Pitching Your Book on Twitter Fests

What are Twitter pitch fests?

Twitter pitch fests are limited periods of time (usually one day) during which you can post a 280-character pitch for your book.

Agents are on the alert at these times, and they have the option of "liking" your pitch, and then asking for a full or partial.

If you have a completed, agent-ready manuscript, tweet your pitch! It can't do you any harm, and it doesn't preclude querying agents.

Believe it or not, pitch fests actually do work. Busy agents are often more likely to read and respond to an interesting twitter pitch than they are to a query. It takes less time and a lot less effort.

However, it will not take less effort on your part. Boiling your novel down to a short sentence is loaded with pitfalls. It's surprisingly easy to turn your exciting novel into a one-sentence summary that would bore an elephant to tears. So, I would suggest that you read What's Your Book About? How to Make a Pitch before attempting one of these contests.

A good Twitter pitches will make you want to go out and BUY the book, which is precisely what the pitch is intended for. Contrary to what you may think, a pitch is not really about the meaning, theme, or inherent quality of your book. It is a sales tool. So, think about what would make you want to read a book, and convey that in your pitch. (A hint: Pitches, like queries, follow the story arc of your main character.)

Here is a list of 2021 pitch fests. Like Twitter itself, pitch fests are constantly changing and evolving. There are probably a few that I've missed. And, some of these may vanish by next year, but that is the nature of publishing. It's a volatile industry.

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#PassOrPages Query Contest 

 

October 4 -8, 2021

Participating agents give brief feedback on a handful of entries, explaining why they're passing ... or requesting pages! The queries and accompanying feedback are posted on our blog anonymously, which helps querying authors get a peek into agents' minds as they go through their slush piles.

For each round of Pass or Pages, they will only accept entries from one specific genre/category, announced in the weeks leading up to the contest. This ensures that all entries are from a genre/category that our participating agents represent. When the submission window opens, you'll fill out a form on the blog with all the pertinent information (query and first 250 words for the agents).

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#PitDark

May 19, 2022

#PitDark is the first and only Twitter pitch event to highlight literature of a “darker” nature. Importantly, this is not limited to horror works; however, any pitched manuscript must contain an element of horror or darker writing. Examples of such categories include pure horror novels, dark fantasy, murder mysteries, psychological horror stories, non-fiction works about darker subjects, etc. MG, YA, NA, and adult age categories are welcome.

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#DVPit

August 1 -2, 2022  8AM - 8PM ET

This event is for un-agented, self-identifying historically marginalized authors & illustrators for children’s & teen fiction/nonfiction. Hosted and moderated by Beth Phelan.

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#DVart

August 2, 2022: 8AM - 8PM ET 

This event is for un-agented, self-identifying historically marginalized authors & illustrators for adult fiction/nonfiction and for artists & illustrators. Hosted and moderated by Beth Phelan.

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#PBpit

Hosted by Mandy Yates

October 22, 2022

For picture books only.

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#MockPit

November 19, 2021

#MockPit is a Twitter event where writers can practice their Twitter pitches. Authors are invited to tweet the pitch for their manuscript and encouraged to give constructive feedback to other authors. #MockPit is not associated with any other Twitter pitch contests, but authors are welcome to practice pitches they intend to use for other events.

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#IWSGPit

January 2023 - 8:00 am - 8:00 pm EST

Create a Twitter-length pitch for your completed and polished manuscript and leave room for genre, age, and the hashtag. On January 26, 2022, Tweet your pitch. If your pitch receives a favorite/heart from a publisher/agent check their submission guidelines and send your requested query. All genres.

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#SFFpit

Hosted by Dan Koboldt

August 25, 2022

This contest is for completed, unpublished novels of fantasy or science fiction. Complete means that it’s proofed, polished, and ready for submission. Unpublished means you haven’t self-published it online, on Amazon, or in print. Fantasy or science fiction means speculative fiction: epic fantasy, urban fantasy, post-apocalyptic, space opera.

The contest will happen on Twitter under the hashtag #SFFpit. During a 10-hour window on the chosen day, authors with completed manuscripts who are seeking representation or publication can tweet a pitch for their books (at most, once per hour).

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#PitchDis

Summer of 2023 (TBA)

#PitchDis was created to showcase pitches from the disabled community, which has been historically underrepresented in the publishing industry. The event is inspired by the Twitter pitch events #DVpit and #PitMad.

The first #PitchDis will take place on June 22, 2021 between 8am and 8pm EDT. During this time, unagented disabled authors may pitch their complete, polished fiction or nonfiction projects on Twitter. Agents and editors who are interested in seeing more will "like" the pitch. The author can then send the requested materials to the agent or editor.

The event is moderated by Despina Karras.

Why You Need an Author Profile - And Where to Post It

One of my hugely informative author profiles. Don't do this.

Author profiles are an essential part of book marketing and promotion. An author profile is a mini-biography. It tells something about the author that will interest the reader, includes a headshot, and links to the author's books. Depending on where you post your profile, you can also include a link to your website or blog, events, videos, and answers to questions posed by readers.

Profiles are useful for several reasons. First, anyone who has enjoyed your book will want to find out more about you. And second, your fans will want to read other books by you. Third, profiles provide an avenue for engagement with readers.

Your profile isn't just who you are, it's who your readers think you should be.

The two foundations of a profile are:

Headshot - Readers, first and foremost, want to know what authors look like. How many times have you read a book and then hunted around on the back for a photo? Maybe, you've even done that before you read the book. Make sure your photo is professional. Depending on what you write your portrait can be serious (literary fiction), friendly (children's fiction), brooding (horror), congenial (general fiction), authoritative (non-fiction) - whatever you write, your personality should reflect your genre. A good photographer can make a world of difference, so work with a professional.

Bio - Bios are written in third person. As with the headshot, your bio should match your genre or topic. If you are writing non-fiction, your credentials are most important. What gives you the authority to write your book? If you write humor, make it clever. If you write for children, you can include your family, your pets. If you are writing general fiction for adults, write about your background, your professional career, where you live. (Do not write about your first writing project when you were in grade school!) Do you have any awards? Make sure to include them. Pretend that your publicist is writing about you - not your mother.

Where to post your profile

It goes without saying that your profile needs to be the central pillar of your website, but the two other places you absolutely must post your profile are Amazon and Goodreads. These two sites get an enormous amount of traffic. If you are self-publishing, make sure to post your profile on the platform you are using. Post a shortened profile on social media and networking platforms (Twitter, LinkedIn, Facebook). If you keep a blog (and you should), post a profile on your blog, and wherever you re-post (Medium, etc). Post your profile on groups you are a member of (alumni associations, professional guilds, etc). And post it where you promote your book. In other words, post your profile everywhere you can. People who read your book will want to find you, so make it easy for them.

Helpful articles:

Penny Sansevieri has written an excellent step-by-step set of instructions for making best use of your Author Central Page here: How to Optimize Your Amazon Author Central Page

You can find additional homes for your author profile here: 12 Author Profile Sites to Boost Your Discoverability 

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Amazon Author Central

Amazon is the largest Internet retailer in the world, so chances are good your book is for sale on Amazon. Author Central offers a wide array of features, including bio, photos, links to your books on Amazon, videos, events, blog feed, and your own URL.

