Harness the power of influencer book promotion
These tips are all about working together with others to boost your success level.
Promote other authors
Publicly give a nod to other authors your audience will be interested in, so you can call in the favour later. This can be by reviewing their book, offering to give away copies to your audience, interviewing them on your podcast, or vlog, or asking them to be a guest on your blog. Seek out an influencer in your industry to write the foreword to your book. It flatters their ego. It gives you credibility. It is an opportunity for someone else to say you are worth listening to and your book shares some great advice.
Research who to approach beforehand
Well before launch, be bold and approach the ‘biggest names’ in your field for reviews and blurbs. Blurbs are a short phrase praising you and your book, like those soundbites you see with newspaper star-reviews of films. Send key influencers a printed galley proof of your book. If you don’t yet have pre-release proofs, send a PDF containing the cover, the complete table of contents, your first introduction and chapter one and a table of contents and your bio.
Offer to send the full version if they want to see it.
Don’t expect people to read your book. They are busy and may only have time to write a few sentences, so give them a skeleton to follow and some clear, concise instructions.
Give them a sample chapter and your table of contents from your press pack.
If you are working with a publisher, check it is OK to send out PDF copies. Your contract may stipulate it shouldn’t be shared in PDF format in case it leaks onto the internet as a free download.
Partner with organisations
Partner with organisations, clubs, and other groups that support a cause similar to the one that your book addresses. After your book launch, they may hold a display copy for you. Let them know they can set up an Amazon Associate account and get a commission when readers buy their own copy online.
Give influencers giveaways worth sharing
Create giveaways that are worth sharing. Let influencers know about your material. Explain that is the point of it is to promote your book, and they are welcome to a free copy of the giveaway and the book to make sure it meets their professional criteria. Offer discounts for others to share with their audience.
CreateSpace coupons are the way to do this.
Offer guest blog content
Guest blogging gains you exposure (and by having them guest blog for you, they gain exposure). That’s a win-win for everyone. Increasing reach is a terrific way for other people to find your work. Don’t go over the top with this. Quality over quantity is the way to go. Avoid duplicating your content. (There are some SEO implications that are outside the scope of this book promotion piece – excessive guest blogging and syndication is considered underhand by Google. Check www.searchengineland.com for the latest advice).
Build rapport with your story
Create a movement around you and your book. Share with people why writing this book matters. If you wrote the book out of frustration with gooroos offering low-quality advice, tell people?
Fed up seeing newbies make the same mistakes over and over again?
Maybe you can be the voice of the underdog? Maybe you want to campaign for something? Be the force for good.
Make the book more than just a book – make it a crusade.
Support the people you want to work with in other ways. Perhaps you will share the details of the event they are running, or invite some friends to a webinar?
Add comments to relevant posts and status updates
Comment on threads in Facebook groups or on other people’s threads to build your reputation as an expert. Always be subtle in your approach. Read the material in detail and add a constructive comment – no peacocking!
Tell promoters about the Amazon Associate programme
Tell people how to become an Amazon Associate to get money for promoting your book. They are much more likely to bother. Also mention the customer’s entire Amazon basket gets the commission, not just the money they make from your book. (Another tip: don’t promote your own book as an affiliate yourself – that’s against terms and conditions.)
Next I’ll cover book tours.
See ya.
