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Ideas for marketing a novel online?

by Superior Content Creation
65 replies
Despite the advice of a couple people here at the forums, I have decided to circulate my first novel as an ebook. I've already designed a basic site using wordpress and set it up to accept payments--I'm offering the first 145 pages free and then charging for the rest to be downloaded.

I thought some of the brilliant minds here might be able to suggest a few unique ideas for marketing this--seo is just not going to do it because I don't think a whole lot of people are online actively searching for a novel to read, and if they are, they are not searching for mine specifically. Well, not yet... In the near future, I plan to submit a copy to Kindle Books.

Anyone have suggestions for me? You can look at my site at www.thesmellofpines.info. Advice on the site is welcome too.

Thanks in advance,
dru-man
#ideas #marketing #online
  • Profile picture of the author JeremyHoover
    Target bloggers and reviewers who write/review in the niche your novel is in. Send them a free copy if they'll write a review.

    Develop relationships on other forums where readers hang out. Promote your free giveaway in your signature file.

    Get the email addresses of everyone who downloads your book and keep in constant contact with them, offering articles about how you wrote the book, why, maybe even a free short story or two. Include the buy link at the end of your email.
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  • Profile picture of the author JoMo
    Get some people to do reviews on your book, and then create review sites. You can market those review sites with key words you research that are based on your books content. I see what you are saying about SEO'n, but people may be interested in your book who are not actively looking for a book. they may only be interested in the subject matter, but you can hook 'em with some good promotional sites.


    -joel
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  • Profile picture of the author slvrsrfr
    i think this is a hard slog and if you figure it our i'd love to know. i set my book up on lulu.com which works well for me. sales are in the toilet, but i haven't done a lot of marketing.

    i've tried some youtube videos based on keywords related to my book, such as "stephen biko" etc, they got some good views, but no sales. you could try the standard route of writing articles based on long tail keywords related to phrases folks might search when looking to guy a new book to read. i've tried this too, but didn't get much success with that either.

    paul coelho of "the alchemist" actually released that book as a russian version ebook with free download of the whole thing. and it apparently increased sales of his hardcover version.

    i was going to try that, but i can't give it away free as an ebook through lulu. but something for you to consider?

    i'll be keeping a close eye on this post 'cos i'd be interested too.

    good luck,

    jason
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    • Profile picture of the author Superior Content Creation
      Originally Posted by slvrsrfr View Post

      i think this is a hard slog and if you figure it our i'd love to know. i set my book up on lulu.com which works well for me. sales are in the toilet, but i haven't done a lot of marketing.

      i've tried some youtube videos based on keywords related to my book, such as "stephen biko" etc, they got some good views, but no sales. you could try the standard route of writing articles based on long tail keywords related to phrases folks might search when looking to guy a new book to read. i've tried this too, but didn't get much success with that either.

      paul coelho of "the alchemist" actually released that book as a russian version ebook with free download of the whole thing. and it apparently increased sales of his hardcover version.

      i was going to try that, but i can't give it away free as an ebook through lulu. but something for you to consider?

      i'll be keeping a close eye on this post 'cos i'd be interested too.

      good luck,

      jason
      I won't be putting all my energy into this right now--it was on the back burner but I had an extra couple days on my hands so I said what the heck I might as well throw the website together. Most of my time will still be focused on my projects more likely to bear profit.

      There are a lot of stories of people increasing hard cover sales by releasing free ebooks. Stories of first novels becoming successful this way are certainly out there but it does not happen as often--I may consider giving it away for free, but releasing the first half and charging after the reader has been hooked seemed worth a go. I'll check out lulu.com. Thanks for relating your experiences.
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      • Profile picture of the author slvrsrfr
        Originally Posted by dru-man View Post

        There are a lot of stories of people increasing hard cover sales by releasing free ebooks. Stories of first novels becoming successful this way are certainly out there but it does not happen as often--I may consider giving it away for free, but releasing the first half and charging after the reader has been hooked seemed worth a go. I'll check out lulu.com. Thanks for relating your experiences.
        good luck, i wish you the best. both my wife and i are struggling to make headway with our books. she is more focused than i am on getting her book published. she's on blogs and twitter and forums.

        she been hustling hard for about a year and a half. had sales of over 1000 so it's working.

        but this is why i'm trying to get into im, develop some passive income...i don't need a lot and then get back to writing/publishing my other books. i've written 3 so far. only bdb is published.

        so i totally understand your approach.

        jason
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        • Profile picture of the author Superior Content Creation
          Originally Posted by slvrsrfr View Post

          good luck, i wish you the best. both my wife and i are struggling to make headway with our books. she is more focused than i am on getting her book published. she's on blogs and twitter and forums.

          she been hustling hard for about a year and a half. had sales of over 1000 so it's working.

          but this is why i'm trying to get into im, develop some passive income...i don't need a lot and then get back to writing/publishing my other books. i've written 3 so far. only bdb is published.

          so i totally understand your approach.

          jason
          It's good to hear she's made some progress. Not the most profitable venture in the world, but I suppose that's not really what it's all about anyways, eh? Good luck on the passive income. By the way, what is the name of your wife's book? Maybe I'll google it. I checked out the link in your sig--looks like an interesting read.
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          • Profile picture of the author slvrsrfr
            thanks for inquiring dru. here's her link. i loved it (of course i'm biased). it's an adventure novel about ancient egypt exploring the technologies that gave the egyptians there ability to create the pyramids etc.

