You got a new book, and you’re excited! You should be. It’s not every day that you publish a book. But after creating a book, most authors end up having to market it for themselves. The fact is that publishing is no longer what it was in the past. As a result, authors have to assume much more of the financial risk.

Still, anyone who has written a book knows how challenging it is to get the word out about it, especially after self-publishing. You poured your heart and soul into creating something that you know has value for readers, but finding readers is a lot of the battle. So, if you’ve wondered about marketing your book once it’s written, this article gives you some insights to sell more copies.

Write a great book

The first thing you should do, of course, is to write a great book. And it doesn’t matter if you worked with a ghostwriter or did everything from start to finish. Still, the book you write isn’t necessarily the one that sells the most copies—especially if you’re a newbie writer. However, the book is one you get to control.

In other words, you have lots of freedom if you choose to market your book on your own. For one, you’re not giving more than 50% of the profits to a publisher. And, if it’s a well-written book (it should be!), your job is to get others to love it as much as you do. Moreover, when someone loves your book, they want to talk about it, share it, and recommend it to others.

Create an author platform

One strategy for promoting your book is to create an author website. Part of successfully marketing your book is building an author platform. An author platform is where you share resources and information about your book, excerpts, offer sneak peeks, and engage with your audience.

One of the best ways to create an author platform is by creating an author website. However, it goes beyond it. Of course, you can discuss your book on an author blog, but also include social media accounts. Get creative! Use your author platform to offer exclusive content, giveaways, discounts, and contests that help build excitement for your book.

Create a brand for your book

When people hear about your book, they immediately assess the author. This is what you call your author brand. But your book can also be a brand. After creating a book, you could also create a separate landing page exclusively for your book. Further, you can tailor it to the book industry to help spread the word.

You want to create a brand for your book that highlights what the book is about, any relevant themes, and the genre. You can also use the brand to highlight yourself as the author. And you can provide an author bio. As you create a brand for your book, you should aim to create a brand that is distinct yet familiar enough that people recognize it.

Use paid advertising

Paid advertising for books can be anything from placing ads on social media to creating ads on Google or Bing. Paid ads can be effective when used strategically. Of course, you don’t want your ad splattered all over the place, nor do you want your ads to be too subtle. Instead, you want to position your ad to the right and relevant audience.

Something authors need to remember is that ‘everyone’ isn’t your target audience. Sure, you want as many people to read your book, but you need to get specific. Not understanding the audience for your book can cost you a lot of money in paid advertising. So for your marketing efforts, get real about your audience—especially for paid advertising.

Networking is essential

If you’re serious about marketing your book, join writing groups, festivals, and conferences, and participate in online forums. You can find groups on social media, sites focusing on writing, publishing, and self-publishing. Joining these groups allows you to network with other authors. Further, you get advice from others who’ve been where you are now.

If you are a business leader, make it a point to reach out to your email list. Tease the book you’re writing, and let people know about it when you publish. If the book happens to be an industry book, sign-up to speak at a few conferences. No matter your field or job, networking is vital for success in any venture.

Plan book events and book signings

Before you go out and promote your book, devise a marketing book plan. For instance, consider how you want to promote your book and where you’ll get it promoted. Again, if you’re going through the self-publishing route, after creating a book, you’re responsible for marketing it. So don’t give it short shrift.

Don’t forget, the most important thing to do is write a great book. Once you’ve done it, you can market your book in countless ways. Think of parties, events, giveaways, paid ads, social media, conferences, book fairs, etc. And remember, the best marketing for your book is always word-of-mouth. So talk it up! Once your readers love your book, they’ll share it with others, which will help you reach a new audience—and more readers and fans.

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