Fire HD, Copies of your book, etc, and the Book Promo Site can arrange this for you.
Yes, yes, yes, I know this costs money – but when a freebie is offered, people stand up and wander over.
Book Review Sites.
Did I use: Yes.
Verdict: Will use again.
Do a google search for YA Books The top search item = YA Books Central http://www.yabookscentral.com …and guess what … they offer an advertising section which isn’t that expensive. Does it guarantee sales? Unsure, because i just went live with them on Feb 22, but to know promo for my novel will be seen by the number 1 site for YA Books… has to be good right?
Again.. think about it… Would you rather spend money on a genre-less advertiser (see above) or this?
Twitter.
Did I use: Yes.
Verdict: Will use again.
Who doesn’t know about this? It’s easy to flood your timeline with promos for your novel but be careful of offending many. I don’t like it when I get DM’s to buy a novel, or bombarded every day by links for their novel. Use caution. I do promote with 3-4 tweets a day re: Disconnect (and some consider that to be spam ????), but I balance it out with approx 40-50 tweets a day that are about other things. There’s nothing worse than a tweeter who sends the same ‘buy my book’ tweet to every person under the sun.
Remember – it’s free – don’t abuse it.
Facebook Adverts.
Did I use: Yes.
Verdict: Will use again.
You are in total control of what advert you put out there on Facebook. In fact, you could create a funky status update and then promote it for as little as $5 and potentially hit 2-3k viewers. Does it guarantee sales? No. But it does get you noticed, and if they ‘Like’ your author page and start connecting with you, then it’s another form of good marketing.
Goodreads.
Did I use: Yes.
Verdict: Will use again.
The one link I promote more than the Amazon, iBookstore, Kobo, etc, links is a Goodreads link. Why? Because I want people to add my novel as a ‘Must-Read’. Others might follow when they notice that it’s been added. Best thing of all … it’s free!! Woopla! Even if the reader doesn’t read or purchase the novel straight away, they hopefully will at a later date.
Goodreads Giveaways.
Did I use: Yes.
Verdict: Will use again.
This is one great marketing tool. Step 1: Give away a hard copy of your novel Step 2: Send off the novel to the winners You can have as many winners as you want, and you can hold as many competitions as you like.
The positive = People who enter, will also add your novel as a ‘Must-Read’
The negative = Not all will read
The only cost is for you to have bought/created a copy of your novel and then to send. MAJOR TIP: A giveaway in the UK created 100 people adding my book, and the postage cost was tiny. A giveaway where anyone in the world could enter created 800 adding my novel, but the postage costs were high. Think about coverage, but make sure you understand the potential postage costs.
PR Press Release to Papers/Journalists.
Did I use: Yes.
Verdict: Never Again.
If you’re aiming to get noticed, then a Press Release isn’t a bad thing. They normally range from a 1-2 page document that details your novel, you, and purchasing information. It can bring across a professional approach rather than a ‘run-of-the-mill’ published author who didn’t think much about their branding as an author. There are various means to do this.
One – that I used and I now regret – was to hire a company to create the Press Release and to submit to UK Journalists in the hope that i could secure an interview – or some immediate limelight that would burst my novel into stardom. What a fool. The company painted a picture of having links with all of the major players in the UK, and I went ahead. They created a Press Release that was written with quite a few grammatical mistakes, and they only submitted to 8 journalists. In the end, it was a waste of money.
Steer clear of PR companies that advertise online unless they have been recommended by a trusted source.
Okay… that will do… and I’m sorry if I’ve offended anyone with my views.
Please do discuss and let’s find out about what helped you, or what concerns you have.
