Self-Publishing Book Marketing Tactics Discussion Thread

[Dorm Ant]

Following the Huddle chat, I think we need a long-running thread on marketing tactics. This is so that if any of us decide to self-publish, or get trad published on the mid list without much marketing budget, we know what to do in order to reach our intended readership. Please drop suggestions, links etc. in here.

Nothing about querying or submissions, please. This thread assumes you have, or are going to have, a book published as either a print run or digital, or that you are considering self-pub and want to be prepared.

 

[Barbara]

Thanks for starting this thread. You beat me to it.

@Jonny could you please pin this to the top? It would be good to keep this permanently visible as a resource. Ta.

 

[Dorm Ant]

I started this thread in the hope that people would drop in useful links, and also that experienced self-publishers would share hints and tips for the benefit of the rest of us. I asked about this in a huddle and was under the impression that some of the group had given quite a lot of thought to marketing. There are definitely self-publishing writers on here - that's evident from the Marketplace.

So far, silence. Does anybody have any useful information to share?

 

[Eva Ulian]

I started this thread in the hope that people would drop in useful links, and also that experienced self-publishers would share hints and tips for the benefit of the rest of us. I asked about this in a huddle and was under the impression that some of the group had given quite a lot of thought to marketing. There are definitely self-publishing writers on here - that's evident from the Marketplace.

So far, silence. Does anybody have any useful information to share?

I've written a few blog posts on this subject but since my strategies have not brought me any great success, I'd be the last to offer advice. However, what I've noticed is that if you plan your launch well, you are likely to have some success- I did. But that same kind of launch needs to be repeated in other occasions and in other places and towns- However, I'm too old to have that kind of energy and it also needs some resources for: hiring a building, pamphlets, travel... Here's the link to one of my posts. Blogger

 

[JohnBertel]

This Goodreads group seems to have a lot of discussions. Support for Indie Authors

 

[MattScho]

Discussion point:
The giveaway.
What's the best strategy? What has worked for you? How well did it work?
If the idea of the giveaway is to create word of mouth regarding the book, get as many folks talking about it as possible so that there will be more purchasers in the end, then there has to be ways of doing this from bad to best.
I think I screwed this stage up with Chances Are (which has problems, and i really wish i'd found Litopia before I went this route).
My experience was through Kindle, which gives you five days of giveaway, and they can be spread out and used whenever. I clumped them all together at the release, and found that interest took a nosedive after after day 2, so, essentially, I was wasting the final three days. I think the actual numbers were 550 e-books ordered in the first 2 days, something like 30 in the next 3 days. The people from the initial set of contacts who were interested in picking up a copy had picked it up within the first two days.
I think there's a much better strategy for this. I may be wrong, but my guess is that the opening giveaway attempt probably needs two days to meet initial interest. As the initial interest is coming from social media, level one are e-friends', co-workers, etc, those within or adjacent to your bubble. however, purely cynical approach, those who actually know you might just as easily buy the thing, assuming it's at a decent price point (also a discussion point).
Therefore, I wonder if it's a better practice to create the initial interest through social media, goodreads, etc, for a launch at a decent price, then after continuing that mini-blitz effort for a week or so, go in with a two day giveaway?
Whatever, I'd suggest continuing that pattern for future giveaway days. There's a delicate balance between keeping up the campaign to interest people and annoying an existing circle of people you know. But it does tend to work to build interest. Before you hit with the third free day, and then the fourth and finally fifth, I'd think more campaigning would be a good thing. Obviously, after the first round you're hoping for social media shares, to widen the circle. after the second round, it's probably necessary to have identified the potential market for the work and hit that market with posts, and when you've established any traction, try the free days. etc
But, as i said, I think i screwed this up.

 

[Jake E]

A lot of advice that I've seen today says to have three books written. Then offer the first for free, the second for half price, and the third at full price.
The logic being; people will pick up the first one to give it a go because its free. Those that dont like it haven't lost anything and won't leave a bad review because it didn't cost them anything. Those that do like it, are more likely to go for the next book, because it's half price and then you've got them hooked for the last, and any subsequent books you write.
Seems to have worked for a couple of successful self published authors.

 

[Robinne Weiss]

Well, I suck at marketing, so don't have much to add to a marketing conversation. LOL! However, after banging my head against paid advertising for way too long, with little success, I've decided to focus on something completely different. Something that uses my excellent natural history interpretation skills, rather than relying on my appalling ad-writing skills.

So this year, I'm creating a series of short mockumentaries about the dragons of New Zealand, highlighting the dragons I've created for my Dragon Defence League series. I'll use the videos as a hook to get reader interest. I'll do press releases when I release each video--the idea is quirky enough that I expect local (and quite possibly national) media will pick it up.