            Secret of the Sands - The official homepage of authors Rai Aren and Tavius E.

            feel free to contact her, she's been very generous with her suggestions to fellow authors on some of the forums she's on.

            jason

            Originally Posted by dru-man View Post

            It's good to hear she's made some progress. Not the most profitable venture in the world, but I suppose that's not really what it's all about anyways, eh? Good luck on the passive income. By the way, what is the name of your wife's book? Maybe I'll google it. I checked out the link in your sig--looks like an interesting read.
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            What would you do IF you could do it?
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            • Profile picture of the author Superior Content Creation
              Update: I've sold two copies of the eBook so far and recieved one $20 donation, and I haven't implemented any marketing tactic besides starting a group on Facebook. Was one of those purchasers a fellow warrior? lol

              To be fair, the donation and one of the purchases were from people I knew in high school, so....There have also been four downloads of the free version since yesterday, which actually comes out to a really good conversion ration considering the traffic I've got right now. I haven't tracked the total number of free downloads...ooops. I guess I better upgrade the sight and start capturing emails.
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  • Profile picture of the author Shannon Tani
    Is it available on Kindle? I'm not sure how to do that, but I think that it's possible. Kindle users are more likely, I think, to purchase novels in ebook format.

    Love,
    Shannon
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  • Profile picture of the author monopuff
    This is the kind of thing Twitter is made for. Get on there, join in the conversations. There are tons of authors, editors, and publishers from every different genre represented.

    Contact blog owners and offer to write a guest post or do an interview is another great way to get exposure. My mother actually runs a paranormal romance blog and you would not believe the amount of exposure the authors get, they literally go on a "blog promotion tour" much like someone plugging a film / book would go on television talk shows.

    Good luck!
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    • Profile picture of the author Superior Content Creation
      Originally Posted by monopuff View Post

      This is the kind of thing Twitter is made for. Get on there, join in the conversations. There are tons of authors, editors, and publishers from every different genre represented.

      Contact blog owners and offer to write a guest post or do an interview is another great way to get exposure. My mother actually runs a paranormal romance blog and you would not believe the amount of exposure the authors get, they literally go on a "blog promotion tour" much like someone plugging a film / book would go on television talk shows.

      Good luck!
      Twitter--of course! I actually haven't used twitter at all yet, so this will be a good opportunity to learn how it works. Thanks!
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  • Profile picture of the author rhelaine
    you need to create a brand around you.

    you can listen to the "on the page" podcast. they had someone talk about that subject a couple of weeks ago
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  • Profile picture of the author twright
    Maybe add some pictures to go with your text on your website.. like a guy that is hurt in the woods.. maybe someone would see the picture and peek there interest in how he got there..

    Optionally: if money is not a motivation.. use a autoresponder and every week release another chapter or offer to speed up the experience for the one time price.
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  • Profile picture of the author TrishOleary
    Wow your novel sounds very interesting. I would definetly have some review sites set up.
    I really like the look of your sales page as well.
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  • Profile picture of the author monopuff
    Since we seem to be brainstorming some good ideas here a few posts on this thread jogged this idea.

    How about you set up an affiliate program and offer blog owners in your genre a hefty percentage to promote both on their site and to their list. I guess this is what a JV is.

    The give and take is you will get less money for these sales, but will get to build a list of buyers that you can keep in touch with.. maybe give them sneak peaks, etc..

    The possibilities are really endless when you get going
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    • Profile picture of the author Superior Content Creation
      Originally Posted by monopuff View Post

      Since we seem to be brainstorming some good ideas here a few posts on this thread jogged this idea.

      How about you set up an affiliate program and offer blog owners in your genre a hefty percentage to promote both on their site and to their list. I guess this is what a JV is.

      The give and take is you will get less money for these sales, but will get to build a list of buyers that you can keep in touch with.. maybe give them sneak peaks, etc..

      The possibilities are really endless when you get going
      Yeah, I'm not against giving up a percentage at all. As long as people continue to be as moved by the story as they have been, word of mouth should be good, so I figure the more it gets out there the better. I like a lot of the ideas here, and I plan to start implementing some of them. Building that list could be valuable as well when the next novel comes out or the memoir is finished.
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  • Profile picture of the author Don Schenk
    Dru-man,

    I'm just curious. Did you happen to test several titles and subtitles for your book? Often time the title and subtitle can make or break whether anyone even considers looking at the book.

    I remember John Caples writing about the Dale Carnegie "How To Win Friends And Influence People" book, they tested the original title "How To Save Your Marriage" against the title that won. Caples put a copy of the "marriage" Ad in one of his books.

    You can use little adwords Ads to test various titles and subtitles quickly. You might find a really exciting, curiosity title.

    :-Don
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    • Profile picture of the author Superior Content Creation
      Originally Posted by Don Schenk View Post

      Dru-man,

      I'm just curious. Did you happen to test several titles and subtitles for your book? Often time the title and subtitle can make or break whether anyone even considers looking at the book.

      I remember John Caples writing about the Dale Carnegie "How To Win Friends And Influence People" book, they tested the original title "How To Save Your Marriage" against the title that won. Caples put a copy of the "marriage" Ad in one of his books.

      You can use little adwords Ads to test various titles and subtitles quickly. You might find a really exciting, curiosity title.

