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Budget Book Marketing for Authors

Practical, low-cost approaches to promoting your books

By Susie KearleyPublished 2 years ago 3 min read
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(c) Susie Kearley

I’m a freelance writer by profession and I also write books, sometimes traditionally published, sometimes self-published. I’m responsible for almost all the marketing. So here are some of my best tips for promoting your books…

Use the power of social media wisely

Build a good social media following by engaging with followers and providing quality content, so people look out for your posts. ‘Quality content’ means useful information, tips, links to interesting blogs, and insights into your work or books. This raises awareness — the first rule of marketing.

Avoid bad habits, like using too many hashtags or tagging 50 friends, as this can feel spammy.

Remember, the first rule of social media is ‘be social’! Engage with your followers, offering useful information, helpful comments, support and responsiveness! That’ll get your followers on your side, so they’re interested in what you have to say!

Tell people about your book, but NOT all the time!

Too many posts telling people that you have a book can be annoying. Consider ways to chat about your book in other contexts.

  • Share reviews, press appearances, and articles;
  • Create a book trailer;
  • Talk about how the sales are going — share your stats;
  • Share pictures of your book in the wild!

Write articles

Write articles to raise awareness of your books. Some of my promotional articles have appeared on blogs or websites; some have appeared in the local press or in magazines.

Organize a blog tour

Offering to make a guest appearance on book blogger sites is a good way to raise awareness of your work. I did some Q&As. Blogs can be particularly good if they have a big following and a niche — so, for example, they specialise in science fiction, or romance (assuming you write in that genre). Here's one of my guest blogs

Ask for reviews

Book reviewers will share their reviews on social media. There are no guarantees a reviewer will like your book, but that’s a risk you take. Rosie’s Book Review Team is very active. Here’s a review they did for me.

There are lots of book reviewers on social media — seek some out and offer them a complimentary copy of your book.

Radio interviews

Radio shows often include author interviews. Get in touch with your local radio station — perhaps they can fit you in. BBC Three Counties Radio approached me for an interview. It was terrifying, but don’t let that put you off!

Do talks at events

Whether you’re a confident speaker at literary festivals, or feel more comfortable talking to the local Women’s Institutes, there are lots of opportunities to do talks about your books.

Consider receptive audiences at writers’ groups, art festivals, and possibly horticultural shows too. Look for opportunities to speak to large groups of people about your work and take some books to sell while you’re there. Some authors shift a lot of copies this way!

YouTube interviews

Some organizations do author interviews on YouTube. I’ve been interviewed by Boomers on Books in the UK, and The Writer Talks in India. Draft to Digital does author interviews too.

Other ways to promote your books

  • Don’t forget to tell friends, acquaintances, relatives, and neighbors when you publish a book with wide appeal. This is a very effective way of generating early interest in your books;
  • Add a book plug to your email signature;
  • Consider running Amazon advertising campaigns;
  • Look into advertising on Facebook, or Bookbub;
  • Get readers to post selfies with your book on their social media accounts— it all helps to raise awareness;
  • Don’t forget to exploit your author mailing list! You do have an author mailing list don’t you? If not, consider building one.

(c) Susie Kearley 2022. All Rights Reserved.

* * *

While you’re here, I’d like to tell you about my debut novel…

PESTILENCE is an apocalyptic pandemic novel, written before covid, which makes world governments’ handling of the 2020 covid pandemic look like total genius. For a fun ride through the apocalypse, check out my book here

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