I’ve self-published my work, now what?

You’ve climbed the self-publishing mountain and now you can kick back and take it easy, right? If only it were that easy. Now, the hard work begins: marketing your work. Chances are you took advantage of a good commercial printing outfit and you have a pile of books to move. Without a good marketing plan, all your writing will be for nothing.

Here are five marketing steps to help you along:-

1. Social Media – Establishing a social media presence is one of the fastest ways to build momentum for marketing. Social media such as Twitter and Facebook allow you to start building a loyal fan base. Setting up accounts is free and takes very little time. Managed correctly, they are powerful additions to a successful marketing campaign.

2. Author Platform – A good author platform will serve as the basis for a good deal of your marketing efforts. An author platform is a website that will feature your self-published work. It can be as simple or as elaborate as you desire. The good news is that there are lots of ways to establish your platform and many of these are free. Consider using a WordPress.com site. They are free and you have control over every aspect of the site including layout, design elements and content.

3. Go Local – The local aspect of marketing is often overlooked by self-published folks. Most communities have independent bookstores who love to promote local talent. Contact them about setting up a display or maybe even a book signing. If your book applies to a specific trade or business, contact professional organizations and request a speaking engagement at one of their luncheons or conferences.

4. Interview – The key to selling your work is to get the word out. One of the best ways to do this is through a series of interviews in a variety of venues. Local talk radio stations often have these kinds of segments. Contact them and find out what needs to be done in each particular case. There are also a number of venues on the web including sites like Blog Talk Radio. The advantage here is that it is easy to mesh these interviews with what you have going on at your author platform and they are easy to promote through your social media circles.

5. Leverage Every Opportunity – The most successful self-publishing types seize every opportunity to get their name and their work out where folks can see them. Change your email signature to include a link to your author platform. Join forums that pertain to your work and again, include links to your work in your standard forum signature.

Marketing your self-published work may be challenging but it can be very rewarding. It is normal to have reservations about self promotion. In time you will feel better about doing it and you may find it to be one of the most gratifying experiences of your life.