      :-Don
      I am familiar with the technique you're talking about from Ferriss' description of it in The Four-hour Workweek, but I'm afraid the title is played on throughout the book and has been the title ever since I wrote the first chapter when I was seventeen. It could be changed, but I really don't want to unless people just have a hard time with it.

      I wouldn't be against experimenting with the subtitle at all. Right now it is The Smell of Pines: A Long Walk in the Woods, but the subtitle isn't really shown on the website. It's on the ebook graphic, but you can't really read it. I'll look into this more. It could very well be worth it.
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  • Profile picture of the author Dan C. Rinnert
    Originally Posted by dru-man View Post

    Anyone have suggestions for me? You can look at my site at www.thesmellofpines.info. Advice on the site is welcome too.
    Your text is too passive. You're going to lose people before they even get down to reading about the free download.

    For example: "In The Smell of Pines, seventeen-year old Derek Patterson is engaged in his own staring contest with death."

    How about: "In The Smell of Pines, seventeen-year old Derek Patterson engages in his own staring contest with death."

    Or even: "In The Smell of Pines, seventeen-year old Derek Patterson engages in a staring contest with death."

    The same for your opening paragraph: "The will to survive is an amazing force of nature. Some people stare into the dark eyes of death and find a voracious hunger for life, providing the strength to conquer challenges which seem beyond human ability. Others simply close their eyes, letting death wash over them, so disillusioned by life's hardships they see no reason to hold on."

    The first sentence is too passive. You need something with more impact, something active. The will to survive pushes, the will to survive drives, etc. "The will to survive is..." just does not engage the reader.

    The other thing is that you start the paragraph with the premise that the will to survive is an "amazing force" but then the last sentence seems to contradict that. Where is the will to survive of the people that let death wash over them? Are the two extremes (some people fight for life and some just give up) what makes the will to survive amazing? If that's what you meant, I think you need to use a descriptor other than amazing. But, it strikes me as contradictory, because a person that gives in doesn't seem to have much of a will to survive.

    I think you need to rework that opening. Make it more active, less contradictory. Or, if the contradiction was your intent, make that clearer.

    The passive voice also shows up throughout your opening pitch. "His brother, Peter...was sent to prison..." "David was left alone..." Then, "Meanwhile, Peter is out of prison and on an unrelenting mission to settle unfinished business with his younger sibling..." How about "Meanwhile, Peter, recently released from prison, sets out on an unrelenting mission..." Or, "Released from prison, Peter relentlessly seeks his young sibling to settle unfinished business..."

    I think you need to use the active voice more in your pitch in order to engage potential readers and draw them down to your download offer. Otherwise, I think they'll just tune out before they get that far down.

    And, honestly, you should work on putting the active voice more into the novel itself before distributing it and trying to sell it. For example, this paragraph from your first page: "In one paralyzing moment his whole cranium was gripped with an agony beyond the reach of his imagination. It was as if a thousand miniature knives were digging razor points into his brain tissue while a giant hand clenched monstrous fingers around the base of his head and squeezed it like a grape."

    How about something more active: "In one paralyzing moment, agony gripped his whole cranium, as though thousands of miniature knives dug razor sharp points into his brain tissue while a giant hand clenched monstrous fingers around the base of his head, squeezing it like a grape."

    If you want to make the most of your effort, my opinion is that you really need to make sure the writing does not stand in the way of the story. As it is, the passive voice, which more or less creates unnecessary pauses and breaks the story flow, is not helping you, neither in the pitch nor in the opening of your novel.
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    • Profile picture of the author Superior Content Creation
      Originally Posted by Dan C. Rinnert View Post

      Your text is too passive. You're going to lose people before they even get down to reading about the free download.

      For example: "In The Smell of Pines, seventeen-year old Derek Patterson is engaged in his own staring contest with death."

      How about: "In The Smell of Pines, seventeen-year old Derek Patterson engages in his own staring contest with death."

      Or even: "In The Smell of Pines, seventeen-year old Derek Patterson engages in a staring contest with death."

      The same for your opening paragraph: "The will to survive is an amazing force of nature. Some people stare into the dark eyes of death and find a voracious hunger for life, providing the strength to conquer challenges which seem beyond human ability. Others simply close their eyes, letting death wash over them, so disillusioned by life's hardships they see no reason to hold on."

      The first sentence is too passive. You need something with more impact, something active. The will to survive pushes, the will to survive drives, etc. "The will to survive is..." just does not engage the reader.

      The other thing is that you start the paragraph with the premise that the will to survive is an "amazing force" but then the last sentence seems to contradict that. Where is the will to survive of the people that let death wash over them? Are the two extremes (some people fight for life and some just give up) what makes the will to survive amazing? If that's what you meant, I think you need to use a descriptor other than amazing. But, it strikes me as contradictory, because a person that gives in doesn't seem to have much of a will to survive.

      I think you need to rework that opening. Make it more active, less contradictory. Or, if the contradiction was your intent, make that clearer.

      The passive voice also shows up throughout your opening pitch. "His brother, Peter...was sent to prison..." "David was left alone..." Then, "Meanwhile, Peter is out of prison and on an unrelenting mission to settle unfinished business with his younger sibling..." How about "Meanwhile, Peter, recently released from prison, sets out on an unrelenting mission..." Or, "Released from prison, Peter relentlessly seeks his young sibling to settle unfinished business..."

      I think you need to use the active voice more in your pitch in order to engage potential readers and draw them down to your download offer. Otherwise, I think they'll just tune out before they get that far down.

