Here are the benefits of doing a FREE Book Launch Promotion on Kindle:

1. It gets you noticed.

The challenge today for authors is not getting published (which is relatively easy) but getting noticed.   A FREE promotion of your Kindle is an inexpensive way to get lots of downloads on your book and getting lots of people reading your story.

2. It gets you reviews.

Kindle readers of your book will get a pop-up page from Amazon at the end of your Kindle book asking them to rate the book.  If your free readers like your book they will give your book a review.   Getting reviews is critical is distinguishing your book from the millions of other books on Amazon.

3. It helps your Amazon rankings and search results.

Free Downloads of a book will count as paid sales once your book reverts to its regular paid status.  This boosts your book rank within your books categories which makes it easier for new readers to find your book.

Additionally, Amazon search results are based on an algorithm that gives a lot of weight to sales (free downloads or paid sales).  So if a customer searches for a topic related to your book and your book has had a lot of downloads, your book will show up higher in the search results than books on the same topic with fewer downloads.

4. It gets you post-promotion Kindle sales as well as hard copy sales.

Generally, you will see paid Kindle sales jump after a FREE promotion.  This is because readers who like your book will recommend it to friends and associates; the additional Amazon reviews for your book will convert online browsers of your book to buyers of your book, and; your book will come up higher in your assigned book categories and Amazon search results increasing the ability of people to find your book

Because a FREE Kindle promotion increases the visibility of your title it often also increases the sales of your hard copy editions (i.e. paperback and/or hardcover).

The first step in promoting your book is to develop a marketing plan to sell your book. If you don’t know where you are going, no road will take you there. If you want to sell books, you need to know where you are going; you need to have a plan on how you are going to sell your book.

To develop a basic marketing plan to sell your book, you need to ask yourself four basic questions:

1. Who is my most probable customer for this book?

2. Why should my most probable customer want to buy my book?

3. What do I have to say to my most probable customer to make them want to buy my book?

4. How do I reach my most probable customer?

Answering these questions will help you think like a marketer and will lay the groundwork for implementing your marketing strategies after your book is published. More importantly, answering these questions will help you better plan your book subject matter, your book title and your book description so that when the book is published you can sell it.

Let’s examine each of these fundamental marketing questions.

1. Who is my most probable customer for this book?

You need to identify the most probable customer for your book. You need to do this so you can then target these people in your marketing and promotional efforts. While it may be tempting to believe that the whole world will want your book, from a marketing perspective you need to focus on the people who will most likely actually buy your book. You need to identify the demographics (that is, the objective facts) about your most probable customer. These demographics need to include at least some of the following information:

• Age
• Occupation
• Employment Status
• Income
• Location
• Gender
• Education
• Race/Ethnicity
• Marital Status
• Family Status
• Religion

Once you have this information, you are ready to answer the second marketing question:

2. Why should my most probable customer want to buy my book?

Now you want to get into the head of your most probable customer. What motivates them? When they buy your book, what are they expecting to get out of it? Are they seeking information? If so, what kind of information? Are they seeking excitement? If so, what kind of excitement? Are they seeking escape? If so, how? You are attempting here to understand the emotional psychology, or the psychographic profile, of your most probable reader.

Your answer to this question should be no more than one or two sentences long. Answering it will help you to answer the third question:

3. What do I have to say to my most probable customer to make them want to buy my book?

Your focus here is to determine what you need to say to your customer with:

• Your Book Content: Does the content you are writing appeal to your most probable customer or are you trying to cover too much? Your book content should be focused on what your most probable customer wants. If your most probable customer wants paranormal romance, don’t give them French history. If they want to know how to white water river raft, don’t tell them about your personal struggles with alcoholism. Stay focused on what your customer wants. Many authors make the mistake of trying to say too much because it means something to them. Don’t focus on what you want to say, focus on what your most probable customer want to hear.

