How to use 21st-century marketing tools to your advantage
The hard work of crafting your book is just the beginning of your journey as a published author. Now comes the time to promote your book, expanding your audience as wide as possible. Book promotion is no easy task, but at Cloverly Publishing, we set you up for success.
There are countless ways to promote your book, both online and in person. No matter what tactics you employ after your book is published, make sure you tailor your efforts to your book’s target audience.
Cloverly’s initial marketing
When you publish with Cloverly Publishing, we do some preliminary marketing for you. We create an individual page on our website for every book we publish. That is a direct site where you can send your interested readers. Our team of professional press release writers will handcraft a press release for your book. This press release will get global distribution through a leading press release distributor. Each of our authors’ books get the same treatment to maximize their readership.
Cloverly also uses our various social media pages (LinkedIn, Facebook, and Instagram) to share information about new releases. When you publish with Cloverly, we create a book launch announcement and a short video teaser for your book. Our service provides a baseline of promotional support, but you have to expand the reach of your book.
Social Media
Social media is the center of the modern marketing world. Today, every successful product, not just books, relies on social media campaigns to spread word of mouth. As a published author, this will be where you have the opportunity to reach the biggest possible audience.
Each platform has different metrics and methods to reach audiences. Your content and posts on social media should be tailored to each specific platform to maximize your potential audience. What is universal, however, is to make your book sound as engaging as possible to the target audience. No one will want to read a book that sounds uninteresting. Tailor your social media content to the audience you are trying to reach.
Instagram, X (formerly Twitter), Linkedin, Facebook, Youtube, and TikTok are some of the most used social media platforms around the world, so posting on any or all of these is a good first step. Build your audience from there and engage with them as they learn more about you and your work. These platforms are generally very user friendly, but feel free to consult friends, family, and online resources for additional guidance.
Community Groups
You will have some of the greatest success sharing your newly published book with your personal community groups. Some examples of community groups are churches/religious groups, senior communities, sports teams, book clubs, cultural groups, or work groups. The people in these groups know you and will be more inclined to support your latest endeavor.
Specifically, if your book is related to any affiliation you may have, this is a perfect opportunity to personally reach interested readers. This also makes it even more crucial to put in the hard work during the publishing process so you will be proud of your finished product and eager to share it with others.
Book Launch Party
After your book is published, arrange a launch party with your community groups, family, family, or the general public. You do not have to go overboard — maybe even coordinate it with regular meetings or events — but give everyone an opportunity to buy your book. You can bring physical books with you and sign them as you sell. Or, you can provide everyone with the link to buy your book online and offer to sign them later. Signing copies of your book is a huge draw for any potential readers and will motivate them to buy it at the event.
Party Logistics
Host your party somewhere that has proper room to comfortably have the number of people you are expecting. Whether a small gathering of close friends or an open-to-the-public event at a local bookstore, make sure the space is appropriate. For example, maybe do not host a book reading at a crowded bar if you are hoping for a more intimate atmosphere.
When setting up your party, make sure you have a space for your books. When you publish with Cloverly, you get 10 complimentary copies of your book, but you can purchase more at a wholesale price from our printer. Buying your own supply of books and selling them at events like this is the easiest way to share your work with others. Plus, the profit from these sales goes directly in your pocket.
Reviews
Real people who read and review your book across various platforms build your potential audience exponentially. When someone comes across your book’s listing on a retailer’s website, they will see reviews and ratings immediately. So, it is helpful for audiences who have read our work to leave a review and rate your book five stars.
One way to boost the number of online reviews your book has is to urge your friends and family to leave their thoughts online after they read it. Similarly, at any book events you have, you can also include a link to the listing for any major retailer’s website or review sites, such as Goodreads.
Alternatively, there are online resources that help you get your book directly into the hands of real people looking to review new books. Some of these websites include NetGalley, BookSirens, Booksprout, HiddenGems, BookFunnel, and StoryOrigin. These websites can yield tangible results and legitimately boost your readership and number of reviews online. These services range in price and mechanics, but they can get your book in front of real people to review.
Your Launch Team
Promoting your book is hard and takes a lot of time and effort. It can be hard to handle alone. We recommend gathering a “launch team” of friends and family to help get your book out there after publication. Having a group of people post about your book on social media or sharing it with friends provides a strong jumpstart for your promotion.
