Book marketing is a mystery to some, a frustration to others and a passion to those crazy authors who know it’s necessary in order to sell books. Today, my guest blogger, Lorraine Nelson, shares her insights into “Do I really have to market my book?”
“Hey, I’ve written a book. It’s published. Now I can sit back and relax and wait for the royalties to start pouring in.”
Not!
Writing a novel is a lot of work, but it doesn’t end there. Those royalties won’t come to you if you sit on your laurels and do nothing to help promote yourself as an author. Ditto your book or books. Publishers can only do so much. You are not their only author, and who better to promote yourself than you?
Being published has been a real eye-opener for me. I’ve learned how to hone my craft, work with editors, and use social media to my advantage. I’ve also learned how to set up a blog and a website. None of these was as difficult as marketing myself and my work. Blog tours, blog hops, writing groups, twitting teams…these all take time away from my writing, but are necessary if you want to have those cheques rolling in on a continual basis.
Readers don’t necessarily flock to your books, so you have to ensure that they’re listed where readers will find them. I have author pages on Amazon, Facebook, Goodreads, and other sites, which all list my books for easy reference. New releases, cover art, and reviews…these are posted on my website, Facebook page, and blogged about as soon as I receive them. My blog posts automatically feed to Twitter and my Amazon page, so those are covered too.
This summer, I plan on booking a few signings and traveling around to local libraries to request they carry my books. So far, three of my fourteen titles are available in print, with four new print novels coming by the end of April, so it’s now worth my while to do some actual legwork and promo. I have newspapers waiting on press releases for my upcoming tour, and everyone has been very supportive, which has been a distinct advantage.
If you’re an author hoping to be published one day, build your platform now. A blog is a must, in my honest opinion. Make yourself known and keep it positive. Facebook, Twitter, Google+, LinkedIn, Pinterest, forums, etc., these are all avenues you should explore and become familiar with before you’re bogged down with edits.  
If you’ve signed a contract, let the world know before your book releases. Post that cover art. Keep potential readers interested in you and your work by posting blurbs, snippets, and advance reviews. Advance promo helps ensure sales upon release and makes the actual marketing of your book more successful.
Easy? No, it’s not. I’m a private person and one of the hardest things I’ve had to do was to put myself out there.
Worth it? Yes! There’s no thrill quite like the one you get the first time you see your name on a cover.
Most of all, have fun with it. Wishing you the best success in whatever you do. J
Lorraine Nelson is a multi-published author who lives in rural New Brunswick, on the east coast of Canada. Always a bookworm, she’s read many novels of romance and mystery over the years, finally deciding to put her pen to work at writing one.
“To write romance and romantic suspense is my dream come true, although my mom says I was born with an avid imagination and pencil in hand, crafting stories from an early age. Now my children have grown and have lives of their own, I have time to indulge my passion for writing.”
Lorraine lives alone with an independent yet affectionate tomcat, and enjoys spending time with her three sons and six grandchildren. When not at the computer, you can find her spending time with family, gardening, baking and, of course, reading.
Lorraine’s books are listed on her website. You’ll find blurbs, excerpts, reviews, and purchase links there. http://lorrainenelson.weebly.com
She loves to hear from readers. You can comment here or email your comments to: lorrainenelson_author@hotmail.com.