How to Market Your Book, Online and Offline

Pay per click, this is where I lost most of my money the first two years; I used the two biggest companies. Finally, I sat down with a professional and he taught me how to do it.

He said my biggest problem is that, what I already told you my website was full of useless information, and he suggested, I send the person clicking directly to my storefront where they could put up or shut up. An hour later after doing this I had three sales!

I am very big into ppc, but it can be expensive. So I suggest using smaller ppc search engines like miva and enhance, and others, and leave the big boys alone, unless your book is about something that isn't searched often like how to grow turnips.

When you set up your campaign, please, please link directly to your storefront, unless you have the website with the infomercial.

Another marketing tool I use is Ad Brite and others like it, where you can pay to have your banner, or a text ad placed on other people website.

If you write Sci Fi for example, than there are plenty of Sci Fi websites out there that will sell you some advertising space, the good thing is that these websites have super high traffic and convert sales pretty good.

So, look into that avenue see what websites are listed with these companies, and see if it fits your book.

I use to work in the mortgage industry, A co worker of mine, use to go to the credit boards and forums and post on there about credit issues and answer people questions on what to do and he would slowly working in that he was a loan officer and refinancing was the way to go. He sold a lot of loans doing this. But he was very careful in how he did it so it didn't look like spam.

Go to forums and message boards and become a regular poster and after time and making a lot of friends tell them you wrote a book on the subject. And in your signature put your store front link.

Blogs work great, for example Mr. Instability, where you can keep your customers and fans aware of what's happening.

Social Networking sites you know which ones I am talking about. Here is what I do; I go to a famous person in the field of my book. Let's say Stephen King has a myspace page. What I would do is post a comment saying…Hey Stephen, my book is finally done! Check it out on Amazon. I change the title to “whatever” thanks for everything.

People, who read his comments, will be curious and look your book up on Amazon, or of course your myspace page is your books title and about your book, so they may just check your profile.

Let's talk about how to get sales outside the internet. And ways to promote Guerrilla style.

I was looking for new affiliate opportunities and found a gem, a company that offers 3000 satellite channels for your pc for a one time fee, no monthly charges. I live near a major university, and figured who would buy this. Poor college kids that couldn't afford cable!

So, I made flyers about the 3000 channels etc, grabbed a role of tape and put them up all over campus. I even put a free ad in the college newsletter. I made 523 sales in the first 3 days.

Self publishing companies offer a marketing package; I would get the posters and bookmarks.

Posters, I would go to all the grocery stores in my area or as far as you're willing to go, most have bulletin boards, ask kindly if you could put a poster on it, or just do it. I would go anywhere where I could put up my poster. Create a pocket on your poster and fill it with bookmarkers so people can take them and not forget the link when they get home. People love free stuff. Also, ask the manager if you can hold a book signing outside, one day.

Bookmarks are genius, here is what I would do, go to book stores, and when no one is looking but them on the counter where they are in view of the people purchasing, but not the clerk.

Leave a few on the tables, or the magazine rack. Your book may not be on the shelf but guess what, its still in the store in a round about way.

Do that everywhere you go, gas station etc. Also grocery stores, department stores all sell books, Leave free bookmarks in the racks there as well.

Newspapers, community newsletters get an ad.

Ask everyone and anyone if you can have a book signing in there business, if they say no, ask if you can do it outside the store. If they still say no, ask if you can put up a poster, with a pocket full of bookmarkers, by now they want you to leave them alone so they probably will say yes so you will leave.

Well, there are a million things you can do to sell something, but the goal is to be different than everyone else, be unique.

Always sell as though you're not selling anything…people hate salespeople.

Good luck, and remember, it took you months or years to write this book, to hold it in your hands.

Now spend that same time and energy promoting it, selling it.

Get your name out there.

Be able to print out your sales rank on Amazon, B&N and send it with your next manuscript to agents and say “hey my books sell; I did this on my own”

Send the same letter too the head of B&N screaming my books sell! Stock it on your shelves!

Even if I lost money, and my sales rank was high, I would be happy! Because like I said I am sending letters, to publishers and agents, to take notice and get this book or my next one on the shelves by Christmas!