January 2019 Edition: 10 Ways To Promote Your E-Book

If your New Years Resolution was to promote your book more, we have just what you may need to help you accomplish your goal for 2019!

1.Tell Friends Or Family
They may have doubted you the first time you pitched them the idea of you becoming an author, but now that you have a finished products (or a few finished products), you would be surprised to see who will go out of your way to  supports you! Tell everyone in your family that your a published/indie author now! Not only will they be impressed but when they look your titles up online,  they will be extremely proud!

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2. Word Of Mouth/ LEGAL Solicitation
​ Let's say your at work and a co-worker can't stop obsessing about the latest copy of '50 Shades Of Grey'. Would it be inappropriate OR even against company policy to mention the fact that you have just written a few titles that would blow 50 Shades of Grey out of the water? The answer is NO! Even though word of mouth is one of the oldest techniques known to man, it is STILL one of the most effective. Don't be afraid to bring up the fact that your an author to others! Just look at it like this, if you don't tell them, how will they know?

​Side note: Please remember that solicitation is illegal in most states.  Make sure that if you attempt soft soliciting at work (or even in a public place) that you DO NOT EXCHANGE MONEY on company property! Have your potential customer meet you somewhere after work like Starbucks or even across the street! 



​3. Rent Ads On Business Sites
​There are small businesses all over the internet who would love to place your book in one of their ads (including us). The over crux to renting ad space from another businesses site  is gaining access to a pre-made audience. If you do your research, you will find that small businesses aren't the only one's who offer ad space; big companies do it, too. If your really lucky, you can find a few bloggers who will post an ad on their website or blog for you, completely free! 


4. Connect With A Local Book/Readers Group

​A great way to get a large group of people to read your book at the same time is finding a book club that is willing to do it! Use almighty google to see if you have any groups in your area, and when reach out to them and see if they would be interested in reading your book! It's as simple as that! And, if your lucky, and you do a little schmoozing beforehand, you'll have at least a handful of new reviews on Amazon when they are done!

​Side note: If you don't have any book groups in your area, don't be discouraged. Search online! There are reading groups all over the world, even some that are solely ran online. Don't be afraid to reach out to some of these groups, and see if they would be interested. If they decline your offer, thank them respectfully for their consideration and move on. Most importantly, don't beat yourself up. There are people out there who will love and support your writing. Trust us! 


​5. Schedule A Meeting With A Store Manager 
​It might sound nerve wrecking, but it could be an essential step into getting your books on the shelves of major retail stores. When picking the right retail store to pitch your book to, be sure you do some studying first. Does the store that you plan to consign your book at carry books like yours? Or is it a selling point that you plan to bring up during your meeting with the manager, that their store doesn't carry quite enough of your genre book?  Write down what you want to say, recite it for a week (or two) and when your ready, schedule that meeting! After all, there is no better place to sell yourself than at a store, right? 

6.   Try Purchasing A Facebook Ads
Using Facebook Ads to promote your book has become quiet controversial. While some authors swear by it, others have deemed it a waste of money and time. Nonetheless it is an option and with the appropriate content, combined with the right timing and the correct geographical idea of who you want to promote your book to, you can concoct the perfect recipe to have an ad that engages thousands. If you have the budget to use Facebook, it's an alternative that should be considered, alongside Twitter.  ​  

​7. Use A Bulletin Board
​Do people even have those anymore? Yes! They do. It's 2019 and Bulletin boards still exist because they work. Whether you pay attention or not, bulletin boards are everywhere. You can find them at laundry mat's, grocery stores and even at your job. Some of authors might turn their noses up to this suggestion and think that they are too good to post their book information on a cork board, while others will see the true hidden value; Free advertising! In exception to work, most bulletin boards have no rules or regulations. You could print off flyers, make a pull tab template so that interested buyers can rip off a piece of paper and buy from the link you provided or even tack up a few eye catching decorations around your promotion to get more eyes than anyone else on the bulletin board. Get creative! The objective is to sell, sell, sell! 

​8. Attend Book Events
​People who come to book fairs are generally interested in buying a book which is half the battle! The rest is just making them interested in buying YOURS. Book events, whether in your hometown or out of state are both exciting and lucrative. Authors get the chance to really educate interested consumers in a way that isn't available to them all the time. Getting more involved in book events near you is vital to getting your book to readers and will help you build your image as a public figure. Taking lots of pictures with your customers as they purchase your books and spending a little extra money on your book table, can give you the edge over your competitors and leave you with great looking promotional material to use when you post about the event on social media and/or your website.


9. Talk To A Librarian
Speaking with your neighborhood librarian is a great way to promote your book! Here at the WV Network, we like to refer to the Librarians of our society as the gatekeepers. They are like unicorns, or a secret weapon. Seriously, just by linking up with a librarian in your neighborhood, you gain access to all sorts of things like direct knowledge of book fairs, author events and even find out how to host your own totally free. Visiting with the librarian near you is like opening Pandora's box. It is what you make of it.


​10. Create Controversy
It isn't uncommon for authors from two different publishing houses to create an imaginary beef with each other. Somehow, the readers hear about it and get so caught up in the drama that they have to purchase both books in order to see for themselves which author is the best, therefor resulting in sales for the both of them. Is it crazy? No. It's genius! We call this the Jay-Z and Beyoncé approach. You should use it some time!  


​So there you have it! 10 completely unique ways to promote your e-book!
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