People often ask me what the term "digital marketing" means. In my opinion, it's pursuing any online exposure that will help potential readers find you. Digital marketing can be an effective way to spread the word about your book because it doesn't cost much - if anything - more than your time and energy. Here are two examples:
There are countless ways to promote your work online
1) List your book(s) on Authorgraph
Signing books is one of the great joys of being an author. There's nothing quite like holding a copy of a book you wrote in your hands, then inscribing it for a real person who is excited to read it. The majority of my book sales come from eBooks, however, which until recently have been impossible to sign. Not anymore! Now there's a site called Authorgraph, where you can list your books, and fans can request a digital autograph that will appear right in their e-reader. It's a little awkward to write your signature, but once you get one you like you can save it in the system, then type a personalized note around it for each reader. Isn't that cool?
Here's what my books look like on Authorgraph.
Each time a fan requests an authorgraph for one of my books, I get an email from the site with a hyperlink. All I have to do is click the link and login, and I see the requests waiting for me.
It's super easy to use, and it's free.
2) Contact book reviewers on YouTube
I was recently emailing with a fan of my books, and I asked her how she found out about me. She said she'd seen a homegrown video review of one of my novels on YouTube in a subsegment known as BookTube. How fun is that? Here are some examples of channels:
- Abookaffair
- booksandquills
- abooktopia
- Ariel Bissett
- Ermahgwrd Berks
- Read Susie Read
- Bookables
- Katytastic
- Little Book Owl
Perhaps one of the above book lovers would be interested in reviewing your work? Maybe yes, maybe no, but it can't hurt to reach out and ask!
-Maria
Maria Murnane is the best-selling author of the romantic comedies Perfect on Paper, It's a Waverly Life, Honey on Your Mind, Chocolate for Two, Cassidy Lane, and Katwalk. She also provides consulting services to aspiring and published authors. Learn more at www.mariamurnane.com.
This blog post originally appeared on CreateSpace.com. Reprinted with permission. © 2014 CreateSpace, a DBA of On-Demand Publishing, LLC. All rights reserved.