My hope is to not only drive sales, but also encourage more teachers to book school programmes (which are my best marketing tactic, by far--a good school visit can net more income than a year's worth of sales on Amazon).

I've just finished the first video and am testing it with my target market this week. So far, it's been a hit. Hoping to release it soon.

As a corollary project, I'm working with an illustrator to create a fictional non-fiction book--Dragons of Aotearoa New Zealand. Trying to build that Dragon Defence League 'brand'.

 

[johnsie]

There’s one very big problem with marketing. Let me tell you a story.

I used to run a pop group back in the eighties. We had a great publicist, and the first day of our publicity hit was amazing. We did 26 radio interviews, 3 tv interviews, a tv performance, and articles about us in literally dozens of newspapers. I went to bed exhausted and high as a kite.

The next day the phone didn’t ring. I called our publicist and he said “That was yesterday. Today they’ve forgotten you. You have to start again from scratch.”

That’s how publicity works. You need to understand that. It’s a full-time job.

 

[Robinne Weiss]

There’s one very big problem with marketing. Let me tell you a story.

I used to run a pop group back in the eighties. We had a great publicist, and the first day of our publicity hit was amazing. We did 26 radio interviews, 3 tv interviews, a tv performance, and articles about us in literally dozens of newspapers. I went to bed exhausted and high as a kite.

The next day the phone didn’t ring. I called our publicist and he said “That was yesterday. Today they’ve forgotten you. You have to start again from scratch.”

That’s how publicity works. You need to understand that. It’s a full-time job.

Yep. The minute you stop marketing, you stop selling.

 

[CarolMS]

I started this thread in the hope that people would drop in useful links, and also that experienced self-publishers would share hints and tips for the benefit of the rest of us. I asked about this in a huddle and was under the impression that some of the group had given quite a lot of thought to marketing. There are definitely self-publishing writers on here - that's evident from the Marketplace.

So far, silence. Does anybody have any useful information to share?

Though I'm still thinking that I want to first try to publish my novel traditiionally--I'm not sure that I can manage the time and energy demands of self-publishing, nor the cost, at this time in my life--I do also keep the door open to self-publishing, or going the hybrid route, which my particular circumstances might dictate best. Always one to be rather obsessive about information-gathering, I have since beginning to write my novel (years, not months, ago) been reading articles, even a while ago taking a few free webinars, on self-publishing, and I've noticed several information sources seem to have kept up with the evolving publishing world better than others. With self-publishing in mind, I'm sharing a few of those resources with you below so you might check them out.

BOOKBUB PARTNERS -- The blog on this site offers tons of advice and new ideas for marketing and promoting books, with info not only applying to ebooks and books offered via BookBub but to all books avenues of book publishing today. Read the blog, sign up for free to receive regular articles on marketing and promotion, and download their special guides. You'll find lots of FREE useful advice and inspiration.

Book Marketing Ideas

Trying to increase book sales? There’s a wide range of book marketing tactics you can use to reach new readers or existing fans.

insights.bookbub.com

BookBub’s Free Book Marketing Tools | Connect With Readers


BOOK MARKETING TOOLS -- This resource offers a wide variety of ideas and advice on book marketing and promotion, including a blog with useful articles as well as tools to help authors successfully self-publish. Their brief monthly emailed newsletter always includes useful tips.
Book Marketing Tools - Author tools and book marketing tips

JANE FRIEDMAN is an excellent resource for updates on the publishing industry as a whole. Her website offers information on current publishing trends, whether self-, hybrid- or traditional publishing, as well as tips on everything from the latest technology, craft, and market and promotions. This link is to the section of her site that focuses on self-publishing.
Start Here: How to Self-Publish Your Book | Jane Friedman

Hope this is helpful!

 

[CarolMS]

Just realized I can edit my first post to add this, so I did so.

Book Marketing Ideas

Trying to increase book sales? There’s a wide range of book marketing tactics you can use to reach new readers or existing fans.

insights.bookbub.com

 

[CarolMS]

I've written a few blog posts on this subject but since my strategies have not brought me any great success, I'd be the last to offer advice. However, what I've noticed is that if you plan your launch well, you are likely to have some success- I did. But that same kind of launch needs to be repeated in other occasions and in other places and towns- However, I'm too old to have that kind of energy and it also needs some resources for: hiring a building, pamphlets, travel... Here's the link to one of my posts. Blogger

I'm not sure if this is the correct link for "the public" to access your blog. I found your blog, though, by googling "Eva Ulian blogger." I looked at it once before, too. So many posts! You've been busy! I didn't see the one for marketing, but that's okay, since I'm not on that track right now anyway, but I do want you to know I like your blog. And that it's easy to find via Google.

