All authors hope that their literary piece will be read and appreciated by most number of people. The purpose of each published book is to reach a great number of right readers and to sell as many copies as possible. Publishing houses rely on book marketing strategies to advertise the book through book fairs, press releases, and digital marketing. For self-publishing authors, however, there are simple ways to help your masterpiece reach a broader mass. Here are five creative and not-so techy ways of promoting your book.
Read it!
There is no better way to let people know about your brand than to actually show and read to them your book. Book reading is one of the most basic forms of engaging the reading public. Public reading can be held in school campuses, local diner or bars, parks, malls and other public venues. You just need to organize a program, invite a famous or respected individual from your local community to read few pages from your book. Make sure to coordinate with the establishment owners or managers and explain to them how the activity is going to be beneficial for you as well as their business and the neighborhood. Lastly, don’t forget to invite local media for documentation and promotion of your event as well as the establishment hosting your event.
Print it!
Your goal is to reach out to many people as possible, you need to have as many materials as possible and make sure it is available to them. And since you cannot possibly give your copies for free, try distributing giveaways instead. Bookmarks, business cards, stickers and posters are the most efficient marketing materials since before the dawn of digital age. Producing your a complete and quality marketing kit is an essential in book marketing strategies.
Air it!
Appearing on TV and inviting people to buy your book is every author’s dream. However, visiting your local radio stations to promote your book is a good alternative and a more feasible goal. Radio hopping might not be as hip and grand as appearing on national TV or YouTube or Facebook, but it has its own following. It might surprise you that many people still turn to radio for their daily fix of morning news and broadcast. Your book marketing strategies should cover all forms of mass media.
Wear it!
Rock stars have their band shirts. Athletes have their jerseys. If movie characters, cartoon heroes, and famous celebrities appear on shirts, why can’t we do it with published books and authors as well? Schools, hotels, and other commercial entities actually invest in t-shirt printing to promote their product and businesses. It can also be done to hype literary masterpieces and rising wordsmiths.
Share it!
These days the phrase ‘share it’ is often associated with file sharing and posting materials on social media sites like Facebook, YouTube, or Instagram. By sharing, I mean actually sharing your book and storing it in a public place for everyone to see. By donating a copy of your book, you are actually actively advertising your book for free. As long as a copy on in the shelf, marketing continues. So save yourself the time, money, and energy and head down to you nearest local library.
These five book marketing strategies may sound odd especially with the advent of online marketing and social media. However, the people you will reach with these simple advertising kits actually have social media accounts and do actually engage with their friends online. Who knows? One of your creative bookmarks might find its way into an Instagram post or your radio stunt might generate a podcast invite.
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