This is when you put your metal to the pedal to the road.
You’ve got some solid marketing pieces together (like a snazzy press release, positive reviews, a professional photo and an intriguing bio) to assist you in successfully self-promoting your book.
Get the Word Out (credit E. Polinsky)
My
fourth clue is how and where to use them. After all, your marketing bits and pieces aren’t much good to you if they languish on your hard drive.
CLUE 4:
Get the Word & the Book…OUT THERE:
• Create a blog/website exploding with promotional pieces, such as the book cover, excerpt, reviews, links to booksellers, etc. (see clue #5 for more info)
• Issue press releases online to free sites like or commercial sites like
• Issue press releases to local TV, radio, and a variety of newspapers, both local & national
• Send more review copies to book reviewing web sites, forums, chats groups, newspapers and bookstores
• Create/order a book marketing video trailer & upload to various video sites, like youtube, previewthebook & book-trailers. (If you need advice, have a look at my BookGloss trailers and get in touch)
• Create/order bookmarks, postcards, business cards or flyers using your cover photo as image enhanced with sample book details, such as summary blurb, reviews, bookseller locations, etc.
• Send these to your mailing lists of bookstores, libraries, reporters, fans, relevant organizations, etc.
• Give them to friends, family, strangers; scatter them around town (dentist/doctor/hair stylist)
• Write articles for related magazines, papers, websites and add book related info to your credit/signature line
• Consider attending conferences and seminars focused on related subject matter; nowadays, these often happen ‘virtually’ so you may attend from your desk dressed in jammies
• Offer to speak at local libraries, professional clubs, etc., and consider guest blogging opps
• Comment on relevant websites, blogs, newspapers and add book related info to your signature line
Wow, if you’ve accomplished even half of the above, give yourself another pat on the back.
If you’ve done more, do a little self-congratulatory twirl. You deserve it but don’t get lazy ’cause there’s more ahead in Clue 5.