Bio - of at least 100 characters. Amazon does not support HTML in their author bios, so it needs to be straight text - no italics, bold, etc. You should periodically update your bio, but before you do make sure to make a copy and save it to your computer first. (Amazon will not save your old bio.)

Photo - between 300 and 8000 pixels in width and height. Only JPEG (or JPG), GIF, or PNG photos, no other formats. You can add up to eight images.

Blog - Amazon allows you to link your blog feed to Author Central. Anyone visiting your Author page will see extracts of your latest posts along with a link to read more.

Events - This is where you place all upcoming events, whether they are physical (e.g. book signings) or virtual. After you've created an event, it is displayed in the Scheduled Events section. People can see the venue, location, time, a short description of the event, and the book you're touring with.

Videos - You can share video interviews, book signing videos, and other videos with readers. Your videos should focus on specific features of your books or your experience as an author. You can add up to eight videos to your page. Videos should be a maximum of 10 minutes and in one of the following formats: avi, wmv, flv, mov, or mpg. Videos should be your own (not from Youtube).

Author Page URL - If you wish, you can create your own URL for your author page to post to your Facebook page and/or blogs, tweet to your followers, or add it to your email signature. A URL that includes your name is important for Google searches. When people search your name, they will be directed to your Amazon Author Central page.

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GoodReads

GoodReads is a social discovery book site with over 50 million user reviews. It is currently owned by Amazon. The site is very active, providing a venue where readers can engage freely with authors, ask questions, follow authors, sign up for giveaways. In addition to rating and reviewing books, readers can see what is on their friends' bookshelves, get recommendations, and join groups. Like all social media, GoodReads allows you to have followers. Like Amazon's Author Central, you can post an RSS feed to blog, links to your website and Twitter account.

Tips: Upload a professional photo. Make sure your face can be seen. Your photo should reflect your writing image, that is, if you write children's fiction, you should smile and look trustworthy. If you write serious literary fiction, a serious black and white photo is fine. Humor - go ahead with a quirky photo.

A solid bio consists of a paragraph or two, and should convey some interesting personal information that can’t be found elsewhere

Enable Ask the Author from your author dashboard to allow readers to contact you easily. You can’t predict when a reader might want to ask you a question, so turning this tool on gives readers the immediate ability to connect with you. Even if the person hasn’t read your book, something in your bio might spark a question.

Curate your virtual bookshelf. Readers will be curious about what kind of reader you are. Find at least 20 books to add to your bookshelf on Goodreads. You don’t need to rate them if you don’t want to. You can also create custom shelves relevant to your work, for example “Books About Maine” if your novel was set there.

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Librarything

Librarything is a community of 2,100,000 book lovers. Like GoodReads, Librarything a social cataloging website for storing and sharing book catalogs and various types of book metadata. It is used by readers, authors, and librarians. There are currently 17,554 authors on Librarything. An author profile is automatically created when you become an Author Member. Simply upload a photo, add links to your website, and write a short bio.

Then do the following:

Catalog your books. Your readers want to know what books they have in common with you. Rate and review books to let your fans know what you think.

Add your readings and other events to LibraryThing Local. Events will then show up on your author page as well, so your readers can learn about your public appearances.

Join the Hobnob with Authors group and discuss your work with interested members.

Sign up for one of their Author Chats. It's not "real-time", but takes place in one of Librarything's forums, the Author Chat group, over a two-week period. Members ask questions, and the author checks in about once a day and responds. Librarything promotes author chats by sending profile comments to every member who has listed one of the author's books. 

Authors can host book giveaways on Librarything for ebooks, which is enormously helpful if you are self-published and are trying to get reviews.

Getting Your Self-Published Book Into Libraries

Updated 5/8/25

According to the American Library Association there are nearly 117,000 libraries in the United States. If you are considering self-publishing, that number should make you salivate.

Libraries are not only a huge market, they are frequently an untapped one for self-publishers. Unfortunately, libraries usually order books from their own distributors, which means approaching them directly to purchase your self-published book may be an uphill battle.

Don't despair.  Self-published authors have several options for getting their books into libraries.

1) Smashwords - If you publish through Draft2Digital (formerly Smashwords), your book will be available to libraries through OverDrive (world's largest library ebook platform serving 20,000+ libraries), Baker & Taylor Axis 360, Tolino, Gardners (Askews & Holts and Browns Books for Students), and Odilo (2,100 public libraries in North America, South America and Europe).

2) Indie Author Project - The Indie Author Project (IAP) is a publishing community that includes public libraries, authors, curators, and readers working together to connect library patrons with great indie-published books. IAP has helped hundreds of libraries engage their local creative community and assisted in getting more than 12,000 indie authors into their local libraries. Most importantly, the project has worked with top curation partners and librarians to identify hundreds of these as the best indie eBooks available to readers—so they can be sustainably circulated to library patrons with confidence.

Through this publishing community, authors are able to submit eBooks directly to their local public library to then be vetted by industry editorial partners and regional library editorial boards. Being selected by these curators can lead to expanded discovery, distribution, and networking opportunities.

3) Book Reviews - Librarians order books largely based on reviews. Getting a review into one of these magazines will provide you with maximum exposure.

• Booklist - Circulation: 80,000 print; 160,000 online
• Library Journal - Circulation: 100,000
• Publishers Weekly -  Self-published books can be submitted for review through Book Life.
• School Library Journal - Youth titles only. 

5) Direct marketing - This works for print books. Walk into your local library and ask them to order your book. While you're at it, offer to do a reading.

Helpful resources (Read these articles!):

The Library Market: What Indie Authors Need to Know

Getting Indie Authors Into Libraries - An Interview with Mitchell Davis of BiblioBoard

Top 25 Librarian Bloggers (By the Numbers)

9 Steps to Getting Your Self-Published Books into Libraries

Mega-List of Free Promotional Sites for Self-Published Books

Updated 5/8/25

The hardest task faced by self-published authors is promotion. Self-published authors don't have the resources of large, or even small, publishers. Nor do they have the marketing networks that every publisher relies on to create "buzz" for upcoming books. If you are self-publishing, you are going to have to do all that work yourself.

Fortunately, there are plenty of places for you to promote your book for free. Hundreds of online reviewers are happy to receive a book in exchange for an honest review, and many post their reviews on multiple platforms. There are also numerous sites that publish interviews with authors, as well as places to post your cover reveal and excerpts.

The resources below will help you on your way to effective marketing and promotion. I suggest that before you begin promoting your book, you look at these lists and sites and make a list of your own of the various types of promotion you'd like to do, and then find the sites that provide what you are looking for. Keep careful track of where you have promoted your book, and don't forget to evaluate the results!

Note: For all of my articles on self-publishing, including resources for promoting your book, marketing, getting reviews, setting up your author website and more see: Self-Publishing

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List of lists

Indies Unlimited has the longest, most comprehensive list of places to promote your book that I have ever seen.

