Online Marketing

If you're an author, you may have come kicking and screaming into the world of social media -- or perhaps you haven't entered it at all. "I don't like social media ... I need more than 140 characters ... It's not communication ... blah, blah, blah... It's time to get over it!

This is the second part of a 10-part series in which I detail the entire experience of self publishing my book. The goal is to offer tips and strategies so you can learn from my successes and mistakes. This week: marketing.

When you first started composing your masterpiece, you probably thought the biggest hurdle was actually getting it done.  By now, you’ve learned there are many more challenges than just the writing process. You need to find an editor, a publisher, a peer review group.  And, you need to engage in some serious marketing – of yourself and your book.

Best-practices to smarten-up your online book marketing

Every week on The HostBaby Blog, we post new web and social media tips for artists. You’ll learn how to grow your email list, how to get readers to interact with your online content, how to draft newsletters that convert to sales, how to optimize your site for search, and more. For those of you who haven’t been keeping tabs on the HostBaby Blog…

Here are the most recent HostBaby Blog articles:

1. Are your Facebook posts irrelevant? 2. Your headlines are annoying. Here’s how to make them better.

While book marketing isn't easy, there are plenty of opportunities to reach new audiences. Finding the right ones starts with broadening your ideas of where to look.

Web tips and best-practices to smarten-up your online book marketing

Soon all Facebook users will be able to share photos in the comments section on posts. Previously, you had to add a link to the comments section and Facebook would pull in a thumbnail image. With this new development, you can upload an image directly — which will be hosted by Facebook — and it will appear larger than those images posted as links.

Here's a few ways to use Facebook photo comments to engage readers and promote your book:

* Ask your readers to post pics from your last reading, lecture, signing, etc. * Ask readers to submit photo ideas for your next book cover. * Ask readers for random images that will spark your creativity for a writing session (faces, places, etc.)