 

[Eva Ulian]

I'm not sure if this is the correct link for "the public" to access your blog. I found your blog, though, by googling "Eva Ulian blogger." I looked at it once before, too. So many posts! You've been busy! I didn't see the one for marketing, but that's okay, since I'm not on that track right now anyway, but I do want you to know I like your blog. And that it's easy to find via Google.

Thank you Carol. I've not written a blog specifically on marketing but something akin to that based on my own experience- it's post number 485 "How to Promote Your Book Without Being a Bore" 485. How to Promote Your Book Without Being a Bore And the next post, number 486 is "Book Launching Without Champagne... But!" 486. Book Launching - without champagne - But…!

 

[ChandlerJules]

Silo series Dystopian novels

I've monitored this author’s work since 2012 when he had only a handful of sales on Amazon, but look what’s happened since! (Matt Schofield mentioned that his own marketing created sales which then slowed or stopped when the marketing stopped, I believe) Howie has been Very active with his push and with creating a series. Now they are filming a tv series, will star David Iowelyo.

What to Know About the Books Behind Apple TV+'s Silo (TIME, May 5, 2023)​

Terrific results. But a looong slog of internet drives for sales. To Carol's point: do I have the drive, energy, skills etc. for this additional effort to gain an audience for my work? That is our conundrum.

You can track his very successful efforts. For myself, we get into bewildering rabbit trails of platforms, blogs, content creation, cross-posting, hosting, etc. Read article:

Writers Digest How Hugh Howey Turned His Self-Published Story "Wool" Into a Success (& a Book Deal) Feb 23, 2014​

It’s not just an amazing success story, it’s a new precedent for authors everywhere: Thanks to Hugh Howey, you don’t have to choose between the allure of self-publishing and your dreams of big book deals. You can have both.

Howey’s trilogy of novels, Wool (2011), Shift (2013), and Dust (2013), originally started as a standalone short story titled “Wool” that Howey self-published in July 2011. Reviewer demand led Howey to release four more installments in the Wool saga over the next six months. The Wool novel combines these first five stories into a single volume. Shift includes stories six through eight, while Dust is the ninth and final chapter in the series.

The secrets of the Silo and the characters who seek to know more about its mysteries drive the books and the TV series. Residents of the Silo are told to stay put and those who express curiosity about the outside world get to go there—to clean the Silo’s external sensors. No one who chooses to leave ever returns.

 

[ChandlerJules]

AND a note of caution—Hugh Howey's amazon page shows so many releases, I have to question how far you go with the publicity machine? Or how quality is controlled with the ever churning releases?

 

[ChandlerJules]

A lot of advice that I've seen today says to have three books written. Then offer the first for free, the second for half price, and the third at full price.
The logic being; people will pick up the first one to give it a go because its free. Those that dont like it haven't lost anything and won't leave a bad review because it didn't cost them anything. Those that do like it, are more likely to go for the next book, because it's half price and then you've got them hooked for the last, and any subsequent books you write.
Seems to have worked for a couple of successful self published authors.

Also look at Kindle singles or releasing chapters or novellas?!?

 

[JohnBertel]

A lot of advice that I've seen today says to have three books written. Then offer the first for free, the second for half price, and the third at full price.

But I've also heard advice against free books. The reasoning is that many people will dowwnload a free book even if it's outside their usual genres which confuses the algoritm ao it doesn't know what kind of readers it should show your book to. Who knows?

 

[Robinne Weiss]

But I've also heard advice against free books. The reasoning is that many people will dowwnload a free book even if it's outside their usual genres which confuses the algoritm ao it doesn't know what kind of readers it should show your book to. Who knows?

Ah, but if you give your freebies away with something like Bookfunnel, it doesn't go onto the algorithms and you can require the person to sign up for your newsletter in order to get the freebie. There will still be people who get the free book and immediately unsubscribe from your newsletter, but if they don't do that, you've got more chances to connect with them.

 

[TimRees]

A lot of advice that I've seen today says to have three books written. Then offer the first for free, the second for half price, and the third at full price.
The logic being; people will pick up the first one to give it a go because its free. Those that dont like it haven't lost anything and won't leave a bad review because it didn't cost them anything. Those that do like it, are more likely to go for the next book, because it's half price and then you've got them hooked for the last, and any subsequent books you write.
Seems to have worked for a couple of successful self published authors.

