Replies to This Discussion

Permalink Reply by weservetoo on September 29, 2010 at 7:19am

Hi Lisa, welcome! I'm sure you will got lots of good tips from others, but I would say that if you think outside the box, you can find many ways to market your book. What is it about? Think about places you could reach people who will use that book. I heard of someone who marketed their children's story about motorcycles directly to the stores that sell motorcycles. We have a book for military kids and have found that organizations serving military families, schools on post and community organizations interested in children's issues have bought books. Hope you find lots of great ways to get your book out!

Permalink Reply by Mike Fuhrmann on September 29, 2010 at 12:16pm

Hi Lisa, congratulations on publishing your first book!

From what I've seen as community coordinator at BackMyBook.com, the number one thing you can do to market your book is to build a community for your fans (no matter how small you may be starting). Use their enthusiasm for you to get some buzz going and create some momentum on the internet.

A great way to do this is by starting a simple blog or podcast.

Hope this helps, good luck!

Mike
mike@backmybook.com

Permalink Reply by Bradley Flora on October 1, 2010 at 12:10am

Hi Lisa and welcome!

All the ideas mentioned so far are good ones, and I too would like to ask what is your book is about?

Along those same lines, who is your core demographic?

The answer to this second question will allow you to focus your marketing efforts on "channels" that will contain the demographics that will be interested in your book.

These channels can be physical, like a brick and motor store, or virtual, like social networks, or even a 3rd party Facebook page, that specialize in a specific topic, like motorcycles. These virual efforts can point back to your own website or fan page.

When you post to an online community, make your post as relevant to the topic at hand as possible. Most web users are very savvy and will ignore overt marketing messages that they see as irrelevant. The key is to present information that is either helpful, interesting, or both...and then create a "vector" that points to the more in depth marketing message on your website or fanpage.

I'm repeating myself, but my point is that in regard to placing your marketing message at a low cost out into the world, focus on being relevant to your demographics viewing experience, and use that relevancy to draw them into your pitch....which is of course the reasons why they should buy your book.

Bradley Flora
SPANnet.org

Sent from an android 2.1

Permalink Reply by Brad Poulson on December 31, 2010 at 12:58pm

Lisa,

We all understand the goal of getting “the word out without spending a fortune” and you’ve already begun to receive some great ideas in this thread. Also, I’m sure you are considering your time as an investment and well you should.

Of course, the best way to keep track of your marketing investment is to measure your efforts as part of an overall plan. If you’ve started this process, congratulations, and you’ll be able use the advice you receive here beneficially. If you haven’t officially started a marketing plan process, SPAN offers an inexpensive way to do that in the New Year - become a SPANpro Member!

For less than $90 per year, SPANpro Members get access to SPAN’s Marketing Plan Workbook and educational curriculum (in written, audio, and webinar formats from experts in the Indy publishing industry) that will help you complete it. 

 

SPAN guarantees that this small investment will help you sell more books!  And since you already are a publisher, your membership will provide industry benefits that will help you save money immediately (like SPAN’s shipping benefits through Partnership!).

Finally, this small investment in the Small Publishers Association helps us continue to offer this online community were we can network for better publishing businesses.

 

Please join us at: http://www.spanpro.org/join-application

Brad Poulson

Communications Director