So you’ve finally finished writing the book that’s been in your head forever but now you’re wondering to yourself, “How do I promote my book for free online?” After all, you want to sell your book and be seen but not at the expense of your limited budget.
Have no fear. Promoting your book online is one of the easiest things to accomplish as well as one of the most cost effective ways to promote. There are literally hundreds of ways to get your book in front of and in the hands of readers. However, I will now give you my top seven online book promotion ideas.
Create A Free Author Website
If you already have a website, you should be promoting your book there as well. Create a page just for your book and describe what the book is about as well as any other information that will attract readers to you.
If you don’t have a website, there are many ways to create a simple, free author website or page to promote your book online. Sites like Bookbub and Goodreads will let you create an author’s page free of charge. These types of pages are simple spaces where you can answer reader questions, collect reviews, and promote your books.
In addition to free author websites, you might want to consider creating a ,more professional looking website using WordPress, Wix, or Weebly.
These sites are great for those on a budget because they have free as well as paid options. With the paid options you, of course, get more freedom to create a site specific to your brand.
Create A Freebie
Freebies are a great way to attract readers that you might not otherwise be introduced to. A freebie is content that you give away in return for a person’s email address.
Many writers post free content such as a the first three chapters of their book or a free e-book on a topic related to the book they are promoting.
An example would be creating a free e-book on how to prepare a week’s worth of meals in one afternoon. This would be a great idea for someone who has written a cookbook.
Send Email Newsletters
Once you have built up a good sized email list, it is a great idea to send out a regular monthly newsletter. The content in your newsletters are meant to keep your readers engaged.
Your newsletter is the perfect place to announce upcoming releases, contests, and events as well as reader testimonials and more.
Spread The Word On Social Media
Social media is one of the best places to concentrate your promotional efforts when promoting your book. This is especially true if your promotional budget is tight. We can thank organic reach for this.
Social media is a place where you get the opportunity to promote your books for free. You do this by engaging with your followers. You can engage readers by asking them to like, comment, and share your content with their network.
Another way to take advantage of social media’s organic reach is to create contests and challenges. Your contests and challenges should give your readers a chance to win a prize.
These contests should require them to give their email address as well as spread the news about your book as well.
Create A Goodreads Giveaway
One of the best ways to promote your book is by creating a Goodreads giveaway. Goodreads giveaways will also help you generate some interest in your book as well as get some reviews.
You should know though that the giveaways only work with print books. However, there are some things you can do with your digital book as well.
You should also know that because Goodreads is a site for avid readers, their reviews can be a bit harsher than those you might get on Amazon.com. So just prepare yourself. I assure you, it will be worth it.
Write A Blog
You’re a writer, right? Well, writers love to write and a blog is the perfect place to engage your readers. It has always been my personal opinion that every website should have a blog on it.
Blogs are places where you can share content or subject related to the topic of your books. These short, easy-to-read articles allow your readers to learn more about you and your books. Because blogs are condensed content, it makes them easy for readers to share with friends.
And So Much More…
These are only a handful of ways to promote your books. There are hundreds of other ways to answer your question, “How do I promote my book for free online?”. All you need is some time and imagination.