How to Boost Your Kindle E-Book Sales

Can you boost the sales of your book? Do you feel overwhelmed knowing you are faced with hundreds of competitors in Kindle? Can you possibly increase your sales? The answer is yes. With the right information and determination, you can boost your e-book sales in Kindle.
For those who wish to earn while working home based, writing a book and publishing it on their own is one of the best alternatives available. In fact, you can find millions of books in Kindle published by independent writers who seek to create another source of income.
For beginners, this is a challenging market to enter. Imagine hundreds of books under the same niche are being published every day in Kindle which can push your book away from potential readers.
As a reader, seeing hundreds of books on Amazon is a delight but for publishers this is a challenging situation because it will be hard for them to market their book in a crowded marketplace. If your book is not on the top of the search list, it may never have the chance to be seen by potential readers.
As a publisher, your goal is to get the book noticed by the readers. The first step you can take is to change the categories or add new category under the book.
For example, go and visit the Kindle website and choose the Home category and click the Pets subcategory. From there you will see more subcategories related to pets and animal care.
By carefully selecting the subcategories, you are giving your book more exposure. Labeling your book will attract potential readers since they are those people who are specifically looking for something they need.
Instead of thinking about ranking the book in the main category, opt for subcategories as it present less competition with better exposure.
One important aspect of boosting your sales is to put a reasonable price on the books you publish. Nonetheless, don't choose for very low prices instead pick an average price range that can attract visitors and buyers.
For extra boost, enroll in the Kindle Direct Publishing Select program which can attract more attention. However, this may not translate to sales but it is worth trying and exploring.
The KDP Select program allows readers who are subscribed to the program to read as many books as they want. For the authors, giving away a book for free can translate to bigger sales. Most author will leave a link that will lead to other books written by you.
Other than Kindle, you can market your books in other e-books platforms to increase sales. You can try Barnes & Noble, Kobo and iBookstore.
However, you may have to edit your documents again to cater to their formatting style. If you are under the KDP program, you cannot sell your books in other platforms for 90 days once you participate.
If you are planning to expand your market, it is advisable to start with Kindle first. Avail their KDP Select and once you finish the period, assess your profit and move on to the next platforms online.
Remember different platforms have different policies and formatting styles so you will have to familiarize and learn before you publish your works.
Just like any other endeavor, you need hard work, time and sacrifice to really make a mark in the field you are in.

Get the latest tips on writing and publishing e-books from Rob Hillman, the Kindle expert. Visit him now at http://www.easykindleriches.com

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How to Effectively Market Your eBook

You've finished with writing your eBook and followed the required formatting style from Kindle. Then you click publish and your job is done. Now you can relax and enjoy a vacation. Or is it? Unfortunately, it's not yet time to celebrate.
Creating content and formatting the book is necessary and not the last thing you do as self-publisher. The content is only the first step of your writing career because your next job would be promoting and marketing the product, your book to the readers.
Your work is just getting started because the long term task will be focused on marketing your book to the millions of potential readers. Many authors failed to realized that in order to e successful in their writing career, they need to continue working on their market.
The existence of thousands of writer makes the competition tight and if you choose to stay complacent, you will be left behind.
Get to work by planning your marketing strategy. Since Amazon is a big market you need to be competitive. Create a plan that will put your book on top of the search list of your respective niche. Being at the bottom of the list will decrease your chances of earning because potential buyers do not see your product. Do not rely solely on Amazon to promote your eBook.
The first step in promoting your eBook is to create a plan. Use a spreadsheet and create a timeline by setting time limit for every marketing task. A good place to start your campaign is social media. If you have Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest and Instagram you're good to go.
Build your audience by setting up a page about you or your book. Use this page to share your thoughts and ideas on things related to your book and current social news. You can also use the page to tell the readers about the book you are currently promoting. Don't forget to put the link to the Kindle store.
You can also make use of video sites such as YouTube and upload trailer about the book. Create a short video where you can introduce the book to the public. If you are willing to spend more, create a short simple commercial and upload it in social media sites. This is an opportunity that will promote your eBook without spending too much effort and money.
Join forums and groups related to Kindle and writing. Look for authors or individuals who are willing to review and critique your work. Ask for advice from those who have been in the industry for quite some time. Reviews can boost your visibility and credibility as a writer and readers often rely on reviews to help them decide whether to buy or not.
If you are willing to spend extra, avail press release services and share it on your local news station. You can also get a sponsored post in your local newspaper or in social media sites such as YouTube and Facebook. These two sites cater to commercial and advertisement from any companies or individuals.
As you go through all these options, write it down in your spreadsheet and put specific time to execute it. Once you slowly implement these marketing plans measure the effectiveness and adjust as necessary.

