I am very new to this, but I will tell you things that have helped immensely. I got invited to an author convention as a reader. I met over 50 authors. I had no intention at the time of writing. I joined many groups in that genre and interacted. I became friends with several and when I wrote a book; they were so helpful with everything from writing to self publishing.

1: Advertise. This means free, and often, paid ads. Work within your budget. Amazon Ads can get out of hand, be sure to stay on top of it. Facebook ads are hit or miss. Think outside of the box. Instagram, Twitter, and Pinterest are all great if you are familiar with those formats. Try to run ads when you can.

2: Talk about your book. Be enthusiastic about it. Talk it up at signings, book clubs, restaurants. Wherever you get the chance. Part two of this is: know WHEN to talk about it. Throwing the book into an unwanted conversation never goes well. Know your audience, interject when appropriate.

3: Your cover, blurb, book description, etc can always evolve. Change often if it isn't working. Tweak your blurb, see what the public thinks. Adjust the book description. Find out what people don't like about the book cover and try to fix it. You may have a fondness for the cover, but everyone else may not. You're trying to sell a book to THEM, not YOU.

4: Local Bookstores should never be dismissed! Just because they're not the big time Barnes and Noble does not mean they can't equally sell dozens of your books a month! There is no guarantee that having a book at B&N equals billions of sales. It'll likely get lost among the trillions of books they stock. A small store likely will develop a personal relationship with you and help promote your book. Always promote that your books are carried in their stores on social media. They appreciate it.

5: Calm down. Just because you're not getting a sixteen movie deal with Netflix does not mean your books aren't moving. Selling a book a month is a big step. Selling one a week is excellent. Selling one a day is amazing! Baby steps. Don't sink a ton of money into anything, do not follow rabbit holes of false promises of vanity publishers guaranteeing you sales. Nobody can truly make good on that statement. If it happens, it happens.

6: Just be smart, calm, and positive out there. It's not so much its own step, but a means of getting through just about everything in life. Be calm and think things through. Ask for help. Patience is a virtue! Good luck out there!

1. Always judge a book by its cover. You wouldn't get into a taxi with battered body work to go to a dentist with bad teeth, would you?
2. Aim for the heart, the head, and then the wallet. In that order. A weak book, badly designed won't sell at the cheapest price. But a book that promises to move and engage someone can command a good price.
3. Make sure your designs can be read quickly - you only have seconds to draw a reader in.
4. Don't try to be too "unique." If no one is doing something, a "super idea" you have had, there might be a good reason for it.
5. Say as much as you can in the fewest words. Cut out all the stuffing. Remember, give your reader the prime cuts, because you want them to come back for more. If you fill their plate with fat and gristle they will tire of chewing.

1) Blog and Social Media Links
Create a blog or website well in advance of your book launch, and keep your followers informed of your progress. Remember to include information on your blog/website and social media links at the end of your book.

2) Quality
Ensure your book is of the very best quality, by enlisting a professional editor and book cover designer. It will pay dividends.

3) Keywords and Categories
Choose your categories and keywords for online retailers carefully. Try to find categories that have smaller numbers of books to boost your rankings. Keep a close eye on your progress, and tweak as necessary.

4) Pricing
Keep your prices in line with your competitors. Readers will not buy your book if you charge too much. Regular discounted offers will increase sales.

5) Read and Review Books
Read and review other author's books, and post to your blog/website, social media, BookBub and Goodreads...
It will come back to you in many ways.

Do something to market your books every day.

1. Do something every day. Even if it's one thing...and even if it's small.
2. It's a marathon, not a sprint.
3. Small gains, pay off in the long run.
4. Be efficient with social media. Organize and use a service. It takes time to set it up but once it's set up, you'll only have to monitor and update. Use a schedule and stick to it.
5. Be strategic and relevant in your marketing.

I just have 2. Tips.
1. Advertising in the USA works best in the early morning.
2. Using Ingramspark for my publishing has me selling more paperbacks. They are great!!

1) Never pay for reviews (this does not include review companies such as Netgalley, Hiddengems, OnlineBookClub, etc. which charge to list your books on their sites for their clients to voluntarily choose to review if they want.)
2) Look at the book covers of the top books in your genre. Does yours compete?
3) Don't do your book covers yourself unless you have experience in graphic art.
4) Get input from other authors on your blurbs. Some authors find them easy to do, while most do not. Avoid outlining the entire book--explain the first 1/3 of the book and use a question to make the reader guess what might happen in the last 2/3.
5) Do not harrass other authors to read/reveiw your book or do review swaps. Most authors do not have time for this and the popular authors are constantly being asked to review other authors' books.
7) There are over 1000 groups on Amazon that will let you promote your books in them. Do a search for your genre or "book promo" and you'll get tons of them popping up. Read each group's guidlines for posting so you don't get kicked out.
8) There are numerous groups on Facebook that are for authors only, to develop their craft and with tips on how to market. Join them.
9) Set a monthly budget.
10) Research the different book promotion sites and ask other authors about their experiences with them.
11) Don't put your book on sale shortly after a release because your sales are down. Readers get upset when they see a book that just came out, that they already bought, going on sale within the first three months of release.
12) Don't overprice or underprice your book.