• Your Book Title: Your Title needs to appeal to your most probable customer. Ideally, your title should reflect what your most probable customer will use as Search Terms on Amazon and Google since that is the way most books are found today.

• Your Book Description: Your Book Description will, typically, go on the back of your book as well as appear on the websites of online retail stores across the country. It is this description that people will read first in deciding to buy your book. Thus, it needs to be complete and to appeal to your most probable customer. As with the title, your Book Description should include Search Terms that your most probable customer will use to find your book.

• Your Book Cover: While we have always been taught that you shouldn’t judge a book by its cover, the reality is that books are constantly being judged by their covers. As a result, you need to be sure that your cover strongly appeals to your most probable customer. Your book cover will be seen by anyone looking for your book, and so it needs to be compelling to your most probable customer.

• Reviews: It is great if you can get an advance review for your book before it is actually published. This review will be based upon your unpublished manuscript, and the review should be written by someone whom your probable customer looks up to. Once the book is published, of course, you should still seek reviews using the review copies of the book that come with your Book Publishing Package; but advance reviews will be very helpful in marketing your book right out the gate.

4. How do I reach my most probable customer?

After you have produced a book that appeals to your most probable customer, produced a title, book description and book cover compelling to your most probable customer, and obtained advance reviews, you need to make a list containing ways that you can reach your most probable customer. That is, you need to make a list of the websites they visit, the search terms they use, the book categories they browse, the magazines they read, the events they attend, the stores they go to, and the programs they watch and listen to. The demographic profile you produced with Question 1 and the psychographic profile with Question 2 will help you in compiling this list.

Here are some channels for you to consider in reaching your most probable customer:

A. Amazon Categories: What categories of books does your most probable customer look in? This is where you want your book to be posted in Amazon. For most authors the more specific the category the more likely your book is to be noticed (i.e. it is better to be listed under Historical French Romances than Romance).

B. Websites and Blogs: We recommend that you make a list of the top five websites and top five blogs or social networking sites that your most probable customer visits regularly. For each site, you should identify how that site might be able to help you. That is, you need to identify if the site does book reviews, allows article submissions, allows advertising, etc.

Google Search is your best tool for finding websites related to your book’s topic.

C. Facebook and Twitter: We recommend that you find friends on these two very popular social media sites who are interested in the topic of your book. You can search for groups and individuals within these social media sites who have interests related to your book’s topic.

D. Stores: We recommend that you compile a list of the top five brick-and-mortar stores that your most probable customer visits regularly. These can include local bookstores, local gift shops, and specialty stores. They can also include other businesses and community organizations that your target audience regularly frequents, such as gyms, churches, schools, and doctors’ offices.

E. Special Events: Make a list of the special events that your most probable customer is likely to attend. These can include trade shows, conferences, and speaking engagements.

F. Targeted Lists: Identify any lists of postal mailing addresses and/or e-mail addresses targeted to your most probable customer, which you can use to reach them.

G. Print Media: Make a list of the print magazines and newspapers that your most probable customer reads. For marketing purposes, the more targeted the media, the better. In other words, if you’ve written a mystery novel it is usually better to get a book review or place an ad in a mystery magazine than in the local metro paper.

You may want to consult Writers Market, a book released annually by Writers Digest magazine, which lists numerous book and magazine publishers, or www.writersmarket.com, for a list and description of all the specialized magazines that may be of interest to your target market.

H. Broadcast Media: Make a list of your most probable customer’s favorite radio and TV programs. As with print media, the more targeted the media, the better.

Armed with the answers to these four marketing questions, and with your lists of possible channels through which you can reach your target audience you have the foundation with which to build a powerful marketing plan to sell your book.

• Increase traffic to your Author Website.   The search engines love video! In addition, a Book Trailer on your website helps increase the professional image of your book and helps to separate it from the pack.
• Promote your book to your social media network.  Facebook, Goodreads and LinkedIn are all good places to post your video Book Trailer and, if you have a strong social media network, should get you a lot of feedback and comments.  If you have a popular Author Blog, a video Book Trailer is a must.
• Provide excitement at Book Fairs and Book Signing Events. We live in an age that loves movies and visuals.

