Marketing: What works?

[Steven Lake]

Wow, that's kinda neat. Thanks.

[Rightangle1]

What could I do to make my book more marketable given the fact its inspiration??? Im open to whatever you suggest. I thank those who reply in advance...

[neilmarr]

There is one simple and easy answer, RightAngle: There is NO simple and easy answer.

It takes a lot of research, original thought, single-minded effort and hard work to effectively promote a title on a low budget.

There are self-help books by the dozen out there, but in the final analysis it's down to your own dedication and sheer guts.

Good luck and best wishes. Neil

[Rightangle1]

thanks @neilmarr I appreciate your advice...

[JulieMack]

Originally Posted by randyflycaster

There are many things you can do. I'm a fly fishing writer. What works for me is posting articles and memoirs on sites, like ezines, amazines, article snatch, go articles, author's den, etc. The articles link back to my website, which links to my book.

(You are giving other sites the right to publish your articles and stories.)

I also publish on fly fishing ezines.

I'm not sure what kind of book you have, but I'd see if there are any relevent online book clubs, then I'd contact the leader (if they have one) and offer to send him a copy of your book. (Hopefully he or she will have an ereader.)

In the end, however, I believe that promoting a book is a tough, tough go. There are so many books out there.

Randy

Thanks for offering an honest opinion on this. It seems like the marketing and promotion is the hardest part! Didn't know there was a specific eZine for fishing! I guess that is key - target your market!!

[randyflycaster]

I bought a sponsorship on Kindle Nation Daily. Don't know how well it will work. I'll keep you all posted.

I must say that Stephen - he's the blogger - did an excellent job previewing my book.

I think, however, I might have been better off if I had waited until I had some Amazon reviews.

BTW, I bought a grammar ebook. I'm amazed how how much I forgot about grammar. Much of the marketing work I did was probably nullified by mistakes in my books. (I just wasn't able to find good proofreaders.)

Randy

[jrlewis]

My strategy is to put thumbnails of my book covers in my forum signature that users can click on for book information, and then post widely in the forum giving people advice or describing my experiences.

[M T McGuire]

@ JR Lewis I think that's a good point.

I read a book, a few years ago, by this this internet marketing guru guy called Seth Godin. In it he talked about how ideas can catch on and how the most powerful marketing tool is when people love an idea or a product - or in our case our books - they will bang on and on to their friends about how brilliant it is, or buy copies for their friends. Then the friends will like it and so on. He calls these people sneezers, ie people who spread the word about your product like a virus.

OK, so he puts it better than I do but I think what you say makes sense. If you do offer people advice and the benefit of your own experience they are going to be pleased and I for one, defiintely look at the information about people's books on here when they are friendly, encouraging and helpful. I might not always buy them if they're a genre I seldom read but I will, usually, take a look.

Where this might not work, I suppose, is if you're writing the kind of genre nobody else on here reads. Even then, thought, I reckon that if you have put a little bread out on the waters, they might remember you when they're talking to friends who do.

Cheers

MTM

[CJ Archer]

Originally Posted by jrlewis

My strategy is to put thumbnails of my book covers in my forum signature that users can click on for book information, and then post widely in the forum giving people advice or describing my experiences.

You crack me up, JR.

So is the strategy working?

[randyflycaster]

I don't think posting reviews on Amazon - I've posted about 60 - or creaing Listmanias has helped me.

Maybe other writers had better results.

Randy

[Namekuseijin]

Originally Posted by randyflycaster

In the end, however, I believe that promoting a book is a tough, tough go. There are so many books out there.

Randy

yes, but at about 3 bucks and just a click away, I'm more than ready to give authors a chance. Can't speak for others, though...

Btw, can't believe I'm typing this away while heading to my office... Lol

[Namekuseijin]

Originally Posted by CJ Archer

You crack me up, JR.

So is the strategy working?

Surely you guys are clicking on each other sigs, right? Lol

[Janice Daugharty]

I like this idea about compiling an anthology of short stories by various writers. I don't know whether I'm "big" enough to help but you can visiit my web site [Promotional link deleted - MODERATOR] and check. I have published 7 novels and two story collections and have approximately 80 ebooks. If you're interested you are welcome to one of my free stories. You can check them out at most online book sites. Janice Daugharty

[Janice Daugharty]

Originally Posted by randyflycaster

There are many things you can do. I'm a fly fishing writer. What works for me is posting articles and memoirs on sites, like ezines, amazines, article snatch, go articles, author's den, etc. The articles link back to my website, which links to my book.

(You are giving other sites the right to publish your articles and stories.)

I also publish on fly fishing ezines.

I'm not sure what kind of book you have, but I'd see if there are any relevent online book clubs, then I'd contact the leader (if they have one) and offer to send him a copy of your book. (Hopefully he or she will have an ereader.)

In the end, however, I believe that promoting a book is a tough, tough go. There are so many books out there.

Randy

I really don't know what works in marketing ebooks. I'm a traditionally published author who now has approx 80 ebooks at most online book sites. With so many books I have to pick one a day and promote in the usually precribed ways--forums, etc. What baffles me is, say, for instance, when I check Kindle reports the books I've worked so hard on seldom appear, but the ones I've not gotten around to yet are selling okay. Janice Daugharty

[bthrowsnaill]

Originally Posted by Janice Daugharty

What baffles me is, say, for instance, when I check Kindle reports the books I've worked so hard on seldom appear, but the ones I've not gotten around to yet are selling okay. Janice Daugharty

Sometimes marketing efforts seem to be "short tail" (see immediate results), and sometimes they seem to be more "long tail". I also think that they can be both simultaneously.