The Ultimate Author Checklist for Online Book Marketing

 

Authors write because it is something they are good at and they enjoy doing. The self-published author is quickly learning that writing isn’t the only part of their job anymore. If they want people to read what they wrote, and if they want to make money, they are finding out that an author needs to market their book. Marketing is a dirty word to some because images of shady car salesmen and telemarketers come to mind. While those are definitely methods people use for marketing and advertising, you do not need to resort to those tactics. Marketing is simply telling someone about your product, in your case, your books.

 

A lot of authors think that just because their book is published on places like Amazon that readers will flock to them. This isn’t the case, well, at least not until you start marketing your book. Once you start generating sales on your own, Amazon (and other sites) will start seeing those sales and their algorithms will begin including your book in lists such as “customers also bought”, popularity lists, special promos, direct to email messages to their customers, and more! But you, the author, need to get this process started by effectively marketing your book. 

 

The methods in this article fall into two main categories: passive marketing and active marketing. An example of passive marketing is adding links to your other books in the back of all of your books. This takes a time to do, but once it is done, you won’t have to do it anymore (until you write another book of course). Tips like this will passively help you to drive more sales once you do the initial work required to get it all setup. 

 

An example of active marketing is going on a blog tour, doing guest posts and interviews to get the word out about your books. This will generate buzz and interest which will get people to buy your books. By combining both of these types of methods, you will have an effective marketing engine going that will help you to sell more books. Since you’ve taken the steps to get this checklist, you obviously see the importance of marketing your books so we are here to help you.  Don’t let this become just another thing you look at and forget about! Read through the detailed checklist and print out the list at the end and work through it. Some steps are a one-time occurrence, and other steps are things you should be doing on an ongoing basis, and you may have already done some things on this list, so you can immediately check them off! 

 

Whether you have 15 books published, 2 books published, or you haven’t even published your first book, you need to take steps to establish your brand as an author. When people want to learn more about you, you want to make sure that there are no barriers to this process. Some people will want to read your author profile on Amazon while others will want to check out your website. You want to make sure all bases are covered. Luckily, you may have already done some of these things, so make a nice checkmark right next to them if they are already completed.  Create your website – Having a website is very important.

 

If you don’t know anything about domains, hosting, etc., you can create a free blog at Blogger.com or Wordpress.com. The key is to get a website as a central hub for the rest of your internet presence. Add all books to your website – There should be a page dedicated to each of your books on your website. These pages should include a cover, a description, a price, and links directly to the booksellers. Don’t forget to use your Amazon associates affiliate link to earn a little more money from each sale!  

Create a “Books” page on your site – Once all of your books have an individual page dedicated to them, you will want to create a page that links to all of those book pages. This helps with search engine optimization, but it also provides a central place for your readers to find all of your books. 

 

Create a Facebook page – There is a difference between a Facebook profile and a Facebook page. A Facebook profile will have a limited number of friends allowed, important to create an account. It is easy to post to and it allows your fans to connect with you in another outlet.

 

 Create a Google+ profile – Google is the most popular search engine online, so having a Google+ profile is a no-brainer. When people start searching for you, you want them to be able to find you, and a Google+ profile makes that easier! Plus, you can utilize Hangouts to connect with your fans directly!  

Add links to your social profiles on your website – Once you have created all of those social profiles, be sure to add links to them from your website, so people who visit your site and prefer one social network over another, can connect with you how they want. 

 

Create an email list – What if you could instantly tell 100, 500, or 1000+ people about your book being published, and the message would appear right in their inbox? When you create an email list, your readers will opt-in to the list, and they will WANT to know when your next book is published! Use MailChimp.com or Aweber.com to get your email list setup. Do not skip this step. Yes, it is that important and powerful for driving instant sales.  

 

Put an email list signup form on your website – When you create an email list with one of the companies listed above, they give you a form that you can create and add to your website. This form allows people to easily sign up to your email list! 

Create a free gift to get people to sign up to your email list – Can you draw sketches of your characters? Can you write a short story about the background of your main character or a prequel to your most popular series? Create something like this, and offer it for free to people who sign up for your email list. In MailChimp or Aweber, you can send “welcome” messages, and just include a link to the free gift in the welcome message. Also, be sure to tell people near whereas a Facebook page can have millions of fans. Plus, if a Facebook profile is made to act as a business, they may cancel your account. Stick with a page for now. 

