7 Tips for Marketing Your Indie Book

Publishing on your own is a big job--authors are not only responsible for writing, but all the editing, cover design, layout, and back cover copy. And then there's marketing.

Some writers have natural gifts for marketing. Others struggle to make the shift between writing and promotion. I've collected seven helpful posts that might make things a little easier.

Reviews
Reviews are a huge part of marketing. Many authors join sites like Goodreads (recently purchased by Amazon) to connect with readers. But if your book is an indie (self-published), it's sometimes difficult to find readers willing to post reviews. Empty Mirror lists ten ways to find reviewers for self-published books.

Buy Buttons
Your book is live on Amazon, and everywhere else. You've got a website set up. Now it's time to let readers purchase books from your site. I never knew how many potential problems could crop up with a 'book page' on a website. Thomas Umstattd is about to solve them all. He's created an easy way to add attractive buy buttons to your site, while still participating in affiliate programs. Imagine, getting paid twice for each book purchase. Right now (for just a few more days), he's running a Kickstarter project, where donors can receive discounts on the product. It's called My Book Table.

Kindle Direct
The Kindle Direct Program at Amazon can give books a much-needed boost at any stage of the marketing game. However, Amazon changes things from time to time. Check out what Lindsay Buroker has to say about what's working (and not working) right now at Amazon.

Kickstarter
If you haven't heard of Kickstarter (and others like it), it's time to check out what this site can do. This site is crowd-sourcing at its best. Worthwhile ideas make money, the not-so-great don't fly (kind of sounds like publishing, doesn't it?) Thomas Umstattd's idea above has nearly tripled the monetary goal he set. But it's important to plan carefully, and learn from others who have traveled there before. One of those is Clinton Kabler, who lays out three basic steps to using Kickstarter for literary projects. He focused on several realities that are important to understand for a successful experience. And Chuck Wendig at Terrible Minds covers some typical misunderstandings with Kickstarter.

Readers
Most authors want readers. And sometimes the best way to find them is by giving things away for free. My post last week highlighted some of the positives and negatives of pricing books low or free. Joe Warnimont lists the reasons why direct email marketing has such a big impact, and how you can entice potential readers to sign up.

 If you're marketing already, what techniques have worked best (or not at all)?  When you become convinced to buy a book, what made the difference in your decision?
Photo courtesy of Stock.xchng

9 comments:

  1. Yeah... I really suck at the marketing stuff...

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  2. One reason I'm relieved not to be published as yet! :)

    ~Debbie

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  3. Debbie- thanks for compiling all of these great resources. I'm definitely saving and sharing this post. I think even authors who go the traditional route need help with promotions- as the publishing houses have less money for marketing now. It's always good to know how to promote your stuff!

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  4. So true. Many traditional publishers only spend marketing dollars on their 'big names'. Everyone needs marketing skills these days.

    ~Debbie

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  5. These are great resources! I'm not so big into marketing yet, but trying to set myself in advance so I have somewhere to market when the time really comes. I'm excited and terrified!

    Shannon at The Warrior Muse

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  6. Thank you for these resources, Debbie. I think we're lucky to have so many resources available and it behooves us to make the most out of every opportunity. Smart tips! Be well...

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  7. Thanks Shannon and Janette. I'm collecting info for the future, too. It's great to have so much available these days.

    ~Debbie

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  8. Hi Debbie! I've been languishing over my lack of marketing skills. This post is just the ticket to maybe get me going. Writing is my thing, but I'm quickly learning that as an indie author EVERYTHING has got to be my thing;)
    Great post.
    Leah

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  9. Well said, Leah! I guess that's the trade-off for more (and quicker) potential profits. Many authors find out they love this aspect of the publishing process. You might discover you're one of them.

    ~Debbie

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