Author Marketing Resources
We encourage all authors to actively, aggressively market their books. Sure, book marketing professionals may know more about marketing in general, but nobody is more intimately familiar with a book - its content and potential appeal - than the author. Thus, once you familiarize yourself with both traditional and non-traditional markets, you're likely to discover many opportunities that top marketing professionals would overlook.
These are exciting times for authors to market their books! With Amazon sales putting us directly in touch with customers; with blogs, forums and other social media giving us avenues to reach niche customers, we can do so much to get our books into the hands of the people who need them.
If you cared enough about your message to write a book about it (an ominous, yet rewarding task), surely you're itching to make sure plenty of people read it (an often fun and rewarding task)! So start with some of the below resources. Let them guide you to other resources. Don't be overwhelmed by the hundreds of ideas. As you read, make your own customized "To Do" list that you think will work best for your book. Of Kremer's "1001 Ways to Market Your Books," narrow down a top ten list and calendar your top three to start on today.
Consider your personality and strengths as well. If the thoughts of radio and TV appearances give you nightmares, concentrate on marketing through writing (related articles, joining relevant forums, commenting on relevant blogs, perfecting your Amazon presence, etc.).
Click here for an
extensive handout I gave on this topic at a Georgia Writers
Association seminar.
Books
- John Kremer, 1001 Ways to Market Your Books: For Authors & Publishers. Everyone seems to recommend this one, and for good reason. Many, many great ideas.
- Brian Jud, Beyond the Bookstore. Authoritative information and reaching the markets outside of traditional bookstores, which comprise 50% of all sales.
- Jacqueline Deval, Publicize Your
Book! An Insider's Guide to Getting Your Book the Attention
It Deserves. As former director of publicity for
several publishing houses, Deval created hundreds of
marketing campaigns for authors - including many top
authors. Lots of useful information.
- Dan Poynter: Dan Poynter's Self-Publishing Manual. Although it's broader than just marketing, I keep referring back to his many helpful marketing ideas.
- Aaron Shepard, Aiming at Amazon. Amazon sales are so important that we need to make sure we harness all the great tools that Amazon offers. This book and the next can help. (Amazon changes and develops so quickly that books on it are often dated by the time they come out. Look for the most recent books on the subject that are getting rave reviews on Amazon.)
- Brent Sampson, Sell Your Book on Amazon.
General Web-Based Marketing Resources
- http://www.bookmarket.com - John Kremer's site on book marketing
- http://www.parapublishing.com/sites/para - Dan Poynter's site on publishing and marketing
- http://www.bookmarketingworks.com - Brian Jud and Art Salzfass started this site to help authors reach non-traditional markets beyond the bookstore.
-
http://jstevemiller.com/blog - Helpful, practical and
realistic ideas on writing and particularly marketing.
Experiences in Marketing Individual
Books
http://www.customsensorsolutions.com/self-pub.htm
http://freelancewriterblog.blogspot.com/
Finding
Relevant Newspapers, Newsletters, and Magazines
-
http://advertising.about.com/od/mediaguides/Media_Guides.htm
- List of media guides from about.com.
-
http://www.newspaperlinks.com - links to thousands of
newspapers, both American and international, including media
organizations, newspaper groups, associations, etc.
-
http://www.publist.com - 150,000 magazines, newspapers,
journals, newsletters, periodicals worldwide. Searchable by
topic as well as individual publications.
-
http://www.newpages.com - alternative newspapers and
literary periodicals.
-
http://usnewspapers.about.com - categorizes newspapers
by subject. Includes college papers.
-
http://www.blueagle.com - links to syndicated
columnists.
-
http://www.headlinespot.com links to newspapers,
magazines, columnists, etc.
-
http://www.literarymarketplace.com - see the advertising
and marketing section for print media information, including
producer's names, e-mail addresses, etc.
-
http://www.bookweb.org - contact information for major
book review editors. (Go to the professional development
area and click "marketing tools.")
Contributing to Articles for Journalists
-
http://www.helpareporter.com - a free service offered by
Peter Shankman that lets authors/experts know of journalists who
are looking for ideas or authoritative information for upcoming
articles.
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