Digital Pubbing's list of 110 tools to find readers and reviewers is conveniently broken down into categories (reviews, advertising, interviews, etc.) to help writers hone in to the type of promotion they are looking for.

Kindlepreneur lists 127 places to promote your book, free and paid.

Build Book Buzz's handout is a substantial collection of resources that will help you find media outlets, reader review sites, and online review sites for your book.

Angie's Diary lists the top ten free promotion sites for self-published books.

Savvy Writers has a list of 46 free promotional sites for self-published books.

Individual promotional sites

Authors Den allows self-publishers to download sample chapters which readers can review. You must have a book cover before you can upload a chapter. Detailed instructions are on the site.

YA Books Central offers book reviews, cover reveals, author profiles and interviews, sponsors giveaways and contests, and accepts advertising for YA books.

Book Buzzr  offers paid promotion, but you can try it for free for 14 days

Books on the Knob offers free reviews, will post your giveaway, discounted books,

Indie Books Blog is a blog that promotes self-published books. Fill out the form to have your book posted, and tweeted.

Book Life, run by Publishers Weekly, lets you submit your book for review, register your book, and post an author profile,  Don't forget to connect your social media accounts to your profile! 

• Get your book featured in BookLife's monthly Indie Spotlight. Each month they focus on a different topic.
• Submit your book for Publishers Weekly review consideration. It's free, and every year hundreds of BookLife submissions are selected for review. 
• Read the digital edition of the BookLife section of Publishers Weekly. Twice a month, BookLife samples the best books and ideas from indie authors all over the world. If you don't yet receive email notifications about each new issue, you can sign up here

Indies Unlimited offers an array of free features includes Thrifty Thursdays, Print Book Paradise, Kindle Unlimited Hump Days, and a weekly flash fiction challenge. The submissions guidelines are explained in detail on the features’ respective pages.

Kidswrd is a promotional site just for children's books (younger age groups). Authors can post their book by creating a KIDSWRD account. Your books are recommended to parents and kids through their email subscribers list. Your books are also promoted through related social media pages.

Snick's List will promote your book for one week for free. 

Robin Reads is a community of over 194,000 members looking for free and deeply discounted ebooks that align with their literary tastes. To submit your book for review fill our their online submission form outlining the details of the price promotion for your book. Use their booking calendar to select the day of your promo- each order is for one day of promotion. Books must either be free or cost 99 cents.

Book Goodies advertises free and bargain books. They also interview authors.

Best Book Monkey offers free and paid promotion. Best Book Monkey Package promotions are designed for books that are FREE, discounted to $4.99 or less, or have a regular price of $4.99 or less.

Book Basset offers two promotions: 1) They feature one author’s works. Featured authors will will get a dedicated post in the morning (usually between 9:30am – 10:30am Pacific Time) containing up to five of their books. Their post will be Tweeted and posted to our Facebook Wall and will also be featured in our daily “Today’s Deals From Book Basset” email. 2) Each day, Book Basset features a hand-selected batch of freebies.

Book Cave has 130,870 daily email subscribers, divided by genre and content rating. In addition, their website gets thousands a views, and they keep your book on the site during your entire sale, so you receive more views even after the day of your promotion.

Forums

Book Talk hosts free forums where authors and publishers can post their books. Book Talk also offers paid promotion.

Online Book Club is a forum for readers and authors. Reviews are also offered - both free and paid.

Kindle Boards

Mobile Read

Additional resources

For more free publicity sites see: Free Publicity for Your KDP Select Free Days

Self-Publishing: The Perils of Instant Gratification

Updated 4/6/25

One of the appeals of self-publishing is that there is no waiting time. In traditional publishing, there is a lag, sometimes of a year or more, between the publisher's receipt of a manuscript and its publication.

Historically, authors have railed against this lag for two reasons: 1) They are impatient to see their books on the shelf, and 2) They are worried that in some cases, the book may never be published at all.

The second of these reasons for objecting to a delay in publication is legitimate. If the publication date is not specified in the contract (e.g. manuscript will be published within one year of acceptance), there is always the chance that due to various unforeseen events affecting the publishing house, your book may never make it into print.

The first reason, impatience, is not a good reason to object to a delay, but it is the main reason many writers opt to self-publish. Once they finish a novel, they want to see it in print as soon as possible.

Why immediate publication is a bad idea

One of the reasons traditional publishers delay publication is that in addition to the months required to edit a book, it takes between four and six months to market a book. ARCs must be sent to reviewers, pre-orders must be set up, outlets must be notified. If these steps are not taken in advance, there will be no pre-release buzz. And without pre-release buzz, the proverbial tree will fall in the forest, and it will not make a sound.

This is not to say you can't promote a book after it has been released. You can, and you should. But if you don't create a demand for your book ahead of its release, chances are very few people will buy it. Demand is the fundamental basis of selling anything - be it a new car, a new shoe style, a new book, or a new president. Create a demand, and there will be a market for your product.

If you publish immediately after you finish editing, you will have no demand and no market, which means you are virtually guaranteed a lack of sales.

What to do before publication

1) First, make a list of book reviewers for your genre. Also make a list of bloggers who do interviews, and make a list of those who do cover reveals. (Many book bloggers do all three.) You should have several hundred reviewers when you are finished. This will take some time, so start now.

2) While you are making those lists, research popular publications - online magazines and general interest sites - relating to your genre or to the subject of your book. Make a list of those that accept advertising, or which will post your book as a new release. Start making the list now. (You can use Alexa to measure the traffic to a publication's website.)

3) Build your twitter following. Do not use a service. You need real followers, not a bunch of people who don't care about what you are tweeting. Do this at least a year before the launch of your book.

4) Make sure you have a Facebook page, a blog, and a website up and running at least a year before you launch your book.

5) As soon as you have a cover, make a banner. Write your back page blurb, and ask for endorsements.

6) Six months before your launch send review requests to every reviewer on your list. At the same time, send review requests to your list of popular publications and websites, especially those which charge a fee, (Those tend to get booked up quickly.)

7) Three months before your release upload your book for pre-ordering on Amazon. (If you are using Smashwords, they also provide a pre-order service.) Sign up for blog tours.

8) As soon as you have an ARC, submit your book to every self-publishing book contest.

9) Schedule talks, book signings, and author events to coincide with your release date.

10) Plan a book release party, and advertise it. Have fun! (And make sure everyone at the party gets on your mailing list.)

Do all of the above - patiently, methodically -  and your book will be a success.


Useful articles:

Everything I did wrong: Self-Publishing

Arranging Your Own Book Tour

10 Tips for How to Throw a Successful Book Launch Party

10 Ways to Find Your Ideal Audience on Twitter (For Writers)

The Skinny on Virtual Book Tours

You can find many more useful articles on self-publishing and book marketing here.

5 Tips for Promoting Your Author Event on Social Media

Me, signing books at my local library

If you are self-publishing, or even if you are being published traditionally, public events such as talks, book signings, and readings are a must. Nothing creates more fans than your physical presence. People want to sit in an audience and hear you speak. They want to crowd around you afterwards, asking you to sign copies of your book. They want to shake your hand, ask you questions, give you their first born child. (Okay, maybe that's taking it a bit too far. But you get the picture.)

