Self-publishing is opening up the publishing world to countless aspiring writers, bringing them success and a sense of freedom and autonomy. And in the last decade or so, this window of opportunity has been growing. The eBook space, where most self-published authors release their books without the aid of a book publisher, is expected to grow to an enormous $1.73 billion by 2025. If you’ve been wondering how to get a book published, self-publishing is a great option for you!
Still, even with the success of many self-published authors, it is still a difficult task to publish a work without any assistance in marketing. While some authors throw in the towel at this step and turn to other publishing options, it is wholly possible to market your own self-published book.
Good marketing is critical to the success of your publication, and should never be taken lightly. It could even be said that good marketing is more than half the battle in writing a successful book. Read on for six simple steps that will make your self-published book soar at the top of the market!
Social Media
Before you even begin writing, it’s a good idea to establish an online presence. Having a core following will allow you to jumpstart the success of your book once it is released.
Almost every social media platform could be utilized to create a community of readers. TikTok’s dedicated #booktok community is always looking for indie authors. Twitter is an excellent place to share your writing journey and build an online personality for yourself. Instagram and Pinterest can be used to help your creativity and connect you with readers and fellow authors alike. And Reddit has endless forums of advice on how to write, edit, and market your book.
The importance of social media cannot be understated. It could make or break your publication, so don’t skip it!
Find Your Niche
For any story you want to write, there’s someone who wants to read it. But before you begin planning your novel and marketing strategy, it’s important that you identify this target audience.
What similarities does your story share with other books? What sets it apart? What kind of books are trending right now? Does yours fit the trend? What kind of people are reading books similar to it?
Identifying this group will allow you to properly tag your book if you release it on Amazon, will impact the way you use social media to find readers, and can even change the initial idea for your novel. There are readers out there just waiting for your story, so make sure you find them!
Write, Edit, Repeat
All the hard work you put into marketing your book will be useless if the finished product is not polished. Many new self-published authors skip the editing step, and no one gets it right on their first pass. Outline your plan for editing and writing before you begin the process to make sure you don’t skip any important steps.
Write a second draft, third draft, fourth draft… keep going until it’s a product that readers will love. And don’t just trust your own editing, either! Get friends to read it, coworkers, freelance sites, that random person in the coffee shop you talked to once—the more eyes you can get on it, the better!
Use Third-Party Sites
Once your book is ready to launch, you don’t have to take that first step on your own. There are plenty of third-party sites like ScribeMedia that specialize in assisting self-published authors.
These sites have the resources to help you with the writing and editing process, and ensure that you have a successful launch. Self-publishing a book doesn’t mean that you need to do it all alone, it’s worth it to get an expert opinion and maximize the success of your book.
Reviews
When looking for a new book to read, especially one coming from an indie author, readers are anxious to see what other people thought of it. Reviews let them see if it’s worth their time and money.
Use every possible method to generate more genuine reviews. Ask people on your social media platforms to review your book, include a call to action in the back matter, respond to the reviews your book has already gotten, contact bloggers and influencers who specialize in your niche, and ask them if they would be interested—get people reading and talking about your book!
If at First You Don’t Succeed, Try, Try Again!
If your first marketing strategy doesn’t pan out, it’s not the end of the world. Just like writing, marketing is a skill that takes dedication and practice. Rethink how you market your book and try again; it’s never too late to create buzz around your self-published book.
When you publish your next book, the launch will be even smoother. Remember, being an author is an ongoing learning process, and every time you put yourself out there, you’ll learn even more.
Your dreams of becoming a bestselling self-published author are within reach. With the right tools, the right dedication, and the right people to help you, your book will be a smashing success. Don’t let the seemingly daunting task of marketing stop you from reaching for the stars. Write that book and get it out there!