As an experienced writer, Rob Hillman shares valuable tips and secrets on Kindle eBook and its platform. Visit him at http://www.easykindleriches.com

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Authors - How to Promote Your Book Using Social Media

Are you about to launch a book you wrote? Then how exciting and congratulations! Social media has been a perfect avenue to showcase products and services for entrepreneurs and even major corporations and to keep in touch with their prospect consumers. Now authors can use social media in a similar way. If you are a writer who has or is about to launch a book, then this post is for you.
Launching a book takes a lot of preparation just like how you create its actual content. The action has to be planned to enhance its impact on your potential readers. One way of stirring excitement among them is by promoting it online. Here are 9 effective tips using social media!
1 Choose the Right Platform
There's a lot of social media sites out there but for starters let's focus on just a few-like Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn and YouTube, especially if you have already placed your book on Amazon to sale. A different social platform serves various purposes and caters to different kinds of people. Here's how to use each one.
2. Create a Facebook Fan page
Creating a Facebook Fan Page is really simple. You would want your banner page to mirror your book cover with a small photo of you the author. Your fan page title does not have to match the title of your book completely but close. Then work on getting "likes" to your fan page and start posting very short articles using excerpts from your book chapters along with a link to your Amazon page. Your goal is to "tease" your readers to want more by reading the book!
3. How to Use Twitter to "Tweet" Interest in Your Book
If you already have a Twitter account you can use it to send out tweets. If you don't then you can open a Twitter account as an author or writer, using your book cover as your profile picture. You don't want to use Twitter to broadcast your book but simply to draw interest to a particular subject or discussion using a question or photo-with a link to your Facebook Fan Page for further information. Just remember you only have 140 characters to do this!
4. Using LinkedIn to Promote
LinkedIn is another great social media platform to use because it allows people to see you as a writer with an added curiosity as to what you are writing about. If you are already on LinkedIn then simply add to your profile that you are an author or a writer, and provide a link to your Amazon page. You can also use LinkedIn to connect and engage with others with a link to your Facebook Fan Page inviting them to "like" your page in exchange to liking theirs.
5. How to Use YouTube?
Using videos is huge in promoting your book. There's two ways to use YouTube. First open up an account and create a very short and simple "trailer" for your book. A book trailer is just like a movie trailer and for a small cost you can have one made or just make one yourself and add it to YouTube. Another thing you can do is use a video from YouTube to draw interest to a certain subject-line that closely matches the topic of your book, by typing in a "keyword" in the search bar. Once you select your video then you can use it to promote the title of your book with a link to your Amazon page. According to Social Media Examiner, a video together with your fans is a good way to establish connection.
6. Promoting Your Book with Pinterest
Pinterest is one of the fastest growing social media platforms online-and in popularity! With Pinterest you can open up an account and create a board such as "Author" or "My Book" or whatever you like to name it, then pin a photo of your cover and add a link to your Facebook Fanpage or blog if you have one. Then like the other social media sites, work on building your friendship by following others so they can follow you back. Check back on a regular basis to engage.
7. The Right Time to Share
When you are planning to post, then choose a best time to do it. Just because you want to reach a lot of people, does not mean that you have to post in an irregular schedule. The basic to engage your prospect customers is to share during a peak time. You just have to take note that different social platforms have different time to shine.
8. Do Not Forget the Social Share Buttons
If you have a website or a blog, be sure you install Social Share Buttons as a plug-in. They are pretty basic when you are marketing your book. In fact, these buttons allows people to share your page on other social platforms such as Facebook, Twitter, and LinkedIn where their "friends" can see. If your book possesses statistics or information, you can simply post that where others might be motivated to share by clicking the "share" button.
9. Text and Visual Content Matters
The content is big factor to engage visitors. As an author, you have to do well at this point. Make the headline as catchy as possible. The same thing goes with the content. You can easily use a chapter of your book as the title and just copy a few paragraphs for your content. Other thing that you can do to attract visitors is to post rich content that relates to your book or illustrations or photos if your book have any.
Promote Your Masterpiece!
Social media sites are not made just to showcase products or services. It is more about the interaction of the people in the online premises. Although you will be promoting your book, gear it towards the people to inspire and motivate them. That is how you will gain momentum in finding the people you want to target.

