One of the questions I get from writers who have never written an eBook for the sole purpose of self-publishing is, “How would you promote a self-published eBook? Where would you even begin?”
Many writers balk at even attempting to play publisher, but if they only knew that it’s not as hard as they think it is, plus they keep to keep all the profits, I feel that more people would realize that self-publishing ebooks is not only a profitable venture, but they are really simple to promote as long as you take a no-nonsense guerilla approach to marketing.
As long as you have a market, and have a quality eBook that is free of errors, your eBook can become a success, thus give you that added income. But, the great thing is, you won’t be sharing the profits with anyone. There is no overhead except for website expenses, which you should already have.
I have successfully promoted several eBooks for myself and for my writing group, getting those eBooks into the #1 position in the search engines.
How?
That’s where your guerilla marketing plan comes in.
Here are a few simple ways I have used to promote my eBooks and get them to the top of the search engines:
1) Using key search words throughout my selling page and on every single piece of promotional literature I send out.
2) Using free press release sites frequently, keeping in mind to use those key search words not only in the title, but also throughout the release.
3) Using free article banks as vehicles to get my selling page’s link on hundreds upon hundreds of websites.
4) Using online storefronts who will list my eBook for free.
5) Using writer’s forums and websites who will let you announce your eBook.
6) Using blogs to announce your eBook and promote it.
7) Using others’ blogs to set up virtual book tours.
The secret to selling self-published eBooks (or any kind of eBook or print book, for that matter) is to get your link on as many websites as you can. You have to remember, you have an electronic book. You can’t go on book signings, so you have to rely on the Internet to get the word out. But, by following those seven examples above, I’ll guarantee you’ll get the sales you need.
So what if you’ve done everything above, and your eBook still isn’t selling?
Where some authors go wrong is that they fail to remember the most important thing you need in order to sell any kind of books—a market.
No amount of promotion is going to do you any good unless you have an audience who is willing to fork out the money.
Before you even put down that first word, you have to ask yourself these following questions:
Who is going to buy my eBook?
Why is my eBook any different than Joe Blow’s eBook on the same subject?
What will my audience gain from my eBook?
Can they already find this information readily on the Internet?
Will my buyers gain something from my eBook, or is it simply to entertain?
Pique your potential buyer’s interest.
Post an excerpt on your website so they can judge for themselves whether your eBook will be something they need.
Once you get into the mindset of your buyer, things start falling in place, and you’ll get those sales you want.
Zero in on your market, and do the steps I’ve outlined above, and I’ll guarantee you’ll be selling ebooks.
Happy promoting to you!
© Dorothy Thompson
Dorothy Thompson is the editor of The Writer’s Life (
http://www.thewriterslife.net/), one of Writer’s Digest Top 101 Websites for Writers, and the author of the self-promoting eBook “A Complete Guide to Promoting & Selling Your Self-Published eBook,” available at
http://www.thewriterslife.net/promoteebook.html.
(You are welcome to include this article on your website, ezine or newsletter as long as the complete bio is intact.)
Tags: how to promote your self-published ebook, ebook marketing, promote your ebook, promote your ebook, book promotion, ebook promotion, book marketing, online marketing, viral marketing
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