      And, honestly, you should work on putting the active voice more into the novel itself before distributing it and trying to sell it. For example, this paragraph from your first page: "In one paralyzing moment his whole cranium was gripped with an agony beyond the reach of his imagination. It was as if a thousand miniature knives were digging razor points into his brain tissue while a giant hand clenched monstrous fingers around the base of his head and squeezed it like a grape."

      How about something more active: "In one paralyzing moment, agony gripped his whole cranium, as though thousands of miniature knives dug razor sharp points into his brain tissue while a giant hand clenched monstrous fingers around the base of his head, squeezing it like a grape."

      If you want to make the most of your effort, my opinion is that you really need to make sure the writing does not stand in the way of the story. As it is, the passive voice, which more or less creates unnecessary pauses and breaks the story flow, is not helping you, neither in the pitch nor in the opening of your novel.
      Thanks for the points. I see what you're saying about the contradictions of the will to survive as a force of nature. I think I will need to make some changes there. As far as the language goes, some of what you have said I agree with while some not so much. If you plan to continue reading and would be interested in giving more criquique, I'd be glad to send you a download of the entire copy and an email address for you to send your thoughts to. PM me if you're interested. I'll take all the help I can get.
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      • Profile picture of the author Dan C. Rinnert
        Originally Posted by dru-man View Post

        Thanks for the points. I see what you're saying about the contradictions of the will to survive as a force of nature. I think I will need to make some changes there. As far as the language goes, some of what you have said I agree with while some not so much. If you plan to continue reading and would be interested in giving more criquique, I'd be glad to send you a download of the entire copy and an email address for you to send your thoughts to. PM me if you're interested. I'll take all the help I can get.
        Ordinarily, I'd love to help, but I'm in the middle of trying to finish up an eBook project of my own.

        Generally speaking, if you work on removing "is" and "was" from your writing vocabulary, you'll do well.
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        • Profile picture of the author Superior Content Creation
          Originally Posted by Dan C. Rinnert View Post

          Ordinarily, I'd love to help, but I'm in the middle of trying to finish up an eBook project of my own.

          Generally speaking, if you work on removing "is" and "was" from your writing vocabulary, you'll do well.
          No problem--I understand. I did some polishing on the home page based on some of your suggestions, and I'll do a little more redrafting sometime soon.

          Cheers
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        • Profile picture of the author jacktackett
          Originally Posted by Dan C. Rinnert View Post

          Generally speaking, if you work on removing "is" and "was" from your writing vocabulary, you'll do well.
          Great point Dan, especially in a novel.

          Also, search for all instances of the word "that" and "which" and see how things sound when you remove them. They're the equivilant of "uhm"s in spoken speech. Can't get rid of them all, but you'll be surprised how many you can.

          best,
          --Jack
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  • Profile picture of the author jacktackett
    Dru-Man - I recommend you read dan poynter's self-publishing manual.

    Self publishing fiction, except for poetry, is definitely a touch row to hoe - but is doable, Christopher Paolini's Eragon series is an excellent example.


    With both the self publishing and the ebook slant could make for an effect PR campaign. I would definitely suggest you launch a PR campaing, especially in your local area. Most venues are in need of local talent - like newspapers and radio. In fact you could provide interviews to any such organization. I would definitely recommend thinking about a general PR campaign.

    Good luck!
    best,
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  • Profile picture of the author dndoseller
    Originally Posted by dru-man View Post

    seo is just not going to do it because I don't think a whole lot of people are online actively searching for a novel to read, and if they are, they are not searching for mine specifically.
    "new novel" gets 27,100 searches per month on Google. What you think is apparently incorrect.
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    • Profile picture of the author Superior Content Creation
      Originally Posted by dndoseller View Post

      "new novel" gets 27,100 searches per month on Google. What you think is apparently incorrect.
      Yes, I actually did a little keyword research after I made that statement and found the same thing. Thanks for pointing it out. It still leaves some speculation about how to grab that traffic, but I think there are ways to get it done.
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    • Profile picture of the author gianne2705
      That was the competition in this market all about.People might look for novels but they will prefer to read it at home with their spare time.Just like on a book where you can read in a few hours stop then read again.
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  • Profile picture of the author cimbah
    I have to be honest with you, I read A LOT of books (or at least I did before getting into IM) and the thought of reading a novel on a computer screen totally turns me off. From the perspective of a person who loves to read, there's something to be said about lying in bed or curling up in a chair with a good book!
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    • Profile picture of the author Superior Content Creation
      Originally Posted by cimbah View Post

      I have to be honest with you, I read A LOT of books (or at least I did before getting into IM) and the thought of reading a novel on a computer screen totally turns me off. From the perspective of a person who loves to read, there's something to be said about lying in bed or curling up in a chair with a good book!

      I completely agree--I'm the exact same way. That's why when established authors give away free ebook versions of their novels it only increases the sale of the print books. Still, it is a model that has worked for some and I think worth a shot.
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  • Profile picture of the author Anthony J Namata
    This is a VERY interesting thread. I'm putting the finishing touches to my first novel, and have already started penning my next. If I were you I would put it up on lulu. They have both paperback and digital download options on the site, and a built-in option to download a sample of the book however long you want that to be. But most of all, Lulu has lots of traffic and an SEO system that can link keywords from your book to the engines. Just go take a look at Self Publishing - Lulu.com

    Oh, and you can also giveaway free bookmarks at bookstores to promote the book. Just stand in the street outside a bookstore and hand them out to people entering and leaving the store. Or if the store will allow you to leave them at the till, you do that!