For more information on when is the best times to post on social media: http://regjackonline.com/days-times-post-social-media.
For additional information or assistance: http://regjackonline.com/contact

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Using Book Flyers to Market Your Book

I've been a freelance writer and need to be careful with my budget. In today's publishing world, authors are often asked to pay for some of the marketing. Like many authors, I have to make my marketing dollars go as far as possible. This led me to the idea of a book flyer.
Many flyers are available from the Internet and they come in different sizes. Templates are available, too. I have a graduate degree in art, but I don't have the computer graphics skills, so I turned to a professional designer. He did an amazing job and the flyer contains all the necessary elements I need: eye-catching colors, author photo, book cover(s), explanation, release date, and ordering information.
The information should be brief and clear. "This mystery keeps you wondering." "A heartwarming love story." "A must-have for nurses."
My book launch is several months away, yet I'm using this publicity piece now, and giving it to as many people as possible. If you're artistic, and have the computer skills, you may design your own flyer. How can you use it?
Post it on social media. In today's publishing world, social media are your best marketing tools. You need to be on Facebook, Twitter, Google+,, and other websites. Get some coaching if you don't know how to do this. My grandchildren are my technical support and I'm grateful for their help.
Send it to NetGalley reviewers. Your publisher may have uploaded your book to this website. You will receive notice of who downloaded the book and who took the time to write a review. Send a thank you email to everyone on the list and attach a flyer.
Deliver one to the newspaper. City newspapers are always trolling for stories. Small town newspapers appreciate stories and images. Mail or personally deliver a flyer to the newspaper and include an information sheet about your book. Be sure to include a business card.
Talk with the folks at the public library. Make up a press kit, including the flyer, and deliver it personally. Ask to give a talk about your book. Tell them yo speak for free, that your talk don't be a commercial, and that it will contain new information.
Email it to a local magazine. I email the editor directly, and also attach an information sheet. persistence pays off, so stay in contact with the magazine. I just contacted a city magazine for the second time to remind the editor of my caregiving series, and attached a flyer.
Send it to close friends. You don't have to be pushy. Take a casual approach and say this is your latest writing project. Word of mouth is one of the best marketing tools and you want to generate buzz about your book.
Carry a copy with you. Often, when you're out and about, you meet people you haven't seen for months, or people who know you're a writer. When they ask you what you're working on, you can whip out your flyer and show them.

http://www.harriethodgson.com
Harriet Hodgson is the author of thousands of articles and 35 books. Her latest releases are Happy Again! Your New and Meaningful Life After Loss, Help! I'm Raising My Grandkids, an Seed Time: Growing from Life's Disappointments, Losses, and Sorrows. Visit her website and learn more about this busy author and grandmother.

