One area we’ve seen increased activity when it comes to Online Marketing is with authors, both established and burgeoning. The Internet is a great place to get your creative work known, build your reader base, and get noticed from publishers who can help you succeed in the off-line world. To get started, an author must let go of the idea they much be published by a large publishing firm, and embrace a trend that has grown over the last 5 years: self-publishing.
Self-publishing is one of the best ways to start getting your voice know; options include publishing free material or charging for full works. The mediums for self-publishing include blogging, social media, fee-based eBook distribution, and eReader distribution.
The Blog
A well-designed blog is a place where authors can not only discuss what they are working on and offer samples of their work, but also becomes the launching pad for sales of the finished work. With a little hard work, a blog can be the key to gaining success as an author.
Social Media
As a blog begins to pick up steam, social media like Facebook and Twitter can be the key to engaging the new reader base you’ve developed. People often want to engage those with whom they’ve formed a connection. For authors, this is extremely important, as it sets apart those who are aloof from those who are grounded. Implementing a well developed social media strategy, and learning to engage readers effectively will increase viral attraction to the author’s new work.
Fee-Based eBook Distribution
Written material is a product, and as such authors love to get paid when someone reads their work. To this end, once a reader base is established, and a quality piece of work is ready for sale, using fee-based eBook distributors is critical. This is not the Kindle or Border’s store; we’ll discuss those in a moment. Rather, there are sites that will sell a PDF copy of your eBook for people to download, but will also allow the author to marketing the book easily through the store, either through paid Search Engine Marketing, or on their blog/website.
eReader Marketing & Distribution
The eReader is no longer just a fad, but is a staple to many passionate readers. No longer having to carry full size books with them, eReaders offer instant gratification to readers who want to read your book now rather than wait for one to ship. They also offer a significant profit margin for authors as eReaders dismiss the cost to physically print the material.
Like any business looking for the best method of marketing, the biggest key is strategy. Rather than trying to spend time figuring out how to effectively implement all of the tactics discussed above, find a partner who can achieve greater effectiveness and return on your marketing budget.
