As a reader, you know there are a lot of great books out there. Some even have the potential to change your life, if only you knew about them and could be convinced that they were right for you.

As an author, you want your own book to fall into that must-have category for thousands of readers. It’s your job to make the right connection with readers and persuade them to purchase and read your book. But just how do you do that?

Today I’d like to share with you two important book marketing strategies that you can use to market your book, build relationships with new readers and set your book up for long-term success.

Book Marketing Strategy #1: Leverage Your Connections

Are you more likely to read a book that your best friend or your mentor recommended? I know I am. It’s human nature to listen more carefully to the recommendations of people we know, like and are more familiar with. That’s why your personal and professional networks are perfectly poised to help you reach more readers.

Everyone has networks filled with people that have been part of their life: family, friends, co-workers, classmates, etc. Start by sitting down and making an exhaustive list of your own connections. Then carefully consider:

• Who would have a direct interest in your book,
• Who has some type of influence with others who would be interested in your book (this is likely the most important category), and
• Who wouldn’t be interested in the topic but might still be open to supporting you as an author.

For example, let’s say that you’re a yoga teacher who has written a book about yoga. First, you could tell your yoga students (who would have a direct interest in your book) about the book. Tell them how the book would benefit them and how their support for the book would help you as well. Second, you could tell other yoga teachers you know (who have influence with other yoga students) about the book. Ask them to share the value of your book with their audiences. Third, you could tell your family about the book. Perhaps most of them will not be interested in yoga, but they may want to support you as an author. Tell them how important this is to you and tell them how they can support you by sharing news of your book with anyone they connect with who is interested in yoga.

Your personal and professional networks want to see you succeed, so make it easy for them to help you. Be specific with what you’re asking of them and give them the right tools to do it. Then don’t forget to thank all of your connections, no matter how they ultimately decide to support your book and your efforts.

Book Marketing Strategy #2: Email List

An email list is a collection of email addresses from people who have given you their permission to email them. (NOTE: Emailing people who have NOT given permission is called spamming. Don’t spam. It’s not nice and it can get you in trouble.) You might send emails to your list to tell them about your upcoming book launch, share a particularly good book review or testimonial, alert them when your book is being sold for a special sale price, relate how your book has helped or inspired others, etc. You can use services such as Mailchimp, ActiveCampaign and AWeber to help you manage your list and email messages.

While social media can give you the power to reach new people and hopefully influence them, there’s an awful lot of noise there and you don’t control the medium. An email list is a better way to cultivate relationships over time and produce an audience of people ready to support your book. An email is more private and personal; after all, it’s just you and your recipient, and you can encourage them to respond to make the communication a two-way street.

But who will you email? Everyone has to start somewhere. To build your email list from scratch, just start asking! Ask your connections if they’d like to join your email list. Have a blog? Add an email list signup form. Use social media? Tell your followers how to get on your email list. Let them know that you only send your best information to your email list. And make it so.

If you make your email communications a cozy place to be, your email list subscribers will stick around, grow in numbers over time and be ever more willing to support your book as well as any future endeavors you may have.

Just like writing a book itself, book marketing is a long-term investment in your success.

Dudley Court Press

Dudley Court Press works with writers like you every day. As a full-service, hybrid publishing house, we help thoughtful people write their books and become successful published authors.

Are you interested in Self-Publishing a book? Let Dudley Court Press help you through our Assisted Self-Publishing Program.

For more information, including about DCP’s latest program Memoir Writing Made Easy, please get in touch at info@DudleyCourtPress.com.