Free Online Book Marketing for Authors
By Sunny Nash
Millions of people browse the web and shop online to make purchases. Why not create web content
promotion and purchasing links that point to you, your books, services and products? Changes in
the publishing industry, like digital formats and reading devices, have caused publishers to scramble
for survival in the digital age, leaving authors the responsibility of book marketing - print and eBooks.
A solid publisher's book marketing campaign may only consist of traditional methods - newspapers,
magazines, book reviews, trade articles, literary journal excerpts, publishing industry listings,
library recommendations, book signings, public speaking engagements, television and radio interviews,
and personal appearances. Although your publisher may also sell your book online, it may be
a good idea for you to encourage your publisher to create Internet buzz that will increase
your book sales, literary credibility and income opportunities.
However, publishers' book promotion budgets are so tight and getting tighter that you
can bet you will not be able to ask for and receive a more extensive marketing program than
the one your publisher offers other authors. With this in mind, investigate the idea of doing
your own Internet book marketing to augment your publisher's efforts. There are several ways
to make and save money using free web resources to create web presence, Internet buzz and a
free book marketing campaign.
Web Content as a Way to Increase Book Sales
To increase your Internet visibility, arrange a free web presence campaign to complement
the book marketing campaign that your publisher conducts or an independent book marketing campaign
if you are self-published. Write and distribute free online press releases and articles to
increase interest in you and your book. In these web distributions, include links to:
• Reviews of Your Book
• Excerpts from Your Book
• Your Author Biography
• Book Ordering Information
• Literary Contributions
• Publication List
• News Coverage
• Speeches You Have Made
• Public Service
To entice web news services to pick up your story for their target audience, keep your
web content newsworthy and lively, and not reading like promotional material. Following news
guidelines, you may be quoted by news services. Being quoted increases your chances for subscriptions
or syndication.By keeping the writing fresh - meaning not copied directly or duplications of
other writing you have already placed on the web in previous articles or press releases - your
stories will continue to receive search engine attention.
When you recycle web content from articles and press releases you have written for submission
in locations around the web, be sure to thoroughly re-write and edit the copy, adding new text,
links, videos and photographs (if the service allows images and videos). By the way, before
you chose a submission service, free or paid, note what features they have available for you
to upload images and video, and add URL links.
If you are not an author, but intend to use your web presence campaign to secure public
speaking engagements to increase product sales or promote your business, your Internet press
releases and articles can cover new product descriptions, announce personnel promotions or
publicize where you have spoken in public or will be speaking in the future. Be sure to include
in your promotional materials as many live links to your relevant websites, blogs, contact
page, ordering information and catalogues as the free press release and article submission
service will allow. And explore several services to maximize your reach.
Compile a list of free internet press release and article submission services that you
can regularly use on a periodic basis to file items. Then, use the same Internet promotion
tools to market yourself, not only as an author, but also as a public speaker, editor, editorial
consultant, ghostwriter, professional writing coach, scriptwriter, speech writer, producer
or whatever your specialty may be.
Another method to make browsing searches easier for prospective customers to purchase
your book and clients to contract your services is to build free websites, free blogs, free
video channels and social media networks. Cross promote all of the Internet media for your
web presence campaign by using URL and blog directories, social network bookmarking, Internet
conversational groups, free search engine submissions, forums, virtual communities and the
cloud. For example, write search engine optimized Internet press releases, articles, blog text,
website copy and comments on blogs, in which you may include active links that point to contact
and ordering information for your books and digital products.
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