Book Marketing Ideas and Strategies for Indie Authors
Congratulations!
You’ve put in the ridiculously long hours, juggled your many demands to make time for writing, and now YOUR BOOK is ready to take its first steps into the world! But, wait!!
HOW do you do that?
It isn’t enough that you wrote the book, completed the endless tasks to get it published (and in multiple formats, no less!), but now you have to
MARKET IT, TOO?!?
Not to worry. In today’s post, we’ll explore some ideas to get your books in the hands of readers.
Book Marketing Ideas: Tried & True Strategies for Indie Authors
1. Build Your Author Brand
We hear these words, but what does it mean to “build your brand”?
It really isn’t as ominous as it sounds. Building your author brand is creating your author identity online. Your brand is how you want your readers to view you.
You’re an author, so you create characters all the time. Tap into this glorious gift of yours to build your author avatar.
Do this by thinking about the online image you want to convey for yourself and for your books.
This will will take time, but it’s well worth it.
Creating your author brand and applying it consistently across platforms is a critical step in successfully marketing your books, especially as an indie author.
Check out 5 Ways Your Indie Author Website Does the Marketing for You to learn more about how having your own website not only builds your brand but also builds your community of readers.
2. Make Friends on Social Media
While all your book marketing eggs should not be put into the social media basket, there is no denying that being active on the platform of your choice can lead to book sales AND help to build your community.
After all, building a community who is passionate about YOUR BOOKS is what it’s all about!
Consider collaborating with other authors or influencers in your genre, and host Q&As and Lives. These can add a boost to your marketing strategy, especially when you have a new book releasing.
Readers love getting a behind the scenes look at your process and enjoy the opportunity to ask questions in the chat. Plus, don’t underestimate the power of a replay for readers just discovering you or when they are looking to explore your backlist.
Hosting book clubs on social media can be another great way to promote your books and to build a strong community of readers.
Now more than ever, people are looking for a sense of sharing and of community, and many look to social media to fulfill that need.
People love to discuss their reading experiences 📚, to look at gorgeous covers 🤩 and to get sneak peeks 🥷🏻 of your WIP!
From their favorite book boyfriends to their favorite steamy scene, your readers are clamoring for a place to shout their thoughts from the rooftops.
Have a gander at Bookstagram, and you’ll see many posts from readers who simply enjoy sharing what they’re currently reading, their wrap-ups, a favorite quote, or a photo of their TBR pile.
Readers know to tag and to mention their favorite author in their posts, making it easy to repost, getting even more eyes on your books!
Also, when looking to add to their TBR, readers search hashtags so they can find relevant content.
relevant content = YOUR BOOKS!
Take advantage of this natural cycle of book marketing!
If the thought of spending time researching trends, designing graphics and incorporating relevant hashtags sounds exhausting, please know these tasks are easily outsourced to a PA.
3. Participate in a Book Tour
Speaking of social media, participating in a book tour on Instagram, for example, can be a relatively low-risk way to market your books.
This is done by reaching out to Bookstagrammers who post in your genre to see if they would be interested in posting about your book. You could also ask if they would be willing to post a review on Amazon and/or Goodreads in exchange for a copy of your book.
Some author PAs and PR companies do book tours as a service, so take a moment to read their package details and parameters and to look at their past posts to determine if this might be a good fit for you and your books.
4. Attend Signings and Events
The energy and enthusiasm at a book signing is truly a sight to behold and to experience!
Regardless of the number of books you’ve published or sold, consider attending a book signing. The hype around these events is palpable, and readers attend in droves.
Even if you don’t have the budget to publish “signing editions,” take advantage of the fact that readers attend these events not only to meet their favorite “known” authors but also to meet new-to-them authors and to learn about the books you write.
Many readers discover new favorite authors at book signings!
At your table, consider having bookmarks, stickers and other swag with a QR code or other ways to get your books and to keep up with you and your future releases. If your books are available to read on Kindle Unlimited, be sure to let your readers know that, too.
Please don’t be dismayed if readers don’t buy a paperback from you in the moment. You’re just whetting their appetite. 😋
Once readers get back home, they sort through all of the swag they received and the photos they took, and begin to build their TBR.
Attending smaller events through bookstores, libraries and local organizations can be another great way to market yourself and your books. No matter the size of the town, most have a local library who hosts events and would likely be thrilled to have you set up a table.
Whether a big or small, be sure to take advantage of networking with the other authors who are also in attendance. People are always looking for others who share their interests and will be happy to support those who are like-minded!
You never know where a connection might lead!
5. Guest Post on Blogs and Newsletters
While you should definitely consider having your own blog and/or newsletter as part of your indie author book marketing strategy (check out 5 Ways Your Indie Author Website Does the Marketing for You), guest posting on a colleague’s is the next best thing!
Not only are you building a relationship with another author, you’re also building a relationship with their (already established) audience.
People are insatiably curious, and your readers are insatiably curious about YOU!
In the guest blog posts and newsletters, share things like your writing process, how you come up with ideas, and about your journey to becoming an author. Anything you’d like to share, your readers will enjoy!
This increased exposure of you and of your books is a powerful marketing strategy that leads to increased book sales.
Again, the creation and nurturing of your community of readers is at the heart of successfully marketing your books.
Some Important Considerations:
When it comes to devising an indie book marketing plan, there is no “one size fits all.” Rather, embark on the strategies that resonate with your personality and with your author brand.
While these are tried and true, it is important to first try the ones that speak to you.
To combat overwhelm, start with just one book marketing strategy at a time. See it through, and then determine whether it was worthwhile (see the section below, “How Do I Know If This Is Even Working?!”).
Many authors identify as introverts, and the idea of “marketing” sends shivers down the spine. Marketing is viewed as being sleazy and sales -y, and that’s the last thing we want to be.
While the process of writing a book is a solitary one, book marketing is not, and you do not have to go it alone!
When you’re ready, Mint Copy Services offers affordable options.
How Do I Know If This is Even Working?!
When you’re spending an inordinate amount of time on something, you want . . . you NEED . . . to know that it’s working.
In a land of uncertainty, fortunately, there are some definitive indicators of success:
NUMBERS
However, just like many authors identify as introverts, many also identify as “non-numbers” people. Fortunately, Amazon posts hourly updates of your book sales in their various formats. Take a look at these. See if there is any correlation with when you ran a certain marking strategy and an increase in book sales.
Plus, your author website analytics provide data for referral traffic, time spent on each page of your website, and of course, book sales.
No matter where you are in setting up your own author website, I am happy to help!
As you continue on your author journey, you may find it helpful to track these numbers to see where the bulk of your sales are coming from. Once you know this, you can better allocate resources to creating a stronger marketing strategy.
If this isn’t in your wheelhouse, this could be a perfect job for an author PA!
Not sure what you need? Let’s chat and plot next steps together!
Your supportive side character,
Lisa