    Best of luck!

    Anthony
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    • Profile picture of the author Superior Content Creation
      Originally Posted by Anthony J Namata View Post

      This is a VERY interesting thread. I'm putting the finishing touches to my first novel, and have already started penning my next. If I were you I would put it up on lulu. They have both paperback and digital download options on the site, and a built-in option to download a sample of the book however long you want that to be. But most of all, Lulu has lots of traffic and an SEO system that can link keywords from your book to the engines. Just go take a look at Self Publishing - Lulu.com

      Oh, and you can also giveaway free bookmarks at bookstores to promote the book. Just stand in the street outside a bookstore and hand them out to people entering and leaving the store. Or if the store will allow you to leave them at the till, you do that!

      Best of luck!

      Anthony
      I'm glad this thread has been getting so much response--I was a little unsure whether there would be interest, but it seems a lot of warriors are are curious about marketing novels online. Thanks for the tips! You're the second one who mentioned Lulu, so I'm on my way over right now.
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  • Profile picture of the author clubvikram
    Banned
    Originally Posted by dru-man View Post

    Despite the advice of a couple people here at the forums, I have decided to circulate my first novel as an ebook. I've already designed a basic site using wordpress and set it up to accept payments--I'm offering the first 145 pages free and then charging for the rest to be downloaded.

    I thought some of the brilliant minds here might be able to suggest a few unique ideas for marketing this--seo is just not going to do it because I don't think a whole lot of people are online actively searching for a novel to read, and if they are, they are not searching for mine specifically. Well, not yet... In the near future, I plan to submit a copy to Kindle Books.

    Anyone have suggestions for me? You can look at my site at www.thesmellofpines.info. Advice on the site is welcome too.

    Thanks in advance,
    dru-man
    yup, indeed the novel can be marketed in a real nice way. you search for good blogs, where they are general novels, or the blogs which discuss the subject of your novel, make good press releases, target some good forums to tell others about it, and i would really suggest that you optimize the blog as well, so that you can market keywords, so that people looking for the particular subject can get a know how of your blog and book as well...
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  • Profile picture of the author slvrsrfr
    if someone's bought your novel. and i think you have paypal on there, then you have their email.

    not that they've necessarily opted in but you could always send a friendly inquiry if they'd like to be kept up to date?

    jason
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    • Profile picture of the author Superior Content Creation
      Originally Posted by slvrsrfr View Post

      if someone's bought your novel. and i think you have paypal on there, then you have their email.

      not that they've necessarily opted in but you could always send a friendly inquiry if they'd like to be kept up to date?

      jason
      Yeah, I have the emails for those that purchased, but I forgot to capture the emails for the free downloads.
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      • Profile picture of the author Superior Content Creation
        So, for those of you using Lulu--do you retain full rights to the work when you publish with Lulu? I think Jason mentioned something about not being able to distribute for free because he was using them. Can you still offer the book on your own site? Can you still submit to Kindlebooks and other competitors--what about making deals with a print publisher?
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        • Profile picture of the author Anthony J Namata
          Originally Posted by dru-man View Post

          So, for those of you using Lulu--do you retain full rights to the work when you publish with Lulu? I think Jason mentioned something about not being able to distribute for free because he was using them. Can you still offer the book on your own site? Can you still submit to Kindlebooks and other competitors--what about making deals with a print publisher?
          Yes, you can do all of the above. In fact, print publishers are likely to find YOU through Lulu because they GO there to look for new authors.
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        • Profile picture of the author slvrsrfr
          Originally Posted by dru-man View Post

          So, for those of you using Lulu--do you retain full rights to the work when you publish with Lulu? I think Jason mentioned something about not being able to distribute for free because he was using them. Can you still offer the book on your own site? Can you still submit to Kindlebooks and other competitors--what about making deals with a print publisher?
          and when i got on board you could get automatically onto amazon through them as well.

          it's a very easy process. and yes you definitely keep all of the rights for yourself.

          jason
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  • Profile picture of the author Katie Rich
    I really like this idea. Could I critique a little? on my pc, the headlines and background are a little blurry. The white headline text is a bit 'thin' and not good on the eyes. Might just be my pc though! Twitter and ebook reviews should help with distribution. And the title makes me want to read it!!
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    • Profile picture of the author Superior Content Creation
      Sure--thanks for the critique. I agree about the headlines and background being a little blurry--I don't think it's just your pc. I guess I was just being a little lazy. I think it's the program I used to put the image together. I'll try to do some work on it after I'm done working on my cover for Lulu. Thanks a lot--I'm glad the title appeals to you!


