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How to Promote Your Self-Published e-Book
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by Dorothy Thompson
One of the questions I get from writers who have never written an e-Book for the sole purpose of self-publishing is, “How would you promote a self-published e-Book? Where would you even begin?”
Many writers balk at even attempting to play publisher. But if they only knew that it’s not as hard as they think it is, and that they get to keep all the profits, I feel that more people would realize that self-publishing e-Books is a profitable venture. E-Books are really simple to promote as long as you take a no-nonsense, guerilla approach to marketing.
As long as you have a market, and have a quality e-Book that is free of errors, your e-Book can become a success, thus giving you that added income. But, the great thing is, you won’t be sharing the profits with anyone. There is no overhead except for Web site expenses, which you should already be paying.
I have successfully promoted several e-Books for myself and for my writing group, getting those e-Books into the #1 position in the search engines.
How?
That’s where a guerilla marketing plan comes in.
Here are a few simple ways I have used to promote my e-Books and get them to the top of the search engines:
- Using key search words throughout my selling page and on every single piece of promotional literature I send out.
- Using free press release sites frequently, keeping in mind to use those key search words not only in the title, but also throughout the release.
- Using free article banks as vehicles to get my selling page’s link on hundreds upon hundreds of Web sites.
- Using online storefronts who will list my e-Book for free.
- Using writers’ forums and Web sites who will let me announce my e-Book.
- Using blogs to announce my e-Book and promote it.
- Using others’ blogs to set up virtual book tours.
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The secret to selling self-published e-Books (or any kind of e-Book or print book, for that matter) is to get your link on as many Web sites as you can. You have to remember that you have an electronic book. You can’t go on book signings, so you have to rely on the Internet to get the word out. But, by following those seven examples above, I’ll guarantee you’ll get the sales you need.
So what if you’ve done everything above, and your e-Book still isn’t selling?
Where some authors go wrong is that they fail to remember the most important thing you need in order to sell any kind of books—a market.
No amount of promotion is going to do you any good unless you have an audience who is willing to fork out the money.
Before you even put down that first word, you have to ask yourself these following questions:
- Who is going to buy my e-Book?
- Why is my e-Book any different than Joe Blow’s e-Book on the same subject?
- What will my audience gain from my e-Book?
- Can they already find this information readily on the Internet?
- Will my buyers gain something from my e-Book, or is it simply to entertain?
Pique your potential buyer’s interest. Post an excerpt on your Web site so they can judge for themselves whether your e-Book will be something they need.
Once you get into the mindset of your buyer, things start falling in place, and you’ll get those sales you want. Zero in on your market, and do the steps I’ve outlined above, and I’ll guarantee you’ll be selling e-Books.
Happy promoting to you!
About the Author:
Dorothy Thompson is the editor of The Writer’s Life, one of the Writer’s Digest Top 101 Websites for Writers, and the author of the self-promoting e-Book A Complete Guide to Promoting & Selling Your Self-Published e-Book, available from The Writer’s Life Publications.
© Dorothy Thompson
