You want to sell more books, but you feel you’re tapped out on all your obvious resources and book marketing strategies.
This is normal.
If you’re taking your author marketing seriously, you will hit roadblocks. It’s only natural, whether you’re doing it all yourself or if you hire a book marketing company.
So in the spirit of Valentine’s Day, I want you to focus on how some smart networking with other authors, and sharing the love, can really take your exposure to a new level!
For starters, it’s a mutually beneficial way for both of you to increase your exposure and create new word-of-mouth buzz.
And in the big scheme of things, it’s one of the least expensive book marketing strategies. It just takes a little collaboration.
Below is a list of unique ways to network. Keep in mind all of these suggestions need to be agreed upon by both parties. And, you’ll need plan to ensure the other reciprocates in a timely manner. Most always the intentions are good. But people get busy, so agree to a deadline or plan things well in advance.
Double up on the swag
Doing an event? Sending giveaway prizes to fans? Maybe celebrating a new release?
Instead of just giving your fans your swag or prizes, include those of another author as well. Why? First, you’re doing your fellow author a solid and helping them sell more books in the future. But also, you’re showing your fans you value their interests and dedication by making personal recommendations.
Exchange ARCs
This is an excellent author marketing strategy for gaining early reviews. You should be doing it for your own books. But maybe you hadn’t considered doing a trade with another author to get books in more hands.
Give some newsletter love
It’s so easy it’s almost criminal! Trade some newsletter space and you both benefit from each other’s email lists. Use this opportunity to announce a new release or giveaway or something exciting.
Perhaps you can trade Q&As to introduce your respective networks to the other author’s work.
Or maybe you trade the first chapter of an upcoming book for a really good tease!
Newsletters are generally read by super readers, so it’s a good group of people to potentially sell more books to.
Sweeten the deal for a giveaway
Very similar to swag, more prizes are always better!
Giveaways are excellent book marketing strategies. Why? Because it’s about the readers, and not so much about the author. Partner up to make the prize that much bigger!
Say yes to group events
In-person events are harder and harder to come by for lesser-known authors, it’s just the reality. But you can make your offer to venues more appealing by banding together with other local authors. This goes for bookstores, coffee shops, libraries, you name it. The more you can offer the venue, the more likely they are to draw in interest. Plus you’ll get to sell more books at the event!
Share all your big news
A major part of author marketing is keeping things exciting and taking advantage of big news, like cover releases and pre-order listings. Get in the habit of sharing these with other authors in your genre. You’ll gain that much more exposure for each new milestone.
Participate on Goodreads
Some very savvy authors are getting involved in groups on Goodreads. They’re really getting in good, no pun intended, with readers in their genre.
Jump in and add more insight to these conversations. And go out of your way to connect with these other authors. They are prime candidates for networking and collaboration because they’re obviously dedicated to putting in time. And time is what it takes to sell more books in today’s increasingly competitive market.
Make your own book recommendations
This is a great way to get started with your networking. You should be a fan of your own genre, and with that comes reading other author’s books. Be a little more generous with your recommendations. Start posting them on social media. And don’t forget to tag the author and their respective accounts. It’s one of the more subtle book marketing strategies that can really open doors for you.
If you want to sell more books, you need to be open to author marketing strategies that probably put you out of your comfort zone.
Today’s market is competitive, no matter what genre you’re in. So remember, doing things that make you stand out will be the key to success in 2018 and beyond.
If you’ve had a successful collaboration with another other I’d love to hear what you did! Post it as a comment or find me on Facebook or Twitter!
Finally, if you’d like to sell more books, and just aren’t sure why the needle isn’t moving, I’d be happy to go through your book marketing strategies with you to identify why.
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