 

Create a Twitter account – This is one of the most popular social networks, and even if you do not know how to use Twitter, it’s the sign-up form that they will get this free gift!  

 

Send people to your website via your social profiles – If you already have fans on your social profiles such as Facebook and Twitter, then be sure to remind them to go check out your website (and to join your mailing list!)  Sometimes people need to be reminded, so be sure to promote your website at least once a week! 

 

Create your author profile on Amazon – You need to login to Author Central on Amazon and create your author profile and link your books. That way, when readers are browsing your books on Amazon, they can easily go to your author profile and see all of your books in one place! Plus, you can add a link to your website and even blog directly on Author Central! 

 

Add your website and links to your books in your email signature – You will be emailing friends, family, companies, readers, and many other people. Subtly and passively let them know about your books by adding links to those books in your email signature. If you don’t know how to create a signature, just Google “_____ signature” replacing the blank with the email program that you use.

 

All of these steps will help you to establish your name as a brand. These marketing steps, while mostly passive, will help you to create a system for your readers to interact directly with you, and a way for you to utilize that unprecedented access to your readers that being a self-published author gives you. Next, we move on to what to do before your book is published…  

 

How do you get reviews once the book is published? Ask for these beta-readers using your social profiles or your mailing list. Create a paperback (or Kindle) version – Your book should be in as many formats as possible. If you planned your book as a Kindle edition, be sure to create a paperback version (easily) with Createspace.com. If it’s in paperback form, you can easily create a Kindle edition of your book with Kindle Direct Publishing. Give your readers options to maximize your sales! 

 

Determine your pricing strategy – If you plan to use discounts or offer your book for free for a limited time at launch, then be sure to plan out your promotions. Contact free ebook sites or bargain ebook sites to get those promotions all lined up! 

 Brainstorm keywords for your book – There are many different places you will use keywords for your book. Your book is about various topics, so create a list of those topics, ideas, similar authors, etc. This will help you to identify keywords to use on KDP, in your book’s description, on your blog, in ad campaigns, and for the types

You didn’t think marketing started after your book was finished, did you? If you wait until then, you will be behind!

 

You definitely want to start marketing your books well before they are finished, sometimes even before you start writing them! If you can generate buzz early, and get a group of fans wanting to hear about the progress of your book, they are almost certainly going to buy your book once it is published because they are invested. If you begin your promotional efforts before your book has been published, then you will see a nice spike in sales when your book is published, which creates momentum and excitement, which leads to more sales and new readers.

 

Here is a list of things that you can do to market your book before it is even published! (Don’t worry if your book is already published. Do as many of them as you can now and remember this list for your next book!)

 

Form a group of authors to cross-promote each other’s books – Find a group of authors that have books similar to yours and connect with them. If you plan promotions at the same time and promote each other’s books, you can all increase your sales!  

 

Post samples and your cover on your blog or email list – If you already have an audience, this will help to get them engaged and interested in your book. Sure, they will all be asking you “Is it done yet?” a million times, but this is a good problem to have. By sharing images, samples, and your cover, you will create buzz which will pay off when the book launches!

 

Ask for beta-readers to give feedback on your book – Just as sharing samples on your blog generates buzz, you can create excitement about your book by asking for some beta-readers to check out the book early and give you feedback. You also need to make sure these readers will tell others about your book and give you your initial set of sites you should reach out to (more on all of these options later on in the list).

 Find hashtags used by readers in your genre/topics – Use Twitter’s search functions and sites like TwiTag.comand Hashtags.org to find hashtags that are used by readers of books like yours. This will help you to find readers to follow as well as give you a good idea of the hashtags you should use when promoting your books on Twitter!  

 

Find Facebook groups and pages that relate to your book – Using the keyword list you generated before, find Facebook pages and Facebook groups that you can be a part of and contribute to. Don’t use these groups to just say “BUY MY BOOK!!!!!” Be helpful, answer questions, follow the promotions policy of the page/group and be a helpful contributor. You will gain more fans by being helpful than by constantly promoting your book.  

