Five Ways Authors Can Organically Market Their Books
When authors consider what resources they already have at their disposal, they can use them as free marketing opportunities
Not many authors have the budget to spend on paid advertisements, mainly because it requires multiple elements in order to achieve results.
But what many authors aren’t aware of are the free and organic marketing techniques that are available to us. Now, this isn’t to say that they don’t take work to achieve the desired results, because it does. But, it doesn’t chip away at your precious author budget.
Connect with Book Bloggers and Reviewers
There are more book bloggers than I imagined out there, but it takes research to find the right fit for your book.
Some book bloggers aren’t open to submissions from authors for reviews because they enjoy simply finding what interests them and writing reviews about those specific books. Once you start looking around these bloggers’ sites, you will know this is the case if there isn’t a review policy or contact me section. It’s not often that I come across them, but it happens.
But those who do accept submissions, are often overwhelmed by the volume they receive.
From my experience so far, you want to build a relationship with them first. As much as they appreciate people coming to them asking for reviews, it’s nice to know that you can return the favor in some way. Here are some ways to do so.
Follow on social media
Subscribe to their newsletter
Share their content
Comment on their posts
It seems simple enough, right?
What kinds of things will they require to review your book?
Each book blogger will require something different upon submission.
Some that I have seen or submitted to have asked for the following:
Title and Author
Genre
Diversity
Trigger topics
Synopsis
Goodreads and Amazon links for review purposes
How I found them
Cover Image
My own website and Amazon author page links
What type of ARC I’m willing to send (Ebook, PDF, Paperback)
I would recommend having all of these prepared when you start submitting.
Book bloggers hold a ton of influence and power.
Even the smallest book blogger holds power over readership.
The fact that someone who reviews books for a living wanted to review yours means a lot. And every potential reader that comes across their review is going to consider reading your work based on this. Not to mention the readers who already follow their book blog.
This is also why you need to offer to promote their site and send them a free copy of the book.
Participating in Online Communities
Being in places online that are social can go a long way.
Why? Because there are thousands of groups out there with readers looking for new books to read. But in order to get your book noticed by them, you need to take the time to interact with others in these groups.
What types of groups are there?
Forums (Reddit, Quora, and more)
Reader Groups (Goodreads, Facebook, Instagram, and more)
Online Book Clubs
Be sure to read the group’s guidelines because many don’t want authors coming to the group just to sell to its members. But if done correctly, can achieve what you want.
Collaborate with Other Authors
Do you have any friends in the same genre as you?
If you do, there is a good chance you can help one another out. For example, talk with another author in your genre about your new book and ask if they have anything with similar topics. If so, you could offer to read theirs, write a review, and share it with your audience. And ask if they would do the same for you.
In addition to this, consider doing joint promotions such as:
Sales at the same time
A bundle purchase
Giveaways
When you collaborate with another author, it does take time and planning. Set aside dates for when the marketing content will be shared and where. Set the date for when the announcements will be or the main content to be shared.
And most importantly, stay in contact and work as a team.
Trying the Community
There are more people, organizations, and businesses than authors realize in their area that are able to help market your book.
You want to start by looking for:
Libraries that accept book submissions/ author events
Bookstores looking for new books
Businesses that partner with your book topic
Places to have a book signing
When taking all of these options into consideration, you significantly open your marketing options close to home.
And most of the time, when you work with one of these options, your main goal is to figure out how to make it beneficial for both of you.
For more on this, see How Authors Secure Appearances and Events For a Book Launch.
Reach Out to Podcasters/ Vloggers
There are lots of Vlogs and Podcasters actively searching for guests.
And as an author, numerous websites provide lists for you to find these people. But know that as you look, be sure that you are checking to see if it is still active. Checking if it is still active will narrow down your list.
What should you consider when looking for podcasts and vloggers to submit to?
If they take your genre book
If there is a waitlist
What they would talk about and if you know ahead of time
If they require anything from you ahead of time
How much marketing you should do on your end
How large their audience is
Knowing these pieces before you apply is important to having it go over successfully.
Although paid advertising is the preferred method of marketing for many, know that free organic marketing methods can also do their fair share if done well.
Remember to:
Plan ahead
Do your research
Think outside of the box
Consider what you already have access to
And you will do just fine.