7 Ways to Promote Your Book
bookstore
The desire to write a book is a common one, but the rise of the eBook format means it is now easier than ever to publish one. As more people get used to reading on their Kindle, there is the opportunity to reach an eager audience overnight. Even if the idea of writing a book still seems inconceivable, the format lends itself to all manner of styles, including picture books, reference books, children's books, and many other categories that can even be outsourced. Standing out from the crowd, however, still remains a problem, but the following methods can all be used to help your book find an audience.
Promotional Sites
There are many sites you can use to promote a Kindle book. Some sites are tailored towards free books, while others focus on cheap deals. The best sites typically offer better placements if you pay for inclusions, but you can still find many that do not charge. A few of the higher profile sites include Book Bub, Ereader News Today, Buck Books, and Pixel of Ink, but there are numerous alternatives you can try. Results are likely to vary, so try to help your book stand out with a review or featured promotion.
Kindle Countdown Deal
A Kindle Countdown Deal lets you offer discounted prices for select periods of time. Your product page will display the regular price, the discount price, and a timer showing when the price will rise. You can also set price increments, so the cost gradually increases over a selected time period. Scarcity is a powerful marketing tool, with a countdown timer significantly raising the desire to buy. Amazon also have a dedicated Countdown page, allowing you to be seen by people searching for good deals.
Facebook Advertising
While it might appear risky paying for advertising on a low-cost product, there are still cheap clicks to be found on Facebook. It might be difficult to make any serious profit, but paid advertising can increase your position within the Amazon searches, help you onto a category bestseller list, and earn you some important reviews. Facebook offers a lot of demographic targeting, so you can also reach your ideal customers effectively.
SEO
SEO can be a long and difficult process, but there is an advantage to being on the Amazon platform. Authority sites can rank naturally for many different terms, with less promotion required due to the power of the platform. If you use a relevant title and description, some limited backlinking can help you achieve a prime search position. Ranking can be difficult and precarious for a new site, but the strength of Amazon means you don't have to be so cautious with your search optimization efforts.
Free Bonus with Content Locker
A recommendation from a reader is an excellent way to make sales and increase conversions. Recommendations can be hard to get, so you need to make the process as enticing as possible. Offer a free bonus - a supplementary guide or additional chapter - at the beginning and end of the book. If a reader visits your bonus page, use a content locker tool to protect the gift. The reader will have to like your book on a social network before the bonus is unlocked. This method will increase social shares, offer more visibility, and provide something worthwhile for the reader.
Request Reviews
Selling Kindle books is far more difficult when you don't have reviews. Even a single positive review will add credibility, with a star rating appearing by your title. Most readers won't be inclined to leave a review, so you need to remind them. Readers will be reminded at the end of the book and by email, but you can go further with social media. Start a Facebook group, interact on Twitter, and speak to the audiences on sites like Good Reads. These platforms help develop relationships, leading to a greater likelihood of positive reviews.
Create a Print Version or Audiobook
Using the CreateSpace platform, it is fairly easy to self-publish a print version of your book. Having your book available in both ebook and print helps emphasize the legitimacy of the product, as well as boost sales. Potential customers will look for credibility before purchasing, with a print version helping to achieve this.
You may also want to consider creating an audio version of your book. Audible is a huge platform with thousands of potential customers looking for new audiobooks to buy. Having your book available in audio format it's just one more way for you to generate more sales.
Each of these methods can help build some momentum for your book. One of the biggest issues writers face is making the first few sales, so you need to get past this initial hurdle. When you have gained some sales, received some positive reviews, and started social promotion, you should find the Amazon ranking system starts working in your favor. A good book can sell for many years, so now is the time to get creative.