How to Promote Your Self Published Book Using Video

February 27, 2013

Kelly Schuknecht Book Promotion, Book Promotion Strategy, Kelly Speaks, Uncategorized , , Leave a comment

Video is one of the hottest tools in advertising and marketing right now. Thanks to YouTube and smart devices, people are watching tons of videos, and this tool offers great marketing opportunities for self publishing authors. Here are three ways you can use the power of video to market your book.

Create a book trailer

Book trailers are a hot marketing tool right now. They are like commercials for your book. They are a great item to include on your website and social media pages, and they often increase exposure because readers can easily share videos they enjoy with their friends, family and social media followers.

Record yourself

Video isn’t just used to sell your book; it can also be used to sell yourself as the author. This is especially useful if you write about a topic you are an expert in. For instance, if you wrote a book about weight loss, you could create videos sharing weight loss tips with your readers.

Make it funny

Many of the online videos that go viral include humor. While this technique isn’t appropriate for all books and authors, most people can improve their video ratings by including some humor in their videos. Don’t be afraid to look silly.

I’d love to know, how do you use video to promote your self published book?

ABOUT KELLY SCHUKNECHT: Kelly Schuknecht is the Vice President of Outskirts Press. In addition to her contributions to the Outskirts Press blog at blog.outskirtspress.com, Kelly and a group of talented marketing experts offer book marketing services, support, and products to not only published Outskirts Press authors, but to all authors and professionals who are interested in marketing their books and/or careers. Learn more about Kelly on her blog at http://kellyschuknecht.com.

How to Get Your Self-Published Book in a Library

September 21, 2011

Cheri Breeding Book Marketing, Book Promotion, Book Promotion Strategy, Cheri Speaks, Marketing Your Self-Published Book, Self-Publishing Leave a comment

You have an ISBN. You have a LCCN. So libraries should be able to find your book, and therefore, will purchase your book, right? Wrong. Unfortunately, libraries rarely “order” self-published books. This doesn’t mean they don’t house self-published books and that they won’t stock your book. It simply means you need to do a little work to get on their radar. Here are a few ways to get your book in a library.

  • Donate a copy (or several copies) of your book to the library. Be sure to go through the proper donation channels.
  • Host a book reading at your library. This will not only introduce the library to your book but also introduce your book to potential readers.
  • If your book is geared towards children, give a school presentation on your book’s subject. School libraries are always looking for new books.
  • Connect with librarians via social networks. Twitter, Facebook, and LinkedIn are powerful ways to network.
  • Send promotional materials such as flyers and letters to local libraries. Be sure to include of the essential information about your book such as subject, genre, audience and purchasing information.
  • Try to get a book review in a local publication. This will bring positive attention to your book and encourage libraries to buy it.

Libraries are a powerful part of your book promotion strategy. Creative marketing tactics can increase your chances of a library stocking your book. They can also lead to great relationships with librarians and readers. The best way to find out what your local library wants is to talk to the librarians. Work on building an honest relationship, and you may just find one your book’s best promoters.

Cheri Breeding ABOUT CHERI BREEDING:
Since 2005 Cheri Breeding has been working as the Director of Production for Outskirts Press. In that time, she has been an instrumental component of every aspect of the Production Department, performing the roles of an Author Representative, Book Designer, Customer Service Representative, Title Production Supervisor, Production Manager and, Director of Production. She brings all that experience and knowledge, along with an unparalleled customer-service focus, to help self-publishing authors reach high-quality book publication more efficiently, professionally, and affordably.

Self-Publishing puts authors in the driver’s seat

August 12, 2011

Outskirts Press Book Promotion Strategy 3 Comments

Property rights in book publishing is one important consideration in finding the path that best meets your goals.

In all forms of art—painting, woodwork, sculpture, writing—ownership exists. At many levels. A painter paints a picture. Owns the picture. Sells the picture. A sculptor molds a bust. Owns the bust. Sells the bust.

Ownership changes but the picture does not. The bust does not.

In the Traditional sense, authors sell their work to publishing houses for an advance on royalties. Those publishers then, owning the material, can do whatever they want with your writing—cut paragraphs, chapters, change the title even.

