This is a running list of things I’ve done or looked at in book marketing resources for my own books. You might find it useful. You might not. I watch / review a a good deal of this stuff while working out or stretching, so…it’s more a of a shotgun approach than a focused resource for authors. If you have other resources you think are better or more useful, let me know. Usual stuff about free offering to get mailing list signup and solicit reviews.
Contents
- Nov 6 / Become a Successful Indie Author
- Nov 6 / How Much Money Do Authors Make?
- Nov 6 / How to Promote Your Book
- Nov 6 / Common Mistakes of Self Publishing Authors
- Nov 6 / How to Promote Your Self-Published Book
- Nov 6 / Tips for How to Promote Your Book Release
- Nov 6 / Strategies for Marketing Your First Book (YouTube)
- Other Resources
Nov 6 / Become a Successful Indie Author
Recommended: Yes. Good quick read from Craig Martelle, with some good nuggets.
Notes: Need at least four (4) books a year to be viable income-wise (unless you knock it out of the park). Write to genre / market (and what you want), at least five (5) or more books in same sub-genre, and not in other genres. Bookfunnel or Instafreebie for giveaways to build newsletter / em list. Recommends Bookbub like everyone else. Recommends Book Report for sales data. Recommends doing business as a biz vs. person, and copyrighting writing (registering) for various benefits (not free). Sample stacked keywords from his Darklanding series:
Space western frontier colonization
Space frontier alien contact
Space opera SciFi evil company overlords
Science fiction colonial adventure
Classic western sheriff saloon
Galactic empire colonization
Wild wet episode serials
He checks keyword efficacy on Publisher Rocket. Good info on publishing frequency, book length (short to go fast), and series on Amazon. Suggests writing 3k / day, which is a lot, but great inspiration for what it takes. Recommends, Help! My Facebook Ads Suck. Worth it just for the rants at the end :).
Nov 6 / How Much Money Do Authors Make?
Recommended: Probably Not. Watched more for masochistic reasons. Basic stuff including advances for trad authors. “Who knows” is basic answer.
Notes: Recent studies show that, recently, it appears there are more high-grossing indy authors than trad (likely due to higher royalties and speed of publishing). More or less the usual shrug, as in, “Who knows?” After that, a lot of related basic about how to produce a quality book.
Nov 6 / How to Promote Your Book
Recommended: Yes. There are some good specific recommendations here from the Reedsy channel.
Notes: See link to keywords DB (hmm. can’t find it). See Books2Read and Drafts2Digital unversal book links. Other common suggestions (reader magnet, etc.). Going wide vs. Amazon only. Bundles and box sets. Getting reviews early by launching paperback before ebook to get reviews upon ebook launch. Newsletter cross-promos with other authors (I need to do this when I have more…subscribers). Find Amazon keywords for ads via automatically targeted campaigns via keyword report; use Bookbub to find books for Amazon product ads. FB automate rotation ads to compare results for A/B comparisons. Also suggests book trailers.
Nov 6 / Common Mistakes of Self Publishing Authors
Recommended: Not really. A bit of a promo for the Book Launchers channel, and very basic. I mean, watch it…fast…if you have a few minutes.
Notes: Don’t talk about yourself too much. Don’t publish DIY cover. Etc.
Nov 6 / How to Promote Your Self-Published Book
Recommended: Not Really. Very basic. Maybe if you’re very new and focused on children’s books.
Notes: Basic book launch checklist. Really liked influencer marketing via Instagram. She saw success here…which I’ve not so far. Book trailer. Actually offered dangerous advice about having family leave reviews–which is forbidden on Amazon. So, you know, don’t. Guest blog posting suggested. Good idea I haven’t tried enough
Nov 6 / Tips for How to Promote Your Book Release
Recommended: Yes, if only for positive messaging about basic stuff. Heart Breathings channel by Sarra Cannon (YA fantasy).
Notes: Published 26 books. Sold more than 1 million copies. Take it slow. Focus on what works for you (a few things at a time). Use / get a checklist for launch (she has some on her site for download). Suggests teaser countdown images on platform pages. Newsletter (of course). Cross promote with authors in same genre only. book blog tours less effective now, but might still be worth it. Very positive message overall. Try things. Learn. Celebrate your accomplishments, even when small. Other basic / common suggestions.
Nov 6 / Strategies for Marketing Your First Book (YouTube)
Recommended? Yes, though fairly elementary. Good interview with someone who charges a great deal for marketing seminars.
Notes: Good reviews and honest reviews are more important than a few five stars. Ask for reviews in exchange for PDF (something of value). Try to get pre-orders and reviews done so you can hit bestseller rank upon launch. Sends PDFs of book to pre-orders confirmed by receipt and invites to live training, to drive pre-launch reviews. Hired company to book her on podcasts (Interview Connections) resulting in 25 podcasts inc. offer of free chapter, etc. Got 20k downloads from free Bookbub, with no measurable upside (not sure if good or bad). No ongoing FB marketing.
Other Resources
Peace
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