How can you launch your book successfully? Its success relies heavily on the marketing efforts you put behind it. You can unveil your book on many different avenues, from author events to social media sites like Facebook and Twitter.
Learning to launch your book successfully can be tricky if you’re new to the process. This article will help you with everything, from finding the best social media marketing team to choosing the right publishing house, so you get more sales on its first day of release than you thought were possible!
So, let the experts lay it all out for you:
Know Your Audience
The most important aspect of planning your book launch is knowing who you’re trying to reach with it. The two biggest queries you need to answer about your readers are:
- What do they want
- How can I deliver it?
Successful authors research first to find out what the audience wants. You’ll learn a lot about trends that helped authors gain more readers as you explore. So, start by writing in a similar genre. Next, use those same techniques on your audience.
Build Your Brand
Yes, writing the book will help you become a professional writer. But before you publish your first book, it’s a good idea to build a platform for your creative writing. This helps validate your passion, establishes trust with potential readers, and positions you as an expert in your field.
There are many paths leading toward building an audience. For instance, you could:
- Join social media groups and engage there
- Start a website or podcast featuring content related to writing
- Create videos on YouTube
Use these platforms consistently, and don’t shy away from asking for help when you need it. Then, if people find value in what you offer, they’ll support your creative endeavours—and hopefully, your efforts help push them over the finish line too!
Choose the Best Platform for Promotion
A great way to get your name out there and build a platform for yourself is to write articles for other sites. This allows you to share your expertise and even connect with other writers. Once people start reading your content, they’ll also be able to check out your website if you have one.
If you don’t, now would be a good time to get one! There are plenty of ways writing guest posts can help you market yourself and encourage book sales—so make sure they’re a part of your marketing strategy!
Collaborate With another Writer
Many authors go it alone when they write, but you’ll get a ton more done by collaborating with another writer. It can also help both of you combat writer’s block. So, how do you find someone who wants to work with you? Post on forums and social media, talk to other writers or tap your network of friends and acquaintances.
You might be astonished at how many people would love to collaborate with a fellow author! And if none of them is up for it, try joining forces with an editor or cover designer. Make sure you plan out a clear division of labor before starting, though, so everyone knows their role.
Join Facebook Groups That Support Authors
Social media marketing and author groups aren’t just great places to network with authors, but they’ll also help get your book noticed. Being an active member of groups like these will allow you initial exposure through your comments and questions on posts.
You can also share posts by other members, so you won’t be spamming others if you post once or twice every day. In addition, participating in these groups will create early buzz around your book, which will generate more sales.
Join Twitter Chats
If you’re hunting for an organic way to get people to talk about your book, Twitter is a great place to start. Search for relevant hashtags and see if any upcoming chats interest your readers. Joining in discussions like these can help you build relationships with potential readers and expand your reach.
Create a Creative Writing Meetup Group
To launch your book successfully, you have to help create a buzz and build your following. So, first, create a creative writing meetup in your area.
Meetups are an excellent tactic to build community and promote your book—the people you meet may become patrons, pre-order customers, or even reviewers of your work! If there isn’t such a group in your area yet, consider starting one yourself!
Most cities have no shortage of writers and readers who would love some community around their hobby or profession. Consider advertising on local bulletin boards at libraries and coffee shops with flyers or emailing listservs if you belong to any writer groups in your town.
Ask Influencers to Promote Your Work
Look for influencers with followers who would be interested in your book. Those could include bloggers, friends, or relatives passionate about a similar subject matter and people with a reach (through their job, an association they’re involved in, or social media) that matches your objective.
Once you’ve found potential promoters of your work, send them a personal email telling them why you think they’d like your book and how they can help support it.
Some will accept—and others will politely decline—but if you don’t ask, there is no chance of getting an answer! If everyone you asked agreed to promote your work and did so extensively, you would see results on day one and likely not need any other promotional tactics.
Create a Podcast about Writing Fiction
Launching a book is an exciting time for any author, but it can also be overwhelming. You have so many balls in the air—tweets, blogs, website links—that there’s little time left over for spreading your message and marketing your book.
So, why not use an existing social platform to sell more books? For example, if you write a book on a topic that interests you or is near and dear to your heart, consider turning it into a podcast and promoting it with social media marketing.
Attend Live Events that Involve Writers
Social media can help with marketing your book. But, there is nothing quite like meeting in person to make a lasting impression. Events, such as festivals, book signings, and author readings, are great opportunities for authors to mingle with their potential readers.
If you want your book to be seen by people who want to purchase it, don’t just stop making it visible online. Instead, make sure you attend events where people can meet you and learn more about what you have written.
In addition, if social media isn’t your forte, enlisting a professional firm that specializes in creative writing or social media marketing could go a long way toward boosting sales
The Final Verdict
Your book launch may be the most important event in your entire career as an author, so you must prepare properly and take advantage of all available opportunities to help you stand out from the crowd. Whether you’re writing fiction or nonfiction, the tips mentioned above will help you successfully launch most types of books. Of course, all of this will be for naught if your work doesn’t make it to a publisher! If you’re looking for quality book publishing services? At Creative Writing Experts, we provide quality services.
