Let's face it.
Budgets are tight today and because of this, many publishers work hard to get your book out, but do little to promote it.
This means that they may not put the finances behind it that it needs to reach your market.
They have their own channels of distribution, but the burden falls on the author to help market and promote the book as well.
Most authors are inexperienced with this, so here are some tips on marketing your own book.
Make An Invitation List The first step an author should make in how to launch a book is to make a list.
Once you have received your RSVPs, you'll know what type of venue you need for your book launch.
It's important to have this list as a first step in order to organize a launch party, book signing, or other related book-selling event.
The venue will then be able to better accommodate your guests.
For example, they'll need to know how many people are coming in order to determine space considerations, chairs needed, and so on.
When creating your list, take it very seriously.
Your book launch is a big deal, so give it some thought.
You should include both friends and acquaintances, and prominent people who might add weight to your launch.
These prominent people may also attract a larger crowd and more media attention.
Of course, there will be people on the list who can't come, so include an RSVP in the invitation.
Choose A Venue For a book launch, you've got two options - to have it at a bookstore or a non-bookstore venue.
Bookstores are the most common and logical choice, but there are some limitations.
A bookstore might be limited in terms of size and its ability to accommodate many people.
There may not be sufficient sound system, lighting or acoustics.
However, an advantage is that you may get sales at the event from people who weren't invited.
When you choose a non-bookstore venue, there is much more flexibility.
You can usually adjust the space more to your liking.
Non-bookstore venues are great for events that will have a large turnout.
The main disadvantage is that you'll have to arrange the actual selling of the book; bookstores handle this for you.
Food And Beverage Arrangements Most established authors actually recommend not spending much money on food and beverage.
The reason is that the main focus of the event should be the book and not the food and drink.
You'll also have launch crashers who will show up just for the food and drink if you get too much.
As a general rule, quality is better than quantity.
Create Add-Ons Sometimes it's nice to have something extra at your book launch.
These are known in the publishing industry as 'add-ons.
' They add an extra bonus for your guests.
These can be things like raffles or other contests where the winner gets a signed copy of the book.
You can also make gift bags as a thank-you for your guests.
This gives them just a little something more to make the event enjoyable.
Copies Of Your Book Once your invite list is made, you and your publisher can decide how many copies of the book need to be there.
You should always have more copies on hand than you'll need; there's nothing worse than running out of books at the book launch! Another essential part of your launch is book-signing.
A table should be set up so that you can sign copies of the book and pens should be on hands; you'll do lots of book-signing.
No matter how big or small your launch is, always be thankful to your guests for coming and tell them that you're glad they came.
It's best to go into your launch not expecting too much.
Whether you have a huge launch or a small, intimate one, always appreciate everyone who comes and all of their support.