Simply scheduling a talk or a signing is not enough. Like everything else you do to promote your book, your author event will have to be advertised. You will, of course, send out a press release to the local papers.

But what about all the people who only know you virtually? That group is important as well.

1) Twitter. (Yes, I'm still calling it Twitter.) Before you do anything else, create a hashtag and use it on every tweet that concerns your book - including author events. Keep your hashtag short and memorable. Make sure you look up your hashtag to make sure it hasn’t already been used.

2) Facebook event page. Event pages are easy to set up on Facebook. (Read how to do it HERE.) Your event page should include information about the event (when and where). You can post photos, invite guests, and (best of all) keep track of who is interested. Make sure people can leave comments and post on your page. Remember to put links to your home page on Facebook, as well as sales links, in the details section.

Here is a helpful article: 13 Ways to Use Facebook Events for Your Brand

3) Live coverage. Live coverage of events is exciting! If your friends are attending the event, ask them tweet during the event using your event hashtag. Enlist a friend to photograph the event and post images. Let Facebook friends and twitter followers know in advance when live coverage is taking place.

4) Join groups. There are all kinds of groups for writers: Facebook groups, Google Plus communities, even LinkedIn. Promotions are allowed in many of these groups, not just for book releases but for events. The advantage to promoting your events on groups is reach (especially Facebook).

Helpful article: 47 Facebook Groups for Authors

5) Make a video. If you have a smartphone you can make a short clip (a teaser) to promote your event. For example, you can do some "man on the street" interviews with people who are going (friends, family). Have them answer the question, "Why are you going to ___?" Make it fun, or better yet, funny. (You can even use a free animation maker like PowToon to make a cartoon!) Post these videos on Twitter, Facebook, and anywhere else you have an account.

Here is the Video for Phillip Pullman's book event 

Remember:

Bring a sign-up sheet to your event. Everyone who shows up is a potential fan!

Bring extra books. Even if the event is hosted by a bookstore, they may run out. If the event is hosted by a restaurant (I've had restaurant venues), a sporting goods store, a library, or anyplace else not likely to have a stack of your books on hand - bring lots!

Have a good time. I love talking to people who've read my books. The best part is that they love talking to me, too!

For more info on book tours see: Arranging Your Own Book Tour

Top 10 Publishing Posts of 2016

Last year I decided to review my posts to see which ones had attracted the most readers. (I posted them here: Top 10 Publishing Posts of 2015.)

Not surprisingly, the posts which garnered the most readers were about major publishers (notably HarperCollins) opening their doors to unagented writers. (HarperCollins' brief excursion into democratic operations has since been abandoned.)

This year, I encountered a problem when I simply looked at numbers of views per post. My Free Contests posts, and Calls for Submissions posts, had gotten so many views that they encompassed all of my Top 10. So, I moved down to the next category, which was Agents Seeking Clients. These also had gathered many thousands of views. (You can see all the agents looking for writers by clicking on the link.) 8 Literary Agents Seeking Horror NOW, for example, had gotten 5,060 views.

In all fairness, I had to discount all of those posts as well, and move on to my next category, which had to do with marketing and promotion. Without further ado, here are those top ten posts, in descending order. I hope you will find them useful.

#10 8 Ways to Use Goodreads to Promote Your Book (1310 views)

#9 How to Use Pinterest to Build an Audience (For Writers) (1370 views)

#8 15 Magazines That Pay $500 or More (1740 views)

#7 13 Paying Markets for Personal Essays (1897 views)

#6 6 Science Fiction and Fantasy Publishers Accepting Unagented Manuscripts from Writers (2074 views)

#5 Promoting Your Scifi or Fantasy Novel on Social Media (2084 views)

#4 Top 10 Sites for Indie Authors (2189 views)

#3 82 UK Literary Agencies Seeking Clients (3249 views)

#2 175 Literary Magazines Accepting Reprints (5294 views)

And my top post was (drum roll) ...

#1 272 Paying Markets for Short Stories, Poetry, Nonfiction (7326 views)

Runners-up

Mega-List of Agents Looking for Memoirs (and other Nonfiction)

What a Trump Presidency Means for Writers 

18 Paying Markets for Humor 

Sales Boost: Your Book’s Business Plan

This article originally appeared on Medium. Reprinted with permission.

By Bree Weber

If you google ‘how to launch a book’ or ‘how to boost your book sales’ you’ll find a plethora of resources suggesting everything from growing an email list to getting early reviews to creating a street team.

This is all wrong.

Before you can jump into pricing strategies or social media giveaways, you need to map out a complete business plan for your book. Let’s face it, as an indie author you are a business owner. A business plan is the tool you use to understand how your book fits into the market, how it stands out from other books like it, and how best to share your book with interested readers.

As you start to write on each subject, you may find connections you previously missed, or opportunities that you hadn’t even considered. Your answers here will help guide you during every book launch to keep you and your team accountable to your goals. So, let’s get started!

1. Summary

I recommend writing this section last as you’re effectively summarizing the entire business plan. This section should answer the question “why is your book going to succeed?”.

2. Brand Overview

Let’s first start with your brand’s history, sort of like a resume for you and your book(s). Write out (as objectively as possible) a history of your career as a writer.

• What genre(s) do you write in?
• Why are you qualified to write on these topics?
• What past awards have you received?
• How have past publications performed?
• Have you hit any key milestones like a bestseller list?

If you’re a debut author, you can include any obstacles you’ve overcome to start writing, finish writing this book and/or start the publishing process.

3. Market Analysis

Market Overview

Here you can detail the size and characteristics of your market as well as the sector and current trends. A great indicator of this is your genre and sub-genre. Take a look online at these categories to get an idea of how many books are already out there.

Relevant Market Size

Now that you know the overview of your genre, you can drill down into it.

• Are you in a niche genre? Think of specific keywords that might transcend your genre, but readers are actively seeking out such as ‘strong heroine’ or ‘coming of age’.
• How open is your genre to new stories and new authors?
• Do you already have a hold in this market? If so, how large is your market share?
• How many readers would you have if every reader who reads in this genre read your book?
• What annual revenue could you expect with 100% of the market?

How to calculate:

[the number of readers who might be interested in purchasing your book each year] x [the amount these readers might be willing to spend, annually, on your books]

4. Customer Analysis

Target Customer

Although you’re actually identifying an entire customer base, try to visualize just one person. Describe how your ideal reader fits into the world. Start with demographics:

• Is your ideal customer male or female?
• How old is she?
• Where does she live?
• What does she do for work?
• Is she married?
• What’s her educational background?

Take it another step further to map out an emotional side to your ideal customer:

• Who is she buying for? Herself, a child, someone else?
• How does she feel about her job?
• How does she spend her weekends and holidays?
• Is she on social media, blogs or other online communities?
• What problems is she battling in life right now?

Give your ideal customer a name, a background and a personality. Get to know your ideal customer!

Customer Needs

Take what you’ve written down about your target customers to connect your book to their answers. How does your book meet their needs?