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Personalize Your Foreword With Anecdotes To Make It More Powerful

Introduction
Anecdotes are an amazing literary device for writers, as well as marketers. They are a deceptively powerful writing and marketing tool. Using anecdotes in the foreword will immediately make your book stand out from the crowd. When written properly, they can be very engaging, and grab and hold onto the reader's attention. This is what the foreword is all about. Hooking the reader with an interesting story, and then reeling them in to make an emotional connection with the author of the foreword. Then hopefully the reader will want to continue reading the book, and be more receptive to buying a copy.
What Is An Anecdote?
An anecdote is a very short and interesting personal story from a person's past experiences - that is used to illustrate a point. It can be an experience from the writer, or from someone they know or have heard about. The anecdote, or mini-story, immediately puts the reader directly into the middle of the action. It usually describes one dramatic moment in time. It is written as a way to show, or illustrate, a particular point (show, don't tell). They typically involve something that happened such as a problem, or challenge, or mistake, or misunderstanding, etc.
How To Use Anecdotes In A Foreword
Here is one paragraph from a book foreword that I wrote entirely as a personal essay. I utilize personal anecdotes to show how the book had an effect on me - how I relate the information in the book to my life. I reveal my real life story to show the reader how I connect with the book. I use my personal story to illustrate a larger point about the content of the book. My job as the foreword author is to show the reader that I made an emotional connection with the book, and thereby the hope is that the reader will make an emotional connection with me - and then develop the desire to read the entire book. Wallace Wattles wrote the book. You can read the entire foreword on my blog.
"But now, looking back at my family life, I have since come to realize that my mother, with almost no formal education, no career skills, no money, and three small children to feed, inherently understood many of the basic concepts in this book. My mother was not as eloquent as Wattles, and she didn't have much of an opportunity to put Wattles' principles into practice. But me and my brothers were inadvertently living and learning Wattles' concepts every day - through the actions of our mother. She taught us that even in the worst of times, that by sticking to our single-minded vision to grow and thrive, that we will survive; and acting everyday with purpose to achieve our goals, that our faith in each other and in our dream of creating a successful life will help us succeed; and our gratitude to God for keeping us healthy so that we could keep working and studying, we would eventually be successful. And eventually, we were."
Conclusion
Anecdotes are one of the most powerful marketing tools available to the foreword author and the book marketer. Endorsements and testimonials from celebrities and other famous people are probably more powerful and will have a greater impact on book sales. But the foreword should never be overlooked as an important part of the book's overall marketing plan. The marketing power of the foreword typically comes from personal anecdotes which should be an essential part of a complete and effective foreword.

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How to Keep Today's Viral Hit Rolling Along

We can dream about our background story being important enough, wild enough, catchy enough that the Twitter-verse goes into overload. However, if there was a guaranteed formula for something going viral there would be no need for marketing your book. And developing awareness of your book is the single most important role you have as author and publisher. Developing awareness of your book is the first element in book sales, followed by reader interest and distribution. Having a great story, excellent writing, and a terrific message are your best tools. But they are often not enough in this competitive marketplace to gather reader's interests and therefore sales.
In our media driven world today's great story may be quickly surpassed by tomorrow's bigger flashier story. Imagine a review of your book was printed in a major publication like Publisher's Weekly, Foreword magazine, or the Denver Post. Most people would think this was a done deal for jump starting book sales. But tomorrow the headlines are all focused on the plagiarist who made up his supposed "true story". Your reviews can slip into the shadows as if they have never been. What do you do?
Now is not the time to coast and hope that the review will cause your book sales to soar. Instead use those reviews to make more reviews, more awareness of your book. Compound the interest in your book. Banks offer compound interest on your savings. Investing in your success and expanding on that success is exactly the same. Your money works for you, you earn interest. You develop the awareness of your book, you earn interest. You earn interest you gain readers. More readers equal more sales of your book. As you can see there are steps to this awareness process.
Now how do you do that?

