Recently, I was fortunate enough to have my dark children’s novel The Ghost Mirror accepted for publication by e Treasures Publishing. You can imagine how excited I was to have my novel accepted. I danced around my apartment for days before something dawned on me: how would I promote the novel?

E Treasures Publishing is a small publishing house. While they’re fantastic, promotion of the novel is left up to the author. How would I, a greenhorn in the publishing world, go about promoting my book to the masses? The Ghost Mirror was published as an e book (with the paperback coming out in June). How would I go about promoting an E book when the majority of readers want to hold the book in their hands?

Thankfully, the internet is a godsend. It’s a wealth of information and tools that any author can use, no matter what your budget. Promotion is all about exposure, all about getting the word out there. If you’re looking at promoting your book, you need to learn about the tools you’ll need to make your promotion a success.

I took part in an online chat to promote my novel The Ghost Mirror when someone asked me what I did to promote. So I thought it would be a good idea to compile a list of things that a budding writer needs to keep in mind for promoting their book. Look at this as your promotional tool kit; things every author needs to get the word out to as many people as possible.

A WEB SITE: You should have a web site of some sort to promote your book. On the web site, make sure you have a few crucial things: a picture of the cover, a synopsis, where people can buy the book, the price and, most importantly, an excerpt. A web site is a good tool to give yourself your own little space in the web.

A BLOG: Even more important than a web site, blogs are great tools. Because blogs never remain static like most web sites, they get picked up by search engines a lot easier. In fact, in most cases, your blog will show up in Google before your web site does. The blog should be geared towards your book and your writing.

 

I would also suggest joining a writing group or two or taking part in an online chat with writers. Other writers are also a great source for information.

PRESS RELEASES: Press releases are great to get the word out to as many people as possible. If you search the web, you’ll find many online PR sites that distribute press releases for free. This way, your press release will be searchable by Google and your work will be easier to find.

A BOOK TRAILER: There are a lot of people out there who are visual people. I’m one of them. I love the book commercials that big name authors put on television that make you want to read the book. You can make your own book trailer for your book. While not as successful a promotional tool as a blog or press releases, book trailers reach those who like visual media.

Using photos and music, you can make a trailer on your computer (using Movie Maker for instance which is available on most computers that have a Windows interface) and then upload it to You Tube.

A VIRTUAL BOOK TOUR: This is a great way to promote your book and you don’t even have to leave the comfort of your own home! Virtual book tours take place over the internet. If you have a blog you visit regularly (or hopefully several) contact the blogs owner and ask if they would host you on your virtual blog tour. Posts for blog tours can differ from reviews to short interviews and they’re great fun. It’s also a fantastic way to get more exposure. Everyone who reads that blog on a daily basis will read about your book. A tour can last for one week, two weeks or even a month. The choice is yours.

If you find the idea of a virtual book tour a little daunting, never fear. While doing it yourself is free, there are a small handful of companies that actually specialize in online book tours for a small fee. They take the worry out of your hands and co-ordinate the whole thing. I currently work with Dorothy Thompson at Pump Up Your Online Book Promotion. More information about her virtual book tours can be found here: http://www.virtualbooktoursforauthors.blogspot.com/ Dorothy is fantastic and a real professional and takes the stress out of co-ordinating a tour yourself.

Whether you are an established writer or one who is just starting to venture out into the world, the internet is an amazing tool for promotion. But you have to know how to go about it. As you explore the web, you’ll become more comfortable and more confident.

One thing is for sure, though. With the internet in front of you, the world is at your fingertips. All you have to do is believe in yourself and anything is possible.