March is Small Press Month, a month to promote the amazing work of independent publishers and self-published authors. Take advantage of this celebration to promote your own self-published book all month long with these effective marketing and promotion steps.
1. Get stocked. If you do not have enough hard copies on hand, contact your publisher today to order a supply. You’ll need them so you can pursue other marketing and promotion tips throughout the month. Some companies, such as Outskirts Press, are offering discounts in honor off Small Press Month.
2. Offer a discount. Contact your local bookstores and suggest they offer discounts on Small Press books. Bring in your own book and offer it to them at a discount to get them started. You can even offer to leave them with a free copy along with your sales sheet, press release and any promotional materials you have for your book. Ask if you can host an event at their establishment for local independent authors.
3. Educate educators. Contact local schools in your area and tell them about Small Press Month. Mention that you are a local, published author and offer to speak to their students and staff about how to accomplish their dreams of being published. This is particularly effective if you have a children’s book you can then sell after the assembly.
4.Think about the other 11 months. Small Press Month is just one month out of 12. Prepare for other book events throughout the year, like London Book Fair, BookExpo America, Beijing Book Fair and Frankfurt Book Fair.
5. Name drop. Start writing online reviews through Amazon. Write reviews for every book you have ever read. Mention that you are the author of a book at the bottom of each posted review and include the book title and a link. If people like the writing style of your review, they may investigate your book, especially if you write reviews for books within the same genre as your book.
For more ideas, check out 31 Self-Publishing Tips to Promote Your Book During Small Press Month.
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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. |
