book marketing Archives - Alliance of Independent Authors: Self-Publishing Advice Center

Scan the Market Before Marketing Your Book

June 6, 2019
Boni Wagner-Stafford
Book Production & Distribution Advice, Book Promotion & Marketing Advice
3 Comments

It’s common to check out competitor books, titles, covers, and prices before we set our own. And that’s a good thing. As ALLi Communications Manager Boni Wagner-Stafford (also of Recommended Partner Member Ingenium Books) tells us in this excerpt adapted from her new book, One Million Readers, it's a good idea to do a thorough market scan before marketing your book.

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How to Reach Global Audiences For Book Distribution

May 29, 2019
Alison Cliford
Book Production & Distribution Advice, Book Promotion & Marketing Advice
0 Comments

One of the beauties of being an indie author is our ability to reach global audiences. As an indie, even if you write in a niche area, marketing is in your control. All you need to do is think globally. Author member Alison Clifford discusses global reach and whether there's more to it than just distribution.

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How to Get an Author Photo Readers Will Love

May 23, 2019
Sacha Black
Book Promotion & Marketing Advice, Debate & Opinion
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Many indie authors struggle with how to handle their author photo. They’re shy, or modest, or frugal, and don’t want to hire a professional photographer “just” for their author photo. Here’s why Boni Wagner-Stafford, ALLi's communications manager and co-founder of ALLi Partner Member Ingenium Books, believes you should.

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Planning For a Successful Book Fair

With book marketing consistently ranked as one of the top challenges for the self-publishing author, you might wonder whether paying to participate in book fairs is worth the money and the effort. Indie author and ALLi member Sue Rovens provides recommended do's and don't's for a successful book fair, based on her personal experience.

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Book Distribution: Why You Need to Drive Readers into Bookstores

May 2, 2019
Debbie Young
Book Production & Distribution Advice, Book Promotion & Marketing Advice
0 Comments

Wondering why no-one's buying your books from bookstores, even though you've published your print books through IngramSpark? You need to drive readers into bookstores to buy them - Debbie Young explains why and how.

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Opinion: Book Marketing is Less Daunting in Baby Steps

April 29, 2019
Cathy Dudley
Book Promotion & Marketing Advice, Debate & Opinion, Running An Author Business
1 Comment

Feeling overwhelmed by the need to market your book? Try breaking the process down into baby steps - a system that Cathy Dudley found worked for her, as she describes with a case study here.

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Book Marketing: Seasonal Books for All Times of Year

Are you taking advantage of your books' potential for seasonal marketing? Debbie Young explains how to trade off the seasonal relevance of your back catalog all year round.

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Inspirational Indie Authors: Stephen Oram on Finding Opportunities

Wondering how to make your books and yourself stand out from the crowd? Take inspiration from Stephen Oram's fascinating case study of what's worked for his near-future sci-fi books and decide how his method might work for you.

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The Self-Publishing Advice Blog: How to Self-Publish A Book

Welcome to ALLi's Self-publishing Advice Center, a community outreach service from the Alliance of Independent Authors, offering advice and guidance you can trust, across the seven processes of publishing: Editorial Design Production Distribution Marketing Promotion Publishing rights management

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Book Marketing: World Book Day Visits for Indie Authors – A Case Study

If you write for children, have you ever thought of doing events in schools for World Book Day? It's a great excuse and schools will love you for it! Read Sue Bough's account of her first event of this kind and what fun she had.

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How To Find the Perfect Title

The harsh reality is that many of us rack our uncooperative brains for weeks in a fruitless search for a title. And when divine inspiration doesn't appear and we're nearing the point of desperation, we clutch at a semi-random title that feels only mediocre. We settle. But if you're in that latter category, take heart: every book in the history of literature is a lesson on how to choose a title. Let them guide you, and you'll find a title that fills you—and your readers—with delight.

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Marketing: Think of Your Readers’ Tastes & Habits, Not Your Own

Crime writer JJ Marsh describers a lightbulb moment in her book marketing - to forget about her personal preferences and focus on her readers' habits and tastes instead. The resulting boost in her sales makes it a compelling argument!

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