Hi All, I've recently self-published on Amazon Kindle and due to me having a fairly stable job, I've paid for a sponsored campaign. However, it hasn't been hugely successful. Therefore, I've created a new cover, title and blurb, so we'll see how it goes from now on... I've also contacted bloggers, but they all seem to be really busy, and a whole lot of them are not accepting submissions for reviews anymore. Does anyone else have some good ideas about marketing your book online? I'd prefer online as the book is only available in eBook format at the moment. Social Media is of course great, but what to do if you have a very limited following there? Best, G.
I hear the places to go for this sort of thing is Facebook and Twitter. You can pay to create ads that will reach people with specific tastes, so while you may not reach a very broad audience you will be able to market to a more specific audience that's more likely to like your content.
Thanks! I didn't actually think of paid ads there, which seems silly since it's such a good opportunity. And you can probably decide your own budget, and close the campaing if you are not getting sales from it! It's a fiction book, but rather short. It's a romantic satire (a little inspired by reality shows) and aimed at readers between 16-30. I aim to make it part of a series featuring the same characters. So far, my only campaign is a sponsored ad campaign on Amazon Kindle (I've had 26 impressions and 1 purchase so far! ). I do not have a website or blog yet, but it's something I am thinking about. My only concern is, however, if it wouldn't be better to get a reading base first? Best, G.
Set up a website with a blog. It's easy and cheap enough to do these days, and you could have a link to the Amazon page. Also, use Facebook and Twitter to get the word out.
How good is it to have a website/blog if nobody knows about it or the author? Is it like fishing in the middle of the ocean with 10lb test line hoping to catch a shark?
I'm not sure how much good it's doing, but I set up my blog with the hope of generating some small bit of name recognition in the event that I ever publish anything. Which would require that I get writing, of course.
Hi, I suggest you surf the Cafe at Kindleboards - they are much more into the marketing side of things and there are loads of threads there about what's worked and what hasn't for various writers. Cheers, Greg.
Exactly. You need one main 'hub' and all your other outlets drive people to it. Mine is my website, and I'm active on Twitter (where I link to my website and Tweet when I have a new blog post). I haven't been very active lately but it does well when I put the hours in. I'm in it for the long game though; building up followers who like the Tweets I make and the blogs I write. When my book is out I'll let them know and hope they buy it. I don't like direct advertising and it doesn't work on me, so I don't use it. If people sense you're selling to them, they're on their guard. If you try to make them laugh or tell them things they're interested in or otherwise give something to them, they're much more receptive.
The most effective thing I have found to date has been facebook. I set up an author page, Lewis McIntyre, which somehow wound up be closely linked to my personal page, Lew McIntyre. It seems that friends of one are friends of the other. But from Lewis McIntyre, I created a post, with a link to my Amazon page, then boosted that post. For a few tens of dollars, a boosted post can reach thousands to tens of thousands of people. My last boost reached 24,000. What is lacking is feedback on sles. I had a number of favorable comments, a number of posts indicating intent to buy, and I sold four books in Australia, which I believe had to have been generated either by the post, or someone sharing. Sales of E&D have been on line, averaging one a day (fifty so far, Kindle and paperback) but most were in February, the surge that comes from friends after initial publication. I am looking for other ideas. I tried BookDaily.com, but I have been intensely dissatisfied with that site. I uploaded Come Follow Me in January, and it was eventually distributed. The website is crap... I had trouble uploading my photo to the profile page, until I realized that I had to re-enter my password twice under "change password". That did not work for my facebook url or website, which has never successfully appeared on my profile. I wanted to upload E&D but when I enter the ISBN, it refuses to accept books by different authors (Lewis F. vs. Lewis McIntyre). A simple tag to tech support would solve these problems but no one ever responds.... I got one unhelpful response out four attempts. I am going to cancel that subscription as being unresponsive and unprofessional. Anyone have experience with BookBubs?
