How to promote your book (or eBook)?

A small, indispensable vademecum to enter the complex and varied world of independent promotion.

It is difficult to establish a precise canon for successfully promote one’s own work and the difference also lies in the ‘container’ to be promoted, i.e. whether it is a paper book or a digital work.

Despite this, the steps to take and the choices you can make are unexpectedly very similar precisely because the type of product is the same, i.e. a literary work, and therefore the reception channels are roughly the same.

Turning to the practical aspect, some basic steps can be identified.

1. Identify your distribution channel

Leaving aside those who publish with publishing houses, mainstream or independent, and who will therefore have their official channels available (especially for hard copy), the self-publisher author will have to identify an effective distribution channel for his work. There are dozens of distribution services available, both digital and print. We find Amazon and Kobo among the most popular, but there are also intermediaries that allow a more worldwide distribution, such as Streetlib (which we use), or Youcanprint. A good reading of the contract will be indispensable, to guarantee ownership of the work and to understand what margin of profit will remain. Only once you have identified this first fundamental step can you think about starting to promote your work: nobody wants to discover an interesting product and not know where to buy it, right?

2. Set up a strategy to promote the work (and yourself)

Here, too, a varied world opens up. An independent author is unlikely to devote himself to this activity all day long. You will therefore have to effectively allocate time to make your work known to the public. In today’s social world, the author has become as important as his or her work, even for smaller, independent productions. The public wants to know as much as possible about the writer and from that, they often deduce whether a work is worth reading (or even considering). On social media, therefore, you have to move in the dual role of ‘creator’ of the work and ‘actor’ of the play.

Careful use of the available platforms will allow you to intersperse personal and everyday information with references and quotations from your work, without being too forced or heavy-handed. The goal is to keep the user’s attention and, if possible, to nurture a community to follow and compare yourself with, especially if you write several works. Also not to be forgotten is membership and active participation in literary and book discussion groups, as well as the publicity that dedicated blogs and websites can provide. A (semi-)professional review can open up unprecedented channels of communication and put you in contact with an audience you might not have individually been able to reach.

You should also not underestimate the importance of physical presentations in bookshops and cultural circles, even if this only applies to those who have a paper version of their work. In any case, also considering the times we are living in, thematic live streaming has definitely caught on in this sector as well, with interviews and discussions by experts and enthusiasts in the field. This mode also allows a more widespread presence in the area and avoids long journeys.

3. Monitoring the results

A preliminary reflection must be made here. The intention of an author is, of course, to sell his product as much as possible, if only to make himself known and accredited for his qualities. Partially leaving aside the question of earning money, the importance of making yourself known is fundamental and a careful analysis of the data will give the identikit of the reader most interested in reading your work. The more you manage to reach (and consolidate) a community interested in your product, the more you will increase that degree of credibility and cultural affirmation, including, of course, the prospect of selling your work.

4. Keep up to date with the latest news to promote even better

The world is constantly and rapidly changing and the ways of making oneself known and publicising one’s works are constantly being renewed. Does a new distribution service come out? A new social? Is there a ‘different’ way of conveying one’s work? Think of the example of audio books. A few years ago they seemed like a niche product, now they are rapidly establishing themselves in an increasingly fierce competition with eBooks and paper books. Always keep going, think about how your work might evolve, which other potential readers might like it: after all, writing a book is only the beginning of a long journey… often with unexpected consequences.

Good work!