How Do I Market My Self Published Book? What Are The First Steps?

The basic advice is start your marketing the day your start writing your book. I know that sounds like way to much work but you can start slow and gradually build out an online web and off line presence as you begin the book. You may not even know you are writing your book but it is important to start thinking in this direction. Below are some steps to get started on how to market your book, and most of these are free.

• Work on building your author platform

• Begin building an author website or blog
• Begin building your email list of interested fans
• Register an author URL for your website, NameNameAuthor.com will work if you can’t get your name
• Set up your social media sites, Facebook, Pinterest, Instagram, Linkedin, Twitter, YouTube and any others that you think your fans will be at

• Research bloggers and people who have influence in your market and connect with these people using social media, Google+, Twitter, Facebook, Linkedin, their YouTube Channel, Pinterest, etc.

• Subscribe to the influencers blogs, Facebook, Google+ and Linkedin groups and email lists

• Start commenting and engaging with them on their blogs and social media sites. Try to get on these people’s radar, start building a relationship. This will become much more important when we come to launching your book.

• Build an Open Facebook group around your topic, you can also do a Fan page

• Build social media locations for you or your book, Twitter, Pinterest, Google+, Linkedin, Snapchat, Instagram and YouTube. Pick a couple to get started.

• Connect now for the future with local bookstores, coffee shops, and other outlets where you can sell your books. Depending on what your topic is there are many non-traditional places to sell also.

• Build a list of local media, TV, radio, and print that you can connect with. Connect with their social media sites, start to get on their radar.

• As you get close to publishing your book pull together your Book Media Kit. Write your author bio and book descriptions, collect cover images, bio images, videos, everything we will use to launch your book with.

• Start building out your author/book website with all of this content. Have it ready to go for when you publish your book, collect email names.

• You should be putting up regular posts related to the book as you work on the writing. These can be story lines, sample sections, describing the writing and publishing process, images and related content. These posts will be used to build interest, Google search traffic, and for building up your mailing list. Be sure to follow the Kindle Select rules on duplicate content if you are going to use this Amazon program.

J. Bruce Jones is the author and creator of over 35 books. Bruce also consults and teaches authors how to publish their books. If you want to learn more about how to market your book check out my new Book Marketing Checklist which is available for free. Head over to the right to download.