Can I make a suggestion? Perhaps it's time to start thinking outside the box a bit more. Why not start targetting the subject matter? You have written a hugely entertaining BUT also well-researched historical novel. So ...who would be interested in this? People who like history, specifically people who like to read about the Roman Empire. And/or China. Ferret out as many magazines as you can that pertain to history. And if they do book reviews, send them a copy of yours. See if you can get them to review it. I don't see why they wouldn't. The Eagle and the Dragon is presented in an extremely professional way, and you have an impressive pedigree, even though this is your first novel. Instead of just trawling for 'readers,' trawl for readers who are looking for books specifically like yours. You'll find these people by zeroing in on what else they read. I can't tell you how many books I've bought over the years because I saw them reviewed in a special interest magazine. I'd say about half of the books I've got that are about Montana came to me because of reviews I read in the quarterly Montana: The Magazine of Western History, put out by the Montana Historical Society (I've been a member there for nearly 20 years.) Many of the books reviewed in the magazine are fiction. As long as they pertain to Montana history and aren't just fluff, they're reviewed. If you haven't already done it, also experiment with linking your book on Amazon to other books that will be of interest to the same readers. Whenever you look at a book on Amazon, there is always a row of books beneath the main blurb, that contain the same general subject matter or theme. See what you can do to get yourself in among them. And also try to get yourself reviewed in ordinary newspapers or magazines. A review in a Sunday paper or a magazine of some description will reach umpteen people you never will, if you're just building Facebook contacts and blogs. And unlike Amazon reviews, these publication reviews will be impartial. The readers of these papers and magazines know they won't be getting a come-on from a friend of the author. Instead, they'll be getting a review of a new book, written by somebody who knows how to write a review. Of course there's the chance the reviewer won't be 100% positive, but in general they don't waste time reviewing bad books—unless they're so bad they're good, or written by a well-known author or celebrity. If you get a review as a first-time author, it will probably be immensely helpful. Again, I am often compelled to buy a book because of a good review I've just read. These are not books I would have heard of other ways. They just sound intriguing. I'd say I buy at least one book per month based on Sunday supplement reviews from the two newspapers we take. As long as your book is available on Amazon, both as Kindle and in print, you're in business. Now get yourself noticed, but by the right people. Get professional reviewers to review your book outwith Amazon. And make some Roman history buff's face light up with joy, when they realise hey, there's a new book out there I've just GOT to read!
I strongly suggest setting up a website, even as a basic landing page. Wordpress is fantastic for those of us without the web design know-how, as its essentially drip dropping widgets. My website for example is www.nathenamin.com and I think it works as a basic page to direct people to. It can sometimes seem 'crude' perhaps to constantly refer people to Amazon, its almost 'pushy sales'. Direct them to your website instead; people aren't stupid, they know where Amazon is if they're interested. Get them hooked by the website and the sale will follow. Add the website link to your email signature, add it to your forum signature etc. People don't like being pitched; write some blogs to tie into your book then share them online. Of course, at the bottom of the blog add your book details. Its secondary marketing. I don't think social media works just by aiming to sell books. Again, its secondary research. Just use social media regularly and build up a following, then occasionally drop a link. You wont get followers by just pitching a book. People need a reason to be interested in you.
I actually have had a lot more success with social media than with the website. For one thing there are a number of facebook pages devoted to promoting new authors such as PromoteKDBooks. After I friended my cover designer she had dozens of author friends who in turn have dozens of author friends, and through them author promotion FB pages. FB offers, for a professional page, "boost page" at a modest cost. My last boost reached 50,000 people, 2000 likes/follows and many, many shares. That boost just had the standard blurb, which also generate comments and question/answers with people. I am currently boosting a little vignette of history, with the cover, that the Roman Indian Ocean trade was really massive, probably on a par with what was going in the the 18th and 19th century with 120 ships plying annually... and that my three ships were just part of the vast flotilla of merchant ships. And that is generating a lot of interest, likes and shares, for just 25 bucks. As of last night it had reached 6000 people with 80% left to go. Next one will be a little vignette about Liqian, a tiny village in China that plays a very significant role in my story, and yes, Roman soldiers may really have been resettled there in 35BC, and it is also where grape winemaking originated in China. And when I share a boosted page, it also lands on the authors' and promotion pages that are now in my friends list. And sales are showing a definite uptick... interestingly about a third this month are in the UK, and last month 10% in of all places, Australia. So unless I am getting a lot of marketing from my UK friends on this site, @jannert, I seem to be something right. My web page, by contrast, had 200 visits last month.
You've got a bonus that you're employing very well indeed. Your book has links to history, and is well-researched. So you can reach people who not only like to read novels, but who are history buffs as well. In that sense, social media is a great place to advertise, if you can connect with groups that like history, or even that kind of specific history. The Eagle and the Dragon is so enjoyable, I'm sure it will generate its own sales, once people start reading it en masse.
Well yes; I run a history page with 15,000 likes. It helps now, but I had to grow that organically and dedicate quite a lot of time making it a page worth following. Now I can 'take advantage' by posting book stuff to an established community. I highly doubt I'd have the same audience if I was just posting from the beginning as me. My twitter is up to 1250 followers, but again, that is over 10 years posting regularly on a myriad of topics. Just being 'interesting' to followers I guess, rather than being solely book-driven, which would get boring quickly. Establish the Social Media streams, then post down the line. As I said, however, I think having a web page adds credibility, if not actual sales. And I went onto your site yesterday Lew, its a great page. IF I did feel I wanted to check you out as an author before buying, I'd be impressed. That always helps.
Glad you like, it is my first page, and my website is my first, home-made site with a lot of help from Squarespace.