(Yup, more than 5 but all needed to be said!)

Successfully marketing your book to the leadership community requires a targeted approach that focuses on providing valuable content, building credibility, and leveraging relevant platforms. By understanding the specific needs and interests of the leadership community, you can tailor your marketing efforts to effectively reach and engage with this audience. Here are five book marketing tips and insights, specifically tailored to reaching the leadership community:

1. Define Your Target Audience: To effectively market your book to the leadership community, it's crucial to clearly define your target audience within this community. Consider the specific subgroups or niches within leadership, such as executives, entrepreneurs, or aspiring leaders. Understanding their interests, challenges, and aspirations will help you tailor your marketing messages and reach the right people.

2. Leverage Thought Leadership Platforms: Position yourself as a thought leader by utilizing various platforms that cater to the leadership community. Start by creating a blog or website where you can share valuable insights, practical advice, and thought-provoking content related to leadership. Engage in guest posting on influential leadership blogs, contribute articles to relevant publications, and actively participate in leadership-focused forums and communities.

3. Build an Author Platform: Establishing a strong online presence as an author is essential for marketing your book to the leadership community. Create profiles on social media platforms such as LinkedIn and Twitter, where many leaders actively engage. Share valuable content, engage with your audience, and build relationships with influencers and industry experts. Consider hosting webinars or virtual events focused on leadership topics to further establish your expertise.

4. Seek Endorsements and Reviews: Endorsements and positive reviews from recognized leaders in the industry can significantly boost your book's credibility and attract the attention of the leadership community. Reach out to influential leaders, industry experts, and fellow authors who align with your book's themes and request endorsements or reviews. Offer them a complimentary copy of your book and express how their support will help impact and inspire other leaders.

5. Participate in Leadership Conferences and Events: Engaging in leadership conferences, industry events, and workshops provide a great opportunity to connect with your target audience directly. Attend these events as a speaker, panelist, or exhibitor, and leverage the platform to showcase your book. Offer special discounts or promotions for attendees, distribute promotional materials, and engage in networking to build relationships with potential readers and collaborators.

I highly recommend joining a Podcast matching service to give you leads on which Podcasts would be a good fit for your book, and then actively seek to get booked on them as often as possible. These opportunities get your name, face and book title out in front of book readers all over the world for FREE!

Market early-and this can be free Social Media, FB Groups, etc Also you can start playing with ADS. Start small and work your way up once you know what you are doing. I often do $1.00 day for 5, 10 15 days. AMS $1.00 a day netted me a profit in sales (minus what I paid for the sales) in my first year of advertising.

I've had great success in marketing my book by being a Podcast Guest. I used "podcastguests.com" to find programs I wanted to be on, as well as had hosts contact me. I've written several Newsletters on LinkedIn with tips for being a successful podcast guest. Go to LinkedIn & put: "m.k. mcdaniel podcast tips" in the Search bar. Good luck!

If your book is traditionally published, you may not have any idea how many units you've sold until you receive a royalty statement from your publisher. With some publishers, this may only be once or twice a year!

One of the most useful tools that I've found to monitor sales of my books are the Amazon sales estimator tools. There are plenty of links to different versions of these tools, just search for that term and you'll find one. These work by estimating your daily and monthly sales by using your book's ranking on Amazon. To find your book's ranking, navigate to the listing and scroll down to Product Details.

Since Kindle book sales are not reported by BookScan, these free estimator tools can give you some valuable information on how many Kindle and print books you're selling at any given time.

Troy Hollan - author of Clucked - A Quirky Nautical Tale of Adventure, Misadventure and Justice Served

There's no secret formula to follow, what works for one author may not work for another. Be prepared to spend hours on promotion until you find what works. Find a few promotional sites with longevity and a good reputation. Crave Books, Fussy Librarian, The Romance Studio, All Author are just a few that work for me.

1. You are marketing you not a particular book. Just because someone doesn't like one of your books it doesn't mean they won't like any of them.
2. Each book is unique - while some things may work for more than one book you may need to think a little differently each time.
3. Don't go to the same well too often, it will dry up. Have a few ideas up your sleeve to rotate.
4. Don't be afraid to try something new, you never know it might work.
5, If it's free and relevant do it. Marketing can be expensive, save where you can.