Book Marketing Ideas in the Middle of a Pandemic
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The pandemic turned book marketing and events upside down. Thankfully, a lot of conferences and workshops have moved to virtual formats. Authors, book sellers, and event planners have had to muster their creativity and find new or other ways to do things.
Here are some ideas to add to your toolbox.
Blog Tours (Paid and Free) - Look for blog tour services that will help you set up interviews, reviews, and guest posts.
Facebook/Twitter Parties - Look for companies that provide hosted social media parties (usually for a fee). They organize the event on an event page or a site where an author can “take over” for the event. You can also create your own party. It’s a good idea to have some writer friends join you and to do a variety of give aways. Make sure you review the social media platform’s terms and conditions. They do change from time to time.
Make a list of all your author/book friends who have blogs. Ask for an interview or guest blog spot to promote your new book. I offer interview spots for authors on my blog. You can send me a message on the “Contact” page if you’re interested.
Talk to your indie bookstore owners. Many are doing free and ticketed virtual events.
Reach out to your librarians. Many are doing virtual programs, and you can pitch a panel or workshop that you can lead.
Look for book clubs who host in-person or virtual speakers. Ask friends and watch Facebook groups. There are lots of book clubs that have moved to the virtual space.
There are also services out there that help authors expand BookBub, email lists, and other social media followings.
If you’re going to use a service, read the fine print, and ask other author friends about their experiences. Make sure the service caters to your genre and type of book.
What else would you add to my list?