      By the way, it looks like I can't give any more "thanks" on this thread--it appears I've overdone it already. I wasn't sure if there was a limit, but I always like to show my appreciation to people who contribute. Thanks again to everyone for all the great stuff!
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  • Profile picture of the author Tracey_Meagher
    Have you thought about making it into an audio book and putting it for sale on itunes? I don't know much about this but it could be worth looking into. The is huge potential in this market.
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  • Profile picture of the author uzomaeze
    What you have done is the best deal offering a certain chunk of the ebook for free, you can also use face book to advertise your book or promoting it there, set up a fan base page for the book, you can integrate that aspect on your website, and also including it in the 145 pages you offered for free, ask readers to follow you both on twitter and facebook, by so doing you are actually building a viral community which will spread the word about your book, in all good luck
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    • Profile picture of the author Superior Content Creation
      Originally Posted by uzomaeze View Post

      What you have done is the best deal offering a certain chunk of the ebook for free, you can also use face book to advertise your book or promoting it there, set up a fan base page for the book, you can integrate that aspect on your website, and also including it in the 145 pages you offered for free, ask readers to follow you both on twitter and facebook, by so doing you are actually building a viral community which will spread the word about your book, in all good luck
      Thanks for the good wishes. I've already got a facebook group going, and I plan on getting twitter going too. A lot on my plate right now, but I'm on it. How do I go about integrating it with the webpage? I'll look into it.

      Originally Posted by ken_p View Post

      i am not a big ebook fan, so i have no idea, but i took a look at your site, and i really like the content,the only thing thats bothering me is the background. its really disturbing if you are trying to read...
      Thanks for checking out the site. I felt the same way when I first put the site together, worrying that it might be too busy, but besides one comment earlier about some blurriness, no one has mentioned it. I'm glad you pointed it out; I think the site is going to need a little bit more revamping. Do you think it was distracting because the background image isn't very clear, or do you just think the image is altogether too much?
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  • Profile picture of the author ken_p
    i am not a big ebook fan, so i have no idea, but i took a look at your site, and i really like the content,the only thing thats bothering me is the background. its really disturbing if you are trying to read...
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  • Profile picture of the author Jon Steel
    That's a pretty solid book summary. Honstly, however, to market such will take strategy. I would start by going to online book clubs, reading blogs, and author sites. The first two are self explanatory, however, if you contact other authorts (and this is your first novel) maybe you can convince them to back it and send an offering out to their "fan" mailing list...

    Good luck to you - I hope everything works out...

    By the way, I don't like your website or your book cover at all. You may want to hire a professional to dress that up a little better for you...
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    • Profile picture of the author Superior Content Creation
      Originally Posted by Jon Steel View Post

      That's a pretty solid book summary. Honstly, however, to market such will take strategy. I would start by going to online book clubs, reading blogs, and author sites. The first two are self explanatory, however, if you contact other authorts (and this is your first novel) maybe you can convince them to back it and send an offering out to their "fan" mailing list...

      Good luck to you - I hope everything works out...

      By the way, I don't like your website or your book cover at all. You may want to hire a professional to dress that up a little better for you...
      Yeah, the marketing will definitely take some focus. My focus is spread out a little right now, so I'll work on this when I have time from my other projects, but I think if I applied all the different tactics on here I might get some readership. I don't have the funds to hire a graphics guy right now, but perhaps I can expiriment with the software more and see if I can improve. Cheers

      dru-man
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  • Profile picture of the author europromotional
    there might be several advices available for successful online marketing campaign. but Promotional Products can offer you some good mode to make money as a solid marketing tool.
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    • Profile picture of the author Alexa Smith
      Banned
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      • Profile picture of the author Superior Content Creation
        Thanks for the tip on re-locating the download link. I think that's a good idea. As for publishing through different mediums, I plan on doing it in more ways than just this one. I am currently setting up an ebook on Lulu, and I plan to submit to Amazon as well (as long as Amazon is fine with having it on different platforms). I know so little about this that I didn't know anything about Author House or Create-a-Space, but I'll surely look into this now. As I mentioned before, this project was on the back burner but I had some time on my hands so I threw up a site real quick.

        Cheers,
        dru-man
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        • Profile picture of the author netcowboy
          I'm also getting started with publishing my first fiction novel through Create Space. I won't make hardly anything once you figure in all of the costs but just the exposure on Amazon is what I'm really after. I know several book publishers scan Amazon for new books and you have to play the game if you expect to win.

          I also plan on getting into Twitter and FaceBook groups to gain more exposure. I'm in the process of building a WordPress blog with a nice template. Once the book is printed and on Amazon for sale I'm going to produce a press release. Then I'm going to call my local paper as well as the radio and TV stations to let them know about the press release and that a local guy just published a new novel. You need to create a buzz and tell people just how good of a story you wrote. How else will they know?

          I'm not the shy type and I figure I have nothing to lose and a whole lot to gain if even one says yes to an interview. Free publicity can produce good results but you have to let people know that this novel is too good to miss and basically you have to sell it to the masses.

          I write every single day and have already got 6 chapters done on my second novel. Even though fiction is a tough road to go down you have to be relentless if you plan on succeeding and not listen to how rough it is. I love to write and I would write even if no one ever paid me a dime. But hey, who knows how much you could possibly make if you just get the word out?

          I'm passionate about the creation of words and my mind is so full of stories I could never write all of them down in 2 lifetimes. I guess you could say I'm full of it. At least that's my wife's favorite saying.
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  • Profile picture of the author superaffiliate09
    Here are some tips to generate buzz:

    *submit the free pages to free e-book directories.just make it compulsory to optin before they are able to download.

    *comment on other prominent blogs in your niche and put a link to your site.

    *contact ezineowners in your niche(you can find them by typing"your niche+ ezines in the google search) and propose JVs.at least some of them will accept your request.
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  • Profile picture of the author edgegirl
    I am an author also. What I found worked to build my list on one of the books was to offer excerpts that were edited out and not included (it was non-fiction).