 

Find Google+ communities related to your genre – Google Plus has many different communities and there are probably some related to your genre. Do a search on Google Plus and you will find the right groups for you to be a part of. Follow the same etiquette mentioned in the tip above about Facebook groups.  

Find forums dedicated to your genre – Are you a romance writer? Find forums that are dedicated to romance books. These forums will often give you direct access to fans, and they will usually allow authors to contribute by having a signature or a post about their books. Connect on these forums and be sure to link to your author website when and where you are allowed to.  

 

Find blogs that review books in your genre – There are blogs out there that would love to receive an advance copy of your book to give you a review. Seek out sites that are genre-specific to get a better response rate!  

Determine when you are going to launch the book – Just publishing when you are done with a book is a mistake. Figure out when the best day of the week will be to launch your book, the best time of the month, and if there are any holidays to take into consideration. Plus, you want to give yourself enough time to setup your launch promotions.

 

 Book a blog tour – Connect with blogs that will allow you to write a guest post or share about your book. If you can line up 2-3 blogs per day for 2 weeks after your launch, that would help you to create some solid momentum for your book. Use those keywords you thought up earlier to find blogs to reach out to. Be sure to answer any questions from fans in the comment area of the blogs you are featured on!

 

 Brainstorm who your fans are – Much like coming up with keywords, you will want to determine who would love to read your book. Does your main character love her cat? Cat lovers will probably like your book. Does your main character has autism? Reaching out to the autism community would be a good idea. Think about these topics and figure out who would love your book.  

 

Find forums and blogs where your potential fans hang out – Once you have identified who your future fans are, then you need to find out where they hang out online. Just like the forums and blogs related to your genre from earlier, each site will have different rules, so be sure to find the rules and be a contributing member of the community. These people want to be your avid fans, you just have to introduce them to you and your books! Phew! Your book isn’t even published yet, and you have so much to do! If you do these things, it will pay off! All of this prep work will make your book launch exciting and successful!  

The next steps should be completed right before you actually publish the book.   

Alright, you are ready to publish your book. There are a few steps that you can take at this phase right before you hit publish to help you in your book marketing efforts. 

 

Insert links to your other books in the back of the book – If readers get to the end of your book, they will definitely want to read more so putting links to your other books is a great way to get people to buy and read more of your books. Also, edit the files for your other books to include a link to this new book you are about to publish.  

 

Insert other links in the back of the book – You can add other information to draw the readers who finished your book to your website and social profiles in the back of the book (be sure to do this for all books too)… Here is a little list to help you:  

Put a link to your website in the back of the book. Put a link to your Facebook page in the back. Put a link to your Twitter profile in the back. Put a link to your Google+ profile in the back. Mention your free gift that people can get for signing up to your mailing list in the back of the book and provide a link to the page with the email sign up form. Include a “Note from the Author” in the back of the book asking for the reader to post a review – Many times the only readers who leave a review are those with something negative to say. 

 

A little prompting at the back of the book to your reader should get them to leave a review for you! Include the keywords that you brainstormed earlier in your book description – Amazon is a website like any other website so including those keywords in your book’s description can help you rank better in search engines like Google. Amazon is also a search engine itself, so including such keywords in the description, in a tactful and natural manner, will help you rank better within Amazon’s search results as well. 

 

Include the keywords you brainstormed earlier as keywords when publishing – Amazon asks for up to 7 keywords when publishing on KDP, so pick and use the best of the keywords that you brainstormed earlier. Alright… now you can publish your book! Now the major promotion for your book begins, and this marketing engine you have set up so far will help to keep the sales going and will multiply your future marketing efforts.   

 

Alright, your book is published… now what? You’ve hopefully made some connections, found relevant websites, you’ve set up your author brand to get people onto your mailing list and connecting with you socially, and you’re directing them to your books via those social profiles and your website. Now is the time to put all of those avenues together and get the word out about your book! Here are things that you need to do once you have published your book:  

 

Embark on blog tour – Hopefully, you followed the advice given earlier to line up a blog tour before publishing your book. Now it’s time to go on your blog tour and get the word out about your new release! Even if you have a book that has been published, you can follow the same steps to set up a blog tour for that book! Promote your book to your mailing list – You know that mailing list you set up and got readers to join? Well, now you can send them an email about your new book and they will have the purchase link directly in their inbox next time they check their email!  

