How to Market My E-Book on the Web
Publishing your own e-book is only the first step in getting that book out there to readers. No matter what the subject of your book, finding and targeting your audience is imperative to your e-book sales and your success as a self-published author. With more authors taking advantage of e-readers and electronic publishing, the competition is always increasing, so you have to make an impact and do everything in your power to stand out. Creating a strong marketing plan when you have the entire Internet at your fingertips is a relatively easy way to get the word out there.
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Instructions
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Create a personal author's website with a blog section where you can post updates about your book, excerpts, promotions and contests for potential readers. You may consider buying a domain domain and setting up a professional website, or take advantage of free blogging platforms, such as Blogger, TypePad and Wordpress that allow you to easily set up a blog site specifically for your e-book.
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Set up promotions, contests and discount coupons for your e-book. When you offer readers a chance for a discount or a free book, it puts your book into more hands. If those readers enjoy the book, they spread word to other readers and may even consider leaving a positive review on sales sites.
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Scout the Internet for experienced book reviewers and offer them a free copy of your e-book in exchange for a review. Reviews spread the word to the reviewers audience about your book, offering free word of mouth promotion.
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Set up social media accounts, such as Twitter, Facebook and MySpace, and send out word about your e-book, contests and promotions related to your book and links to reviews of your e-book to your friends and subscribers. Don't forget to connect your social media accounts to your website or blog so your readers know where they can connect with you beyond social media.
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Offer an excerpt of your book for free so readers can check out your writing style before committing to a purchase. Many online e-book publishers, such as Smashwords and Lulu (see "Resources"), offer authors an excerpt option when you publish that you make available to the general public.
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Sign up for a banner exchange program, like Genre Banners, and upload a promotional banner for your book that links to your website or blog. After uploading your banner, purchase credits to have your image displayed on relative sites. You will also be required to insert the banner code on your own site or blog to display banners for other books in your chosen genre.
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Publish your book on as many platforms as you can to reach a wider audience. Services offered through sites like Lulu and Smashwords send your e-book out to multiple companies, such as Borders, Amazon and Barnes & Noble, making your book available to more potential buyers.
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Tips & Warnings
When using social media tools, refrain from bombarding your subscribers with nothing but talk about your books. Making yourself available in a social manner helps establish a sense of personality and keeps subscribers from blocking you for spamming their feeds.
