What services does a publishing company provide for you that you cannot do yourself? The answer is simple. You get the services of a person who knows how to market your book! It is nothing more nor nothing less!
So, how do you market yourself when you self-publish? First thing you do is run out and tell all your family members and then you run out and tell all your friends. Now, if you are really enterprising you will Tweet it and post it on Facebook. For most self-published authors, that is all that is going to happen. I hate to tell you what you just did was only step one. You might get 100 copies of your book sold.
There is more to this marketing. Next thing you do is to go by all the independent book stores in your city and surrounding area. Ask if they would be interesting in hosting a book signing. See if you can get an agreement on them purchasing your left-overs for their book shelves. Your self-publishing company will sell you copies of your book in print for cost. If they don’t run away! The store will sell them at face value and you sell them to the bookstore at $2.00 to $3.00 over cost.
I suppose you are asking, what’s next? Have you ever heard of a Press Release? Where is it written that you cannot send one out for you own book? The answer is clear, the media does not give rat’s pa-toot who or from where a press release comes to land on their desk! They only care what it says to them!
Guess how easy it is to find them? It is as simple as typing “Book Press Release” in a Google search! I chose the following website to get my template: http://www.selfpub.info/templates/book-press-release-templates-and-examples.html — Not only does it give you templates but it gives you some examples of well written Press Releases. Before you get started make sure you have a well written short bio. Remember that no one cares how old you are! They only care that you know how to write. They only care about your accomplishments. They only care why you are qualified to write what you did. The last thing to remember is that you are not trying to please yourself. You are writing to impress some else that your book is worthy of being read by the general public.
Once your Press Release is done, send it to every newspaper in your State. Send it to every newspaper in your native State, if you moved. Send it to every major news outlet in all the other states, picking out the largest markets first. Don’t forget to send the Press Release to the library in your home town and town where you currently reside. If you know someone at a newspaper or library, hand deliver it.
Great advice! Some writers underestimate the power of good marketing. They also underestimate the work involved.
I stumbled upon your site. I found your article quite informative. I would like to self-publish, and you provided lots of information on press release. Thank you!