How to Promote Self-Help Books

If you are the author of a self-healing book, chances are you will need to promote your book. How much and where you promote it depends on the size of your publisher, the goals you have for your book and the amount of money you have available for the task. Whatever the case, there are some basic things anybody can do to promote self-healing books.

Instructions

Difficulty: Moderate

1. Create a promotional plan. Before you even take the first step to promote the book, make sure you understand what the process entails and where you are going with it. Include a detailed breakdown of your goals, the costs involved and the items needed to put the plan into effect.
2. Teach seminars or offer lectures on the topic of the book. Whether you are a professional or someone who survived a traumatic experience, you may be better able to promote self-healing books face to face, allowing potential readers to bond with you and learn about your experience.
3. Set up your own website. Having an online presence has become essential for promoting books. While some of the largest publishers may set up websites for their authors, the work falls mostly on the writers.
4. Reach out to organizations that use or promote self-healing topics. This includes self-help seminars, therapy-related groups and speakers promoting new techniques or ideas. If these organizations sell products or offer catalogs, you might be able to get them to include your book in their efforts.
5. Strike a deal with other professionals. A therapist may sell self-healing books in the reception area or a bookstore may welcome you as a speaker in conjunction with a related promotion. Working alongside other writers may also be beneficial if the themes of the books complement each other.
6. Establish yourself as an expert. If you can write well, write articles for websites, magazines and newsletters on the topic of your book, and then include details about your book at the bottom. If you can speak well in front of groups, offer seminars.

Tips & Warnings

• Print business cards that give out your basic information (name, title of the book, website address), so you can share it with anyone who may be interested.
• When creating a website, keep it professional by getting your own domain name, avoiding music or cute animations and making it about your book, not your personal life.