By:
Diana Urban
Myth
or fact: once
a book has launched and the new release buzz has died down, there’s nothing
else you can do to market that book except write the next one.
Myth! Unfortunately,
many authors and publishers think there’s nothing more they can do for a book
after the crucial first few weeks. But the truth is, with a little creativity
and persistence, you can continue marketing a book to effectively reach new
readers well after its birthday.
Here
are some strategies you can use to promote a book in the two to six months following
its release to keep the momentum going before it’s considered “backlist ”:
1.
Use discounting to hook new readers
If
you’re promoting a book released within the past six months, consider
discounting an older book in your backlist . You can use a backlist book to hook
new readers and build a fanbase that will be interested in your newer release.
While this strategy can work in the leadup to a book launch, it’s also
effective in the weeks and months following the new book’s release.
Readers
are more
inclined to try a book or author they’ve never heard of if it’s
offered at a lower price, like $0.99 or $1.99. However, they’re less likely to
risk spending full-price before they’re a fan of an author’s work. So while you
may not want to discount your new title, 60% of bargain readers purchase other books from an
author they discovered through a price promotion, so after they buy a
discounted backlist title they’ll often be willing to buy your newer book at
full price. In fact, over 70% of BookBub partners reported increased sales
for their other books after running a price promotion, so this cross-promotion
strategy could be highly lucrative. Prior to discounting a book, update it to cross-promote your newer release in the back matter, so it’s
easy for your new readers to discover it.
For
example,
if you’re promoting the latest book in a series, offer the first book in the series for free or at a deeply
discounted price for more than three days and promote the discount using a
service like BookBub. By discounting the first in the series, you’ll hook new
readers who will likely buy the subsequent books in the series at full price,
including the title you’re actively promoting.
Discounting
a backlist title is also an effective strategy for promoting frontlist books,
even if the newer book isn’t part of a series. For example, hybrid author Cheryl Kaye Tardif increased sales of her standalone book 130x by
discounting it to $0.99 and promoting the discount with BookBub.
2.
Continue to bolster your book’s platform with more reviews
.
. .
To
read the rest of the post, click here:
~*~
If
you missed my writing & marketing tweets and retweets yesterday, here they
are again:
- The Proofreading Technique That Will Change Your Life http://ow.ly/QzHRn
- How to Punctuate Dialogue | The Editor's Blog http://ow.ly/QzI8D
- How to Nail Your Novel Pacing (without selling your story's soul) | She's Novel http://ow.ly/QzIeu
- Getting Your Book Ready For Discovery | Author Marketing Institute http://ow.ly/QzIRI
- 5 Step Recipe To Create Your Protagonist’s Inner Circle | Sacha Black http://ow.ly/QzJ7e
- Self-Publishing? Which Path Is Best for You? | Jami Gold, Paranormal Author http://ow.ly/QzJi8
- The Problem with Kindle Scout (and the Solution) by Shayla Eaton — The Book Designer http://ow.ly/QzK3N
- Reading Roundup: What's New in Blogging Lately - @ProBlogger http://ow.ly/QzK9t
- 10 Content Marketing Goals Worth Pursuing - Copyblogger http://ow.ly/QzKw9
- Fiction University: Indie Publishing Paths: Do You Know Your Goals? http://ow.ly/QzKDB
- Writability: Pub Life: Starting to Feel Real http://ow.ly/QzKKf
- What Makes A Good Book Cover? | Casey Griffin http://ow.ly/QzMmQ
- Ready for Your Close-up? What YouTube Can Do for Writers | The Passive Voice | http://ow.ly/QzNhy
- Novel Rocket: For Want of a Hook http://ow.ly/QzNrf
- How to Market Your Book After the New Release Buzz Dies Down http://ow.ly/QzWqZ
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