Tel: 01452 500016 Email: enquiries@thechoirpress.co.uk

The Choir Press Blog

23Jun

Top ten tips for marketing your book yourself

  1. Use your personal network. Every contact you have is a potential fan and reviewer. Start with emailing everyone you know and posting on social media. They may even forward your email on/share your post to their contacts if they’re kind enough! This is a great way to announce the release and encourage your personal network to support you and your book. Friends and family are your first go-to resource for marketing your book. Get their opinions (but take them with a pinch of salt) and send them an email/post on social media letting them know the book is out. 
  2. Harness the power of social media. Setting yourself up on social media is completely free, so what are you waiting for? You don’t have to be on every single social media platform, and it’s better to do one platform well than to spread yourself too thin over lots. Also the benefits of each will differ depending on the subject of your book. Use online resources to learn about best practice and look at other authors for guidance. The main six are: Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Pinterest, YouTube and LinkedIn.
  3. Talk about your book. Find a group which is relevant to your book, whether it be a reading group, community group, WI, history group or any other group of people. You could do a reading at a village fair or a library, just get in front of people and engage with them.
  4. Ask people to leave a review for your book on Amazon. The more reviews you get, the more your book will be noticed. One really useful way to encourage readers to do this is to leave a request for a review at the back of your book.
  5. Connect with your local bookshop/s. Even the big chains have book lovers running their shops, so go in and speak to them about your book! They might not be able to stock your book, but they can support you in other ways, including launches, signings and readings. Every store is different, and all you can do is ask, but it’s worth trying. 
  6. Get online reviews. Do your research and see who out there might review your book. Send them a polite email with a request and don’t pester them if you don’t get a response. Connect with people on social media. Send emails. Do everything you can, because the more reviews you get, the more your book gets noticed!
  7. Improve your Amazon listing. There are several things you can do to make your listing stand out which are completely free. You can set up an author page, with biography, photos and links. You can add your book to ‘Search Inside’ allowing people to flick through it as they would in a bookshop. You can also add other images, if the only image on there is the front cover.
  8. Get on Goodreads. It’s completely free to set up an account and a great way to engage with the book reading community and promote yourself. Goodreads reviews now also show on The Book Depository website, so getting reviews on there will help your book stand out.
  9. Engage with your local community. Most parish councils have a newsletter, they might add mention of your book. Your local newsagents might put up a poster. They might even take some books to sell. There may be a local community group interested in hearing about your book. Or perhaps they would like you to give a talk? The local connection is a big selling point so use every avenue you can.
  10. Contact your local press. Whatever your story, the fact that you are local means the press will likely be interested in hearing from you. Send them an email, give them a phone call, keep trying until you get an answer. In preparation, make sure you have a good biography available which mentions all your local connections and get some high quality photos taken.
     

Search

Category

What Our Customers Think

" At every stage you consulted, gave gentle advice and kept me up to date with progress. I could not have asked for more. What you predicted happened and the final appearance is totally down to your skills and I shall always be grateful to you for that. If ever I can help in any way do please ask; I would be more than happy to recommend you to anyone."

Michael Jones. Author It May be Christian. I think it’s Silly.

We pay royalties on print on demand books monthly and because the royalty is calculated by using the trade cost of printing your book, you will receive a bigger royalty from us than under almost any other publishing arrangement.

Unlike some publishing companies, we offer a personal service. You will always be dealing with a named personal contact.

The Choir Press
132 Bristol Road

Gloucester
GL1 5SR

Tel: 01452 500016
Email: enquiries@thechoirpress.co.uk

Registered in England & Wales: 1602223

Copyright 2022 by Action Publishing | Privacy Statement | Terms Of Use

Book publishers based in Gloucestershire, UK, near to Cheltenham, Gloucester, Oxford, Swindon, Bristol and Birmingham.

  • Back to top