A book launch is more than just a single event or release day. It’s a long-term strategy that encompasses all the activities, promotions, and connections made in the weeks and months leading up to the moment your book hits the shelves or goes live online.

As a springboard to marketing and promoting your book, your launch strategy is the basis for creating a buzz, building anticipation, and establishing a solid foundation for your book’s success. We’ve designed this comprehensive guide on how to launch a book regardless of your budget or level of experience as a self-published creator. 

How to launch a book in 15 steps

1. Define objectives

Timeline: 6 to 12 months before launch

Before planning your book launch strategy, take a step back to define your launch goals. Your objectives will serve as your compass, guiding every decision and implemented strategy. Clear, specific, and achievable goals create a roadmap that leads to a fruitful and fulfilling book launch.

Begin by asking yourself why you created this book and what you hope to accomplish with its launch. Are you looking to establish yourself as a thought leader in a specific genre? Do you want to inspire and entertain your readers? Or is your primary goal to generate income?

Consider these example book launch objectives as a springboard for your own.

• Maximize income generation: Aim to achieve a specific revenue target within the first few months post-launch, indicating a successful commercial performance.
• Entertain and engage an audience: Set a goal to reach a certain number of readers or downloads, reflecting your book’s ability to captivate and entertain.
• Establish authority: Position yourself as a thought leader or expert in your field, gauging success by your invitations to speak, guest blog, or contribute to panels.
• Share knowledge and teach: Try targeting a specific educational impact, like your book being included in educational programs or receiving feedback on how it has informed or educated readers.
• Kickstart or elevate your career: Set objectives around career milestones post-launch, like signing a book deal, gaining representation, or getting job leads through book sales.
• Reach the widest possible audience: Measure your success by the geographical spread of your readership, translations into other languages, or the diversity of audiences engaged.
• Promote a cause or influence public opinion: Contribute to public discourse, policy changes, or increased awareness on specific issues and track your book’s success by its mentions in the news and on social media.
• Express creativity: Define success in terms of personal fulfillment, artistic recognition, or contribution to the literary or artistic community.

By determining your objectives early on, you set the stage for a book launch that’s not only successful but also aligns with your personal and professional aspirations. But remember that the process is a marathon, not a sprint.

2. Decide on a launch date

Timeline: 6 to 12 months before launch

Choosing the right date to launch your book is more than just marking a day on the calendar. It’s a strategic decision that influences the visibility and momentum of your launch. Here are a few tips to help determine the best launch date.

• Research publishing trends: Research trends and publishing calendars to understand when books in your genre typically hit the shelves. There are reasons specific genres perform better at certain times.
• Consider external factors: Give thought to major holidays, events, or other significant book releases that could overshadow your launch. Choose a date when your book can shine without unnecessary competition.
• Plan pre-launch activities: Ensure you have ample time for pre-launch marketing activities, gathering reviews, and setting up distribution. A rushed book launch could lead to missed opportunities and unnecessary stress.
• Align with retailer timelines: Some retailers have specific timelines for setting up pre-orders or listing new books. Ensure your chosen date aligns with these requirements to avoid any last-minute hiccups.
• Leverage seasonal opportunities: If your book’s themes are related to a specific season, holiday, awareness month, historical event, or trending topic, launch in that timeframe. You can leverage the raised awareness to improve your chances of securing media coverage.
• Remain flexible: Be prepared to adjust if unforeseen circumstances arise. Flexibility is critical to navigating the unpredictable world of book publishing.

By carefully selecting your launch date, you set a clear timeline for all your pre-launch activities and ensure your book debuts when it can capture attention and achieve your defined objectives.

3. Establish your budget 

Timeline: 5 to 10 months before launch

A successful book launch doesn’t happen by chance. It requires careful planning and strategic investment. A well-thought-out budget ensures you allocate resources efficiently, optimizing every dollar spent. 

Take stock of how much money you can allocate to your book launch without straining your finances. Consider your personal funds and potential income from pre-orders or other book-generated revenue streams.

As you move through this guide, list all potential expenses for your book launch, including promotional materials, events, distribution, advertising, and professional services like publicists and designers. Prioritize these expenses based on their potential impact and necessity.

The overall cost of launching a book varies widely depending on the genre and the publishing path. For self-publishing, the average cost of publishing a book is between $2,000 and $4,000, including editing, cover design, and marketing expenses. Traditional publishing can have lower upfront costs, but marketing expenses can range from $500 upwards to over $10,000. 

The earnings of self-published authors can also vary widely, but recent surveys indicate that independent authors earn more than in years past. The Alliance of Independent Authors (ALLi) survey found that the average income for self-published authors rose 53% in 2022, reaching a median of $12,749. However, another survey found that 33% of self-published authors make less than $500 per year, and 20% report making no income from their books. In short, take your earning projections with a grain of salt. 

4. Build an online presence

Timeline: 4 to 9 months before launch

A strong online presence is paramount for a successful book launch. It allows you to connect with your audience and establish yourself as a credible author or creator. Here’s how to go about it.

• Create a professional website: Your website is the central hub for all information related to your book and your work as an author or creator. Ensure it’s user-friendly, visually appealing, and provides all the necessary details about your book. For more, explore tips for creating a successful author website.
• Develop a dedicated book landing page: Create a specific landing page for your book on your website. This page should include a compelling book description, cover image, bio, and links to pre-order or purchase the book. Consider adding a book trailer or sample chapter to entice visitors.
• Optimize for search engines (SEO): Use relevant keywords related to your book’s genre, themes, and content to optimize your website, landing page, or product page listings like Amazon for search engines. SEO increases visibility and helps attract organic traffic.
• Start building an email list: An email list is one of your most valuable assets for launching your book and growing your community. Include a sign-up form on your website to collect emails from interested readers. Provide an incentive, like a free webinar or exclusive content, to encourage sign-ups.
• Engage through regular newsletters: Once you start building your email list, engage with your subscribers through regular newsletters. Share updates about your book, behind-the-scenes content, and promos to keep them interested and invested in your work.
• Establish a social media presence: Identify the platforms where your target audience is most active and establish a presence there. Share regular updates, connect with your audience, and join relevant communities to increase visibility. Learn more about how to use social media to sell your book.
• Connect with influencers and bloggers: Identify influencers, bloggers, or other creators in your niche who might be interested in your book. Reach out to them for potential collaborations or features to expand your reach.

Building a robust online presence takes time and consistency, but the payoff is worth it. 

5. Create a social media plan 

Timeline: 3 to 6 months before launch

Social media is an invaluable tool for building buzz and connecting with your audience in the lead-up to your book launch. A carefully crafted social media plan ensures you engage effectively with potential readers and generate excitement around your book. Here are the fundamentals of crafting a strategic social media plan.

• Leverage the right platforms: Focus on social media platforms where your target audience is most active. Instagram, TikTok, Facebook, and Pinterest are popular choices, but don’t overlook niche platforms relevant to your book’s genre or themes.
• Organize your social media content: Plan your social media posts, ensuring a consistent presence. Your content calendar should include promotional posts, behind-the-scenes content, and engaging community-building messages.
• Share your creative journey: Give your audience a glimpse into your creative process, the inspiration behind your book, and the journey to publication. Sharing in this way humanizes you as a creator and builds a personal connection with your audience.
• Tease with snippets: Include intriguing snippets or quotes from your book to pique interest. Ensure these snippets are shareable and encourage your followers to spread the word.
• Update your followers: Keep your audience informed about your book launch’s progress, upcoming events, and where they can pre-order or purchase your book.
• Given the visual nature of platforms like Instagram, Facebook, and Pinterest, incorporate high-quality images, graphics, and videos related to your book and your creative journey.
• Spark interest with contests and giveaways: Engage your audience and increase visibility by running contests or giveaways. Encourage participants to share your book, tag friends, or use a specific hashtag to broaden your reach.

Beyond marketing, social media is a powerful tool for creating a community of supporters who are as excited about your book as you are. Use it wisely and authentically, and watch your audience grow.

6. Organize galleries and book signing events

Timeline: 3 to 6 months before launch

Showcasing your original work at galleries and arranging book signing events are excellent book launch strategies. These in-person events allow readers and art enthusiasts to engage with your work, creating a memorable experience that boosts book sales and enhances your reputation as a creator.

If your book includes visual elements like illustrations, photographs, or artwork, consider organizing gallery showings of your original pieces. Contact local galleries, art spaces, or community centers for availability and terms. Highlight the unique aspects of your work and how it could attract visitors to their venue. Ensure that your book is available for purchase at these events, allowing attendees to take home a piece of the experience.

Similarly, consider connecting with local bookstores, libraries, or other relevant venues to organize book signing events. You don’t need to be an accredited author to make this happen. Simply tailor your pitch to each location, explaining why your book would resonate with their clientele and how an event could drive traffic to their space. But be prepared to discuss logistics such as date, time, and any promotional efforts you’ll undertake to ensure the event’s success.

Once your events are confirmed, promote them vigorously through your online channels, local community boards, and relevant organizations or groups.

7. Embark on a blog and podcast tour

Timeline: 2 to 4 months before launch

Blogs and podcasts are powerful mediums to amplify awareness about your book and build hype among prospective readers. By appearing on various blogs and podcasts within your genre or industry, you can reach new audiences and establish yourself as a credible voice in your field.

Start by identifying blogs and podcasts that align with your book’s themes, genre, or target audience. Reach out with a personalized message, explaining why you believe your book would interest their audience and proposing a topic or angle for your appearance. Be sure to highlight unique insights or experiences you can bring to their platform.

Being featured on blogs and podcasts allows you to share your story, discuss your book in-depth, and connect with potential readers on a personal level. It’s an opportunity to showcase your expertise, share your passion, and build momentum for your book launch. 

8. Determine a venue or streaming platform for your launch event

Timeline: 3 to 6 months before launch

The launch event is a pivotal moment in your book release journey, providing an opportunity to celebrate your hard work and share your creation with the world. The format of your event—virtual, in-person, or hybrid—informs how to plan and promote this special occasion.

In-person event

If you host a physical event, secure a venue that aligns with your book’s theme and audience. Local bookstores, cafes, galleries, and community centers can be excellent options. Consider the venue size, available amenities, and associated costs.

Virtual event

Virtual events allow for a wider audience without the geographical constraints of a physical location. Choose a reliable streaming platform and test your equipment in advance to ensure a smooth experience.

Hybrid event

A hybrid event combines elements of both virtual and in-person experiences, catering to a broader audience. Ensure that both in-person and online attendees have opportunities to engage and participate. Pay attention to the technical aspects of hosting a hybrid event, ensuring that the virtual component is seamlessly integrated and provides a high-quality experience for online attendees.

9. Create a press kit

Timeline: 2 to 3 months before launch

A press kit, also known as a media kit, is a comprehensive package of information and promotional materials about your book designed to make it easy for journalists, bloggers, and influencers to cover your story. Creating a well-crafted press kit is essential in your book launch process, as it plays a momentous role in your public relations and media outreach efforts.

A press kit centralizes all the essential information and resources that media professionals need, saving them time and increasing the likelihood that they will cover your book. But what details should you include in your press kit? Here are the basics.

• Book cover and creator photo: High-resolution images that media outlets can use in their coverage.
• Press release: A concise document that announces your book launch, highlights its unique aspects, and provides essential details like the release date, available formats, and where to purchase. Learn more about how to write a press release for a book launch.
• Creator bio: A brief biography showcasing your background, achievements, and previous publications. Tailor it to highlight aspects of your story that are most relevant to your book.
• Book blurb: A captivating summary of your book, providing enough detail to intrigue but still leave them wanting to learn more.
• Contact info: Clear and easy-to-find contact details for yourself or your PR representative, ensuring that interested parties can easily get in touch.
• Testimonials or endorsements: If you have received positive reviews or endorsements from credible sources, include them in your press kit to add credibility and appeal.

Depending on your book’s content and theme, you might include additional resources such as artwork, infographics, or sample chapters.

10. Announce your book launch

Timeline: 1 to 2 months before launch

Now that all your preparations are in place, it’s time to announce your book launch to the world formally. This builds anticipation, creates buzz, and ensures your target audience knows about your upcoming release. Your announcement should be engaging and informative, providing all the essential details about your book and its launch. 

Share your announcement across all your social media channels, website, and email lists. Tailor your message to suit each platform. Offer early purchasers a pre-order discount or exclusive content to encourage immediate action. 

As the announcement gains traction, be responsive to comments, messages, and any inquiries you receive. This extra effort helps build a community around your book and shows that you value their interest and support.

11. Connect with reviewers and influencers

Timeline: 1 to 2 months before launch

Expanding your book’s reach through reviewers and influencers is a strategic step in your launch plan. Identify individuals in your genre who hold sway over your target audience. Ensure your outreach is personalized and shows genuine familiarity with their work, making your book more appealing for them to review or feature.

Prepare digital or physical copies of your book and have your updated press kit ready to share, providing all the necessary information for a comprehensive review or feature. Remember to follow up respectfully if you don’t receive a response initially, and be understanding of their time constraints.

Once your book is reviewed or featured, share the coverage across your channels and express gratitude to the reviewer or influencer. Positive reviews and features enhance your book’s credibility and extend its reach to potential readers, contributing significantly to the success of your launch.

12. Mobilize your super fans

Timeline: At launch

Assembling a dedicated email list of super fans can be a game-changer for your book launch. These individuals are already invested in your work and will likely provide positive reviews to help build momentum from day one. 

Before your launch, identify potential super fans from your existing network, social media followers, or email subscribers. Engage with them regularly and foster a genuine connection. Compile a list of these individuals with their contact information, ensuring you can reach out to them quickly and efficiently when your book launches. 

On your launch day, email blast your super fans, expressing gratitude for their support and asking if they would consider leaving a review. Provide a direct link for purchasing or accessing your book to make the process seamless. Having super fans ready to support your book launch with positive reviews can significantly boost your book’s early visibility and credibility, setting a strong foundation for its overall success. 

13. Leverage paid advertising

Timeline: At or post-launch

If your budget permits, paid advertising can amplify your book’s visibility and attract potential readers. Tim Ferriss used Google AdWords, now known as Google Ads, to test various titles. “The 4-Hour Work Week” was a bestseller at 1.35 million copies sold.

Platforms like Facebook, Pinterest, Amazon, and Google offer robust targeting options, ensuring your ads reach the right audience. For instance, Facebook is great for its detailed targeting options (which also covers Instagram users), while Amazon directly reaches potential buyers. But paid advertising can quickly become expensive, so managing your resources wisely and targeting your ads precisely is critical.

14. Pursue book awards

Timeline: Post-launch

After your book launch, gaining recognition through awards enhances your book’s prestige and attracts additional attention. Winning or even being nominated for an award can significantly boost your book’s credibility and visibility.

Look for awards specific to your genre or the type of book you’ve created, whether it’s a novel, photography book, comic book, children’s book, or another category. Carefully review eligibility and submission guidelines. Ensure your application is complete and professional. This process may include providing copies of your book, a synopsis, a bio, and an entry fee.

If your book receives any nominations or wins an award, highlight these achievements in your marketing materials, on your website, and through your social media channels. Recognition from book awards can be leveraged for future projects, enhancing your reputation and increasing the appeal of your subsequent works.

15. Maintain post-launch momentum

Timeline: Post-launch and ongoing

The culmination of your book launch doesn’t mean the end of your promotional efforts. Maintaining momentum is crucial for long-term success and sustaining interest in your work.

Stay active and engaged with your audience through social media, email newsletters, or community events. Continue sharing updates about your book, related content, or personal anecdotes to maintain audience investment in your journey. Encourage readers to leave reviews and share their thoughts on your book. Positive feedback can be highlighted in your promotional materials, while constructive criticism can provide valuable insights for future projects.

Sustain your post-launch energy by remaining connected with your community. This connection may plant a seed for your next creative endeavor.

Last tips for launching your book

Launching your book is a critical milestone with many moving parts, so you want to ensure a seamless process as best you can. Here are some final tips to help ensure a successful book launch.

• Capture the moment: Consider hiring a professional photographer or videographer for your launch event. High-quality visuals enhance your promotional efforts and provide valuable content for your online presence.
• Strategic pricing: Initially, you might want to price your book lower to attract more buyers and encourage reviews. You can adjust the price as your book gains traction.
• Prepare marketing materials: Ensure all marketing materials, from banners to brochures, are ready well in advance. They should be professionally designed and consistent with your book’s branding.
• Practice your pitch: Be ready to succinctly explain what your book is about and why people should be interested. A compelling pitch can make a big difference in capturing attention.
• Plan for contingencies: Have a backup plan for potential technical difficulties or other issues during your launch, especially if it’s a live event or virtual gathering.
• Seek support: Don’t hesitate to ask friends, family, or fellow creatives to help you with different aspects of the launch. Having a support network can significantly reduce the stress of the event.
• Prepare for the long haul: Remember that a book launch is just the beginning. Be ready to continue promoting your book and engaging with your audience long after the launch.

Lastly, take a moment to celebrate your hard work and the realization of your creative project. Creating and self-publishing a book is a major milestone, but launching your book is an entirely separate journey. By following these tips, you’ll be well on your way to ensuring a rewarding book launch. 

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Blurb is a vital resource for indie self-publishers, offering an end-to-end platform that simplifies the publishing and distribution process. With Blurb, you have the flexibility to sell your books through many channels, including Blurb’s no-fee bookstore, global retailers like Amazon, and thousands of other bookstores via Ingram’s extensive network. This broadens the reach of self-published works while minimizing the guesswork involved in distributing your book to the world. Learn more and start your project.

The post <strong>How to plan a book launch: step-by-step guide</strong> appeared first on Blurb Blog.

Despite its wide use in other industries, many self-published bookmakers haven’t tapped into email. But if you’re here, you probably know how lucrative email marketing can be for self-publishers. Marketing emails have a significant impact on the purchasing decisions of 59% of respondents of a recent SaleCycle survey, and more than half of them make purchases through these emails on a monthly basis. A report by McKinsey & Company found that email outperformed Facebook and Twitter combined in acquiring customers by 40 times. Email marketing also offers an unbeatable ROI, generating $36 for every $1 spent on average. And these are just some of the stats that we could share.

Email lists are the foundation of successful book marketing strategies. For indie self-publishers, it’s a way to communicate with your dedicated fans outside the control of social media algorithms. That means you control who and how often you notify your audience of new book launches, products, or updates. Here we demystify the concept of email marketing, helping self-publishing creators leverage this channel to sell more books. 

What is email marketing?

Let’s start with the basics. Email marketing is a direct communication channel where businesses send emails to a group of people who have opted in to raise awareness about products or services, cultivate relationships, and convey information. For self-publishers, the “product” is your book, and your “customer” is your audience.

The opt-in nature of email marketing lends itself to a higher level of engagement. When individuals subscribe to your mailing list, they express an interest in your work and permit you to enter their personal space—their email inbox. This increases the chances of them actually reading your messages and fosters a loyal base, as these subscribers have willingly chosen to stay updated about your work.

The importance of email marketing for self-publishers

Building an email list may seem daunting, especially starting from scratch. But here are compelling reasons why email marketing is indispensable for self-publishers.

• Direct reach: Email marketing ensures your message lands directly in your audience’s inbox, increasing visibility.
• Cost-effective: With a high return on investment, email marketing is a budget-friendly choice for self-published authors, photographers, and bookmakers.
• Personal touch: Tailored messages encourage a more intimate connection and enhance fan engagement.
• Controlled audience: Emails reach those genuinely interested in your work, leading to higher engagement and conversion rates.
• Measurable impact: Tools enable tracking open rates, click-through rates, and conversions, allowing you to adjust your strategy based on data.
• Establishes authority: Regular quality content helps establish you as a genre authority, enhancing your reputation and credibility.
• Continuous engagement: Regular updates and interactions keep your audience connected and build anticipation for future releases.
• Long-term relationship: Consistent, valuable communication promotes long-term relationships, building a loyal fan base and improving current and future sales.

An effective email marketing strategy can enhance your relationship with your audience, drive engagement, and, ultimately, sell more books.

Using email marketing to sell books

With a clearer understanding of the what and why of email marketing, it’s time to delve into the how. Here are practical strategies to help you sell more books with email marketing.

Setting up an email list

The foundation of your email marketing strategy is your email list. You’ll need an email marketing service provider, like Mailchimp or ConvertKit, to set it up. Once you create an account, you can create a signup form to gather subscribers. Embed this form on your website, blog, and social media platforms.

Acquiring new email subscribers

Growing your email list is all about providing value. A few idea starters include:

• Provide an incentive like a free webinar, a discount on your photography book, or a helpful guide in exchange for their email address.
• Use your social media accounts, website, and blog to promote your email list.
• Organize contests or giveaways where joining your email list is part of participation.
• If you attend events or creator meets, invite attendees to join your mailing list.
• Encourage your existing subscribers to forward a friend your email. Consider offering incentives for successful referrals.

Crafting a welcome email

Your welcome email sets the stage for subscriber expectations. Introduce yourself, thank the subscriber for joining, provide them with the promised incentive, and give them an idea of the content and frequency to expect from your emails.

Creating a follow-up email strategy

After the welcome email, develop a sequence of follow-up emails. This could include sharing insights about your creation process, revealing what inspires you, or discussing your journey as an indie creator. The goal is to keep the reader engaged and give them a reason to look forward to the next email.

Planning your email schedule

Consistency is crucial in email marketing. Whether you send weekly, monthly, or quarterly emails, adhere to a schedule to stay on top of your subscribers’ minds and build anticipation.

Sending unscheduled emails

Surprise your subscribers occasionally with unscheduled emails. Include exclusive content, a spontaneous discount on your book, or even a thoughtful holiday message.

Deciding what to write

Ensure your emails provide value. You can share writing tips, recommend books you’ve enjoyed, discuss your experiences as a creator, or delve into the backstory of your book. The key is to balance promotional content with informative or entertaining content.

Share news about your work

Consider sharing behind-the-scenes of upcoming books, cover design reveals, release dates, or any other updates related to your work. This keeps your fans connected to your journey and builds anticipation for your next book.

Offer sneak peeks

Sneak peeks are an excellent way to pique interest. An excerpt from your upcoming book or a look at your editing or creating process can engage subscribers and provide useful information for their journey as a bookmaker.

Organize giveaways or incentives

Everyone loves a good giveaway. Whether it’s a free copy of your book, access to an exclusive photoshoot, or a chance to name a character in your next book, giveaways increase engagement and spread word-of-mouth about your work.

Remember that email marketing isn’t just about selling—it’s about creating meaningful connections with your audience. You’ll increase your book sales and cultivate a loyal fan base by providing value and engaging content.

Email marketing case studies

Although email marketing has proven effective across many industries, it’s especially important for the top self-published bookmakers. Below are a few case studies that showcase the power of email marketing in the book world.

Leveraging current clients for new books

Photographer Jesse Freidin considers email a key part of marketing his photography business. “I do a monthly newsletter and have found it effective and easy. Every time I send it out, people reply—asking me how I am, chatting about my current work, or booking a new session,” he writes. Each time he launches a photography book, he emails his ever-growing client base about the release and sees the sales roll in. 

Building a fan base with serialized content

Fantasy author Robin Sloan uniquely leveraged email marketing by offering a serialized novel sent via newsletters. Readers had to subscribe to his mailing list to receive weekly chapters. This not only built Sloan a dedicated fan base of over 6,000 subscribers but also provided an engaged audience for his future work.

Pre-launch buzz through email marketing

Young Adult author Sarah Maas used email marketing to create pre-launch buzz for her new book. Through email, she revealed cover designs, shared sneak peeks, and offered exclusive pre-order bonuses. These buzz-building strategies built anticipation for the book and ensured it hit the ground running upon release.

Scaling book sales with targeted emails

Author Mark Manson took email marketing to another level when launching his book, The Subtle Art of Not Giving a F*ck. He used targeted emails to share personal stories about the book’s theme, creating a deeper emotional connection with his readers. Manson segmented his email list based on their engagement level and tailored his emails accordingly. For example, subscribers who frequently opened Mark’s emails received more detailed content and special offers. This approach resulted in significant reader engagement and contributed heavily to the book becoming a bestseller.

Building an email list

Creating an email list might seem like an uphill struggle if you’re just starting your self-publishing journey. However, with a few creative strategies, it can be an enjoyable process that connects you with an audience. Here are some practical ways to build your email list.

• Use your website. Your creator or author website is the perfect place to invite visitors to subscribe to your email list. Incorporate email subscription forms on every page, and make sure they are easily findable and quick to fill out.
• Offer incentives. People love freebies. Offering a bonus like a promo on your last book, a free print, or a useful photography guide can entice visitors to subscribe. You could also offer behind-the-scenes content or sneak peeks of upcoming work.
• Leverage social media. Use your social media platforms to invite followers to join your mailing list. You can host giveaways, contests, or gated Q&A sessions with a subscription to your mailing list being the entry ticket.
• Harness your blog. If you maintain a blog, use it to gather subscribers. Offer blog content early to email subscribers or create subscriber-only content.
• Network at events. Invite attendees to join your mailing list whenever you attend photography events, book readings, or creator meets.
• Promote your list in your books. Include a call to action in your book, inviting readers to join your email list for bonus content, exclusive meet and greets, and more.
• Collaborate with other self-publishers. Collaborate with other bookmakers to host joint giveaways or events, cross-promote each other’s mailing lists, or contribute to each other’s newsletters.
• Prioritize quality over quantity. It’s not just about having a massive email list but having engaged subscribers. Make sure you’re offering quality content that appeals to your target audience.

Remember that cultivating a dynamic, engaged email list is a process. It requires patience, consistency, and genuine, consistent effort. But the rewards of audience engagement and book sales can be immense.

Keeping email subscribers engaged

Engaging your email subscribers is crucial to maintaining a healthy list and eventually boosting your book sales. Here are several strategies to keep your subscribers hooked.

• Provide consistent value. Unfailingly deliver content that provides value to your subscribers. This could range from bookmaking tips and genre-specific conference recommendations to guest interviews with fellow creators and insights into your creative process.
• Use personalization. Personalizing your emails can go a long way in boosting engagement. Use your subscriber’s name in your emails, recommend books based on their preferences, or segment your list to deliver more targeted content.
• Maintain a regular schedule. Be consistent with your email-sending schedule. Consistency helps build anticipation for your emails and keeps you top-of-mind for your subscribers.
• Engage in two-way communication. Encourage your subscribers to reply to your emails or ask questions. These exchanges foster a sense of community and can provide valuable insights about your audience.
• Celebrate milestones. Share your achievements and milestones with your subscribers. Whether it’s the anniversary of your first book launch, reaching a subscriber milestone, or winning an award, celebrating these moments can cultivate camaraderie.
• Ask for feedback. Occasionally ask your subscribers for feedback about your emails. What do they enjoy most? What would they like to see more of? Asking for subscriber feedback shows that you value their opinion and helps you tailor your content to meet their needs better.
• Offer exclusive discounts or early access. Give your subscribers benefits they can’t get elsewhere, like exclusive discounts on your books or early access to your new releases.
• Share real-life stories or experiences. Sharing personal anecdotes or experiences helps to connect with your audience on an intimate level.

The goal is to keep your subscribers engaged and make them feel valued. With these strategies, you can turn your email list into a vibrant community of fans eagerly awaiting your next book.

Email marketing is an under-utilized powerful tool for self-publishers, allowing you to build a dedicated community eager to engage with your work. From building your list to keeping subscribers engaged, email can offer personal, meaningful interactions with your audience. 

At the end of the day, your fans aren’t just customers—they’re your community. And with effective email marketing, you can strengthen that community, one email blast at a time.

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Blurb is a platform dedicated to empowering self-published creators, and we understand the importance of effective marketing for your books. That’s why we provide the tools for creating stunning books and resources to help you navigate the exciting journey of self-publishing. Blurb can help you sell your book through distribution channels like Amazon, Ingram, and our bookstore.

The post How to sell books with email marketing: a guide for self-published bookmakers appeared first on Blurb Blog.

I am Jesse Freidin, considered America’s leading fine art dog photographer with work in over 150 private collections and in galleries from coast to coast. My current series, “Are You OK?,” addresses the dangers of the current wave of anti-trans legislation sweeping the country to erase the stigma and elevate the voices of those most affected.

I learned everything I know about photography as an apprentice at a fine art family photography studio in San Francisco—from processing film to working with clients to marketing myself. These mentors early in my career shaped my path, and I pay it back by offering one-on-one mentoring and portfolio reviews, plus classes on web building and social media for artists. I will put all that expertise into this marketing guide for photographers.

I’ll share my experience in developing a solid marketing plan focused on finding your niche, building relationships with clients, and creating stunning imagery. Along the way, I’ll also discuss the importance of providing good customer service and over-delivering to secure repeat customers. With the right plan in place, you can ensure your work gets seen by more people, and in doing so, build a successful and profitable photography business.

Define your style

No matter how good of a marketer or salesperson you might be, if your photographs aren’t up to par, then no amount of marketing can help promote your business effectively. That’s why we must start by honing in on your photographic style.

There are a lot of photographers who are generalists—who shoot landscapes, weddings, babies, and senior portraits all at once. For some people, that might work. But there are a billion photographers in our world right now. The way to stand out is to be extremely good at what you do and have a unique point of view.

I always suggest finding one or two topics you can photograph well, so you can tell people you’re a specialist and they can trust you. Marketing is all about trust. Build that trust by articulating your specialty and delivering.

