The Importance of Promoting Your Book

After a book is published, an author’s responsibilities are just beginning. Many people think that an author can now relax after the book has been written and begin their next book, but it’s not so. An author must promote his or her book by doing four things that will enhance the book’s success.

First, create an attractive website. People want to know who the author is and what other books have been written. Make sure that your site can be loaded easily. If it can’t be loaded within 10 seconds, visitors will give up. Make sure your images are optimized for web view. Don’t make the site too busy or visitors will feel overwhelmed and give up.

Second, enter contests. This makes your book have more credibility. My first book, “Melinda and the Wild West,” was one of the top ten semi-finalists for the "Reviewers Choice Award 2007." Because it won an award, people will become interested in reading the book.

Third, send your book to professional reviewers. Pick only reviewers who review your genre, otherwise it’s a waste of time. Some reviewers only review established authors, so select carefully so you don’t send your book to someone who won’t review it.

Fourth, write articles for the Internet, newspapers, and magazines. You must publish articles so you will be recognized as an author and it will also enhance your web presence. These articles are important for your book’s success, for the one reason that people are getting to know you. Articles help you and your book to stand out and be noticed. There are some excellent websites to write articles. You may try: American Chronicle, Article-hangout, Go Articles, Ezine Articles, Articles Base, Authors Den, Amazines, Search Warp, and Lady Pens—for women only.

Why does writing articles on the Internet help you as an author? More books are sold on the web than anything else, so a good web presence is important. Before I began writing articles on the Internet, I would do a Google search for my website and my name. It wouldn’t come up. After I began submitting articles, my website popped up on the first page of a search. I was shocked that writing articles could make such a difference. Now when I type my name on Google, it appears 148 times out of 150. What a huge difference!

How do you begin writing for the web? The American Chronicle is a great one because it has twenty-one other chronicles that your articles will be published on. First, you need to send an article to the Chronicle as evidence of your writing skills. They will e-mail you back and let you know if you’re accepted. The other article websites don’t ask for any samples. All you have to do is just sign up and begin writing.

Next, you can search newspapers and journals by going to newslink.org. Find out which ones are interested in the subject you’ll be writing about. Contact the editor and ask if you can write an article for their newspaper. Have an article ready because they’ll need a sample of your work.

Remember that your goal is not to charge them for each article, but to get your name out there so people will know who you are. Once they read a few of your articles, then they’ll become interested in knowing more about you and your book. If you have to begin writing articles free, then do it. You have to pay your dues before you’re recognized. The goal is to get your name out into the public with a good byline.

What is a good byline? Along with your name, you can mention your book and provide contact information—such as your e-mail or website. Here’s a sample byline: Written by Linda Weaver Clarke, author of Melinda and the Wild West, a Semi-finalist for the “Reviewers Choice Award 2007.” To contact the author, visit www.lindaweaverclarke.com.

Remember that an author’s duties don’t stop when the book is written. It’s just beginning. There are thousands of books published every year but you need to get out into the public’s eye and be recognized before your book will be noticed.