When it comes to book marketing many authors approach the subject with dread. They just don’t know where to start and I understand, it’s hard to write books and be a marketer. Effective marketing requires not only grabbing a reader’s attention but keeping it as well. I broached this subject last year in my post: How to Communicate with Readers but today, I hope to go more in depth.
Despite what you may think, you don’t have to put yourself on display like a celebrity in order to maintain a following. You don’t have to post selfies, or pet photos to keep your readers engaged on social media. You also don’t have to divulge deep, dark secrets with your email subscribers. In this post I want to present some old school methods used by publishers as well as newer techniques which hopefully, will give you ideas on how to keep your readers engaged through smarter marketing. Hopefully, you will find ideas for your social media posts, or email newsletters. Now keep in mind, some of these techniques are free while others are not.
So let’s get started…
Idea #1: Make a Game
Did you know that you can create games and puzzles for your readers based on your book? There are several websites that allow you to make games like; crossword puzzles, word scramble, jigsaw puzzles, and even sudoku. You could even create a crossword puzzle for a contest, and announce the winner within the puzzle! Your imagination is the only limit here. If you’re interested, here is a list of websites to check out:
- ProProfs Brain Games (free and paid)
- Discovery Education (free)
- Instant Online Puzzle Maker (free)
I personally created a crossword puzzle for this post on ProProfs Brain Games, just click on the image to check it out:
Idea #2: Create an Infographic
A few years ago, infographics were all the rage and were used primarily to convey complex ideas in a visual format. But over the years, I’ve seen books broken down into infographics such as Pride & Prejudice by Jane Austen and even Harry Potter. You can even make a funny character chart for readers, it all depends on you.
Image via Course HeroHere are a few free sites that allow you to create infographics:
- Canva (Free & paid services)
- PikToChart (Free to start then $12 per month)
- Venngage (free for students)
- BeFunky (free)
Idea #3: Do A Top Ten List
If you’re a romance novelist, you could create a list of the hottest lead characters in the Regency period and encourage readers to contribute. If you’re writing a historical, that takes place during the Civil War, you can create a list of the biggest battles fought during that war and casually mention that your book takes place during one of those battles.
Idea #4: Do Character Interviews
Since time beyond remembering, the publishing industry always has liked to insert author interviews at the back of a book. However, if you don’t feel comfortable being interviewed, use one of your characters to do all the talking.
Idea #5: Make A Meme
Memes have become a part of social media for years and you could easily use one to promote your book. Here’s one I created years ago with the help of a friend and author Karen Vaughan.
If you’re interested, here are a few places to check out:
Wrapping it Up:
Well I hope this gives you a few ideas when it comes to content creation as well as book marketing. I also hope that you learned a few things, as in why it’s so important to make marketing fun. You know the saying, “No tears in the writer, no tears in the reader.” The same goes for marketing, if it’s not fun for you, it’s probably not gonna be all that fun for your readers either.
Excellent article. Thanks for the mention, Christina Giguere! I like the game making idea. Great for author takeovers.