Let’s get into how.

Find your niche

So how do you find your specialty? There’s the old saying, “Photograph what you know.” I’ll also add: Photograph what brings you joy. After all, if you do work you hate, even if you’re good at it, you’ll resent it quickly.

At the start of my career, I had been working with dogs for years and was really fascinated by the relationship between people and their pets. While apprenticing at the family photography studio, I realized I loved photographing dogs. 

But that’s not all. Many people in San Francisco loved their dogs and fine art—plus, they had money to spend on both. So I decided to fill the niche with black-and-white film, high-end dog portraits. It worked.

To find your niche, ask yourself what you know how to photograph and what topic you’re curious about in that genre. Start photographing those things more. This will help you drill down on your specialty, gain experience, and better express your passion.

Articulate your vision

Once you have your niche selected, answer this question: What do you want to say through your photography? Remember, you need to build trust with potential clients beginning with how you talk about your specialty.

In my case, I wanted to use dogs as a vehicle to talk about unconditional love. And while that’s almost too simple, it worked incredibly well because my clients immediately connected with my vision. 

Even commercial and lifestyle work requires a style and unique perspective. A good friend of mine and owner of The Labs & Co. does top-notch commercial work for pet businesses. They know how to work with companies, make contracts, execute a shot list, hire models, and find locations. They also have a vision of warm and engaging photography that’s different from others. A unique style is not just for fine art. 

As you photograph your niche more, talk about your vision more, too. Share your passion with your friends, family, and colleagues. Journal about it. Keep it up until you have a straightforward expression of your mission as a photographer.

Find your market

You can have a strong specialty and unique vision, but you also need a market for your photography business in order to make money. It’s all about balancing what you love and want to say with your photography with what’s not already being done.

Look at the current photography market in your city. If thousands of pet photographers do colorful work and you copy their work, you will have an extremely hard time competing.

When I was beginning my career in San Francisco, I knew there was a market for what I wanted to do because I was already working with dogs and doing photography. Only a few key players were doing colorful, wide-angle, silly dog portraits at that time. No one was doing the thing I knew I could do well: black-and-white, fine-art portraits of dogs. I just jumped in and took up that space because no one did.

So what does that differentiator look like for you? Do a lot of research on your niche and your location. Find out who is already doing work in your space and how to stand out. And make sure to never copy someone else. 

Don’t forget to look at potential clients as well. Be sure there are people who are willing and able to buy your work. Then keep honing your vision to create an elevator pitch that shares who you are as a photographer and the clients you serve.

Build a strong portfolio

Now that you know what you’re photographing and who you’re marketing to, it’s time to exhibit your work. My mentors taught me to print a show and put up as much beautiful work as possible in as many places as I could. This advice is still relevant, and I teach it to my students. 

The first step toward putting your work up is creating a killer portfolio you can take with you to share your vision with gallerists, shops, studios, and potential clients.

Create a starter portfolio

Every photographer needs to have a portfolio of at least 20 very strong photos—which should shift and change as time goes on. The only way to get to that strong portfolio is to create a first portfolio and then constantly photograph and edit yourself. Don’t wait until you’re ready, just start shooting now. 

If you don’t have 20 professional shots you love, ask friends to be your clients for free. If you don’t have any friends or colleagues that look and feel like the people you want to attract, use them anyway and switch out their shots with real clients as you go.

My first portfolio was all unpaid work, and it was kind of terrible, but that’s the only way I could get to the portfolio I have now.

Update your book

As you continually take new photos to sharpen your skills (and as you book new clients), keeping your portfolio current is essential. I updated my print portfolio yearly at the beginning of my career.

Feel free to experiment with different photo editing techniques or try out a variety of new camera settings. While the core of your portfolio should remain consistent, adding some variety will keep viewers engaged as they explore different aspects of your work. 

Be sure to think carefully about the quality of each image and its overall composition. Low-quality or poorly composed shots can hurt the perception of your work, so be sure every photo is one that you’re proud of and wouldn’t hesitate to show potential clients.

Make sure to take work out of your book as you add new work. As we mentioned above, 20 images are typically the sweet spot—any less, and your book looks sparse; any more, and it looks unedited.

Work with a mentor

It’s incredibly difficult (and at times irresponsible) to be a photographer for hire or run a business in a vacuum. If you don’t have other colleagues to talk to, whether they’re professionals or hobbyists, you’re going to have a tough time knowing what to do.

This is important for your portfolio as well. No matter where in our careers, we all need to get feedback from trusted colleagues and talk about our mistakes.

I encourage people to find other photographers in your city. Meet up and talk about your work as well as share clients and network. If you can’t find photogs near you, find forums of like-minded creators. Share ideas, ask questions, and then pay it forward and help someone else.

Make marketing material

When you’re running a photography business, you need two things: the ability to make powerful images and the skill to guide your clients every step of the way. The first step in that guided experience is branding and marketing. It will set the tone for the rest of your work.

The marketing materials you create depend on how much money you are willing to spend. Unfortunately, this is a real pain point when starting a business because you have to spend money to make money. But rather than printing dozens of portfolios and thousands of business cards, you should start cheaply.

I believe in the pairing of print and web marketing. The marketing materials that work well together are a website, printed portfolio, postcards, and social media accounts. We’ll tackle each of them here.

Start with branding

Before you jump into web design and create a ton of social media accounts, it’s important to solidify your messaging and visual identity. Consistency is incredibly important. It all goes back to the idea of marketing as a trust-building exercise. You automatically look more professional with an easily identifiable, clean brand.

Here are a few key elements that you should focus on when building your brand identity:

• Logo: You don’t need to spend much money on a logo these days—you can hire a freelancer online, ask a graphic design friend for a barter, or even build one yourself with online tools.
• Color palette: Pick one to three colors and stick to them. I’ve used the same red for 15 years, and my brand is recognizable because of my choice.
• Font: Using a dedicated font across all your marketing materials will go far in helping them look consistent and well-designed. Again, you only need one or two.
• Messaging: Since you have already articulated your vision and the clients you want to work with, creating a few lines of copy that you use regularly should be fairly easy. Use the same messaging on your website, Instagram bio, and even in-person elevator pitch. Some people call this a slogan, but I see it as a very articulate, well-crafted marketing message. 

Spending time on your brand lets clients see you’ve put effort into creating a solid experience. They’ll know you’ll put the same effort into every touch point—from first contact to session to photo delivery.

Remember, you’re building brand recognition and trust. As you create a logo, color palette, font, and messaging, reflect on your niche, vision, and market. Your ideal brand identity will clearly articulate who you are and who you serve. This will get you the right clients and help you keep them—resulting in more clients and higher sales.

Design your website

You don’t have to be a web designer to create an impressive but affordable website. Plenty of web-building apps and sites help you with pre-formatted layouts, domains, and tech—so all you have to do is fill in your information. Spend some time researching the best sites for design, and you may be able to get up and running with a website within a few days or weeks. If you need inspiration, look at what other people in your field have done with their websites. But remember, never copy anyone. 

You need to think about three things when building your website:

• Show off your body of work. Prospective clients need to see your skills to believe them. Put the 20 powerful images from your portfolio on your site front and center.
• Add strong messaging. Ensure you clearly communicate what you do, who you are, and the clients you work with. It’ll make it easier for your viewers to understand your specialty and decide if you’re a good fit.
• Clearly share your contact information. While your entire website should be well-designed, easily navigable, and functional, you need to make sure there is an obvious way to contact you. How else can they hire you?

Print your portfolio

I’ve always had a printed portfolio, whether a Blurb photo book or a box of prints in my studio. Print work allows your clients to touch and feel the quality of your work. Even if you don’t have a studio to display your images, you can make a small box of prints and bring it to client meetings.

While prints can get dirty when passed around, portfolio books are protected—and easy to print again if you use a print-on-demand company. I started with an 8 inch by 8 inch softcover portfolio. It’s affordable, portable, and still makes an impression. Over the years, I began using big square photo books with hardcovers. I make a new one every few years to bring to in-person meetings. With my book in hand, I can show off my skills during gatherings, events, and when setting up collaborations. 

You should, too! Research print-on-demand companies to find one that has the quality, size, format, and pricing that’s right for you. (Or just use Blurb, as I do.) 

Purchase postcards

I also really believe in the dependable postcard. They’re cheap while still feeling like a matted print someone might see in your studio. You need to make it something people want to put on their fridge or in their office. It needs to be so beautiful that they want to keep it around.

Postcards are better than business cards and photo prints because they let you show off your contact information and work simultaneously. They’re invaluable for photographers. And, just like your website design, there are plenty of postcard companies that will help with layouts and on-demand printing quickly and economically.

Start with one or two images on your postcards and see what resonates with your clients as you hand them out. What kind of positive feedback do you get, and how can you keep that up?

I’ve used the same image of howling dogs from one of the first clients I photographed for 15 years. If I made another round, I’d use the same image again. That’s because people always comment on the howling dogs. Since it worked well to capture attention, I’ve used it over and over again, and now it’s recognizable as one of my images.

Despite what I said above, business cards can also be a great idea. I’ve always had both. However, the point of a business card is to start a conversation. Someone once told me that the best way to use a business card is to pretend you don’t have any and ask the other person for theirs. With their contact in hand, you are in control of the conversation. You can follow up and continue networking rather than wait for an email or call. Networking should always be intentional, tactical, and friendly. Just remember to get those digits!

Launch your social media accounts

Social media is a powerful tool for photographers—it allows you to showcase your work and expertise, get discovered by clients, and build community with other photographers. Before you start, it’s essential to choose the social networks that best fit your goals. 

I began on Twitter over a decade ago, making it easy to connect with other photographers and companies worldwide. But if you specialize in wedding photography, it might make more sense to join Pinterest or TikTok. Most photographers have an Instagram account as well. Don’t discount Facebook and YouTube, especially if you plan on testing into paid ads.

After selecting the networks that make sense for your business, build your profiles. Include your logo, the messaging you created in your bio, and (most importantly) your website and contact information so there won’t be any guesswork when trying to reach you. I recommend using a link splitter app like Linktree on all social media, so you can offer multiple relevant links. 

Then start posting regularly—this could range from once a day to several times a week, depending on the channel and your available content and time. Make your posts beautiful and educational. It’s a great idea to include behind-the-scenes shots of how things look during photoshoots, plus helpful tips about photography or upcoming conferences and events that will allow you to connect with others in your field.

Need inspiration? Explore other photographers in your niche and note what they share with their followers. And don’t forget to get acquainted with the best practices for each social media platform you use. 

Market on a budget

Photography is a competitive industry, and while investing in marketing is necessary, it’s critical to make sure you’re getting the most out of your budget. Here we’ll discuss how you can use tools and techniques that are low-cost or free, like attending local events, building a newsletter, and using social media. All of these strategies can help create an effective marketing plan that doesn’t break the bank.

Pound the pavement

Catching the attention of your prospective clients is about showing your beautiful work in the places they go. We’ll talk about social media and online marketing but don’t discount hitting the pavement. Even in our digital era, you need to show people you are trustworthy, confident, and different than others. Getting your work in galleries and cafes equals direct communication with future clients. A beautiful print is always the best calling card. 

As I started my business, I went to high-end pet shops, home goods stores, and cafes with my print portfolio, business card, and dog. I’d introduce myself and ask if they’d be open to showing my work. I made connections the second I started introducing myself and displaying my work in relevant stores. I met business owners who were great for my business and got calls from clients who saw my work and wanted portraits of their dogs.

Ask yourself, what are the relevant shops for your prospective clients? What neighborhoods should you target? And how can you make connections with business owners and galleries who can display your work?

Consistently market via social media

Twitter was an amazing marketing tool for me in 2005. I used it to connect with other photographers and companies for collaborations, more than a tool to find clients. I find digital networking has been hugely influential in my business.

You should consider doing the same. Marketing is about generosity—and that is true of networking as well. Share valuable information, tips, and tricks on your social media account. Share connections between colleagues and companies. Share your knowledge and that goodwill will come back to you. A healthy sense of competition is fine, but let that come out in the professionalism of your work. Don’t be selfish with your connections, it’s never a good look. 

Many photographers will also try paid ads. Since they are very cheap to run, they’re worth testing and seeing if they work for your business and niche. But I think Google, Facebook, or Instagram ads—or other things like paid magazine features—are often distractions that don’t gain real traction. 

In social media marketing—and all marketing, for that matter— what gains real traction is consistency, authenticity, and being very good at what you do. It’s extremely simple, and there are no cutting corners.

Show up to events

For photographers, there’s nothing like real in-person connections. You are part of the business community, and attending relevant events lets people know who you are and what you stand for. 

Local art fairs, winter markets, niche industry events—look for any applicable opportunities to show your work in person. Every chance you have to show your community who you are and what you do is golden, especially in this age where there is so much digital noise and online competition.

If you’re nervous about attending events, it’s a skill you can learn. I’m a fairly quiet person and used to be kind of scared of people. I had to fake it until I made it since photography is a face-to-face job. To do that, I used to attend animal rescue events in my city to show my face and work, shake hands, and be of service. You can, too.

Lastly, if there is a local chamber of commerce or business association, join it as well. It may seem boring, but it’s a great way to show people you’re serious about being part of the local business environment and willing to give back.

Build a newsletter

Email newsletters are one of the best ways to constantly stay in touch with clients, both new and old. I do a monthly newsletter and have found it effective and easy. Every time I send it out, people reply—asking me how I am, chatting about my current work, or booking a new session for a new dog.

Building a list is relatively simple as well. Add a sign-up on your website and social media accounts. When you do in-person events, bring a tablet or sheet for your newsletter sign-up. It’s a low-stakes way for people interested in your work to keep in touch.

Then see what works for your clients. Try out different email cadences and topics. Mine has changed over the years, but I’ve found a sweet spot. I typically highlight a recent session, link to a blog with more information, and share upcoming events and shows. Of course, I also include a couple of clear calls to action—including a reminder to book a session. 

Offer your clients valuable content and remind them you’re still working. It’s as simple as that!

Test and iterate

Marketing your photography business isn’t a one-time job. It’s an ongoing process of testing different tactics, learning from them, and iterating for the future. By identifying what works and what doesn’t, you can refine your approach and effectively use your resources. 

As you visit galleries and events in your city, keep track of which one leads to the most new clients or best connections. When you market on social media or send your newsletter, check back on which one had the most views, clicks, and sales. 

You’ll likely find that marketing is trial by fire. Marketing is about making hypotheses and overcoming mistakes to discover the tried-and-true method for you. Don’t get discouraged if the first tactics you try aren’t immediately successful. Keep going; eventually, you will find what works for you and your clients.

Finally, when you get advice from your mentor, community, and guides like this, trust what resonates with you. Maybe business cards are more important than postcards for your industry, or a LinkedIn page is better than a Twitter account for you. A good business owner can take in a lot of information and filter what’s relevant.

Provide excellent customer service

We know marketing is about trust and generosity. You should also know marketing doesn’t stop once you’ve made a sale. In the photography industry, you want to nurture your existing relationships to increase your word-of-mouth sessions and repeat business. Really, really good customer service is the best way to have repeat clients. 

Client interaction starts the second someone Googles you or sees your postcard at a local coffee shop. And customer service continues in how you show up on a shoot, how you deliver your photos, and how you remind clients that you exist once your project is over.

In the dog portraiture world, customer service was about being great at my job as well as kind and accommodating. It was also remembering my clients’ names, their partners’ names, and of course, all their dogs’ names. 

As you decide how to achieve excellent customer service in your business, stick with a classic marketing rule: Always underpromise and over-deliver.

Final thoughts

At the end of the day, marketing is about making meaningful connections and building trust between you and your clients. I hope you take my experience and advice to create an authentic, vibrant community for your business. And don’t forget to have fun doing it.

Believe in yourself and the power of perseverance. Don’t get discouraged if you aren’t immediately successful—instead, build resilience, take feedback, and use it to tailor your approach. With consistency, authenticity, and a clear understanding of who you are as a photographer, success is possible.

Good luck! I’m rooting for you. 

***

Jesse Freidin is a professional photographer who gained global recognition through his recognizable black-and-white fine art dog portraits. His latest project, “Are You OK?,” pairs portraits with interviews to elevate the voices of trans and non-binary young people in a country swept by anti-trans legislation. Freidin is turning his series into a book as part of the Blurb Creator Program. Follow him on Instagram and Facebook. 

Blurb is an indie publishing platform enabling professional and amateur photographers to design, self-publish, and sell their photography books easily. Learn how to sell your photography book now.

The post Marketing for photographers: tips to grow your business appeared first on Blurb Blog.

Social media for photographers can also be a pivotal marketing tool to find brand partnerships and make money selling prints and photo books. But with so many available social platforms, it can be daunting to figure out which to choose and how to keep up. Before you create an account on every platform imaginable, work through this guide to find your niche and set up sustainable systems.

Why use social media as a photographer

As with most creative professions, social media is a potent tool for photographers looking to showcase their work, make new connections, and grow their careers. If you take your photography seriously, being active on social media is a must. Here’s why.

Reach future clients

Client acquisition is probably the highest priority for photographers that do social media marketing. After all, one of the biggest challenges for any photography business is attracting prospective customers who want to hire you. And on social media platforms, you have access to millions of people who might want you to work with them—plus the ability to target them in ways traditional advertising doesn’t allow.

Tapping into that huge network can be as simple as maintaining an active presence on popular social media platforms. Share photos to build your portfolio and interact with people interested in your work. 

Responding promptly to comments or messages shows that you value their engagement and are open to business opportunities, whether photo shoots or collaborations. And the more people like, engage, and follow your work, the more social credibility you earn as a photographer, which naturally boosts your business’s reach.

Establish credibility

Sharing your photos on social media helps you prove your worth as a photographer and gain the trust of clients and other photographers who can refer work to you. By showcasing photos taken for past jobs, you can show the quality of what you produce and the different projects you can handle. 

Plus, having a substantial following gives people more confidence in who they’d be hiring—especially if they’ve seen photos from previous customers or brands that have already worked with you. If those businesses are satisfied with your services, it stands to reason that they will be too. 

But establishing credibility takes more than just posting your best work. It’s essential to tailor your content and invest your efforts according to the strengths of each platform. For instance, Instagram is ideal for showcasing breathtaking photos that capture specific places or trends, which can gain traction organically with geotagging and hashtagging. Pinterest can work wonders if your work inspires new ideas and gets people’s creative juices flowing. And while Facebook may not have quite the organic reach as other platforms, it can be a great place to join groups, build your community, and support your overarching photography brand.

Build community and make lasting connections

There are no geographic boundaries to your community on social media. And you’re not limited to just one. Social communities can involve special interest groups fond of photographing one particular place or theme. They can also consist of other photographers you can collaborate with and learn from. 

In either case, exploring social media communities for your photography brand provides many potential opportunities.

• Create or join groups. Getting involved with niche- or location-specific groups (like wedding photographers or Northern California photography) on Facebook can help you exchange ideas, find inspiration, and collaborate on projects.
• Learn, collaborate, and cross-promote. Partner with other creators within your photography genre by bouncing ideas off each other, sharing editing or shooting tips, and promoting each other’s work. 
• Attend in-person events. Use online social communities to discover offline opportunities to network. Attending photography-related events or organizing your own meetups can help you forge long-lasting connections with fellow photographers and potential clients.

Using social media to reach a wider audience and grow your business is possible by devising a strategic approach. It doesn’t have to be a rigid or well-researched marketing plan. But with the right marketing tips, you can take full advantage of these platforms to promote yourself and your photography brand.

Social media marketing tips for photographers

Simply posting photos isn’t enough to build marketing momentum on social media. To actualize a successful marketing strategy, apply these trade tricks across your platforms.

Determine the goals behind your social presence

Defining goals is critical for marketing in any industry. Photography is no exception. Next to establishing a photography portfolio and social presence, a goal-oriented marketing strategy can help you earn substantial photography work and retain ongoing client relationships.

Start by determining the types of clients you’re most interested in acquiring. If you’re a portrait photographer using cheerful, vibrant colors, perhaps targeting high school seniors would be a great place to start. 

From your target audience, it’s a great idea to create a simple marketing plan or strategic outline for your social media accounts. This plan will define your overarching intentions and allow you to fill in goals that expand upon your needs.

For example, your primary intention might be earning more sporting event gigs. Taking that objective, you might make your measurable social media goal to acquire a thousand new followers who are runners, cyclists, or event promoters in the race scene. With this focus highlighted in your plan, you can better orchestrate a strategy, or combination of strategies, that align with your goals, like who to follow and interact with, what type of content to focus on, and where to meet these people.

So think about your marketing desires. Are you working to drum up new clients? Gain credibility in your category? Find brand partnerships? Pick one or two objectives to start with. 

From there, turn your objective into SMART goals (specific, measurable, achievable, relevant, and time-bound). Instead of “find new clients,” you could try “generate five new client leads via Facebook ads in the next month.” Once you have a SMART goal, you can generate a proper plan and social media calendar.

Create a social media calendar

Now that you have SMART goals, it’s time to create a social media calendar to achieve them. This should include when and where you’ll post, what kind of content will be shared, and how it relates to your objectives. Take the below steps before populating your social media calendar.

• Narrow down content formats. Decide if you’d like to do short-form videos for TikTok, behind-the-scenes photos for Instagram, or audience polls on Twitter. Be honest about how much time you can dedicate to creating content—so if you have an hour a week for social media marketing, you won’t want to try to do long-form how-to videos for YouTube.
• Bucket posts into categories. Many social media marketers swear by the rule of thirds, one-third to promote your business, one-third to share curated content from industry leaders, and one-third to create interactions with your followers. At Blurb, we break up our categories into education, inspiration, user-generated content, contests, and promotions.
• Determine the frequency of posts. Look into the frequency of posts that are best for each channel. Every social media algorithm rewards a different amount of posts—from once a day on Instagram to multiple times a day on TikTok. From there, you can review your content types and categories to plan how often you’ll post each type!

Now that you have established your formats, categories, and frequency, you can start creating content. Remember to ensure each piece of content ties back to at least one of your SMART goals. It may be helpful to use templates or tools for this part, like Sprout Social, Hootsuite, or CoSchedule. Additionally, consider scheduling posts in advance, if possible, to take some of the pressure off yourself throughout the month. 

Schedule your posts to remain consistent and relevant

As a photographer, you must be consistent on social media to stay relevant to your audience. One way to do this is by scheduling future posts. It’s easier now that you have a social media calendar!

Why schedule your social media posts? Planning out content in advance ensures consistent posting. More importantly, you can leverage the best times and days for engagement without being online at those specific times. Make sure to research the best time to post for each specific platform.

Several tools allow you to schedule social media posts, such as Hootsuite, Buffer, Later, and Sprout Social. These platforms also offer analytics to track how well each post performs with your audience.

If you want to take scheduling to the next level, you can:

• Follow your content calendar. Plan the types of photos or videos to share each day, week, and month. This ensures variety in shared images while keeping things organized and easy to follow. 
• Determine optimal posting times. Use analytics provided by each platform (or third-party apps) to determine which days and times receive the most engagement from followers.
• Vary your content. Mix up the images you post, including behind-the-scenes shots, client work, and personal projects. This keeps your followers engaged while showcasing a range of your skills.

Scheduling your posts in advance ensures you consistently share high-quality photos with your audience without worrying about forgetting or missing a post. 

Prioritize authenticity, brand consistency, and your best work

One of the biggest pitfalls photographers have is pumping out social media posts at the expense of authenticity, consistency, or quality. These low-quality social posts are usually evident by a lack of follower engagement or response. In some cases, less is more.

In addition to documenting your social goals and strategies, establish brand guidelines for your photography business to inform your social media presence’s cadence, style, and voice. It can be as casual, witty, or playful as you like. The key is to use your authentic personality and be consistent with each post to avoid shifting tones and conflicting messaging from post to post. 

Quality, a subjective measure, also hinges on the consistency of your previous posts and audience expectations. If you hit a home run with your first few photography posts and they earn a lot of engagement, your followers will expect a similar level of quality in the future. In short, share only your best work, even if that means posting less often.

Interact and engage to grow your brand organically

Consistent interaction with your audience can help build relationships on social media, leading to stronger engagement, increased followers, and, ultimately, more opportunities. Here are some tips to put this into practice.

• Encourage conversations by asking open-ended questions about photography topics, trends, or your work.
• Tag colleagues, clients, products, and related brands you support in your social media posts to encourage engagement and reshares.
• Respond to comments and messages promptly, ideally within 24 hours. Simply liking the comment someone left on your post is a good way to express your appreciation (but a short, sincere comment is usually better!).
• Follow other accounts and interact with the content they post—whether it’s photographers or the brands and people who reflect your dream clients.
• Share behind-the-scenes photos or videos of photo shoots, events, or other aspects of your photography business that give followers a glimpse into the process.
• Share and reshare often, whether posting a story of someone’s work you like or resharing another account’s post that includes your work.
• Be authentic and show your true personality by being yourself and using a consistent voice when engaging with others online.

Harness the power of hashtags and trending topics

Another marketing tactic to organically grow your brand is utilizing relevant hashtags and current trending topics. This is a powerful way to supplement your posts and amplify the potential of getting your work in front of thousands of new eyes. 

Harnessing hashtags and trending topics might seem straightforward, but several best practices can maximize their effectiveness.

• Use a handful of popular hashtags to reach users who seek posts related to specific topics and themes, like #cycling or #weddings. But don’t use too many.
• Add several small and targeted hashtags more specific to your photography niche or the content you’re posting, like #cyclingphotos or #newlywedphotography. This will help you get discovered more readily rather than getting lost in the sea of images shared under #photography.
• Avoid too many hashtags. Most social media marketers recommend three to five. Including more than that can dilute your findability based on most social algorithms
• Leverage hashtags and location tags (or geotags) that relate to your location to attract clients looking for local talents, like #coloradoweddingphotography.
• Research hashtags and social media trends using tools like Hashtagify. Certain tags, songs, filters, and other enhancements can increase the likelihood of showing up in people’s feeds.

Besides social media platforms, other trending topics worth exploring include current events, recent news stories, popular music, television shows, and the changing seasons. There’s endless ebb and flow to what’s hot and what’s not; you can harness that energy to inform your content production and posting schedule.

Try paid ads

While creating a fantastic organic social media presence is a great way to market and build a following, paid ads can also help you grow your photography business. Paid advertising can be sponsored posts, social media ads, or paid campaigns that increase brand exposure, website traffic, and sales. Here’s why so many photographers use paid ads.

• Reach a large audience. With over 4 billion people using social media daily, paid advertising can be a great way to reach a large and diverse audience.
• Target a niche group. Social media ad tools allow you also to narrow down that audience. Unlike a billboard ad that will be seen by whoever drives by, social media companies allow you to use demographics, interests, and locations to target a particular group. So if you’re a yearbook photographer, you can only show ads to 17-year-olds who attend your local high schools. Perfect! 

Start small and test and iterate your ads. See what works for your goals before adding funds to your campaigns.

What are the best social media platforms for photographers?

While the tips above are universally applicable to most social media sites, certain platforms are better for certain types of photographers and creative professionals. Here are some of the best forms of social media for photographers, plus platform-specific tips for utilizing each.

Instagram

Indisputably the quintessential social app for all types of photographers, Instagram is an essential place to have a presence. With over 1 billion active users worldwide, it’s no wonder why so many professional photographers have fully used this social media giant as their go-to marketing tool.

To harness Instagram’s global audience and organic growth potential, here are a few important tips:

• Create a cohesive feed. Ensure all of your profile’s photos are high-quality and consistent with your brand’s style, mood, and voice. 
• Establish a well-branded profile. From your account handle and thumbnail to your bio and link, maintain a memorable profile that helps funnel users to your website or online portfolio. Linktree is a great tool to add all your links to your bio. 
• Use reels and carousels. Mixing up your Instagram content with reels and carousels adds depth to your work. Reels, in particular, are more prone to show up in non-followers’ feeds organically than traditional posts.
• Add geotags and hashtags. Adding relevant hashtags or location tags improves your content’s findability among others interested in similar topics, genres, niches, and locations.
• Engage with your audience. Responding to comments and direct messages builds relationships with potential clients. This also shows that you are an active platform user who cares about engaging with your followers.

Flickr

If you’re a professional photographer looking to grow your brand, Flickr is one social media platform that should be on your radar. With over 100 million registered users and over 10 billion photos shared, Flickr offers a massive audience for photographers to showcase their work.

In addition to joining built-in communities related to your photography genre or interests, you can also:

• Create albums and collections. Organize your work into albums based on themes like location shoots or specific genres like portrait photography. Creating collections keeps everything organized so visitors can easily find what they want.
• Utilize tags. When uploading images to Flickr, make sure to use relevant tags. This ensures that people searching those keywords can discover your work. But, like Instagram hashtags, don’t use too many irrelevant tags, as this can be counterintuitive and dilute your efforts.
• Promote your work. Share your Flickr albums and collections on other social media platforms like Twitter, Instagram, or Facebook to drive traffic back to your Flickr page. This can increase followers and potential clients.
• Engage with the community. When joining groups on Flickr, engage in conversations by commenting on others’ works, participating in discussions, and sharing tips or advice. This builds relationships and credibility within the community and inspires others’ work.

Pinterest

Pinterest is a powerful visual discovery engine where people hunt for ideas, inspiration, and all things creative. All genres of photographers can leverage its power and the 400+ million user base to support their goals. Here are a few best practices on how to do it.

