Well-known publishers understand that even literary masterpieces need promotion to make them successful. Whether you are a seasoned author or just jumping in the pool, use these 40 guerilla marketing tips to make your book sales soar online. It may be very hard to get people to view your site where you are publishing your book, but with untapped long tail keywords you will get all the readers you wished for on your site.
1) Create a virtual tour through radio interviews. Callers can get a free book when they call in with a question.
2) Get reviews done by book reviewer sites; get others to review and add to your Amazon listing.
3) Be a presenter to great conferences that are critical to your audience. Inc. 5000 conferences are a good place to start.
4) Send out your book to book clubs and get them to put it on their list of things to read: the list of various book clubs can be found in the Literary Markplace.
5) Be a presenter or do a signing at book festivals.
6) Devise bookmarks for distribution.
7) Happy Bookday—Throw a birthday party for your book.
8) Host webinars that highlight content from the book—sell your book at a discount at the end of the webinar.
9) Give away a 30 minute consultation with purchase of book during a given month.
10) Align with a philanthropy commitment—Dress for Success, etc.
a. Run a fundraiser. b. Do an event with others.
11) Hold Facebook contests with trivia—winners get a free book. Those who don’t win get an invitation to buy at a discount.
12) Promotion potluck: Invite other authors (like the 4 who are interested in guest blogging with you) to a virtual potluck. Share the ideas and resources that work.
13) Write letters to the editor that align with your content and mention your work as an award-winning author.
14) Connect with SCORE and other support groups that support entrepreneurs—offer to do seminars or give away your book for one of their events.
15) Contact the local Chamber(s) of Commerce—snag speaking opportunities and offer book at discount.
16) Pitch short articles from the book to key publications.
17) Give away a copy a day. You should keep a copy in your hands at times—when someone asks—in the restaurant, on the train–give them your copy.
18) Do a podcast interview about your book. Post on your site, iTunes, other.
19) Find local groups that could use your content like Meetups and offer to speak with a discount or free books.
20) Create Google alerts for key concepts—then respond with content and engage in a conversation for cross marketing.
21) Get on www.webook.com for recognition and awards.
22) Create video interviews and post on YouTube; you can use Tubemogul to distribute to multiple sites.
23) Social Media promotion in general; engage folks on:
a. Twitter b. Blog c. Facebook d. Linked-In
24) Offer interviews and a book to top bloggers. Hit up the big bloggers like New York Times and the Wall Street Journal.
25) Add everything to your email signature: Blog, Twitter, Facebook.
26) Offer a free download—an excerpt from your book on your blog, Twitter and Facebook.
27) Mine the B list of conferences: Can’t get in? Deadline passed? Offer to send books as prizes or giveaways at the conference.
28) Do a continuing education course at your local college or university.
29) Sell to the military. Army and Air Force Exchange Service (AAFES) oversees a global organization of over 12,000 facilities worldwide.
30) Sell the foreign rights for extra exposure and cash.
31) Work Profnet and other “expert” sites.
32) Submit for book awards: bookweb.org
33) Promote at conferences for self-published writers.
34) Run a Facebook ad campaign from your Facebook site—W2M can facilitate this.
35) Tap into entrepreneur groups and do speaking engagements and get on their book club lists like EO, YPO, and others.
36) Convert book to Kindle and be a leader with Google ebooks.
Still not enough?
37) Set your website as the web browser home page on all the library computers in town.
38) Buy a panel van and paint your web address on the side.
39) Write your web address on hundreds of dollar bills with a Sharpie and spend them at bookstores.
40) Buy a few hundred copies of your book and leave them in public restrooms.
-Post written by: Melissa