Below are some Video Book Trailers Bookstand Publishing has developed for authors for your reference and enjoyment:

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MEMOIRS

Last Days of Tranquility

The Accidental Purpose

Last of the Red Hot Poppas

_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

INSPIRATION

Bushels and Barrels – Redefining the American Dream

A Girl’s Guide to Becoming Great

_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

ROMANTIC SERIES

Signature Affair

Costly Affair

Presidential Affair

_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ 

FICTION

Backseat

Ouija

Tomorrow, Mickey, Tomorrow

Homicide Queen

_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ 

POETRY

A poem about the Hudson river by Edward J. Jeffs,  author of Another Season.

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Bookstand Publishing can create a Video Book Trailer for you.  You can find this service under Online Marketing Services on our Marketing Services Order Form.  You can also call Andy at 408-722-8746 to discuss.

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Video Book Trailer $250

Video is the latest and most effective tool to increase online visibility for your book and get top listings for your book and website on Google, Yahoo!, and MSN. Through this Campaign, Bookstand Publishing will create a simple video based on your book cover and on key words and phrases related to your book, and will submit the video to more than 6 video and social bookmarking sites including YouTube and Yahoo! Video.

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Bookstand Publishing’s unique Customer Review Service is a very efficient tool for getting book reviews about your book posted on Amazon and elsewhere.

Here is how it works:

1.  First we identify Amazon reviewers who have written reviews for books similar to yours.

We have a program that finds these reviewers based on the books and topics we identify (for example, if your book is about white water river rafting we find Amazon reviewers who have written reviews for other books about river rafting).  We will find at least 50 reviewers with email addresses and often we find more.

2.  We will send you an excel spreadsheet with the reviewer names.

This spreadsheet will include the Amazon reviewer names, email addresses, the book they reviewed, a link to their review and any website or blog that the reviewer hosts (a lot of the frequent Amazon reviewers have websites or blogs where they talk about their favorite subjects.). You get to review this list before we sent to it to be sure you are comfortable with the books and reviewers we have identified.

3.  We develop an email to send to the reviewers.  

We will send out the email on your behalf but your email will be the reply email.  The email will be addressed to each reviewer by name.  The email will say that you would like to submit your book to them for their review.  You get to review this email and approve this email before we send it, of course. Here is a sample email:

Sample Email

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Subject: Review Copy of Blue Moon

Hi Mary,

My name is George Smart and I would like to submit my recent book, “Blue Moon” for your review.

In “Blue Moon,” New York in the turbulent 1960s and 70s are the backdrop of Al’s journey through love, war, Mafia, and street gangs.

He and his friends get strong and fight back. Al and Marina fall madly in love. But her Mafia family interferes with the fulfillment of their tormented relationship. Al finds solace in music but still longs to be re-united with Marina.

Author: George Smart

ISBN: 978-1163498XXX

Softcover, 350 pgs

Topic: Fiction/Literary

Availability: The book is available on Amazon.com.

Please let me know if you have any questions. If you wish to review my book, I will be pleased to send you a free copy (I can send you either a paperback copy or a PDF electronic copy).

Best,

George Smart

georgesmart@gmail.com

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4.  Once you approve the list and the email, the email will get sent out to the list.  

We expect about a 10% return (so if we send it to 50 reviewers we expect about 5 to respond saying they want either a paperback or PDF copy of the book.  Typically 90% of the people who request a copy will a review and post it on Amazon (and sometimes on their website or blog as well). Responses will go directly to you and you will need to provide the reviewer with any printed book copies or electronic galleys they request

You need to remember that these people are typically prominent Amazon Reviewers and they are doing you a favor to review your book. You need to respond immediately to their emails, and be professional and courteous and thank them even if they respond saying they don’t want to review your book at this time.