• Blog about your review. Share your excitement.
• Post the review on your social media. Facebook loves success stories.
• Send out an eblast to your mailing list announcing the review.
• Ask your followers to share the review.
• Comment on the review online, and ask followers to do the same.
• Thank the reviewer and offer your expertise for future articles.
• Now that you have the validity of a review in a publication solicit more endorsements from colleagues and competitors.
• Research which other magazines or newspapers might cover your story and your book. Query them as to their interest.
• Research submission guidelines for articles in magazines similar to where your review was published. Submit articles.
• Each review adds to your credibility as an author. As you earn credibility you become more attractive as an expert and as a speaker.

There will always be the next bright shiny thing. You can count on it. People like bright shiny things, and are often distracted when the next one pops up. Who knows you may become a bright shiny thing for tomorrow. Meanwhile do you remember the last Meme on Facebook you commented on, or the last thread that you followed on Twitter? Did that flash translate in you buying something? Follow the thread, enjoy the meme, but be the one who continues to build awareness.
*Inspiration for this article came from a Buzz Feed post by Jami Attenburg about her story going viral: "I waited for the whole thing to turn into a moment. On Sunday morning, I did another interview, this one with a local cable news show. How many of these could I do? And what would any of it have to do with my books?"

Mari Selby is a contributing writer for San Francisco Book Review. For the past 16 years Mari has been the director of Selby Ink, a publicity and marketing firm. http://www.selbyink.com Selby ink promotes authors who make a difference, and helps those authors to develop name recognition through traditional publicity efforts as well as social media. Selby ink specializes in the following genres: body-mind-spirit, relationships, environmental issues, and social justice.

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5 Steps To Getting A "Big Name" To Write Your Book's Foreword

Introduction
It is very easy to get someone to write your book's foreword. The difficult part is finding the best person for the job. You need someone with a proven a track record, like being published author, or a successful person in their industry, or that has a huge social media following. Plus, they need to understand what a foreword is about, why a book has a foreword, and what role it plays in the success of your book. Here are the basic steps in finding the right person to write your book's foreword.
1. Make A List Of Names
This list should be a very easy task for you to accomplish. You must have certainly come across all of the "big names" while doing the research for your book. Also, doing a search on Amazon will help you find the names of authors whose books are actually selling. And an Amazon search will help you find the authors of newly published books. Also look at their websites. Ideally you want a person to write your foreword that has a large social media following, or substantial coverage in the press.
2. Start Making Contact
Find their email address on the internet - typically at their website or job. If you can't find their website, you can email their publisher directly. Many authors will give provide their email address somewhere in their book. (1) Send them your first email with a compliment about a book of theirs that you have read and referred to in your writing. Or, in place of that email, you can try to connect with them on LinkedIn, and give them a compliment about their writing or book. (2) Send them a second email within a few weeks asking them to write your book's foreword.
3. Make It Easy For Them
(1) In that second email, attach a PDF of the book. (2) Make sure that your book is very polished. No typos, no spelling errors, no mistakes. You must include a very professional looking book cover in your PDF. All of this will help you look like a professional. Like someone they can trust, and won't mind attaching their name to. (3) And finally, keep your request simple and short. Your request must be very honest and sincere. If there is any hint of dishonesty or lack of sincerity in your request, they will never deal with you again.
4. Explain The Benefits
(1) The main benefit that they will get from writing your book's foreword is exposure, or publicity. Make sure you tell them that you will be including their name on the cover of your book. Celebrities, industry "big shots", and "big name" authors are just as interested in publicity as the rest of us. We all want to attach our name to someone we believe has a good chance of getting us that exposure. (2) Explain to them that you value their opinion and that it is very important to you that you have their opinion included in your book. (3) A PDF of your book will show them how well designed and professional looking your book's cover is, plus see how well written your book is, plus read the great testimonials that you have already received for your book. Also, your website, blog, and LinkedIn page, all must look amazing. You website and blog must have great content on it, and look very professional. All of this will show that you are serious about your subject.
5. Follow Up
Wait about a week. Send them a third email asking them if they received your last email that was requesting that they consider writing your book's foreword. Tell them that if they have any questions, or need any more information about you or your book, to please email you anytime. Keep it shore and simple. If they are really interested, they will usually let you know within a week. If they don't, move on to your next choice on your list.
Conclusion
Asking someone to write your foreword is a simple process. Be nice to them, show them you are serious about your subject, and then ask them. But remember, you must first have everything on your end complete and looking great. And never forget, you need them more than they need you - so don't be a pest, and don't sound desperate. The worst that can happen is that they say no.