This is my strategy for a trilogy I'm currently writing (two novels completed and still trying to secure a traditional publisher or agent). But on Amazon you can't have a book permanently free, can you? I was going to put book one up for the lowest price and take advantage of all the free windows I can use. But is there a popular platform where a novel can be permanently free?

 

[Jake E]

This is my strategy for a trilogy I'm currently writing (two novels completed and still trying to secure a traditional publisher or agent). But on Amazon you can't have a book permanently free, can you? I was going to put book one up for the lowest price and take advantage of all the free windows I can use. But is there a popular platform where a novel can be permanently free?

No. I don't think so.

I think the advice is to release the first book at a price. Make it free temporarily then list it for full price. Wait a bit, then release the second book and make the first book free again and when it's finished, cut the price in half. so book 2 is full price and book one is half price. Then leave it for a bit and release book 3. Once again, make book 1 free, book 2 half price and book 3 full price. once the free period has come to an end, leave book 2 at half price, book 1 and the lowest price you are allowed and book 3 at full.

or so I've been reading...

 

[TimRees]

Thanks, Jake. Sounds good to me.

 

[Nikky Lee]

This is my strategy for a trilogy I'm currently writing (two novels completed and still trying to secure a traditional publisher or agent). But on Amazon you can't have a book permanently free, can you? I was going to put book one up for the lowest price and take advantage of all the free windows I can use. But is there a popular platform where a novel can be permanently free?

If you're wide (i.e. not in Kindle Unlimited), you can set your book's price on the other platforms to $0.00 and then email Amazon and ask it to price match. I did this for a novelette of mine a while ago as an experiment just to see what the uptake would be and if I'd get more reviews. I got a couple more reviews but not many considering the volume of sales it was producing. If it was the first in a series, then it possibly might have created more read-throughs of the following books. Something to try once I self publish a series.

 

[JohnBertel]

On the draft2digital youtube channel they have scheduled a live session "Indie Marketing Success" for June 29th.
I think the advantage of attending live is that you can ask questions.

 

[KateESal]

Direct selling has been my most effective marketing/selling tool so far. There's something about being able to see the whites of the author's eyes and have them sign your mint copy of their book, I guess! I aim to have a stack of books with me whenever there's an opportunity to reach readers. KDP or Book Vault author copies, ordered in bulk (ideally, 20 or more at a time), mean I can save on postage costs and offer them at an appealingly low price.

I'm also getting positive responses from local schools about author visits (having written in the Teen/YA genre, this is a great opportunity for publicity and direct selling!)

 

[Robinne Weiss]

Direct selling has been my most effective marketing/selling tool so far. There's something about being able to see the whites of the author's eyes and have them sign your mint copy of their book, I guess! I aim to have a stack of books with me whenever there's an opportunity to reach readers. KDP or Book Vault author copies, ordered in bulk (ideally, 20 or more at a time), mean I can save on postage costs and offer them at an appealingly low price.

I'm also getting positive responses from local schools about author visits (having written in the Teen/YA genre, this is a great opportunity for publicity and direct selling!)

Yes, school visits can be great--I can make as much in one day at a school as I do all year on Amazon. You've got to be in the right place to make it work for you. I know Kiwi authors who've moved to Australia because there simply aren't enough schools in NZ to make the school gig work as a full-time thing.

 

[Hannah F]

School visits is why I have to trad publish at least one book. Here in Scotland, schools book visits through the Scottish Book Trust and, archaic as it may be, the SBT only accept traditionally published authors onto their list.

 

[KateESal]

School visits is why I have to trad publish at least one book. Here in Scotland, schools book visits through the Scottish Book Trust and, archaic as it may be, the SBT only accept traditionally published authors onto their list.

Ah, that's annoying...

 

[Rachel Caldecott]

I've written a few blog posts on this subject but since my strategies have not brought me any great success, I'd be the last to offer advice. However, what I've noticed is that if you plan your launch well, you are likely to have some success- I did. But that same kind of launch needs to be repeated in other occasions and in other places and towns- However, I'm too old to have that kind of energy and it also needs some resources for: hiring a building, pamphlets, travel... Here's the link to one of my posts. Blogger

Hey, Eva, I've started reading your blog. It's very good.
However, I have to confess that I haven't read any more of your book because I've been very busy. I shall start it when things settle down in a few weeks. I'm really looking forward to it.
Baci!

 

[Eva Ulian]

Hey, Eva, I've started reading your blog. It's very good.
However, I have to confess that I haven't read any more of your book because I've been very busy. I shall start it when things settle down in a few weeks. I'm really looking forward to it.
Baci!

Hello Rachel... I wondered if you ever got it I hope it helps with your Italian. xxx