 

Promote your book on social media – If you have Twitter followers, Facebook fans, and if people have you in their Google+ circles, then let them know about your new release too! Don’t spam all day about it, but a few posts a day, especially when it is a brand new release, will help get the word out to the fans who prefer to follow your social media accounts! Post to Facebook Post to Twitter  Post to Google+ Promote your book on the forums you’ve connected with – On those forums you joined earlier in this process, find the spot to announce new releases, and promote your book! Also, if you’re allowed to have a signature, then add your newest book to your signature!

 
Discount the first book in a series – If your newest book is a part of a series, then running a promotion for the first book in the series is a good way to generate excitement about the entire series. Just discount the first book or make it free, and be sure to mention the newest release in the series! Also, in the description of your newest book, mention the first book being discounted in case people are just finding out about you because of this latest book. 

 

Most of the legwork for your marketing is done before your book even launches. Once your book is published, then all you have to do is utilize the connections that you have already built and tell them about your book! The hard part is building up the fan base, but once you have a list of fans, it’s so much easier to promote your book to them since they WANT to hear about your latest releases and you have the systems in place to get that information to them instantly! The rest is just on-going marketing efforts to keep your book sales going strong.  

 

Marketing is not a one-time event. It is an on-going process, and there are creative things that you can do to get people excited about your brand and your books. The key is to get people on your lists, connected on your social media profiles, and buying your books. Your on-going marketing efforts should revolve around these three things. Here are some ideas for marketing your book and brand on an on-going basis:  Talk about your milestones – Use your mailing list, Twitter, Facebook and Google+ to tell your fans about your milestones. When you’ve sold 100 books, tell them! When you’ve sold 500, 1000, 1500, etc, let your fans know!

 

People will want to be a part of that and celebrate with you, and some will buy your books that they haven’t bought yet to help you with the next milestone! Continue to talk about your books, especially new releases – Use Facebook, Twitter, Google+, your blog, and your mailing list to point people to your books. You especially want to promote your newest releases.

 

Create special bonus content for your readers – Can you write a short story or novelette as a prequel or a side-story for a popular series of yours? What about getting a friend to create some art for you. You may even have a fan that would love to get a free book or two in exchange for creating art based on your book. This special content can be used to get people interested in your books, and to get them onto your mailing list, by making it an exclusive item only for people on the list!  

Thank your readers for good reviews – If you receive good reviews from fans, then use your social media profiles to send a shout out to the fan! This creates good will, and will encourage others to write reviews so that you will hopefully mention them as well! 

 

 Run occasional promotions for your books – Discounting your books and making them free occasionally will help to generate buzz about your books. Be sure to promote these promotions by telling free ebook sites and bargain book sites about your promo about 2 weeks before the promo begins. That way you can get maximum exposure and benefit from your book!  

 

Track the success of your promotions – Promotions are important, but only if they get you more sales. There are sites that may try to scam you into paying money to promote your book for you, but if you aren’t getting a return on that investment, it’s not worth the money spent. Track how your sales did before and after the promo. Marketing never ends, but it doesn’t need to be cumbersome. Much like when you write a book, if you make a plan and execute that plan, you will have success. The key is to continue promoting your books and you will get more readers, and those readers will tell others about your book and they will be eager for your next book to come out. Time to wrap it all up and to print out your checklist!

  

The key to marketing is to tell people about your product, and in this case, since you’re a self-published author, your product is your book. You put a lot of effort into your book, it shouldn’t just be selling a copy or two a week. It should be selling many copies a week! To get to that level (and higher), the key is to create and establish your author brand, and then start marketing your book starting before you even publish it until well after it has been published.

 

Book Marketing Tools is dedicated to helping self-published authors learn marketing tips and tricks to help them further their brand and sell more books. Our flagship tool, the Stats Dashboard, helps authors to keep track of all of their sales so they spend less time with spreadsheets and more time on writing books and marketing them!

 

We hope this guide will help you to improve your author brand as well as your book marketing efforts! A printable checklist (without all of the details at each step) can be found on the following pages!  

Happy marketing. However, if you don't want to do all this yourself...Then let HGM Publishing do it for you.