 If you, like so many other writers, worry about getting to release day and finding that nobody is interested in a first-time, unknown author, then we have the answer to your problem! In just 5 easy steps, you can build up a dedicated fan base that will be anxiously awaiting the release of your book long before it is published. Creating a fan base before release day means you’ll no longer need to be stressed about disappointing sales or a lack of readership, because you know they’re already there!  You’ve spent countless days, months (or even years!) writing and redrafting your masterpiece, and you want it to receive the recognition you know it deserves. After all, you know the story is good, because you’ve probably written the book you’d want to read. And we completely agree – that much hard work deserves reward! Just think about it: if you’d love the book, there are definitely other people – and probably a lot of them – that would love it too! But these people don’t appear out of thin air – how can they read your book, and love it, if they don’t know about it? That’s where the easy steps come in! Follow these 5 stages to connect your book with its rightful readers! 1. Post sneak peaks and snippets The first thing anyone will tell you about marketing is to find your target audience and market primarily to them. That’s absolutely right – but how are you to find your target audience when you don’t have a finished product to test among readers? You have no market research because you don’t have a book to market yet! The answer to this? Samples! Whether it be online, among colleagues, friends and family or at events, you need to share extracts from the book (maybe the first couple of chapters, or a particularly strong set of scenes) as early as possible to see how your readers respond. Some people start with family and friends, but this often means you’ll get a biased ‘we have to gush about it because it’s Auntie Maureen’s sister’s cousin’s book’ approach. What you actually want is cold, harsh truths about who does and doesn’t like it. The key to honest feedback? Post your samples online! 2. Start a professional blog or website for uploading your snippets  Note we say professional here, because as an upcoming author, you don’t want to be penalized for having a haphazard website with a lengthy, hard-to-remember URL. And trust us, people do take note of this! It’s very easy to register a domain name (i.e. JohnDoeAuthor.com), so it’s best to snatch up your author name before somebody else does! This not only makes you look more professional and established as a writer, but is also far easier for people to remember, should they ever want to search for you. You can create blogs and websites through sites like WordPress or One.com, and once you’re all set up, you can regularly update your site with new extracts, interviews and sample chapters ready for potential readers to sink their teeth in to. Remember: always encourage feedback and comments! If the reader doesn’t already know you, they are far more likely to give an honest opinion – they will stick around (and maybe even comment) if they do like your writing, and they’ll disappear if they don’t. And that’s your first step towards understanding your target audience. 3. Include a newsletter  Alongside or underneath each post, have a very bold and visible newsletter sign-up for those who want to be reminded of new content being added or receive updates on the book’s release. If a reader is engaging with your work, chances are they’d like to hear about any additional chapters they could read for free – and eventually the chance to actually pick up a copy of the book. Advertise a quick and easy sign-up for updates on free content and let your target audience come to you. Once you have their email addresses, you can let them know each time a new extract is added (and get more feedback on your work) and give them updates on when the book is to be released, where it will be and how much it will cost. Again, always ask for responses and engagement so your readers feel involved and welcome! 4. Publish a free eBook on sites like Amazon and Kobo In the days of social media marketing and touch-of-a-button downloads, people generally expect to get a little something for nothing to pique their interest. If you want someone to sign up to your blog, read your book or listen to your album, they’ll want to try it out first, so they don’t have to take a risk and spend their money hastily. It makes sense, right? Why purchase something before you can guarantee you’ll like it? And you might be thinking that you’re already posting free content on your website, but in actual fact these are only reaching one section of your audience. You have to work hard to drive traffic to your website, but on sites such as Amazon and Kobo, the readers are already there, primed and looking for content! Don’t get us wrong, your website is still incredibly useful as it’s the only place you can get newsletter sign ups right next to your content, and so these platforms work in unison together – one without the other just wouldn’t be as effective!  Try writing a short eBook in a similar writing style to your upcoming release – perhaps you already have some short stories that you never did anything with? Many eBook sites require completed work rather than samples, so this is where a short story fits in perfectly. If somebody likes your writing style for one story, it’s very likely they will be interested in reading more from you. When it comes to your audience, they’re far more likely to stick around because of you and your style of writing than a certain plot or character. Later on, if you’re writing a series, you can try making the first book free for readers to test out before they commit to the next installments. 5. Promote Whenever you post anything, promote it on social media! It’s no good releasing a goldmine of free content if you’re not making readers aware of it. Follow readers of your genre and anybody you feel would be interested in your writing, and build up a network of people that might like the content you’re posting. Then, once you have a handful (and rising!) of followers, let them know about the free goods! But don’t just limit yourself to advertising your wares, because followers may tire of it. Try commenting on others’ posts, replying to people and really engaging with as many accounts as you can to help people understand why they would love your book. Remember, happy readers mean good reviews! And the more reviews you receive, the more new readers will be willing to take a chance on a book they’d previously never heard of. And so it goes on! Before you know it, you’ll have a dedicated fan base and a stream of passive income coming in that really takes the edge off when it comes to writing the next in the series.  That’s a wrap on our marketing tips this week – if you have any topics you’d like us to discuss or ideas for future posts then do let us know and we’ll have them up soon!
If any of our ideas about marketing have caught your eye, feel free to check out our Marketing and Aftercare service, which can be found here. You can also find more of our blog posts here. Alternatively, if you’re interested in any of our other services, our collection of packages can be found here. Can’t find what you're looking for? Not to worry! Feel free to contact us at info@rowanvalebooks.com or call us on 029 2128 0200, where we are more than happy to answer any other questions.
