How to Promote Your Self-Published Book

Posted by Wayne G. Barber

We had a similar question from two different authors: one has self-published a book of poetry and the other, has had a short story collection published by a small publisher. They both wanted to know what they should be doing to boost publicity for their books.
And boy, did you come up with some great ideas for them!  "How funny that you asked this particular question! I just posted a blog piece on the topic of 'networking at conventions,' which your questioning authors might find helpful; it's aimed at people attending sci-fi/fantasy conventions but can easily be turned to any type of convention:  however, I would suggest beginning with analysing the target audiences. The short stories, for example: are they mainstream fiction, fantasy, science-fiction, romance, mystery? Are the target readers teenagers, adults, retired folk? Is the setting in America? If so, which state? Which decade/century? Each of these questions offers another clue to opportunities. "Mystery and history buffs as well as fantasy/sci-fi geeks frequently gather in numbers at events around the world, a perfect opportunity to meet people predisposed to interest in your writing. "Social networking sites such as Facebook can connect the author with potential readers. "Calling your local paper to see if they want to run an interview (local writer done good), or the local papers in the areas where the stories are set, can't hurt. There are also internet-based radio stations that love to run new author interviews, such as the " Authors Hour " on wnri.com
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"Talk to your local colleges, high schools, and middle schools about offering a reading of your work; poetry may find favor with ongoing outreach programs at middle schools especially.
"Find bloggers who routinely review similar books, and offer them a free copy of your book (ask before sending it, though!); they will run an honest review, and if they like your book they'll often ask you for an interview on top of that.   Join your States writing association for great networking opportunities and up and coming book expos."Build a web site and blog, talk about events you've attended, further explore the topics of your writing, the process of writing, self-publishing, small-press publishing, research, and so on. Offer web-only excerpts for readers to enjoy."Most important, keep a record of what you've tried, the dates, all contact information, and notes on what worked, what didn't, and as much of why as you understand why things did or didn't work. That record is more valuable than gold in the long run."