Posted on January 14, 2020 at 2:51 PM by Guest Author
With reading resolutions underway, now is a great time to be promoting a book. Learn how you can take advantage of the increased interest in reading now.
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The Value of Promoting a Book in the New Year
Previously, we discussed why promoting a book during the holidays is a wise choice for authors, debunking the myth that holiday book promotions aren’t worth running.
However, just because the holiday season is over doesn’t mean you should start scaling back your marketing efforts.
In fact, continuing to push your book through the month of January can actually work in your favor.
Consider this…
Once the holiday frenzy comes to an end, people look for every chance to relax and destress. And one of the best ways to do that is to curl up with a good book.
Given that a significant number of adults and young individuals continue to read for fun, it’s safe to say that a large amount of readers across all age ranges will be picking up a book or two this month — one of which could be yours.
Further, the start of a new year brings an opportunity for personal growth and development, which is why so many people set reading resolutions for themselves.
So, if you’re not promoting a book in January, you’re missing out on the chance to expand your reader base.
Think about it…
Those who plan to read more over the course of the year need books in order to achieve that goal. And that means they search…
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Libraries
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Bookstores
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Ebook marketplaces
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Recommendation sites
…for books they haven’t read yet.
With books in such high demand around this time of year, promoting a book you’ve written allows you to get in front of potential new readers and — with any luck — turn them into lifelong fans.
How Popular Are New Year’s Reading Resolutions?
New Year’s reading resolutions continue to be popular among people of all ages. In fact, it’s one of the most common resolutions made at the beginning of each year.
In addition to setting their own personal reading resolutions, many people take part in large-scale reading challenges, joining others who have made a commitment to read more or branch out in terms of genre.
Some blogs, websites, and other entities that often issue reading challenges include…
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Goodreads
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Bookriot
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Bookish
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Medium
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Reddit
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Scholastic
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Local libraries
According to Google Trends, both “reading resolutions” and “reading challenge” experience a spike in searches around the beginning of the year.
Google Trends report for the search term “reading resolutions” over the past five years.
Google Trends report for the search term “reading challenge” over the past five years.
Clearly, it’s well worth promoting a book this month to capture the attention of those looking for new material.
Already, more than 1.6 million people have signed up to participate in the 2020 Goodreads Reading Challenge, pledging to read nearly 74 million books in total.
And that’s just one of the many reading challenges out there!
Even though a number of people likely won’t reach their goal, they’ll still read more than if they hadn’t set one at all.
Therefore, you have the potential to increase downloads and sales significantly by getting your book in front of those who plan to read a greater number and variety of books this year.
Steps to Start Promoting a Book Right Now
To take advantage of the rising demand for books — in all formats — it’s important to start promoting a book right now.
Here are some ideas you should try…
1. BEGIN WITH YOUR EMAIL SUBSCRIBERS.
Chances are several of your subscribers have set reading resolutions for themselves.
And those who simply plan to read at their leisure are probably looking for new material as well.
So, begin by promoting a book in your author newsletter.
Since they’re looking for books and have already demonstrated an interest in your work, those subscribed to your newsletter are more likely to purchase or download a copy.
Don’t have an email list?
You can sign up to promote a free ebook in our newsletter, getting your work in front of more readers who may eventually become fans and go on to buy other books you’ve written!
2. HARNESS THE POWER OF SOCIAL MEDIA.
Social media is a quick and easy way to start promoting a book — both to current fans and to potential readers.
Many people who participate in reading challenges take to Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram to share their progress and get recommendations.
This provides you with an opportunity to encourage them to add your book to their reading list.
There are a number of ways to make the most of social media.
However, if you want to really drive downloads and sales this month, you’ll need to devote some of your budget to paid advertising.
To make posts and paid ads stand out, try creating a personal video, making graphics unique to your book, or highlighting positive reviews.
3. PROVIDE READERS WITH VALUABLE CONTENT.
Effective content marketing means providing readers with high-quality content.
What you share on social media and post to your blog should deliver value to those you want to purchase or download your book. Further, it should help build trust in you as an author.
In addition to promoting a book, you should also be giving away content that is interesting and relevant to people. For example, you can…
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Share daily tips on how they can reach their reading goals
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Write a blog about reading different genres
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Create a list of ways to maximize reading time
4. ALLOW READERS TO PROMOTE YOUR BOOK FOR YOU.
Make no mistake — promoting a book does fall largely on you as the author.
But, you can also get current fans to help spread the word about your book, especially if it’s an ebook.
By adding links to the last page of your ebook, you can make it easier for readers to leave a review, buy a copy, or share on social media.
As previously mentioned, many people head to their favorite social platforms for recommendations. Seeing that a friend invested the time to read your book means they’ll be more likely to do the same.
5. GO WHERE THE READERS ARE.
Finally, if you want to start promoting a book with the goal to increase sales and downloads, you must be where the readers are.
Around this time of year, people often search for inexpensive options online so they can achieve reading challenges without spending a lot of money.
Make sure yours is found by offering a discounted or free version of your ebook on a website with a large audience.
For instance, you can promote your free ebook in our newsletter, which comprises a list of roughly 200,000 readers!
Takeaway
January is no time to start slowing down when it comes to promoting a book — not when reading challenges have just been issued and people are excited about achieving their reading resolutions.
Instead, take advantage of the increased demand and work to get readers interested in you and your book. Your downloads and sales will thank you for it!
>>>Want to get your work in front of more readers? Sign up to promote your free ebook in our newsletter!<<<
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