Think Globally, Act Locally: A Step-by-Step Approach to Marketing your Book

Many of us start marketing our book with the notion that we will be famous throughout the world because of the internet. Indeed, we can spread word about our book with tremendous speed through the internet, especially social media. However, the reality is that publicizing your book and getting recognition is not that easy.

Sending Facebook posts and tweets about your book may give publicity, but that publicity is just you talking about your book. It does not have the gravitas of a book review or media appearance – that third-party credibility to back it up. People will always believe a third-party before they believe the person who is selling the product. Having this recognition will differentiate you from the thousands of other people who have published a book and are spreading it around the internet.

Basic Steps

So you want to think about how you can gain that recognition and exposure. It requires a step-by-step approach. In addition to telling everyone you know about your new book, and posting it on your social media accounts and blog, the first step is to contact your local newspaper. If you are from a moderately sized town, chances are that not many other people have published a book – it is still a noteworthy accomplishment that impresses most people. Talk to the newspaper and see if they can do a short (or preferably, lengthy) write-up on you. The smaller the town you are from, the easier this will be.

If this works – which it should – you now have an asset: a third-party mention of your book, by an official organization. Make a PDF or JPEG of this article, so you can send it to people and post it on your social media accounts. Make sure you have some professional pictures t0 accompany it. If you haven’t done a book-signing, take some pictures that make it look like you have done one.

Intermediate Steps

Having started at the most basic local level, you now expand slightly: contact your county newspaper and see what they can do for you. At the same time, ask people (librarians, people in academia, people in professions related to your book) to read your book and write a short review. These will be good for blurbs, when you are asked for them. You can also contact companies that do reviews (iUniverse has these contacts), who will review your book for a fee.

Getting a book review or article in the county newspaper will be tougher, but make that a goal to be persevering towards. If there is a book review or books section, contact them, but if they are not forthcoming, contact the section of the newspaper most relevant to your book’s subject.

The Big Steps

Once you have a review in the county newspaper, you are now at a level where minor TV stations may take an interest in you. “Local author, with a review in the county gazette” – you are now newsworthy. Again, make a PDF of your article and put it on social media. Persist in getting a minor TV station to invite you onto its news program or other type of talk show.

When you have an interview or other TV appearance, you now have something extremely powerful. You can post this on Facebook and Twitter as well as your Youtube channel (it’s very easy to create). You can start sending this video to the more well-known TV stations, who will see that you’ve already received the “stamp of approval” of being invited to appear on television. Meanwhile, make sure that more people of influence are receiving copies of your book. If you’ve been featured in two newspapers and on TV, people will want to know what all the hype is about. These people can potentially back you up if you are asked for references or additional reviews by the well-known TV station.

Naturally, popular TV stations are picky about what they put on the air, and you may find them unwilling at first. Keep at it, and keep marketing your book to those around you and their connections, always trying to get more high-profile people to read your book. As your book becomes more popular, TV stations will have no choice but to report it!

Make sure to check out the iUniverse site for more advice and blogs, as well as iUniverse Facebook and iUniverse Twitter. For a FREE Publishing Guide, click here!