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How Do You Get a Literary Agent?

You've just finished writing a book. You've polished and polished the manuscript, so it's the BEST you can make it. Now, how do you get a literary agent who will sell your manuscript to a publisher?
You've heard that landing an agent can be difficult, if nearly impossible. Yet it doesn't have to be. Here are a few tips that should make it much easier.
1. Do your homework before you start contacting agents.
Make a list of agents who represent the type of work you have written. Also, check to see that these agents are all accepting new clients. Look for the submissions guidelines on each agent's website and follow these guidelines to the letter.
2. Look for agents or agencies that are just getting started.
New agencies are started all the time and that means they're looking for clients. Various writer communities and organizations will often pass along word of these new agents or agencies to their members. For example, the Society of Children's Book Writers and Illustrators (SCBWI) sends out a bi-monthly BULLETIN to its members, which includes information about new agents or agencies for the children's market.
3. Attend writer's conferences and schedule a few "pitch" sessions with a few agents.
If you're serious about writing, you really MUST attend at least one writer's conference every year. Many conferences offer short sessions where a writer can "pitch" a manuscript to an agent. There is usually a fee (separate from the overall conference fee) for these sessions, but they can be well worth the money. Depending on your budget, and the agents who are available at a particular conference, sign up for sessions with at least a couple of different agents. Once an agent has heard your pitch, he'll let you know if he's interested in seeing your complete manuscript or proposal. If you've targeted the right agent(s) and prepared a great pitch, this can be an excellent way to get an agent to review your work and ultimately decide to take you on as a new client.
4. Get a referral.
Most successful writers network with other writers all the time. This networking should start even BEFORE you become a published writer. You'll learn so much from experienced, well-published writers, and, once they get to know you and your writing, a writer who writes the same type of thing you do may offer to refer you to his agent. You can network through online listervs for writers but also join writer's groups that meet regularly in your town or neighborhood.
It shouldn't be impossible to land a literary agent if you have a great manuscript and you follow these tips.
Try it!

For more writing tips, ideas, and other resources for writers, get your free subscription to The Morning Nudge at http://www.morningnudge.com.
Suzanne Lieurance is a freelance writer, a writing coach and certified life coach, and the author of over 30 published books.

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Think Beyond Bookstores: Other Ways to Become a Best-Selling Author

Becoming a best-selling author sounds like a great way to become rich and famous. Yet most authors won't write books that become best-sellers. At least, their books won't be best-sellers in the traditional sense.
The traditional way to become a best-selling author is to write a book that a traditional publisher buys, publishes, promotes, and puts in bookstores all across the country - and maybe even across the planet.
J.K. Rowling, Dan Brown, and Danielle Steel all became best-selling authors this way. But there are many other authors who have taken a somewhat different path to writing best-selling books, and you probably have never even heard of most of these authors.
What Did They Do?
Well, here are a few possibilities.
Sold Books to Corporations or Organizations
First, some of these authors may have written a book that had wide appeal to a particular niche market. But rather than rely on bookstores to sell their book, they sold their book in large quantities to corporations or organizations within their niche market.
Just imagine... you've written a book with tips for parenting children with asthma. Wouldn't it be nice to get booked as a speaker for an educational program provided by the American Lung Association who purchases your book as part of the materials for the program? It wouldn't take long to sell thousands of copies of your book this way.
Created a Wide Launch on Amazon
Other authors set up launch dates on amazon.com and became best-selling authors strictly online this way. Generally, this requires partnering with other professionals in your field who agree to promote your book on your launch date and offer an e-book or other product of their own as a free bonus when someone purchases your book from amazon.com. This method can be so effective that often it results in best-seller status within a single day.
Used Social Media to Sell Books
Some authors these days are able to get to best-selling status by growing and leveraging their social media. They don't target too many different social media platforms, however. They choose the one (or ones) that appeal to their target market. Pinterest, for a younger female audience, or Instagram, for millleninials, for example.
None of these methods of selling large quantities of books involves bookstores. That doesn't mean a particular book can't also be sold in bookstores. It just means an author isn't dependent on bookstores for the vast majority of sales of his books.
So, as you're writing your book, think beyond bookstores to become a best-selling author.
Try it!