If you’re a non-fiction writer, most likely your book helps your ideal customer to solve a problem. Think back to your ideal customer, and be specific about the problem and the solution.

Does your memoir help young adults struggling with body image find the inspiration they need through your personal story to get help? Or perhaps you have a business strategy book that helps solopreneurs manage and scale their local business into an international franchises by incorporating techniques you’ve used with Fortune 500 companies around the world.

If you’re a fiction writer, you might be thinking “my book doesn’t solve problems” or even that “fiction is just entertainment”. Don’t discredit yourself. Fiction is an account of the human condition; in fiction we find insights, inspiration and often pieces of ourselves.

With this framework of fiction in mind, consider what anxieties or complexities your story reveals in your reader. What will your reader learn about herself or her world from your story? This answer is the door to your customer’s needs.

5. Competitive Analysis

Direct Competitors

Direct competitors are the books that fill the exact same customer needs as your book, which is why it is so important to clearly identify your target customers and their needs. Outline the strengths and weaknesses of your direct competitors.

Indirect Competitors

These are the products and services that fill the exact same customer need as your book, but may not be books at all. This could be TV, magazines, etc. Outline the strengths and weaknesses of your indirect competitors.

Competitive Advantages

Now that you have a strong understanding of your competitors — both indirect and indirect — you can list out why your book competes with both. What is special about your book? Why should your ideal customer buy it instead?

6. Marketing Plan

So many authors get hung up on their book’s marketing plan because they haven’t completed the market, customer and competitive analysis. How can you market effectively if you don’t know who you’re marketing to, what else they are considering and how your book competes?

Pricing

Since you’ve already researched your competitors, you should have a good idea of the how books and other services are currently priced. So now you can decide on your pricing model:

• Freemium
• High-low pricing
• Pay what you want
• Premium pricing

Consider how your selected pricing model(s) meets the needs of your customer.

Promotions Plan

Now that you’ve gotten to know your ideal customer, you already know where she hangs out offline and online. Keep this in mind when listing out your strategies to attract new customers.

• Do you plan to get involved with a community on social media?
• Are you steadily building an email list?
• Are you using paid advertising? Where?
• Will you do local events and bookshop signings?

Distribution Plan

As indie authors, it’s never been easier to publish and distribute a book. Although there are many options, not all will be right for your book, and it may differ from book to book. Think about your target customers:

• Do they like to buy direct via author websites?
• Do they love 2-day shipping from large online stores?
• Are they bookstore browsers in need of a small local shop?

If you’re going to be using wholesalers, distributors or other partners to sell your book, list them out here. Find out the costs — whether financial, time, or otherwise — associated with working with them and write down the benefits that make that cost worthwhile.

7. Operations Plan

Strategic Calendaring
This is where you’ll want to map out the day to day logistics for every aspect of your book:

• Writing
• Editorial
• Production
• Distribution
• Publication
• Marketing
• Public Relations

You’ll want to consider what kind of editing you need, how long will production take, when you need a final cover design file, when you’ll be receiving and proofing print copies, what promotional content you’ll post on social media, etc.

If you’ve built a support team to help you manage your book’s success, you’ll want to write out who is covering what, when you’ll need to give approvals, and deadlines that you need to meet for your team.

Milestones
List out your future goals, and be S.M.A.R.T about it. And by SMART, I mean specific, measurable, attainable, realistic, and timely.

Include all the details of what you want to achieve, who is involved, where this will happen, when you’d like to achieve it, which obstacles you’ll need to overcome, and why this is beneficial to your author brand or book.

8. Management Team

Although the term ‘indie author’ refers to an independent author, the most successful writers are rarely doing it alone. Take some time to think about your own strengths, and recognize your weaknesses.

Identify where you need help and who to bring in. It might be an assistant, a consultant or a company. Then continually review where there might be gaps in experience or qualifications, especially as your author brand and book sales grow.

For those authors who really just want to focus on the writing, but appreciate the freedom indie publishing provides, you may want to consider creating a ‘board of advisors’ for your to manage and execute all of the goals in this plan.

9. Financial Plan

Revenue Model

List out how your book makes (or will make) money.

If your primary author revenue is book sales, this will likely be a super short section. Be sure to consider different formats i.e. print, digital, audio, etc as well as series, box sets, collections, etc.

If you’re using a book as a platform for other services, or a stepping stone towards other products, itemize your revenue streams as it relates back to your author brand.

Financial Highlights

No need to pull out income statements or balance sheets (yet), but you’ll want to outline a basic summary of your current and projected financial situation:

• Annual revenue or how much you’re earning from book sales
• Major book-related expenses such as advertising, distribution, etc.
• Projected net income (revenue — expenses) for this year and next

With these answers in hand, you’ll be able to increase your sales, grow your audience, and create new ways to connect with your readers. This will also serve as your compass keeping you accountable to your goals, helping you avoid mistakes and reminding you to keep your ideal customer in mind at every decision.
__________________

Bree Weber is a book designer and publishing consultant who loves Oxford commas.

In London, Bree studied for her MA in Publishing Culture, while working for several large publishing houses, including Penguin and MacMillan. This is also where her latte addiction first flourished.

Post-Europe, Bree contributed to NYC boutique presses and literary agencies as a digital marketeer and publishing consultant, until deciding the road was the place for her.

Now, as a digital nomad and founder of The Book Octopus, Bree uses her traditional publishing experience to help indie authors produce, publish and promote their books.

If you want to connect with Bree you can reach out to her on Twitter at
@thebookoctopus and on www.thebookoctopus.com.

How to Use Pinterest to Build an Audience (For Writers)

Updated 2/8/25

Pinterest was conceived as a kind of virtual bulletin board - a place to store all those neat images you run across when you are looking for something else on the net.

Pinterest is also a great tool for storing blog posts, websites, and all those useful articles you read online and then can never find again.

Surprisingly, it's only relatively recently that people have begun to use Pinterest as a marketing tool. (When I started using Pinterest, there were no ads!)

To be honest, while Pinterest has great potential, it's not as easy to use as Facebook or Twitter. As a form of social media, it's a little awkward, and there is much less likelihood of something going "viral." However, Pinterest has certain advantages shared by no other form of social media.

• It's easier to find information on a page of images than on a timeline
• Pins can be arranged thematically. This makes it easier to group specific types of information
• Images are memorable. An image that is interesting is more likely to catch a reader's attention than text
• Pinterest is highly addictive. Users re-pin images like mad, and they tend to stay on Pinterest longer, as well as visit it more frequently

How to use Pinterest

1. Set up your profile. Your full profile will appear on your home page, so design it carefully. First, upload an attractive, colorful image. (Square is best, as it will end up as a circle.) You can provide your location, your website (a must!), and a short bio. The bio is very important. Make sure you mention your publications, genre, and anything else potential readers might be interested in. For contact information include your Twitter handle.

