The Book Marketing Network

For book/ebook authors, publishers, & self-publishers

I'd like to start a new forum where people can talk about what's working for you right now in marketing your book.

I think this will help other authors to prioritize their activities if they can find out what's working for other people. This would be especially valuable to new authors.

I've share the hottest tool that I'm using right now. And that's Twitter. As you will note on the main page of this Book Marketing Network website, both my http://www.bookmarket.com website and this network have been rising in Alexa ranks (and visits) because of my use of Twitter.

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Alberta, Thanks for your thoughtful reply. Your experience is most helpful and it really makes sense to have a benchmark in terms of one's own sales and following to know when to bring in a publicist.

Good reply.  I used one in relation to being on the Animal Planet's Show "Monsters Inside Me," and I did not sell any books as a result of what I paid, which was about $1500.  But I did get a great television appearance on an Atlanta television show and LOTS of guest blogs on the internet.

I think the key to hiring a publicist is they give you publicity, they do not sell books.  You might sell books as a result of their publicity, but it's not a guarantee.  It was worth it to me for the experience, but I don't know that I would do it again. Probably not. I don't need to pay for that experience again.

I have had the most luck selling my book through social media. Most of the sales I have had so far are from people I know or have made acquaintance with through online writer's forums. It seems that physical book stores are cutting back and some even going out of business. That led me to the conclusion that for my market, young adult and women, I should focus my attention on online opportunities such as Goodreads where I can interact with readers.

 

I sold about 40 books between December and January but haven't had a sale in the last two weeks. I've had a few reviews done and that seems to help as I am getting 4 or 5 stars for the book.  I also am working on my album Paths, and had T-shirts made up with Bad Girl Gone Mom, that I intend to use to help cross-promote the book.

 

I am registered at the Rainbow fair for March 26th. It will be my first book fair and I am excited about that too.

I now have analytics installed on my blog so I can see where people are coming in, and it seems when I tweet the "excerpt" page, some people become curious and come to my site to see more, but they are not necessarily buying. That means to me, my website needs to be modified in a way to make them want to buy the book. The good news is, about two months ago I was ranking in the millions on Alexa and now I am in the 600,000 range. I know that time and my regular activity of providing relevant and engaging material will improve this ranking.

KC,

 

I've just been tracking sales for a couple of years, but I've noticed that March seems to be a down month for me. You may see certain rhythms happen with your books as well. You're doing a great job getting the word out. 600,000 is great for Alexa! I tend to try to stay under 1 million with my blog. I don't post enough to get much lower.

I sell a few books through my editing web page www.abetterword.com

and I have set up a web page for my book 'Having Fun with Retirement'

www.funwithretirement.com

 

Both of these get hits and I sell a few books through links to the major online book sellers.

Now go out and create relationships with all the major retirement sites looking for more great content.

Hi, John,

  I have a copy of your book,1001 Ways to Market Your Book, and live by its suggestions. What works in marketing my books is work, work work and outreach and  also offers to do programs, signings for free. I am speaking at a large library here in NJ tomorrow because I offered to speak to them. I am also doing a reading of a few chapters of my upcoming book Diary Secrets at a local independent bookstore. Your suggestion to reach out again to reviewers, etc, not just let an initial contact slip away was a first rate tip. I contacted  once again the editor in chief of Library Journal about my manuscript, and she may never have it reviewed but she won't forget the title.

   Thanks so much, Alice D.

Hi Luz,

I have not found a way to use Facebook or Twitter for my promoting and marketing. All I'm getting is family, friends and people request me to become friends with them and the their friends. I really want professional contacts.

I do have a website I found today that was sent on my blog www.albertasequeira.wordpress.com. It is loaded with info on marketing and promoting businesses. I'm going to need a good two hours to go through it but I think it will be helpful.

Try it.

 

Luz,  Community counts but don't you want sales too?  Writing and publishing a book is only the beginning.  Promotion can be daunting and not for the faint hearted, but when you're not known, how else will you become known?  You sound discouraged already and you're just starting!  There are many good ideas on this site.  See what fits best for you and your personality.  Find your audience.  It's a bit easier if you're writing non-fiction, but you have to zero in.  If you're on Amazon, set up your author central site and promote yourself.  Get your book reviewed by as many as possible.  There are many websites that will do so for a small charge or free.  Go on "Goodreads" and interact with fellow authors.  I mentioned earlier on this site that I speak at senior communities in my area about my novel, which is set in the area in which the residents live, and then sell books afterward. I send out a proposal to the activities director and at least 80% have given me a positive response. I've also developed a brief flyer that I hand out at coffee shops and other places where people congregate.  This alone has garnered me a local TV interview, a podcast interview, and many sales on the spot.  Use your imagination.  You may come up with something no one else has thought of and you can share it.  Good luck to you and all my fellow writers as we work to get our "works" read.
I didn’t write a book so that I could become a salesman. I wrote a book so that I could say something about my life experience and so that others would find it entertaining and, perhaps, enlightening in some small way. I am not going to give up my valuable writing time to romp around in Facebook, Twitter, and whatever else. If my book doesn’t sell well, so be it. I’d rather be happy, use my time as I wish, and write. It’s a choice. I accept the consequences.
John - I think it's safe to say that NONE of us wrote a book to become a salesman. The need to promote my work was probably the biggest eye-opener for me. You say that you wrote your book to share your life experience and that perhaps others would find it entertaining and learn something. How will they do that if they don't know your book exists and what it holds for them? I'm also working on my next book, but I devote some time each week to promoting my current book. Would i rather be writing? Sure - but until I get enough word of mouth to have my book move on its own, I'll have to be a "salesman."

I actually wanted something to sell, which is why I wrote my book.  Telling my story in bits and pieces wasn't enough.

 

I wanted it out there in a broad fashion so it could get more momentum. Now I am hoping to sell my book into a movie production. 

 

I would agree that many authors don't know how to market, and I am only learning myself, but the fact that they don't have anything to sell, or thought they wouldn't have to sell, is a hard one for me to swallow, but that is just me. 

 

 

 

 

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