Imagine crafting a beautiful landscape only to have someone paint over it.

The good news is many custom self publishing options currently offer non-exclusive contracts now. The non-exclusive part keeps authors the driver’s seat and preserves the essence and origination of the writing. It’s your work, thoughts, ideas, and stories, after all.

Have fun and keep writing!

Consider Your Sales Annotation Early In the Publishing Process

June 20, 2011

Wendy Stetina Book Promotion Strategy , , , Leave a comment

You’ve written a book that you’re ready to publish. Now you have to decide on quite a few key ingredients – including how you will publish the book (i.e. will you use a self-publishing company or try to publish on your own), what price you will set it for, etc. One thing that’s fairly simple to overlook when you’re starting the process is how you will market your book. Aside from some of the more obvious reasons why authors should start thinking about marketing early on in the process, you should also consider your marketing plan when putting together your sales annotation.

What is a sales annotation, you ask? That’s a great question! It’s the information about your book that is submitted to sites like Amazon.com, Barnes&Noble.com, etc. Sometimes authors opt to have this match what’s shown on the back of their book. However, this isn’t necessary, and I actually recommend that your annotation be different because your online description not only describes your book, but it also can be neatly packaged with your book’s keywords because you can fit more information in an online description space than on your back cover.

In the example below, you’re able to see the online description for Sell Your Book on Amazon that can be found on Amazon.com:

As you can see from the above image, it is important to not only describe your book in a way that will entice your reader but also make sure that you are using your keywords frequently.

DISCUSSION: What tips can you share for writing a solid sales annotation?

ABOUT WENDY STETINA:
Wendy Stetina is a sales and marketing professional with over 30 years experience in the printing and publishing industry. Wendy works as the Director of Author Services for Outskirts Press. The Author Services Department is composed of knowledgeable customer service reps and publishing consultants; and together, they all focus on educating authors on the self-publishing process in order to help them publish the book of their dreams. Whether you are a professional looking to take your career to the next level with platform-driven non-fiction, or a novelist seeking fame, fortune, and/or personal fulfillment, Wendy Stetina can put you on the right path.

Alternative Book Marketing Methods Series: Partnering with Local Bookstores to Offer Groupon/Local Offer

May 11, 2011

Elise L. Connors Alternative Marketing Methods, Book Promotion Strategy , 1 Comment

There are many ways authors can market their books. Some of these include planning virtual book tours, scheduling book signings, distributing a press release, etc. However, many authors do these things. How can you reach an untapped market? How can you stand out from the crowd?

That’s why we decided to offer you the Alternative Book Marketing Methods Series. The goal of this series is to reveal and discuss possible success rates of marketing ideas that are a bit “different”. While there may be some authors that are already implementing these methods as a part of their overall book promotion strategy, these are not widely used and often can make the author stand out in the crowd.

Today’s tactic involves partnering with local bookstores to offer a deal for buyers of your book. There are several local deal sites out there, but the most popular is Groupon. Have you ever heard of them? On their website, they describe themselves as: “…an easy way to get huge discounts while discovering fun activities in your city. Our daily deals consist of restaurants, spas, massages, theaters, hotels, and a whole lot more, in dozens of cities across the country.”

Here’s a sample Groupon:

Groupon Example

How’s this for an idea? You contact a local independent bookstore and ask them about listing your book on consignment. In exchange, you can partner with them (split the cost) of offering a Groupon. A few ideas for the offer can be:

  • Save 50% on your purchase when you buy _______ (insert the title of your book here). You can vary the percentage to you and the store owner/manager’s liking.
  • Get _____ (the name of a popular book) for $5 when you buy _____ (insert the title of your book here). You can vary the money savings to you and the store owner/manager’s liking.
  • Get a gift certificate for $10 off your next purchase of $15 or more when you buy _______ (insert the title of your book here). You can vary the gift certificate amount to you and the store owner/manager’s liking.

These suggestions are just the tip of the iceberg. Be creative, think up some more creative ideas, and (most importantly), share them with us here. Happy marketing!

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