Top 4 Out-of-the-Box
Book Marketing Tricks to Promote Your Self-Published Book
by Charlotte Endorf
 As
an author of historic biographies and self-help non-fiction, I
put a lot of time, energy, and research into my books. I go to
great lengths to provide my readers with an authentic and historically
accurate reading experience. I consider it my duty; it's
definitely my calling. It's important to me that my readers
have a chance to experience the particular time and place in which
any of my books are set. I put my heart and soul into my work.
So much so that once my books are published they've essentially
become an image of me.
I'm proud of that and therefore very
motivated to share these experiences with others. Book marketing
is not without its hardships. But like so many of the immigrant
orphans I profile in my books, I can overcome the challenge and
demonstrate my perseverance.
For instance, here are four out-of-the-box marketing techniques
that I have used to market my books. They may help you, too.
1. Make your book a performance through a skit or play
I admit it is sort of a gimmick, but it is also a lot of fun.
You see, my immediate family has a knack for bowing to my whims--they're
very kind. And not one of them refused when I asked them to dress
up in period attire to portray characters in my books. They've
actually become the heroes, villains, and historical figures in
my books. We perform live skits at book events that are held everywhere
from the local bookstore to the public library. I can tell you
firsthand our performances are received a whole lot better than
a boring old book signing—and there's also a lot more
applause! It's what I've come to expect as an "authorpreneur,"
because I have a winning team helping to make creating and promoting
books all about having a good time. Does it hurt that it brings
me closer to my family or helps me sell more books? No, that's
icing on the cake.
2. Make your book Kindle ready
Recently, I attended a rather savvy self-employment conference,
which advised participants that all self-published books should
be Kindle-ready. Less than a week later, I received an email from
my publisher, Outskirts Press, letting me know that they could
produce Kindle editions for all my current books—and all
my future ones, too. As an author, it is nice to be on the cutting
edge of publishing technology. Kindle editions receive their own
listing in the Amazon search results, and depending upon the price
you set, you can earn as much as 70% royalties, directly from
Amazon.com. More exposure, more sales, more money? You bet!
3. Create an On-Demand Espresso Book Machine edition
of your book
The Espresso Book Machine was named the "Invention of the
Year," by Time Magazine and provides a revolutionary direct-to-consumer
distribution model for books. Put simply, the EBM is an automated
book-making machine. The operator selects a title to print, and
within a few minutes a book emerges, with a full-color cover,
trimmed to an exact size, and indistinguishable from the publisher's
version. As they say, "Hot off the press!" With Espresso
Book Machines already available in locations like the New York
Public Library and bookstores worldwide, having an "Espresso
Edition" of your books helps you deliver your content to
your potential customers in the format, and with the immediacy,
they require to make the purchase. Once you have additional editions,
send out new press releases announcing the increase in your books'
availability.
4. Don't just sell your books - sell yourself
Self-publishing has helped me get to where I want to be as an
author and as an entrepreneur. I'm an incredibly proud member
of the ever-growing group of "authorpreneurs" who are
making our mark and transforming the publishing world, but I,
for one, didn't do it alone. My on-demand publisher, Outskirts
Press, has been an invaluable resource. They've offered
great ideas and effective marketing support. They've been
somewhat of a lightening rod to help me accomplish my goals of
being a successful writer. I realized that as an authorpreneur,
I'm not just selling a book or a number of different books; I'm
selling myself. And in order to sell myself, I have to establish
my value. My expertise is in biographical non-fiction and self-help.
Identify your unique selling propositions and leverage them.
As a writer, whether it's my latest creative opus or an
email to my family, it's really nice to know that words
make a difference. They help us help one another figure things
out. Words make us laugh and cry. Words teach us about the past
and about the men and women we want to become. It's a fine
thing to be a wordsmith. Besides the occasional writer's
block, I know there is nothing else I would rather do than
write. I live to compose stories that make the past come alive.
It's a pretty sweet life, but what is even sweeter
is when writers have what we need in the way of an audience—a
growing, ever-expanding readership—so that we can just keep
writing.
Books by Charlotte Endorf
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