• Set up a Pinterest business account. If you’re on Pinterest and haven’t done this already, switch your personal account to a Pinterest business account. That way, you can tap into Pinterest’s analytics and utilize Rich Pins and different advertising tools.
• Create pinboards based on themes or genres. Organize your pins into different boards based on themes such as landscapes, portraits, black and white photography—whatever you’re into. Users will learn about your expertise and find the content they want when browsing your profile.
• Add keywords to board descriptions and pin captions. Pinterest is a massive search engine, so SEO fundamentals can work wonders. Including relevant keywords makes it easier for people searching those terms to find you. In addition to your profile page, individual image pins, and pinboard descriptions, add keywords to your pins’ accompanying text.
• Pin fresh content regularly. Keep your profile active by adding new pins regularly. Prioritize pinning your own pins, but also occasionally re-pin other peoples’ pins to your boards.

Behance

Behance is a social media network that caters to creatives, allowing photographers to share their work with other artists, potential clients, and industry professionals. You can create beautiful portfolios featuring your best work in various categories and seamlessly promote your work by sharing it on other social platforms.To optimize using Behance as a photographer, here are some tips to keep in mind:

• Create a personalized profile. When setting up your page, eye-catching images representing who you are as a photographer will entice people to view more of your work. Personalize it with different aspects of yourself as well—not just photographs! 
• Participate in groups. Join groups related to your photography genre or style and engage with other members. You can also create your own group and invite others to join.
• Market your services. Consider offering your services directly through Behance by setting up a portfolio that clients can subscribe to and comment on.
• Add detailed descriptions. Write the story behind each photo project explaining the intention or inspiration. This can be especially useful if you’re profiling client projects.
• Promote others’ work. Engage with other users by commenting on their posts or projects if they inspire something within you too! This helps build a community of creatives who support one another.

Facebook

Connected with Instagram through its parent company Meta, Facebook is also a social behemoth with billions of active users around the globe. While it’s a bit harder to reach people organically, Facebook can be a solid platform to advertise, build a following, and establish a supplementary marketing front for your photography business.

Here are several ways you can utilize Facebook to its fullest potential.

• Create a business page. Unlike personal accounts, a business Facebook page opens up opportunities for added features, like boosting your posts and advertising to specific audiences.
• Optimize your page. Spruce up your Facebook page by filling out the About section, including your physical address, and organizing your photos and albums to show off your best work.
• Post mindfully. You don’t have to post often but do post consistently, even if it’s a few times per month. Avoid making every post a promotion; instead, share helpful and informative messages your followers will appreciate.
• Diversify your content. Share stories, live videos, and other rich content outside your usual photography posts. For instance, posting videos of your photo sessions can give people a taste of your process and what goes on behind the scenes.
• Test Facebook ads. Advertising through Facebook (and Instagram) allows you to reach new, highly-targeted audiences and meet specific social media goals, like growing your followers. You can also test boosting your posts for $5 or $10.

Put social media to work for your photography business

It’s one thing to have a presence on social media sites like Instagram or Pinterest. But it’s another to employ strategies to engage with followers, build your community, broadcast your work, and explore opportunities. While it might seem like a saturated space cluttered with amateur and professional photographers, there’s still tremendous potential to increase your visibility and differentiate your brand with the right strategic approach. 

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Blurb is a self-publishing platform that helps photographer turn their work into stunning print books. A physical photography book can offer a unique and engaging asset to share with prospective clients, whether you’re creating a professional portfolio book or a self-published photography book to sell and distribute.

The post Social media for photographers: tips for growing your business appeared first on Blurb Blog.

Branding shapes how people resonate with your work—how they see, experience, and perceive you as a photographer. It’s also a reflection of your values and goals. An effective branding strategy starts with understanding who you are as a photographer and what makes you unique. From there, your branding will touch every part of your business: your logo, color scheme, fonts, website, social feeds, and more.

But how do you brand yourself? It can seem daunting, especially if you’re just starting. Here, we’ll explore tactics for branding yourself as a photographer—from finding your story to creating an effective logo to building an online presence. Let’s go!

How to create your brand as a photographer 

Creating your photography brand isn’t always easy. You may have many interests and talents, making it difficult to shoehorn yourself into one category. This eight-part branding guide will enable you to better understand and communicate who you are as a photographer.

1. Reflect on what inspires you

You might already have a clear idea of the style or type of photography you love or are best suited for. But before you double down on that as your identity, take a moment to reflect on all of the photography genres that inspire you.

During this exercise, reach beyond your personal experiences or previous work. Get out a notepad, explore the work of other photographers in other industries, and jot down what sparks. You may find inspiration from unique and unexpected places.

This initial exercise aims to zoom out from the current photographer you consider yourself to be and observe what other interests, traits, or genres stoke your passion. Think about the future you, a photographer with even more depth and mature tastes. What does that photographer’s work look like?

It can be tempting to categorize our creative pursuits in a way that’s very linear and one-dimensional. And while it’s smart to stay focused and hone your authority in a particular style or genre of photography, part of playing the long game as a professional photographer is acknowledging how your craft is evolving. 

2. Identify your niche expertise

A fundamental step in branding your photography business is determining what makes you special as a photographer. Call it your niche specialty, USP (Unique Selling Proposition), or X factor; these characteristics make your work unique and original. 

You might already know what you’re good at: “I am a product photographer. It’s who I am.” That’s great, but we need to go deeper. What specifically sets you apart from other product photographers?

Write down answers to these questions, paying attention to words or themes that keep arising:

• How is my photography style unique from other photographers in my space?
• What about my experience or vision gives me an edge?
• What are my core strengths and weaknesses?
• Who do I enjoy working with most? And who enjoys working with me?

Solid answers to these questions can help clarify your brand identity and how you position yourself in the world. The idea is to brainstorm beyond conventional labels like “I do wedding photography” or “Photojournalism is my thing” and uncover creative ways to describe how and why you do those things.

For the wedding photographer, perhaps your talent lies in capturing the love story behind two newlyweds and communicating that through your work. Or for the photojournalist, maybe it’s your eye for emotion and capturing the feeling of a particular scene or place. Think beyond labels and identify the strengths and characteristics that make you an expert in your genre. 

3. Pinpoint your target clients

Target market identification is part of the branding process that crosses into the marketing world. It’s about effectively positioning your photography brand to market yourself to a specific set of clients.

You’ve already begun the work in the last step by thinking about clients you’ve loved working with in the past. Now it’s time to get clear on the type of clients you want to work with in the future. 

Write down answers to these questions:

• What kind of clients have I had success with in the past? 
• What industries do they work in, and what common interests do they share? 
• What do these clients look for in a photographer? What is the most important deciding factor when hiring one?

For example, if fashion photography is your passion, you’ll want to identify the types of professionals who may hire you. This could be fashion designers, product managers, brand executives, or event marketers. Drilling down more, you might discover that your streetwear editorial angle makes you perfect for developing relationships with niche magazines, or your haute couture runway experience would help you secure gigs at high-end fashion shows and events. Keep going until you have a clear picture of who you’re targeting—including their industry, age, interests, media consumption, and so on. The more specific, the better.

This process should involve some research and introspection. Pinpointing your perfect clients will help you generate ideas on assembling your website and portfolio, including what genres or themes to emphasize and the specific shots that will help land your dream jobs.

4. Research your competition 

Once you’ve determined your niche and target clients, conduct a competitive analysis and see how other photographers in the space position their services. Scour social media and search engines to compile a list of direct and indirect competitors. 

Returning to our fashion photography example, direct competitors might be runway photographers for high-end fashion show events in Paris. Indirect competitors might be more generalized fashion photographers who work with luxe brands and designers for catalog and magazine shoots in Europe.

Once you’ve pinpointed a handful of competitors, research their business models, brands, and marketing mix. A lot can be learned from checking out their websites or social media presence. Look at their portfolio, logo, color scheme, copy, and other aspects that reflect their identity. You can even use Facebook Ad Library to see their social media ads.

In addition to the surface-level elements, try digging deeper into their services, pricing, customer reviews, and other business-related factors. Take notes on what you like and dislike or what’s working well. This way, you can learn to position your brand against their weaknesses while honing in on your strengths. 

This exercise in competitive research for photographers is critical in helping you shape a unique brand that is genuinely you. It’s also invaluable in helping you determine your offering, your pricing, and other marketing considerations to prompt prospective clients to choose you over the competition.

5. Define your brand’s values

For freelance photographers and solopreneurs, defining brand values might feel like an unnecessary step more appropriate for agencies and organizations. But as your brand comes to life, you’ll find these guiding principles useful in keeping your photography business on track.

Your brand’s values coincide with its mission and vision, which are each intertwined yet serve different purposes in defining your brand. 

• Brand Mission: The purpose or reason why your photography brand exists and does the work that it does.
• Brand Vision: The future aspirations for your brand and what you hope to achieve.
• Brand Values: The standards you follow and uphold to pursue your brand’s mission and vision.

Simply put, your brand values are the beliefs you stand behind as a business. They serve as the overarching compass guiding your decision-making, behaviors, and underlying brand story. 

For some photographers, promoting diverse and inclusive storytelling is a core work value. For others, it’s about prioritizing sustainability and climate awareness. Think about what matters the most to you as a photographer and how you can bake those ingredients into your mission, vision, and values. Then write them down, take a break, and keep returning to them until each written statement feels concise, true, and stable.

There will be times when you’ll be faced with difficult decisions. But your written core brand values will remind you what’s important to your business and the people you’re serving, significantly reducing the friction in decision-making. Adding these three elements to your website, portfolio, or brochures will also help clients who resonate with your values say yes to hiring you!

6. Design your brand identity

Now for the fun stuff: creating the client-facing elements to express your brand’s identity. This is crucial to your photography business, as it helps you establish a memorable and recognizable presence. 

Your photography style, genre, and the overall visual aesthetic of your portfolio are the foundational factors that shape how people think of your business. But before potential clients dive into your body of work, they’ll see your brand identity—which can be the difference between scrolling deeper into your portfolio or bouncing from your website. Here are the most important elements of a brand identity:

Invest in a logo

Your logo visually represents your brand’s identity and is key to portraying a professional and polished image. Unless you’re graphic design savvy, consider hiring a professional to design an eye-catching and unforgettable logo that reflects your photography style and brand values. Ensure your logo is versatile and can be used across different platforms, like your website, social media, and print materials.

Select a color palette 

Be sure it aligns with your brand style and personality. Consider the emotions you want to convey to your target audience and choose colors accordingly. Warm tones like orange and red evoke excitement and passion, while cooler tones like blue and green convey calmness and serenity. These colors can provide a baseline for your portfolio, website, logo, and social media graphics.

Choose a font 

Keep it legible and aligned with your overall brand aesthetic. Consider combining two fonts: a bold font for your headlines and a complementary font for your longer marketing copy. Consistent font usage across all your materials and channels helps create a cohesive and professional look. Check out our typography best practices for inspiration.

Hone your brand voice

Think of your brand voice as your brand’s written personality. So is it straightforward and to the point? Casual and playful? Formal and authoritative? Whatever you choose, remain consistent in your messaging so people know what to expect when engaging with your photography brand. 

Remember, while your brand voice should remain constant across all channels, it’s important to consider adjusting your tone and language depending on who you’re talking to and the situation. For example, you may choose a more professional tone when planning a shoot for a campaign to combat domestic violence than when engaging with your followers during a giveaway on Instagram.

No matter how your photography business identity shapes up, ensure all elements harmonize and reinforce your unique brand personality and values.

7. Create a photography portfolio

Building a photography portfolio is essential for showcasing your work to prospects and proving your credibility. In fact, it’s the primary way potential clients decide whether to hire you. Whether digital or printed, a well-curated portfolio is a must if you want to make it in the industry.

While we have a complete guide to building your photography portfolio, a few things are too important to leave unsaid:

• Be selective. Your portfolio should only feature top-tier shots representing your industry, techniques, and expertise. But do show a variety of samples that highlight your strengths and unique style.
• Tailor your work. Customize your portfolio to your future client’s needs. Use samples that best depict what you know each client is looking for.
• Get organized. Your portfolio should be easy to navigate, so make sure it’s well-structured, labeled correctly, and displays your work in an aesthetically pleasing way.
• Brand your book. Add your logo, color scheme, font, and brand voice. Your portfolio is an effective tool to show off your new brand identity! 

When creating your photography portfolio, choosing the format is another critical consideration. Websites are accessible and easy to share, increasing your chances of being discovered via search or social media. Hard copy photo books are impactful for interviews, events, and other in-person situations where you can hand your book to someone—plus, you control how your photos look, unlike when digital work shows up on an uncalibrated monitor. We suggest both!

8. Leverage branding to instruct your marketing

Branding plays a pivotal role in guiding a smart photographer’s promotion and marketing efforts. It is the foundation for crafting a cohesive and impactful marketing mix that aligns with your brand image, goals, and values. 

There are a million ways to market yourself, so let’s explore how your brand can influence your marketing in broad strokes, channel by channel.

Social media

Your brand identity and target audience will likely dictate the social media platforms you choose to be active on. For instance, if your brand image is vibrant, youthful, and radiant, platforms like Instagram and Pinterest may have the most traction. But if you have a professional image that’s more strategic, industrial, or business-oriented, LinkedIn or Facebook is likely to be a better fit.

Networking and events

Your brand personality and values should also inform the networks and events you engage with. For example, if your brand is focused on wedding photography, networking with wedding planners, bridal boutiques, and other wedding vendors can be very beneficial. On the other hand, if your brand specializes in commercial photography, attending industry-specific events or joining local professional organizations can open doors to potential clients. 

Ad targeting

Your brand positioning can also influence the advertising you should pursue as a photographer. For instance, if your brand is about adventure and outdoor photography, buying ads with tourism boards or cobranding with outdoor lifestyle or gear companies is a strategic move. On the other hand, if your brand focuses on corporate headshots, paying for ads targeting businesses and professionals in finance, law, or real estate may be more appropriate.

Content creation

Your brand story and values can also shape your content creation strategy for digital marketing, content marketing, and search engine optimization. Creating content like blog posts, videos, carousels, slide shares, or social media posts can help you gain marketing traction. Your photography work repurposed in creative ways can further help grow your brand authority, connect with your target audience, and enhance your online presence. 

Create your professional photography brand now

Branding is a powerful tool that should shape your photography marketing efforts and overall company vision. It’s a guiding compass amid a competitive landscape and a promotional tool you can leverage at any point in your career. 

Now you know how to reflect, research, and build your brand. We can’t wait to see the final product!

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Blurb is an indie publishing company that can help advance your branding efforts with professional bookmaking tools and print-on-demand portfolio-creation capabilities. Learn more about our offerings at Blurb!

The post Branding for photographers appeared first on Blurb Blog.

If marketing, selling, and turning a profit from your book are your primary publishing goals, then you need to know how and where to sell your book. Fortunately, there’s never been more bookstore platforms available for self-published creators. 

However, with the increase in platforms and self-publishing creators, the market is also becoming increasingly saturated. According to WordsRated.com, the volume of self-published books has increased by 264% in the last five years. And 90% of self-published books sell less than 100 copies. 

As a result, many creators need help to ensure their book is found and bought by interested readers. We’re here to bridge the gap between self-publishing your book and later selling your book to your target audience. From marketing your book to knowing where to sell your book online, we’ll explore how to earn a good income from self-publishing.

How to sell a self-published book

Before we delve too deep into where to sell your book, it’s important to gut-check your ambitions and expectations of the entire process when learning how to self-publish a book and sell it. 

A common mistake many creators make is doing a ton of work on the inside of a book while neglecting the external factors that dictate a book’s success in the marketplace. Most creators can bring their book to life—crafting an engaging narrative, laying out their book to perfection, and editing away typos. But when it comes to researching the market and making a promotion plan, many struggle.

To help put the entire marketing process into perspective, here’s a brief outline of how to sell a self-published book.

1. Define your target audience

You probably already have an idea of your target audience of readers. Still, it’s a good marketing exercise to craft personas and determine the niche and interests of those most likely to buy your book. Pinpointing your target audience will help you position and prioritize your marketing efforts and reach the right people.

2. Write a compelling book blurb

A powerful marketing tool for your book is the blurb. Think of this as your book’s sales pitch that dangles the carrot for prospective readers. It can make or break your book’s selling power, so take the time to learn how to write a blurb for your book that wins the hearts of target readers.

3. Establish your marketing platforms

Build out your web presence, whether that involves social media, creating an author website, or establishing a profile on particular bookselling websites or forums. If you have the resources, start building an email list to give you a direct line of communication with prospective customers and loyal followers.

4. Leverage book marketing services

Unlike when celebrities work with a traditional publisher, self-published creators take ownership of book marketing and promotion. However, you can assemble your own team, as there are plenty of resources and book promotion services to help you reach a wider audience and increase your book’s visibility.

5. Network with other self-publishers and industry professionals

Attend events, join creator groups, and participate in online communities to cultivate relationships and explore new opportunities to promote your book. Collaborating and networking with other self-published creators in your niche or industry can provide valuable exposure, support, and opportunities to reach new potential readers.

6. Offer special incentives and promotions

Get creative with your book launch marketing and offer giveaways, discounts, or other promotions to attract the attention of prospective readers, build hype, and drive more future book sales. Whether through your social media or leveraging the reach of other resources, special promotions can incentivize people to take action and purchase your book in pre-sales.

7. Ask colleagues to write your book forward

Reach out to notable creators, authority figures, or other individuals in your network and ask if they’d be willing to write a forward for your book. Not only can this provide valuable credibility and endorsement for your book, but if a popular figure writes your forward, it can help amplify your marketing efforts.

8. Request book reviews from your readers

Once you launch your book, encourage satisfied readers to leave reviews on Amazon, Goodreads, Barnes & Noble, or other platforms. Book reviews are proven to help increase a book’s visibility and credibility. In addition, positive reviews can help build trust and improve your book’s conversion rate. Just remember to follow the platform’s rules—as platforms like Amazon will take down solicited reviews.

9. Utilize SEO and paid advertising

Undoubtedly, book search engine optimization (SEO) is vital to getting your book found in the search results of Amazon, Google, and other search engines. But in addition to organic marketing like SEO, consider running targeted advertisements to drive traffic to your book’s sales page. Facebook, Instagram, Pinterest, Google, and Amazon are worthwhile ad platforms to explore.

10. Keep on promoting

Selling your book is a continuous effort that takes months (sometimes years) of ongoing effort. Stay diligent in promoting your book through multiple channels, like social media, email marketing, in-person signings, and leveraging new bookselling platforms to maintain top-of-mind visibility and continue to drive sales.

Where to sell books online

There are so many options for self-published creators looking to sell online. What’s more, print-on-demand services have made it so easy (and cheap) for indie bookmakers to sell and distribute their books to a global market.

Depending on your book’s format, genre, and audience, certain bookselling platforms make more sense than others. To help guide your efforts, here are some of the most popular places to sell books online.

Amazon

Amazon is the behemoth among bookselling platforms in terms of the sheer volume of inventory and traffic. This platform is ideal for self-published creators seeking the broadest possible reach, plus plenty of bells and whistles to help promote directly on the site.

With Amazon, you can sell your photo book or trade book by establishing a dedicated product page with your book’s title, description, tags, and ISBN. To build rapport, you can also use an Amazon Author page with your book listings, blog posts, and profile information.

It’s important to consider the cost of making your book and Amazon’s fees when determining your list price. Amazon charges distribution fees per book sold and a percentage markup based on your book’s list price. Add them to the cost of actually printing your book, and the costs can really add up. So while you can broaden your reach by selling your self-published book on Amazon, ensure these expenses don’t hinder your book’s overall profitability.

Ingram

Ingram allows self-published creators access to a worldwide distribution network of tens of thousands of retailers and libraries to sell their trade books. That means you can effortlessly distribute your trade book to over 39,000 retailers, libraries, distributors, and educational institutions in over 195 countries from a single spot. You’ll definitely want to consider Ingram if you’re aiming to access a large global market.

You’ll decide your book’s wholesale discount and list price through Ingram’s Book Distribution network. This ultimately determines your book’s profit margin. The only distribution cost is the wholesale discount you share with retailers. Just remember, the higher the discount, the greater potential your book has for visibility and increased sales.

Barnes & Noble

As the largest brick-and-mortar bookstore chain in the United States, Barnes & Noble allows self-published creators to distribute to their stores through the Ingram platform. That means you can upload and sell your ebooks and physical books on demand seamlessly. Barnes & Noble is an excellent option if you’re looking to reach physical bookstores alongside ecommerce retailers. 

Through Barnes & Noble and Ingram, you can customize your book’s price and choose from various royalty rates. You can also take advantage of helpful book marketing and promotion tools, including a self-publisher dashboard and a personalized list of book recommendations.

Apple Books Store and Google Play Books

Apple offers a platform that allows creators to sell their self-published books through the Apple Books Store. The platform accepts ebooks in various formats and provides a simple process for uploading and selling books online. You can set your own prices and choose from different royalty rates. Apple also equips you with tools to promote your books and reach a wider audience. 

Apple Books Store is perfect if you want a more straightforward selling process to target readers using Apple devices. 

Google Play Book is very similar to Apple’s bookstore. It’s super easy to self-publish your book, choose your royalties, add metadata, and quickly get your book listed on Google. You can even set different prices in different regions of the world.

Blurb Bookstore

If you use Blurb to self-publish your book, then the Blurb Bookstore is a natural first place to start selling your book. While some platforms limit what types of books you can sell, Blurb’s Bookstore allows authors to sell photo books, trade books, magazines, and PDFs. 

Plus, Blurb doesn’t charge distribution fees or commissions—something Amazon, Ingram, Barnes & Noble, Apple, and Google can’t match. The Blurb Bookstore is ideal for true indie creators who want to self-publish and print on demand without profit-destroying fees.

You take complete control over your book’s price by adjusting your profit margins, but Blurb also provides distribution services to help list your books on other platforms beyond the Blurb Bookstore. This includes distributing your book on Amazon and in over 39,000 stores with Ingram’s global network. 

Where to sell books in person

Although selling your book online casts the widest net to attract potential customers, you can balance your marketing mix with brick-and-mortar retailers. For self-published bookmakers in large metropolitan areas, selling in person provides significant opportunities.

Need some thought-starters for locales you should approach to sell your book? There are our top picks:

Independent bookstores

Typically t locally owned and operated small businesses, independent bookstores often have stronger ties to their local community and are far more willing to sell books published by local authors. When you approach indie bookstores, offer to do readings or signings to up your exposure!

Local libraries

Some libraries feature dedicated sections for local authors. While not all libraries are big revenue drivers for book sales, they can offer great exposure and visibility to make your book known.

Major bookstore chain

Large retail bookstore chains like Barnes & Noble and Books-A-Million can be powerful places to get shelf space for your book. But convincing these chains to carry your book may take the right strategy and approach. Do your research on how the chain you’re targeting makes decisions. And be sure you have your distribution channels set up to deliver to your chain.

Used bookstores

Small boutique stores specializing in buying and selling used books are sometimes open to selling new books, including those by local authors. If you’ve already created a pitch or sell sheet when approaching independent bookstores, libraries, or chains—there’s no reason not to approach used retailers too.

Specialty shops

Depending on your book’s topic, certain specialty shops may be willing to carry it on their shelves. Examples include gift shops, tourist shops, toy stores, craft stores, food co-ops, and yoga studios. Again, it’s all about making the right pitch for the shop’s audience.

Book clubs

Certain book clubs and author events are great opportunities to sell books in person and connect with potential readers and creators in your local community. 

Flea markets, farmers markets, street fairs, and other events

Plenty of events and markets offer ways to sell your book in person. Events specific to your target audience, like farmer’s markets for a farm-to-table recipe book, provide the most fruitful opportunities. (Pun intended.)

Selling your book in person can be a great strategy to reach local customers and promote your work. Still, it’s essential to choose your channels wisely and check with each location for specific policies and procedures for selling books.

What to consider when marketing and pricing your book

When marketing and pricing your self-published book, both online and in person, it’s essential to consider a variety of factors, from your audience (notice a trend?) to your marketing budget. Let’s dive into the details.

Target audience

Who are you writing the book for, how much value does your book offer, and what price are they willing to pay? Consider factors like demographics, interests, income, and education level of your audience. This will help you not only set your book’s list price but also help you figure out where to market your book. Millennial moms looking for parenting books might be hanging out in Facebook groups, while Gen Z photographers looking for coffee table books might be more likely to be on TikTok.

Similar or competing books

Look at related books already on the market, how they’re priced, and what strategies the creator used to position and market them. Deciding your book’s differentiators from other similar books is extremely valuable as you decide how to price and sell your own.

Format, length, and content

The format of your book (zine, hardcover, softcover), the length of your book, and the depth of its content will directly influence the price and go-to-market strategy. In short, longer and more in-depth books may justify a higher price than shorter or digital books. Be sure to be realistic about how much your audience is willing to pay rather than how much time and energy you’ve put in.

Your brand and reputation

There’s a reason why some creators can charge 40 to 50 dollars for a copy of their book. If their reputation is strong and the perceived value of their work is high, then the price can be reflected as such. Consider limited editions, signed copies, and quality materials if you want to sell at a top-tier list price. However, if you’re just starting as a creator and self-publisher, it could be worth listing your book at a lower price to build trust and credibility.

Production costs

The costs associated with self-publishing your book, including the editing, formatting, designing, printing, and distribution, should be considered when determining your book’s price. We’ll always recommend a second set of eyes and printing a proof copy. However, if it’s your first time self-publishing you might consider professional help with one or all of the above.

Distribution strategy

Where will your book be sold? Different means of distribution, such as Amazon, in-person channels, or your personal website, can include different pricing structures and fees. You should consider if you’ll print on demand or offset, as your costs and shipping capabilities will differ wildly.

Marketing budget

How much money are you willing to spend promoting your book? And what marketing and advertising platforms are you planning to use? Answers to these questions can determine the sales number you need to hit to break even.

Ultimately, picking the right price for your self-published book requires careful consideration of these factors and a good grasp of your goals and the market. Test and adjust your pricing strategy as needed to ensure the best possible return on your investment.

Blurb to sell your self-published book

If you’re in the early stages of planning your book project, Blurb is a great place to get the ball rolling. Blurb offers the creative tools to design, format, and assemble your book exactly how you envision it. Once built, you can self-publish and print your book with on-demand printing and sell your book at scale through the Blurb Bookstore, on Amazon, and through Ingram’s worldwide distribution network of over 39,000 stores.

Learn more about how to sell your self-published book with Blurb.

The post Where to sell your self-published book appeared first on Blurb Blog.

We talked to Blurb bestselling authors who found self-publishing success in 2022. Here are their tips for anyone looking to follow in their footsteps in 2023.

Why self-publish?

Before we get into the tips from self-published authors, we’ll answer the biggest question first: Why even go through the self-publishing process?

The number-one reason to self-publish a book is the freedom and control it gives you as a creator. When you self-publish, you decide when and how your book is released, choose your own pricing, and retain the rights (and profits) to your work. This all adds up to a greater say in both the creative direction of your work and how it shows up in the world.

“Self-publishing allowed me to compose the book of my dreams!” exclaims Dyèvre Xavier. He is a three-time traditionally published cabinetmaker and restorer of antique furniture who holds the prestigious Meilleur Ouvrier de France in marquetry. He also happens to be a Blurb bestselling author. After three books, he became unsatisfied with his publisher and decided to self-publish his fourth, Wooden pictures marquetries, to retain complete creative control.

Aside from power over all creative decisions, self-publishing has several other advantages. First, you don’t have to wait for someone else to give you the green light and can publish your work when you’ve decided it’s ready. You get to keep more profits rather than splitting them with a publisher. Lastly, you decide when and how to market your work instead of hoping a publisher will spend the resources needed to get your book in front of the right people.

Tips from bestsellers

Now, let’s get into the tips to make your self-published book a resounding success in 2023!

Fill a niche need

One of the best pieces of advice from Blurb’s bestsellers is to make sure you have something unique to offer. As self-publishing increases in popularity, so does the competition. So if you can identify an unmet, highly-specific need and fill it with your work, you’re that much closer to commercial success.

Take Blurb bestselling author Jane Blundell as an example. This Sydney-based artist specializes in watercolor and teaching and has spent over a decade creating a website, blog, and online courses sharing her passion for watercolor with others.

To Blundell, self-publishing felt like a natural extension of what she had already been doing willingly online. In fact, her first book, Watercolour Mixing Charts, was a collection of charts she had already created and published for free on her website. Her fans kept asking for physical copies, so she published a book with Blurb in 2012, available as a hardcover, softcover, and PDF. Two other books have followed, and all three books sell through word of mouth as they are valuable reference books that niche audiences clamber for.

“These books have been commercially successful because they fill a need,” she says. “People want a quick way to understand watercolour mixing, and these books give them that information in a clear and concise way.”

Build an authentic following

Self-publishing is much more likely to be successful if you already have an established following, but if you’re new to an industry, it’s essential to start building your book’s audience and network early. In fact, many of Blurb’s bestsellers credit their success to an active online presence—whether via a blog and courses like Blundell or social media like our next bestselling author, Rachel A. Dawson.

