Going to Market

We get a lot of questions about how to market a book or piece once it is published. Whether you are self-publishing or publishing through an agent, the modern literary world expects authors to take charge on promoting their own books. Here are some tips on how to promote yourself as an author and attract more readers.
Build up a social media presence. It’s preferable to start doing this before you are even published. Start your own personal brand on social media sites such as Twitter, Instagram, Facebook, or even YouTube. Or, you can even create your own blog or website. Post content related to your work, the world of writing in general, and the specific genre you write in. You can post links to articles related to the world of writing with your own commentary. You can post reviews of other books in your genre. Or, for a more humorous take, you can even post memes related to writing. Make sure to keep all content on-brand. Not familiar with website building? JournoPortfolio is a great starting point for a simple collection of posts.
Network, network, network! There are many networking groups and events for authors, both online and offline. Try to find groups and events specific to your genre. Connect with other authors in your genre and cross-promote each others’ works.
Start a newsletter. It may surprise you, but newsletters are important resources for promotion. There are online marketplaces where authors can buy, sell, or exchange promotional slots in each others’ newsletters. This can help to expand your audience to readers in your genre who otherwise may not have heard of you. You can also use online marketplaces to gain subscribers to your newsletter, by attracting them with links to a free copy or sample of one of your works. If you’re new to newsletters, check out Mailchimp, a tool that walks you easily through the process.
Get some initial reviews. There are also networking services online that allow authors to send free advance copies of their book to beta readers. In exchange, these readers will leave an online review of your book with their honest opinion. Just cross your fingers and hope that they enjoy reading it!
Read up on search engine optimization (SEO). There are SEO tricks that can help you to drive more traffic to your social media accounts with the right keywords.
These are just a few tips on how to promote yourself as an author. Keep at it, and good luck!