Once your book is written, the tough work needs to get started, and that is marketing your book. Unfortunately, for most authors, you cannot just sit back and let fame and fortune find you, you need to go out and get it. The good news is that very often once you do all the marketing as a new author, it begin laying the groundwork for future works. To get your book to be bought and read by the widest audience possible, you have to let readers know that it's available, and that means marketing.

Most Publishers have departments whose sole purpose is to market books. The ways they promote books is through various advertising methods such as direct mail, conferences and trade shows, newspapers and magazines, and any other cost effective means. As a rule, Publishers will also arrange “bookstore signings” for authors. The people power behind a Publisher can be massive and include marketing managers, copywriters, publicists, and designers, all of whom are getting paid to market YOUR book. The good news with having a Publisher market your book is that they know the business and what it takes to sell your book, the disadvantage is that all this talent and knowledge costs money.

In order to become a “self-marketing” author, you need to learn how to market your book and the first step is to know who your audience is. This may be harder than you think, depending on the type of book you are marketing. The next step of course after knowing who you are going to sell to, is HOW are you going to sell your book to this market segment in the most cost and results effective means possible.

Marketing often begins with a promotional copy. It can be challenging to condensing a 200 - 300 or 400 page book down into 200 - 300 words, but it necessary. A promotional copy should be brief, descriptive, and engaging to the reader, after all it is your “best foot forward”. Make sure you revise, re-write and polish your work for accuracy, purpose and of course spelling and grammar. Your promotional copy is your reviewer of the book.

In order to put you promotional to work, include the promotional text on the jacket and back cover of your book. With the right copy and an attractive design, your book can become its own marketing tool.

One of the best ways to promote your book is to have it reviewed. This is the best form of free publicity an author can get. Although reviews are difficult to get, they are worth working hard to acquire. Find our who the reviewers are, and email or fax your promotional copy as a press release to any and all possible reviewers in the market sector for the book. Include information about yourself and how they can contact you. Try to target individual reviewers who might be particularly interested in your work.

Direct mail can be expensive, but there are other ways of distributing information with the massive costs of major distribution companies, explore what is in your area that you could utilize, including family, friends and any clubs or associations you may belong to. Make certain your flyer includes order information, the book's price and ISBN, and your web address (which should, of course, prominently feature your book).

Personal web sites are a great way to advertise your book. Include promotional copy, a cover image, and ordering information. Be sure to feature your web address on all promotional materials, both print and online. We offer Web site creation for Self Published Authors at a one-time special rate of $250, visit our self publishing marketing services page for more details.

Marketing your book can often be a challenge but it is necessary and needs to be taken seriously if you are going to become a famous author, and the more famous you become the less marketing you will have to do, but every author had to start somewhere, and marketing is necessary for all budding authors.