A friend of mine has a new book coming out in September and was looking for a few tips on how to market it. Maybe it's just the popularity of the online opportunities for promotion or maybe it's just a trend with publishers putting more of the responsibility for book promotion on authors, but it seems like more authors are adopting a DIY approach to book promotion to get their books noticed.
I've done a little research that I thought I'd share. And since The Gardner Heist is the most recent book I've read, I'm using it as the example. The story is about the world's largest unsolved art theft which occurred in Boston about 20 years ago at the Isabella Gardner Museum. It's a great read!
Start With A Website
Everyone needs a home base that you can drive all of your online traffic to. Ulrich Boser, the author of the Gardner Heist started with a website for gathering information while writing the book to gather tips. Now, he has a site which includes information on his articles, books, bio, and appearances. The site includes new information about the book along with links on how to buy it online and how to contact the author and his PR person for more information.
Utilize Online Marketing Tools
The Gardner Heist has both a Facebook page and a MySpace page. The Facebook page falls under the "Entertainment and Arts - Books and Literature" category where many groups are created around books. There is a video for the book on YouTube featuring images of the stolen artwork and the author talking about why he wrote the book and it ends with information on how to contact the FBI if you have any information on the missing artwork. There's a blog about the book and thoughts on similar crimes and the author is on Twitter to keep promotion going. All online activity should get started months before the book is out to help build the buzz and should be maintained after publication to keep the story fresh and keep your name searchable online.
Don't Ignore "Tried and True" Promotional Opportunites
Book tours that include book signings still work because people love to hear from an author in person. Look into hiring a PR firm to help you set up press and book signings months in advance of publication. Any angle you can think of to tie your book into today's news and differentiate it from all the other content out there is key to your success. Dig down and ask yourself "Why did I write this?" "Who cares about this story?" "Why is it relevant today?" because if you get interviewed, this is what you're going to be asked.
Folks Who Promote Their Books Well
Take a look at how David Meerman Scott promoted his recent book The World Wide Rave and how he continues to promote his work. Head over to see how Suzy Welch is promoting her best seller 10-10-10. Jennifer 8 Lee did a fantastic job promoting The Fortune Cookie Chronicles last year with one of the most interesting blogs I've seen because it not only promoted her book, but told her story while she was promoting it.
There are plenty of great stories out there. There are also plenty of people out there promoting them. Make sure you've figured out your angle as to why you deserve attention for what you've written. Get your book online using all the tools you have available to you that while free are going to take time to keep up to date. For a book coming out in September 2009, the time to start planning appearances and press is about three months in advance. Once you get everything lined up, then get ready to ride the wave....and count your sales on Amazon!
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