Dawson is a creative, content creator, bookworm, and believer from Richmond, Virginia, who has built a social media community of hundreds of thousands of avid readers and journalers. Over the years, she’s shared her reading statistics, book reviews, and personal reading journals. Each time she shared the latter, she would get comments saying that her followers wished they could have a journal like hers—which led to Dawson creating the very successful RAD Reading Journal.

“I would suggest working toward building a genuine platform and presence online through your various channels and weaving in your marketing efforts as part of that, not as your whole strategy,” Dawson says. “If you can build relationships and trust with your community and followers over shared interests, they will be much more likely to invest in what you’re offering.”

Create a list of interested people

Your book may be so niche that a massive online audience is impossible to find! Consider building a simple list of likely interested people and leveraging them for your launch.

Caroline Boudoux, professor of engineering physics, entrepreneur, and mother, did just that. She first wrote the book she wished she had as a graduate student. Then, she sat down and made a list of people she thought would be thrilled to evaluate the finished product, Fundamentals of Biomedical Optics.

“Make a list of people who might be interested in your book,” she suggests. “So interested, in fact, that they might offer to review some of its content.”

List in hand, she partnered with a major optics supplier to create a book launch party during a large industry conference and invited everyone on her list. Nearly 100 researchers—what she calls “the geek version of influencers”—attended the party. She followed it up with a website launch and social media posts, finishing by creating a community that shares teaching materials to go along with the book.

Looking for inspiration? Check out our blog post with book ideas for writing a book you can start today!

Attend industry events

Even if you have a massive online following or a list of eager, influential people, many bookmakers find new readers at in-person events. Industry networking and speaking engagements are great opportunities to talk directly with potential readers.

Princeton-based flavor chemist John Wright took this approach to sell his successful Blurb book, Flavor Creation 3rd Edition. He realized that there was a strong need for a flavor chemistry book in print—ideal for training and referencing. Once written, he knew that the potential market for his book was fairly small. So how could he get his comprehensive book into the right hands?

Wright turned to public speaking at industry and university events—which has been his most effective marketing approach to date. This tactic, combined with regular version updates, has led to his success. It’s especially impressive considering the high price point of his essential guide to flavor creation.

Use audience feedback

You’ve got people interested, an engaged online community, and maybe even a few speaking engagements. Don’t stop now! It’s time to incorporate feedback into future versions or new volumes.

That’s what Laura A. Wideburg, a Swedish teacher who lives in Seattle, Washington, decided to do with her book Swedish: The Basics. She’s so dedicated to incorporating feedback, it’s now in its eighth edition!

“Know your audience,” Wideburg suggests. “My students have given me a great deal of feedback, and I’ve published updated versions taking their comments seriously.”

Wideburg wrote her book to fill a need for her Swedish language program. Since it’s such a small language, there aren’t many textbooks to choose from—and none that would work for her adult students looking to visit family in Sweden. So she decided to make her own, complete with short-and-sweet grammar exercises for busy learners.

Thanks to student feedback, she has learned that powerful storytelling and strong characters make her book engaging and keep students looking forward to learning more.

And while there isn’t a large market for her book, there is an enthusiastic group of buyers in her classes and in Sweden (who purchase copies for relatives learning the language). Her book and language classes have even been featured on Swedish television!

Publish (and then publish again!)

It’s often said that the best tool you have as a self-publisher is your next book. Why? Because this gives you a chance to learn from previous successes (and missteps) and reach a wider audience. This new audience may even go back and buy another one of your books.

John C Burt is an author and a creator of reels and music from Sydney, Australia. He’s found great success marketing his photography books, including the bestselling Beach at Sunrise, through social media and a thriving photographic community. And he’s a great proponent of continually publishing.

“If you are true to your craft and take great photographs, then you have the raw makings of a great book,” Burt says. “You just need to be prepared to risk your reputation and try and put your works on display … Do not be afraid to try something new and out there. … Keep trying and keep putting out your own creative works so that people can engage!”

With 58 books and counting, Burt knows a thing or two about trying new things and publishing time and again.

Study marketing

No matter how fantastic your book is, how big an audience is, or how well your work fits a real market need, no one can buy your book if they don’t know it exists. Studying marketing is vital for self-publishing authors who don’t have access to traditional publishing strategies and don’t want their books to become lost in digital noise.

“At first, I felt awkward promoting my book,” says La Fonceur, a research scientist, registered pharmacist, and bestselling author of right nutrient combinations COOKBOOK. “But then I thought like a reader: How would someone discover my book?”

Fonceur quickly discovered, “the more you learn, the more you earn!” She began listening to marketing webinars, reading blogs, and testing what she was learning. Once she tried one tactic, she learned and applied the next.

Through her learn-and-test method, she found the biggest success from a few key marketing tactics. And although she stresses not to take every piece of marketing advice that comes your way, here are her top tips for self-published authors:

1. Promote your books in advance so that readers can get excited.
2. Consistently build your community (so you have someone to tell about upcoming books).
3. Add your website, social media, and other important links to the end of your book to keep growing your community.
4. Attend book fairs, participate in book events, visit libraries—get out in the world to find new readers.
5. Run social media ads to increase visibility on price drops, new releases, or other updates.
6. Your books sell your other books. So, writing more books equals more sales.

We’ll also add that search engine optimization (SEO) can be very helpful for increasing visibility in search engines like Google. By optimizing your book’s web pages, titles, and descriptions with relevant keywords, creating high-quality content, and building external links, you can improve your book’s visibility and reach a wider audience. You can learn how to master SEO as an author here.

Last but not least, remember to believe in yourself and be kind to yourself. “Allow yourself to make mistakes,” Fonceur suggests. “If you are tired, losing confidence, or getting a negative review, don’t quit. Take a break for a few days. Eat well, sleep well, listen to your favorite music, and when you feel better, get back to work.”

Harness Amazon Ads

Amazon is one of the most popular online retailers for bookmakers, whether traditionally or self-published. Many creators who become Blurb bestsellers take advantage of the platform’s expansive reach and powerful algorithms. But with millions of books listed on the site, how do you get yours to stand out?

Eric Lilleør is the owner and founder of Mui Fa Publishing and a Blurb bestselling author and editor. His book, Gong Sau Wong: A Tribute, explores the life and legacy of one of the most respected Wing Chun masters in history, Sifu Wong Shun Leung. Readers also get a free digital subscription to the magazine he edits, Wing Chun Illustrated. This has led to increased magazine readership and book sales since he also advertises his book in his magazine (which both share a target audience).

He started his paid marketing efforts by using Facebook Ads to boost a professionally produced book trailer, testimonial videos, and one-minute audio samples. Each ad drove to his book’s landing page—which he wrote using the copywriting framework AIDA (Attention, Interest, Desire, Action).

But Lilleør didn’t stop there. “Amazon Ads have helped sell more copies than any other marketing method by far!” he says. “I currently have more than 100 ads running, with more added weekly.”

That doesn’t mean he’s spending a fortune. While his ads have had over 600,000 impressions, he only pays for actual clicks, which he sets for a maximum of $0.34 per click. He has spent time learning how to research Amazon keywords, optimize his product page with those keywords, and then run ads. He suggests you do the same—except from day one!

Hire a marketing team

Although self-publishing gives authors the freedom to take control of their book marketing, which worked exceedingly well for the creators in our last two examples, outsourcing to a team of professionals can sometimes yield even better results.

That’s just what Blurb bestseller and transformational coach Jewel Guy did. “​​Creation is the easy part,” she says. “We all have something to share with the world. Allow yourself to do it. Then, hire a team of people who have the knowledge and skill to market your book on a consistent basis.”

Thanks to her marketing team, she found great success through in-person vending, social media, podcast interviews, and larger media features. Having experts on her side means she can find the best marketing outlets, keep up the publicity, and ensure enough people know her book is available.

Since publishing her first book, Dear Black Men, she co-wrote Dear Black Women with her husband, Desmond Guy. They continue to create healing tools, workshops, and impactful events for the entire Black family.

                                                                                               ***

Ready to turn these tips into action? Self-publish your book today.

The post Blurb bestselling authors on self-publishing success in 2023 appeared first on Blurb Blog.

Self-promotion means showing yourself in the best light possible for potential employers or collaborators. Here are a few pointers to keep in mind:

1. Find your niche

This is about identifying your interests, your talents, and what makes you unique. Then taking every opportunity to learn more about all aspects of your subject area. Talking about passion is often overdone, but passion combined with talent is where you’ll find success.

2. Seek recognition
Once you’ve determined your area of focus and built a foundation of high-quality work, you should begin to seek recognition for your expertise. After all, you worked hard to get there so why not ask for a little recognition in return. Partnering with thought leaders and other experts in your field is a great way to work toward wider acceptance, credibility, and recognition.

3. Find your audience or community

Write, share, speak. One-to-one or one-to-many. In person or via Zoom. The key thing to remember when you are self-promoting is that you are showing not selling. Demonstrate your expertise and like-minded people will engage with your combination of passion, intelligence, and skill. Tools like websites, newsletters, and YouTube channels allow for creatives to build their own ecosystem for their audience to explore.

4. Be smart when it comes to social media

Sharing valuable insights, knowledge, and tips for free is a good way to entice others to join your circle. But there is sharing and then there is oversharing. Engaging with social networks is great but utilize them as a part of an overall strategy and not as the singular objective.

5. Be more, do more
Although your life and job are often intimately connected, you should never lose track of the fact that as an entrepreneur or creative you’re connected to a wider world. A big part of marketing yourself is getting involved with areas outside your immediate field, by donating your time or expertise, and engaging with your community. Your audience may come to you for your expertise, but they’ll stay with you if they relate to you as a whole person.

6. Be yourself and remember who you are
It’s easy to allow your audience or community to dictate your direction, but at the end of the day you are still you. Don’t forget who you are and where you want to be. Don’t compromise your integrity or ideals for a brief moment of success.

Successfully marketing yourself is both a marathon and a sprint. Every video, email, or tweet can have the same impact as the completion of a long-term goal. Understanding who you are, continuing your quest for knowledge and skill, and mixing with the world in both the physical and digital spaces is a great way to get the attention you deserve.

The post How to Market Yourself appeared first on Blurb Blog.

What makes you unique?

If I had to choose one adjective to describe the most unique people I’ve met, it would be “curious”. All of my unique friends have an intense curiosity about the world far beyond their chosen field. They are generalists in their appetite for knowledge. 

I once went camping with a famous photographer and we spent our time around the campfire talking about electricity, jet propulsion systems, and beekeeping. (He did most of the talking!) What I realized was calling this person a “photographer” wasn’t accurate. Sure, he is well known and certainly knows his way around a camera, but he was far, far more. He is a well-rounded, intelligent, curious individual who was more than someone who could press the shutter button. And frankly, this is partly why he is so successful as a photographer. He is being hired not only for his photographs, but for who he is as a person.

Standing out from the crowd isn’t showing off

Let’s talk confident not cocky. Few people enjoy a showoff. A quiet power laced with emotional intelligence is how leaders are made. And leaders, as we all know, stand out from the crowd. Knowing yourself, believing in yourself, and being confident are traits that not only empower you. They are addictive to those around you. We’ve all been at a party or industry event when someone walks in and takes over the room. You may or may not know the person, but you want to just because of how they carry themselves and how they interact with others. Introvert or extrovert, no matter.

What other traits help you stand out?

Authenticity, honesty, humor, and kindness. We live in a time where being popular alone can lead to financial success. Consequently, we are often being fed a diet of less-than-honest content in an attempt to get us on board with whatever is being sold. Standing out in a world crowded by attention seekers is in great part about you being you. Modern humans crave authenticity, regardless of imperfections, and in fact, those same imperfections when confronted head-on with honor, humor, and honesty are often what allows us to fully show who we actually are. You might not please everyone, but you will certainly be remembered.

Perhaps the last-but-not-least ingredient for standing out is patience. Author Joan Didion did not become famous while working as a copywriter. Director Kathryn Bigelow did not win an Oscar for her first film. And Lady Gaga did not become a superstar the first time she stepped up to the microphone. All of these creatives, and many others like them, took years to become the unique individuals we see today. Practice, failure, tenacity, and taking the time to fully understand who they are and what specifically they wish to share with the world is the work of a lifetime. 

As they say, “If it were easy everyone would be doing it.” There is truth in this statement. Being unique and standing out in a crowd is often about both learning and stripping away. Who are you? What do you believe? And how do these beliefs make you feel? Answer these questions, move aside the rest, and you are well on your way. 

Final thoughts

I think creative people have a responsibility to society. I believe our job is to be as creative as possible because the other sectors of society are depending on us. We can break rules, be eccentric, and take huge, creative risks, because that is our role. We are here to show others an alternative path. We are here to inspire. And we are here to provide creative intention and purpose. When we practice, refine our skills, and prepare ourselves for the known and unknown we are laying the foundation for standing out.

The post How to Stand Out in a Crowd appeared first on Blurb Blog.

Learning how to write a press release for a book launch doesn’t have to be complicated, but you want to know the basics so you can make a strong first impression.

Why do authors need a press release?

A press release is a formal announcement sent to media organizations and public forums to notify people about your new book and generate buzz. With any luck, a press release could lead to interviews, a brief mention in a newspaper or magazine, blog posts, a good book review, speaking engagements, or website traffic. It’s also a free marketing tool, which means any self-publisher or indie author can use it to introduce their work in a professional way.

An author website, mailing lists, and social media networks are also essential parts of any marketing playbook, but a press release is specifically designed to showcase your book to a new group of influential people that may not be in your address book (journalists, editors, bloggers, publishers, book reviewers, and other industry leaders). If you can catch their eye, they might be willing to spread the word and help expand your audience.

And even though you may already have conversations going with your fans and creative community on social media, writing a press release for your book gives you another way to share the big news and keep everyone in the loop.

What should a book press release include? 

A well-written book press release needs to grab the reader’s attention, describe what your book is about and why people should read it, and provide basic information about the book for selling and distribution (e.g. title, author, publication date, where to buy).

Try to find a relevant, unique way of pitching your book, and use that as a hook. What makes it a newsworthy story? Possible ideas: a rare or trending book topic, an intriguing author story, a prestigious literary award, an innovative launch event, a remarkable milestone.

Is there a standard press release format?

Most book press releases follow a basic format for a reason. Journalists and editors may only have a few minutes (or seconds!) to decide if your press release deserves attention, so keep the writing clear, organized, and easy to follow. Avoid clichés and over-hyped language, unless it’s a review quote or testimonial from a prominent figure.

A traditional book press release is between 300 to 500 words and is ideally one page. The more concise and compelling, the better. Here’s a sample outline:

1. Contact Info: Include your name, address, phone number, email, and website.
   
2. Publication Date: List the publication date for your book as “For release on [date]” or simply note “For immediate release.”
   
3. Headline: Keep it short and catchy, and highlight what sets your book apart.
   
4. CITY, STATE, Date: The city and state should be in all caps.
   
5. Body content: The first short paragraph introduces you and your book in a compelling way. The second short paragraph contains a detailed description of the book and its audience (avoid using “I” or “we”). The third brief paragraph may include a quote from a book reviewer or a notable person endorsing the book. The fourth paragraph lists where to buy the book, or launch event details (date, time, location, contact info).
   
6. Cover Photo: You may choose to add a high-resolution photo of the book cover.
   
7. Closing/Bio: Finish with a short author bio. If your book is connected to an organization or business, you may also include the group’s mission statement here.  

Large publishing houses, small presses, and self-published authors all rely on press releases, so you can find many examples of press releases online. Check the author or publisher websites for writers and artists you admire.

What is the best time to send out a press release?

A press release for a book launch is usually posted the day the book becomes available for purchase. So you probably want to send your press release to the media or other publications 3 to 5 days before you’d like it to appear. Take into consideration the higher volume of requests that a larger media organization might be dealing with and allow extra time, compared to a smaller newspaper or website that might have a shorter turnaround time for publication.

If your book is connected to a newsworthy topic, launch event, or award ceremony, you may choose to adjust the timing of your press release to coincide with that (even if it happens weeks or months after your book was first published).

Where should I send a press release?

Consider the target audience for your book when deciding where to send your press release. If the topic of your book relates to the mission statement of any local businesses or nonprofit organizations, send a copy of the press release to them. Authors of fiction, poetry, and memoirs may want to reach out to literary magazines that publish writing or book reviews in the same genre. If you do want a magazine or journal to write a review, you’ll need to include a review copy of your book with the press release.

Check the blog for more ideas and inspiration on selling, distributing, and marketing your self-published book. And don’t forget to set up an author website!

The post How to Write a Press Release for a Book Launch appeared first on Blurb Blog.

A carefully curated website not only establishes your credibility in the publishing world, it can also help attract new readers, sell books, build an audience, and keep your fans’ interest in the long run. Here are the key elements to include when creating an author website.

1. Minimal, clean website design

Just as someone might judge a book by its cover, they can also judge an author’s website by its homepage. To create a positive first impression with visitors, keep the layout and design simple.

• Use one or two fonts only. You may even try a font type that matches your book.
• Choose a strong, simple color palette that is easy to read. Avoid bright text on bright colored backgrounds. Instead, opt for black text on a solid color or white background, or white text on a black background.
• Limit the main menu to a few, concise tabs or labels.
• Write clear, short headlines and button copy. Assign a color to these “calls to action.”
• Consider a single-page website to keep your reader focused, especially if this is your first book and you don’t have a lot of content. One page, one click equals faster book sales!
• Keep it original and on brand. The look and feel of your website should align with the subject matter and tone of your book.
• Do your research. See what other author websites look like and how easy they are to use.
• Avoid animation, music, or anything that might make the site slow to load.

2. Multiple purchase links

People are used to one-stop, quick shopping experiences online, so you want to make it easy for them to buy your book. On the homepage of your author website, give customers a clear option to “Buy now” or “Buy the book,” so they don’t have to hunt for it. This button can direct them to a shopping page with links to two or three major online retailers that carry your book, plus a few local bookstore options.

3. Links to social media or author blog

Social media is an effective way to spread the word about your book, so make it super easy for your fans to follow you and show their support. Add social share buttons on each page of your author website and blog, where followers on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, or Pinterest can automatically share your posts on their own networks. Be sure to clearly list your own social media handles with links to each profile, so you and your audience can continue the conversation online.

4. Email sign-up

Since many visitors will only make one trip to your author website, make the most of it by inviting them to leave their contact info—a first name and email address will do. It’s never too early to start compiling a mailing list, since these interested readers will be the most likely to create buzz and help entice new fans. As an incentive, you can offer a free book chapter, promo code, small gift, or sneak preview of new work to people who sign up. Then keep all your followers up to speed by sending out a monthly or quarterly email newsletter with event highlights, reading dates, and new book announcements.

5. Author bio and contact information

Readers often want to know a little bit about you—just not your whole life story. Keep things professional with a short bio or About the Author page that is personal, honest, and straightforward. Focus on facts about your career, publications, accolades, or creative life. A small author photo is fine, but the image should not take center stage. Give readers a way to connect with you by listing your email address and social media handles on a Contact menu tab, or by providing a simple contact form they can fill out and submit.

6. Responsive design

More and more visitors to author websites are using mobile phones or tablets to browse and shop. You want your website to have responsive design, which means it will optimize the layout and navigation features based on the device each visitor uses. That ensures everyone in your audience can read the text clearly and get the best possible experience. As a test, check out your website on a computer and on your mobile phone, and compare the two views. If the layout of the webpage looks different and the navigation options have changed to fit your phone, then your site is responsive.

7. Book excerpts or quotes

In addition to showing a cover shot of your book, providing a sneak preview of pages is one way to engage potential readers and encourage them to explore the other parts of your author website. Try featuring a paragraph or page of the book that is compelling or suspenseful—maybe a glimpse of the character’s world, or an example of provocative storytelling. Some retailers give customers the option to peek inside the actual pages. You can also excerpt the text right on your webpage!

Find out how to add the Blurb Book Preview widget to your site to give visitors a sneak peek.

8. Events and speaking engagements

Your audience might start with local readers, but you want the word about your book to spread far and wide. List the dates and locations of all your speaking events, readings, workshops, and book signings to let your growing fan base know when and where to find you. You can also use this space to post videos or audio links to past events.

9. Press page or media kit

Retailers and media contacts may also visit your author website, so be sure to tell them who you are and what you offer. A press page or media kit shows that you take book promotion seriously. You can create a one-page, downloadable press release PDF (recommended), or post the information on your site. It should include basic information, like your book title, author name, author website and contact info, publishing date, price, ISBN number, page count, author bio and photo—however the bulk of the text will be comprised of a headline, reviewer quotes, an enticing description of the book, and an excerpt or two. Visit the Press Releases page on major book publisher websites for great examples.

10. Testimonials, blurbs, and reviews

Word of mouth is a powerful thing! Leave space on your website for positive testimonials, including blurbs by book reviewers, excerpts from press coverage, or personal quotes from fans on social media. All of these words of support can help increase your credibility as a published author.

Looking for more ways to promote, sell, and distribute your new book? Set your book up for sale on the Blurb Bookstore, create a listing on Amazon, or sell your book in over 195 countries with Ingram. Explore the possibilities!

The post 10 Tips for Creating a Successful Author Website appeared first on Blurb Blog.

This article will cover ten ways to market your self-published books this holiday season. By following these tips, you can ensure that your holiday book sales succeed. Let’s jump in! 

Why are holiday book sales so important?

If you’ve never considered selling your book online during the holiday season, you might wonder why it’s so important. After all, people buy books year-round, right? 

Well, the last quarter of the year is actually the busiest time for many creators, as holiday shoppers have a huge demand for books. In fact, holiday sales make up a significant portion of many businesses’ annual sales. For example, retailers typically see anywhere from 20-40% of their yearly sales during the holiday season. Plus, with U.S. holiday retail sales expected to reach $1.3 trillion in 2022, it’s clear that holiday shoppers are spending big. 

So, if you want to take advantage of the holiday shopping season, it’s essential to start planning now rather than later. 

How to increase your holiday book sales this season

Since this time of year is so crucial for book sales, it’s necessary to stand out from the crowd. And having a marketing plan is integral. Luckily, you can do a few things to make sure your holiday book sales shoot through the roof this year. 

1. Build a marketing plan with promotions

One of the best ways to increase holiday book sales is to create a marketing plan with promotions and discounts for each holiday. This way, you can attract shoppers looking for deals on gifts—and who isn’t?  

Many artists, bookmakers, and small businesses have special deals lined up for Black Friday, Cyber Monday, and Giving Tuesday. All of these are great opportunities for you to promote your book to new (and current) fans. The best way to do so? Jump in on the promotions tactics with a sale—like 40% off your hardcover or a buy-one-get-one deal. 

To create a marketing plan with promotions, start by creating a list of all the holidays you want to target. Next, figure out what deals you can offer and still make money—if not on these sales, then at least on future ones. Finally, devise a promotional strategy for each holiday, perhaps a percentage off your entire series, a bonus magazine with any full-price sale, or free shipping on orders over a certain amount.  

Once you plan your promotions, create a marketing calendar of how you’re sharing your sales with your audience. A detailed calendar is necessary to help keep everything organized. This way, you can ensure your promotions are running smoothly and on schedule. 

2. Create online ads

Another great way to increase holiday book sales is to use online ads. This can be a great way to reach holiday shoppers who are looking for gifts online and aren’t currently part of your fanbase. Even better, you can target your ads to people interested in topics related to your book. If you’re selling a 30-minute cookbook, you could target your ads to people who have recently searched for quick recipes online. 

To get started with online ads, you’ll need to choose which platform you want to use to reach holiday shoppers. There are a few different options to choose from, including Google Ads and Amazon Ads, as well as all the advertising available on Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn, Pinterest Ads, and YouTube. Pick the platform that most of your current fans, or ideal future fanbase, spend most of their time. If you’re a coaching business with a CEO handbook, LinkedIn makes sense, but if you’re an interior designer with a home decor lookbook, you might choose Pinterest. 

Once you’ve selected a platform that most caters to your target audience, you’ll need to create an account and set up your campaign. Then, you’ll need to make your ad and choose your target audience. After your ad is live, you can start monitoring your results to see how well it’s performing. This last part is perhaps the most important—you want to ensure you’re getting a return on your investment. 

3. Optimize your website or book pages for discoverability

Creating an author website or online bookstore page is only half the battle. You also need to make sure people can find them. This is where SEO and metadata come in. SEO, or search engine optimization, is the process of making your website or book pages more visible in search results like Google. And metadata are the keywords that help your book get discovered in the Blurb or Amazon bookstores. This can be a great way to reach holiday shoppers looking for gifts online. 

There are a few different things you can do to leverage SEO. Most importantly, ensure you use relevant keywords on your website and book page. These are the words and phrases people are searching for when looking for information about your book. Use tools to research keywords like Google AdWords Keyword Planner and Moz Keyword Explorer to find relevant keywords related to your niche. 

You might also consider setting up a landing page on your website specifically for holiday shoppers to capture more search volume. This can also maximize your online advertising by sending people to a specific page that features your promotion messaging, holiday-focused imagery, and holiday-specific keywords.

4. Solicit more book reviews

One of the best things you can do to increase book sales is to get more book reviews—especially during the holiday season when you might reach a broader audience that doesn’t already know you or your work. Potential buyers often look at reviews before they make a purchase. Over 90 percent of consumers read online reviews before making a purchase. 

Make sure your reviews are in place before the gifting season begins. It takes time for customers to write and post reviews, so you don’t want to wait until the last minute. You can start by reaching out to your current fans and followers and asking them to write a review if they haven’t already. If that doesn’t work, you could offer an incentive, like a discount on your next book or product, to encourage people to leave a review.

5. Rent a table at holiday fairs and markets

While most of our tips have focused on online shoppers, that doesn’t mean you should ignore your IRL customers. Another great way to sell your book during the holiday season is to rent a table at holiday fairs and markets. This can be a great way to reach holiday shoppers looking for gifts in person. Plus, it’s an excellent opportunity to connect with potential customers, gain feedback in real-time, and build relationships. 

To find holiday fairs and markets in your area, you can search online or ask your local chamber of commerce. Once you’ve found a few options, reach out to the organizers and see if they have any available spaces. Make sure to take the time to prepare for the event by creating a display for your table and stocking up on books. 

6. Update your book cover for the holiday season

While it might seem like a small detail, updating your book cover for the holiday season can be a great way to increase holiday sales. This is because holiday shoppers are looking for gifts that feel festive and special. By updating your book cover, you can show holiday shoppers that your book is the perfect gift. 

You can update your book cover for the holiday season in a few different ways. First, you can change the colors of your book cover to match a specific festive day’s colors. For example, you could use red and green for Christmas or red, black, and green for Kwanzaa. You can add general winter holiday season elements to your book covers, like snowflakes or a big gift bow. Or, you could create a new limited-edition book cover to recapture interest! 

7. Email your network

You’ve likely built up a network of people interested in your book—hopefully even a newsletter list. This can be an excellent resource for holiday sales. To reach holiday shoppers, email your network and let them know (or remind them) about your book. You can also offer holiday discounts or bundle deals to encourage your current customers to buy your book as gifts for their loved ones. 

Fast-growing companies drive 40 percent more revenue from personalization than slow-growing companies, according to recent research. So when you’re emailing your network, make sure you personalize each message—even if it’s just adding a name in the subject line via MailChimp automation. Lastly, remember to ensure that your messaging focuses on your audience and why they should care about your book and not you. 

8. Post regularly on your social media

Social media posts are a great way to reach holiday shoppers—even without using paid advertising. People are using social media more than ever to find gifts and deals.  

To reach holiday shoppers on social media, you can start by creating holiday-themed posts. For example, you could create a post about why your book makes the perfect holiday gift. You share your holiday promotions or bundle deals in your posts. Just make sure to use relevant holiday hashtags so that people can easily find your posts. 

9. Submit your book to gift lists

Consumers always seek holiday gift ideas from their most trusted bloggers, magazines, or newspapers. By getting your book on a few gift lists, you can reach a new audience and show holiday shoppers why your book makes the perfect gift.  

To submit, start by finding a few gift lists from the prior year that you think would be a good fit for your book. If you’re selling a knitting book, a beloved crafting magazine might make sense, but an indie photoblog might be better if you’re marketing a travel-focused photobook. Then, reach out to the person in charge of the list and let them know about your book. Make sure to include information about why your book would make a great gift and any press or reviews you’ve received. 

Psst. You can even apply to be featured on the Blurb gift list by emailing us with a summary of your project and a few visuals before October 1, 2022! 

10. Get your book into local bookstores

Lastly, don’t forget to reach out to your local bookstores. This is a great way to reach people who are doing their last minute shopping for print books (or other gifts). You can contact your local bookstore and let them know about your book. Indie bookstores love promoting local creators, so let them know you’re from around town and that you’d be happy to promote alongside them. 

For example, you can also offer the store holiday discounts or bundle deals. Or, you can arrange a book reading in the store—this helps customers get to know you and build community! While it might seem like a book reading would only reach a small audience, this can actually be a great way to reach holiday shoppers. Not only does this give you a chance to share your book with people, but it also allows you to show holiday shoppers a preview of why your book makes the perfect gift. 

Go further by streaming it live on your social channels, and you’ve reached your local audience and your online followers too!

Wrapping It Up

The holiday season is the perfect time to market your self-published book. Following these tips, you can reach holiday shoppers and sell more books this winter. So what are you waiting for? Start promoting your book today!

***

Ready to start self publishing? Our free desktop software, BookWright, can help.

The post 10 ways to market your self-published book for better holiday sales appeared first on Blurb Blog.