The Customer Review Service is a great tool for getting book reviews and is available under Publicity Services on our Marketing Services Order Form.  You can also call Andy at 408-722-8746 to discuss.

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Customer Review Service $350

With our Customer Review Service we will solicit reviews for your book from relevant Amazon Reviewers. Normally we expect 3 or more reviews on Amazon as a result.

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The easiest way to get Amazon book reviews is to ask your friends and family to post book reviews on Amazon for your new book. However, it has been my experience that they won’t do this until you make it real easy for them.  Here is how to make it real easy.

First find your book on Amazon, and scroll down until you see the “Write a Customer Review” button (see the screen shot below).

Click on the button and you will go to the Customer Review Page.  Highlight everything on the page link up until the “&” symbol (see highlighted page link in the screen shot below)

Copy this link and paste it into your email and let them know this is where to go to write a review. This way they don’t have to figure anything out.  Your friends and family can just go to this page and start writing a review.

In addition, in your email, mention three or more ideas they could mention in the review.  This will make it even easier for your friend or family member to post a review.

Now send individual emails (not a group email) to friends and family members asking them to post an Amazon book review, with the customer review link for your book, and the three or more ideas for the review. Below is an example of an email asking for an Amazon book review for your reference:

 _______________________

SAMPLE EMAIL

_______________________

 Hi George,

As you know I have just published my new book, Whitewater Rafting in the Pacific Northwest.  It is the definitive guide to whitewater rafting in Washington, Oregon and Idaho.

I was wondering if you could help me out and post a review for my book on Amazon (after you have had a chance to review the book of course).

Here is the link where you can go to post the review: https://www.amazon.com/review/create-review?ie=UTF8&asin=161863612X

Anything you want to write would be fine, of course, but if you would like some ideas on what to say you might mention one of more of the following:

•  It is an up to date guide to all the whitewater sites in the Pacific Northwest
•  Each whitewater site is described in detail and given a rating
•  The tips and resources in the book are helpful both to beginners and experienced rafters
•  The author is an expert in white water rafting having personally rafted all 361 sites himself

Please note that you do NOT have to buy my book on Amazon to post a customer review you just have to have an account on Amazon.

Anything you can do would be greatly appreciated.

Best,

Andy

Author of Whitewater Rafting in the Pacific Northwest

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Marsha Friedman, Guest Author Whether your book is a nonfiction marketing tool for your brand or business, or the newest release in your writing career, staging book signings can help build your au…

Source: authorsandspeakersnetwork.wordpress.com

Book signings can be an excellent way to promote your book. However, authors need to keep in mind that book signings need to be promoted to be successful.  Here are some excellent tips on how to promote your book signing without spending a ton of money.

By Cynthia Shannon,  Goodreads Author Marketing Coordinator

“Go where the readers are” is the standard advice for authors contemplating how to best market their books. With more than 30 million members, Goodreads is the world’s largest community of readers. Even better, Goodreads’ mission is to help readers find and share books they love. For authors, it provides a platform to   Continue Reading

Source: www.smithpublicity.com

“With more than 30 million members, Goodreads is the world’s largest community of readers.”  Every self-published author interested in marketing their book should have an account on Goodreads.

Reviewers and Media Contacts

The first and most obvious instance in which you should give your book away for free is when you are trying to get reviewers to review your book and secure publicity through media contacts.  Just remember, the more books that you are asked to give away, the more reviews, interviews, and requests for published excerpts that will come your way.

Building Your Email Marketing Database

When you are trying to build your email marketing database, getting people to supply their email address can be tough.  A good way to get them to give you their address is to give them a sample chapter for doing so or, if you have a series, you might even give them the first book for signing up (assuming that they will purchase the remaining books in your collection).  This will help you build a relationship with your readers and build a following for marketing purposes—an email marketing list is worth its weight in gold.