2. Get followers. Like any other form of social media, you can get followers on Pinterest. There are several ways to go about this:

• Include a Pinterest follow button on your blog posts
• Add a profile widget to your blog. This also leads visitors to your Pinterest page. But it is more comprehensive than the follow button because it’s bigger and can display up to 30 of your latest pins. (I have gotten significantly more followers from the widget than from the button.)
• Make sure to include your Pinterest link to all your other social accounts
• Follow. Received wisdom is to follow 200 boards, then wait to see who follows you back and drop anyone who doesn't respond. The way you find boards to follow is by typing keywords into the search bar. Follow any boards that share your interests. (There are numerous writing boards. )

3. Use keywords. According to Bibliocrunch, the number one priority for using Pinterest is to have a “search mindset.” This means utilizing keywords in the descriptions of your boards and pins so that people searching for similar pins and boards can discover you. Fortunately, finding keywords is very easy. Type a general search term into the search bar, for example, Romance. The screen will refresh to give you popular categories under Romance. If you click on Books, more sub-categories will appear below the search bar,  — Contemporary, Paranormal, Historical, Worth Reading, and so on. Each time you click on a sub-category, increasingly specific terms will appear. Those are your keywords. Use them to hone your descriptions the same way you honed your search.

You can also broaden your audience by using the Keyword Tool. This allows you to search for the most popular keywords on Google, YouTube, Amazon, and Bing. An added feature of this tool is that it allows you to search by country and language.

4. Set up collaborative boards. Pinterest allows pinners to set up boards that allow many contributors. Some of these boards have hundreds of thousands of followers. (To find collaborative boards, go to Pin Groupie, a site that allows you to search collaborative boards by topic, number of followers, and number of pinners.) Increasing the number of pinners will increase your visibility. You can invite collaborators by email address or name. (Click the Invite button on the upper right to view your options.) You will have to follow one another to collaborate on a board.

If you want to join an established board, some collaborative boards provide contact information in the description. Check Pin Groupie for collaborative boards in your category to see which ones accept new pinners. (You can search for "writers," "writing," "authors" for general boards, or search your genre for more specific ones.)

5. Choose your images wisely. Pinterest is a visual medium. So, spend some time finding a captivating image for your pin. (See 43 Sites Where You Can Get Fabulous Free Photos for some great free sources.) The optimum image size is 600 x 800. It will resize down to 192 x 256, but will be restored to its full size when it is clicked. (If you are using Blogger, set your image size to large.)

Infographics have a great deal of success on Pinterest, as do images that also contain written information. Images that are informative as well as eye-catching will warrant more than a quick glance, and drive more traffic to your blog, story, or article.

Helpful articles:

All About Boards - Basic information about Pinterest boards.

12 Ways to Get More Pinterest Followers

How To Use Pinterest’s Group Boards To Get More Exposure For Your Business

7 Simple Ways to Promote Your Blog (For Writers)

Updated 2/5/25

If you are a writer, you absolutely must keep a blog. Why? Because blogs are a great way for agents and/or editors to see how you write informally and, of course, your fans will enjoy reading your blog posts.

The problem faced by bloggers is the same faced by up-and-coming writers. How will people find you? If you have not yet published a book (and even if you have) it is difficult to make yourself known in the vast Blogosphere.

Fortunately, there are many ways to promote your posts. You can precycle by publishing your posts on other well-trafficked sites first, you can guest post, you can also post links to your posts on various platforms.

A few sites also allow you to recycle your posts. That is, you can re-publish your posts on another, larger, platform. (See LinkedIn and Medium below.)

When you re-post, remember to include a call to action at the end. The call to action is a simple statement of who you are and what your blog is about, along with a link. It should inspire people to check out your blog.

As a case in point, here is my call to action:

Erica Verrillo has published five books. She blogs about the publishing world, posts useful tips on how to get an agent, lists agents who are looking for clients as well as publishers accepting manuscripts directly from writers, explains how to market and promote your work, how to build your online platform, how to get reviews, how to self-publish, and where to find markets for your work on Publishing and Other Forms of Insanity.

The following are the sites I have found to be the most productive in terms of generating traffic to my blog.
______________________

LinkedIn - LinkedIn, the world's largest professional network, allows members to publish blog posts. You can either compose a post, or simply copy and paste your blog posts onto your LinkedIn blog. There is no predicting how many people will see your post. Most of my LinkedIn posts have gotten a less than impressive response, but a few have gotten over 10,000 views, so don't forget your call to action on these posts!

Because LinkedIn is aimed primarily at professionals, the discussions tend to focus on practical aspects of writing. This is an ideal place to share experience, advice, and tips.

Medium - Medium was developed by Twitter co-founder Evan Williams. The idea was to create a platform for both amateurs and professionals featuring publications that operated as a form of social journalism. Since its inception, the platform has changed, and bloggers can no longer simply add their posts to publications. (Adding posts to publications is now by invitation.) Even though the new restriction cuts down on traffic, it is possible to generate tens of thousands of views on Medium because it is directly connected to Twitter. All of your Twitter followers who are also on Medium will automatically become your Medium followers.

Medium does not have a lot of bells and whistles. You can easily upload images and do basic formatting, but not much else. On the plus side, you can import blog posts, which eliminates tedious copying and pasting. In general, Medium has a nice clean look, which makes posts easy to read. Medium followers are also more apt to look at your profile. While, like LinkedIn, most of my posts on Medium have only generated a modest number of views, occasionally one will take off, generating tens of thousands of views. For that reason alone, it's worth it to post on Medium.

Reddit - Reddit advertises itself as "the front page of the Internet." Its demographic is young men who have some college education. You can post links to your blog posts on various subreddits, provided that you join first. Subreddits are moderated. Here is a list of subreddits for writers: Reddit for Writers.

Facebook - With well over a billion active users, Facebook is the undisputed king of social media. Posts that go "viral" often do so because of Facebook. (One of my Medium posts got 25,000 views in 48 hours because of Facebook.) If you don't already have a Facebook page, open one, gather up some "friends" and start posting your blog.

In addition to your own Facebook page, there are dozens of public Facebook groups for writers where you can post anything related to writing. If you don't have a lot of "friends" on Facebook, this is a marvelous opportunity! Some of these groups have tens of thousands of members. Start with this list: 39 Facebook Groups for Authors.

#MondayBlogs on Twitter and Bluesky - Author Rachel Thompson started #MondayBlogs as a convenient vehicle for bloggers to share their posts. Every Monday, bloggers tweet their most recent (and/or most interesting) blog posts using the hashtag #MondayBlogs (don't forget the s). #MondayBlogs is wildly popular, with tens of thousands of tweets. (You can tweet anything EXCEPT your book. No ads or photos are allowed.) 

In contrast to tweeting randomly, I've seen a significant bump in my blog traffic on Mondays due to #MondayBlogs, especially when people with lots of followers re-tweet my tweets. Here are additional hashtags for writers: 246 Hashtags for Writers.

Pinterest - Founder Ben Silbermann describes Pinterest as a "catalog of ideas," rather than a social network. It is a convenient and elegant means of storing information using images. So, make sure you have a great image on every single one of your blog posts to encourage your visitors to pin.

