First of all, you can book signings for ebooks. You really can. I know authors who bring a laptop to the signings so people can go online and order their book. Since you don't have paperbacks to sign, you sign SWAG instead. Post cards or bookmarks work well for this. If you want to get more people to come, hold a raffle. You can have anyone who comes over to get signed SWAG enter, AND people who order your book online right there can get extra entries. They leave their contact info and you mail the prize to the winner if they aren't present for the drawing.
Aside from signings, you can host Twitter parties using a specific hashtag for your book. For instance, I'd use #TheMonsterWithin for a Twitter party for my YA witch book The Monster Within. Invite people to come for an hour in the evening (weekdays work best because people are busy on the weekends) and hold giveaways every fifteen minutes. The giveaways can be for anything: chocolate, ebooks, signed paperbacks, SWAG, gift cards, etc. Also, your book title will be mentioned in every hashtag, which might make your book trend on Twitter. Attendees can ask you questions about your book, but be prepared with teasers, videos (your book trailer and/or videos from your book's playlist), and other interesting things people would want to know in case attendees get shy. You don't want a silent Twitter feed.
Facebook parties are also great. You create a page for the event and run it much like the Twitter party. Come prepared with teasers and everything I mentioned for the Twitter party. Hold the giveaways the same way too. You can hold contests where people post pictures of your characters and the one that most closely resembles the character wins a prize. Be creative.
Book Blitzes are a great way to get your book on multiple blogs in a short period of time, usually one day or one week. When a book pops up all over the place, people notice. You can set up a book blitz yourself or through a touring company.
Blog Tours are similar to book blitzes but they are more in-depth. These include excerpts, interviews, guest posts, trailer reveals, giveaways, etc, in addition to just your cover, blurb, bio, and buy links. Again, you can set these up on your own or through a tour company.
Ads are another way to go if you're up for spending some cash. Goodreads, Facebook, and popular book sites all sell ad space for different size ads and they run for different lengths of time depending on price.
These are just a few ways to promote your ebook. Know any other ways? Please share in the comments.
Have a blogfest with a prize. Bonus points if you can find a co-host. More participants and more readers.
ReplyDeleteYes, great point!
DeleteGiveaways and reviews are a great way to get your name out there.
ReplyDeleteI'm still trying to figure out where I want to go with Dawning on a New Day but I'd love to start participating in blog tours.
Twitter and Facebook are always great means to spread the word. I've also looked into Ads but they can be so expensive!
Yes, ads can be expensive. I've gone that route once and it didn't really help.
DeleteThese are great. I'd like to try a blogfest one day. I've done Goodreads, LibraryThing, and even Instagram giveaways.
ReplyDeleteI like Goodreads giveaways because they get you on a bunch of To Read shelves, but I'm not sure they help sales much.
DeleteGood tips! I've seen some facebook book parties.
ReplyDeleteI've done a few. They're fun.
DeleteGood tips. Now I just have to learn how to do them.
ReplyDeleteThey're all pretty easy to do.
DeleteThese are good tips
ReplyDeleteGlad you think so. :)
DeleteFor me, the author photograph would be a fun thing to have them sign, if they held a copy of their book on Kindle or something like that. :D
ReplyDeleteGreat tips! I'll have to try out the Twitter and Facebook parties.I plan on doing a blog tour for my next book.
ReplyDeleteTwitter and Facebook parties are easy to do and a lot of fun.
DeleteI've heard of EBook signings, actual signings. I still can't figure those out.
ReplyDeleteYou would make a wonderful agent in addition to writer, Kelly. So many ideas.
I used to want to be an agent but not anymore. I love writing and editing.
DeleteThese are great ideas. When my next ebook comes out in December, I'm going to try this. Thanks for the tips. :)
ReplyDeleteI really enjoy the Twitter ones. I'm attending(which sounds weird since it's online, ha!) one this week featuring two authors and I'm excited to maybe win a few things and ask the authors some questions.
ReplyDeleteThey really are fun and so easy. You can't beat that.
DeleteSomeone told me the average booksigning sells 8 books! I think most bookstores know that "launch parties" for mostly unknown authors are really for friends and family. Many of them are eager to do it, but they expect the author to bring all the people. I also would like to point out the "flake" factor. Unless you're Stephen King, people just don't want to take time out of their busy schedule to go to a booksigning. I was advised repeatedly to only do group events when I'm starting out because you just won't get a crowd until then and I've really found that. I think unless you want to just have a big party to celebrate your book launch with friends and you know they'll all show up, it's best to focus on conferences and group booksignings in the early days of being published. (Lessons learned the hard way, believe me!)
ReplyDeleteWow, only 8? Really? I never knew that. That's kind of sad.
DeleteI've seen book blitzes and blog tours around and they are effective in helping the author and his/her books gain exposure. However, some of them could get tiring (for both the author and the readers if it isn't their kind of read). Getting reviews and signing up for ebook awards are beneficial. Group giveaways work really well!
ReplyDeleteReviews are essential.
DeleteGreat info, Kelly!
ReplyDeleteLove love LOVE this post. So many tips I never thought of.
ReplyDeleteI'm glad you like it, Vanessa!
DeleteWhat an awesome post! You really found a lot of ways to help people without books in print to promote. The ideas can be used for print books too. Fabulous! Thanks for sharing!
ReplyDeleteYou're welcome . I'm happy to pass along ideas. :)
DeleteI love the comments. I would agree as a new author you need to find some group events. Facebook parties are great when you have a big name, a big publisher, or something to stand on. I've seen these parties flop for newer authors. :-( Great post! Do you remember how you started out by chance? I assume the picture book crowds didn't spill into your YA?
ReplyDeleteNo, the PB crowd didn't spill into YA at all. I started a separate blog when I got my first YA deal and had to research YA groups to help make connections and promote.
DeleteGreat suggestions, Kelly! This is definitely a post that every author needs to bookmark.
ReplyDeleteThese are all great ideas! I especially love the ebook signing and Facebook party ideas. (I don't have Twitter.) :)
ReplyDeleteI used to love Twitter, but these days I'm on FB more.
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