It’s been a few years since the eBook revolution, and in that time we’ve seen many authors make their way into the world of eBooks.
For some, it’s a great new chapter to explore – for others, it can be an intimidating concept with no clear direction.
No matter what your feelings on this new frontier are, you need to know how to promote your eBook if you want any hope of success! What we truly recommend are the following tips:
- Write a blog post about the benefits of your ebook
- Share your blog post on social media and ask for feedback
- Promote your ebook through email marketing to potential customers
- Offer discounts or freebies to entice people to buy it now rather than later
- Post ads on websites like Craigslist, Facebook Marketplace, and Kijiji
There are many ways in which you can effectively distribute your book, and the best one depends on what type of book it is.
For example, if it’s a fiction novel then social media platforms like Twitter and Facebook can be very effective outlets. If you’re offering non-fiction advice or tips then a blog post might work better for you.
Another option would be to create an informative video about the topic and share that on YouTube or Vimeo with targeted keywords in the title so people who are looking for more information about your subject matter will find what they need.
For authors who want to create their own ebook, this article will definitely come in handy in their brainstorming process.
1. Create an eBook
In the age of electronic readers, a book is not just a physical object. It’s an ebook, which you can store in your library and read on any device.
Every author has their own story to tell. And while there are no rules for writing your novel, there are some tips that will help you get started with creating your ebook:
- Research what Genres Sell Well Online
Do you have the perfect idea for a romance? Or maybe horror is more up your alley?
There are many different types of novels available today, so make sure yours will be something readers like by researching other books within the same category as yours.
- Find Out How Much It Costs to Publish an eBook
This varies depending on which company you go with and what your needs are. Some companies offer free publishing services, allow for customization of the cover, provide distribution to online bookstores like Amazon or Barnes & Noble – all while charging a lower fee than other publishers.
- Check Out Royalty Rates before Signing an Agreement
You can make more money by selling fewer books, but you also risk having your book pushed to the bottom of a list. You’ll want to be sure you’re getting a fair deal.
- Decide if you Want to Self-Publish or Work with a Publisher
Self-publishing has many more benefits, but it’s also a lot of work on your end, and you may not receive the same quality control.
Figure out what it means to work with a publisher – find out whether they will edit your book for content or grammar mistakes, design and create a cover that fits its genre well, distribute copies of your book to major online retailers.
- Develop a Marketing Plan for your Novel
This is the most important aspect of self-publishing and will determine whether or not you succeed in your endeavors. Maintain consistency in marketing across all social media platforms by using hashtags. You can’t neglect any of them because it will affect your ranking on search engines.
- Set a Release Date for When you Want to Publish your eBook
It’s important to keep in mind that release dates are only set for your marketing purposes, so if you don’t have much of a following before the date, it won’t do as well.
2. Write a Blog Post about the Benefits of your eBook
As an author, you know the importance of writing a blog post to promote your book.
How do you write it? It’s not that hard! You just need three things: an idea, some words, and a computer with internet access. If you’re reading this article then you have those three things so it should be easy for you to start blogging now!
What are the benefits of blogging? Well, for beginners it’s a great habit to develop and keeps you connected with other authors in your industry or niche. It will also help build up your author platform so people know who you are when you publish your next book.
Surely, it’s a great way to get more people interested in what you’ve written because they will have something new to read on their computer or phone, and you’ll be able to get feedback on your writing.
3. Share your Blog Post on Social Media and Ask for Feedback
The next step would be to get feedback from people who are not close to you, like friends or family members. They may have constructive criticism that could help make your book even better.
But how do you find these people? That’s where social media comes in handy.
There are tons of communities online where people can read books before they’re published and give their opinions about them.
Plus, some sites allow authors to post a synopsis of their work and ask for feedback directly on the site – make sure to create an account using a pseudonym so no one will guess who you are!
It might also be beneficial for authors to have their own private blog where they can ask for feedback without posting the content to social media.
4. Promote your eBook through Email Marketing to Potential Customers
Promoting your eBook through email marketing is a great way to get the word out about it and potentially increase sales.
What are the Benefits of Using Email Marketing?
- Free. You don’t have to spend money on ads to get promotions.
- Targeted. It’s easier to target people who are interested in your eBook’s genre because they signed up for updates about it. You can also include links on the emails that take them straight to a page where they can purchase your book.
What Should Be Included In An Email Marketing Campaign?
- Headline. The headline should be catchy and include a link to your book.
- Subheading. Include the name of the eBook, as well as any other relevant information such as its genre or price.
- Short Description. Include some basic details about what readers can expect when they purchase it and offer an enticing excerpt from their favorite part of the novel.
What Should Your Emails Look Like?
- Informative emails that promote your work but are not too pushy will likely appeal to potential customers more than spammy ones with flashy offers for products that you may want them to buy.
- Be sure to include links on each email so people have easy access to purchasing your eBook.
- If possible, send out multiple emails per day to make sure you reach as many people as possible.
- It’s a good idea to have a regular newsletter that goes out on the same day every week with updates about your book and other relevant information so customers know what’s going on in your world without having to check social media or email more than once per week.
5. Offer Discounts or Freebies to Entice People to Buy
There are a few reasons why you should offer discounts or freebies.
- The first reason is that, as time passes, the product will likely become less desirable. For example, if someone sees an advertisement for an item on sale and they decide not to buy it at that moment because of the price, but then they change their mind after seeing the item advertised again next week and the price has gone up from $5 to $8 – many people would regret not buying it when they had a chance for only $5.
- The second reason is that sometimes buyers have other priorities such as saving money to make purchases on something more important. For example, if a person is saving money for an upcoming car payment and sees the same product at a higher price than what they saw previously, it could be that they would buy the item now to avoid delaying their purchase.
- The third reason is that people are more likely to make impulse purchases when something’s on sale rather than full price. Therefore, sellers are encouraged to offer discounts or freebies as a tactic for selling more products and making higher profits in the long term.
6. Post Ads on Websites like Craigslist, Facebook Marketplace, and Kijiji
You can take advantage of the many free or low-cost options for advertising on the internet. Some websites allow you to post ads about all sorts of items including books, cars, jobs, and more.
There are a few different ways to find these sites.
One is by using a search engine like Google or Bing to search “post book ad” followed by the name of the site you want to use.
Another way is to go directly into each website and look at their help/advertiser pages which will give detailed instructions on how to post an advertisement with them.
Craigslist and Kijiji are two of the most popular websites for people looking to purchase items locally. Craigslist, in particular, offers a free option for posting classified ads.
The other sites have similar options in that you can post your ad at no cost if it’s under an allowed number of words or pictures (Craigslist sets this limit to 30 words and four photos but Facebook Marketplace allows up to 500 characters with unlimited images).
Facebook Marketplace has become an increasingly popular site in recent years because it is a newer, more user-friendly way to find items that are being sold by other users living near you!
However, if you want to be able to reply directly back to interested buyers without having them go through some hoops first like on eBay, then these are good options for getting started advertising books online.
Let’s Sum Up!
In this article, we have seen different ways to promote your eBook effectively.
People are always looking for new ways to make money. The internet has made it easy to monetize products and services without the cost of a physical location. If you have written an eBook, but don’t know how to promote it, just follow the tips we mentioned above.
The most important thing to do is to make it visible on search engines and directories, including the various eBook sites such as Amazon Kindle and Apple iBooks.
This will help people find your product easily, which increases sales and profits.