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 In the cozy corners of Instagram can you find like-minded literary-obsessed individuals sharing all-things books with one another. If you didn’t already know, a Bookstagram is an Instagram page centred in sharing and discussing all of your favourite reads. That’s right, there’s a dedicated space for books on social media, and we love it! Although book blogging has a long history, Bookstagrams are unique in the way they combine today’s love for social media with the world’s well-established passion for literature. Just a quick search of #bookstagram brings up over 50 million posts worldwide, ranging from bookish quotes, a cover snapshot or an easy café-read. The beauty of Bookstagram, much like reading and writing books, is the sense of community that comes with it. Acting as a modern-day book club, running your own Bookstagram could just be the next step in growing your fan base.  As an author, it can be difficult knowing how to effectively market yourself, especially if you’re unfamiliar with social media. Our Marketing & Aftercare Services can provide you with the support you need to broaden your audience while establishing your brand. Doing so can enable you the opportunities as an author to build your following strategically and authentically. Whether you’re looking to expand upon your reading list or influence that of others, running a successful Bookstagram presents many opportunities to connect with authors, readers and writers alike. But where do you start? Well, this is Instagram after all, so, beginning with an aesthetically pleasing shot is definitely the first step forward. Getting the Perfect Picture
To make your feed more interesting, try and get some variation in the images you share. Yes, this is a Bookstagram and books need to be a central theme throughout, but don’t be afraid of incorporating different props or colours in your shoot. Whether you opt for a relaxing image featuring your favourite mug of tea or choose to have a pet as a special feature, the opportunities are endless. Engaging Videos Creating short and snappy video content for your Bookstagram is a great way of connecting with your followers on a more personal level. Whether you choose to invest some time in creating an Instagram Reel or prefer to check-in regularly on your Story, video content is a fantastic way of allowing your followers to meet the author behind the novel. Be sure to present yourself as approachable and bubbly and address your followers throughout. Establishing this human connection can help develop your brand and online presence as well as building a reliable fan base.  Participate in Challenges As authors, participating in social media challenges is a great way to expand your audience and grow your Bookstagram. One of our favourite challenges to date is #shelfie. A simple yet effective play on a selfie, shelfies allow you to show off your impressive bookshelf while encouraging your followers to share theirs. Interacting with your followers in this way helps cement that feeling of community while allowing your fan base to grow authentically. As part of our Marketing & Aftercare service, we advise authors on various social media campaigns. Starting your own challenge is a great way to encourage your followers to engage in community activity while gaining some free promotion. If your budget allows for it, you could even advertise a book giveaway, asking your followers to like, share and tag your post for an entry. This is a simple means of making your Bookstagram more visible to others on Instagram and can easily aid in expanding the reach of your page. Engage with Your Followers No matter how inviting your Bookstagram may look on the surface, your followers will come and go if you fail to make the effort to engage meaningfully with them on your social media. You’ll find a quick reaction, a comment back or a like can go a long way in boosting the relationship between you and your followers. Doing this will not only lead to a stronger human connection but a higher level of engagement with your Bookstagram, allowing your page to become more widely seen by others on the platform. Making your presence known in this way is a fantastic means of solidifying your online following as well as your literary fan base. As an author, this has the potential to directly correlate with the marketing success of any current or future endeavours. Running a Bookstagram takes maintenance, devotion and a good dose of passion, but keep in mind, this should be a fun and welcoming place for you and your followers to go. If you’re enjoying the content you share and engage with, it will translate to your audience. Through taking these simple tips on board, you’ll be perfectly placed to begin running your very own successful Bookstagram.  If any of our ideas about marketing have caught your eye, feel free to check out our Marketing and Aftercare service, which can be found here. You can also find more of our blog posts here.
Alternatively, if you’re interested in any of our other services, our collection of packages can be found here. Can’t find what you're looking for? Not to worry! Feel free to contact us at info@rowanvalebooks.com or call us on 029 2128 0200, where we are more than happy to answer any other questions.  We’re keeping it short and sweet today with a few key marketing pointers for the savvy writer: Link your book to trending topics Does your book touch upon a topic that is trending on Twitter? Tweet about it using the trending #hashtag. That way, anybody talking and reading about that trend (and there will be plenty!) will come across your book and its relevance to their interests. Take note of current events Does your book tie in to a current event or upcoming holiday? Another great avenue for marketing. Write articles or blog posts that link your work to an event, and give a new spin to your book. There are tons of apps that will let you know of celebrated days. From ‘national chicken day’ to ‘national give your mum a hug day’ – there’s something for everyone! Schedule your posts Marketing is all about planning, so make sure you are thinking about when and what you will be posting on social media. Take a look through your posts, and see at what time of day you receive the greatest response – are your fans evening dwellers? Do they check in with you on the morning commute? Get to know your audience, and when best to reach out to them. If you post when no one is listening, that’s a valuable minute of your book marketing time wasted. Remember: timing is everything.  If any of our ideas about marketing have caught your eye, feel free to check out our Marketing and Aftercare service, which can be found here. Alternatively, if you’re interested in any of our other services, our collection of packages can be found here.
Can’t find an answer? Not to worry! Feel free to contact us at info@rowanvalebooks.com or call us on 029 2128 0200, where we are more than happy to answer any other questions. |
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