    In the book I included tracking codes to drive them to the website and bonuses to get them to subscribe--I didn't tour with this work.

    I find that I get a trickle of subscribers but that list is golden since most will buy (or have already purchased) the book.

    My last publisher dropped the ball on my most recent book and I'd like to get sales going again.

    If you want to brainstorm or partner somehow I am game. I have not had much luck with the blog tour aspect so I'd be interested to know how your efforts pan out.
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    • Profile picture of the author Superior Content Creation
      Originally Posted by superaffiliate09 View Post

      Here are some tips to generate buzz:

      *submit the free pages to free e-book directories.just make it compulsory to optin before they are able to download.

      *comment on other prominent blogs in your niche and put a link to your site.

      *contact ezineowners in your niche(you can find them by typing"your niche+ ezines in the google search) and propose JVs.at least some of them will accept your request.
      Some great suggestions there, superaffiliate. I really like the one about submitting the free portion in free ebook directories. Thanks for taking the times to put in your cents.

      Originally Posted by edgegirl View Post

      I am an author also. What I found worked to build my list on one of the books was to offer excerpts that were edited out and not included (it was non-fiction).

      In the book I included tracking codes to drive them to the website and bonuses to get them to subscribe--I didn't tour with this work.

      I find that I get a trickle of subscribers but that list is golden since most will buy (or have already purchased) the book.

      My last publisher dropped the ball on my most recent book and I'd like to get sales going again.

      If you want to brainstorm or partner somehow I am game. I have not had much luck with the blog tour aspect so I'd be interested to know how your efforts pan out.

      With all these great ideas that have been thrown at me, it is going to take some time to get around to implementing them all, and that's not to mention all the other things I've got going on. But it sounds like you've had a little succes with this--so I'm all ears to suggestions. I'm always up for hearing new ideas. I don't really know how a partnership would work on something like this. Can you explain more about the excerpt offers--I'm not quite sure I understand? Also, what was your non-fiction book about? I think if I do a blog tour it would be good to not only focus on blogs dealing with online novels or new books but with similar subject matter. I think the best thing will be to get it to some people who have a readership that respects their opinion and ask them to read it and write a review. Possibly easier said than done, but honestly, there are so many good ideas here for viral marketing and other creative approaches that I could be busy for a while.
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      • Profile picture of the author edgegirl
        My book was on the history of animal blessings and contemporary pet ceremonies. I included some cutting edge events but my editors were not comfortable with some (like the freeze dried pets)...I can't post a link but the book website is blessingoftheanimals.com (and yes, it needs to be redone). <g>

        So, the excerpts were things that did not make it into the book. People LOVE them because they are not something that others get...kinda like a built in bonus series.

        In other works, you could probably include some back story on the characters...or give subscribers the ability to suggest future plots or twists.

        As for touring, needs to be the audience appropriate for the book. So any blogs whose readers would make up your audience.

        Is that a bit clearer?

        Let me know how you do on Facebook since I am still sorting out those pages and need to market there--the possibilities are huge because you can really target the right people.
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  • Profile picture of the author testaccount9998
    Hey druman,

    Congrats on your book. It looks pretty good.

    My thoughts on your site:

    Change the background image, I dont know about for others, but on my computer the image is very very grainy.

    As far as marketing your book on the internet. I had one immediate thought:

    Sell Your Book on AmazonSell Your Book on Amazon by Brent Sampson

    I know that book just looks like a hard copy of a run of the mill Internet Marketing report, but trust me it is not.

    I personally own that book and it definitely gives you tons of ways to sell your book on amazon. (Which, who are we kidding, is the best to sell a serious number of copies or any book online these days.)

    I really don't have the time or energy to mention even half of the stuff I learned in that book that I didn't even know existed. Just read some of the reviews.

    Best of luck,

    Rebtl
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  • Profile picture of the author Rachel Goodchild
    I'm happy to answer questions about book promotion- it's my forte really
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    • Profile picture of the author Superior Content Creation
      Rachel,
      If you have some suggestions for the thread, I think a lot of people are pretty interested here. It would be good to get an expert's take on this. As far as questions go, a lot of people on here have come out with some great ideas. A lot of great ideas. As someone who has obviously done this before--can you tell me (or us) where the best place to start focusing the energy is? Have you done a lot of book promotion online? Thanks for joining the conversation--I'm anxious to get your views.

      Cheers,
      dru-man
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      • Profile picture of the author Rachel Goodchild
        Originally Posted by dru-man View Post

        Rachel,
        If you have some suggestions for the thread, I think a lot of people are pretty interested here. It would be good to get an expert's take on this. As far as questions go, a lot of people on here have come out with some great ideas. A lot of great ideas. As someone who has obviously done this before--can you tell me (or us) where the best place to start focusing the energy is? Have you done a lot of book promotion online? Thanks for joining the conversation--I'm anxious to get your views.

        Cheers,
        dru-man
        Right- well as someone who has been able to do both alot of online and offline promotion- I strongly suggest the use of social networking sitesas opposed to alot of the other ideas on here. Get a twitter page and link to your book. But social network well- don't make it about the selling- make it about the relaitonship.
        Make a squidoo page about your book- and ask for people to post reviews (get some people lined up to do it.) If anyone gives you positve feedback at any stage, post it up.
        The key is to get people with big mouths making a buzz.

