Book Promotion

MRomero said...
I was wondering what you have found to be the most effective ways of promoting an upcoming book?

Authors need to promote their own work; it's not enough to simply write the book anymore. Many publishers or distributors have people whose job it is to promote the books to major booksellers, but that's only part of the process. Authors should do what they can to build their own followings. Publishers usually have people who handle marketing (paid promos) and publicity (free promos). You can also hire a professional publicist or marketer; I've worked with a wonderful one and I'd be happy to give a referral.

Much of my readership has come from good reviews of the Ganzfield books. Follow the book blogs and find bloggers whose interests match your book. Check their review policies and ask them if they'd like to review an advance copy. Also let them know if you would be up for an interview and/or giveaway. DON'T spam the comments of bloggers!

Write articles on the topic of your book. List the book in the "about the author" blurb at the end. This is especially helpful for non-fiction authors. There are online sites where authors can post articles on their areas of expertise so journalists can find experts to interview.

Give talks on your book topic through local libraries, schools, clubs, etc. Many local bookstores will host author events for you if you ask.

Blog, but only if you're committed to doing it well. A poorly written blog is like the overgrown front yard of a foreclosed house.

Build up a following through Twitter and/or Facebook. I'm kinda lazy about Twitter; I just set it up so the posts from the Ganzfield fan site on Facebook become my tweets.

Give readers a taste of your work, either through a short story or novella prequel, or by releasing the first chapters of the book as a free download. Make sure that what you're offering as a giveaway makes the reader hungry for more. Also make sure that you have the right to make this available; check with your publisher first!

Make a book trailer, or pay someone who knows how to make one for you. Again, the idea is to create something that makes people want to go out and find your book. Don't put something out that's cheesy or amateurish.

Offer copies of your book in giveaways. We have some up on Goodreads now. --->

If your book has specific appeal to a geographic region or subculture, concentrate on that, rather than casting a wider net.

I hope this helps!