With so many different website and social media platforms to manage, marketing and promoting your self-published work online can feel like a daunting task. There are entire industries dedicated to finding the best way to promote yourself online, so it can be overwhelming if you try to do it all single-handedly. If you have the budget, hiring an SEO or online marketing team can certainly bring you results. However, many independent creators don’t have these kind of resources.

The good news is, there are still plenty of things you can do on your own to promote yourself online, without the help of a dedicated team. As with any complex undertaking, breaking it down into more manageable bits can help you figure out where to start. Check out the tips below for some thought-starters.

1. Prioritize Your Goals

You won’t be able to do everything on your own. Think about what you really want to accomplish by promoting your work and focus your efforts there. Increasing sales is a common objective, but there are many other reasons to promote yourself online. These include spreading awareness about a particular cause, building clout, creating a community, or maybe just garnering fame and influence. Once you determine your objective, define how you will measure your success, i.e. higher revenue, more comments on blog posts, higher traffic to your website, etc. Write down your goals so you can hold yourself accountable to them and track your progress.

2. Define Your Audience

Now that you’ve figured out your goal, you’ll need to decide who you are interested in speaking to. This will help you focus your plan of action even further. Oftentimes, quality matters more than quantity, and it’s better to reach 5 people who are already interested instead of 500 who will find it irrelevant. Once you’ve determined who you want to advertise to, think about where these people are most active. What tools and platforms are they already using?

3. Pick Your Channel

Once you decide who you want to reach, start thinking about how you are going to reach them. Is it through long-form blog posts on your own site where people can leave comments and questions? A short and quippy email newsletter that directs people to your site? A curated Instagram feed that offers a unique peek into your creative process and builds your reputation as a maker? Are there any online forums that are widely used and respected by your target audience that you can contribute to? Remember to keep in mind the objectives you’ve set for yourself in Step 1.

4. Study Up

Due to the data-driven nature of the internet, there are likely some esoteric technical skills that you will have to learn, to give yourself the best chance at promoting yourself online. SEO, Email Marketing, Social Media Marketing, and Content Marketing are just a few of the ways that companies of all sizes are promoting themselves online. Pick one or a few that will benefit you. There will likely be quite a bit you can learn for free just by researching blogs and articles online (including on the Blurb blog!), but it may also be helpful to take a more focused online class.

5. Set Realistic Goals

It’s great to be motivated and have high expectations, but the best way to avoid burnout and disappointment is to set realistic goals from the outset. Firstly, be honest with yourself about how much time you are willing to spend promoting yourself online. It’s also important to have sensible expectations regarding what type of engagement you will receive from your audience, so you don’t get discouraged or disillusioned.

6. Create a Steady Flow of Content

Using your online presence to make announcements and advertise discounts and sales to your loyal audience can be a great way to boost sales and increase traffic. However, “promotional fatigue” is a legitimate phenomenon that occurs when people get tired of seeing the same type of promotional content over and over again. Make sure to share plenty of engaging content that is genuinely interesting to your audience. It builds goodwill for your personal brand and can help establish you as a thought leader in your industry. Additionally, if you do offer a special promotion or discount, it will stand out even more.

7. Give Credit Where Credit’s Due

If you reference other people’s work on your own website or social media account, make sure to tag and credit them. Not only is this a common courtesy to other creators, but it can also get your work seen by your role models. For example, if you post someone else’s work on Instagram and “tag” them, they will be given a notification that will link back to your account. Additionally, being transparent about your influences and inspiration is a good way to build a brand that is perceived as authentic, collaborative, and trustworthy. Although you can never control how others respond to your content, the internet is generally a much friendlier place when you are kind and honest with others.

8. Start a Conversation

No matter your objectives and priorities, finding like-minded people who you have common interests with, will help you build relationships that will help you promote yourself online. Are there any groups or forums that are relevant to your work? When possible, make sure you’re commenting and giving feedback on other people’s work, and not just waiting around for people to reach out to you. Conversations are a two way street, and people may be more inclined to respond than initiate a conversation with you out of the blue. For example, you can comment on other author’s projects in the Blurb Bookstore. Why wait? Try reaching out to a Blurb author who inspires you today!

9. Stay True to Yourself

Produce and share content that is genuinely interesting and inspiring to you. For many independent creators, the whole point of promoting yourself online is to share a piece of yourself with the world. Many social media platforms can make it dangerously easy to get caught up in a rat race of chasing likes and followers. But constantly comparing yourself to others can be a hugely detrimental distraction from creating your best work. Ironically, people love to see authenticity and passion, so you might be surprised to see just who sticks around when you focus on what matters to you, instead of what you think will be most popular.

10. Be Patient and Don’t Give Up

Remember that building an online presence doesn’t happen overnight. It takes persistence, dedication, and oftentimes a little dumb luck. However, the more prepared you are, the more likely it is that you’ll be able to make something of the opportunities that present themselves. Stick to it!

As you can see, there are many different ways to approach promoting yourself online. It doesn’t all have to be about popularity contests and data analytics. Hopefully, this article has given you some inspiration on creative ways you can share your work with others, because your work deserves to be seen!

Let us know in the comments if any of these tips resonate with you, or if there are any other online promotion tips you’d like to share.

The post 10 Tips to Help You Promote Yourself Online appeared first on Blurb Blog.

3 KEYS TO SELLING YOUR MAGAZINE:

1. Know your audience

Magazines are created with an audience and commerce in mind. Who are you selling this to? How do you know them? Your magazine will be successful when it appeals to a specific group of people that you know and can reach. Is it your blog following? A local historical society? A specialty community? A certain look, style, or aesthetic? Knowing what your audience wants and who, exactly they are, not only influences content, but your project’s specifications. How many pages? How many copies will you need? What does it cost to print? How will your audience know to buy it? These are all things worth asking.

2. Sell advertising 

Traditionally, the cost to create and print a magazine was covered by advertisements. Not only that, but selling advertisements can be part of the revenue itself. The type of advertisements you sell depends on how your content connects to different brands, and how your audience connects to those brands. When you approach local business or brands with advertising opportunities, have some facts about your audience that show why it’s a good opportunity for that brand or business. Show your reach, the size of your following, the demographics. Make your case for why that brand or business wants to be seen by your friends, fans, and followers. Create different ad sizes at different price points so you can hit your goal in a variety of ways.

3. Create the next one

Sometimes the first project’s biggest success is how it creates a market for the next issue. The magazine format inherently creates the expectation for more. Readers expect another issue; they expect to share, leave behind, give away those glossies because there will be another one next month or quarter. Use your first issue to build the following for your 2^nd, 3^rd, and 4^th.

WAYS TO SELL YOUR MAGAZINE

Events

Small Press, Zine, and Comic Book conventions are a classic market for self-published magazines. They’re low price point and read-anywhere appeal makes them easy products to add on to larger sales or as stand-alone souvenirs. At events, you can deliver your publication directly to self-selected fans. Take a look at FakeGeekGirlsLikeUs, who published art and comics sourced from the creator’s Tumblr community.

Through your blog

Blogs and magazines share the basics of shorter, image-driven content that showcases trends, collaborations, how-tos, and editorial content. If you have a blog, you have created content that pairs well with a magazine. You can create a city guide, a short collection of favorite recipes, or gather favorite posts in some other way and make it available for purchase through your own site. Use Blurb’s Bookstore Widget, known as Book Preview, or link to your own storefront in the Blurb Bookstore. Add new content to inspire a purchase. Your magazine is a tool to expand your brand into the physical world.

Showcase community collaboration

Literary Magazines have been doing this for 250 years. When you gather content from talented people around you, your publication is stronger and your audience is your community and that of your contributors. In fact, several writing programs, like the prestigious one at the University of Nebraska Omaha, use Blurb for their literary magazines. You can gather poems, photography, stories, etc. into your publication, and make it available to the community that supports your work.

As a companion piece to a project, or Kickstarter incentive

Use a magazine to showcase the behind-the-scenes work on a project, or as part of a larger Kickstarter fundraiser. Fans of the finished project may also be interested in that supplemental behind-the-scenes.

Large print run through Large Order Services, larger stockists

If you want to design your magazine with unique specifications and plan to distribute it, check out the story of Mouthfeel Magazine, who worked with Large Order Services to create a specialty publication and distribute it to stockists around the world.

Consignment in local business

If your magazine’s audience has a local hangout, consider working with the store or café owner for a shared opportunity. Offer to sell the magazine at the register on consignment, where part of your sales go back to the store in return for the counter space. This was the strategy of Paris Kim’s own Marjorie Magazine, which appeals to San Francisco’s vintage-loving, thrift-store tribe.

 For some more insights into making a magazine, check out Making a Magazine: 10 things you need to know. 

The post How to Sell Your Magazine for Profit appeared first on Blurb Blog.

There’s no doubt that pricing your book can be a little daunting. How do you know if the price is too high for your genre and audience? What’s too low and will make your work seem unprofessional? And most importantly, how do you set a price that yields a profit for you but is still affordable for your readers?

This guide will take the guesswork out of the cost of self-publishing for creators looking to sell books online. Let’s get into Blurb’s official guide to book pricing for maximizing your sales. 

Why does book pricing matter?

The price of your book is one of the first things a potential reader will see. It’s also a major factor in whether or not they’ll purchase it. You need to find the perfect balance of affordability for your audience while making a profit off each book sale.

Book pricing also matters because it directly reflects what you’ve invested in your bookmaking. If you’ve put in the time, money, and effort to create a high-quality book, then you likely want to charge a price that accurately reflects the work you’ve put in.

Book pricing terms to know before you begin

There are a few book pricing terms you need to know to make well-informed decisions.

Base price

The non-negotiable cost of producing copies of your book. It includes the cost of materials, shipping, and any other bookmaking fees. This is the starting point for book pricing because it’s the amount you need to make back to simply break even. When pricing your book, try and balance cost and quality. What choices can you make to get the lowest possible base price and maintain the integrity of your vision? This may mean choosing cheaper paper, cover, or format types to keep your work market-ready.

Distribution markup

This is the cost of distribution, which is how retailers make their money when distributing the book. The Blurb Bookstore doesn’t charge a distribution markup, but if you sell your books online via Amazon or sell a consignment in a local shop will need to factor the cost of business into the price. Doing so will incentivize retailers to buy bulk orders of your book to sell in their stores.

Retail price

The final book price that consumers see and pay. Once you’ve determined your base price and distribution markup, you can add to those numbers your profit and find your book’s retail price.

Your profit

Subtract your book’s base price and distribution markup from your retail price, and you have your profit—the amount you pocket on each book sale. The profit you make is ultimately up to you based on your bookmaking goals and the cost of publishing your book.

Salability

This book pricing term references how easy it is for a book to sell. If the price of your book is too expensive (or too cheap) for the book’s format and genre, then it won’t sell as well. No matter how low your base price and distribution markups are, you won’t make a profit.

To recap, when you self-publish your book, you need to take the base price, distribution markup, desired profit, and book’s salability into account when setting a price. 

How to price your self-published book

The price of a book is not just determined by how significant a profit you want to make. You must also consider how much your competitors charge for their books, the book quality you’re willing to accept, your publishing goals, the format, the genre, holiday promotions, and more. 

Don’t worry; we’ll guide you through each factor, section by section. 

Competition

Since you’re looking to sell your book, researching and assessing your competition is paramount.

There are two reasons why analyzing your competition is essential. First, if your book costs significantly less than books by other authors in your genre, readers may skip over it, thinking that the price reflects its quality. Second, if it costs a lot more than what readers are used to paying for a book like yours, they may pass over it in favor of their cheaper favorites.

It can be fun to do your research! In fact, it involves a lot of shopping and reading. Visit local bookstores and peruse online catalogs to see what other authors in your genre are setting for their prices. What is the price range for books like yours? The cost of your book doesn’t necessarily have to match theirs, but it should come close if you want to target the same buyers.

Size, quality, and quantity

Your book’s size, quality, and quantity will determine your base price—remember, that’s the cost of producing your book. Keeping the base price down without compromising the quality and salability of your book is a tricky balancing act, so here are some things you should keep in mind during this part of the book pricing process.

For size and quality, consider how the materials and format of your book compare to other titles in your genre. For example, is the format you chose bigger and heavier, perhaps hardcover instead of softcover? Is your book longer? Did you select a higher paper quality? You’ll want to choose materials and a format that fits within your genre’s standard price range while also trying to make your book stand out. 

If you’re still in the process of designing your book, you may want to opt for an economy trade book format over a premium layflat photo book, so you can keep your production costs down and increase your profit per book. If you print a long memoir or history book, you can even consider using a smaller font size or editing to trim the page numbers.

Lastly, you can cut costs by ordering a larger print run, decreasing your per-unit cost compared to printing on demand. Talk to our Large Order Services team to get a custom quote for your project if you print over 100 books. (Just keep in mind that you’ll need a distribution plan ready to go if you’re ordering hundreds of books upfront.)

Publishing goals

Decide what your goals are for publishing this book. Is the ultimate goal exposure and creative recognition, or turning a set profit? Will you consider the book a success if it is primarily a tool for booking speaking engagements, supporting a website or brand, or establishing yourself as an expert in your field? Are you trying to reach the broadest possible audience or create an unforgettable, limited-edition artistic experience?

The clearer you are about your intentions, the more easily you can decide on a price. 

Format

The book’s physical format will also factor into your book price. Do you want a book format that is easy to ship and gift or one that can sit on a coffee table? The answer to this question will help you choose the right book size and type. As a reader, you likely have already seen that the retail price is significantly different between romance softcovers, collectible hardcovers, and business ebooks.

As discussed above, the choices you make about color printing, paper quality, trim size, and page count all factor into the cost of producing a physical book, as well as its selling price. A hardcover book will always cost substantially more than a softcover book of the same size and quality. That’s because a hardcover book is often four to five times more expensive to produce. 

Let’s break it down. 

Softcover

You are probably most familiar with the common paperback book. It’s easy to produce and has a low unit cost, making it perfect for writers starting out or wanting to keep their book’s price down. Softcover or paperback books are lightweight, compact, and easy to travel with, though they’re also more susceptible to wear and tear. The accessible materials and convenience of softcovers translate to lower prices. 

Hardcover

Readers often see a hardcover as a more premium book. It has a higher unit cost, but you can sell it at a higher price point. If you gear your book toward book collectors or think it will have a long shelf life, a hardcover book might be the right choice. Hardcover books are durable, heavier, and tend to last longer, so they live up to their image as collectible, valuable objects. And they’re priced accordingly. 

Ebook

An ebook is a digital book that can be read on devices like tablets, e-readers, and phones. They are easy and inexpensive to produce, so they generally have a lower price point than print books. Consider your ebook’s length when setting a price. For short stories (between 1,000-5,000 words), readers won’t expect to pay much above $0.99. Longer novellas tend to sell for between $2.99 and $5.99. And for a novel, between $2.99 and $7.99 is usually profitable.

Trade book

Here at Blurb, trade books are beautiful and economical, making it possible to get book-store quality at a marketable price. They come in three standard book sizes, four paper and printing styles, and three cover types.

Photo book

Blurb photo books also come in a variety of formats, from layflat to traditional hardcover to softcover. However, the quality of the paper is much higher—and the base price point reflects that fact.

Pro tip: Use Blurb’s pricing calculator to see how much it costs to print books in different formats. You may have to make tough decisions to balance your design vision with your budget and profit goals.

Will your book be appealing enough to readers that they’ll pay more for an elevated, sturdier hardcover design? The answer may be yes for a limited edition book of art, photography, or illustration, or even for a keepsake photo book or memoir book. On the other hand, the answer may be no for a commercial romance, mystery, or sci-fi novel that is volume one in a series of five. 

Readers may also be willing to pay more for a hardcover version if the quality fits the price point and if there’s no softcover version available. But it’s a risk you will have to consider. Some authors split the difference and create a softcover and hardcover version to catch readers across the pricing spectrum. That’s always an option, too.

Genre

The genre of your book may also determine pricing due to market trends. Generally, romance, sci-fi, and fantasy books sell for less than literary fiction or nonfiction books. A reader of commercial fiction, for example, doesn’t generally want to pay more than $9.99 or $12.99 for a book, no matter the length or quality. But a reader of non-fiction, especially if the book promises to be an authoritative resource on a particular subject, may be willing to spend $19.99 or more.

Pro tip: Authors who publish more books tend to sell more. That’s because readers who stumble on a writer they like tend to go back and read older works—or stay tuned for new books. So when choosing your genre, try and stick to it and continue creating!

Series and book launches

Since prolific authors tend to make more on each book they write, they can also afford to price their books a bit higher. If you have several book series under your belt, or if this book is the beginning of a new series that you’re confident will take off, you may be able to get away with a slightly higher price point.

The same logic applies to book launches. A debut book is an unknown quantity, so creators usually price them lower to attract more readers. But if you’ve done a good job of marketing your book and drumming up interest before launch, you may be able to get away with a higher price point.

And don’t forget about bundling—when you sell two or more books together for a discounted price. For example, you might sell book one and book two in a series for $4.99 rather than selling book one for $2.99 and book two for $2.99 separately. Bundling is a great way to increase profits while also providing value to readers.

Promotions and the holiday season

Finally, you may consider book promotions and seasonal sales when setting your book’s price. A $2.99 book is more likely to get downloaded during a promotion than a $9.99 book, but you earn less per book at the lower price point. And while selling more books is always good, remember that you need to make enough profit to keep creating!

The holiday season is always a great time to boost book sales. During this busy shopping time, consider putting a discount on your book or, if you are publishing a series, offering a two-for-one deal to increase your sales even more. Just be sure to advertise that the discount will only last for a certain period to drum up interest. 

Conclusion

Pricing your book is tricky, but it’s essential to get it right if you want to make money from your writing. By taking the time to understand your book’s genre, length, and quality, as well as your target audience, you can come up with a price that will attract readers and help you earn a profit. And don’t forget to consider book promotions and seasonal sales as a way to increase your book’s visibility and boost your bottom line.

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Use this guide to price your book and get it out on the market today. For more facts and figures, check out our blog on the costs of self-publishing a book.

The post Book pricing guide: how to price your self-published book appeared first on Blurb Blog.

Following a few easy steps, you can turn your self-published volume into a marketable product on Amazon. Here’s how you can do it with Blurb!

Why sell your book on Amazon?

You should consider selling your self-published book on Amazon for two reasons: First, you can tap into a massive marketplace. Second, you’ll have access to robust distribution and marketing tools to reach more of that marketplace.

Amazon has 300 million active user accounts worldwide and is the most popular online store in the U.S. That means your book potentially has millions of readers. You can leverage your book page on Amazon to capture and build an engaged audience through book reviews and customer feedback.

The second advantage of selling your self-published book on Amazon is how easy it is for you to get started and the tools you have at your fingertips. You can also utilize their marketing tools, like Amazon Advertising, to get your book in front of a wider audience, optimize your campaigns and keywords, and track how your book is selling through Amazon’s analytics.

Ready to start? Here’s precisely how to sell your book on Amazon.

Steps to selling your book on Amazon

Decide on your book format

There are two types of books you can sell on Amazon with Blurb: photo books and trade books. Pick a photo book for museum-quality printing in hardcover or softcover and many page options. Use a trade book if you want to price your book more competitively (while still creating a bookstore-quality book).

Your format will change the way you sell your book on Amazon. Photo books sold on Amazon go through the Blurb-to-Amazon program and the Amazon Marketplace. Trade books sold on Amazon are distributed via Ingram’s Global Retail Network to Amazon, Barnes & Noble, and thousands of other online retailers worldwide.

Note: All books in distribution need an ISBN. Photo books listed via the Blurb-to-Amazon channel get a free ISBN if you don’t assign one during photo book creation. Trade books have ISBNs by default. If you plan to use your own ISBN, do not assign it to your book until after you’ve ordered and reviewed your proof copy or you are certain you won’t need to make any changes.

Order a proof copy

Once you list your book in the Amazon distribution channel it can’t be edited or fixed, so you’ll want to ensure the book you’re sending is exactly the book you want your customers to read. That’s why you should always order a single proof copy of your book before you start the process.

When you get your proof copy, check for the usual error suspects: margins, page numbers, copy, and image resolution. A second pair of eyes doesn’t hurt when it comes to typos. If you have a willing friend or paid editor, ask them to proof your book.

If you notice any issues, edit your book file and upload the new book. Then order another proof and do the process again! You’ll want the proof in your hands to be perfect before you list it on Amazon.

Complete your Blurb profile and book details

Once you have your perfect proof, it’s time to set up your Blurb profile and book details. Spend some time writing a catchy, enticing description of your book—complete with keywords people might use to search for it.

You’ll also need to provide some additional information. This can include an author bio and photo. All of the above will be shown to your potential buyers, so make sure it’s exactly how you’d like it!

Set your retail price

The next step is to set your retail price for your self-published book, also known as the list price. This is how much your customers will be charged for the book. Finding the balance between making a profit and keeping the price competitive is an age-old challenge that authors have always faced. Learn more in our ultimate guide to pricing.

If you’re selling a photo book, remember that Amazon charges a flat fee per book plus a percentage of your list price. You control the profit amount but can’t control the Amazon fees or the cost of manufacturing your photo book.

When it comes to trade books, you still set the overall list price, but the markup system is a little different when distributing with Ingram’s Global Retail Network. You can also adjust the wholesale discount, which changes how much a retailer pays for the book. The more you discount your book, the more retailers will pick it up, but the less profit you’ll make.

Once you set your price, submit your book! But be patient; it can take 3 to 14 days on average for your Amazon listing to appear, depending on your book and channel.

Create an author page on Amazon

Once your listing appears, you should create an author page with Amazon, as your Blurb profile won’t carry over. First, go to Amazon’s Author Central and create an author account (yes, even if you already have an account on Amazon). 

Follow all the instructions, ensure your author name is the same as the name you entered on your book listing, and search for your book. When you find your book cover, select that book and confirm you are the author. 

Look out for an email from Amazon confirming your account. From there, you’ll be able to customize your author page with photos, biography, upcoming events, and links to your website and blog!

Promote your book

Your book is live on Amazon, so it’s time to promote your book! Here are some steps you can take to get the word out:

• Share your book link and description on social media.
• Create an email list to build a community of interested readers.
• Start a blog and discuss topics related to your book to continue building interest.
• Request reviews from your purchasers.

Your book gains visibility on Amazon the more it is purchased, so be sure to direct people to Amazon to buy it. People can’t buy books they don’t know about, so get the word out!

Tips for selling your self-published book on Amazon

Selling your self-published book on Amazon gives you the benefit of millions of potential readers, but it also means fierce competition. You need a good marketing campaign because, unlike traditional publishing, self-publishing requires your marketing skills and efforts. Even with the fierce competition, you can still make a steady income stream using a few tips.

Research your genre

Some genres sell on Amazon better than others, so research the popular ones to improve your marketing capabilities. You must first write the book, so it helps to have a talent for writing a particular genre. If you don’t have a knack for the genre, you can even hire a ghostwriter to help you author and organize ideas.

Carefully pick a price

Your prices should be competitive, but you also need to make a profit. Therefore, knowing how to price a book to sell is essential. Determining the price point for your books is one of the most challenging decisions, but it can make or break your income. You might get it right immediately, but it also might take some experimentation with marketability. You can offer different books at different prices or occasionally adjust the price of your book to determine your revenue potential.

Spend time on cover design

One element in attracting buyers is the book cover—designing the best book cover is vital to the success of your book. You need a good cover that illustrates the book’s story and captures reader interest. Think of the book cover as a first impression, so it should represent the book’s quality and content.

If you’re not a designer, you can hire a professional or find book cover templates online. Either way, make sure you take the time to edit or customize it until it is a scroll-stopping experience.

A professional page layout can increase the value of your book as well. A well-designed book from cover to end page makes a huge difference in how people perceive (and review) your book.

Learn five tips for a standout book cover.

Think through your title

A book’s title is arguably more challenging to write than the book’s content, but it’s also the most important if you’re going to sell your self-published book on Amazon. The title must be catchy without sounding advertorial. It should also represent the content of the book in a few words. Because it’s such a short amount of text, the title might take time to determine, but a good title will grab the reader’s interest and come up quickly in related search results.

Hire an editor

Our final tip, before you sell your book on Amazon, is always to have your book professionally edited. Feedback from readers will undeniably affect your sales, and an editor can help you avoid gripes about typos or confusing plotlines in public reviews. A professional editor can help you every step of your way—from developmental edits that help you work through character development to copyediting that corrects awkward sentences and grammatical errors. Don’t underestimate the incredible impact a good editor has on your book.

How to get more sales

Include Amazon keywords

One component of good search results is to find Amazon keywords and include them in the book description. Finding the right keywords is difficult for anyone unfamiliar with search engines, but you can use Google’s Keyword Planner or Publisher Rocket to help you.

Learn how to master SEO as an author.

Advertise

One of the best ways to get more sales on Amazon is to invest in paid advertising services from Amazon or other third-party sites. Amazon has its own ad platform that allows you to target potential customers by their interests and searches. These ads will appear when they search for specific keywords related to your book or as banner ads elsewhere on the site.

Create a website

Many authors have found success by creating a website devoted to their books with links to buy them. This could be a great way to promote your books and direct people to the platforms where you sell them. You also want to create a social media presence for yourself as an author, which will help you build an audience.

***

Check out our selling books on Amazon page for additional tips or to get started on selling your book today!

The post How to sell your self-published book on Amazon appeared first on Blurb Blog.

1. The Blurb Bookstore

Anything you make with Blurb, with any desktop tool, can be set up for sale. The Blurb Bookstore is great because each one of your projects gets its own product page with an independent link that you can post to social media or send in email. Blurb also handles the money, shipping, and order fulfillment for you. So, you can share the link with your friends, family, and fans and they can click to buy your book directly. This fulfillment and product page is free, without cutting into the profits you’ve set to make.

2. Local, in-person stores or events.

Local, independent stores can be more flexible with their inventory and space than big chain stores. Try approaching your local independent bookstore, or consider something more niche. If you made a cookbook, try getting it placed near the register at a local market. They may be open to giving you shelf space in exchange for some of the profits. This is also true if you wrote a book about your town or city or something else local. Getting those beautiful books placed in local boutiques might also work with this consignment scheme.

Sometimes, with a good enough relationship with a store or some compelling stats about your following, you can persuade a local store to partner with you for a signing event. It’s important to note that this in-store option means doing a volume order of your title ahead of time so you have copies on hand to sell—this also lets you take advantage of volume discounts!

Bonus: Watch for local craft or art sales where you may be able to get a book a booth and sell projects of your work at different, scalable price points. You can sell grand coffee table books, magazines, smaller photo books, etc. to offer your work. This can be a great way to sell your content to a wider audience by making it accessible at lower price points.

3. Sell on Amazon or through Barnes & Noble for wider distribution.

Whether you make a photo book or a trade book, you can sell your book on Amazon for wider distribution. Photo books are sold through the Amazon Marketplace, where they’ll get their own product page and a shareable link. Your book will also be searchable by Title or ISBN, so this is an incentive to make your title VERY unique or make sure that people have the number information for your book. It can take a while for new books to become visible in searches for these big databases for new authors. There are distribution fees associated with this sales method, but it can be really satisfying to send people to Amazon or Barnes and Noble to order your book. Plus they both offer the possibility of being discovered by people you don’t know.

There are so many possibilities for where to sell your book! To get started, order a proof copy of your book. If everything looks right, start with 10 or 20 and have them on hand for family, friends, or anyone interested. You may be surprised how easy it is to engage the people around you with just a couple copies on hand!

Good Luck!

Have any other suggestions for how to sell your book? Share them with other booksellers in the comments below!

The post 3 Easy Ways to Sell Your Book appeared first on Blurb Blog.

There are three fundamentals:

1. Match your book to people who will appreciate it.
2. Create connection and conversation.
3. Stay in touch.

Here are the real-life ways to get going.

1. Know What Makes Your Book Special

Connecting people to your book starts with identifying how it connects to the greater world of ideas and print. What makes your work unique? To know this, you’ll need to know the context in which your book lives. The good news is that 500 years of printed materials means that you’ve got plenty to work with. Whatever you make will exist in the landscape of a marketplace and conversation. It’s helpful to find where you fit in the bigger picture. Create a profile of your book project by identifying the cultural, artistic, and intellectual fields it touches.

• Does your book have a theme that pulls an audience together? Does it connect to a cause? What’s the universal meaning? Even if it’s to entertain people, identify how. If it’s love, or justice, or everyday heroes, or beauty, or stories… make a list.
• Does it have a new, fresh concept that doesn’t exist? One of our authors created a gorgeous book out of his Candy Minimal feed—combining bright colors with stark minimalism. Fresh concepts often come at the intersection of two unexpected things.
• Does it have content that refers to a specific interest? A certain city, cuisine, or hobby?
• Does it have a stand-out concept? Sometimes the way to identify this is to have a few people go through your book and have them tell you what stands out.

See if you can create a profile of your book from that feedback and the other characteristics you identify in your list.

2. Get to Know Your Audience

Once you’ve found the touchpoints of your book to art, ideas, history, and culture, you can explore those to find where people interested in them spend time. It’s a bit of reverse-engineering.