You can make a board specifically for your blog. Give it a title that matches what your blog is about to make it easier to find in a search. Describe it as "The Best of ____ (name of your blog goes in the blank)" and make sure to use plenty of popular search terms in your description. (You can find these by typing the first few letters of any term into the search bar. Watch what pops up.)

Forums - There are numerous forums for writers - Writing Forums, Litopia, Writer's Beat,  Absolute Write, to name a few. Most forums discourage posting links to blogs until you have introduced yourself and participated in a few discussions, so make sure you check the forum rules before posting.

For more ideas on how to promote your blog see David Hartshorne's How To Promote Your Blog: The Complete Beginner’s Guide

Also see:

Precycling: A Great Way to Get the Most Mileage Out of Your Blogs

Flogging your Blog

10 Tips for How to Throw a Successful Book Launch Party

Jonathan Wolstenholme

Publishing a book is a big accomplishment, so why not throw a party? After all, you hold a party to celebrate your birth, and, frankly, writing your book took more effort. (Your mother probably has a different perspective on your birth. Just FYI.)

Basically, a book launch party is a book signing/reading with the added benefit of being fun - and newsworthy. A book launch party is an ideal opportunity for promotion, so don't waste it! The release of a book, especially a book by a local author, is considered news, which means you can get press coverage. It is also a great way to meet your fans, make new ones, and to connect with people who share your interests.

Tips on making your launch party a success

1) Plan ahead. Like all events, a launch party requires planning. Where will you hold it? Who will you invite? How will you advertise it? All of these considerations require planning at least three months prior to the release of your book.

2) Pick an appropriate venue. Bookstores are great places to hold launch parties, but there may be more appropriate venues, depending on what you've written. For example, if you've written a book for children, you may want to hold your launch in a children's museum. Libraries can also serve as good places for a launch party, particularly in larger cities. Consider a restaurant if you've written a cookbook, or a recreational supply store if you've written about the great outdoors. (One of the advantages to holding a launch party in a store is that they may be willing to carry your book.) Make sure to contact your venue several months in advance.

3) Advertise. Once you've picked a date and a location, contact local media. Ideally, you should send a press release. You can also call the appropriate editor (e.g. local news). Don't forget to list the event in your local media (newspapers, TV, radio). Do this well in advance. News media have submission deadlines that are often two months or more in advance of an event.

4) Invite friends and family to spread the word. Facebook is your friend. Tell everyone on all your social media about the party - even if they live in Zanzibar. Getting the word out is important, because it creates buzz.

5) Send invitations. This is a party! Send invitations to everyone you know, and to a lot of people you don't. Anyone who you think might be interested should be invited - that includes other local authors, publishers, and people who are involved in professions related to your topic. Invite local educators if your book is for children; invite health care professionals if you've written about health (or illness); invite local coaches or athletes if you've written about sports. A party is the perfect way for people of like mind to mingle. They will have a good time talking to one another, and you will make some contacts.

6) Prepare an EVENT. If the venue allows food, make sure you have something tasty for people to eat. And don't forget the music. If you've written a children's book, have some activities planned for children. Part of the event is your reading, so make sure there are chairs for people to sit on.

7) Dress to impress. On this occasion you are the belle (or beau) of the ball. Wear something memorable, and in keeping with your genre. (If you've written a thriller, sure, go for black. Otherwise, something that makes you look authoritative and/or friendly.) Anything that makes you stand out in a crowd will do. You will be photographed!!

8) Don't forget your books! If you are reading in a bookstore, they will prepare a display. But in non-traditional venues you may have to make your own. Make sure you have plenty of books on hand. It doesn't hurt to think about how you are going to sign them before you actually pick up your pen. (Enjoy! is good for fiction.)

9) Piggy-back. If there is another large event being planned, it may be worthwhile to approach them with the idea of combining forces. This will help you cut costs and save a lot of work.

10) After the party. Make sure you take lots of photos (and videos) to post on your website. Tell the whole world about your successful launch!

Slow Shopping: Getting Your Book Into Retail Store Libraries

The more time you spend in a store, the more likely it is you will buy something.

Seems like common sense, right? But retailers are just beginning to realize they can sell a lot more by slowing down shoppers, and giving them a "shopping experience."

Last October, the Wall Street Journal ran an article, The Slower You Shop, the More You Spend, in which they explored this new trend in shopping, dubbed (unsurprisingly) "slow shopping." (We can thank God for small favors - at least they didn't call it "slopping.") According to the WSJ, “slow shopping” is part of a “leisurely and enriching experience that’s not overtly focused on buying something.” It's also a great way to get shoppers to come back. People are inclined to repeat pleasant experiences.

Retail stores are employing all kinds of "experiences" designed to make shoppers hang around: Origins offers free mini-facials, Urban Outfitters hosts concerts and art events, and the Austin Whole Foods has been known hire roving mariachi bands. But one of the best ways to slow shoppers down is to get them to sit down and read.

To that end, some stores are adding libraries - comfy nooks where shoppers can sit down and leaf through a good book. New York's Club Monaco on Fifth Avenue features, among other things, a library where shoppers can read about the Flatiron district. 

How to get your book into retail store libraries

If you want to get your book into retail store libraries, the first thing to do is go slow shopping yourself. Scout out which stores might  be amenable to adding a comfy chair or two for shoppers to sit down and read. You may even discover that some stores in your area already have libraries.

If you think your book would be a good fit, and if the store is not national, contact the store's manager. If the store is a chain, contact the Chief Marketing Officer. Some of the CMOs named in the Wall Street Journal article are Michael Moore, the CMO for Lowes, John Nehas at Club Monaco, Oona McCullough at Urban Outfitters, and Pamela Hoffman at Origins.

If the retailer doesn't have a library, you may be able to help them start one. Make a list of some titles (yours included, of course), explain how they relate to the store's theme, and why shoppers would be interested in reading them. Mention the Wall Street Journal article, as well as other stores that are using slow shopping techniques to increase sales.

It works

Years ago, I knew a writer who wrote a humorous little book about back-seat driving. The book wasn't selling well, so he loaded a number of copies into his car, and drove to the regional headquarters of a national restaurant chain that featured an attractive gift shop. The CMO was impressed by the book (and also by the gumption of the writer), so he ordered copies for all the restaurants in the region.

Sometimes, that's all it takes. A little gumption, a good argument - and imagination. Don't let the idea that only bookstores can sell books hold you back. If you've written something outdoorsy, approach a camping store. Children's clothing outlets are great if you've written a children's book. And, of course, gaming and computer stores are perfect for speculative fiction.

At the risk of using an already over-used cliché -  "think outside the box."

Retail details

In general, retailers don't order large quantities. You can expect orders from a few books to a dozen. The amount of discount you offer depends on the size of the order. (Deep discounts should not be offered unless the retailer orders books in large quantities and pays up front.) Sometimes, retailers insist on consignment, which is fine if the store is local and you can pick up the books if they don't sell. In other circumstances, especially if you have to ship the books, the retailer should pay up front. Whether you decide to offer a returns policy is up to you.

