Happy New Year’s Book Marketing

Debbie Young, pretending to work, when she was really having coffee with a photographer friend

As the New Year takes hold, I'm sure many authors, like me, will be frantically listing resolutions for their writing career, including plans to boost their readership via savvy book promotion.

To kick off your 2016 marketing plans, I thought it would be helpful at this stage in the year to share some quick'n'easy marketing opportunities brought to you by ALLi. For some of these, you don't even have to be an ALLi member – but we're hoping that once you've read this post, you'll be wanting to join us!

If you're not an ALLi member

• Make the most of the huge free marketing advice resources within the ALLi blog, visible to non-members as well as members (though only members have the right to guest-post). We have amassed nearly 1,000 posts on the blog, and at least one is added each week on a topical marketing subject. There are posts suitable for everyone from beginners wondering what the difference between a Facebook profile and a Facebook page, to established authors comparing notes on how they manage their vast email lists of fans. To find a post on the topic you're looking for, enter the keywords in the search box. And if you just want a general overview of book marketing as a whole, click on the Category tab, Book Marketing and Promotion, and you'll pull up all the relevant posts, newest listed first.
• Join the conversation on blog discussions relevant to your genre, mentioning your special interest and even naming relevant books, if you can do so without making your comment look like the odious or desperate kind of “buy my book!” tweets that are such a turn-off. But just getting your name out there (with a link back to your website) will increase that all-important discoverability.
• Consider joining ALLi! There are lots of discounts and deals available to members, including on marketing services and advice. Check out the list of great reasons to join here. 

If you are an ALLi member:

• Don't forget to check out those reasons highlighted in the above link, to make sure you're capitalising on them all!
• Make sure you complete your profile on the ALLi membership website, to ensure that if anyone searches for you, e.g. a journalist is looking for a thriller writer in France, they will find you. (If you're not sure whether you've completed your profile, search for yourself using the form on the front page of the website – you'll soon find out!)
• Don't forget to add each new book as it's published – it's amazing how quickly these profiles get out of date. (My next task after writing this post is to add my latest book!)
• Complete the Member Showcase Submission form every time you have a news story to share. This needn't only  be a book launch – special offers, promotions, events and awards are also newsworthy, and this is a great place to spread the word. It's quick and easy to do – just complete the Showcase Submission form, which you can access from the drop-down Showcase menu top right on the blog. Your news story will be published as soon as it's been moderated (usually by me and usually within 48 hours) for house style, typos, etc.
• Consider writing a guest post for the blog on any topic of your choice that you think would fit in with the tone and purpose of our blog. In the first instance, email me (debbie {at} allianceindependentauthors.org) with your proposal, and we'll agree the details and deadline. Guest posts include the author's bio, so it's a great way to raise your profile – and it'll also give you new material to post on social media and your own website. You're also allowed to share the post in full on your own website, a week after it's been published, provided that you include a link to our blog, where it first appeared.
• Even if you don't go on Facebook for anything else, join our exclusive Facebook forum – a great place to ask questions and find answers from authors who have “been there, done that”, any time of day or night (the sun never sets on our global membership!) Even though we don't allow self-promotion on the forum, authors often gain new readers that way, because other members find out about their books, get to know and like them as people, and decide to sample their work. A very indirect form of marketing, but one not to be overlooked.
• Keep an eye on our news for the many new marketing opportunities that we'll be announcing this year, to help you become a more successful author. For a preview, check out our press officer Valerie Shanley's latest news round-up here.

Come and join us!

OVER TO YOU

Like to share your 2016 Book Marketing Resolutions? Feel free to add them in a comment!