• Search for books like yours on Amazon or Barnes & Noble. Look up the authors and the organizations and forums where they’re known. You’re looking for bloggers, social media profiles, and forums where people who like what you like read and hang out.
• Look up hashtags on social media that relate to your project. What kind of people are using them and where?
• What about a sister industry? If you make a cookbook about organic food, check with your local grower’s community or farmer’s market to make connections. If you make a children’s book, consider teacher’s and parent’s forums.

Use the information you gather here to create a profile of your most likely reader. Then, you can tailor all your marketing efforts to appeal to readers in this niche.

3. Cultivate Community

Join all the forums, blogs, email lists you found. Talk to people. Sometimes this means going to Meetup Groups or going to events, but a lot of this DIY promotion will be digital. You have to grow your network, but you also have to add value and be contributing something before you can ask an audience to buy in to you and your book.

• Ask questions
• Comment
• Post yourself
• Retweet, share, and promote work like yours and that of the people you want to get to know

Be sincere. You’re in this to build relationships with readers, and it’s those relationships that will get you where you want to go. Always be visible with the intent of adding value and helping your community. Also, remember that community building means giving a lot up front. You’ll need to post, participate, and promote for a while to build up that goodwill, especially when working with influencers.

4. Create a Website

As a creative, you need your own website. Wix, Weebly, Squarespace, even WordPress all have gorgeous templates that you can use to get setup. You need a place for your newfound audience to land when they look you up. This is also where you can add value. You can create regular content that makes a positive impact on people’s lives—something that stirs emotions, fascinates, educates, helps, clarifies, gives voice to something, and relates to other people. The key to running your site effectively is to create reasons for people to keep returning to it—people will come back and join you when you’re giving something that makes their day better. You also need to do this regularly.

• Be sure your site has a blog section
• Create a content calendar
• Post once a week
• Try out new content, provide samples of your project, get feedback, revise, try again
• Make a social media plan to drive traffic to your site.

5. Collect Email Addresses

Your email list is your most powerful tool for connecting with your audience. The people who sign up to receive emails are your dedicated fans, and more likely to engage, converse, show up, respond, or buy something. Much more than anyone you have on Twitter or Facebook. You met all these new friends and extended your audience, now you have to keep track of it! Install an email collector plugin as a part of your site. Send an email to all your family, friends, and personal contacts asking them “opt-in” to your list, for updates, news, and promotions about your projects. You can send a monthly newsletter, or automatically send an alert that you’ve published a new blog post.

We create to connect in a meaningful way. This isn’t about amassing “followers” or “clients” or “buyers”. It’s about making something useful, inspiring, delightful, or entertaining in a way that has a positive impact. When you’re focused on conversation and connection, promoting your book can be a very meaningful experience. Sure, all the conversation and connection can take more energy or even longer than it took to make your own book. But don’t forget that almost everyone starts out with no followers.

Small and relevant is key. It’s not about being the best or a blockbuster. Having a strong, connected fan base can carry you farther than you thought possible.

The post How to Find and Connect with Your Book’s Target Audience appeared first on Blurb Blog.

Of course, these tactics will generally be different from one genre to another. You don’t sell a photo book like you sell a romance novel. That said, there are three elements that any author can’t afford not to have in their marketing toolkit. Forget to work on one and you’ll end up squandering precious time (and readers) in the process.

1. Your Author Website

In today’s age of Twitter, Instagram, Snapchat, and Tumblr, you might be fooled into thinking that an author website is just another online platform. Twitter’s enough for engagement if my readers grow that curious about me! But this couldn’t be further from the truth.

As explained in a study conducted by the Codex Group, a research firm that tracks trends in book buying, 7.5% percent of book shoppers visit an author’s website before making a book purchase. That’s a whopping 75 out of 1,000 purchases that you could lose if you don’t have a website.

What an author website does is give you a one-stop shop for your brand and books. It gives you a chance to control your image and engage your fans on your own terms, independent of other company-owned social media platforms.

An author website is, in effect, a dynamic business card. It’s there to support all your other marketing efforts. Let’s say, for example, that someone reads a great coverage you got for your book in the local newspaper. They’ll google your name, and will expect to see your website. Then, it’s up to you to design it in a way that it’s optimized for your main objectives:

• Get people to buy your books. Put your books front-and-center, with clear “buy” or “download” buttons to all the retailers where they’re available. For more information on how to build the perfect website, check out this post for 10 tips on author websites.
• Grow your mailing list. In that case, make sure that the sign up form is the first thing they see on your website, and that you offer a nice incentive for joining your mailing list. Also think about adding an exit pop-up. Which brings us to…

2. Your Author Mailing List

Email newsletters might seem old-school, but there’s a reason they’ve weathered so many marketing fads. Their value is simple, really: Everything you do marketing-wise is a waste if you don’t capture and retain the audience that you gradually build up.

Let’s think about it this way: imagine your first book is super successful, it sells 10,000 copies in its first month. Now you want to release the second one in the series. How are these 10,000 people going to know about it? If they’re not in your mailing list, they probably won’t.

Your author mailing list is the one main tool you’ll use to build a long-lasting relationship with your readers, and turn them into repeat buyers and unconditional fans. Every sale you make while your mailing list is not in place could be a lost opportunity.

There’s no secret behind getting people onto your newsletter, either: just make sure that you provide a sign-up form every chance you get. This means:

• On your website
• In the back matter of your books
• In the front matter of your books (to capture the people who use the “look inside” feature on Amazon)
• On your retailer pages (e.g. Amazon Author Central)
• On social media

Then, think about offering a proper reason for them to sign up. You know, other than “stay up to date and don’t miss my next book.” Most of the successful authors I know offer a free book as a “lead magnet”, but if that feels like too much, maybe a free novella, or bonus/extra content? “Free” is a powerful incentive, and you’ll find that people are always inclined to jump in when you offer concrete value in the transaction.

3. An Optimized Amazon Product Page

If I ask you: “what is Amazon?” you’ll probably tell me that they’re a retailer, or a marketplace. And you’d be right, but that’s not how I want you to think of it. Amazon, at its core, is a search engine. It’s actually the world’s third-largest search engine. And the first one for books, of course.

So while you shouldn’t think about selling exclusively on there, you should definitely think about leveraging their audience, and trying to capture some of it. How does that work?

1. A reader searches for “Bali photo book”;
2. Because you’ve optimized your product page for that keyword, your book shows up;
3. The reader buys your book, reads it, then signs on to your newsletter (because, you know, you’re offering some free content as an incentive);
4. You build a relationship with the reader;
5. The reader goes on to buy the rest of your books.

In short, you use Amazon to generate book-buyer leads for you, which you then convert to sales. The key step, you’ll have guessed, is #2. We could spend a long time on Amazon search optimization (in fact, we’ve got a free course about it), but just to give you a few tips:

• Research categories in your genre and pick the right ones for your book. Make sure they’re not too competitive, and not too niche either.
• Use the seven keywords wisely. Here’s a top post by Joanna Penn on finding the importance of keywords for metadata and discovery.
• Craft a killer blurb for your book. Here are some tips on the Do’s and Don’ts of writing a blurb for your novel.
• Get as many favorable editorial and customer reviews as you can. If you don’t know where to start, we’ve got a free course on Book Reviews and How To Get Them.
• Sign up to “Author Central,” and complete your author bio.
• Make your book available in as many formats as you can (it’ll boost your visibility).

There you go: these are the three tools you can’t live without for book promotion. Of course, they’re not the only things you should do: ranking well on Amazon isn’t just a matter of optimizing your page. You also need to sell a lot of copies, which is where the rest of your promotional efforts come in.

About Ricardo Fayet

I am the co-founder of one of the most exciting startups in the publishing industry. I slowly immersed myself in the publishing industry a few years ago, and co-founded Reedsy to create a new publishing model for authors, one that sits at the intersection between traditional publishing and author publishing. It turns out that what we have built at Reedsy is as valuable to indie authors as it is to established publishing companies, so I now get to work with both. In fact, we were named “BookTech Company of 2015” by UK trade magazine The Bookseller.

The post Promoting Your Book: 3 Crucial Tools appeared first on Blurb Blog.

What is metadata, anyway?

Technically speaking, metadata is data about data. It describes all of the phrases, descriptions, and words used to organize electronic information. In the world of online book listings, this is the information that will help your book get discovered. When you search for anything on the Internet (using Google or any other search engine), metadata optimizations are helping to drive the results of that search. No matter what the subject of your book may be, there are numerous ways to optimize your book metadata so that your book appears in the search results you want it to. Depending on where you sell your book online, you can choose your title, book description, keywords, and category.

Learn how to master SEO as an author.

How to get started

Using and optimizing metadata correctly is the key to getting your book discovered, so you’ll want to brainstorm and do your research from the get-go.

• Make a list of every possible word associated with your book’s subject and genre, including words and phrases you think would work in the title.
• Next, head to Google’s AdWords Keyword Planner and sign in using a Gmail account⎯or create an account on the spot.
• Start by entering each of your keywords and phrases to determine how often they’re searched and whether the competition for them is high, medium, or low.
• Keep a spreadsheet with all of your findings so once your research is complete, you can finalize which combinations will be perfect for your book. The goal when measuring up keywords is to find phrases and word combinations with high searches but medium to low competition. That way, you’ll have a shot of coming up on the early pages of search results.
• Once you’ve wrapped up your research, hit up Amazon’s search field. If your photo book is about the Rockies, for instance, enter words such as Rocky Mountains, British Columbia, Rockies, etc. What you want to determine are the phrases that auto-populate once you enter a keyword into Amazon’s search field. While Amazon does not officially publish its keywords, they do pop up when users are searching.

Get it right—the first time around

You’ve got your spreadsheet, and it’s seriously populated with possibilities. Now’s the fun part.

Evaluate your keywords and keyword phrases

Categorize them into first, second, and third-tier sections based on the sweet spot of high search and low competition. If you have enough to work within your first tier (7-10 keywords or phrases), you’re in good shape.

Play around with word combinations

Make tweaks here and there to ensure they accurately represent your book, its topic, and its description. Once you’ve got a few solid title options, leave it for a few days and come back with fresh eyes.

Determine which optimized title feels right

Poll friends and family to see which one they favor. And better yet, ask writers in your peer-to-peer network for their gut reactions. Once you’ve settled on your optimal title, follow the same process to generate your book description and top keywords. Come book-publishing time, you’ll be happy you optimized before launch.

The post How book metadata optimization can help you sell appeared first on Blurb Blog.

That’s what we’re here to discuss. Whether you’re a debut self-publisher or a seasoned veteran, here we unpack effective book marketing tips and ideas tailored for the Digital Age. With the right blend of creativity and strategy, every book can find its audience. So, let’s delve into some innovative ideas to elevate your book’s presence and connect with your audience.

To help get your creative juices flowing, here are sixty book marketing tips and ideas worth exploring.

Before you begin

1. Set your goals

Defining your overarching goals will help guide all of your marketing ideas. Start by asking yourself some questions.

What defines success for your book? How many copies do you need to sell to make a profit? To break even? What do you want your book to do—open doors for speaking opportunities or establish your credibility and expertise? 

Figuring out your why will help narrow down the marketing possibilities from millions to a few great ideas. Plus, setting goals will also help you figure out if your marketing efforts are going well!

2. Know your audience

Books with a clear audience sell better. And books with a clear focus sell better. 

You probably already considered your audience as you created your book, but take some additional time to clarify. Asking questions like the following will help. Who is your ideal target? What do they want from life? What will that target audience want from your book? 

Using your answers, choose marketing options that meet your target audience where they are. Throw out everything that doesn’t speak to them.

3. Establish your self-publishing arsenal

Gather up these self-publishing essential tools to market and promote your book.

• A solid pitch. Know how to describe what your book is about and why people should pick it up in 5 seconds, 1 minute, and 5 minutes. What sets your book apart from the rest?
• A creator bio. You’ll need a short bio for social media, a medium one for blog posts and programs, and a long one with all your credentials and previous work. Think of it as your creator’s resume. You want to showcase your strength and expertise while still being a real person.
• A creator headshot. Professional-looking photos help establish professional credibility. Be alone in the shot. Your priority for this is clarity, not personality. Save the personality for social media.

While bookmaking

4. Choose the right paper

The small details can have a big impact on your finished book. One of the most important details is your book’s paper choice. The right feel in your buyer’s hand can turn your book from basic to beautiful.

If you’re printing with Blurb, Premium Lustre and Mohawk proPhoto Pearl are great choices for creating high-end photo books with a hint of gloss. Standard paper and Mohawk proPhoto Pearl offer a more matte feel.

5. Harness the power of cover design

Never underestimate the impact of an attractive cover. It’s the first thing people see and can influence their buying decisions. Consider hiring a professional designer or using book cover design best practices when crafting your own.

6. Add a professional edit

Beyond cover design, you also need proofreading and editing to ensure your book is polished and error-free. A fresh pair of eyes will spot errors and fill in any gaps between your intention and your audience’s experience. Better yet, a professional editor every step of the way can help you catch any issues—from your storytelling arch to consistency issues.

7. Limited edition print runs

Release a limited edition version of your book with exclusive content or a unique cover. Fans love collector’s items, and a rare edition of your book can help build hype and interest—whether that’s at launch or after the fact!

8. Embed interactive elements in ebooks

If you’re creating an ebook version, you can add interactive elements to engage your audience and provide a unique experience. There are numerous tools that you can use to make your ebook interactive, like clickable quizzes or embedded videos.

9. Record an audiobook

Diversify by turning your book into an audiobook. This gives prospective readers another way to digest your book, particularly those who prefer audiobooks. Promote it on platforms like Audible or Spotify for greater exposure.

Before launch

10. Hone your launch strategy

A successful launch can set the tone for your book’s journey. Plan meticulously, from pre-launch activities to post-launch follow-ups. Begin with your basic book marketing (see the next section) but don’t forget to try out-there ideas like planning your own international book tour or investing in some virtual reality promotion.

11. Cover the basics of book marketing

Check the boxes of book marketing best practices by building a robust foundation before you launch your book. You’ll most certainly want a professional website, active social media profiles, and regular engagement strategies. This helps you establish credibility and an audience well before your book hits the market.

12. Create an immersive book website

Having a dedicated place to drive prospective book buyers is key to marketing your book. Consider creating a dedicated microsite for your book with interactive features like character backgrounds, interactive maps, or behind-the-scenes content.

Learn 10 tips for creating an author website.

13. Write a captivating book blurb

The back cover or online description of your book, often known as the blurb, plays a crucial role in grabbing a potential buyer’s attention. Craft a compelling blurb that gives a hint of the story, introduces central characters, or presents the core theme, all while maintaining an air of mystery.

24. Seek out endorsements and testimonials

Endorsements from credible sources can boost your book’s curb appeal when featured on the back cover. Reach out to reputable figures, influencers, media companies, and other notable sources who may be willing to read your book and provide a testimonial or endorsement.

15. Conduct SEO research 

Research popular keywords related to your book’s topic. Ensure that your content aligns with what people are actively searching for. This can increase the chances of your book being found on Amazon, Google, or other search engines. Once you’ve discovered the right search terms, add them to your website and book blurb.

Need more information? Here’s how to master SEO as an author.

16. Invest in book trailers

Some of the most innovative book marketing ideas involve creating digital assets of your work. Invest in a compelling book trailer that captures the essence of your book. Then share this visual representation across all your digital marketing platforms for broader reach.

17. Grow your mailing list

A dedicated subscriber list can be your best book marketing tool as a self-publisher. If you don’t have an email list, now’s the time to start. Once you have one, share regular updates, exclusive content, and promotions to keep each subscriber engaged.

If you’re interested in a deep dive, here’s our guide to selling books with email marketing.

18. Sneak peeks via serialized email campaigns

Depending on the size of your current mailing list, consider releasing parts of your book as a serialized email campaign for subscribers, thereby building anticipation for the full release.

19. Explore blogging with rich visuals

Create a blog that complements your book. Building a blog can be a strong supplement to your book marketing efforts as a self-publisher.

For visually-driven books, this could mean high-resolution photo posts or illustrated stories. For wordy books, that might mean more previews of chapters or behind-the-scenes of writing and marketing your book. 

20. Strategize effective ad campaigns

You’ll likely need a little paid ad support around your launch—and after. Invest in targeted ads on platforms like Facebook, Google, and Pinterest. Use visually appealing graphics and compelling copy for best results. Experiment with different ad formats (like still images, video, and carousel) relevant to the book’s content and genre.

Combining both organic and paid efforts can help you bring more attention to your work, build an audience, and ultimately, sell more books.

21. Try print media

While digital dominates, don’t ignore traditional media. Seek out opportunities for advertisements and features in related magazines or newspapers that cater to your book’s audience.

22. Crowdfunding campaigns

Before publishing your book, you can generate a buzz while gaining financial support through platforms like Kickstarter. It’s a great way to pre-market your book and offer incentives to early customers.

If you’re not interested in crowdfunding campaigns to help with the bookmaking aspects, you should consider preorders. This tactic has made plenty of books go from unheard of to bestsellers.

23. Print marketing assets

If you have extra funds, it can be very useful to print marketing assets. These tangible tactics keep your book top of mind. From bookmarks with your book’s theme to posters and postcards, these can leave a lasting impression. 

Post launch

24. Get your book reviewed

Consider making your book available for free for a limited time so people will read it and comment. The key is to get the attention of your bookstore’s algorithm by being picked up in “also purchased” or “also viewed.” 

Send your book to known experts in the field. People are more willing to spend time on a new book or self-publisher when someone they already trust gives it a thumbs-up. Check out this post for more book marketing tips on acquiring and making the most of professional book reviews.

25. Encourage reviews on relevant book platforms

Once your book is out of the free time period, encourage your audience to leave reviews on platforms like Amazon and Goodreads. You can add a page in the back of your book requesting reviews, or email your audience about the importance of reviews. Positive reviews can significantly boost sales and increase your credibility as a self-publisher.

26. Iterate on your paid advertising

You likely already invested in a paid marketing campaign on social media and search engines like Google or the Amazon bookstore. Now it’s time to review the results and make necessary changes. Make sure you’re optimizing your ads for better visibility, targeting the right audiences, and testing different ad formats. Keep a close eye on your ROI (return on investment) here, as it can fluctuate quickly over time.

27. Hold a virtual book tour

Engage with your audience globally by conducting virtual book tours. Use platforms like Zoom, Google Meet, or Teams for interactive sessions. You can host a Q&A session, show excerpts from your book, or conduct contests for giveaways. This can be a great way to build relationships with your audience and promote your book—no matter where they live.

28. Targeted content marketing

Content marketing involves creating blogs, videos, social posts, and other material that doesn’t explicitly promote your book but is intended to stimulate interest. Get creative and produce content that addresses interesting topics about your theme and brings awareness to what you’re trying to convey. 

Not sure what that looks like? We’ve got two examples up next to help make you a content marketing whiz.

29. Host interactive workshops

Along with your book tour, it’s a great idea to provide workshops that are related to your book’s genre but not directly selling your book. For cookbooks, you might conduct a series of cooking workshops. For kids’ books, you could organize storytelling sessions, maybe even with other self-publishers. 

Engage a new audience by letting them experience your book’s theme without the hard sales pitch. Of course, you’ll certainly want to mention your book at the beginning or end.

30. Craft educational courses related to your book

If your book is educational, break down its content into a course or webinar. Platforms like Udemy can be a great starting point for building a course and marketing it to a highly targeted and eager audience that’s willing to learn.

Just remember to differentiate your course from your book enough that students who learned from you will want to keep up their education by buying it.

31. Create wearable merchandise

As you start generating fans, they’ll likely start asking for merch. Produce wearable and portable themed merchandise like tote bags, mugs, or t-shirts that let your loyal audience show their love of your work. 

Merch that moves through the outdoors serves as a walking advertisement and an added revenue stream. If you don’t want to create merch about a specific book, create merch that supports your audience’s loyalty to your personal brand as a creator. 

32. Design stickers and decals

Along the same lines as your wearable merch, you should consider visually appealing stickers related to your book. Fans love to slap stickers of their interests on laptops, folders, and more. It’s an easy giveaway that provides lasting brand exposure and memorability. 

Remember, not all merch needs to be directly related to your book. Designing stickers that appeal to readers or photographers in general is just as important as a favorite photo, quote, or character from your book.

33. Try QR codes

Embed QR codes in your promotional material—like all that merch you’ve been creating. Scanning that QR code can lead your audience to a book trailer video, a free digital chapter of your book, or coupons to purchase your work at a discount.

In-person promotion

34. Hold a gallery opening

Especially for photography and art books, hosting or being a part of gallery openings can offer exposure to a highly targeted audience that may be interested in your book. Whether you do a solo exhibition or a group show, just be sure that your book is on display as well. 

Books that feature original artwork can be a fantastic way for your fans to support your work if they can’t afford the cost of an original piece or want to experience the entire collection or gallery show from the comfort of their home.

35. Pop-up bookshops

Collaborate with cafes, local events, and other small businesses for temporary book stands to market your work. It’s a simple way to reach new prospective customers in person.

It’s even better if you find businesses related to your genre. If you have a book of cat portraits, we bet that your local cat cafe would love to feature your book—and their patrons would love to buy it.

36. Engage with local libraries and book signings

Connect with local libraries to have your book stocked. Organize book signings and readings to engage with your community directly.

37. Book pop-up events

Host book-themed pop-up events at unconventional spots like parks, malls, or transport hubs. Quick, fun gatherings can pique curiosity and boost sales—for your loyal audience and for people walking by.

38. Test geo-targeted ads for local interest

No matter what kind of in-person events you try, make sure to test into location-specific ads. These ads on Google or Facebook, which are both very effective platforms for geo-targeted ads, can make sure your events are well attended.

If your book has a localized focus, like a hiking guide to the Pacific Northwest, these types of ads could be the most effective way of reaching your target audience. Think global with your overall book marketing plan, but act local with more targeted strategies.

Social media marketing

39. Expand your web presence 

Go beyond having just a website or just a Facebook page. Think outside the box with your web presence and cast a wider net. Test into up-and-coming social media sites or try having a presence on well-established networks that aren’t often used for book marketing.

More than that, remember to guest post on relevant blogs, participate in web forums, and use multimedia platforms to diversify your reach.

40. Leverage the power of YouTube

One example of a social media site that isn’t often used for book launches is YouTube. This is, by and large, the most popular video hosting platform and video-based social media network. 

YouTube provides an opportunistic channel to share the content of your book in creative, alternative ways. For example, you can record audio readings of specific chapters or show behind-the-scenes content from photo shoots that made it into your photography book.

53. Host a Reddit AMA (Ask Me Anything)

Engage with the Reddit community by hosting an AMA, where your audience can ask questions about your book and writing process. Be mindful of what subreddits you engage and participate in, as you can also gain readership from being active in these spaces.

54. Visual teasers on social media

Visually-driven books benefit immensely from sneak peeks. Share vibrant snippets from your book on platforms like Instagram, teasing your audience and leaving them wanting more.

55. Leverage Pinterest for visual books

Platforms like Pinterest are great for visually-driven books, especially photo books, cookbooks, and children’s books. Create pinboards that reflect themes, settings, or imagery from your book.

56. Use TikTok for quick promotions

TikTok has exploded as one of the most powerful ways to reach people organically. Short, engaging video clips about your book, its content, or its theme can become viral on TikTok even more than other social media, especially with the right hashtag strategy.

41. Art competitions for your audience

Use social media and other communication channels to invite your audience to create art inspired by your book. Incentivize participation with prizes and showcase the best entries on your platforms.

Collaborations

42. Collaborate with relevant influencers

Reach out to influencers in relevant industries or markets that align with your book, like notable food bloggers, photographers, or sports and fitness gurus. Their endorsement can amplify your book’s reach to their vast follower base.

Just know that many influencers will only promote things for a price—which can range from a free copy to thousands of dollars. Don’t be afraid to ask influencers for their help, but don’t be surprised if you hear they expect a payment.

43. Take part in podcasts and webinars

Position yourself as an expert in your subject. Discuss your book’s theme on thematically related podcasts or webinars, and make sure to provide listeners and viewers with a link to your book.

44. Cross-promote with fellow creators

Team up with self-publishers in similar or complementary niches. Work together to bundle promotions, share each other’s content, or host joint events. 

Most self-publishers want to share their knowledge and support indie creators, so don’t be shy to reach out. Be sure to pay it forward by doing the same once you’ve made a name for yourself.

45. Collaborative ebook bundles

If producing a digital version of your book, you can team up with other self-publishers to create bundled ebook packages. A great book marketing idea for newcomers, this collaboration can introduce your work to other creators’ fan bases.

46. Book subscription boxes

Partner with book subscription box services to feature your book, reaching an eager and book-hungry audience. You might not get the same profit margins with such vendors, but you can widen your reach.

47. Online book club engagements

Connect with online book clubs and offer them early access or discounts for purchasing your book. Book club discussions and forums can be powerful ways to spread the word organically.

48. Try affiliate marketing for your book

Setting up an affiliate program for your book is a great way to let others do the marketing for you. Let bloggers and social media influencers earn a commission for every sale they refer and piggyback on their audience in the process.

49. Collaborate with schools and colleges

For suitable content, collaborate with educational institutions for readings, workshops, or inclusion in the curriculum. This can be a fantastic way to cultivate interest in your book and build awareness in you as a self-publisher.

50. Guest appear on popular YouTube channels

Similar to guest blogging on related publisher sites, try to land appearances on popular YouTube channels related to your book’s topic. Start by subscribing to channels related to your book’s genre and reach out to vloggers about doing a video.

Keep up the momentum

51. Explore a serial publishing strategy

Regularly publishing content or a series of books can keep your audience engaged and expand your audience over time. Zines, photo books, and other collections can be ideal candidates for a serial publishing strategy.

52. Offer regular promotions

Hold seasonal discounts, anniversary sales, or special edition releases to keep the buzz alive around your book. People love a discount, so this is a great way to help people who have your book in their cart actually push “buy.” 

If you publish your book on the Blurb Bookstore, expect monthly discounts that allow you to keep your profit. It’s one good reason to print with us.

53. Leverage augmented reality (AR)

Embrace the latest technology with your book marketing ideas. Incorporate AR in your marketing. Allow your audience to experience a 3D version or interactive snippets of your book through their smartphones.

54. Offer loyalty programs

Reward your regular book buyers with exclusive content, discounts, or first access to your new releases. Having a mailing list can be invaluable for this type of book marketing strategy—and can be a great incentive to feature on your newsletter signup form. 

55. Interactive digital content

One outside-the-box idea is to create interactive content related to your book, such as quizzes, polls, or even a mini-online game. The intention is to encourage interaction and engagement with potential book buyers.

56. Use chatbots to engage visitors

Integrate a chatbot on your website to help in providing book insights, answer queries, and guide visitors to purchase. Use a tone or communication style that matches your writing style or book theme.

57. Self-publisher interview series

Host a series of interviews with other self-publishers in your genre or industry. This will not only provide valuable content for your audience but also create opportunities for cross-promotion.

Don’t know other self-publishers? The same idea holds for other interviews that might be useful or related to your book’s genre, from photographers to artists to spiritual masters.

58. Give books away

People love free things! Partner with relevant bloggers or influencers for giveaways of your book—or a bundle of your book and others in the same genre. This can help you reach a wider audience and generate more interest in your work.

59. Go to book fairs and festivals

Local and international events like book fairs, art fairs, and festivals are perfect places to gain a wider readership. This can help you connect with other creators, partners, and, most importantly, target customers.

Get creative in your event planning—genre-right conferences are ideal for educational books, pride festivals are made for queer photobooks, and kid’s events work well for children’s books. 

60. Be consistent, be steady

Learning how to self-publish doesn’t ensure overnight success. There’s no single trick that will make your book go viral. Success comes from making a lot of small, focused marketing efforts over time. Create a schedule you can commit to, whether it’s five hours a week on social media or 20 hours a week with readings and events. It needs to be something you can sustain for six months to a year. There’s no universal formula for generating book sales, but nothing works without steady diligence.

How Blurb can help

When it comes to putting your book out into the world, Blurb stands as a reliable companion in helping produce, market, and sell your book. Our print-on-demand services help you manage your inventory while minimizing overhead costs and ensure every book you sell mirrors the dedication you’ve infused into every page. By leveraging Blurb’s expansive distribution channels, you can market your book on popular platforms like Amazon and thousands of indie bookstores, enabling you to reach buyers far and wide.

But it’s not just about reaching your audience; it’s about reaping rewards too. At Blurb, we’ve designed our system with your benefit in mind. You get complete control over your book’s pricing, which means you dictate your profit margins. Pair that with our robust distribution and top-tier printing, and you’ve got a winning combination for book-selling success. Get started by signing up today.

The post Book marketing ideas and tips for self-publishers appeared first on Blurb Blog.

Although my generation grew up with the internet, I can understand that it’s easier said than done to get set up on social media. Many are opposed to having a personal social media account, and I get it—you don’t want to get “sucked in”, you’re a private person, etc.

But guess what? This ISN’T personal. It’s business. Having a social media presence is essentially free advertising and PR. It allows fans to share your work, keep up with your recent self-publishing projects, and learn where you are selling your book. For example, as Blurb’s Social Media Manager, I track down authors on social media so I can tag them in posts I make when I admire their work.

Given this it’s surprising that more often than not, authors don’t have a social media profile. Or if they do, it’s out of date or has been abandoned years ago. How can I share the love if I can’t tag you?

With so many different social media platforms, it’s easy to feel overwhelmed. So allow me to break it down for you with a few Must-Have Apps and Social Media Power Tips.

