After writing a book you feel you finally did it. Thousands of hours in front of the computer finally had a reward, your book is finished and you are ready to sell it. However, if you are a self-published author, selling a book is probably one of your biggest worries, isn’t it? Well, not anymore. Here is a list with the things that you need to do and those that you need to avoid in order to take your book to the next level.
-
Set-up a mailing list to keep your fans updated. Always make sure you include really interesting hooks and enticements to encourage people to join your mailing list. Add short stories, exclusive chapters, previews etc.
-
Websites and social media are also great to promote your book, but always make sure your website or blog is fully optimized and updated. Keywords and tags need to be properly placed and social media buttons should stand out.
-
When it comes to keywords you need to be very careful and select the right ones to place on Amazon, Google etc. Identify 6 to 10 keywords describing your book, its genre, and yourself. Think carefully about those words that will identify you and place them correctly.
-
Prepare blog tours for your fans. Find interesting blogs that your fans really like and organize up to 10 stops for two weeks. Don’t reduce your choices to book blogs, you should also select blogs about interesting things that your fans may love: video games, films, cooking, sports, technology advances etc.
-
Guest blogging always helps. Develop supportive relationships with other authors. This way you can have them as guests in your blog and they can do the same with you. It is a win-win situation that generates traffic for everyone.
-
Make a good use of traditional promotions. Organize book readings and book signings. You can also find local newspapers and magazines interested in publishing something from you. Local promotion always brings new fans and good sales.
There are many things to do, but there are also things that you should never do. Don’t just stand doing nothing. You have to work hard to get what you want. Don’t despair. Never listen to those people who offer you great and easy rewards. There are many people out there looking for inexperienced self-publishers to take advantage of them. Always remember, there are no short cuts to success. Take a minute to think about all these advices and get the show on the road.