Book Marketing 101: Effective Book Marketing Strategies for Self-Published Authors

Despite the clear advantages of self-publishing over traditional publishing, some authors remain fearful about it. The main reason of this fear is that a number of authors do not know where to begin and how to market and get sales from their books in their own ways. So, here are some of the proven effective strategies in marketing a book that self-published authors would love to hear.

Make your craft right and the best

Ninety percent of your success in marketing your book is based on what kind of book you’ve written. There is no authentic book marketing strategy that will bring you to success when the information on your book or the story it contains doesn’t show any appeal to the readers. Let’s take a look at Hugh Howey’s science fiction book, Wool. Howey initially self-published the first 60-page episode but after few months, the readers were clamoring for more.

What does it say? It simply explains the fact that no matter how great your marketing strategy for your book is, it is still the tastes, opinions, and the experiences of the readers with your book that matter most. Further, if the people are really attracted with your book, nobody can stop them to share with others the best things about your book.

Make sure your book is well edited



It sounds a too basic advice and authors might say they already know it. But in reality, this is one of the biggest flaws some self-published authors commit in the process. Some self-published books really look good and enticing with their catchy book blurbs and book descriptions; but in the end, they don’t sell. Why?

Well, some readers who were able to buy these books were not satisfied and so they either keep quiet about their experience or write bad reviews on the quality of the books online. So, they do not recommend them to other buyers but rather warn them not to spend a dime for low-quality works.

Make sure you have spent more time editing and re-editing your work until you, yourself, will be satisfied with its quality. Imagine yourself to be among the buyers and think of the same feelings you would get when you spend your money for an unworthy item. Your readers are customers just like you; so impress them.

Know who and where your readers are

Now, you have the book ready. But have you been able to realize who really your readers are? Knowing your target audience is a huge help in the marketing plans you have in mind; so don’t miss to find out their age bracket, interests, the materials they usually read, or movies they usually watch. Knowing this enables you to know where you can actually locate them and helps you create better ideas to reach out to them.
Being able to find where your readers hang out helps you think of a great strategy to promote your book in accordance to how they actually think about it. Reaching out to your readers is an effective way to communicate with them more than the artistic side of your strategy. They will take it as your initiative to connect your work with their interests and values.

Create a distinctive branding for yourself and your book

In other words, this is now time for you to think of a catchy and a very different concept that works for you, your book, and your readers’ interests. Focus first on what is your book all about and start thinking a distinctive brand about it that also says something about you. For instance, you have the book about business or how to earn millions in some kind of business. You can create a brand for you like “the writing entrepreneur” then connect it with the information your book has and with your book cover’s design and photos.



Use your brand in any book marketing you do such as in generating promotional materials that include business cards, e-mailers, press releases, blogs, and the like. Gradually, this brand will become distinctively identified with you. While you continue to promote your book to your target readers, they eventually can distinguish you and your book from the others which have the same genre as yours. They will be more intrigued and be persuaded to give your book a try.

If they are happy with your book, expect more sales in the future as they surely will spread the good news to others.

Fair pricing of your book

Make sure you set a fair price for your book—not too high or too low. This is the strategy that some of successful self-published authors have proven effective. The lower the price is, the higher possibility that your book can sell. If you can give it for free just for a few days to invite the interests of the reading public, the better.

Of course, this is just temporary. After a while, you will know if your strategy really works and you can start setting the price that your craft deserves.

Utilize all free marketing tools

The word “free” can always be associated with the Internet. Since the Internet is free, you can make use of any promotional materials that make use of it. Take advantage of the social media because promoting your craft using this free outlet is a very effective tool to eventually reach out to your readers who can be prospect purchasers of your book.

With millions of Facebook users in the world, you can be certain that using it in promoting your book is inviting thousands of possible buyers. There are more sites online to look up and there you can advertise your book for free.

Effective book marketing strategies solely depend on how effective your initiative as a self-published author is. So, it is indisputably significant that your way is unique, professional, and practical so that book sales can easily be reached.