It may not be the most inventive headline, but by gum it does the job! Yes, Joffe Books is making the sequel to Standpoint free to download for a limited period. The links are below, but you already knew that, right?
That's the thing about promotions. There's an honesty to them that some authors find a little...well, crass. It puts them in mind of street markets with someone shouting, "Oranges - a pound a bag!" The thing is, sometimes it works. I have a friend who had great success on Twitter by trying different approaches - questions, gags, review quotes, and statements, all followed by a trusty sales link. As she explained to me, some folks will be turned off by your marketing efforts, in which case they're not your target audience.
Gone are the days - if they ever existed - of authors working in their garrets, crafting their world-changing novel, and then passing it on to a publisher to launch it into the world on their behalf, leaving them free to remain in the garret. Whether you're self-published or traditionally published, as the author you will need to engage with your audience and the marketing of your book.
I can remember working on a bookstall and calling out, "Get your books - they're hot, they're lovely!" We raised a few smiles and maybe made a few extra sales. More importantly, for me anyway, I felt as though I was doing something instead of waiting passively for people to pass by.
So here are a few quick tips for promotions:
- Have a plan and prepare your promotional content in advance.
- Start early to build up some interest. In the case of a free download, like Line of Sight (see what I did there...), it may not be possible to alert people in advance, so focus on other elements of the book to raise its profile.
- Call in favours if you can. You want to reach as wide an audience as possible, preferably one that has different reading communities.
- Try your luck. Experiement. Be bold. Risk.
- Respond. If people reply to you, don't leave them dangling.
- Make time. It will take more time than you think to handle promotions well.
- Consider spending some money. That's right - paid advertising might pay off for you. Do your research carefully to ensure you pick the best options for your needs.
Not everyone is fortunate enough to be offered a book launch (and lunch!) with all the trimmings. That's especially true for ebooks. What you can do, however, is create an event online, such as a blog tour, or a Facebook party (that's not the kind where people trash a house), or even a webchat if you have an established fan base.
And now, without further ado, here are the links for Line of Sight (only free June 3rd to June 7th), along with the sales links for the first book in the series, Standpoint.
LINE OF SIGHT
Amazon.co.uk
Amazon.com
STANDPOINT
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