8 Cross-Promotion Marketing Ideas For Self-Published Authors | Self-Publishing Relief

by | Marketing and Promotion | 3 comments

Self-publishing has opened a multitude of new paths to success for independent writers. But if you’re going it alone, book marketing can seem overwhelming and expensive. How’s a self-published author supposed to make a marketing splash in a crowded publishing field?

Fortunately, there is power in numbers. Self-Publishing Relief knows that pooling resources with your fellow writers can broaden your reach and even boost your sales. Check out these smart cross-promotion marketing ideas that are especially effective for self-published authors.

   

How To Cross-Promote And Boost Your Self-Published Book Sales

Cross-Promote On Social Media

What better way to amplify your social media efforts than by having a whole team behind you, ready and willing to share your posts? Reposting each other’s book launches, discounts, contests, and blog posts is a great way to get the word out—not just to your own fans and followers, but also to the fans and followers of your fellow authors. Marketers call this a “warm audience” because they’re avid readers and thus more likely to respond to your call-to-action.

Cross-Promote In Newsletters

Cross-promotion works best when you’re supporting other authors who write in your specific genre. Since your target audiences overlap, you will all have a stronger chance of widening your reach.

Because of privacy concerns, authors don’t actually “swap” e-mail lists when they do a newsletter swap. Instead, they agree to mention your launch, discount, or contest in their own newsletters in a timely way. Since newsletters are the most effective path to book sales, swaps are strong amplifiers. And the best thing is: They don’t cost a thing!

Cross-Promote In Blogs

Subscribing to, writing comments about, and sharing each other’s blogs on social media boosts the reach of the posts considerably. But you may be able to make a bigger impact with a lot less work if you team up to write a multiple-author blog. Check out The Jewels Of Historical Romance, a hugely successful group of twelve historical romance writers who have banded together for cross-promotion.

Cross-Promote In A Group Contest 

When there are several writers working together to cross-promote, you can pool resources to offer up a more valuable—and therefore much more enticing—prize. This will generate more contest sign-ups, which will give you more emails for your mailing lists.

Cross-Promote With Interviews 

If you know your way around Facebook video, or if you have an active YouTube page, consider doing some short and lively interviews with the authors in your promo group. Then have one of them interview you!

Cross-Promote With Group Book Giveaways

As a self-published author, you likely do a book giveaway now and again to entice readers to sample your work. Amplify that effort by offering a group e-book giveaway made easy by using a service like Instafreebie or BookFunnel.

Cross-Promote With Personal Appearances 

If you and your team of authors live relatively close, consider pitching book-related workshops for local writer’s groups, libraries, community groups, and even bookstores. A large group of pros speaking on a compelling subject is a bigger draw than an unknown author going it alone.

Cross-Promote By Publishing A Book Bundle

Self-publishing has many benefits, one of which is the ease of publishing! Consider publishing a sampler collection of first chapters from each author’s best books. Alternatively, have everyone in the group write a themed short story, either centered on a holiday (Civil War for Lincoln’s birthday) or a trope (first contact sci-fi). Co-authoring stories written in the same setting is another way to cross-promote. If you make the bundle available for free or low cost on all e-book vendors, word will spread quickly.

Cross-promotion isn’t just a push for book sales (although it certainly is a benefit!). There are lots of additional advantages. By connecting with fellow writers and working toward a communal goal, you’ll be building a reputation, expanding your circle of colleagues, and growing your career.

 

Question: Which authors would be on your dream-team for cross-promotion efforts?

3 Comments

  1. Pawan Shrivastav

    very nice information

    Reply
  2. Daniel Wright

    Self publishing is the latest trend in the publishing indutry and amny authors are opting this way to publish their books. These ideas will definitely help the self publishers.

    Reply
  3. Ronald Destra

    Great tips#

    Reply

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