Websites to Promote your Book
Linkedin is a website dedicated to professionals who wish to exchange opportunities and ideas and therefore is ideal for authors wishing to get noticed. Linkedin can be used as a network platform for self published authors to connect with others in the industry such as literary agents and publishers.Goodreads is a huge online bookclub where avid readers can impart what titles they have enjoyed and give recommendations. The Goodreads Author Programme helps authors reach their target audience with your own webpage. You can advertise your book, post a bio, post excerpts from your book and even a quiz about your book. It is recommended that your book is already on Amazon or Barnes & Noble before applying for the author programme.
Shelfali is a part of Amazon. Go to the Shelfali homepage and sign in with your existing Amazon account. Search for your book and you can make changes and additions, such as a rundown of the characters of your book, a logline, the location of your book, excerpts from your book and other interesting things about your book. Shortly, you will find the logline and character list part of your book appear on the Amazon.com page where your book is located.
Sell Your Book Through the Best Book Sites
Author’s Den is a site that brings writers and readers together. Via this site, authors may link to their articles, blogs and other author links. An author page provides a platform for an author bio, details of publications, books and a place for other readers to review.
Librarything, essentially is the largest bookclub in the world. You can capture your book from Amazon or libraries worldwide and add it to your own library for cataloging and adding tags. Create an author profile to help you connect with readers and raise your profile. A Zeitgeist page shows fun statistics about the site in general such as the top reviewers and the most prolific reviewers.
Networks for Authors
The Book Marketing Network as its name suggests is a networking site for authors, epublishers and publishers. Once creating an account you can upload an author bio, picture, details of your books via a My Page and create links to your blog. A forum enables authors to network and exchange tips with other writers. Ask a question through booksellers, book designer or publicist.
Book Blogs Ning is a site for book lovers and writers but is really to let writers with blogs know about you and your blog. Plug your book through a My Page and blog about your book. Start a discussion about your book (but never plug your book in an unrelated discussion). You can post book giveaways and deals through this site.
Breakthrough Bookstore is a site dedicated to the reader looking for that special book by an unknown or undiscovered author. The site is powered by Amazon, by clicking through to find Amazon’s highest-rated indie books. There is an editor’s choice and a shop by category in the site.
Other Sites for Promoting your Book
Further platforms for authors (these I haven’t checked out) might be worth investigation are, Bookwhirl, Indieauthorsunite, Book Daily, Bookhitch and Writetobreathe. Some of these sites are still under development.
Guide to Promoting your Book on the Web
The cardinal rule when plugging your book is never to spam. This will make your appear unprofessional. I myself never plug my books on Amazon or hijack someone else’s discussion with an unsolicited sales pitch. Promoting your book effectively means putting placing it in contextual sites. This means making it discoverable by someone searching for a book like yours. By this means, it will get read, reviewed and even recommended.
Articles on Book Publishing
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Dealing with rejections from publishers
This is an excellent post. Thank you very much for such a concise article on self publishing and marketing your novel. I plan on adding my first novel to KDP within the next two months. I was always told that self publishing should be avoided but the market has changed and we now live in a digital world. I still plan on going the traditional route for my fantasy trilogy but I am very excited to see what happens with my self published novel! I think it will also make a difference to readers to know that the novel was professionally edited. Where would I put such a note? Perhaps at the end of the description? Thank you once again!
ReplyDeleteGlad to be of help! Marketing your novel is a fine art. You simply have to experiment to find something that works. I also found that rewriting your blurb on your bookpage could make a difference.
DeleteSelf publishing is not what it used to be (not to be confused with vanity publishing, which is a rip off.) Nowadays, you don't have to part with a penny (unless you want to order some hardcopies for yourself). That is because the customer can either upload your book on Kindle (no overheads) or print on demand, such as Lulu and Createspace.
Good luck!