Plug Your Book: Q&A: How much will it cost to market my self-published book?

QUESTION: My self-published book will be available soon. How much should I plan to spend on marketing? Are there any free or low-cost ways to market my book?

ANSWER: Keep your marketing budget as close to zero as possible.

“Free” and very low-cost Internet publicity is much more effective than paid advertising when it comes to books and online marketing in particular. We're talking about publicity, not advertising.

When people discover your content organically (through search results, social networking, etc.) they tend to be much more involved with your content and more likely to buy your book. With my own books, I have tested the performance of many different banner advertisements and Google and Yahoo pay-per-click ads. They are not sufficiently cost-effective, and it's easy to spend $50 in ads to sell at $15 book. You’re paying $1 or $2 per visitor, and the people leave your site within a few seconds. By contrast, the people who befriend you on MySpace or discover your blog are much more likely to stay on your site longer, consume more content, and buy your book. So the “free” route results in real word of mouth and, of course, the price is unbeatable.

So, what specific techniques do I recommend?

1. Writing a blog or maintaining a Web site where you post updated material at least once a week. Often people need to be exposed to a book title five or six times before they decide to buy. Readers can get comfortable with you at your Web site.

2. Participating in social networks such as MySpace, Facebook or Gather.com. Connect with some like-minded friends and they will help spread the word about you. You can also start your own social network using a service like Ning.com.

3. Recruit book reviewers (professional and amateur) to review your book on Amazon.com. The share of books sold online is growing, and many consumers who buy in local bookstores make their purchasing decisions online – with the help of Amazon reviews.

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