Promoting your book is one of the most important steps in getting your work in front of the eyes that are ready to read it. While there are times when we pick up steam on our journey and things seem to fall into place, there are other times we hit a promotional plateau and can’t seem to break out of our rut.

If you’re trying to navigate your way around this speed bump, check out these four book promotion tips to help you get back on your promotional path.

1. The world as we know it seems to revolve around social media. It’s where people share their lives, and for authors, it’s a great place to promote your book. One way to create a buzz around your work is to create attention-grabbing social images that include a quote from your book. Try to find a quote that would pique the interest of your target audience, and be sure to add your book’s title on the image so if your picture is shared on social media, so too will be the title of your work.
2. Another way to break past your promotional plateau is by engaging with others on social media, namely, Twitter. Participating in Twitter chats will help you provide valuable insight on your genre or your topic of interest. If you’re unfamiliar with the term Twitter Chat, it’s an event on Twitter that’s usually focused on one specific topic. During the chat, the content is usually directed by a moderator. This tip will require you to do a little research to find the right hashtag that your readers are using, and then to determine the most relevant upcoming chat session, but once you’ve found what you’re looking for, you’ll be opening yourself and your work up to a brand-new audience!
3. If we’ve said it once, we’ve said it a million times – promoting your book takes some out-of-the-box creativity. Consider running a scavenger hunt on social media where you give your followers clues as to where a copy of your book is hiding. Perhaps it’s in a local park or somewhere in the big city. Wherever it may be, get your followers excited, engage with them on social media and reward them once they reveal the hiding place. Another idea is to get a copy of your book included in The Little Free Library, so that community members can easily get their hands on it. The possibilities are endless if you’re willing to step outside of your comfort zone, so put on your thinking cap and think about how readers in your area are finding new books to ignite their passion for the written word.
4. Last but certainly not least, remember that promoting your book is a marathon and not a sprint. While we all want overnight success, it’s important to realize that promoting your book is part of the longer game. So while it may be difficult at times, if you persist and stay consistent, you’ll see that you can push through any promotional plateau.

We’ll leave you with this sentiment: “A river cuts through a rock not because of its power but its persistence.” Good luck!

Copyright Dorrance Publishing, 2017