Book Promotion: Getting Serious about Promoting Your Book

Book promotion is an essential aspect of the business of writing and publishing. If you're an author, you must market your book. It doesn't matter whether your work has been picked up by a major publishing house or if you've self-published it, I'll say it again: you must promote your book. After all, books don't sell themselves (unless you're a celebrity embroiled in a scandal.)

Like you, I'm an author. After I self-published my first book, I figured that all I would have to do is send out 50 review copies and the sales would start rolling in.

Boy, was I naive.

Although my book has received many favorable reviews (and prestigious book awards), there are such a glut of books on the market which means that reviewers are overwhelmed and your book may never get reviewed at all. Meanwhile the clock is ticking and that copyright date just keeps getting older and older.

The day that I finally woke up to the fact that as an author, I had to take responsibility for book promotion, was the day that I decided to create my own success. And it worked. For instance, I now have professional asking me to speak at their conferences and conventions.

Following are some programs I have used to successfully market my book. You can also use these programs for ebook promotion. I warn you that these programs are not cheap, but the reality is: if you want to make money, you must spend money, especially if you want to learn from the hard won mistakes and successes of others who have achieved what you are hoping to.

When considering the programs below, realize that this is the price you have to pay for your book promotion training. After all, the best and must successful authors take the bull by the horns and learn how to promote their work.

Book Promotion Tips

• An effective way to market your book is to speak at colleges and universities which have deep pockets when it comes to paying speakers, in particular speaker/authors. In addition to making a substantial speaker's fee ($3000-$4500), you will be able to sell your books to the audiences you motivate. In some cases, the organizations you speak for will hundreds or even thousands of books for their members.

  As I've been using this college speaking program , I've discovered that in addition to being a great way to earn a living as an author, it's an excellent way to promote my book, increase book sales and refine my work and come up with new ideas for followup books. This program will teach you everything you need to know. Taught by an author who is successfully using his own system to command large speaker fees and sell tons of books.

• Book promotion through radio shows. Doing radio shows created incredible success for the authors of the Chicken Soup Series, Jack Canfield and Mark Victor Hansen and it can do the same for you. Even though the book I wrote is now four years old, I am still getting large orders from my distributors because I'm getting my name and book title out there by doing radio shows. Unlike the book marketing method mentioned above, doing radio shows does not always involve travel. Many shows are call-in shows which means you can be interviewed in your pajamas from the comfort of your home. Since at the close of your interview, the show host will give listeners your toll free number or web site address, you can also use this as a tool for ebook promotion.

  The radio show program I use is the cream of the crop. Written by an author who has generated over one and a half million dollars in book sales from doing radio shows, you get a comprehensive database of all the nationally syndicated radio shows in the country, plus an ebook, full of information about how to pitch your show to producers, how to make a one-sheet, how to get asked back repeatedly for interviews and more. This is a comprehensive program that is used by many prestigious PR firms and is well worth the price. In addition, you'll be building a platform for yourself. Who knows where this could lead, truly, the sky is the limit. Click here to learn more about book promotion using radio shows.

Book promotion is essential, whether your finished product is a book or ebook. I can't emphasize this enough. If you want to sell your books, you have to do the work. Consider the email question I received recently from one of my subscribers. He said:

Dear Laura,

I have self-published my book, but it has not done well. I still have 2,500 copies in my basement. I am looking at republishing it as an ebook.

Rather than republishing his book as an ebook, I advised him to focus on moving that inventory. After all, he poured his heart and soul into writing his book, now he has to do the same to promote and sell it.

Pick a program above, roll up your sleeves and get started. Get out in the world, whether through speaking or radio interviews, make a name for yourself and sell those books! Then you'll fully realize what it means to be a successful author.

Copyright © 2007 by Laura Ramirez. All rights reserved. Laura is available to speak at your conference or convention. Use the Contact Us link on the navigation bar to the left to inquire about her speaking fees and schedule.

Book Marketing

Self Publishing