No-Cost Ways to Market Your Book

If you've been searching how to promote my book for free, there is a lot of advice out there and also a lot of competition. Every author working on a finite budget is looking for opportunities to spark book sales and become noticed. It means you'll need to stay with it and be organized, but there is hope thanks to the internet if you work at it and don't give up. After you read through the suggestions ahead, do yourself the favor of writing up a marketing plan. Add dates and actions to it to stay more organized. Much of success in marketing and PR is delivering the correct pitches to the right audiences to be strategic.

One book marketing freebie that's a no-brainer is updating your email signature block. Your professional and personal networks can help with word of mouth, and making subtle mentions of your book helps. If your book receives accolades or wins awards, write them into a tagline, you can include later on. You'll be surprised by how many contacts will notice, and some may request a book of more information. Success in PR is incremental, and many small things add to a successful campaign. Many of the more successful books in print have sold steadily over time in smaller quantities and become substantial hits.

Writing and sending out a well-crafted press release is a book PR essential. You'll want to send it to coincide with your book's launch and, if possible, connect it to current events – or at least have an interesting angle to attract the media. Even though you're an accomplished writer with confidence in your skills, take the press release writing process seriously. Doing it well can be the difference between being covered or not. Think like a journalist, put the most critical information first, and continue with other compelling facts. If your book is controversial, let that part come through clearly.  

Throughout the book promotion process, never be shy about tactfully reaching out to your network, and the same goes for social media. People who know you have a genuine interest in your work, and some will be surprisingly supportive—give them the opportunity to take an interest and never resort to the hard sell. Emails reestablishing contact with past colleagues are also fair if you handle them well. The mission is to spark word-of-mouth interest. Friends and colleagues also might grant you the courtesy of sharing your social media posts with their friends and followers. It adds up over time.