Must-Have Social Media Apps

1. Instagram

Arguably the most popular social media platform out there, Instagram is my #1 must-have social app for your business. Instagram is all about the visual! So tell the story of your book or project using your camera phone.

• Make sure you set up a business page so you can categorize your profile and add calls-to-action to your bio area.
  
• You can’t link to websites within posts, so make sure your bio link is always up-to-date.
• Use hashtags to increase your exposure. E.g. #TravelTuesday, #FBF, #Shelfie

2. Twitter

Although Twitter may be decreasing in general popularity, I’m a firm believer that it’s a must-have for businesses. Twitter is more business focused than Facebook, which is mostly focused on personal relationships. More and more, people are using Twitter to get breaking news, follow like-minded people (not just family and friends), and interact with organisations. For example, through Twitter I’ve been introduced to new music, been recommended for a job, followed a freelancer who I later hired, and had customer service issues resolved in record time!

3. Facebook

You might be asking why Facebook is so low on my list of Must-Haves. Well, following its feed algorithm update in 2016, Facebook saw a sharp decline in organic activity from a business standpoint. In many cases, you must spend money with paid advertising to get your posts seen by your own fans. Yet, even with these changes, Facebook is still the most universal social platform. Therefore, you can’t ignore it!

• Set up a business page, not a personal one, for your brand. Personal pages have caps on followers and don’t allow you to sponsor posts or events.
• Add yourself into Groups and follow other authors.

Power Tips for Social Media Beginners

Username 101
Keep it simple! If you’re an author, use your first and last name, or the name of your project series. Avoid using hard to spell words or numbers as letters. Say it aloud; try to stick to something easy to pronounce. Also, try to use the same user handle across every social media platform. This makes it easier for your fans to follow you everywhere.

Cross Promote
Did you write a blog? Publish your book on Amazon? Share your news on every single channel. It may feel like overkill, but hey–there’s nothing wrong with shameless self-promotion. If you don’t, who will?!

Post Regularly
I recommend you post daily. Or at least 2-3 times per week. No one wants to follow an account that only posts once in a blue moon. If you don’t have time to post every day, you can use a free product, like Buffer, to schedule your posts throughout the week. It even has a great Instagram plug-in. It also allows you to schedule retweets from Twitter. It’s honestly my favorite social media tool!

Don’t Just Post About Your Project
Mix in articles related to your project/brand, that you think your followers would like. Retweet friends or positive praise. Share quotes or even a fun GIF that relates to your project. People love a peek behind the scenes; share sketches of your layout, outtakes from a photo shoot, or a handwritten note from a fan. Want to get more personal? Share personal stories or photos to help humanize your project.

Grow Your Following
You may be tempted to buy followers from a third party website. But don’t do it! These followers will be fake bots, and will not strengthen your brand. The only organic way to grow your audience is by getting involved! Follow other like-minded accounts. Like, favorite, and share posts that you admire or that relate to your own project. Comment on posts that interest you and get a conversation started. The more involved you are, the more likely others will get involved on your pages.

Try Advertising
It’s not as scary as it sounds. Facebook and Twitter allow you complete control over ad spend. You can choose to advertise based on a daily budget or a lifetime budget. I’ve seen amazing results from just $100. So, what can you advertise? Well, aside from your book, you could promote a book signing or community event you’re putting on. You can also customize your audience so that you only promote your business page to people in your area or those with similar interests.

Tell us about your adventures on social media! Do you have some tips of your own? Share with us in the comments below!

The post How to Use Social Media to Sell Your Book appeared first on Blurb Blog.

So, your book is finished, ready to sell. Although most people start their marketing as they’re working on their project, book reviews can only be done once you’ve completed your book. For many publications, there’s about a 90-day window where your book is considered “new” and worthy of review, so it’s best to get people talking about your book before your launch. That way, come launch day, you’re ready to sound the trumpets.

Here’s how to make book reviews part of your self-publishing marketing plan.

1. Build Your Author Kit

It’s essential to make it as easy as possible for people to refer to you and your book. Your “author kit” should accompany your request for reviews, be readily available on your website, and your social media profiles. People will often use the information that’s easiest to find, so make sure what they find is what you want them to know. Your author kit should include:

• 2 bios: one short, one-sentence bio and one paragraph-size bio detailing your expertise, author history, other books, where you’re from, and chosen personal details
• Press release—something to make the launch of your book sound like a news article
• Marketing photos of your book, isolated book covers, sample pages if it’s a visual book
• Large and thumbnail-sized photos of you, the author
• A PDF or EPUB3 version of your complete book

2. Target Your Submission

You’re looking for both print and digital publications who might find your book interesting. Start by reaching out to other blogs and authors that you read, and ones in your community. Email them and see if they’d be interested in reviewing your book. The more familiar the contact, the more likely you are to get a review. Where do YOU learn about books like yours? Start there.

Don’t overlook the sites and publications that specialize in independently published books. Our partner Reedsy has a site that keeps the latest review publications and submission guidelines up to date. Try  Goodreads. Only publishers can give away books for free there, but you can still find potential reviewers through their groups, some of which are dedicated to connecting authors with reviewers. Before posting review opportunities, be sure to check that the rules of the particular group allow it.

Lastly, do giveaways via social media and your blogs. Encourage followers to leave reviews on Amazon and barnesandnoble.com, or wherever you plan to sell your books online. Feel free to re-post those reviews on your own site or in “blurbs” at the front or back of your book.

Note: TheCreativePenn has a great blog post on getting Amazon reviewers to review your book.

3. Manage Your Expectations

• Don’t expect the reviewer to respond or even actually complete the review. Reviewing a book is time-consuming, and securing a review is hard. Offset this by submitting to lots of different reviewers.
• Don’t ask for a “good” or favorable review. Let the reviewer be honest.
• Although some sites might charge a submission fee for expedited processing, don’t offer to pay the reviewer
• Don’t ask for it to be done by a certain date.
• You’re not a restaurant on Yelp, you’re a self-publishing author whose work speaks for itself. Don’t reply or react to the review.

4. Collect and Post Your Reviews Everywhere

You can use any review, in full or in part, that’s publicly posted for your marketing. If you get a review that speaks favorably of your book, put that thing everywhere! On your site, the sites where you sell your books, and on social media. If the reviewer liked your book and has an active following, they might appreciate the connection with yours. Good reviews for books are essential, but hard to come by. Once you get one, make sure you use that thing for all it’s worth.

Had any luck scoring a review? Tell us about it in the comments section below!

The post Get People Talking: Making the Most of Book Reviews appeared first on Blurb Blog.

1. To Drive Traffic and Sales

A blog provides a way for people to find you and your book. If you’re selling your book in the Blurb Bookstore, you can use our Book Preview widget to embed a module on your blog where readers can click through to buy your book. That way anyone reading your content and posts will have a quick link straight to your book.

2. To Help Customers Find You

An optimized blog filled with engaging content will help anyone interested in your genre or field and help them find you (and your book!) faster. Get your posts to the top of their search by including relevant keywords, clear headlines, and focused meta-descriptions.

Plug-ins like YOAST can guide you through the optimization process and help you maximize each opportunity to connect with your target audience. For more tips to help you make the most of your blog content, check out these top SEO tips for authors.

3. To Build a Mailing List

Encourage visitors to your blog to subscribe to your mailing list and you’ll have a ready-made, engaged audience when your book hits the shelves. You can also send out a monthly or biweekly newsletter to ensure that people who are interested in you and your content receive your updates.

4. To Build Buzz

If used effectively, your blog can get people talking about your book even before it goes on sale. Peak the interest of your followers by going behind the scenes—documenting the process of making your own book. In the run-up to your book’s release, posts about contests, cover reveals, and sneak peeks are all ways your blog can help ensure a successful launch.

5. To Establish Your Credentials

Your blog should be about much more than your book. By blogging about your other creative projects, how you work, your inspiration, other creative professionals you admire, and more, you’ll establish a credible author brand that your audience can connect with on a personal level—a sure-fire way to secure sales.

6. To Network Online

Starting a blog opens up a whole new world of networking opportunities to boost your author profile and your sales. You can connect with other relevant bloggers and offer to write a guest post for them—their followers could soon be on your mailing list. Or invite them to review and blog about your book. Just by commenting on and sharing other relevant content, you’ll help establish yourself as an author to watch and keep customers coming your way.

That’s 6 reasons why a blog is a valuable tool for any self-publisher—but it’s just one of the many ways you can promote your book. For more help building a successful marketing strategy, check in with the publishing experts at Reedsy.

How are you promoting your book? Share your experiences in the comments below.

The post Why Your Book Needs a Blog appeared first on Blurb Blog.

And that’s what the following four tips from fellow marketing experts are all about—setting yourself up for success so that come Launch Day, you’ve acquired an audience that is ready for action: reading your book and leaving reviews!

1. Get your shop in order: Update your digital presence

Think of your author website like a bookstore that sells only your book. This is a great non-fiction book marketing tip because if you can get people into your store, you want to make sure your product is at the ready. So heed the advice of freelance book publicist Celina De Leon and, “Get your house in order! Make sure your website and all of your social media profiles are active and updated with your book’s information and release date.” In addition to the release date, ensure your website has a clear brand and aesthetically pleasing design, showcases your books, includes a well-crafted book blurb, and has a mailing list people can subscribe to. For author websites inspiration, head here.

2. Get ahead on your correspondence: Build your mailing list

“One of my favorite strategies (and one I’ve seen get big results for authors) is to create and then deliver value to an author email list,” suggests writing coach Sara Connell. One great way to market a non-fiction book is to build your mailing list through a lead magnet, which offers visitors to your author website something of value in exchange for their signing up to your mailing list. A popular type of lead magnet is downloadable content that gives people a taste of your book—such as a guide, checklist, or a first chapter. For example, Jen Sincero, author of noted self-help book, You Are a Badass, offers a free download of her article “10 Secrets to Being a Badass” to new subscribers.

When determining what your lead magnet should be, ask yourself what will attract your target reader. The benefit of a mailing list is having ‘qualified’ leads, meaning leads that are already really keen on your subject/genre.

Lastly, start building your mailing list as early as possible. As Digital Marketing Director for Odyl, Marquina Iliev-Piselli says, “An email list started early can help you find first-readers, increase pre-orders, and ensure you have several reviews in place before launch day.” To learn more about setting up and growing a mailing list, give Reedsy’s free, ten-day course on the subject a whirl.

You can also learn how to sell books with email marketing lists here!

3. The personal touch: show what makes your book unique

To stand out and market a non-fiction book, readers need to understand why your book is more relevant to them than other titles about the same subject. “Show how you personally connect with your non-fiction book,” says Celina De Leon. “Write blog posts that showcase your knowledge and book’s unique point of view as it relates to current events and trends. Also, look for opportunities to get quoted in news articles on your book’s subject matter.”

A good way to get your name out there is by subscribing to HARO (Help A Reporter Out), which allows you to connect with journalists who might want to quote you in relevant articles.

4. No author is an island: assemble your street team

What is social validation? To answer that question, let me ask you this: would you be more inclined to follow the tips in this post if 30 non-fiction authors commented that the tips had lead them to success? Ah-ha!

Your street team’s most basic function is to ensure that your book receives great reviews on the day it launches—so you want to make sure they’ve received their ARCs (advanced reading copies), have completed the book, and are ready to comment before it goes out. Look to your friends, family, and anyone who helped work on your book to get your street team rolling (once you’ve published several books, you can also start looking to fans). Next, start actively participating in communities that are home to like-minded authors, such as Absolute Write, Goodreads, or Scribophile, or Facebook groups such as this one.

When it comes to marketing a non-fiction book, there’s no end to the things you can do: run promotions, talk at conferences, use targeted Facebook advertising, run webinars, to name a few. But if you want to know where to start, these four tips will lay the foundation for all your marketing efforts. If these are all working for you, the sky’s the limit.

Arielle Contreras is a staff writer at Reedsy, a curated marketplace that connects authors and publishers with the world’s best editors, designers, and marketers. Over 2,500 books have been produced via Reedsy since 2015.

The post 4 marketing tips for launching your non-fiction book appeared first on Blurb Blog.

Benefits of an author website

Your website is the modern-day one-stop shop for potential readers browsing the web. It’s where people come to learn about your story and what makes you stand out from the competition. Creating a website with your author brand in mind demonstrates your personality while getting everyone on board with a unified message.

With a website, you can capture emails from visitors to build a regular mailing list. You can sell your books using the Blurb Preview Tool, update your followers on upcoming events, and create a home for your business to live online.

Using a website, you can also leverage forms and membership tiers to connect with customers and prospects. Use your website as a mechanism to engage with people even before they’re ready to buy your book.

What to include

Your website should answer the following questions:

• Why did you make your own book?
• What problem are you solving for your readers?
• How are you uniquely positioned to solve this problem?
• What will your customers get, and how will they feel when they read your book?

Every page on your site should have a purpose. The homepage introduces your book. The about page shares your brand story. Your blog provides valuable content and establishes your authority as an expert in your niche.

Layout and design

Visually speaking, the impression your website leaves visitors with is important. Try out colors and themes that connect with your audience.

In design, less is typically more. Your website is not exempt from this rule of thumb. There’s a lot of noise out there, so make sure your website looks fresh, polished, and appealing. A busy page will confuse visitors and muddle your intentions. It’s easy to emphasize your brand without crowding the page.

Use clean, uncluttered graphics.

• Be consistent with fonts. Use the same fonts the same way. Limit yourself to 2.
• Keep text blocks to 3-4 lines. Avoid large paragraphs.
• Avoid using flashing, loud images, unless you have a compelling reason to do so. You want to create an interesting, inviting

High-quality imagery and videos can boost engagement. If you create these yourself, take your time and use good lighting and equipment. Make sure your images are clear and highlight your products’ visual appeal. Check out Weebly’s basic branding rules for more design tips.

Getting and keeping visitors

Engage your visitors! Making your site more of an interactive experience can draw in customers and promote sales. Apps like Testimonials enable customers to leave reviews, potentially boosting trust and sales. You might also install an app like Pure Chat to directly answer customer questions.

Create social media accounts for your author brand as well. This way, if you post engaging content on your site, your followers can share it and tag you, linking more people back to your website.

***

Feeling inspired? Learn how to self-publish with Blurb and then get started on your author website today.

The post Why you need an author website appeared first on Blurb Blog.

Search engine optimization (SEO) is all about understanding and harnessing some of the hundreds of data points the search algorithms use to direct searches for any given words towards relevant pages. You want to be at the top of their page lists to make discovery as foolproof as possible.

No matter how interesting your book is to humans, it’ll be hard to find unless you catch the eye of the robots, that’s where SEO for authors comes in. Here, we’ll cover the most important steps you’ll need to take to boost your book’s web prominence—or, as they call it in the SEO business, its “authority.” So, with that first lesson down…

1. Take stock of your web presence

For starters, you’ll want to identify which website(s) you want to steer searches towards. If you’re already an active blogger with a following of readers, you’ve got a head start. Post about your latest book with all the tips and tricks below, and the search engines should start updating the results favorably the next time they crawl and categorize your site.

If you’re a first-time publisher, you’ll want to consider creating a new website for your book, (or yourself and your book). Plenty of web hosts offer quick and easy templates to make this process fairly simple. The site itself can be as complicated and flashy as you like—but keep in mind that most of the visual and interactive bells and whistles will have no impact on search results. 

Whatever primary destination you’re planning to use, if your book doesn’t have a presence on Goodreads yet, now’s the time to set that up. You’ll also likely have an external e-commerce page where readers can buy your book, so you’ll want to apply some of the keyword tips below to that as well.

2. Identify your keywords

Think about what words readers would use to search for your book. Those are your SEO keywords, and you’ll want to use them prominently wherever the book can be found online so that the search engines start associating those words with your title.

As an author, choosing the best SEO keywords can be tricky if your book covers much-discussed topics, as there’s a lot of noise out there that the search engines have to account for. On the other end of the spectrum, if hard-to-spell places and character names or little-known terms are a big part of your book, that’s good news and bad news; you won’t be competing with as many other pages when people search for those exact words—but you can’t necessarily count on users inputting the right search terms in the first place.

So the balancing act here is to choose keywords that set your book apart from other search results while also keeping in mind how and what people know to search for. If you need help getting started (or you really want to dive into some data and understand the best possible keywords for your book), services like Google Keyword Planner and Moz can help with keyword discovery. Find five to seven words that fit the bill, and carry them with you as you continue on your SEO journey as an author.

3. Use your keywords

Next, you’ll be writing and developing content that puts those SEO keywords to use. Depending on your platform, that’ll happen in a lot of different places, or a whole lot of different places.

Whatever content you’re producing, write copy that surrounds and supports your book’s keywords. For instance, while the promotional blurb for your book on third-party ecommerce sites shouldn’t give away any plot twists or spoil any surprises, the more relevant (and hopefully unique) keywords it contains, the better the search engines will connect those words to your book.

Don’t be shy about using the keywords prominently on your own site, but don’t just repeat them out of context. Search engines detect and ignore keyword abuse, so every time you use a keyword, it should be relevant and on-topic. The engines also rank pages with deeper content more favorably, so it’s better to have one page that goes into detail (500+ words) than multiple pages and posts with short, keyword-heavy snippets. In short: don’t try to trick the robots.

Apply your book’s keywords wherever they belong and don’t miss an opportunity to use them in things like headlines. For instance, while you may have thought up a heading for your book description that’s attention-grabbing and mysteriously vague, if it doesn’t include any of your keywords, you’ve missed an SEO opportunity.

Images on webpages offer another chance to maximize your keywords. Include yours in image captions whenever applicable. You should also work keywords into the alt text for your images. This is data used to describe content when it can’t be displayed properly (and to help visually-impaired users). You’ll usually only encounter it if you hover over an image in your browser, but the search engines see it all the time, and they apply it to the algorithms.

Every web page also uses metadata which, in addition to telling browsers how the page should look, includes a description to the content on the page. You’ll usually notice metadata as the text directly beneath blue-link search result in a search engine. This factors into page ranking, so if you’re in charge of your site’s metadata, keep your keywords front and center in this description.

4. Build links

SEO isn’t just about your own site’s popularity—it accounts for the sites that link to you, and the sites you link out to as well. Building hyperlinks into your content helps connect your site to other proven search destinations. So if you’re referencing another author or source of inspiration in a blog post, include a link to their site or the work. And of course, be sure to link to any and all sites that are selling your book. It doesn’t just drive sales. It tells search engines that your site, and by extension your book, is connected to high-authority websites of established retailers.

Once you’ve published any external link, you’ll want to check back regularly to make sure that address is still live, and still contains the content you intended. Links to dead pages are a strike against your site in SEO, and links to irrelevant content can confuse the algorithm.

5. Optimize your optimization

Another important step in your SEO journey as an author is building your search authority by enabling a sitemap. This is a listing of all your site’s pages, which the search engines use to better understand its structure. Submit a sitemap to each search engine you want to crawl your site. They’ll take notice of any updates you make, and it increases the likelihood of your pages being indexed in the first place.

You’ll also want to be sure your site is mobile-friendly. Any visitor that can’t view the site properly won’t spend time there and won’t link to it, so it’s important to make sure it’s working well on whatever device any user might encounter it on. Quite a few factors and features apply here, but most DIY web templates these days will guide you in the right direction. And you can always use an online tool to quickly test the mobile-friendliness of any site.

You don’t have to be a coder to take advantage of these and other richer website features to support your book’s SEO. Services and software like Yoast can help automate and improve various SEO-relevant aspects of your site, and help you understand how search engines are using what they find there.

6. Be patient. Be persistent.

SEO for authors is not easy or fast, and it will require patience and persistence. Even the best search engine optimization doesn’t guarantee results overnight. Search algorithms measure interest and relevance cumulatively, so while just getting your SEO right is an important step, the search engines may take some time to move your book up in the rankings.

The SEO process also isn’t entirely in your hands. For a certain result to rise to the top of search results quickly, other people will have to be talking about it too—and ideally linking to your site and anywhere else your book is being mentioned. You can help nudge that along by promoting your book however and wherever you can. The more chatter the book generates, the more authority it’ll have in the search engines.

The big takeaway here: it’s important to keep adding and updating content about your book. This can mean making new blog posts with author insights and musings, or adding new sections to your website with announcements, reader responses, and press coverage of your book.

It’s a big internet, and it’s always getting bigger, so a steady cadence of new (and SEO-friendly) content is essential to your self-publishing effort. But if you’ve already written a book, you’re more than up the task!

Ready to self-publish a book of your own to market and sell? We can help you build it.

The post How to master SEO as an author appeared first on Blurb Blog.

1. You’ll get on everyone’s list

With friends, families and colleagues to buy for, we’re all on the lookout for thoughtful, unique holiday gifts. It’s not just the turkeys that are in high demand at this time of year! A one of a kind, beautiful book will be at the top of everyone’s gift list. Be sure to check out our recommendations on which book types to make and sell during the holidays.

Top tip
Making a Photo Book to sell this holiday? Choose Layflat paper. Those picture-perfect panoramas will make a truly special gift.

2. You can gain new fans

The holidays usually involve winding down, but for self-publishers, November and December can be a catalyst for growth and expansion. Finish your book in time for friends and family to gift it to their favorites, and you’ll kick off the New Year with a new network of fans who can’t wait to see what you do next.

3. You’ll be ready for the New Year

The start of the year means one thing—New Year Sales! The New Year brings a second wave of shoppers, armed with gift vouchers and looking to treat themselves to something new. Getting your book set up in the Blurb Bookstore, on Amazon, with Barnes & Noble and other major online retailers in time for the holidays, means you’ll be front-of-mind and top of the list in the New Year sales rush.

Get Started Today

Promoting yourself and your book takes time. The sooner you finish your book, the earlier you can begin marketing it on social media, your website or blog, and by emailing your entire list of contacts.

For more tips and ideas to help you spread the word about your book, take a look at our post, Promoting Your Book: 3 Crucial Tools. Or, why not team up with the publishing professionals at Reedsy? From email marketing to blog tours and social media, their expert advice can help get your book off the shelf and under the tree.

Here’s to a happy holiday season—for you and your book!

Check out our coupons and promos and get started on your book today.

The post 3 Reasons to Make and Sell a Book this Holiday appeared first on Blurb Blog.

Try a printed book. Print is the thing that will get someone’s attention and advance your work because it’s authoritative and unexpected.

It might be hard to picture how a print book can help a business that doesn’t even print a catalog, but here are 12 ways a book can make a difference for you and your business:

PORTFOLIO BOOKS

1. Hand a show-stopper to prospective clients and employers. You have the advantage of the unexpected here. The pleasure of leafing through beautiful pages will hold attention and create in-person conversation better than scrolling through a PDF. And it’s those in-person conversations where the big magic in business happens.

2. Create leave-behinds. Once you’ve wowed them with your initial book, you can create something of a smaller scale—a smaller book, a trade book, a print magazine—to leave your lasting impression.

3. Create a full archive of your work. Your portfolio can live in volumes, giving you room for all the backstory and reflection as you and your company grow. If you’re a law firm, medical practice, or design firm, having the full scope of your work and its evolution over time lends credibility and depth in a crowded, ephemeral marketplace.

PRODUCT PRESENTATION

4. Create something truly beautiful. We may be beyond the days of mail-order catalogs, but it isn’t about that. It’s about creating an experience with your product before it’s even in your customer’s hands. Leafing through beautiful pages is an experience in itself, let alone how much text and imagery can convey on a page that entices people to linger.

5. Create catalogs that are incognito. A book about your product can cover the ground of product listing and even price, but it can also showcase products that would never normally be listed in a catalog. Expensive products deserve a high-end, tangible presentation. Real estate. Architectural buildings. Bespoke tailoring. Furniture. Wedding planning. All of these could use more than a product grid on a web page to communicate their true worth.

BLOGGING

6. Monetize your content. You work hard every day to create meaningful, useful, marketable content for your fans. After a subscription model, turning all that work into a powerful print experience is the best way to entice your fans to pay for what you offer.

7. Motivation for someone to join your mailing list. Take some of your best performing content over time and transition it into something that will build that long-term relationship with your reader, like a free ebook.

8. Prove and sell niche expertise. One reason you may have a successful blog is that there wasn’t already content or print material in your particular niche. If your following is passionate about a certain vintage fountain pen, situating that artifact in a History of Fountain Pens may be a worthwhile book for your readers. The same goes if you have a food blog about Armenian food and heritage: Those readers need a cookbook. If you’re a fashion blogger with a distinctive body type and cultural background, don’t you think your under-served readers could use a style handbook from someone who truly understands them?

MARKETING

9. Use a book instead of a flyer or business card. With a more targeted distribution, you can create longer, deeper relationships with possible customers. A business card or flyer is easy to toss, but people will think twice about a book.

10. Discover new markets for your product by selling your book. If your book on fitness strategies or holistic wellness finds its own audience, you may have found a wealth of future clients for your in-person or digital coaching services.

PERSONAL GROWTH

11. Find your focus. Creating a business book forces you to think about who you are, where you came from, and why you do what you do, and where you’re going. These are key touchstones you’ll need if you’re ever going to grow into your vision.

12. Open doors for speaking engagements. Your book may not be what generates the revenue, but once you’ve created it, you can leverage it to show your expertise and speaking fees. Furthermore, your in-person expert appearances provide an excellent opportunity for your listeners to take something home with them.

Have any other suggestions for putting a book to work? Let us know in the comments below!

The post 12 Ways a Book Can Help Your Business appeared first on Blurb Blog.

Besides having more creative freedom and independence, self-publishing brings additional responsibilities. If you are thinking about publishing your own book, it’s important to take note of your legal rights and obligations.

Below are three areas of law that self-publishers should be familiar with.

Copyright

As a rule, if you create something, you own it.  Copyright law grants the creator of an original piece of work exclusive rights to its use and distribution. That means no one can reproduce or sell your self-published book in any form, without your explicit permission.

The length of time your work is protected by copyright varies from country to country but generally, it will cover at least the author’s lifetime. After this set period of time, your book is classified as being in the public domain, meaning anyone can use it. You don’t need to formally register your copyright to be protected. However, in some countries, such as the United States, registration is necessary to pursue any legal action for copyright infringement.

Usually, the verso (the back) of your title page will display your copyright information, which should include the following details:

The symbol © / Copyright / Copr.
The first year of publication
The name(s) of the owner(s) of the copyright
e.g. © 2009, Blurb

As well as protecting your own self-published work, be mindful of whether you are infringing on the copyright of another person’s material, including images, graphics, quotes, and lyrics. To use any part of another person’s work, it must either be in the public domain, or you will need to obtain permission, in the form of a license, from the copyright owner.

Defamation

If your self-published book contains a reference to any real, living person, ensure that you have fact-checked any statements made about them. You could cause yourself real trouble if you neglect to ensure that your content is accurate. If your work is perceived to damage the reputation of a living person, that person could take legal action against you on the grounds of defamation.

Trademarks

Using real brand names in your book can be a good way of scene setting and creating a sense of familiarity. However, keep in mind that the owners of brand names and trademarks have the right to choose where they are used and what kind of work they are associated with. To be safe, it’s best to get creative and develop your own brands.

Note: Copyright and trademark laws (also known as “intellectual property” laws) can be nuanced and may vary from country to country. Therefore, you should be sure to seek professional legal advice in each country where you plan to self-publish and/or sell.

Conclusion

Self-publishing your own book is a wonderful way to share and sell your creative work—however, it’s important to keep in mind the responsibilities you have as both an author and a publisher. Remember that intellectual property laws are in place to protect the rights, reputations, and livelihoods of creative people like you. These guidelines make it possible for everyone to stand by their individual works. Do what you can to respect the work of other people. Most importantly: make every effort to protect your self-published work.

For more information and advice about all things self-publishing, check out our dedicated resources page.

Disclaimer: The content of this blog post is for informational purposes only and is not for the purpose of providing legal advice. You should contact your attorney to obtain advice with respect to any particular issue or problem. Use of and access to this blog post does not create an attorney-client relationship between Blurb, Inc. and the reader.

The post Self-Publishing: Protect Your Work appeared first on Blurb Blog.

First, you can sell your book in person. You can take it with you to meetups and events, host a launch party of your own, and do showings and readings for family and friends. You can also approach local, independent bookstores and see if they will allow you to sell them on consignment, where they take a percentage of your earnings. Selling in person means paying up front to have several copies available for sale.

…more than half of all books bought are purchased online.

It’s also possible to sell your book online, and the latest statistics suggest that more than half of all books bought are purchased online, especially through retailers like Amazon and Barnes and Noble. Any project made with Blurb can be sold online through one of these channels, through the Blurb online Bookstore, or through your own website.

How to Sell Your Book Online

1. Click “Sell My Book” 

You’ll find this button next to your project in your dashboard. This will launch a wizard on the website that will walk you through the process of setting up an online bookstore.

2. Create Your Book Details

Complete the profile of your book. Keep in mind everything you type here will be what shows up for your book buyers. Double and triple check capitalization, punctuation, and spelling for each field.

3. Choose Your Distribution Channel

This is a significant decision, and it depends on the format of your book. Photo Books are sold directly through the local Amazon Marketplace. Trade Books go through the Ingram catalog, who will then make it available to Amazon and retailers like Barnes and Noble. After a couple of weeks, your book should be searchable here. You can also sell in the Blurb Bookstore, but keep in mind that whatever price you set for Amazon or Ingram must match the price you have your book listed for in the Blurb Bookstore. It’s part of the agreement.