Free Ebooks

Some authors have had great success in giving away ebooks for free and finding this increases the sales of their print book.  This doesn’t always happen, but it happens often enough you should give it some thought.  Here is a recent study on the effect of giving away free ebooks: http://quod.lib.umich.edu/j/jep/3336451.0013.101%3Frgn%3Dmain%3Bview%3Dfulltext

Amazon KDP

Amazon’s KDP program allows you to give your book away for five days and have your book in the Amazon library to loan out.  While it may seem counterintuitive to give your book to readers (who aren’t supplying any valuable information to you), it is important to remember that these days, everyone is a reviewer.  By giving away your book, you increase your views and reviews from people who would otherwise skip your book.  Although you are forced to be generous at the outset, reviews are well-worth it, because you increase the likelihood that your book will be purchased in the future, having been vetted by other readers.

If you’re starting to feel like you’re never going to be able to charge for your book, don’t worry: it gets better.  All of the free copies that you gave away will increase your book’s visibility, build your credibility, and, in the long-run, lead to more sales of your book to paying customers.

Soliciting Book Reviews from Consumers

(1)    Start by doing some research on who is reviewing titles similar to yours.  Dig out your book proposal for the competitive works, and look them up on Amazon and Barnes and Noble.  Cross-reference the usernames with social media platforms.   Then, either reach out to them on social media or try to dig a little further to uncover their email address.

(2)    Reach out to book reviewers through Good Reads.  Work on building your network, so, when the time comes, you already have a list of reviewers to reach out to, rather than scrambling to put the list together after your book has already been published.

(3)    People who have signed up for your newsletter or who follow you on social media—especially those who have mentioned you positively on their networks—already like your book.  Reach out to them and ask them if they would be willing to write a review.  They’re already fans, so do something nice for them, like offering to send them a signed copy.

Soliciting Book Reviews from the Media

(1)    Enlist the help of a book publicist or your publisher to help you craft media releases about your book, whether you are pitching them story ideas or sending them a press release, offering them a review copy.

Please see my article on using media releases to get book reviews: http://selfpublishingmadeeasy.wordpress.com/2013/02/04/how-to-use-press-releases-to-promote-your-book/

(2)    Do some research online, using that same list of competitive works that you used to find Amazon reviewers.  Find out who has reviewed books that are similar to theirs, research their contact information, and send them an email (or a message via social media) asking them if they would like a review copy of your book.

Don’t be discouraged if you invest a great deal of time into finding people to review your book, or you get turned downed or told that your wait for a review will be extremely long.  Book reviewers are overloaded, and their desks are piled high with books that they have been asked to review, whether they do it as a hobby or they work for a traditional publication or blog.

Make sure that you bring an easel and a large poster of yourself and your book.  If you have a positive newspaper clipping, put it in a frame, and keep it at your signing table; if you do not have one, create a flyer with some blurbs from online reviews and frame it.  Bring some promotional items to give away, like bookmarks.  If the bookstore has not already placed your book (or books) by the registers, it is prime real estate for an impulse purchase, especially when the store is promoting you, so ask them if it is possible for them to do so.

For a Signing:

• Don’t forget to bring pens!  It is a signing, so it is important that you are able to actually sign copies of your book, without looking unprepared by relying on the bookstore.
• After the signing, sign any unsold books so the store has autographed copies .

For a Reading:

• Don’t wing it!  Make sure that you have selected your passages in advance.
• If you have not read the passages that you have selected to an audience before, rehearse the passage at home a few times.  After you are comfortable with it, try reading it for friends or family members.

When the signing is over, don’t forget to give the people who have graciously accommodated you some recognition.  Thank the manager who helped you schedule your signing, and, if it is appropriate, offer to take pictures with him.  If it is a small bookstore, ask the manager if he or she would like you to write up a blurb for their newsletter or website.

A little preparation can go a long way towards your success with readers, shoppers, and the bookstore.  While it is important to be prepared, don’t get so caught up with the details and making sure the event is perfect that you forget to enjoy the moment that you have worked hard to get to.