Here are some helpful articles that will give you a greater understanding of how non-traditional marketing works:

Success for Your Book – in Non-Traditional Markets

Beyond the Bookstore: Holding Book Events in Non-Traditional Venues

How is Trade Marketing Different from Non-bookstore Marketing?

8 Ways to Use Goodreads to Promote Your Book

Updated 2/2/25

Goodreads is one of the most powerful social networks for authors looking to connect with readers. At 150 million members, it is the world’s largest site for book recommendations, with readers adding 26 million reviews to the site yearly. What's more, those reviews get syndicated and appear on Google books, USA Today, the Los Angeles Public Library, WorldCat, Better World Books and other locations.

As an author, you are probably wondering how you can make use of this popular site.

1. First sign up for an account. This is easy. Just go to https://www.goodreads.com/ and enter your name, email address, and password. 

2. Second, open an author account. To do this, search for yourself and click on your published author name. The author name is listed below the title of your book in the search results. If you do not find your book in the database of published works, see: How do I join the author program?

 
Clicking on your name takes you to your basic author profile page. This page has your name at the top and "author profile" to the right of your name. This page is part of their database of books and authors and is separate from your member profile page. Scroll down to the bottom of the page. Click "Is this you? Let us know" to send a request to join the Author Program.

3. Set up your author profile. Your profile is very important. Anyone who is interested in reading your books (or reviews) will check you out, so make sure your photo is appealing and your bio informative. You can also add a link to your website, and videos.

4. Add your blog. As a Goodreads author, you can add your blog to the site. Your blog posts will automatically appear on your author profile when you publish them. Conversely, you can also simply write a blog on Goodreads.

5. Events. If you are doing a book signing, giving a talk, or presenting at a conference you can promote your event on Goodreads. Events appear on your profile.

6. Post reviews. Posting reviews is the best way to gain followers. People join Goodreads to share what they are reading and, based on those recommendations, find new books. As a writer, you have a unique advantage, not just because you understand the inner workings of composition, but because you can WRITE. Turn that talent to writing about what you are reading, especially books you have found most enjoyable. 

7. Ads. Goodreads offers paid ads. The click through rate is fairly low (.05%), but unlike Google Adwords, the people who frequent Goodreads are actually interested in buying books. The low cost of their ads combined with the huge number of readers make Goodreads an advertising platform that may be worthwhile. Learn more about Goodreads ads HERE.

8. Giveaways. Historically, authors and publishers have been allowed to post giveaways on Goodreads for physical books only. But Goodreads has announced that it is now open to Kindle giveaways. (Learn more HERE.) Goodreads will charge a fee of $119 for Kindle (and print) giveaways. Publishers and authors will set the time period for the promotion, however, unlike print giveaways, Goodreads will select winners and see to it they receive their books. The limit for giveaway books - print or Kindle -  is 100.

The Power of Preorders

Mark Coker is the founder and CEO of Smashwords, and he knows his business. Last November he wrote an article for Publisher's Weekly explaining in detail how pre-orders can help increase sales for self-published authors.

If you are self-publishing, pre-orders are a must. Not only do they help generate buzz about your book, they serve as a vital promotional tool. There is little point lining up advance reviews if readers who are fired up about your book can't place an order. With pre-orders, readers can respond to an immediate call to action, and you don't have to wait to see if your marketing campaign is working.

All of the major self-publishing platforms currently offer pre-orders as part of their packages. But before you schedule pre-orders, you need to have all your ducks lined up in a row. Have you assembled a list of reviewers? Is your book cover finished? Do you have promotional materials (back cover copy) ready? Are your friends, colleagues, family members alerted? (Don't be afraid to get on the phone.)

There is no substitute for careful planning.
____________________

How Indie Authors Can Use Preorders to Crack the Bestseller Lists

BY MARK COKER

Imagine you could press a magic button that would make your next book launch more successful. The magic button is the e-book preorder, which gives indie authors a sales and marketing advantage.

Over the last 12 months, nearly two-thirds of the top 200 bestsellers distributed by Smashwords originated as pre-orders. This statistic is all the more impressive when you consider that only one in eight books published at Smashwords during this period was listed as a preorder.

A preorder is an advance listing of your e-book at major retailers that allows your reader to reserve a copy of your book up to 12 months before the release date. When the book is officially released, the customer’s credit card is charged and the book appears in her device’s library.

Although preorders are standard practice for traditional publishers, most self-published authors don’t yet know how to take advantage of them. Let’s fix that problem right now.

Five Big Benefits of E-book Preorders

1. More effective advance marketing of your book: Most authors use Facebook and other social media to communicate with readers about works in progress. By providing a preorder link every time you share news about your upcoming releases, you can capture readers’ orders when you have their greatest interest and attention.

2. Preorders signal commitment: When you establish a pre-order, you’re making a commitment to deliver a book to your readers. This signal of commitment is especially valuable if you write series. A preorder on a series makes the entire series more desirable to readers because it shows that you’re continuing to support the series.

3. Simultaneous release at multiple retailers: A preorder gives all retailers time to process your book in advance of the sale date so that they’re ready to release your book on the same day. Readers appreciate simultaneous releases.

4. Preorders help your superfans review first: Your biggest fans are more likely to reserve a preorder. This means that when your book goes on sale, readers who already love your work will be the first to receive the book and the first to leave reviews. These positive reviews will drive the next wave of purchases after release.

5. Fast track to bestseller lists: At iBooks and Kobo, all orders you accumulate leading up to your release date are credited toward your first day’s sales rank. This can cause your book to spike higher in the bestseller lists on release day, which increases the visibility and desirability of your title, leading to more sales. Amazon does not credit your accumulated orders toward your first day’s sale rank, which means that preorders will actually cannibalize your first day’s sales rank. For this reason, some indie authors forgo the preorder at Amazon and simply upload on release day so they can concentrate more sales on day one. However, an Amazon preorder may still make sense for you given the other benefits stated above.

As with all tools, those who know how to wield the tool will do the best with it.

Five Preorder Best Practices

1. List the preorder as early as possible: Look at your publishing calendar for the next 12 months, and get everything up on preorder now. At Smashwords, you can upload your preorder up to 12 months in advance, and you can adjust the date later if needed.

2. You can list the preorder before the book is finished: In June, Smashwords announced assetless preorders, also known as “metadata-only” preorders. With an assetless preorder, we can establish your preorder at iBooks, Barnes & Noble, and Kobo before the book is finished. All you need is the basic metadata: the title, the description, the price, and the categorization. Some authors even choose to establish preorders without cover designs so they can turn the cover reveal into a separate preorder marketing event days or weeks later.

3. Promote direct hyperlinks: Once your book is up for preorder, share direct hyperlinks to your preorder listing at each retailer. This puts your readers one click away from reserving your book at their favorite retailers.

4. Leverage your other books to promote your preorder:

After your preorder is listed at the retailers, update the back matter of your other e-books to promote the preorder. Consider running price promotions on your other e-books, including free promotions, so you can use the increased readership to drive more readers to the preorder.

5. Plan an aggressive multiweek marketing campaign:

When you do a preorder, spread your book launch activities throughout the duration of the preorder period so that you’re building buzz in support of your book release every week.