4. Set Your Distribution Fees

The Blurb Bookstore has no distribution fees. Amazon and Ingram have a markup on your base price + profit, which is automatically calculated to make your retail price. Once your book is finished, you control the price by adjusting your profit margin. You can also control the price a little bit by choosing your level of distribution in the channel. The higher the distribution fee (called a “Wholesale Discount” by distributors) that you’re willing to pay, the more visible your book is likely to be in that channel. Sometimes, though, the highest level distribution is too much markup to sell your book at a reasonable price. It’s up to you to strike that balance. The defaults on Blurb are the mid-level fees and the general recommendation.

5. Set Your Book Price

Decide the level of markup and profit that suits your goals and your market, and enter a final retail price.

6. Get Your Free ISBN from Blurb

All books in wider distribution need an International Standard Book Number. This is like a fingerprint for that exact edition for your book. Blurb will give you one for free with your title, and it’ll be found on the back of your book like the ones sold in stores. Trade Books come with them automatically, Photo Books are assigned an ISBN when they enter distribution. This ISBN is the best way to search for your book on Amazon or Barnes & Noble.

7. Make Your Book Available

One final click launches your book! It may take a few weeks before it’s visible on Amazon or a store connected to Ingram, but it’s available for order right away. Books sold in the Blurb bookstore are visible and available right away.

8. Share Your Book

Let people know about your project by sharing a preview of your book on social media, and directing them to where they can buy it. Post a few times over a period of time so you get good visibility.

See? It’s pretty easy. It takes only one click to sell your book online on any of these online sales channels, and it’s available to the world! Once you get your book online and on the market, if you have any questions about your listing or need to make any changes, you can contact Customer Service.

Good luck to you, and cheers to selling your book online!

The post How to Sell Books Online appeared first on Blurb Blog.

Why We Love Reedsy!

Reedsy is a “foundry” of bestselling books. Just like Blurb, they know that quality is the key aspect of any great book. That’s why they built a marketplace of professional editors, designers, and marketers who can assist authors and publishers through every stage of the publishing process. Books created by you can now get the helpful treatment that traditionally published books get.

But don’t worry! They don’t just allow any-old-freelancer onto their team. Only the top 3% of applications have been accepted, ensuring that their professionals are a community of the best the industry has to offer. Reedsy’s ambition extends much further than simply connecting authors and publishers with the right professionals. They also provide a suite of innovative collaborative tools that shakes up the common, traditional, cumbersome process of working with someone.

They also have free education on the self-publishing process and industry, which equips you for success with specific and helpful information.

What Reedsy Can Do For You

• The Reedsy Marketplace provides access to vetted professionals, who can assist you through every stage of the publishing process. From high-level marketing strategy, to email marketing and advertising, Reedsy has gathered some of the best marketers in the industry to help with publicity and marketing, so you can get your book into the hands of readers.

• With free, short publishing courses delivered to your inbox, Reedsy Learning provides educational support for your self-publishing project. Blurb is even offering its own course: Self-publish your photography book.

What is Reedsy Learning?

Reedsy Learning is a series of courses that allows authors to learn about the art and business of publishing. The courses consist of ten lessons. Each lesson should take fewer than five minutes to read, making it easy for students to learn over a cup of coffee—or whenever they have a few minutes to themselves.

Reedsy Learning’s courses currently include:

Writing: How to Write a Business Book, How to Write a Novel, Stop Procrastinating and Build a Solid Writing Routine, The Non-Sexy Business of Writing Non-Fiction, How to Turn Your Cookbook Idea into a Reality, How to Stop Talking About Writing a Book and Actually Start Doing It

Publishing: Traditional Publishing 101, Self-Publishing 101, Self-Publishing vs Traditional Publishing, Crowdfunding for Authors, How to Submit a Non-Fiction Book Proposal, Audiobooks, Book Design 101,

Marketing: Book Marketing 101, How to Get Your Book into Libraries, How to Run a Price Promotion, Amazon Algorithms, Facebook Ads for Authors, Book Reviews and How to Get Them, Amazon Ads for Authors

We’re so excited to be collaborating with Reedsy and offering our community even more self-publishing resources. Have you used Reedsy before? Tell us your experience in the comments below.

The post Meet Our New Partner, Reedsy appeared first on Blurb Blog.

The Book Preview works in Facebook and Twitter posts, and as a widget on your blog or website to link people directly to your book in the Blurb Bookstore. It’s a great way to put your project in front of people and promote it.

How do I get the preview code to use my website?

1. Head to your Dashboard. Find the book you want to share a preview of and click “Sell My Book”.

2. Fill in your Book Details, completing all the required fields and click “Save” at the bottom.

Learn how to optimize your book’s metadata.

3. Once your book details have been saved, click on the tab labeled “Privacy & Sharing”.

4. Set your book to “Publicly Available.” Please note, books that are set to “Invite Only” are not eligible to use the book preview widget.

5. Under the section labeled “Personal Storefront”, you can set your preview to be on or off. You can also set the preview to display the first 15 pages of your book, a few custom pages, or all pages.

6. To add the Book Preview widget to your website or blog, click on the area labeled “On your website or blog”. This will reveal embed code options for Blogger/Wordpress and your website. Simply click the Copy button for the embed code you want to use and head over to your blog or website to add.

Discover more ways to promote your self-published book.

The post Your Book Preview: A Powerful Selling Tool appeared first on Blurb Blog.

Have you considered selling books instead of brownies and cookies? Have you considered selling one item instead of many at a rummage sale? Try fundraising by making a book!

Here’s the how-to:

Create a book of content that matters to your donor community. You can either pay for the project up front and keep the markup as the raised funds or solicit ads and donations to fund the project and give all the revenue to your cause.  Depending on the scale of the project, you can print them offset, print them on-demand, sell them online or sell them in person at events throughout the year.

One example of a great project we’ve seen at Blurb is Landfill Dogs, a project by Shannon Johnstone. Shannon was a photographer for a local animal shelter, donating her services to create profiles of pets that needed adopting. She took them to a park that was built on top of an old landfill, and with a series of beautiful, moving photographs, talks about the crisis of abandoned animals. She printed her project offset, sold them online, and donated $10 per copy sold to the Heal-a-Heart fund. Her copies completely sold out in record time.

But what if you’re coordinating a fundraiser for something less photogenic?

Here are 5 ways to put the pages to work in your favor:

1. Make a Children’s book. These sell well for primary or elementary school fundraisers. Tell an epic story about school age kid, and have it illustrated by the art teacher or someone else with artistic capabilities. Hold an auction to name the start of the story after one of the students or offer it as a prize for fundraiser participation.
2. Make a community cookbook. Daily cooking is no easy task, and everyone is always looking for inspiration and new favorites. Round up the tried-and-true family gems from classmates, teammates, and your biggest fans and create a gorgeous cookbook that celebrates the goodness of coming together.
3. Make a local neighborhood guide. Create reference that celebrates the good little treasures in your community. Take photos of local places like museums, parks, buildings, restaurants, historical sites, beautiful vistas—anywhere worth going that an outsider might not know to visit. Include contact information and Hours of Operation. Get local businesses to donate coupons for the back. People love to see themselves in print, but it’s also a great way to make a sense of place and community.
4. Make a local history book. A spin on the neighborhood guide, interview people who have been on the scene for a long time. Make a book that preserves their memories of what the landscape used to look like, solicit photographs and anecdotes. Tell the stories of a place that only locals know. You can promote it with coupons in the back, or sell it around town with a note about where the proceeds will go.
5. Commission a local artist. Do you have a writer, painter, photographer, designer in your community who is known for good work? See if they would donate some work and bind it in a book. Maybe it’s a monograph of a single photographer or painter. Maybe you have a few of different kinds of artists, and maybe your book is a collection and celebration of single pieces by different artists.  Local, beautiful, coffee table books make great commemorations and gifts.

Have any other ideas for fundraising books? Share them in the comments below!

The post Fundraising: Get People to Buy the Book appeared first on Blurb Blog.

Kickstart Your Book

Crowd-sourced fundraising services, such as Kickstarter, are great ways to finance a self-publishing project. As your project evolves, you can distribute ebooks to your donors to keep them in the loop with relatively minimal cost and effort. Your book isn’t vaporware! You can generate buzz and interest by offering ebook copies as rewards for your pledge levels. Many Kickstarter project owners have a hard time fulfilling and distributing rewards. Ebooks are incredibly easy to distribute because you can embed a link in an email for download. This takes some pressure off the timing of creating the print version, printing, and shipping.
Blurb’s book-making tools make it easy to simultaneously create the ebook version at the same time as the print version.

While print books are long and monolithic, creating ebooks for each completed or in-progress chapter draws your followers into your creative process and generates an opportunity to gather feedback early on.

Now that your book is in print, you can offer a lower-cost version of the digital work to appeal to a broader market. You can list this book for sale in most popular digital markets. And because Blurb doesn’t take any royalty, all the profits are yours.

Blurb offers fixed-layout ebooks which are great for art, photography, and other visually rich content.

Blurb’s authoring tools make it easy to simultaneously create the ebook version at the same time as the print version.

Sell Yourself

There’s another side to ebooks too. Sometimes it’s not about selling the ebook, but using an ebook to sell you. If you’re an entrepreneur, motivational speaker, or subject expert that cares more about being booked for speaking engagements than selling actual books, an ebook can help build your case as an authority. Ebook creation with Blurb is pretty low cost, basically $9.99 the first time you create it. So, you can decide to offer it for free with the hope that it’ll help build your brand.

The rules on ebooks have yet to be written. So, go ahead, be inventive and use the economics of digital media to propel you and your work forward.

The post Making Ebooks as Marketing Tools appeared first on Blurb Blog.

At Blurb, we issue these for free with any trade book we print. The ISBN is the numerical fingerprint for each edition of your book. Softcover, hardcover, and ebook editions will all have a separate one. If you want to be able to sell your book anywhere, or list it in more than one channel, you need an ISBN.

You can still distribute the photo books you print with Blurb in the Blurb Bookstore without an ISBN. If you wanted to distribute your photo books with Amazon, you would simply contact Customer Service to get a free ISBN.

When you think of trade books, think of the sorts of books you might find in a traditional bookstore or on a best-seller list—novels, children’s books, non-fiction, and some photography. These books are made so that they strike the best possible balance between cost and quality. Photo books are printed, with heavy consideration for paper type, to give the best possible representation of an image. For trade books, cost is paramount; for photo books, quality. The sales intent is why trade books are offered at a typically lower price point and come with an ISBN.

A quick note: you can still distribute the photo books you print with Blurb in the Blurb Bookstore without an ISBN. If you wanted to distribute your photo books with Amazon, you would simply have to Customer Service to get a free ISBN and add it to your photo book’s back cover. If you have already purchased an ISBN we can then help you link your ISBN to your book.

An ISBN grants your book access to wider distribution channels: you need it to get into libraries, bookstores (both digital & brick-and-mortar), and in the standard database for all books in print. The database catalog lists the publisher, access and purchasing information, and descriptive data about each ISBN. It distinguishes your book from any other book with the same or similar title since titles are not protected by copyright. When people go searching for your book in any of these places, if they have the ISBN, it’s your book they find.

You don’t need an ISBN for personal projects where you’ll only print a couple copies OR if you are selling your books in the Blurb Bookstore.

Bottom line: You don’t need an ISBN for personal projects where you’ll only print a couple of copies OR if you are selling your books in the Blurb Bookstore. You DO need an ISBN if you intend to distribute your book on Amazon and through Ingram, and whether you plan to sell or not, all trade books will have ISBNs. An ISBN helps you get your book discovered, makes it possible to track in distribution, and gives it sales capabilities. If you need that, take advantage of the ones we offer through our tools!

Check out our FAQs if you have any other questions.

The post ISBN: What They are and Why You Need One appeared first on Blurb Blog.

We interviewed Sousa via email, not phone as she lives in a remote region of Norway where the phone service is spotty. Internet is OK. Perhaps this is what lets her imagination run wild.

Yet, as much as Sousa’s writing lives in the world of fantasy, her self-publishing philosophy is down to earth. She utilizes online communities, like Goodreads, to both hone her work and advertise her books.

What were your biggest challenges in self-publishing?

“My biggest challenges were everything. I knew nothing about publishing and learned what I know by failing forward, not giving up, and by believing in myself.”

As an unknown author, how did you get your book out there?

“I offered the book as a giveaway on platforms such as Goodreads, BookLikes, and LibraryThing, a few times. I booked a couple of Blog Tours and had small, affordable ads with niche blogs and websites, where I knew potential readers of Gothic and Dark Fiction would be hanging around. These actions generated buzz, awareness, and some sales. Go where the readers are, know thy readership! These are important for any author or publisher.”

How did you ensure your self-published book would be as successful as it could be?

“The book cover charmed the readers. Plus, most people who read the book liked the story. These have been of my biggest assets. And it is true for any book out there as well. Having the book professionally edited and proofed was part of the’ mandatory’ package.”

“And I wanted them to be able to purchase the title on the shop of their choice. Having it in global distribution was extremely important.”

Why is format so important?

“I wanted to give the best reading experience to the readers of The Night of Elisa, so I gave them the book in multiple formats such as paperback, hardcover, pocket book, and e-book. And I wanted them to be able to purchase the title on the shop of their choice. Having it in global distribution was extremely important.”

Final thoughts?

“Whichever degree of success The Night of Elisa has had or will have, it is due to those who have worked with me and supported my work along the way. It is due to the great platforms (such as Blurb) out there making it possible for indie authors and artists to publish and market their dream-works.”

Isis Sousa could teach a course on self-publishing promotion, but you’ve probably got tips on promotion too. Let us know in the comments below.

The post How to Promote your Fantasy Novel from Isis Sousa appeared first on Blurb Blog.

Consider the Competition

Take some time to do a competitive analysis. Look at similar length books in your genre and evaluate what the standard price range is. Is your offering similar? Is the format you chose bigger? Is your book longer? Did you choose a higher paper quality? You’ll want to fit somewhere within the standard price range while taking into account what makes your book stand out.

Too Cheap Vs Too Expensive

Set your book price too low and your book can be seen to lack quality and value. Set it too hig and buyers will ignore your book because it does not seem to fit their expectations for how books like yours are priced. You want to find the sweet spot where readers are willing to pay what you feel your content is worth. Sure, a lower priced book may move off the virtual shelf faster, but if you’ve undersold yourself, that will not feel good in the long run.

Pricing Your Book to Sell: The Formula

COST TO PRODUCE ONE COPY + YOUR PROFIT = RETAIL PRICE

The calculation is pretty easy. You factor in how much you are paying to produce one copy of your book, add in what your profit would be per unit, and there you have your retail price. You can also work backward if it’s easier. Pull out your competitive analysis. Start with the average book price in your genre and subtract the cost to produce one copy of your book. The remaining amount is what you can easily consider profit. And don’t forget, if you want to sell through Amazon, sell through Blurb, or another retailer, you will have to include their required markup.

Keep Costs Down

If you want to keep your production costs as low as possible, make some smart choices upfront. When selecting your format, opt for a trade format, which offers quality and affordability. Since the trade format doesn’t use photo book paper, each unit is more affordable, enabling you to charge more and essentially make more profit per book. Size also matters. Choosing a smaller format and fewer pages will cut your costs. Lastly, a larger print run will decrease your per-unit cost. An offset run may save you a lot, but you’ll need to pay upfront for hundreds of copies and you’ll need to have a plan for distribution.

What’s Your Metric for Success?

While some authors want to earn a certain profit from their book, others are quite happy to see their book as a companion project that contributes to their overall success. This is why it is so important to evaluate why you are publishing a book and what you hope to achieve. You may want to showcase your expertise in your field, attract speaking engagements, or anchor your website content in the tangible form of a book. Sometimes success is in selling more for exposure than profit. Whatever your intent, how you price your book depends on the kind of success you hope to have.

How did you decide how to price your book? Do you consider anything else when setting the price? Let us know in the comments below!

The post How to Price a Sellable Book appeared first on Blurb Blog.

Books on the move need an ISBN, or International Standard Book Number. The ISBN is the numerical fingerprint for each edition of your book. It’s a 10-13 digit number that sits on the back of your book, identifying it to publishers, libraries, book dealers, wholesalers, warehouses, and retailers. An ISBN connects your book to the book industry, helping it link into the chain of the printer, distributor, retailer, and consumer.

If you want to be able to sell your book anywhere, or list it on more than one channel, you need an ISBN. That’s why at Blurb, we issue ISBNs for free with any book made using Blurb BookWright®, our Plug-in for Adobe InDesign or our PDF to Book workflow.

Softcover, hardcover, ebook formats, and new editions of your book will all have a separate ISBN. For reference, a single ISBN sells for $125. So, getting yours for free can help keep your distribution costs down.

An ISBN grants your book access to wider distribution channels: you need it to sell your book online, get it into libraries, brick-and-mortar bookstores, and in the standard database for all books in print. The database catalog lists the publisher, access and purchasing information, and descriptive data about each ISBN.

It distinguishes your book from any other with the same or similar title, since titles are not protected by copyright. When people go online book shopping, if they have the ISBN, it’s your book they find.

Bottom line: You don’t need an ISBN for personal projects where you’ll only print a couple copies. You DO need an ISBN if you intend to distribute or sell your book in any way. And you can get yours for free from Blurb.

An ISBN helps you get your book discovered, makes it possible to track in distribution, and gives it sales capabilities. If you need that, take advantage of the ones we offer through our book-making tools!

The post Get a Free ISBN for Your Book appeared first on Blurb Blog.

Create a Website

When Elinor Griffith released her new book, The Virtues of Cooking, she promoted it on her own website, and created a site for the book, www.thevirtuesofcooking.com.

“When I was in the final stages of producing the book, I knew I needed to have a website just for the book, and it had to be spectacular,” Griffith says. “I wanted people to see the book and want to buy it, but give them an experience at the same time. The site should be something that looks good on all screens—computer, tablets, phones—and clearly articulates the story at the same time.”

Most important to include are the popular search words that are useful for your website, so that people can find you during random online searches. This is especially crucial if you are selling your book on Amazon. “Having the personal website is great but creating a book website further credentials the book,” Griffith says.

Get Social

It’s clear that using social channels to get the word out about almost anything is a must-do for anyone in business. Social is, after all, another media outlet. Forget the term “social media.” It’s media. Period.

Establish an online presence and remain active throughout the promotional life of your book. Besides starting a Facebook page and a LinkedIn Group for your book title, you should grow your digital footprint on Twitter, YouTube, and Pinterest. Ask your connections to like, share, tweet, retweet, and pin. Not only will you have people talking about your book, you can establish contacts for any future books or projects. You’ll likely receive third party endorsements that you can share and retweet.

Another channel to explore is YouTube, where you can create compelling, promotional videos with a smartphone and post in a matter of minutes. You could present a short “how to” video about how you made your book, what tools you used, and helpful hints. Leverage your expertise. If you’ve written a cookbook, do a brief cooking segment. Photography? Showcase your work. When you integrate video with your other social channels, you’ll be able to spread the word, drive awareness, traffic, and views.

Griffith is promoting her book on both her Facebook and LinkedIn pages, but is also utilizing video opportunities, thanks to two of her media appearances, which we’ll get to.

Get Out There

Don’t forget that face-to-face contact is still a great way to do business. Make sure you are attending relevant industry events and engaging with everyone you meet.

Griffith has been busy working her connections with libraries, bookstores, and her alma mater. “I get to know people who know the owners of bookstores and they sent them notes about me and how the event could be promoted,” she says. “I have an event coming up on December 16 at RJ Julia, in Madison, Connecticut. It’s one of the largest indie bookstores in the country.

“I am also chatting with the folks at University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill for a talk with student communities next spring.”

Additional in-person opportunities are coming through Griffith’s connections in the business world. She knows someone at financial services giant Merrill Lynch, which has invited her to host a small talk for some of their clients just before the holidays. “It’s all about pulling people together as a community to talk about the book and how it will resonate with them,” she says. “We’ll pair wine and cheese and have a fun chat about food and drink ideas for holiday entertaining.”

Griffith is also excited about an upcoming cooking presentation at a family resort, from another one of her connections. In addition to her cooking demo, she will be spending time with some of the guests, answering their questions, chatting up all things culinary, and her books will be for sale in the resort gift shop.

Probably the most significant event Griffith held was a The Virtues of Cooking book launch at a local civic center that is known for celebrating the writing community in New York. “I invited my family, friends, friends of friends, acquaintances, and press,” Griffith says. “With the press folks, even if they could not attend, they were very eager to follow-up.”

Use the Power of the Press

This is where Griffith’s efforts really paid off. “People who I had invited that weren’t able be there, but wanted to follow up, opened the door to several media opportunities,” Griffith says. “I wrote my first piece for the Huffington Post and I’m set to write another in a few weeks, again in another few weeks, stories in the coming months and so forth.”

Griffith then connected with Guideposts Magazine, who ran a story for their six million readers. They also produced a promotional video for Griffith. “This connection came from a friend of a friend, and it gave me my first legitimate boost,” she says. “We had a photo shoot and made a video creating a recipe.”

In addition to her excerpts from the book in Huffington Post and Guidepost, she was able to tap into another resource that proved invaluable: An appearance on the “Chappaqua Library Talk” show, which airs on local television nearly every night of the week. “Every author has a library in their community and often there are media components involved, which is a wonderful resource,” Griffiths says. She is in good company in utilizing this resource, as Chelsea Clinton and Mitch Albom have also appeared on the very same Chappaqua Library TV program.

Another tactic is to write a press release for PRWeb, or any other online news distribution service. These user-friendly services provide simple uploading tools for news releases, photos and videos, and provide a highly effective way to distribute your book news, increase visibility, and attract potential customers. It’s a great way to get some backlinks to your site and garner some press interest.

Know How it all Works Together

Having a website, rocking it on social channels, and working connections for events and press coverage are all a part of the integrated publicity efforts you need in your toolkit to really promote your book.

• Events: This gives a foundation—one thing builds on another. Work your connections with libraries, bookstores, companies, resorts, and industry events. Bring plenty of business cards and know how to describe your book in just a few minutes. If you have the opportunity, do a presentation at a local meet-up group. Provide great information and make sure to have some books on hand in case people ask.
• Website: A great way to introduce the idea of the book and how the book happened. Give the sense of the process. “A lot of people have books in them,” Griffith says. “They wonder, ‘can I do this? Is it possible?’ I hope everyone knows that yes, they can do this and if I can inspire people, then that’s amazing.”
• Media: What might not be as obvious when promoting your book is how you can reach out to your regional press and garner media exposure, simply by finding and angle and pitching your story. This can be done by writing guest posts for blogs or landing interviews on radio, television, and print outlets. Find out if there is a local NPR affiliate in your area, and also any regional online publications that target your core customer base.

• Connections: “You just have to be fearless in leveraging contacts, friends and everyone you know,” Griffith says. “Work all of your angles. Work your friend’s angles. They will go to bat for you—they want you to succeed. I have family in Oregon who I will visit next year, so I’ll work those angles as well, to do some promotion, book fairs and other events.

“Just take it day by day, a little bit at a time and don’t get overwhelmed. I took on this project completely for fun. I don’t want it feel onerous, or heavy. It’s a long haul and something I’m excited to work on for the next couple of years. But keeping the energy going every week towards the success of the book is so worth it.”

The post Want to Sell More Copies? Awareness is Key appeared first on Blurb Blog.

A few weeks back, at the Toronto International Book Fair, I met Louise Courey Nadeau, author ofMagelica’s Voyage, a self-published early reader book. Nadeau is a smart, independent, and creative authorpreneur. In other words, she does more than write and sell books, she creates a brand. She gave me a little Magelica’s Voyage gift set, which includes a book and a necklace, that she sells in stores and via her website. Her website also offers a weekly giveaway, and a la carte purchasing options: You can just get just the book (in one of three languages) or the necklace. As a bonus freebie, you can download a coloring book or a sticker book.

The post Merchandising Your Book for Readers—And for Profits appeared first on Blurb Blog.

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Social media. Sure, you’ve heard of it. You probably use it. And as an author, you need to use it to promote to your book. After all, it’s a free promotional tool and it has potential for worldwide reach. But if all you’re planning to do is tweet an announcement that your book is out, chances are you’re not really going to get beyond your current audience of family, friends, and twitter bots.

The post Use Social Media to Promote Your Self-Published Book appeared first on Blurb Blog.

You wrote a book, published it, and want it to sell, sell, sell. When it comes to the world of self-publishing, building an audience of readers is the first step on the path to success. And the best place to start looking for your readers is the amazing Goodreads community. Which is why you’ll want to set up an author profile page on Goodreads, upload your fiction or non-fiction book(s), leverage the author functionality, and learn the ins and outs of the community’s digital etiquette.

The post Build Your Network and Promote your Book with Goodreads appeared first on Blurb Blog.

Writing, publishing, and promoting a book in your own language is one thing. Translating your book is another thing completely. If you want to sell your book internationally, you need to do upfront research, connect with international rights experts, and clarify what you want to get out of taking your book to a global audience.

The post Your Book—On the Shelves of Other Countries appeared first on Blurb Blog.

When we think of a book party, we tend to think of chic, Manhattan affairs. Norman Mailer—or rather his ghost—is there. At any moment Michiko Kakutani just might walk through the door. The book is published by Random House. But indies deserve a spotlight too. And the trick is getting your party right.

The post Why Your Self-Published Book Needs a Book Party appeared first on Blurb Blog.

There are loads of social media resources to help budding self-publishers become part of the conversation, but none so effective as Goodreads. Which is why we asked Michelle Booth, author of Goodreads for Authors, to tell us how authors can use Goodreads to their full advantages, promoting themselves, their books, and becoming part of an author and reader community.

The post How to Promote Your Self-Published Book on Goodreads appeared first on Blurb Blog.

For all the romantic notions of writers sitting alone, hacking away in anonymity on their manuscript (with or without a bottle of bourbon and smoldering ashtray full of cigarettes), the truth is that very few successful writers go it alone. Even the most solitary writers usually rely on the input of friends and fellow writers. As much as my fellow creative writing classmates and I would groan about having to take yet another workshop class and read through a pile of each other’s fiction, those weekly sessions were motivating. We had our own writing community, which kept us writing and gave us feedback.

The post Why self-published authors should join writing communities appeared first on Blurb Blog.

Why a reading group?

Reading groups can add another dimension to your writing process. You’ll know what your peers are publishing, as well as how those published works are being received within your reading community. You may be struggling with a particular character’s development or with one of your subplots. Your reading group can help. You’ll be able to see how a range of authors tackled their own character and subplot developments, and perhaps reading different genres will also inspire different ways to solve such problems in your own writing.

You’ll also be reading more or different types of books. You’re likely already an avid reader in your specific genre, but broadening the books you take in will help your writing and story development. You might also get inspired by the way other writers handle changes in the plot, move between different storylines, and articulate their particular writing style. Plus, you’ll have a large group of contacts who will likely be willing to read your book—or parts of it—before it’s even done. And once it’s published, you can share the finished product in your reading group to, hopefully, solicit reviews.

What a reading group looks like

Reading groups have been around for ages. But you want your reading group to be a bit more strategic. Think other writers, bloggers, reviewers—essentially, anyone plugged into the self-publishing industry. Sure, you’ll want to include some non-writers in there as well, but come review time, the industry connections will make a difference in getting a tweet, review, and blog post to promote your book. (Something you should be willing to do as well for the writers in your group.)

But the amount of time you have, your specific goals, and how long you want to sustain the group should determine how many book clubs you set up.

Digital vs. in-person

The best place to start is on the web. Goodreads and Facebook are both obvious places to start due to their popularity and engagement stats. Goodreads will, of course, convert more reviews when you publish because the entire reason to have an account is to document what you’re reading, learn more about the books out there, and share your views on recent reads. But don’t discount Facebook either. Since most people already have accounts, it is less of an ask for them to join a reading group or page where everyone can participate. You can also forego the social media sites, and use the digital technology available to you and your potential group. You can use Google Docs to organize your reading schedule and have each reader input feedback into the shared doc for everyone to see. You can use Google Hangouts to all join a video call and chat about your findings. If members don’t have a Gmail account to access all of Google’s features, try using Skype. It’s free to download, and members can chat via video or phone from wherever they are in the world.

Also, consider an in-person reading group that meets once a month. Personal connections are that much stronger when made face to face, and you never know where you might be able to grow relationships and who you might meet. Start by sending out an email or group Facebook message to those friends and acquaintances of yours who are writers, avid readers, and have industry connections or interest. Be sure to ask them if they know anyone who would be a good fit to join, and plan a spot to meet each month.

So pick your first book, gather your group together, and get reading. You’ll gain new perspective, learn about other markets and genres, and potentially improve your own writing and stories.

The post Why joining a book club is hugely valuable for writers appeared first on Blurb Blog.

Writing and self-publishing a book is hard work. As is marketing that book before and after launch. But when you distribute your book through Amazon, getting reviews may be the single most important thing to determine your book’s future success. There’s no secret formula, and no one way to get book reviews, but with a little research, a lot of patience, and a ton of outreach, those coveted book reviews are but an email away. Find out how to get reviews on Amazon with the following tips:

The post How to Get Book Reviews on Amazon for Your Own Book appeared first on Blurb Blog.