Self-publishing a book is a wonderful goal but it certainly isn’t the end of the road. The book does not get into the hands of readers without marketing.

So, how do you get your book noticed, bought and read?

I read somewhere that the best form of marketing is to write the next book. That makes a lot of sense to me as the release of the second book, anthology or short story draws attention to what you have written before.

The business of marketing can take up a lot of time and attention and it’s difficult to get through all the steps you need to market your work and still have time for the joy of writing the next book/story.

This blog will explain my strategy for my own modest marketing plan:

What is your goal?

If you are like me my primary goal was to have a novel published. I don’t need a liveable income from writing. I don’t expect to be a best seller and if I cover some of my expenses I will be happy. So, my marketing strategy was modest and relied on word of mouth and the generosity of friends and family to buy my book and spread the word. If you have given up your day job and have the rent or mortgage due, you will need a much more vigorous marketing plan.

 The basic essentials that I used are:

1. Business cards with an e-mail address and web site address. You can add your phone numbers and address if you choose.
2. A website that is connected to your social media accounts and where you can post covers of your books and have links to the sites that sell your book. Then tell everyone possible that you have a website and ask them to visit.
3. Do regular blogs on your web site and post to social media.
4. Organise a launch party. My release coincided with a big birthday so I invited guests and asked that, in lieu of presents they buy a copy of my book. I then ordered 35 author copies of the book and sold them to friends and family. I sold 34 books with promises of online orders too.
5. I’m a member of Romance Writers of Australia so will take five copies of my books to the 2023 Sydney conference and put them on the Indie table for sale along with my business cards and a free card (A giveaway displaying my artwork)
6. I have advertised my novel on the RWA website and in their magazine Hearts Talk.
7. I paint as well as write so put my business cards of the back of my paintings
8. Copies of my paintings have been made into cards and my website address is on the back of the card next to the copyright.
9. Indie Scriptorium web site also advertises my books. I and my fellow members write regular blogs about the self-publishing process. We have a small but increasing following and go world-wide. My website is linked to the Indie Scriptorium website.
10. Indie Scriptorium will launch a book of our accumulated blogs about self-publishing as well as an anthology of writing, poems, artwork and photograph early next year. Our individual novels and books will be included in this launch.
11. My fellow writers in IS plan to get a display table of art, cards, books and other advertising at local craft markets.
12. I intend to contact local writers groups and offer to give an information session about the process of self-publishing my book. Hopefully sell a few books too.

That’s the plan for now. I intend to review my sales strategy from time to time but now I’m going to start writing my third novel.

Cheers Elsie King

©Elsie King 2023

Image attributed to Creative Commons 2023