        Contact radio stations and tv and papers and ask if they want a story about publishing a novel online- and is print dead? that could help alot too
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        • Profile picture of the author braver55b
          Originally Posted by Rachel Goodchild View Post


          Contact radio stations and tv and papers and ask if they want a story about publishing a novel online- and is print dead? that could help alot too
          I second that, create and maintain a database of tv and radio contacts to contact them with a press kit (or faxed press released) with a catchy maybe even controversial headline.


          Some say that media outlets need news to fill their time; but they will not accept anything that doesn't stand out, even if its a novel so make the headline stop them in their tracks.

          I once heard a story along time ago about how some media outlets gather a bunch of faxes they received and read them with about a 10 second glance over the waste bucket and trashed the ones they were not interested in.

          There was even an ebook called Trash proof press releases published years ago.

          I don't know if that's really true or not; but you have to be persistent to get coverage.

          Congrats to you on your first book.
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          • Profile picture of the author Rachel Goodchild
            I don't use press releases. I find someone to phone, I call, then I send a personal email. Probably has about a 60% success rate- the key is you don't pitch a book- you pitch an angle.

            Originally Posted by braver55b View Post

            I second that, create and maintain a database of tv and radio contacts to contact them with a press kit (or faxed press released) with a catchy maybe even controversial headline.


            Some say that media outlets need news to fill their time; but they will not accept anything that doesn't stand out, even if its a novel so make the headline stop them in their tracks.

            I once heard a story along time ago about how some media outlets gather a bunch of faxes they received and read them with about a 10 second glance over the waste bucket and trashed the ones they were not interested in.

            There was even an ebook called Trash proof press releases published years ago.

            I don't know if that's really true or not; but you have to be persistent to get coverage.

            Congrats to you on your first book.
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            • Profile picture of the author ic7
              James,

              I get a good vibe from your book and site. I will definitely read more. A lot of great promotional advice in this thread. Twitter is super powerful. You can also use a tool to target your exact audience for the book:

              TweepSearch :: Twitter Profile and Bio Search

              This searches people's bios on Twitter. You can pretty quickly get a very targeted audience for your book.


              Radio Interviews: I bought a WSO a while back that is extremely effective:

              ██ Put Your Product On Radio & TV! █ Reach MILLIONS of Buyers FREE! █ Read the UNBELIEVABLE Reviews!

              Mark simply targets stations and then sends an email to the Producer. He follows up with a phone call. As Rachel said, you need to sell an angle. Producers are looking for entertainment value, controversy, etc.

              Paul
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              • Profile picture of the author Superior Content Creation
                Originally Posted by edgegirl View Post

                Let me know how you do on Facebook since I am still sorting out those pages and need to market there--the possibilities are huge because you can really target the right people.
                I've set up a Facebook group, and my plan is to start looking up groups for other novels (especially similar ones). Then I can go through those member lists inviting people to join my group with a short description of my novel and a link to my website. I'll fill you in on how that works, but as stated below by Rachel, I'll need to put more thought into how to make it more about the relationship than just "here's my book--read it." lol


                Originally Posted by Rachel Goodchild View Post

                Right- well as someone who has been able to do both alot of online and offline promotion- I strongly suggest the use of social networking sitesas opposed to alot of the other ideas on here. Get a twitter page and link to your book. But social network well- don't make it about the selling- make it about the relaitonship.
                Make a squidoo page about your book- and ask for people to post reviews (get some people lined up to do it.) If anyone gives you positve feedback at any stage, post it up.
                The key is to get people with big mouths making a buzz.

                Contact radio stations and tv and papers and ask if they want a story about publishing a novel online- and is print dead? that could help alot too

                That makes a lot of sense, Rachel. Social media sweems to be the biggest thing out there for creating a buzz, especially with something like this. I just started twittering--I've never messed around with Twitter before, so it's a good reason to start using it. I also appreciate the advice about focusing on the relationship. In fact, that's great advice for any marketer, really. I think it's time to sit down and write up a marketing plan for this book--there's a lot here I could put to use, but I need to find out how to best form the relationships you're talking about. Can you give me suggestions on how to break through that "I want to sell you a book" approach and come across as more human?


                Originally Posted by ic7 View Post

                James,

                I get a good vibe from your book and site. I will definitely read more. A lot of great promotional advice in this thread. Twitter is super powerful. You can also use a tool to target your exact audience for the book:

                TweepSearch :: Twitter Profile and Bio Search

                This searches people's bios on Twitter. You can pretty quickly get a very targeted audience for your book.


                Radio Interviews: I bought a WSO a while back that is extremely effective:

                ██ Put Your Product On Radio & TV! █ Reach MILLIONS of Buyers FREE! █ Read the UNBELIEVABLE Reviews!

                Mark simply targets stations and then sends an email to the Producer. He follows up with a phone call. As Rachel said, you need to sell an angle. Producers are looking for entertainment value, controversy, etc.

                Paul

                I like the sound of that tool, Paul. I'm on my way over to check it out! Thanks for the positive feedback on the site and the book, and feel free to email or comment at the site with any other feedback/ suggestions. I'm really anxious to hear what readers think!

                As for an angle, there are certainly some controversial themes in the book that I might be able to use to my advantage. I'll have to put some real thought into this.

                Cheers,
                dru-man
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  • Profile picture of the author homebasedmom
    By reading to the reply post of this thread, I have learned a lot. Those replies are good advices, thank you dru-man for posting this and thank for the people who have replied to this post.
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