For more writing tips, ideas, and other resources for writers, get your free subscription to The Morning Nudge at http://www.morningnudge.com.
Suzanne Lieurance is a freelance writer, a writing coach and certified life coach, and the author of over 30 published books.

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Stepping Out of Your Book Marketing Comfort Zone

I loved being a Girl Scout, but I didn't love selling Scout cookies. Although I sold some boxes to neighbors and church friends, my total sales weren't impressive. Selling wasn't my strong suit. Memories of Girl Scout cookies came to mind while I was writing a marketing plan for my new book series. Before I started the plan, I researched sales techniques.
Some techniques were familiar to me, and others were way out of my comfort zone.
A hybrid publisher is putting out my series. Under the terms of my contract, I'm supposed to write a marketing plan, help create a press kit, pay for the kits, and other necessary supplies. All of this sounded good, and I was willing to do the work, but I was on a tight budget, a couple of hundred bucks at most.
I tried to spend my money wisely. The steps I took may help you with book marketing.
Update your business card. Your card should include a photo, your publisher's website address, your email address, and social media icons. If you haven't joined any social media, do it right away. Check the Internet for business card deals.
Get bookmarks made. This is an old idea, yet it's still a good one. A surprising amount of information fits on a bookmark. Again, include your publisher's website address, your email address, and social media icons. Your bookmark may include copy from the publisher's press release.
Create a book flyer. You could do this yourself, or hire a professional designer. My flyer was designed by a professional and it was worth the money. He sent me two files, one for the flyer, and one for a large display. Your flyer should have a photo of your book cover, your photo, and explanatory words, such as "An historical mystery."
Create a display. I took the flyer file to a local office supply store, and asked the printing folks to create a huge poster. The poster is on foam board, a mistake, because the corners bend easily. Next time I'll ask for the display to be on heavy cardboard. I bought a $25 folding easel for the poster.
Participate in book blogs. Several days ago I joined a blog for authors and bloggers who review books. Seconds after I posted my first blog, I received an email from another author. Blogs are a way for authors and readers to connect with each other. My publisher uploaded my books to a reviewers' website. Reviews are forwarded to me and I email a thank-you to every person.
Tap the power of the Net. I never thought I'd join social media networks, but I have, and it's been a learning experience. After giving it some thought, I subscribed to a service that posts information about me on social networks. The results were instantaneous and I'm hearing from people in different parts of the world. Time will tell if this exposure sells books.
Plan a book launch. The county history center is going to host a Book Launch for the first two books in my series. I think the center is willing to do this because I'm giving a free talk at the center two weeks after the launch. Hosting the Book Launch is good for the center and good for me. I'm providing coffee, cookies and handouts.
Stepping out of my book marketing comfort zone has given me the confidence to try new marketing ideas. Even if you couldn't sell Girl Scout cookies, or were good at school fundraisers, don't underestimate yourself. You've worked hard, are proud of your book, and be proud to let others know about it.

http://www.harriethodgson.com
Harriet Hodgson has been a freelancer for 37 years and is the author of 34 books. Her latest releases are Happy Again! Your New and Meaningful Life After Loss and Help! I'm Raising My Grandkids. The Family Caregiver's Guide and Affirmations for Family Caregivers come out in the fall of 2015. Visit her website and learn more about this busy author, grandmother, and caregiver.

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