Tag: #marketing

Using Your Complimentary Copies—Wisely

Leave a comment

Many authors receive free copies of their book at publication, but most don’t know how they can leverage those copies to increase book sales and to draw in new clients. The following are a few ideas:

  • Send signed copies to their network—the decision makers—encouraging them to purchase copies for each staff member if they enjoy the book
  • Send a copy to their top five media contacts and ask to appear on a segment or podcast
  • Raffle a copy of their book to a random winner who joins their mailing list

Authors can also use their author discount to purchase additional copies to accomplish many of these tasks too. The goal is not to give away tons of books for free but to invest in oneself. Putting a signed copy of a new release is a small lift that can have long-term benefits.

Good luck!

Identifying 3 Ways Authors Can Promote Their Books

The benefits of a traditional publisher are numerous. Its advertising and merchandizing partnerships are certainly chief among them. That said, all authors—both self-published and traditional—can help promote their own book.

Authors can:

  1. Update their email signatures and bios to include a link to bookseller—Not only does this advertise that they’ve written a book, it also increases the chance of impulse buys.
  2. Tweet, and encourage peers and friends to post, about the book—Even posting a short but meaningful excerpt raises awareness.
  3. Use the book cover as the background photo on social media sites like Twitter or Facebook or personal websites—I’m especially a fan of this strategy for authors who consult or book speaking events. Attendees will inevitably look them up, so putting the book in a prime spot increases the chance that they’ll see and buy it.

A book that’s seen is a book that sells, so authors should pull out their books whenever and wherever possible.