MARKETING YOUR INDIE BOOKS

I've recently published two Indie books on Amazon.  Needless to say, advertising is very important, but sometimes I get so bogged down with the minutia, that I wonder if all the time I spend on marketing is worth it.  Sure, my books are selling--Magnetic Attraction much more than The Last Witness, but it's not a best seller yet. You did notice I said 'yet', didn't you?  

 

Below are some of the things I've learned along the way that I hope you'll find useful.

First and foremost--Put out a quality book.  This goes without saying.  If you want the respect of readers, this is a must.  There are so many eBooks published now, both good and some not so good, that your readers are going to be very selective. Don't rush to have your book go 'live' just because you're trying to get it out there.  That's when you'll make the most errors.

•  If you can't afford a copy editor, make sure you print out your manuscript and read it aloud.  You'll be surprised how quickly you'll pick up errors.  That said, this post isn't about advertising my friend's service, but if you're interested in a good copy editor who does it dirt-cheap and she's really good, then email me and I'll pass her information along to you. 
• Have someone else read the manuscript.  Our brains are trained to fill in missing words or read words that are misspelled.  You've seen that email going around telling you if you can read the gobbledegook, you have a strong mind.  Well, I do agree with that, but the fact of the matter is, based on familiarity and your brain, you may miss some glaring errors. 
• It is said, people do judge a book by it's cover.  I've always thought so, but quite honestly, I paid over $300 for the cover on The Last Witness, I thought people would be flocking to buy it.  Yet, my cover on Magnetic Attraction cost me all of $14 and people are buying it like crazy.  Now I know we all believe our books are good, but I've got six 5 out 5 star reviews for TLW, so go figure.
• Make sure your eBook is professionally formatted.  I don't do this myself, and I'd be happy to pass that information along to you as well.  You can email me at carolyn@carolynhughey.com   I know lots of authors format the book themselves, but quite frankly, I think my time is better spent writing. 

Make sure you have an online presence, and keep it current.  Once you develop a following, your fans are going to keep checking in to see what you have to say.  But before you start this, make sure you're going to keep it up, otherwise, you'll lose whatever you've gained.  This is not a sporadic thing.  It's a commitment.  A commitment to your future.  It would be a shame to go through all of these steps and not keep things new and fresh.  So here are my suggestions:

• Launch a website and a blog.  I use Blogger for my blog because it's free and it's easy to use. List your books on both sites with a link to purchase, and keep the list current.  If you've noticed, I have a slideshow of my titles.  People may not remember the name of your book, but they will remember the cover.
• Social media platforms, baby!  Facebook, Twitter, Google+, just to name a few.  It chews up a lot of time.  Honestly, I get up early and do my posts.
•  Wattpad has some open platforms where you can post a chapter or two of your novel for free.  It doesn't take away from your sales, in fact, it helps.
• Goodreads: Once your book is out, you should get involved with Goodreads, a social media platform dedicated to reading and rating books. 
• Join a Blog Hop.  Just Google it and you'll see sites that will allow you to link your blog to the site for a certain period of time.  Believe me, it helps. A friend of mine did this recently and hooked 39 more readers to her blog on a daily basis.  If they like what you've written on the blog, they'll like what you write in your novels.

 Ask for Reviews!  Don't be shy.  We all know reviews are critical to your book’s success.  As soon as your book is released, seek out reviews from as many friends and readers in your social networks as you can. I think any review is valuable, but having a review from a well known reviewer site is especially a big deal.  I just received a review for Dishing Up Romance, one of my traditionally published books from Romance Reviews Today, and it does go a long way.  Here are a few review sites. 

•       IndieReader.com
•       eNovelReview
•      The Kindle Book Review
•       Manic Reader
•       Night Owl Reviews

4.   Free Giveaways: If you write it, they will come, but if you're giving something away for free to make it worth their while, they will make it a point to be there.  And you just might be able to add another fan to your readership.

      Amazon’s KDP Select Program:  As I mentioned above, I have two Indie pubbed books.  The Last Witness is listed on all the available eReader sites, and Magnetic Attraction is listed only with Amazon's KDP Select program.  What this means to you the author is you give Amazon a 90-day exclusive and don't post your book anywhere else for sale. 


      At first I was a bit skeptical, but what I found was this was a very good move for me, especially when I compared the sales from the two books.  The fact that KDP also has a library-lending program is a bonus.  Amazon offers a very attractive incentive.   Check it out.

Media Exposure. This can be as simple as writing guest posts for blogs, or seeking out radio, TV and print interviews.  Search online for all the media outlets in your area and one by one, you go down the list and send them a press release.  The key?  Find an angle for your story that sets you apart from others. 

8.    Consider Pay-Per-Click Advertising. I've been exploring ideas of advertising, but frankly, it's just too expensive for me.  So I've been paying attention to emails that come through my mail loops about tried and true formulas that have worked for some people.  One of the things that seems to be popular is  buying an ad through Goodreads.  It's called Pay-Per-Click advertising and it seems to be working well because you only get charged for those people who actually click on the ad.  The other valuable thing that happens is even if they don't click on your ad, some people will add your book to their 'to be read' list and that's always a welcomed sight.

        We're All in this Together:  Everyday there are more and more Indie groups being organized.  Let's help each other by tagging and 'liking' each others' books.  You know the old saying:  There's strength in numbers, well let's help that along by promoting each others books. Get involved and do your part to help other Indie authors.  If we help each other, we can't help but succeed.  

      Lastly, if you're reading this and you're not an author, let me tell you something I think is extremely important.  Just because you see a book listed for free, or marked down to $0.99, PLEASE do not assume it's garbage.  It's the author trying to get their name out there, so be kind and make your own decision as to whether it's a good book or not.  Don't let others cloud your thinking.

I  I hope I've helped you today! Thanks for stopping by.  I'll look forward to future visits. :-)