BookTalk.org

How was your first experience in promoting your first-ever book online? What were your struggles and most memorable experience? How do you deal your problems?

I published my first novel earlier this year as an ebook. Started my own epublishing business to do it, but I'm hoping to publish other authors as well.

The goal is to advertise, which I have found to be a challenge. For starters, I emailed several local radio stations wanting to discuss ad rates. One got back to me after a week of waiting, wanting to charge me a thousand dollars for a week of advertising through “online streaming.” I considered this but passed. Another station, a local station near my house that I used to like, contacted me a month after I emailed them, and that was just too long of a wait to even justify a reply.

I contacted a local non-profit community radio station but never heard a word.

I contacted a local college magazine that publishes artists news. They took two weeks to get back to me. I passed.

I finally went with an email blitz through a city “nightlife” magazine, the kind that advertises for tourists and locals who still haven't managed to navigate. They were nice, friendly, and got back to me in a reasonable amount of time. For under two hundred dollars they sent my ad out to fifteen thousand customers, along with ads for sushi, cheeseburgers, tacos, etc. I think I sold two copies from that, but hey, that's two copies.

Personally, I think more authors should work together by promoting each other. For example, with an ebook, an ad can easily be placed promoting another author's work, and that can be done for free.

I also use Scribd.com to promote my work, and the same goes for that with the ad placement.

Amazon's Kindle program is pretty good. If you grant them an exclusive for 90 days (and thereby enroll in the Kindle Lending Program) you can run a promotion for up to five days where your ebook is offered for free download during those days.

I've used it twice and both times it resulted in a modest sales increase not just of that ebook but all my others as well which made a difference.

I agree. Amazon is the way to go.

I just published my first ebook as well and I am using Amazon. I've been doing lots of promotions on Twitter and also promoting other writers books on my blog. Kind of like what Brooks127 suggested. If you want to be a part of that check out my blog http://www.plaintalkbm.com/category/novel-2/

Brooks127 wrote:I published my first novel earlier this year as an ebook. Started my own epublishing business to do it, but I'm hoping to publish other authors as well.

The goal is to advertise, which I have found to be a challenge. For starters, I emailed several local radio stations wanting to discuss ad rates. One got back to me after a week of waiting, wanting to charge me a thousand dollars for a week of advertising through “online streaming.” I considered this but passed. Another station, a local station near my house that I used to like, contacted me a month after I emailed them, and that was just too long of a wait to even justify a reply.

I contacted a local non-profit community radio station but never heard a word.

I contacted a local college magazine that publishes artists news. They took two weeks to get back to me. I passed.

I finally went with an email blitz through a city “nightlife” magazine, the kind that advertises for tourists and locals who still haven't managed to navigate. They were nice, friendly, and got back to me in a reasonable amount of time. For under two hundred dollars they sent my ad out to fifteen thousand customers, along with ads for sushi, cheeseburgers, tacos, etc. I think I sold two copies from that, but hey, that's two copies.

Personally, I think more authors should work together by promoting each other. For example, with an ebook, an ad can easily be placed promoting another author's work, and that can be done for free.

I also use Scribd.com to promote my work, and the same goes for that with the ad placement.

Reading your story really inspires me! You have tried a lot of things and you were offered a lot of options. I totally agree that authors should help each other. New authors really need assistance and guidance from those, who are more experienced.

Like some of you, I have just recently self published my first book on KDP and simply don't know where to begin advertising it! Family and friends will surely only put up with my badgering for a short time. Can anyone advise me of how to go about it on Twitter for example? I have an account but don't mind admitting that I'm not great with technology and don't really know how to use it properly!

I found twitter can be helpful, but I am still learning to use it right and building my followers list. @K_J_Ester if you want to follow me and if you are about writing (non erotica) I will follow you back.

I have found there are many who continuously post about their books. I have read that it is not right to do that, but a lot seem to do it and they claim they have won nebula awards and such. I tried not doing that and found it was slow going adding followers. I followed some every day but only some of the followed back. Then I found out about SocialOomph. This site will allow you to set up a que of posts to be posted. So I set up four diferent posts and have one posted once an hour. I figured this gets the name of my book out there more, and isnt overbearing to bother others by repeatedly posting the same thing over and over every couple minutes.

If you are sure you have the editing set, you can present it to some on-line book reviewers. If you are lucky and one reviews it, it can really help get your book found by others. But editing is very important with these critics.

I just found this article yesterday and am starting to put it to use, In fact, it is how I found BookTalk. http://savvybookwriters.wordpress.com/2 ... -for-free/

Thanks KJ Ester for your advice. I found you on Twitter but am so utterly useless at it that I don't know how to follow you!!

I am happy to share some very exciting news. I am the author of “Sweet Pete and the Magical Cookie Jar", a new children's book which tells the story of a guileless little bunny all too tempted by the lure of sweets who learns his lesson the hard way. All kinds of readers will enjoy, laugh, learn and relate to his story. I invite you to obtain a gift copy from August 13-15, 2013. In addition, you will receive another gift: an Audio version o the book, with great sound effects not found in the Kindle version.
Here is the link for the book:
http://www.amazon.com/cpanel/dp/B00DW7JT7S
I hope you will write your comments/reviews on Amazon. Your ideas and thoughts will mean a lot to me and help me with the books to come.
Thanks!