“Give and Take” by Adam Grant. “The 4-Hour Workweek” by Tim Ferris. I am sure you can think of a bestselling book that seemed to fly off the shelf because everyone was talking about it.
But did they need marketing? Was there money, time and effort spent promoting and even advertising these books? You bet. And plenty of it.
Whether you publish independently or via traditional means, every author needs to make an effort to promote their book to their intended readers.
Here are some of the typical ways that authors–including best sellers–market their books:
- Ensure your cover design and book title are exciting and relevant to your readership. (I have read that Steven Covey planned to call his book “Character Ethics”. Had he done so, I suspect it would NOT have become an international bestseller.
- Share a free PDF of chapter one of your book on social media and your website.
- Publish segments of their book on social media or as blogs to their list and invite readers to buy the book to find out more.
- Talk about or read from your book at writers’ festivals, book groups or relevant special interest groups, such as industry groups.
- Send your book to journalists who cover your topic–business, design, leadership–and offer to commentate on topical issues of the day (you must be available when they call).
- Make sure your status as an author and your book cover are prominently displayed on your social media profiles and website.
- Advertise in airports (authors are the ones who pay for this). Insist that your book be in the airport bookshops as part of the deal. Only advertise in airports if your readership are travellers.
No book, no matter how brilliant, sells without marketing.
Would you like my download–50 Ways to Market your Book? Email me at [email protected] and I’ll send it to you.